Are There Any Movie Adaptations Of Tana French Novel?

In Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad series, the recurring characters are detectives who take turns as protagonists across the books. Frank Mackey, a sharp and unorthodox undercover cop, appears in 'The Likeness' and 'Faithful Place,' bringing his gritty charm and complex backstory. Rob Ryan, the narrator of 'In the Woods,' resurfaces in later books, his unresolved trauma lingering like a shadow. Cassie Maddox, Rob’s former partner, is central in 'The Likeness' and pops up in 'The Trespasser,' her empathy and resilience making her a fan favorite. Stephen Moran, a young, ambitious detective, starts in 'The Secret Place' and returns in 'The Trespasser,' his growth mirroring the series’ evolving dynamics. These characters weave through the novels, their lives intersecting in ways that deepen the series’ emotional and psychological layers. What I love about French’s approach is how she shifts focus, letting each detective step into the spotlight while others remain in the background. It’s like catching up with old friends who’ve changed since you last saw them. The recurring characters aren’t just there for continuity—they’re integral to the series’ exploration of identity, loyalty, and the cost of truth. Their interconnected stories make the Dublin Murder Squad feel like a living, breathing world, one where every case leaves a mark.

The ending of this novel subverts the ‘detective as hero’ trope. The novel’s protagonist Rob is not a hero. He is a casualty in many ways. He solves the murder almost despite himself and is left broken at the end. The only real hero of the novel is Cassie and she leaves the novel, and the ‘heroic’ narrative, behind. The novel ends with the anti-hero alone in his ruin. This was a fresh take on the crime novel when it was published. It signaled a change in the direction of crime fiction towards more psychologically complex and morally ambiguous stories where the detective’s journey is as important as, and can often be as detrimental as, the crime itself. The ending of this novel is a landmark in this shift.

Honestly, I have no idea. I read ‘West with Giraffes’ by Lydia Millet for a book club I’m a part of about two years ago and it was wonderful. We all loved it and I seem to remember someone asking about a movie adaptation, but our facilitator said she hadn’t heard of anything. Of course, two years is a long time in Hollywood and perhaps someone picked up the book on holiday last month and is currently brainstorming the big screen version. This is the kind of movie that would do well in awards season, or as a holiday release. It’s a true story set in the Depression, but it’s a hopeful journey that ends well. It would make a great cozy Christmas movie. So while I have no evidence that there is a West with Giraffes movie in the works, I do have evidence that the book is fantastic and that it is moving in that direction. Perhaps we should all start tweeting #WestWithGiraffesMovie to get the attention of the right people.

The books of Egan Library have been well adapted to the big screen in a few cases. While The Goldfinch screen adaptation left many book fans dissatisfied, Where’d You Go, Bernadette is a beautiful film that combines humor and heart just as the novel did. A film adaptation of Jennifer Egan’s novel A Visit from the Goon Squad is being made as a series, and could be fantastic. There has been talk of a Secret History film for years and it would make Tartt fans incredibly happy. These novels have the depth to be great screen stories.

I am interested in reading more of Zane’s books. As for the possibility of the stories being made into movies, there are none yet but I think she has screen potential. Her ‘Nervous’ series or ‘Skyscraper’ would make a great steamy and suspenseful drama. I would be first in line to watch it on television and then subsequent seasons on DVD to binge watch them.

Mystery fans who prefer strictly plot-driven stories may find that author Tana French’s novels are too character-driven. But for those willing to make the exception, ‘The Trespasser’ would be a good starting point as it is the most plot-oriented and even most procedural of the series, while still delivering her great writing and rich psychological insights about human nature.

I watched the film before I had the chance to read the novel and absolutely adored the film. Once I did read the novel however, I felt that the film had only touched the surface of the actual story. The novel was so much more than I had initially anticipated and the movie is akin to a beautiful sketch whilst the novel is the full, complete painting with so many more layers, a far richer and deeper story and characters. For people who have only had the chance to watch the film – do yourself a favor and read the novel – it is a far more challenging but in the end a far more rewarding read. The characters are multi-layered and their spiritual journey far more in depth and 'real' as well as being more 'historical' and gritty. Actually, reading the movie as a first gateway to the book was perfect. The movie sketched out the broad strokes and the emotional arc of the story. Then the book filled out the rest of the details in a breathtaking and impressive depth. The movie was a great starting point for me, and I am now happily referring to the book as one of my all-time favorites. That should be the ideal for all adaptations – serve as a gateway to the full and detailed source material.

This movie is based off the book ‘The Da Vinci Code’ by Dan Brown. The movie brings the very intriguing puzzles and thrilling mystery to life with Tom Hanks playing the lead character, Robert Langdon. As much as I enjoyed the movie it didn’t do the book justice in terms of history. Another novel that was great as a movie was ‘Shutter Island’ by Dennis Lehane. This was a wonderful adaptation with Leonardo DiCaprio and an excellent job done by Martin Scorsese in creating a very haunting atmosphere in the film. I also really love Big Little Lies – and this is a TV show which originated as a mystery novel by Liane Moriarty. The characters are amazing and the way in which the story is told is so full of atmosphere and I feel that the way in which a mystery is revealed on screen is so much more exciting than on the page.

For me, a 'perfect' adaptation of Of Mice and Men would be the 1939 version. I appreciate the 1992 adaptation for its commitment to the original work but it's just so polished and reverent. It doesn't have the same desperation and urgency as the older version. Malkovich's Lennie is wonderful but it's a studied, actorly Lennie. I find Lon Chaney Jr.'s version of Lennie more disturbing because it's just so huge and unpredictable. A lot of times a perfect adaptation of a work can seem like a museum piece and I feel that the 1939 version is just closer to the essence of the story than the 1992 version. The 1939 version is just older and clunky and it's more stage bound but it just feels more like the core of the story than the 1992 version. That's just me though.

Just wanted to mention “The Hiding Place”. This novel by Corrie ten Boom and her daughter is an amazing autobiographical work of a family’s efforts to hide Jews in Holland during WWII and their subsequent sojourn in a concentration camp and their experience of and response to their faith through all of it. The movie made of this novel in the 1970s is also excellent – a powerful, straightforward, amazing movie of great virtue. The movie captures well the hardships Corrie endured and her many moments of peace and inspiration including the little trouble-making fleas in the barracks where she was being held. A great adaptation of a book of incredible true events of extreme hardship and radical faith and an excellent film for those of younger years or those that can’t get into books!