I wanted to like this book but sorry to say I could not.
It was a difficult read starting with how it was set up - the chapters were so long and with so few breaks within them that you really have to be able to have the time to read for awhile. Not so easy to do. I didn't connect with Toby - there was nothing about the character that grabbed me. In addition the story was very very long to get to the point. Not my favorite. Sorry

Just possibly Tana French's best book ever - and that is saying a lot as I am a big fan of her books. Toby is a golden boy who has had the good luck to breeze through a fairly privileged life right into his twenties, with a nice flat, a good job and a perfectly lovely girlfriend. But then one night changes everything. Toby surprises burglars in his Dublin home and is beaten nearly to death. When he retreats to the family home, Ivy House, to recuperate and care for his dying Uncle Hugo, he begins to recover only to have his life disrupted once again by the discovery of a skull in the venerable wych elm in the garden.

French has masterful control of the twisty plot and very skillful use of language to evoke atmosphere and character. Just when you think you have it all figured out, she throws in another twist or turn that shines a whole new light on Toby's tale. As he narrates the story, the clues and revelations are colored by his point of view which is in turn colored by his memory loss from brain damage caused by his beating. The concept of luck figures largely in the book, giving rise to some great book discussion points.

I highly recommend this book to fans of well crafted psychological crime novels with plenty of twists and turns.

I was really exited about reading this book and even suggested it for my book club. To me it was very hard to get into.

It was ok. I wouldn't recommend it to other groups.