There is something about the word "secret" that seems to almost guarantee book success. There is the "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt, "The Secret Garden," by Frances Hodgson Burnett, "The Secret Agent," by Joseph Conrad, not to mention, "The Secret Of Santa Vittoria," and Sue Monk Kidd's "The Secret Lives Of Bees."
Then we arrive at "The Secret Place" by Tana French. Alas.
I thought it could not miss. I have loved all of Tana French's other books, and when I came across this one, there was much for me to anticipate.
A girl's school, a boy's dead body found on the grounds, a bulletin board where, a year after the body is discovered, someone posts a card that says "I knew who killed him," and we are off and running. A little Lillian Hellman, a little "Heavenly Creatures," with a touch of "The Beguiled," this should have been a delight.
Alas, it was not. The novel is readable enough to get through, but its pace is slow and the writing style is lugubrious. It takes a long time to tell what turns out to be the obvious. Not that French's skill did not leave me guessing at spots, but, then, I wanted her to hurry up and end it, which she seemed reluctant to do. The problem here is she had an exciting idea, but not enough momentum to sustain it. Perhaps it would have worked better as a short story, or even a novella.
This is the first glitch in the Tana French road. I hope it is just a temporary matter, It would be a shame, indeed, if the skill she has displayed in her other books has been all used up.
Time will tell, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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