A mystery that never quite solves itself

Donna Tartt's 'The Little Friend' opens with a potent mystery: the unsolved murder of nine-year-old Robin Cleve Dufresnes on Mother's Day. Years later, his younger sister Harriet becomes determined to find the killer.

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Nine-year-old Robin Cleve Dufresnes is found hanging from a tree in his family’s front yard on Mother’s Day. Nobody knows who killed him. Nobody is ever caught.

However, the novel diverges from a straightforward murder investigation. Tartt dedicates extensive pages to building a richly detailed world, exploring the lives of Harriet's eccentric great-aunts, her withdrawn mother, her friend Hely, and the social dynamics of their Mississippi town. The narrative delves into class divisions, racial tensions, the criminal Ratliff family, and the oppressive summer heat.

Despite the beautiful rendering of this world, the book struggles to define its central purpose. It oscillates between being a murder mystery, a coming-of-age tale, a Southern Gothic narrative, a study of grief, and a commentary on class and race. This lack of a clear focus prevents any single theme from becoming the story's anchor.

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All of it is beautifully rendered.

Harriet herself is a standout creation, portrayed as stubborn, intelligent, reckless, and believably childlike in her approach to detective work. Tartt skillfully avoids romanticizing childhood, depicting Harriet's world as one of neglect, dysfunction, and casual cruelty, where adults are often too absorbed in their own problems to notice the children. The tension between Harriet's limited understanding and the harsh realities she encounters provides some of the novel's strongest moments.

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What exactly is this book about?

Yet, Harriet's compelling presence isn't enough to sustain the entire novel. As the plot progresses, the narrative increasingly relies on unlikely coincidences to advance the story, undermining the carefully constructed world and the reader's engagement.

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She might be one of Tartt's best creations. She's stubborn, intelligent, reckless, funny, arrogant, imaginative, and completely believable as a twelve-year-old.