BOOK: The Likeness by Tana French

The Likeness by Tana French, 693 pages

Ireland Reading Challenge; 2nds Challenge

I read the first book, In the Woods, by Tana French just earlier this year. I'm not sure if you need to read the first one before The Likeness. The mystery is constantly referred to, obliquely, but I don't think it would be necessary, since I forget details from that book already. One thing I really like about this series, called the Dublin Murder Squad, is that the main character shifts each time. The first book was narrated by Rob Ryan. The second is his former partner, Cassie Maddox. The next book, Faithful Place has Cassie's boss Frank from this book, become the main character. Taking characters from a tangent keeps the story direction changing.

The premise of The Likeness is super cool, if crazy. A dead body who is an exact ringer for Cassie has been found. But not only does she look exactly like Cassie, she is living under the alias that Cassie used several years previously, Lexie Madison. What? Exactly. Cassie's old undercover boss, Frank (soon to narrate his own book) tries to convince her to take Lexie's place and pretend she hasn't been killed to help suss out the murderer. Unless the murderer really meant to kill Cassie and got the wrong girl. Zoinks.

The book is long, and French tends to ramble on a bit - I blamed it on Rob Ryan in the last book, but Cassie talks the same way around subjects, but it still moves along quickly. If it took me three weeks to get through it, I'd be really complaining, but both books I've just gobbled up, so it's really not an issue. Is it just a plot point of mystery authors, or do real life police continually withhold evidence from their bosses that might help them see the big picture, just like suspects? Other than that annoying habit, thumbs up from me, and looking forward to the next adventure in Dublin.