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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
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.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
i did not expect to say this, but here it is: i really liked this book. i wasn't a big fan of french's previous novel, in the woods, because i disliked the narrator and i guessed the whodunnit almost right away. but the likeness hit the right notes for me. i've always liked cassie, the plot was a lot of fun, and the identity of lexie's killer kept me guessing all the way up to the reveal. and french's writing is so beautiful; i am a sucker for flowery, poetic prose in novels, and this one had plenty of those passages. the wrap-up was a bit too tidy for my taste, but again: this plot was really fun.
my enjoyment of this book probably has a lot to do with the fact that donna tartt's secret history is among my favorite books of all time, and the likeness drew a lot of parallels between them. a group of close-knit friends immersed in academia, steeped in secrets, and dealing with the aftermath of a murder? i was doomed to like this from the start. that said, the similarities between daniel march and henry winter, in both personality and appearance, were sometimes a little too close for me. at one point cassie observes that daniel has big, square hands, and all i could think was just like henry! "big white hands with the square nails!" i have probably read the secret history too many times.
my enjoyment of this book probably has a lot to do with the fact that donna tartt's secret history is among my favorite books of all time, and the likeness drew a lot of parallels between them. a group of close-knit friends immersed in academia, steeped in secrets, and dealing with the aftermath of a murder? i was doomed to like this from the start. that said, the similarities between daniel march and henry winter, in both personality and appearance, were sometimes a little too close for me. at one point cassie observes that daniel has big, square hands, and all i could think was just like henry! "big white hands with the square nails!" i have probably read the secret history too many times.
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I thought it was missing the magical spookiness of "In the Woods," but still loved reading this one and delving into Cassie's psychology.
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Cassie is just a lil dark academia girl in a corpo world. why won’t her boss let her fully dissociate ‼️
conflicted again on this one. her books are just so…slow. and so long. scenes drag and tension evaporates. idk…
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes