19. Faithful Place by Tana French

French has a habit of writing books about characters she has introduced in her previous books.  Her latest offering, Faithful Place, showcases this talent the best.  Frank Mackey grew up in a violent, alcohol-fueled house in Faithful Place.  He and his childhood girlfriend, Rosie, knew that the only way they could escape to a better life would be to take the ferry to England and not look back.  When Rosie doesn’t meet him on the planned night, he assumes she has left him, so moves on with his life and becomes a policeman.  Now an undercover police who still stays away from Faithful Place, Frank finds himself back in his childhood territory when Rosie’s suitcase, and then remains, are found in the house where they were supposed to meet that fateful night.

More of a psychological exploration than a mystery, French continues to gain strength as a writer with each book.  From bitter sibling rivalry that has never disappeared, to the long but never forgotten memories of a first love, French uses classic themes to draw her characters out.  My review for French's first book, In the Woods, can be read at http://tcpl.org/sarah/2007/07/36-in-woods-by-tana-french.html