Scan barcode
A review by lmsmango
Identical by Scott Turow
3.0
Paul Gianis, 50, has served in the local senate and is eager to advance in the ranks. Cass, his twin brother, has completed his 25-year sentence for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Dita and is about to be released. All appears to be well for the pair of siblings until right-wing real estate mogul Hal Kronon—the victim's brother—discovers the case and casts doubt on its veracity, putting Paul's bid for mayor and Cass's bid for freedom in jeopardy. A solid cast of characters, ranging from spurred ex-lovers to hard-boiled detectives with a heart of gold, round out the picture, each with their own baggage to bring to the table.
The premise is strong enough on its own, so it's a shame that it loses its luster about halfway through. I'm not as familiar with Greek mythology as I should be, but naming the characters after mythological figures gives away most of their endings anyway. There's only so much disbelief I'm willing to suspend with regard to nomenclature in a contemporary novel: Zeus Kronon being a philandering capitalist who'd made a career out of shopping centers is one thing, but the slow reveal of "Dita" being short for Aphrodite killed me. Even as the murder mystery becomes increasingly engrossing, I find that the story falters when it leans too heavily on mythology.
Ultimately, the mystery at the heart of it collapses under the weight of the Greek inspirations that Turow wants to impose. While the references to Greek myth does reduce the thrill of wondering what happens next, they do allow you, albeit implicitly, to reframe the narrative a bit differently: which parts of the myth did they retain, and which did they leave out? And what narrative elements did the author include to make the story more nuanced, more his own? The conclusion is delectably satisfying, but no less morally murky, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
My first Scott Turow novel and my first legal thriller in a long while. I'm excited to read more of his work—and have just bumped Presumed Innocent up my queue!
P.S. Man, I LOVE you, Paul
The premise is strong enough on its own, so it's a shame that it loses its luster about halfway through. I'm not as familiar with Greek mythology as I should be, but naming the characters after mythological figures gives away most of their endings anyway. There's only so much disbelief I'm willing to suspend with regard to nomenclature in a contemporary novel: Zeus Kronon being a philandering capitalist who'd made a career out of shopping centers is one thing, but the slow reveal of "Dita" being short for Aphrodite killed me. Even as the murder mystery becomes increasingly engrossing, I find that the story falters when it leans too heavily on mythology.
Ultimately, the mystery at the heart of it collapses under the weight of the Greek inspirations that Turow wants to impose. While the references to Greek myth does reduce the thrill of wondering what happens next, they do allow you, albeit implicitly, to reframe the narrative a bit differently: which parts of the myth did they retain, and which did they leave out? And what narrative elements did the author include to make the story more nuanced, more his own? The conclusion is delectably satisfying, but no less morally murky, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
My first Scott Turow novel and my first legal thriller in a long while. I'm excited to read more of his work—and have just bumped Presumed Innocent up my queue!
P.S. Man, I LOVE you, Paul