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French does the thought processes and conversation and hidden meanings so well that even from this distance we feel the cut of the sly put-downs and deflections, and the terror of facing very experienced actors in the interview rooms. The older male detectives in this novel reveal that they couldn't care less why a suspect might commit a crime, and are just happy to put someone down for the crime if it increases their solve-rate, whether or not it makes perfect sense. My parents had some very close friends who had inherited (bet that word offends readers) a very small country house not open to the public except on very specific dates. One day (when not open) they spotted a family having a picnic on one of the lower lawns. Rather than scream and shout, and being mildly eccentric, he ambled down and asked if there was anything they needed. Some hot water was requested so a thermos was delivered. After much friendly chat the owner bade them farewell. The following weekend he and his wife reversed the process and had a picnic on their suburban front lawn. The owner was incandescent and told them to F off. But, said he, you enjoyed our estate last weekend. I don’t necessarily know if wood engraving is suited to the topography and landscape of England but I certainly has helped to build our pastoral image. In some ways it feels like a good way to capture England simply because our notion of England has previously been captured by it. It is the visual version of Edward Thomas or Thomas Hardy. A lot of the 1930s nature books were illustrated and books by people like Gilbert White. But maybe it was just the 1930s wave of nature writing happily coincided with this new wave of woodcut artists — the ones I am keen on.
Our local groups are people wanting to explore their local landscape, connect with other land justice groups and expand the web of connection between us all. The plot seemed straight-forward. While I knew it couldn't be as simple as it initially appeared, French had me doubting myself quite a bit. Every twist exposed new wrinkles in the case, making the book really hard to set aside. There was one twist I should have seen coming half a mile away but I ran into it like a station wagon plowing a deer.
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And the murder case itself is done so well. The point is NOT as much the “whodunit” - that you can figure out yourself at a reasonable point in the book, without reliance on “twists” that are becoming all so popular - but “whydunit” and the ripples that people and their actions cause in each other’s lives, and the power of stories that we choose to tell ourselves, and the allure of being a protagonist in your own story and playing your carefully crafted part, and the devastation when life and expectations collide. The cure for all ills: Do we believe that much of the UK population’s sedentary lifestyles and consequently high hospital admissions are the outcome of the enclosures? Do we accept that by legislating for R2R this health crisis would be resolved? Neither claim stands up to scrutiny, and in 2021 Tony Juniper, Chair of Natural England, tweeted that the vast majority of people do not choose to enjoy the access rights they already have. Their new case looks like yet another by-the-numbers lovers’ quarrel gone bad. Aislinn Murray is blond, pretty, groomed-to-a-shine, and dead in her catalog-perfect living room, next to a table set for a romantic dinner. There’s nothing unusual about her—except that Antoinette’s seen her somewhere before. The rights we have today were given through mass public support so let's push policymakers to extend our Right to Roam.
There were times halfway through when I was scared. Terrified. Projecting. Imagining what was going to happen next. Picturing the ABSOLUTE WORST. Stomach in knots. At that point, I even messaged a Goodreads friend who just finished this and told her where I was at and that I had a bad feeling. All I can say is.. Thank god! My imagination ran wild and I was WAY off course. Tana French does that. She leads you down a path and you think, OMG!!! And you are wrong! I was led astray more times than I can count. And, in this instance, PHEW!!!
maybe its the classic “whodunit” feel, a simple murder, that i appreciated. i did like the concept of someone on the inside impeding the investigation. it kept me on my toes and had me not trusting anyone, which was fun. Antoinette is driven and bright, but she also has a chip on her shoulder that may lead her to attribute motives to colleagues inappropriately. Certainly she has been hazed by older detectives, so she has some cause for paranoia, but not everyone wants her to fail. In this novel she is chosen along with Stephen, a man everyone likes, to handle a case that looks straightforward…and turns out anything but. Like all of French's characters, Antoinette Conway is a complex bundle of ambition, hopes, fears, dreams and doubts. She carries a lot of personal baggage, and at times, she's not very likeable. But she is smart and persistent and determined to follow her own course, irrespective of where it might lead, who it might offend, and what it might portend for her personally.
As in her previous novels, French weaves into The Trespasser more than just a murder mystery; this has elements and thoughtful explorations of Irish culture and western civilization, philosophy and psychology. B., (2018), ‘Litter thrown from cars ‘killing millions of animals,’’ The Times, 4 April 2018: https://www.driving.co.uk/news/litter-thrown-cars-killing-millions-animals/ Me and Guy Shrubsole are known just because of our books but the movement has been going on for a long time. We met as part of a land justice network. But we are neither the leaders or the most worthwhile spokespersons. There are much wiser people involved. From our origins around a little kitchen table three years ago, we've grown to include tens of thousands of supporters. We've made huge progress in taking the Right to Roam across the country and right up to the doors of parliament.
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I've had input from friends who love this series. Some of them thought this book was the best, while others favored the first book. I enjoyed this author's writing style enough to read another book by her. Perhaps I'll read the first book and decide which I like best. Not pointing at the politics - interpret and translate the experience, and be authentic to the nature, of the nature. Ms. French's plot was very well written. It was like sitting in front of my TV, seeing everything that was going on, but also, being privy to every thought and feeling that Detective Antoinette Conway was having. The book was narrated by Detective Conway who I found to be unlikable; however, I thought her partner, Detective Stephen Moran, to be somewhat of a saint for putting up with her negativity. (What a guy.) I don't need to like the characters in a book to enjoy it, and in this case, Detective Conway's attitude was pertinent to the storyline. After knowing I had it all figured out, many twists and surprises started happening, and the ending came together extremely well! K., (2022), ‘Why woods are so important for nature,’ Forestry Commission, 19 October, 2022: https://forestrycommission.blog.gov.uk/2022/10/19/why-woods-are-so-important-for-nature/
We need everyone to get involved if we want free, fair and informed access throughout England. Remember: trespass is not a criminal offence! A., (2021), ‘Public statement response to ancient woodland protection announcements,’ The Woodland Trust, 22 October, 2021: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/press-centre/2021/10/ancient-woodland-protection-announcements/ I absolutely loved this book and rank it right up there with the first novel, which has remained my personal favorite. I love gritty, hard as nails characters and deep, twisty plots, with a climactic ending in which the irony is just divine. Simply amazing!! The cover? I like the cover, and I am very keen on the illustrations right through this book, which are also by the author. However, does it tell us anything about the book or its contents except that they are likely to be stylish? Not really. I think there are a couple of illustrations within the book which would have made better covers but I do like it – I’ll give it 7/10 just because I do like it. And it is a crow and the CROW Act is relevant to some of the UK – I get that.
Water Droplets “Hold Secret Ingredient behind Origins of Life”, Scientists Say’, The Independent, 2022 < https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/water-droplets-life-earth-amino-acid-formation-b2191755.html> [accessed 13 October 2022] The disparity between land ownership and non-ownership in England has created the illusion that green and blue space is only for the rich. This story has more bumps and dings than an automobile in a crash. Things look one way and then another. The more evidence they find the more complicated they get. The interrogation scenes are masterfully done. This is an combination of a character driven novel and a police procedural. Not easy to do, may account for the length of the book, but French does these type of things very well.