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Six months after the events of In the Woods, Detective Cassie Maddox is still trying to recover. She's transferred out of the murder squad and started a relationship with Detective Sam O'Neill, but she's too badly shaken to make a commitment to him or to her career. Then Sam calls her to the scene of his new case: a young woman found stabbed to death in a small town outside Dublin. The dead girl's ID says her name is Lexie Madison--the identity Cassie used years ago as an undercover show more detective--and she looks exactly like Cassie--From publisher description. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Recommendations
tangentialine Same sense of the mysterious, same sense of intense psychological speculation.
190
ijustgetbored This book picks up Frank Mackey's story from where it left off in The Likeness.
70
rbtanger The similarities between these two books are numerous, in spite of the fact that one takes place in Ireland in the 1980s and one in the 1970s American South. If you enjoyed one, I think it highly probable you will enjoy the other.
41
Bookmarque Similar in that it features murder and a group of young adults living together in an inherited estate in what they think is an idyll.
Ling.Lass Reconstructing what led to a murder among an eclectic and tight-knit group of housemates.
samalots Also about a group of elite school friends dealing with a mysterious death in their circle
fyrefly98 Both are solid, well-written, character-driven detective stories.
38
anonymous user Both novels start from the premise of a look-alike stepping into a dead person's shoes and explore the consequences that follow.
wandering_star Two gripping mystery stories about a police officer working undercover.
Member Reviews
This novel starts out deceptively, quietly, but by midway through, it's got the feeling of a runaway train.
Don't get me wrong--I enjoyed the first half of this novel. French's writing is fantastic, her characters are believable and wonderfully flawed, and there's really nothing not to like as far as I'm concerned. But this novel is very different from the first in the series. Where the first felt like a more traditional suspense novel, at least in terms of focus and trajectory, this one quickly gets wrapped up in a lengthy undercover operation. I can see it frustrating some readers who want a faster suspense novel, but as someone who loves novels that get wrapped up in characters and the psychology thereof, I adored it. And then... at show more some point... I couldn't put the book down. What had been an almost casual investigation became more, and I'm not quite sure I could say when or how, but I couldn't look away.
That's how the second half of this book unfolds--you know what's coming in many ways, and yet you really don't know if you want to because the ride is so fantastic. On one hand, I didn't want to keep reading because I didn't want it to end and didn't want to see it all fall apart. On the other hand, I couldn't not keep reading.
This book was unlike any suspense novel I've read in the past, and may be too 'literary' and deceptively casual for some readers, but I absolutely adored it.
If you liked the first book in the series, read this one. I can't wait to read the third. show less
Don't get me wrong--I enjoyed the first half of this novel. French's writing is fantastic, her characters are believable and wonderfully flawed, and there's really nothing not to like as far as I'm concerned. But this novel is very different from the first in the series. Where the first felt like a more traditional suspense novel, at least in terms of focus and trajectory, this one quickly gets wrapped up in a lengthy undercover operation. I can see it frustrating some readers who want a faster suspense novel, but as someone who loves novels that get wrapped up in characters and the psychology thereof, I adored it. And then... at show more some point... I couldn't put the book down. What had been an almost casual investigation became more, and I'm not quite sure I could say when or how, but I couldn't look away.
That's how the second half of this book unfolds--you know what's coming in many ways, and yet you really don't know if you want to because the ride is so fantastic. On one hand, I didn't want to keep reading because I didn't want it to end and didn't want to see it all fall apart. On the other hand, I couldn't not keep reading.
This book was unlike any suspense novel I've read in the past, and may be too 'literary' and deceptively casual for some readers, but I absolutely adored it.
If you liked the first book in the series, read this one. I can't wait to read the third. show less
A page-turner that kept me trying to read way past my bedtime, even when I was falling asleep. This second novel in the "Dublin Murder" series features Detective Cassie Maddox, who agrees to return to undercover work when a woman's body is found in an isolated cottage. Not only is the woman dead, but she is a dead ringer for Cassie, AND she's been using an identity that Cassie invented for herself in a different undercover operation years earlier. Who was she before she took on the Lexie Madison identity, and how did she end up here, bleeding out from a small stab wound, and what's with those four misfit housemates of hers up at Whitethorn--can Cassie really convince them that she is Lexie, recovering from that stabbing, and keep it show more together long enough to find out who wanted to kill her? It's great stuff, skillfully handled, if a bit wordy at times.
Read and reviewed in 2012 show less
Read and reviewed in 2012 show less
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 show more 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. show less
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. show less
A woman is found dead in an abandoned cottage, and she happens to look identical to Detective Cassie Maddox, formerly of the Dublin Murder Squad. Not only that, but the ID in her pocket bears the name of Alexandra Madison, which was Maddox's ID from her brief stint as an undercover agent. This is a strange coincidence, which Detective Frank Mackey sees as a golden opportunity: Maddox can impersonate the dead woman and figure out who killed her. It's spooky, and very high risk, and does Maddox really want to put herself in peril again after the events of In the Woods?
As far as police procedurals go, this may require slightly more suspension of disbelief than usual. It also requires perseverance to get through, because it tops out at show more nearly 700 pages. But the dénouement, when it comes, spills out horrifically fast and the reader is left staring in disbelief at the devastation wrought in the characters' lives.
Apart from the length, there were a few bits of narration that, while not quite "had I but known", were a bit too reflective, really emphasizing the fact that this story was being told long after its events had taken place. Those were jarring. But the descriptions of life at Whitethorn House did sound idyllic: home-cooked meals, companionship, singing around the piano, rapid-fire conversation and arcane in-jokes. These cosy scenes make the dénouement even more horrific, and the ending even more bittersweet.
Of the two books I've read so far in the series, I preferred In the Woods, which moved faster than The Likeness, but both are worth reading. show less
As far as police procedurals go, this may require slightly more suspension of disbelief than usual. It also requires perseverance to get through, because it tops out at show more nearly 700 pages. But the dénouement, when it comes, spills out horrifically fast and the reader is left staring in disbelief at the devastation wrought in the characters' lives.
Apart from the length, there were a few bits of narration that, while not quite "had I but known", were a bit too reflective, really emphasizing the fact that this story was being told long after its events had taken place. Those were jarring. But the descriptions of life at Whitethorn House did sound idyllic: home-cooked meals, companionship, singing around the piano, rapid-fire conversation and arcane in-jokes. These cosy scenes make the dénouement even more horrific, and the ending even more bittersweet.
Of the two books I've read so far in the series, I preferred In the Woods, which moved faster than The Likeness, but both are worth reading. show less
In the second book of Tana French's acclaimed Irish mystery series, detective Cassie Maddox is confronted with a corpse who looks exactly like her, and who bears the identity of Cassie's old undercover alias, Lexie Madison. Cassie's old undercover boss Frank Mackey decides that the best investigative course is to send Cassie under cover as Lexi Madison again, faking the victim's survival and having Cassie infiltrate the country household where the victim lived. You'll say this premise sounds contrived. I say shut up. Of course it's contrived, but it doesn't matter.
The storyline is involving. The setting, atmosphere and dialogue is suitably Celtic–noir. Centuries-old Anglo-Irish resentments play a role in the story, as does the show more overheated Dublin economy of the early 2000s. What's most interesting about the book is the relationship among Lexie's four housemates. They are sensitive, intellectual, oddball graduate students who have created their own extremely close-knit family and who appear to have no blood family ties and no friends other than each other. It's very reminiscent of "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt, and would probably appeal to readers who enjoyed that book. The reader becomes as attached to this strange group as Cassie does, while always aware that one or more of these attractive people might be a killer. show less
The storyline is involving. The setting, atmosphere and dialogue is suitably Celtic–noir. Centuries-old Anglo-Irish resentments play a role in the story, as does the show more overheated Dublin economy of the early 2000s. What's most interesting about the book is the relationship among Lexie's four housemates. They are sensitive, intellectual, oddball graduate students who have created their own extremely close-knit family and who appear to have no blood family ties and no friends other than each other. It's very reminiscent of "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt, and would probably appeal to readers who enjoyed that book. The reader becomes as attached to this strange group as Cassie does, while always aware that one or more of these attractive people might be a killer. show less
With the millions of murder mysteries that have been written, it's quite a feat to do something fresh and creative. In this book, Cassie, who used to work first as an undercover cop and then on the murder squad but now works in domestic violence, is called to a murder scene and is surprised to see that the victim looks exactly like her. Not only does the victim eerily resemble Cassie, but she goes by the same name as Cassie's undercover persona. When the investigation turns up no immediate leads, Cassie takes the daring move of impersonating the victim and infiltrating the household where she used to live to try to solve the murder.
In the hands of a lesser writer, this ridiculously contrived scenario would feel preposterous and could show more never fill 500 pages, but French is very talented, and makes this scenario not only feel plausible, but fascinating. The mystery is more about the victim than her killer, as Cassie tries to understand who she was and why she stole this identity, and also questions her own identity as she slides in and out of her role. This is a very engaging read! show less
In the hands of a lesser writer, this ridiculously contrived scenario would feel preposterous and could show more never fill 500 pages, but French is very talented, and makes this scenario not only feel plausible, but fascinating. The mystery is more about the victim than her killer, as Cassie tries to understand who she was and why she stole this identity, and also questions her own identity as she slides in and out of her role. This is a very engaging read! show less
Loved it, in all its tragic glory. Her imagery wove the house almost into being for me and it became as much a character as the people living in it.
I like that it isn't all neatly wrapped up at the end.
I like that it isn't all neatly wrapped up at the end.
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ThingScore 50
Although she overburdens the traditional police-procedural form with the weight of romance, psychological suspense, social history and mythic legend, she sets a vivid scene for her complex characters, who seem entirely capable of doing the unexpected.
added by misericordia
Tolv år gamle Adam Ryan lekte i skogen sammen med de to beste vennene sine en vakker solkinnsdag.Han så dem aldri igjen.Tjue år senere er Adam, eller Rob som han kaller seg nå, etterforsker i Dublin-politiet. Kollegene kjenner ikke til bakgrunnen hans som offer for en forbrytelse. Partneren hans er Cassie Maddox. Rob og Cassie får saken da en jente blir funnet drept på et steinalter midt show more i en arkeologisk utgravning. Først da de kommer til åstedet skjønner Rob at dette er det samme stedet som der vennene hans forsvant den gangen for lenge siden.Og da de finner en hårspenne som han gjenkjenner som en venninnen hans hadde, melder spørsmålet seg: Er det en sammenheng mellom det som skjedde den gangen og mordet de skal etterforske nå? Rob vet at dersom han avslører sin fortid for andre enn Cassie kommer han til å bli tatt av saken; han tar en skjebnesvanger avgjørelse om å tie. Sammen med Cassie skal han oppklare mordet på Katy Devlin, og han håper at han dermed også vil løse gåten i sin egen fortid. show less
added by kirstenlund
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Author Information
27+ Works 41,427 Members
Tana French grew up in Ireland, Italy, the US and Malawi. She trained as a professional actress at Trinity College, Dublin, and has worked in theatre, film and voiceover. Her first novel, In the Woods, won the 2007 Edgar Award for Best First Novel. Her other books include The Likeness, Faithful Place, Broken Harbor, and The Secret Place. The show more Trespasser and The Witch Elm made the New York Times bestseller list. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Likeness
- Original title
- The Likeness
- Alternate titles*
- Lik
- Original publication date
- 2008-07-17
- People/Characters
- Robert Ryan; Cassie Maddox; Sam O'Neill; Lexie Madison; Frank Mackey; Raphael "Rafe" Hyland (show all 11); Abigail "Abby" Stone; Justin Mannering; Daniel James March; Edward Hanrahan; John Naylor
- Important places
- Dublin, Ireland; Glenskehy, County Dublin, Ireland
- Dedication
- For Anthony, For a million reasons
- First words
- Some nights, if I'm sleeping on my own, I still dream about Whitethorn House.
- Quotations
- Someone else may have dealt the hand, but I picked it up off the table, I played every card, and I had my reasons.
I found out early that you can throw yourself away, missing what you've lost.
There are some social circles where manners are a sign of weakness.
I wanted to tell her that being loved is a talent too, that it takes as much guts and as much work as loving; that some people, for whatever reason, never learn the knack.
I hate nostalgia, it's laziness with prettier accessories.
The cold fact is that every murder I've worked was about the killer. The victim … was just the person who happened to wander into the sights when the gun was loaded and cocked. The control freak was always going to kill his... (show all) wife the first time she refused to follow orders; your daughter happened to be the one who married him. The mugger was hanging around the alleyway with a knife, and your husband happened to be the next person who walked by… if we can figure out the exact point where someone walked into those crosshairs, we can go to work with our dark, stained geometries and draw a line straight back to the barrel of the gun.
"I found Jesus Christ as my Personal Savior," I said, slamming the glasses into the sink, "and he doesn't approve of fucking with people's heads."
“And some go the other way, the most lethal way of all: when the pressure gets to be too much, it's not their nerve that breaks, it's their fear. They lose the capacity to be afraid, even when they should be. These can't ev... (show all)er go home again. They're like those First World War airmen, the finest ones, shining in their recklessness and invincible, who got home and found that home had no place for what they were. Some people are undercovers all the way to the bone; the job has taken them whole.” - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)I hope in that half hour she lived all her million lives.
- Publisher's editor
- Considine, Ciara
- Blurbers
- Hannah, Sophie; Pearl, Nancy; Stasio, Marilyn
- Original language
- English
- Canonical DDC/MDS
- 823.92
- Canonical LCC
- PR6106.R457
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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