The west of Ireland looked good to Cal Hooper on the internet. But now that he s living there, the rugged beauty of the region overwhelms him, as it will anyone reading Tana French s The Searcher, an audacious departure for this immensely talented author. It s not about the Dublin Murder Squad. Its main character is American. All this stand-alone shares with her other work is the nonstop malaise that feels like light flashing on a river, with who knows what underneath.