The Likeness by Tana French

The Likeness (Dublin Murder Squad)

by Tana French

Detective Cassie Maddox is still trying to deal with the events of In the Woods. She is out of the Murder Squad and has started a relationship with fellow detective Sam O'Neill but is too badly shaken to commit to Sam or to her career. Then Sam is allocated a new case, that of a young woman stabbed to death just outside Dublin. He calls Cassie to the murder scene and she finds the victim is strangely familiar. In fact, she is Cassie's double. Not only that, but her ID says she is Lexie Madison the identity Cassie used, years ago, as an undercover detective. With no leads, no suspects and no clues, Cassie's old undercover boss spots the opportunity of a lifetime: to send Cassie undercover in the dead girl's place. She could pick up information the police would never hear and tempt the killer to finish the job. So Cassie moves into Whitethorn House, poses as a post-grad student, and prepares to enter Lexie's world.

Reviewed by empressbrooke on

5 of 5 stars

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And I thought [b:In the Woods|9791|A Walk in the Woods|Bill Bryson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388189974s/9791.jpg|613469] was good...I sucked down this nearly-500 page sequel in two days and then couldn't believe I'd been apprehensive about In the Woods even needing a sequel.

Detective Cassie Maddox goes undercover, with a twist - she's taking the place of a murder victim who looks just like her, and who had taken up residence in a cover identity that Cassie had created years before. She has to slip effortlessly into the role and find out if any of the four best friends that "Lexie Madison" had shared a house with are suspects.

I found the whole story fascinating. I was on edge the whole time wondering if she could pull it off, if she would slip up, if someone inside the house had killed her or if it was someone from the victim's mysterious past. The whole thing requires a certain suspension of disbelief, but Tana French does a great job feeding the reader enough plausible bits to make it all palatable.

Although there are a handful of references to In the Woods sprinkled throughout the book, The Likeness is definitely its own self-contained story. Understanding her mental state being a direct result of the events of the first book, however, goes a long way towards explaining why she's so easily sucked into her undercover life.

Now I've reached that terrible place where I want to stay in the world that the author has created, but have to wait for her to write another book. I hope I don't have to wait too long.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 16 November, 2008: Finished reading
  • 16 November, 2008: Reviewed