Faithful Place
(Libby/OverDrive eBook, Kindle)

*Starred Review* Frank Mackey, head of the Garda's Dublin undercover unit, left home at 19. He and Rosie Daly, madly in love, had plans to adopt one of the only career paths available in Ireland in the 1980s: immigration. They planned to meet at midnight and take a ferry to England and forget their dysfunctional families on Faithful Place. But Rosie never showed up. Frank assumed that she'd left without him and joined the police. Twenty-five years later, Rosie's suitcase is discovered in an abandoned house, and Frank must return to the bubbling cauldron of crazy that is his family and his street. Rosie's remains are soon found, and the tightly wound cop is immediately sucked back into the violence, hatred, alcoholism, and ignorance he's been trying to forget. French introduced Mackey in her second highly praised novel, The Likeness (2008), as a shrewd, ever-calculating cop who puts a young, female undercover officer in grave danger. So, his unraveling in the face of family and neighborhood feuds and animosities is riveting and humanizing. She also revisits, evocatively and lyrically, themes she's used before: love, loss, memory, murder, and life in modern Ireland. French's writing remains brilliant, and her dialogue is sharp, often lacerating, and sometimes mordantly funny. Faithful Place is her best book yet.--Gaughan, Thomas Copyright 2010 Booklist

For the third novel in her Dublin Murder Squad mystery series, French focuses on Squad detective Frank Mackey (a secondary character in The Likeness) as its protagonist, a man faced with new evidence that his first love may have been murdered years ago instead of, as he's believed, deserting him for life in London. He's forced to revisit his old inner-city neighborhood and a dysfunctional family, from whom he's been estranged for 22 years. Tim Gerard Reynolds's task is to be true to the novel's Irish working-class roots, but also to capture Mackey's voice as he shifts between tough cop to confused son and bitter sibling struggling against the past. Not only does Reynolds meet that demand, he adds his own admirable touches to the wonderfully drawn denizens of Faithful Place. For Mackey's aging, abusive father, Reynolds uses a deep hoarse growl, for his ever-disapproving Ma a shrill harangue. Older brother Sean speaks with an arrogant edge, older sister Carmel with lofty uninterest, while younger siblings Kevin and Jackie have the upbeat voices of naifs. A Viking hardcover (Reviews, May 31). (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

In 1985, Frank Mackey and Rosie Daly were 19, in love, and planning to run away together from Ireland to start a new life in England. When Rosie failed to meet him, Frank stayed in his hometown of Dublin, estranged from his dysfunctional family. But 22 years later, Frank, now on the Dublin Police Undercover Squad and boss of Det. Cassie Maddox (from The Likeness), finds his history in upheaval when his colleagues unearth Rosie's remains in a dilapidated house in his old neighborhood, and he's pulled back into his family of four siblings and their alcoholic, wife-beating father. When his younger brother dies days later-accident, suicide, or murder?-in the yard of the same old house, Frank connives to stay in the loop of the investigation as he tries to put the pieces together and his nine-year-old daughter becomes a key player in the case. -VERDICT With French's masterly portrayal of family dynamics and responsibility and her adept depiction of young love and parental devotion, fans are unlikely to miss Maddox, the protagonist of her first two New York Times best sellers (Into the Woods; The Likeness). Psychological suspense at its best. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 2/15/10.]--Michele Leber, Arlington, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

An Irish undercover cop delves into his working-class past.When Frank Mackey left Faithful Place more than 20 years ago, he never imagined returning. Of course, he thought he'd be leaving with his childhood sweetheart Rosie Daly. When Rosie failed to show up at their meeting spot that fateful night, Frank was broken-hearted but decided to go it alone. He's moved on and hasn't looked backuntil he receives an urgent call from his sister Jackie, demanding that he return to his childhood home. She's got the one thing in the world that could make him come back: information about Rosie, whose suitcase has been found in a vacant house. This new intelligence throws mysterious shadows on Frank's theories about Rosie's fate. Suddenly, what was once buried history starts coming to light, and Frank isn't quite prepared for the twists his life begins to take. Not only does everything seem to tie into his family of origin, but menacing fingers seem to be reaching out for his young daughter Holly. If only Frank's position as an undercover cop would give him some insight into the case. Instead, Scorcher, the lead investigator, has an eye out for Frank's interference and keeps him at an increasing distance as the investigation heats up.Though French (The Likeness, 2009, etc.) plies readers with dark and stormy clichs, the charming narrative will leave readers begging for a sequel.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

*Starred Review* Frank Mackey, head of the Garda's Dublin undercover unit, left home at 19. He and Rosie Daly, madly in love, had plans to adopt one of the only career paths available in Ireland in the 1980s: immigration. They planned to meet at midnight and take a ferry to England and forget their dysfunctional families on Faithful Place. But Rosie never showed up. Frank assumed that she'd left without him and joined the police. Twenty-five years later, Rosie's suitcase is discovered in an abandoned house, and Frank must return to the "bubbling cauldron of crazy" that is his family and his street. Rosie's remains are soon found, and the tightly wound cop is immediately sucked back into the violence, hatred, alcoholism, and ignorance he's been trying to forget. French introduced Mackey in her second highly praised novel, The Likeness (2008), as a shrewd, ever-calculating cop who puts a young, female undercover officer in grave danger. So, his unraveling in the face of family and neighborhood feuds and animosities is riveting and humanizing. She also revisits, evocatively and lyrically, themes she's used before: love, loss, memory, murder, and life in modern Ireland. French's writing remains brilliant, and her dialogue is sharp, often lacerating, and sometimes mordantly funny. Faithful Place is her best book yet. Copyright 2010 Booklist Reviews.

Rosie never showed on the night she and Frankie were planning to flee inner-city Dublin for London, and he goes it alone. Years later, Frankie returns-because he's discovered that perhaps Rosie didn't just dump him. Big, big; too bad the author isn't touring. Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.

In 1985, Frank Mackey and Rosie Daly were 19, in love, and planning to run away together from Ireland to start a new life in England. When Rosie failed to meet him, Frank stayed in his hometown of Dublin, estranged from his dysfunctional family. But 22 years later, Frank, now on the Dublin Police Undercover Squad and boss of Det. Cassie Maddox (from The Likeness), finds his history in upheaval when his colleagues unearth Rosie's remains in a dilapidated house in his old neighborhood, and he's pulled back into his family of four siblings and their alcoholic, wife-beating father. When his younger brother dies days later—accident, suicide, or murder?—in the yard of the same old house, Frank connives to stay in the loop of the investigation as he tries to put the pieces together and his nine-year-old daughter becomes a key player in the case. VERDICT With French's masterly portrayal of family dynamics and responsibility and her adept depiction of young love and parental devotion, fans are unlikely to miss Maddox, the protagonist of her first two New York Times best sellers (Into the Woods; The Likeness). Psychological suspense at its best. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 2/15/10.]—Michele Leber, Arlington, VA

French's emotionally searing third novel of the Dublin murder squad (after The Likeness) shows the Irish author getting better with each book. In 1985, 19-yearold Frank Mackey and his girlfriend, Rosie Daly, made secret plans to elope to England and start a new life together far away from their families, particularly the hard-drinking Mackeys. But when Rosie doesn't meet Frank the night they're meant to leave and he finds a note, Frank assumes she's left him behind. For 22 years, Frank, who becomes an undercover cop, stays away from Faithful Place, his childhood Dublin neighborhood. When his younger sister, Jackie, calls to tell him that someone found Rosie's suitcase hidden in an abandoned house, Frank reluctantly returns. Now everything he thought he knew is turned upside down: did Rosie really leave that night, or did someone stop her before she could? French, who briefly introduced Mackey in The Likeness, is adept at seamlessly blending suspenseful whodunit elements with Frank's familial demons. (July)