'The Likeness' is the second story by Tana French to feature the character Cassie Maddox. Because of this, I suggest you read her first story 'In The Woods' before you read 'The Likeness'. You won't be lost if you don't, you'll just have a better understanding of what Cassie is going through and why she makes the decisions she makes. With that being said, I really liked this story: the character development is great, the story flows well and just like in French's first book 'In The Woods', the story itself seems very real even though the odds of the events happening are slim. I couldn't put this book down and personally liked it more than 'In The Woods'.

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in both this book and her other book IN THE WOODS - there was a murder, but both were unlike any other murder mystery I have read. Very different without being very wierd. I enjoyed each a lot

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I couldn't put this book down. I think I read the last 200 pages in one sitting. I've never considered myself a big mystery fan -- after my childhood obsession with Nancy Drew cooled -- but I've been reading more lately & this was definitely a worthy read. I'm looking forward to reading more by French.

Cassie, a troubled Irish cop, is called to the scene of a murder. The victim looks just like her and is carrying ID for an invented identity (Lexie) she used as an undercover officer. No one knows that she's actually dead, so Cassie goes undercover to try to find out who the woman really was and who killed her. The only part of the book that annoyed me was how long French drew out Cassie's decision to go undercover, especially considering that bit is given away on every book blurb I've read.

Interesting plot, great character development, loved the Irish setting & language (liberal use of f-bombs included), and overall writing style.

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There are no car chases or trail of bodies in this murder mystery. Set in Ireland, Tana French tells a story rich in character. She provides deep insight into the psychology of her well developed players and brings the story along at her own pace. It's like being told an old story while sitting by the campfire.

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This is Tana French's followup to In the Woods which I read and enjoyed a year or so ago. This one is told by one of the police detectives from the prior novel, Cassie Maddox, who transferred out of Dublin's Murder Squad after the events "In the Woods." But a young woman has been murdered and this woman bears a striking resemblance to Cassie. When the cops see the murdered corpse of Lexie Madison they also see an opportunity for Cassie to pretend to be Lexie to try to get the killer to expose him or herself.

Cassie as Lexie moves into Whitethorn House, the mansion the victim shared with four other post graduate students (Daniel, Justin, Rafe and Abby); she informs them that she was fortunate to have survived the assault. As Cassie investigates each of her roommates, she finds she likes each of them because they are so different in personality. She really seems to fit in with the bunch and wonders if one of them could really be Lexie's killer. Or could it be someone from the nearby small village who seem to dislike the residents of Whitethorn House stemming from the days when it was the home of the lord of the manor? Another possibility is Daniel's cousin Ned who feels he should have inherited the house and is itching to make it into apartments or possibly a golf resort.

First of all, the premise of this book was very far-fetched and unbelievable. I didn't buy that Cassie could pass for Lexie and not be discovered by her four roommates who knew Lexie intimately. However, putting this aside, I did enjoy the story and the relationships between the roommates. Cassie seems to fit in and at many points wishes she could actually stay there and live with the other four as a "family" which is what they were trying to do. I also enjoyed French's writing, however, I did think the book could have been shortened by quite a bit. Overall I was kind of mixed on this one but I do have some of the subsequent novels in this series and I'm sure I'll be reading them at some point.

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Just a quick sentence or two+ here....
This is one my favorite books I have ever read in my life! Bar none! Though it *is* really best to read the first book, In the Woods first, just so you get many references. I didn't know & read this one first and had to quickly go back & immediately read In the Woods -- but then I had the sheer pleasure of reading The Likeness again. And since then, though I am in total awe at all of French's writing, this remains my go-back-to, comfort zone book. I've probably read it five times now, and am never tired of it. Not a proper review, but it captures what her writing does to one.

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