Dear Great Book Guru, 

We are busily enjoying this wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with family and friends, but I would love to read something compelling-a mystery would be great- perhaps with a foreign locale.  Any ideas??  Thanksgiving Celebrant

Dear Thanksgiving Celebrant,  I just finished a wonderful book- really a literary mystery- set in present day Dublin: THE SECRET PLACE  by Tana French.  In the opening chapter, Stephen Moran, a disgruntled Cold Case detective is visited by sixteen year old Holly Mackey who tells a strange story- she has found a photo posted on a bulletin board (the secret place) in her posh Dublin boarding school implicating classmates in the murder of a popular young student. The novel, while definitely a murder mystery, is also a story of adolescent friendship and Irish class warfare.  We meet eight young girls all with fascinating back stories -all of whom might be implicated in the murder of Chris Harper, the young man whose story differs widely depending on which of the girls is describing him. French’s take on  social media forays and language makes for a compelling read as we learn more and more of the tangled web that ensnares these young people.  Told over one day, this novel spotlights the  interrogating skills of the police as they delve into  each of the young people’s  stories of what really happened that night.  A great look into modern day social mores here and in Ireland 2014.  Recommended!