Book Review Robert Wiersema THE WITCH ELM by Tana French While she is not quite a household name, Irish writer Tana French is one of the best known, and most highly regarded crime writers at work today. Her first novel, In the Woods (which is also the first novel in her DublinMurder Squad series) was a bestseller on publication in 2007, with almost universal critical acclaim; the book was also awarded the Edgar, Barry and Macavity prizes for best debut crime novel. The following five novels in the series met with a similar reception, vaulting French to the front rank of the international crime-writing community. Part of this acclaim is due to the approach which she takes with her work. Her books aren’t straightforward mysteries or police procedurals or psychological thrillers. Rather, they seamlessly blend elements of all of those genres to create something wholly unique, wholly original. It’s no accident that Faithful Place, the third novel in the series, was nominated for the 2012 International IMPACDublin Award, a literary prize: the quality of French’s writing and the originality of her approach all but erase the line between genre and literary writing. (If it’s not clear already, you should definitely read the Dublin Murder Squad books, even if you don’t usually read mysteries. They’re fantastic.) All of French’s strengths are on display in her new novel, The Witch Elm. This is a standalone book, unrelated to the Dublin Murder Squad series. This shift away from the world of policing opens up considerable new possibilities for French, and she takes full advantage. TheWitch Elmbegins, perhaps not unexpectedly for a novel set in Dublin, in a pub. Toby, a public relations flack in his 20s, is hanging out with his old friends, tying one on. What happens next, however, is shocking: interrupting a burglary in his flat later that night, Toby is savagely beaten and left for dead. After weeks in the hospital, Toby is significantly changed: gone is the vibrant, easygoing young man we met in the pub. He is scarred and hobbled, slurring and weak. Most significantly, he has suffered a degree of brain damage, leaving holes in his memory and limitations in his reasoning. To aid in his recovery, Toby and his girlfriend move into Ivy House, the mansion which serves as a hub for family Sunday dinners and occasions. The house is owned by Toby’s uncle Hugo, who served as a genial and relaxed host when Toby and his cousins would spend weeks there every summer when they were teenagers. Toby and Melissa are there ostensibly to look out for Hugo, who has been diagnosed with cancer, but the hope is that the relaxed familiarity of Ivy House will help bring Toby back to himself. It seems to be working, at first. That is, until skeletal human remains are found wedged into a massive Witch Elm in the garden. TheWitch Elm is a stunning book. It’s a powerful, deeply immersive reading experience, utterly compelling and genuinely surprising. It’s not a mystery novel, though, and if one approaches it as one would a book by, say, Michael Connelly or Gillian Flynn, they will likely be frustrated or disappointed. This is something else, something deeper, something richer. There are a number of mysteries inTheWitch Elm (including who attacked Toby, who is in the tree, who put them there, and other puzzles which emerge as the novel progresses), but the novel is a slow burn, a psychological investigation into the nature of identity, family, violence and loyalty. It reveals itself gradually, unfolding with a natural heightening of suspense that is largely internalized, rooted in questions that Toby should be able to answer, but can’t. If you’re looking for a thrilling page-turner, I canmake (and have made) many recommendations. The Witch Elm, however, is a treat, a compelling, utterly human novel that cuts far deeper than you can imagine. There’s little in the way of flash; it’s all substance, and one of the finest novels I’ve read this year. CSANews | WINTER 2018 | 43
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