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A review by serendipitysbooks
The Likeness by Tana French
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Likeness was my first book by Tana French, even though it is actually the second in a series. It opens with Detective Cassandra Maddox (I confess a fondness for the name - had my mother had her way it would have been mine) being called to a murder scene where the victim looks exactly like her, and bears the name of Lexie Madison, an entirely fictional alias Cassie once used on an undercover assignment. To take advantage of this somewhat unbelievable coincidence Cassie is persuaded to go undercover once more and, claiming to have been only injured, take up Lexie’s life in an effort to discover exactly who killed her and who she really was.
What I enjoyed most about the book was the eerie atmosphere - the almost gothic vibes from the house, compounded by the attacks against it, and the claustrophobic closeness of Lexie‘s friends, all very idiosyncratic PhD students sharing an isolated run down mansion one of them had inherited.
I also appreciated some of the issues which were raised, if not necessarily covered in great depth - the continuing resentment against the British colonialism in Ireland, material vs spiritual wealth, art, the factors that make a good life, class, and the rural-urban divide.
I had mixed feelings about Cassie. While I loved the badass side of her personality, and the nature of her relationship with her former boss Frank, her deliberately violating protocol and taking unnecessary risks irked me. Why put yourself in danger for no good reason? Possibly if I had read the first book in the series I might have had more insight into what drove Cassie’s behaviour.
I did find this book a little on the long side but it mostly held my interest. While I enjoyed the reading experience it wasn’t enough to convince me to join the Tara French fan club.
What I enjoyed most about the book was the eerie atmosphere - the almost gothic vibes from the house, compounded by the attacks against it, and the claustrophobic closeness of Lexie‘s friends, all very idiosyncratic PhD students sharing an isolated run down mansion one of them had inherited.
I also appreciated some of the issues which were raised, if not necessarily covered in great depth - the continuing resentment against the British colonialism in Ireland, material vs spiritual wealth, art, the factors that make a good life, class, and the rural-urban divide.
I had mixed feelings about Cassie. While I loved the badass side of her personality, and the nature of her relationship with her former boss Frank, her deliberately violating protocol and taking unnecessary risks irked me. Why put yourself in danger for no good reason? Possibly if I had read the first book in the series I might have had more insight into what drove Cassie’s behaviour.
I did find this book a little on the long side but it mostly held my interest. While I enjoyed the reading experience it wasn’t enough to convince me to join the Tara French fan club.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Death
Minor: Homophobia