Book giveaway: The Secret Place by Tana French

Sorry took so long to post a review. Really enjoyed it but really didn't get the supernatural bit either but didn't spoil it either. I have enjoyed the authors other books also

I got this book in the give away and enjoyed it immensely. I did think it was a bit too long and some sections could have been condensed. I agree with the other reviewers, what was the supernatural stuff all about? I found it confusing as it didn't go anywhere or add anything to the story. I liked the characters especially the cops and felt they had plenty of depth. A good read and I've passed it on to a friend see what they think.

I got it in the give away too. Excellent book, and I agree with all mgrass has said above. Supernatural element didn't do anything for me. I also felt that the book ended rather abruptly. A really good read though.

I was fortunate enough to receive this book in the online giveaway. It is my first book by Tana French.

A well thought out plot ensured that tension was maintained although the story seemed somewhat drawn out.

Relationships between the girls were well portrayed, highlighting the shallow nature and attitudes of teenagers. It displayed the loyalties and supportiveness privileged teenage girls are capable of, while not disguising the insecurities, cruelty and destructiveness of which they are also competent. The language style – while intensely irritating, came over as believable.

The relationship between Detectives Conway and Moran while prickly to begin with, gradually develops into an interesting double act although the character of Conway, with her overly-abrasive manner, was a little far-fetched and difficult to find believable.

The novel contained a few red herrings, and some questions remained at the end of the book, which is possibly due to it being part of a series. For instance, the incident that connected Holly to Moran in the past was never explained. However, as this is my first book by this author, I found it rather frustrating. Saying that, one matter was resolved in the final sentence.

I was disappointed with the way the supernatural element was dealt with – it seemed to be leading up to something, then simply fizzled out. The story would have been better without it.

After all the hype and publicity I couldn't wait to get started, I was intrigued by the Mean Girls meets The Fall storyline. Alas, I tried time and again to finish this book and in the end just had to admit defeat about two thirds in. I couldn't get into the story and didn't connect with any of the characters.

Not my cup of tea and I never did find out who killed him.

I liked the sound of this book, so borrowed it from the library when I didn't get a free copy.

I found it compelling, and didn't predict the end. I didn't see the point of the supernatural aspect, which made an otherwise realsitic book implausible.

The details of Frank Mackey's marriage and a few other policing aspects made me presume this was part of a series of books with recurring characters, they weren't essential to the plot, and were otherwise irrelevant, with insufficient detail to make them relevant, but not irritatingly irrelevant.

I missed the part in the last line about Holly and Chris, and the book has gone back - noooo!

I would look out for other books by the author, having found this interesting.

I've just finished the book. Overall I did enjoy reading it and looked forward to being able to curl up with it at the end of the day however I did find it took a while to get into properly.. I'd expected it was going to be quite scary from the descriptions on the back and at one point wondered if it was going to become a ghost story so was a little disappointed by that. Like others on here I'm not really sure what the supernatural abilities added to the story and I'm also not convinced teenage girls really talk like that but if they do I stand corrected! Not a bad read but it didn't live up to the hype for me x

I also found this book hard work as I didn't like any of the characters. There was no sense of drama or suspense. I battled to the end, but won't rush to buy more books by the author.

Just finished this book and have to say it was hard work, certainly not a page turner for me. I only continued to read it so I could review it here and in the hope that it would get better. I came to the conclusion that I didn't care for any of the characters at all.

Have passed it on to my sister with the recommendation that if she doesn't get into it/like it within the first two paragraphs, to give up on it and not waste her time, there are too many good books out there to read.

I just couldn't get into it! Found the dialogue between the two detectives self-conscious and not convincing. I felt the same about the mean girls. For a novel set in Ireland, it didn't seem at all culturally Irish. Am afraid I got fed up and didn't finish it.

This is the only author whose books I pre order in hardcover

I've read this and loved it as I loved all her books

Will be reading this soon! Will be back with a review :)

Thanks for book. Slow read, started well and grabbed attention, but became harder work to get through once past middle. So not one of those you miss when it's finished more of a whew ...

I enjoyed the book, it has taken me a while to get to the end, so this is a very late review. I thought that Holly and her friends were well drawn characters and that their friendship provided a really interesting centre to the story. I thought the artwork and cover and all the PR stuff surrounding the book was very well done and it made me excited about starting the book. I did however think it was too long and it didn't live up to the PR hype for me. Having said that, this is the first Tana French book I've read so I will definitely be borrowing others from the library. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

Not having read any books by Tana French before, I was pleased to hear I would receive a copy. I'd hoped it would arrive before we went on holiday but it waiting for me at the sorting office when we returned.

I found the book an enjoyable read although the detail of the hostility between the two groups of girls was far from pleasant to read about and I found myself wondering about the impact of their rivalry and bitchiness on the other girls at the school. The intensity and blinkeredness of teenage friendships is what I'd say is the overriding theme of the book, and how controlling that loyalty became for the girls involved. I found Holly rather frustrating and wanted to know more of her back story i.e. her history with Stephen.

My DH is now reading the book and is enjoying it too - as he went to a Catholic boys school himself he will probably read it somewhat differently from me.

Just finished this book it's took me ages to get through it firstly as it's a really long book that took me a while to get into and secondly as I've been really busy with the kids and every chance I got to read was getting disturbed. This said it was quite easy to get back into and remember who was who etc but as other readers have said it didn't really live upto my expectations I thought once it had set the scene and introduced the different characters I would grow to like it but this never happened! I can honestly say that I was glad when it was finished and might not have got there if a didn't have to give this feedback. Thank you for selecting me but it wasn't really my type of book I have passed it onto my neighbour and asked her to tell me what she thinks of it.

Thanks for the free book, MN. It's the first I've applied for and it arrived just after I'd gone on holiday, so it's taken me till now to finish.

It took me a while to get into it. The first 200 pages or so didn't grab me, perhaps because private girls' boarding schools in Ireland are so outside my terms of reference. However, that's one thing I love about reading, the way it can introduce you to different worlds. Indeed, Moran and even Conway found St Kilda's to be a world away from their experiences of school. I thought the way Conway had to be ballsier than the men in Murder was probably realistic. I loved the way she and Moran gradually began to build a rapport. I felt French could have been more imaginative when describing how the girls' body language gave them away under interrogation. It was often just a look, or a start, for example, which the detectives picked up on.

Spoiler Alert!
The supernatural didn't deter me. Wasn't it the explanation for how skinny, immature Rebecca could kill strapping Chris? I certainly didn't imagine she was the killer, before it was made obvious. She was the girl I identified most with! Most of the other teenagers were unlikeable, Finn was the only boy not preoccupied with sex, which as the parent of four boys around their age I don't find realistic. I think the uncertainty around whether Selena and Chris were the love of each other's lives made it more interesting. The twist in the final sentence - that Holly also had a relationship with Chris - made me come down on the side of him as a player, whereas previously I had believed in the intensity of his and Selena's love for each other.

Having not read other Tana French books, I didn't know the character of Frank Mackey and agree with the poster who said that the detail about his marriage in the last 100 pages or so are not vital to the plot of this book. Overall I enjoyed it the more I got into it and would recommend it to others.

I loved this book it's one hell of a read and kept me gripped until the end well worth reading.

Finished this yesterday. I struggled a bit with the first few chapters as I found Conway a bit cliched but once the book got into it's stride I really started to enjoy it.

I liked the alternating between the past and present and that we found out a little bit more to the story every 'past' chapter (along with the reference to how long until the victim's death). I also ended up enjoying the building partnership between the two detectives which I never expected to at the beginning of the book. I found the introduction of the supernatural into certain parts of the book a bit out of place and I think I need to re-read to make sense of that aspect.

Overall I really enjoyed this book so thank you for letting me try it and I'll be looking out for more Tana French books!

I was very happy to have been sent a copy of this book as I have read and really enjoyed Tana French's other books. I did really enjoy it and found it difficult to put down. I liked the way it alternated between the present and the past and drip-fed the events leading up to the incident. The introduction of the Supernatural took me totally by surprise and I actually had to read back and made sure I had read it properly as it was so out of left-field. I don't think it added anything to the storyline as it wasn't explored deeply enough. The plot did have me changing my mind several times over who the murderer was and it didn't come as a massive surprise in the end. I was hoping for a massive twist but didn't feel I got one. I would recommend but it's not everyone's cup of tea. I think with a few tweaks it would sit better as Young Adult fiction. I loved the boarding school element of it and the characters- although Mallory Towers it was not! I would give it 4 out of 5.

This is the first Tana French book I have read and am currently halfway through it. The storyline so far is really good and I am enjoying getting to know the characters. I am going to do a more in depth review as I finish reading but want to say I am loving it so far and would love to read more by the author

This is the first Tana French book that I have read and I was not at all disappointed, in fact it has made me want to read the other books she has written - although it didn’t start well… I started to read and was confronted by the ‘modern speak’ teenage girls (eg. OMG etc.) and really hoped that it wouldn’t continue like that. But now, I couldn’t tell you whether it did or didn’t, the book had me gripped and I couldn’t wait to find out who had done it and why. The girls, in their different groups, was very realistic and brought back memories of schooldays. The mixture of detectives and the way they bounced off each other was very creative and I really wasn’t expecting the way that ended either. All in all although I couldn’t read at my usual rate, due to buying a house at the same time, I thoroughly enjoyed all the stolen hours in which to read what I could. A great read.

This is the first book I've read by Tana French so can't compare it to her others.

It was a very long book so it took me a while to wade through it, I think it could have been made a little shorter (and the teenage 'totes adorbs' towie spk) without losing any of the plot but I still enjoyed it.

It kept me guessing until the end and in going to keep an eye out for other ebooks by Tana French.

Thanks for sending a copy to me :)

It took me a while to finish the book, and I am normally a very quick reader. I agree with many of the previous posts that the supernatural element didn't do much to enhance the story, but I did enjoy it and I will definitely read Tana French's other work now.