Sentences stutter and stop, flow endlessly from one idea to the next, or jump from thought to thought with only dashes or commas in between. The style of Toby’s narration is somewhat unusual, even for a first-person POV novel. In what ways did that choice change the content and themes of French’s writing in this novel? In what ways do you see this novel still connecting to the Dublin Murder Squad series, if at all?

The Witch Elm is the first book Tana French has written that steps outside her Dublin Murder Squad series. And to our delight, The Witch Elm did not disappoint.īook Club Prep: Hosting Ideas & Further Context Having enjoyed our last Tana French book club discussion so much after the release of The Trespasser, Colleen and I were both very excited to read this book with the expectation of another 3-hour discussion to follow.

The Witch Elm is a first for French, in that it falls outside of her Dublin Murder Squad series. Her books are an unparalleled example of the craft and skill often to be found on the shelves of genre fiction. However, I am also always quite happy to see her books still ensconced among thrillers and whodunits on my visits to my local bookstore. In fact, I am often surprised during my many rereads that no one (including the publisher) has ever attempted to switch them over to the so-called “literary fiction” category. Although her books are always to be found in the mystery section, they are unlike any other mystery book I’ve ever read. Tana French has been a long-time favorite author for my friend Colleen and me. Then a skull is found in the trunk of an elm tree in the garden – and as detectives close in, Toby is forced to face the possibility that his past may not be what he has always believed.Ī spellbinding standalone from one of the best suspense writers working today, The Witch Elm asks what we become, and what we’re capable of, when we no longer know who we are. Struggling to recover from his injuries, beginning to understand that he might never be the same man again, he takes refuge at his family’s ancestral home to care for his dying uncle Hugo. Toby is a happy-go-lucky charmer who’s dodged a scrape at work and is celebrating with friends when the night takes a turn that will change his life – he surprises two burglars who beat him and leave him for dead.

The witch elm tana french