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From Tana French, author of the forthcoming novel The Searcher, a New York Times bestselling novel that "proves anew that [Tana French] is one of the most talented crime writers alive" (The Washington Post). "Required reading for anyone who appreciates tough, unflinching intelligence and ingenious plotting." --The New York Times Mick "Scorcherˮ Kennedy is the star of the Dublin Murder Squad. He plays by the books and plays hard, and thatʼs how the biggest case of the year ends up in show more his hands. On one of the half-abandoned "luxuryˮ developments that litter Ireland, Patrick Spain and his two young children have been murdered. His wife, Jenny, is in intensive care. At first, Scorcher thinks itʼs going to be an easy solve, but too many small things canʼt be explained: the half-dozen baby monitors pointed at holes smashed in the Spainsʼ walls, the files erased from the familyʼs computer, the story Jenny told her sister about a shadowy intruder slipping past the houseʼs locks. And this neighborhood--once called Broken Harbor--holds memories for Scorcher and his troubled sister, Dina: childhood memories that Scorcher thought he had tightly under control. show lessTags
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BookshelfMonstrosity Painful childhood memories haunt the detectives of these dark psychological thrillers. Both authors write their respective cities (Boston and Dublin) with realism that augments the flawed, believable characters' struggles. Their secrets and suspicions offer compelling insight into trust in relationships.
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Member Reviews
Broken Harbour is a zombie estate outside Dublin. Built during the economic boom and abandoned in the subsequent crash, it is half-built and sparsely populated. When a father and his children are found dead with the mother critically injured and on the way to intensive care, detective Scorcher Kennedy thinks he has a simple case of murder-suicide to add to his impressive record of solving crime. However, the case proves to be more complicated and raises some issues from Scorcher's own past.
I've enjoyed reading every book of the Dublin Murder Squad series so far and this one was the best yet. In fact I will go as far as to say this is the best detective/crime thriller that I have ever read (with the caveat that the Bernie Gunther books show more are not classified as such), The author constructed a superb plot, full of complexity, twists, turns and surprises ad coupled this with beautifully drawn characters. None of them were likeable and none of them were simple and the interplay between them was fascinating and compelling. I really couldn't put this down and will need to move on quickly to the next book. Not a word was wasted and every morsel of information was critical to the development of the plot- even if it wasn't immediately obvious why or how. show less
I've enjoyed reading every book of the Dublin Murder Squad series so far and this one was the best yet. In fact I will go as far as to say this is the best detective/crime thriller that I have ever read (with the caveat that the Bernie Gunther books show more are not classified as such), The author constructed a superb plot, full of complexity, twists, turns and surprises ad coupled this with beautifully drawn characters. None of them were likeable and none of them were simple and the interplay between them was fascinating and compelling. I really couldn't put this down and will need to move on quickly to the next book. Not a word was wasted and every morsel of information was critical to the development of the plot- even if it wasn't immediately obvious why or how. show less
One's enjoyment of BROKEN HARBOR by Tana French hinges completely on how much you can stand its main character, Mick Kennedy. You first meet Mick in the previous Dublin Murder Squad mystery, and, if you are like me, he doesn't impress you very much after that first introduction. The impression stands after only a few chapters into BROKEN HARBOR, book five of the Dublin Murder Squad series.
Mick "Scorcher" Kennedy is a pompous ass, and it skews everything he does in his investigation of what could be a robbery gone wrong, a murder-suicide, or something else entirely. Unlike other detectives we have met so far in this series, he doesn't leave his biases at the door. Instead, he brings them directly into the investigation and lets them show more skew his view of the evidence. We are front and center to the rather nasty things he thinks about certain witnesses and the callousness he feels towards the victims. We even get to witness the superior attitude he lords over his rookie partner.
Thankfully, we know from the first chapter that Mick's investigation somehow goes wrong and causes him long-term career issues because Mick mentions certain regrets in that first chapter. The promise of something bad happening to him was enough to keep me going through the rougher parts because he really is a pompous ass with a major chip on his shoulder.
There is another aspect of BROKEN HARBOR that may come as a shock or prove to be a trigger warning for some readers, and that is the topic of mental health. Mental health plays a significant role in the mystery and within Mick's past, but Ms. French does not use the same careful terminology or enlightened approach to mental health as we do today. Instead, she has her characters talk about mental health as we did back in the early 00s, the story's setting. We didn't see mental health as a disease to be treated. Instead, we looked at it with derision, as something you could avoid, and anyone who exhibited signs of mental health issues was mocked and considered weak-minded. To the modern reader, Mick's opinions and various discussions of mental health will be upsetting and may be a cause to DNF the book, even though Ms. French is doing nothing but using historically accurate language and opinions.
At the same time, BROKEN HARBOR is the type of novel that you could not write and set into today's timeline. The setting of the story is just as important as the details of the mystery Ms. French includes. Today's characters would recognize mental health issues in each other and would urge loved ones to get help. There are more safeguards in place for school-age children to monitor behaviors and get help. The mental health parts of the story just wouldn't work today, making BROKEN HARBOR as much historical fiction as it is a mystery.
No matter how you feel about Mick or Ms. French's approach to mental health, BROKEN HARBOR provides some excellent thought points on the meaning of justice and whether it is or should be as black and white as the law spells out. It also focuses the reader on the long-lived dangers of unattended trauma. While I will admit to feeling just a bit of Schadenfreude at Mick's unraveling, I enjoyed the unraveling of the mystery and its talking points even more. show less
Mick "Scorcher" Kennedy is a pompous ass, and it skews everything he does in his investigation of what could be a robbery gone wrong, a murder-suicide, or something else entirely. Unlike other detectives we have met so far in this series, he doesn't leave his biases at the door. Instead, he brings them directly into the investigation and lets them show more skew his view of the evidence. We are front and center to the rather nasty things he thinks about certain witnesses and the callousness he feels towards the victims. We even get to witness the superior attitude he lords over his rookie partner.
Thankfully, we know from the first chapter that Mick's investigation somehow goes wrong and causes him long-term career issues because Mick mentions certain regrets in that first chapter. The promise of something bad happening to him was enough to keep me going through the rougher parts because he really is a pompous ass with a major chip on his shoulder.
There is another aspect of BROKEN HARBOR that may come as a shock or prove to be a trigger warning for some readers, and that is the topic of mental health. Mental health plays a significant role in the mystery and within Mick's past, but Ms. French does not use the same careful terminology or enlightened approach to mental health as we do today. Instead, she has her characters talk about mental health as we did back in the early 00s, the story's setting. We didn't see mental health as a disease to be treated. Instead, we looked at it with derision, as something you could avoid, and anyone who exhibited signs of mental health issues was mocked and considered weak-minded. To the modern reader, Mick's opinions and various discussions of mental health will be upsetting and may be a cause to DNF the book, even though Ms. French is doing nothing but using historically accurate language and opinions.
At the same time, BROKEN HARBOR is the type of novel that you could not write and set into today's timeline. The setting of the story is just as important as the details of the mystery Ms. French includes. Today's characters would recognize mental health issues in each other and would urge loved ones to get help. There are more safeguards in place for school-age children to monitor behaviors and get help. The mental health parts of the story just wouldn't work today, making BROKEN HARBOR as much historical fiction as it is a mystery.
No matter how you feel about Mick or Ms. French's approach to mental health, BROKEN HARBOR provides some excellent thought points on the meaning of justice and whether it is or should be as black and white as the law spells out. It also focuses the reader on the long-lived dangers of unattended trauma. While I will admit to feeling just a bit of Schadenfreude at Mick's unraveling, I enjoyed the unraveling of the mystery and its talking points even more. show less
In my opinion, Tana French can do no wrong. She’s a master of creating suspenseful, psychologically fraught thrillers. Each book features a different member of the Dublin Murder Squad, and our narrator in this one is Scorcher Kennedy. Kennedy and his new partner (a rookie on the murder squad) take on a disturbing case: a family murdered in their homes, with only the wife surviving and clinging to life in the hospital. As with all of French’s books, the book isn’t just about the case, it is also about our detective’s past, present and future. (In this book, Kennedy has a prior connection to Broken Harbor and a sister with mental health issues who occupies a rather large space in his mental space.) And, as with In The Woods, show more French explores he unique relationship between partners working a murder case. I just can’t tell you satisfying I find Tana French’s books. They are multi-layered, complex, suspenseful and impeccably crafted. It is difficult to believe this is only her fourth novel. I think what makes her so talented is her ability to wring suspense and dread from the most banal things, such as a detective reading a series of Internet chat room postings. She takes you deep inside her character’s psyches, and when these psyches belong to homicide detectives and murder victims, you’ll find many intriguing and dark things. The other thing I loved about this particular book is that just when you think you know where things are going, French changes it up on you. One last note: The Irish economy and its impact on people’s mental health plays a large role in this book, and I think most readers would find this a cautionary tale about what can happen when the economy goes south and the toll it can take on families. show less
Tana French could write an obituary and I would read it. I would, in fact, hunt down the newspaper just so that I could read it. Ms. French's books are the sum of almost everything I love in fiction -- flawed characters, seriously messed up pasts, conflicting moral questions, interesting settings and subtle social commentary. I believe French's writing could be easily categorized as mystery or thriller, but I think putting French's books in those boxes is misleading and doesn't do her books the justice they deserve. Tana French writes about characters, she solidly develops them, lets you peak into their lives and then as you are leaning in to get a good look - you tumble into the characters' lives and storyline completely. Reading her show more books is an experience.
Like most fans, I waited excitedly and curiously for over a year for Broken Harbour. The main character in Broken Harbour is "Scorcher" and he was introduced in French's last book Faithful Place. Just an aside (but an important one!), it is not necessary to read Faithful Place or any other book by French to understand and enjoy Broken Harbour. Scorcher was not an important character in Faithful Place and he seemed, rather distasteful. So I waited to see what Ms. French could do to make me want to read about him. But I never doubted that she would. I was right to not doubt, I could not put Broken Harbour down. I wanted to quit my job and my family and just read and that is the magic of Tana French.
Broken Harbour is darker than the first three books she has written, which I did not think was possible. Like Faithful Place, the book deals with family dynamics, economic struggles, and career pressures. Scorcher is not a likeable guy. He is rigid, he lectures subordinates, and he lives by a very strict way of life -- there is no compromise. The upside to his character is that he judges himself as harshly as he judges those around him. He never lets himself take a break from any of his tough rules. Little by little as the murder investigation deepens, the reader learns more about Scorcher's past. There is very little that is shocking about childhood stories and said tales of painful memories, but Scorcher's tale is sad. And his method of dealing with his pain is in the end, understandable.
Okay, take a look at the cover of the book -- the lone and empty tricycle by the beach. Eerie? Sad? Yes and even scary. Broken Harbour had me spooked in the beginning to go to bed. The story is introduced with a horrific crime that has taken place in a very eerie setting. The setting is that of a building development that was never completed due to the economic turn-down. Only a few families live in the one or two completed homes among a skeleton of abandoned construction along the coast of Ireland. Stresses of job loss, disappearing social status, marital pressure and loss of sanity work to make every layer of this story heartbreaking, exciting and slightly scary. Not scary in the Stephen King or Halloween horror movie sense; but scary in the sense that wow, that family could be mine. I could lose my job tomorrow and where would we be? Tana French brings some very real economic realities to the forefront and weaves them together to create a rich and frightening tale. I highly recommend this book for fans of Tana French, psychological thrillers, mysteries and character driven stories. You will not regret it. show less
Like most fans, I waited excitedly and curiously for over a year for Broken Harbour. The main character in Broken Harbour is "Scorcher" and he was introduced in French's last book Faithful Place. Just an aside (but an important one!), it is not necessary to read Faithful Place or any other book by French to understand and enjoy Broken Harbour. Scorcher was not an important character in Faithful Place and he seemed, rather distasteful. So I waited to see what Ms. French could do to make me want to read about him. But I never doubted that she would. I was right to not doubt, I could not put Broken Harbour down. I wanted to quit my job and my family and just read and that is the magic of Tana French.
Broken Harbour is darker than the first three books she has written, which I did not think was possible. Like Faithful Place, the book deals with family dynamics, economic struggles, and career pressures. Scorcher is not a likeable guy. He is rigid, he lectures subordinates, and he lives by a very strict way of life -- there is no compromise. The upside to his character is that he judges himself as harshly as he judges those around him. He never lets himself take a break from any of his tough rules. Little by little as the murder investigation deepens, the reader learns more about Scorcher's past. There is very little that is shocking about childhood stories and said tales of painful memories, but Scorcher's tale is sad. And his method of dealing with his pain is in the end, understandable.
Okay, take a look at the cover of the book -- the lone and empty tricycle by the beach. Eerie? Sad? Yes and even scary. Broken Harbour had me spooked in the beginning to go to bed. The story is introduced with a horrific crime that has taken place in a very eerie setting. The setting is that of a building development that was never completed due to the economic turn-down. Only a few families live in the one or two completed homes among a skeleton of abandoned construction along the coast of Ireland. Stresses of job loss, disappearing social status, marital pressure and loss of sanity work to make every layer of this story heartbreaking, exciting and slightly scary. Not scary in the Stephen King or Halloween horror movie sense; but scary in the sense that wow, that family could be mine. I could lose my job tomorrow and where would we be? Tana French brings some very real economic realities to the forefront and weaves them together to create a rich and frightening tale. I highly recommend this book for fans of Tana French, psychological thrillers, mysteries and character driven stories. You will not regret it. show less
Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad mysteries are multi-layered, thoughtful, and beautifully written. I've loved all 4 that I've read and I'm not sure I could pick a favorite, but Broken Harbor might be it. In this one, Detective "Scorcher" Kennedy and a newbie detective take on the case of a murdered family (only the wife survived) in one of the run-down housing developments that sprung up during Ireland's transient economic boom of the early 2000s. The setting is important, and it becomes almost a character. The atmosphere is creepy and unsettled and adds a lot to the reading experience.
I don't want to say too much more, but French's writing is propulsive and she handles several threads of the story deftly. I was slightly let down by show more one aspect of the ending, but still highly recommend the novel.
4.25 stars
"Over time, the ghosts of things that happened start to turn distant; once they've cut you a couple of million times, their edges blunt on your scar tissue, they wear thin. The ones that slice like razors forever are the ghosts of things that never got a chance to happen." show less
I don't want to say too much more, but French's writing is propulsive and she handles several threads of the story deftly. I was slightly let down by show more one aspect of the ending, but still highly recommend the novel.
4.25 stars
"Over time, the ghosts of things that happened start to turn distant; once they've cut you a couple of million times, their edges blunt on your scar tissue, they wear thin. The ones that slice like razors forever are the ghosts of things that never got a chance to happen." show less
I'm going to do two things I almost never do.
First, I'll tell you how to read: Sit down and pay attention to this book. Read in large, uninterrupted blocks of time. Trust me; you will better be able to appreciate French's character evolution (or dissolution) and the many layers of the plot become all the more shocking when they've had the chance to properly build.
The second thing I rarely do: spoiler part of my review. For my memory and discussion's sake, I must be specific.
Once again, French impresses. This time she pulls in interesting plotting followed by astonishing character development. Yet it is unsettling enough that I don't know if it will get a second read. That's okay--parts of it are still etched in my mind.
Scorcher Kennedy show more is one of the stars of the Murder Squad. Although he's recently come off a case that's left him with a figurative black eye (one of the earlier books, and for the life of me, I can't remember why), he gets a chance to shine when an entire suburban family is found murdered and he catches the case. His new partner is a rookie early in his Murder career, and somewhat unusually, becomes second when Kennedy vouches for him. Like all French's narrators, Kennedy has a troubled past, coincidentally tied to the same area as the murder case.
Perhaps that is part of French's overall message--the people drawn to solving horrific crime are as troubled as the victims and criminals. This time, however, French challenges herself with a narrator and protagonist who is not altogether likeable, and whose strength is his meticulous attention to detail. He delineates his world into black and white, and his neat organization constrains her ability to vividly flavor a world. Still, she sneaks in a bit of vivid imagery here and there:
"Only teenagers think boring is bad. Adults, grown men and women who've been around the block a few times, know that boring is a gift straight from God." (p.11)
"It made her shoulder jump, the sudden feel of our fingers probing deep into their lives." (p.251).
"I could smell the hospital off her, disinfected and polluting."
"There was a moment of silence that could have sliced skin."
Here's where French kicked my ass: almost every single character in this story is concealing something. 'That's not unusual,' you think. Her genius: virtually all of them melt under pressure. By avoiding rigid definitions of 'good/bad' and 'sane/insane,' the reader should start to understand the barrier is permeable for all of us, given the right set of circumstances. While at first I thought Kennedy's mentally ill sister a plot crutch, it turns out she is just the extreme end of the observable scale.
Now, I'm serious. Don't read the next part unless you want to talk specifics.
The first clue things are starting to go bad--well, the first blaze orange road sign--is when he decides against confiding in Richie. He almost shares his helplessness coping with Dina--he's so close, he can envision what intimacy may look like. But he pulls back and loses the moment; it was clear it would become a pivot point, but not quite how. It becomes a motif; Kennedy allowing himself to relax into the give-and-take of an equal, discovering a thoughtful person that might be perfect for a long-term working partnership.
Kennedy is so certain his worldview is right, but his certainty is built on sand. It's the supposition that if bad things happen, usually people deserve them in some fashion. French demonstrates the weakness of his belief time and time again, but then allows Kennedy the opportunity to pontificate to Richie as he orients him to the job. He even repeats some of these thoughts to himself, affirming what he enjoys about his career.
"This is the gift we offer them, people who loved the victims: rest... I understand how immense that is, and how priceless." (p.250)
His confrontation with Dina was utterly heartbreaking, when he's begging for an explanation for her madness, and for her interpretation of Broken Harbor. I wanted to cheer and cry at the same time. Her moment of frustrated self-awareness was so perfect:
"You keep trying to organize me, file me away all neat and make sense, like I'm one of your cases... There isn't any why. That's what I mean, trying to organize me. I'm not crazy because anything. I just am." Her voice was clear, steady, matter-of-fact, and she was looking at me straight on, with something that could almost have been compassion" (p.287).
French does get the chance to demonstrate her descriptive prowess when she describes the drowning and the fisherman discovering the mom's dress. It resonates all the more for the restrained writing earlier. Her imagery is ominous, nothing wasted, entirely evocative. The sinister atmosphere carries over into the squad room: "The moment I said Broken Harbor to O'Kelly, every faded scar in my mind had lit up like a beacon. I had walked the glittering lines of those scars, obedient as a farm animal, from that moment straight to this one."
I also admire French's use of internet forums as a way of demonstrating Pat's gradual unhinging. When he first posts, can anyone doubt his sincerity? As his situation becomes more and more ridiculous, with more caveats and exceptions, does it not conjure other posters encountered on the internet and the gradual way subtext is revealed? I thought it quite clever; there is no need for Kennedy to say, "look, he's crazy," when we can read, draw similar conclusions.
Ultimately, French is an amazing writer, even when I don't like the ending. Note--never be a character in a French book. And read everything she writes. show less
First, I'll tell you how to read: Sit down and pay attention to this book. Read in large, uninterrupted blocks of time. Trust me; you will better be able to appreciate French's character evolution (or dissolution) and the many layers of the plot become all the more shocking when they've had the chance to properly build.
The second thing I rarely do: spoiler part of my review. For my memory and discussion's sake, I must be specific.
Once again, French impresses. This time she pulls in interesting plotting followed by astonishing character development. Yet it is unsettling enough that I don't know if it will get a second read. That's okay--parts of it are still etched in my mind.
Scorcher Kennedy show more is one of the stars of the Murder Squad. Although he's recently come off a case that's left him with a figurative black eye (one of the earlier books, and for the life of me, I can't remember why), he gets a chance to shine when an entire suburban family is found murdered and he catches the case. His new partner is a rookie early in his Murder career, and somewhat unusually, becomes second when Kennedy vouches for him. Like all French's narrators, Kennedy has a troubled past, coincidentally tied to the same area as the murder case.
Perhaps that is part of French's overall message--the people drawn to solving horrific crime are as troubled as the victims and criminals. This time, however, French challenges herself with a narrator and protagonist who is not altogether likeable, and whose strength is his meticulous attention to detail. He delineates his world into black and white, and his neat organization constrains her ability to vividly flavor a world. Still, she sneaks in a bit of vivid imagery here and there:
"Only teenagers think boring is bad. Adults, grown men and women who've been around the block a few times, know that boring is a gift straight from God." (p.11)
"It made her shoulder jump, the sudden feel of our fingers probing deep into their lives." (p.251).
"I could smell the hospital off her, disinfected and polluting."
"There was a moment of silence that could have sliced skin."
Now, I'm serious. Don't read the next part unless you want to talk specifics.
Kennedy is so certain his worldview is right, but his certainty is built on sand. It's the supposition that if bad things happen, usually people deserve them in some fashion. French demonstrates the weakness of his belief time and time again, but then allows Kennedy the opportunity to pontificate to Richie as he orients him to the job. He even repeats some of these thoughts to himself, affirming what he enjoys about his career.
"This is the gift we offer them, people who loved the victims: rest... I understand how immense that is, and how priceless." (p.250)
His confrontation with Dina was utterly heartbreaking, when he's begging for an explanation for her madness, and for her interpretation of Broken Harbor. I wanted to cheer and cry at the same time. Her moment of frustrated self-awareness was so perfect:
"You keep trying to organize me, file me away all neat and make sense, like I'm one of your cases... There isn't any why. That's what I mean, trying to organize me. I'm not crazy because anything. I just am." Her voice was clear, steady, matter-of-fact, and she was looking at me straight on, with something that could almost have been compassion" (p.287).
French does get the chance to demonstrate her descriptive prowess when she describes the drowning and the fisherman discovering the mom's dress. It resonates all the more for the restrained writing earlier. Her imagery is ominous, nothing wasted, entirely evocative. The sinister atmosphere carries over into the squad room: "The moment I said Broken Harbor to O'Kelly, every faded scar in my mind had lit up like a beacon. I had walked the glittering lines of those scars, obedient as a farm animal, from that moment straight to this one."
I also admire French's use of internet forums as a way of demonstrating Pat's gradual unhinging. When he first posts, can anyone doubt his sincerity? As his situation becomes more and more ridiculous, with more caveats and exceptions, does it not conjure other posters encountered on the internet and the gradual way subtext is revealed? I thought it quite clever; there is no need for Kennedy to say, "look, he's crazy," when we can read, draw similar conclusions.
Ultimately, French is an amazing writer, even when I don't like the ending. Note--never be a character in a French book. And read everything she writes.
Mike "Scorcher" Kennedy is called to the scene of a brutal crime in which two children and their father lost their lives, and the mother was severely injured and left unconscious. As she is whisked off to hospital, Kennedy and his new partner Richie Curran begin the investigation. Kennedy is legendary on the Dublin force for his ability to solve murders quickly; Curran is new to the murder squad and eager to learn. It doesn't take long for them to identify a suspect and bring him in for questioning.
But wait ... this happens only 1/3 of the way through the book. It can't be that easy, and of course it isn't. Kennedy works tirelessly to collect sufficient evidence to charge the suspect, and Curran proves his worth through his ability to show more extract information from people associated with the suspect or the victims. At the same time, Kennedy is distracted and troubled by his sister Dina, whose mental instability flares up most inconveniently.
And that's what I love about this series: the detective's personal drama running in parallel to the crime-solving. In this case, the crime occurred on a housing estate that was once a seaside resort where Kennedy spent his childhood summers. A family tragedy put an end to those idyllic holidays, and may or may not have exacerbated Dina's mental illness. Kennedy keeps all of this locked up inside, desperately trying not to let it interfere with his work. And it turns out Curran has something to hide as well, and after some huge foreshadowing Tana French sets this part of the story on a slow drip that keeps the reader guessing about its impact on the case.
At this time there is only one more book in this series, and I don't plan to let too much time pass before reading it. show less
But wait ... this happens only 1/3 of the way through the book. It can't be that easy, and of course it isn't. Kennedy works tirelessly to collect sufficient evidence to charge the suspect, and Curran proves his worth through his ability to show more extract information from people associated with the suspect or the victims. At the same time, Kennedy is distracted and troubled by his sister Dina, whose mental instability flares up most inconveniently.
And that's what I love about this series: the detective's personal drama running in parallel to the crime-solving. In this case, the crime occurred on a housing estate that was once a seaside resort where Kennedy spent his childhood summers. A family tragedy put an end to those idyllic holidays, and may or may not have exacerbated Dina's mental illness. Kennedy keeps all of this locked up inside, desperately trying not to let it interfere with his work. And it turns out Curran has something to hide as well, and after some huge foreshadowing Tana French sets this part of the story on a slow drip that keeps the reader guessing about its impact on the case.
At this time there is only one more book in this series, and I don't plan to let too much time pass before reading it. show less
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Author Information
27+ Works 41,295 Members
Tana French grew up in Ireland, Italy, the US and Malawi. She trained as a professional actress at Trinity College, Dublin, and has worked in theatre, film and voiceover. Her first novel, In the Woods, won the 2007 Edgar Award for Best First Novel. Her other books include The Likeness, Faithful Place, Broken Harbor, and The Secret Place. The show more Trespasser and The Witch Elm made the New York Times bestseller list. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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- Canonical title
- Broken Harbour
- Original title
- Broken Harbor
- Alternate titles
- Broken Harbor
- Original publication date
- 2012
- People/Characters
- Detective Michael "Scorcher" Kennedy; Detective Richie Curran; Conor Brennan; Jennifer Spain; Patrick Spain; Dina Kennedy (show all 10); Fiona Rafferty; Larry Boyle; Niall Gogan; Sinéad Gogan
- Important places
- Dublin, Ireland
- Dedication
- For Darley, magician and gentleman
- First words
- Let's get one thing straight: I was the perfect man for this case.
- Quotations
- Most victims went looking for exactly what they got … If you try to sell smack on some other scumbag’s turf, or if you go ahead and marry Prince Charming after he puts you in the ICU four times running, or if you stab som... (show all)e guy because his brother stabbed your friend for stabbing his cousin, then ... you’re just begging for exactly what you’re eventually going to get. ... you would be amazed at how seldom murder has to break into people’s lives. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, it gets there because they open the door and invite it in.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)I lay still, looking into the dark and feeling her hair wet against my cheek, waiting for the dawn.
- Original language
- English
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- Reviews
- 247
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- (3.94)
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- 12 — Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Norwegian (Bokmål), Norwegian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swedish
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- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
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- 26