The Likeness

I truly enjoyed this book. It had several twists that I didn't see coming, and left you wondering right up to the end. (I don't want to give anything away, so I'll stop.) I'm not normally a mystery book reader, but this was a book club choice and I must say I'm glad I had the opportunity to read it. This is an author that I may have to add to may "read more" list. ( )

This is probably the first time I have ever used the term “pitch perfect” to describe a novel. I absolutely loved everything about this story. This one is a slow building, psychological suspense story. French takes her time to really lay the foundation, setting up a highly atmospheric, Gothic-styled murder mystery to solve. Yes, there is a crumbling mansion (Whitethorn House), a secluded location of labyrinthine lane-ways, a village that freezes out the newcomers and enough secrets (“No pasts”, Daniel keeps intoning) to keep a reader happily guessing alongside our protagonist. Normally that would be enough to provide for a satisfying suspenseful story, but the twist employed by French – that the dead girl bears an uncanny resemblance to detective Cassie Maddox (the titled “likeness”) – sets in motion an undercover tight rope walk that notches up the suspense, as the smallest slip up could blow Cassie’s cover. As Cassie immerses herself into her role, the reader experiences the allure of the life Lexie and her friends have created for themselves, even if that bucolic image has a dark thread woven through it. As with other novels in the Dublin Murder Squad series, we encounter the dance of some detectives: Frank (undercover operation lead) likes to run things his way and not always by the book while Cassie starts to withhold certain information for her own reasons as she develops a close relationship with the enigmatic suspects. The group dynamics – something French has a knack for – are just as enthralling as the mystery itself.

Overall, a fabulous follow up to French’s debut novel, In the Woods. For those of you new to the Dublin Murder Squad series, this is a loosely connected series. Each book has a different lead protagonist and while it might help to read the books in publication order, it is not necessary. ( )

So good. It takes a while to start but once Cassie/Lexie gets to the house it just grabs you and never lets go. It's a tightrope act without a net and you feel the weight of every step and how one wrong move and everything goes boum.

Riveting. ( )

This one's even better than In The Woods. I really enjoy holding over one Murder Squad detective in each novel. It provides continuity but prevents the necessity of updating one single relationship between partners. Cassie, delightful in the first novel, is the focus of this one, in a case that is based on mistaken identity by the suspects in a murder. The meat of the plot focuses on a group of five housemates, all of whom meet at college, and the incredibly strong, seemingly unbreakable ties between them. The group dynamic, even over a short period of weeks, is so vividly rendered that the reader really, REALLY feels that they are in the house with them all. There's not one outstanding sentence or quote - just the cohesion and the ever escalating tension of the finest mystery writing. ( )

The second of Tana French’s Dublin Murder Squad series, the Likeness, casts its spotlight on Cassie Maddox. The witty and fearless detective appeared in French’s In the Woods as the main character’s partner and best friend. This time, Cassie takes on the role of narrator, and tells another thrilling story of events that take place after the conclusion of the first book. Readers would definitely benefit from reading the first novel, but would not find it necessary in order to enjoy this one. Cassie, having now moved on from the Murder Squad into a new position in Domestic Violence, gets a call from her boyfriend, Sam (who is still with the Squad). He asks for her help on a curious case that he has just been called out on. When she arrives at the scene, Cassie is surprised to also encounter her former boss from the undercover division. Frank Mackey was her supervisor when she left that job after being injured while on a mission. His presence at this scene is explained when she sees the victim. Not only does the dead woman look exactly like Cassie, she also had been using her old undercover identity, “Lexie Madison.” Frank wants her to use both her undercover and murder squad experience to impersonate the woman and solve the mystery of her death and discover her real origins. The real challenge would be deceiving the classmates that the deceased was living with- a group of strangely over-attached misfits from the college nearby. They seem to know each other to an uncanny degree, won’t talk to outsiders and are, of course, the main suspects in the murder investigation. Cassie needs to infiltrate their group and maintain their trust, using only phone video recordings to get into character. As she gets deeper into the ruse, she contends with her own search for belonging and a burgeoning desire to discover what she really wants for her own future. What is so amazing about this book is that it requires a huge suspension of disbelief and acceptance of extreme coincidence on the part of the reader-a feat that only a writer as skilled as Tana French could evoke. The next book in the series, Faithful Place, continues her exploration of different character arcs with a story involving Frank Mackey. Mystery fans who enjoy a more literary style, doppelganger fiction, and the 1992 novel Secret History (by Donna Tartt) would find much to enjoy in French’s excellent second outing. ( )