This delicate balance between the external mystery and the internal conflicts of her characters makes her stand apart from other crime writers. They are less of whodunnits, and more of ‘ Who is the detective’. Each novel reads different in a way that there’s nothing best describe it than as having ‘Tana French vibes’. Soon enough you are as invested in the redemption (or none) of this new person, as in the resolution of the mystery. You watch with fascination how the narrators break down and get rebuilt in French’s able hands. She keeps you in awe of the mystery and serves you a flawed narrator with more burdens than what meets the eye. This arresting quality is Tana French’s biggest strength. If she tells you to breathe slow, not rush ahead, you simply sell your soul and listen to her, no matter how long it takes.

As a reader you trust Tana French completely, as much as you distrust her often unreliable narrators. What is it about her books? Her books aren’t set exclusively in autumn or winter (In fact her debut In the Woods begins with a summer day with children at play), they aren’t your typical ‘cozy’ but they have an exquisite sense of place with a slow, literary unravelling of both the mystery (murder, disappearance, unsolved cases, doppelgängers) and the narrator in question. When the autumn and winter book lists pop up on the internet, as much as I love new books, I can think of nothing better than cozying up with the Dublin Murder Squad series by Tana French. While I have been easily swayed by books that come close to the feel, I haven’t been able to find an out-and-out replacement. My favourite Tana French books ( jump)Įvery year when the air turns slightly cold, I get a familiar longing to read something ‘like a Tana French book’. Tips for the best reading experience ( jump)Ħ. Where to start with Tana French books? ( jump)ĥ. Mini reviews of Tana French books + How to choose? ( jump)Ĥ. Chronological order of publication ( jump)ģ. Or you could simply take the easy way out, and pick any from her eight very good books.Ģ.

This list would help you decide in what order to read Tana French books. And now as a seasoned Tana French reader, I am proud to have my favourites and biases, and finally understand the cult-ish loyalty that her fan base exudes. Every reader who tried to help me often left a simple tip-‘just begin and you’ll find your way’ after they listed their favourites. Before I became enraptured by her books, I spent a good chunk of time searching ‘Where to start with Tana French’ or asking the Twitter void. Tana French is that author for me, and luckily she has not written a bad book yet. Often you read a book and you instantly know you will read everything that the author writes, good or bad.

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