The likeness
by Tana French
Still traumatised by her brush with a psychopath, Detective Cassie Maddox transfers out of the Murder squad and starts a relationship with fellow detective Sam O’Neill. When he calls her to the scene of his new case, she is shocked to find that the murdered girl is her double. What’s more, her ID shows she is Lexie Madison – the identity Cassie used, years ago, as an undercover detective. With no leads, no suspects and no clues to Lexie’s real identity, Cassie’s old boss spots the opportunity of a lifetime: send Cassie undercover in her place, to tempt the killer out of hiding to finish the job.
The review
This is such a strong follow-up.
What I loved most about The Likeness is how suspicious it makes you of everyone. The undercover premise is immediately compelling, but Tana French really sells it by making the emotional and psychological tension feel just as important as the actual mystery.
This is not a blunt-force thriller. It is a whodunnit that wants you to sit inside the uncertainty, second-guess motives, and keep reevaluating the people on the page.
That slower, more immersive style works because the characters are so well drawn. Even when the plot is quietly tightening, it never feels empty.
If you like mysteries that let atmosphere and character do a lot of the work, this is a very easy recommendation and proof that the Dublin Murder Squad books are worth the time.
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