This book is my introduction to Tana French. She is extremely popular for her Dublin murder squad books. The Wych Elm however, is her foray into a standalone crime thriller, and I decided to try it, as I am trying not to get sucked into the rabbit hole of series books. Too many incomplete ones on my reading list.
That said, I ended up liking The Wych Elm so much, that I may just kickstart her Dublin murder squad books anyway.
About The Wych Elm
One night changes everything for Toby. A brutal attack leaves him traumatized, unsure even of the person he used to be. He seeks refuge at the family’s ancestral home, the Ivy House, filled with cherished memories of wild-strawberry summers and teenage parties with his cousins.
But not long after Toby’s arrival, a discovery is made. A skull tucked neatly inside the old wych elm in the garden.
As detectives begin to close in, Toby is forced to examine everything he thought he knew about his family, his past, and himself.
~ Synopsis from GoodReads
My Review
I understand the hype about Tana French now. The Wych Elm has the lowest Goodreads ratings of all her books. And yet, it was so, so good.
It’s a slow boil of a story. More than a thriller, it works as a deep-dive exploration of Toby’s character. Toby is a complex and flawed protagonist who is both likable and frustrating. Likable because he’s a genuinely nice guy, but frustrating because he lives a charmed existence coasting by on his charm and good looks. And doesn’t understand what a privileged life he leads.
He utters some tone-deaf statements at times. This is what he comments on homeless people:
They could have gone to school. Instead of spending their time sniffing glue and breaking the wing mirrors off cars. They could have got jobs. The recession’s over; there’s no reason for anyone to be stuck in the muck unless they actually choose to be.
But this is a fairly common attitude to have. I see it in so many people around me – generally good people but blind to their privilege.
When Toby gets beaten up, he’s thoroughly shaken up and struggles to accept that he’s no longer the golden boy. Add to that – an old murder and a head injury that makes his memories unreliable, and poor Toby is pushed to the edge of his tether.
It’s another commentary that since Toby has led such a comfortable life, when things go wrong, he does not have the resiliency to deal with his changed circumstances. His life is frequently compared with those of his cousins. Bullied and mocked, they struggled during their school years but eventually overcame their traumas (whether it’s a healthy way, that’s another question altogether).
The murder mystery is also well-developed and resolved satisfactorily. The ending was heartrending and cathartic, sad and hopeful, all at once.
I could easily write an essay on this novel – there’s so much to unpack here. But it’s a murder mystery, so I”ll end this review by recommending you take your time with this novel. Sink into Toby’s psyche and the atmosphere of the beautiful, grand house with the spooky elm tree. It’s a wonderful experience!
