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Were you surprised by what happened to Brendan? Do you believe the act was unintentional? Were there any other plot twists that surprised you?
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The combination of Brendan’s inability to anticipate how his actions would impact those around him – his impulsivity- and his sharp mind for chemistry raised the hackles on the back of my neck. He was desperate to improve his life and the lives of those in his family, to dig their way out of poverty, and to be for his family what his father failed to be. He craved instant gratification and respect. Brendan was a ticking bomb waiting to explode. So I was not surprised he turned to setting up a meth lab as a means of satisfying all his needs there by signing his own death certificate. It was probably going to catch up to him sooner or later.
I am saddened by the fact that he died at the hands of Mart and his cronies. Instead of Mart and the neighboring farmers helping Brendan, taking him under his wing and giving him positive guidance, they indirectly caused his death and then covered it up. They let Brendan’s family suffer by not reporting what happened on that mountain to the authorities. When Cal uncovered Brendan’s grave and examined his body he felt that his wounds were consistent with how Mart described the accident happening. So I want to hang on to Cal’s conclusion but there is just a bit of niggling in the back of my mind that makes me still wonder just how accidental Brendan’s death really was.
Finding out Trey was in fact a girl was the biggest shock ever. I never even considered that as a possibility. Fantastic twist Tana!!!
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The most surprising plot twist was finding out that Trey is a girl and not a boy as Cal had assumed. Her hair had originally been cut because of lice and she continued to do that because of convenience. Because of her closeness to Brendan, I would bet that some of the clothing that she wore belonged to him.
I don’t believe that Brendan’s death is entirely unintentional, as Mart stated. Donie felt that he was being treated like a servant because he had to help clear out the old cottage and get Brendan what he needed to set up the meth lab for the Dublin Boys. Donie and Brendan never got along so Donie went to P.J. about the stolen anhydrous who called in the Guards. P.J. and Mart sent the Guards on their way. As directed by Mart, P.J. and his mates went to the cottage to get the anhydrous and cleaned everything out. Of course, that angered the Dublin boys who had Donie frighten Mart, P.J. and their mates (sheep mutilations) to keep their mouths shut and stay out of their business. P.J. and his mates wanted to teach Brendan respect for his elders; they thought he was being disrespectful to them. Someone lost his temper and struck Brendan who fell backward and hit his head on a propane tank. So, Donie’s dislike of Brendan and someone losing their temper over a perceived disrespect caused Brendan his life. Respect is something that is earned and cannot be beaten into someone. Kinda like a domino effect, Donie’s dislike started the events that led to Brendan’s death.
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I was surprised by the “specifics” of what happened to Brendan but not by the fact that he had been killed. Given the clues (as outlined in detail by Nancy), I think it was unlikely that he had simply gone off to seek his fortune and would return when he had.
I believe Mart and his mates created a situation in which Brendan’s death was, if not predictable, entirely possible and acceptable to them. Mart was willing to be ruthless to make his point. I am not condoning running a meth lab and I recognize the historical antecedents that made the people of Ardnakelty mistrust the authorities; I still see Mart as wanting to take matters into his own hands.
As for plot twists, definitely learning that Trey was a girl.
The other “sort of” twist for me was Cal’s phone conversation with Alyssa the night before he goes up the mountain with Mart to find Brendan’s body. Alyssa responds enthusiastically to Cal’s request for advice about how to support Trey, responds with no hint of censure, no suggestion that Cal’s response when she was assaulted is an issue for her. “You’ll be fine. Better than fine. Remember when Puffle got hit by the car? You drove us all the way out to that forest because I wanted to bury her there. And you carved her a gravestone and everything.” It seems that Cal really is capable of being nurturing and Alyssa sees that. It also seems to be the point where Cal has truly made the determination to stay in Ardnakelty and make it his home.
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Yes, like others I was surprised by what specifically happened to Brendan although as the book went along I grew more and more certain he was dead. I do accept it was an accident but more of the manslaughter variety vs completely accidental because the men had the intent to harm Brendan and shut him down. But having read Nancy’s post, I have a newer appreciation about Donie’s role in Brendan’s death. Donie isn’t the “baby thug” that Cal makes him out to be, but a rather nasty, manipulative thug who happily causes harm to others.
I think one of the biggest plot twists for me was Trey’s reveal. Another was when Cal realizes Mart is behind everything. After he is beaten up and is in Mart’s home and sees the bloody rag on the floor and says “Well, Don’t I feel like the idiot” was a dramatic moment for me when I read it. To me it’s the climactic point in the novel and superbly done. Not a loud or violent showdown, just a quiet moment of two men sitting at a table.
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I think everyone has articulated better than I could what happened to Brendan. It’s interesting to note how thoughtfully Tana French laid out his demise. From Brendan’s own character flaws to Donie’s revenge to Mart and his mates actions, Brendan was on a trajectory towards tragedy. But if any of the parties involved (including Brendan himself) had made a different choice, tragedy might have been averted.
Like others Trey being a girl was the biggest surprise for me. Otherwise, I thought that Cal deciding not to report Brendan’s death to the authorities was a bit of a plot twist for me. I was left with a lot of “what ifs…” just like Cal. I guess I can understand Cal’s choice even though he remains uncertain that Brendan’s death was accidental. He wants to put an end to the violence that’s stemmed from it and protect Trey. But I was left with the question is the threat against Trey and Cal truly gone? It’s unsettling because there’s not a tidy resolution and the threat lingers.
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Read the next book The Hunter which is what I did because I also felt unsettled.
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Yes, read The Hunter. You will not be disappointed.
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I most definitely will, especially as our group discussion has given me extra appreciation of The Searcher.
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Everyone has done such wonderful analyses here that I have nothing to add, other than to simply answer that, no, I was not particularly surprised about what happened to Brendan, though like Tara, I was surprised at the actual method of his demise. I never believed that he had simply run off to seek his fortune, and I never completely trusted Mart — ironically, it was because of his weird giggling at times, which had nothing to do with his actual guilt or character! It just made me wonder if he was always who he seemed to be, and I always suspected he, of all people, would know more of the story. I chose to believe that Brendan’s death was an accident, but as several of you have said, it wasn’t going to be out the realm of possibility, given the circumstances– Mart and his cronies meant to do some sort of harm, and with physical violence, there is always the possibility that someone will get hurt more than intended.
As to other surprises– yep, I was totally surprised by Trey’s gender reveal. Definitely made me stop and reread that! That was a great twist, and made me rethink everything I had read to that point.-
I’m with you, Susan. Everyone has made wonderful comments and I really don’t have anything to add – as is also the case for past questions! You’ve all covered all the points I would’ve made. Although for this question, I listened to this book for the third time to prepare for our discussion, the first two being years ago when the book was first released. But as I know the general story and have a terrible memory, I can’t remember at all whether I had expected any of the plot twists. Still, I loved listening to the narrator this third time around and appreciate The Searcher and Tana French’s brilliance more because of our discussions here.
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I understand, Katherine! I was able to get a copy of the book from the library but had to return it well before we started this discussion, so am relying on my less than stellar memory to recall details after only having read it the one time and having read several other things in the meantime; it didn’t help that I immediately listened to the audiobook of The Hunter afterwards and am trying to separate my thoughts on what occurred exactly in each book without influencing my opinions. Still, The Searcher was such a good read it made a lot of impressions on me and it’s fun to discuss it, and I am thoroughly enjoying reading everyone’s insights!
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