This second book in Tana French’s Cal Hooper series, THE HUNTER, is as good as, if not better than, the first book. Ms. French doubles down on the creepiness factor of Cal’s pub friends. I say that even though one of my favorite scenes in the entire book happened with those same friends in the pub. I was literally laughing out loud as those same creepy friends kept giving him shit for his relationship status. It was a much-needed bit of levity before the suspense ratcheted up another notch. 

We get to see into Trey in this book, and it simply confirms what Cal suspected. She is a traumatized girl who doesn’t know how to handle her feelings. She reaches a key milestone in her maturity in THE HUNTER that is vital for her future. 

If the first book made me want to move to Ireland like Cal did, THE HUNTER tempered those feelings a bit. Ms. French still describes the little town with delightful clarity and charm, but the town feels just a wee bit more ominous now that we know a little more about its inhabitants. 

Tana French is such an amazing author, and her stories never disappoint. With this second book, I’ve fallen for Cal Hooper and Trey and the entire cast and can’t wait to see if there are any more of their antics in the future.