The Likeness

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Average customer rating 4.9 (14 comments)

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This is a pretty good plot and an enjoyable read if you can get over the fact that the detectives and most of the other characters cannot say a sentence without using the F word several times. I don't understand why? Is that the way people in Ireland talk or is it supposed to make them come across as tough? I found it very distracting; I was counting the F words instead of paying attention to the story. Not as good as the first book in this series.

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Outstanding follow up to her debut, In The Woods. An intriguing murder mystery/detective novel with a very satisfying ending. Believable and interesting character development balanced with lyrical descriptive passages about settings, landscapes, and moods. The plot is steadily paced, neither rushed nor too slow, and there are no loose ends by the conclusion. As good a book as I've read in some time.

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I loved this book! I loved Tana French's first novel, but I enjoyed this one even more. I think I liked this one better because it was all about people (whereas the first one had that supernatural mystery aspect) and what people can do to each other. I love all of her mysteries!

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I was glued to this book, plenty of twists and turns and lots of mystery.

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This is a "detective novel" in the tradition of Josephine Tey's "Daughter of Time," where the crime is secondary to the characters. It is within the wants, needs, quirks, and, fundamentally, hearts of the characters that we are given the mystery and resolution. I read this book, set it down for three days, then picked it up to read again. It is achingly haunting, oddly compelling, and completely mesmerizing.

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A "mystery" that totally transcends genre. Engaging, complicated characters, beautiful, evocative writing and an involving mystery that turns on character, not unconvincing coincidence. Clear your calendar, you will not want to stop reading -- to get to the solution, but mostly to see how the characters are impacted by the solution. Tana French has published 3 novels, all terrific; I can't wait for the 4th.

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Identity assumption fraught with tension Technically a murder mystery, this book is far more a finely textured portrait of Cassie Maddox, the gutsy, resilient, and resourceful Dublin detective of IN THE WOODS, who steps into a tight-knit household of grad students - living in a rural, large, old house - to unravel the mysterious death of one of them, Lexie Madison. The psychological strength of Cassie and her adaptability and imaginative strategizing when she assumes the identity of Lexie, an amazing look-a-like, and rejoins the group upon the authorities claiming that Lexie had actually survived the stabbing, are extraordinary, all the while producing a never-ending, breathtaking tension on the possibility of being found out. Because Cassie must fit seamlessly into the group, all of her efforts in actually solving the case must be well hidden, using well-concealed mikes and making phone calls during walks in the dark, threatening woods surrounding the house, not far from the small, deteriorating cabin where Lexie was found. The group, except for Lexie – a latecomer, had met many years before as college freshmen, recognizing each other as kindred souls. Daniel’s inheritance of the old house made it possible for him to construct the isolated, exclusionary, and idyllic world for which he longed. Of course, perfect harmony among people is fantasy. Clearly the disappearance/reappearance of Lexie has shaken them, and brings to the surface submerged fault lines, alliances, and flaws, to which Cassie must be attuned. She also must be alert to every subtle clue about Lexie’s relationship with the group. For example, was she romantically entangled with any of them or for that matter what were her preferences and tendencies in regard to food, clothing, speech patterns, etc. Worst of all is the very real possibility that one of the group stabbed Lexie and that some or all of them know that. The dialectic among the aspects of the story as they are developed and revealed – that is, the strain of literally becoming someone else, the various group dynamics, and the investigation by not only Cassie but a wholesale effort in the background – make this story an exciting psychological drama. The complications mount as it is uncovered that Lexie had a troubled past, not to mention the rural community’s literal hatred of this outsider band of brothers and sisters. The author’s prescient handling of the thinking of the characters as well as her gift for dialog brings this story to life. At times the pace slows to a crawl, but the general edginess keeps the attention. Just the assumption that someone could assume an identity among friends is quite intriguing and is handled by the author in an amazingly plausible fashion. There are several threads of connection to IN THE WOODS, but none are essential for this story. However, Cassie’s former connection to Detective Rob Ryan still haunts her.

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"The Likeness" is a great follow up to French's first book, "In the Woods." With its interesting characters and plot, I found myself speeding through this book and constantly thinking about it when I didn't have it in my hands. If you liked Donna Tartt's "The Secret History," you'll get pulled into this book just as I did.

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This was not only a suspense/mystery novel,but more importantly,it was beautifuly written.The author has such a gift of being both extremely descriptve and interesting.I read this rather long book in just 2 days.

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excellent premise, loved the authors voice

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While this book was fairly recently released, it's the best book I've read for as long as I can remember. Tana French slowly doles out the story, and before I knew it, I was as obsessed with what was happening as the main character was. This is a book that I actually wanted to INHABIT. I haven't read a book that worked so perfectly before or since.

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Wow. Author Tana French's great writing traps readers who enjoy mysteries with a jolt of psychologicial suspense. "The Likeness" features Det. Cassie Maddox, a former undercover cop now fighting domestic violence crimes. She's persuaded to give undercover work another shot when a young Ph.D student, who bears an uncanny resemblance to her, is murdered. Cassie easily slips into the role of Lexie, her double, convincing Lexie's four housemates to believe she is their (now-dead) friend. The housemates, all high-brow literature students, have created eerie family-style relationships, spending little time at college with anyone outside their group. But they make life seem so cozy that Cassie forgets that these four friends are possible murder suspects. She infiltrates Lexie's world so well that she begins to lose focus, putting her job -- and life -- in danger. French doesn't surprise readers with aha! moments, but her writing is so strong, and the characters so well-developed, that you go along meekly (as does Cassie) for a very scary ride. I can't wait to read her first book, which also featured Det. Maddox.

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I do not have this book yet. However, everyone that is reading it is Spell-Bound. Most are 1/3 through and can not lay it down. They are so glad to have be reading Tana's New Psychological Thriller. All the readers are saying it is excellent follow up Mystery. Now, I have to read In the Woods first. Why, was I do busy to read the first one? bummer! Me!

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Tana French's follow-up to "In the Woods" maintains her flare for beautiful prose and intense mystery and suspense, though it never equals her first book. That said, this is still a pageturner of a book. It seems destined to be devoured on vacations this summer, and if you like your beach reads with a little more meat and intelligence, this is your novel. Cassie Maddox's narration is especially wonderful, especially when dealing with the ruins of her friendship with Rob Ryan, and it's fascinating to read about how she becomes apart of the cultish group of intellectuals. It's definitely very similar to Donna Tartt's "The Secret History," another novel not to be missed, but French makes the characters and conversations her own. The only major criticism I have with the novel is its unsatisfactory ending. Cassie makes a decision toward the end that feels very out-of-character and seems to go against her desires up until that point. In addition, throughout the novel Cassie places much emphasis upon her double Lexie's pregnancy at the time of her death, yet when the father of the child is finally revealed, French gives the subject only two lines of importance before glossing over the liaison implied. Criticisms aside, this is one of the most fabulous mystery novels I've read in quite a while, and it deserves your undivided attention.