The Likeness: A Novel
by Tana FrenchSign in to Goodreads to see your friends' reviews of this book.
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Read in August, 2008
The Likeness by Tana French is a follow-up to In the Woods. You could read it alone and get by without knowing its predecessor, but I don't recommend it. There are too many references to past events which would be unappreciated.
The basics: Cassie Maddox is still reeling from the disastrous chain of circumstances from In the Woods when she is called to the scene of a murder. The victim looks eerily similar to Cassie and the name on her ID, Lexie Madison, is the same name that Cassie used as...more
The basics: Cassie Maddox is still reeling from the disastrous chain of circumstances from In the Woods when she is called to the scene of a murder. The victim looks eerily similar to Cassie and the name on her ID, Lexie Madison, is the same name that Cassie used as...more
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Read in September, 2008
A year after the events in In The Woods, Cassie Maddox has an unheard of opportunity: A recent murder victim is her exact double, and even used an undercover alias that Cassie created years ago. Now, she can become the victim, stepping into her life and her friendship with a close-knit group of four students, to try and crack the case from within. The Likeness is strongly atmospheric, with an almost magical setting, a closely interwoven cast of characters, and slow, delicate suspen...more
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Read in September, 2008
This is the follow-up to French's debut novel, In the Woods. The Likeness focuses on Cassie Maddox, the better half of the homicide duo featured in French's first novel. The underlying premise of this novel is unbelievable. Years ago, Maddox worked undercover as a college student in Dublin named Lexie Madison. She ditches the identity when her assignment ends, but years later, a young woman carrying Lexie Madison's identification is found murdered. Madison is a dead-ringer (no put intended) for...more
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Read in September, 2008
Tana French's follow-up to her spectacular first mystery, "In the Woods" has me reaching for my thesaurus. How do you get better than spectacular?
When a young woman is found dead in a shack, police are shocked -- she is the spitting image of their own Cassie Maddox (whom we met in "In the Woods"). As if this weren't jolting enough, the name of the young woman, Lexie Madison, is one that Cassie had used in an undercover drug investigation just a few years before. Beli...more
When a young woman is found dead in a shack, police are shocked -- she is the spitting image of their own Cassie Maddox (whom we met in "In the Woods"). As if this weren't jolting enough, the name of the young woman, Lexie Madison, is one that Cassie had used in an undercover drug investigation just a few years before. Beli...more
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Cassie Maddox is no longer with the Murder Squad. Cassie receives a phone call from her boyfriend, Sam to come down to Glenskehy to view a body. She can’t help but wonder what’s so important about the victim that Sam would call her? Once Cassie arrives in Glenskehy to her surprise and amazement the female victim looks exactly like Cassie. In fact the victim could very well pass as Cassie’s twin. But that’s not the most shocking thing. The id found on the victim says her name was Alexandr...more
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Read in August, 2008
Those expecting a direct sequel to In the Woods will be disappointed. But I think the end of In the Woods pretty much kills the chance of a "direct" sequel.
While this novel does take place 6 months after the end of Operation Vestal, Cassie and Rob are no longer partners.
Cassie takes over narration in this one and she starts by giving us some history of her first time undercover and the identity she gave herself: Lexie Madison. Because Lexie Madison has turned up dead...more
While this novel does take place 6 months after the end of Operation Vestal, Cassie and Rob are no longer partners.
Cassie takes over narration in this one and she starts by giving us some history of her first time undercover and the identity she gave herself: Lexie Madison. Because Lexie Madison has turned up dead...more
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About six months after Operation Vestal, Cassie Maddox gets a call from Sam O'Neill, asking her to come out to the scene of his latest murder investigation. She's working Domestic Violence now, and can't figure out why Sam would want her out there, or why he'd ask her to more or less disguise herself. When she does arrive, she finds her old undercover handler, Frank Mackey, there as well. He starts asking questions, like if her dad ever ran around, or if she was adopted. Once Cassie sees the bod...more
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Read in August, 2008
recommends it for:
Mary
This is an excellent sophmore effort. I think I like it even better than French's premier novel "In the Woods".
Excellent plot and character development. It reminds me in many ways of Donna Tartt's "The Secret History". At times I wouldve liked to speed it up a tad. Also I think the climax was a tiny bit underwhelming, but this is ok since French gave the reader lots of resolution (moreso than the last novel)
Even though it looks like she is writing a series, the plots a...more
Excellent plot and character development. It reminds me in many ways of Donna Tartt's "The Secret History". At times I wouldve liked to speed it up a tad. Also I think the climax was a tiny bit underwhelming, but this is ok since French gave the reader lots of resolution (moreso than the last novel)
Even though it looks like she is writing a series, the plots a...more
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Read in September, 2008
Somehow I managed to finish this within the 7 days the library gave. I have no idea how, but it happened with plenty of time.I'll say that I enjoyed this book, it was one that kept me interested.
I'll start with the things I liked:
The one thing that "The Likeness" gave me that "In The Woods" did not was an ending that wrapped things up somewhat adequately. I loved the imagery and some of the characters.
What I didn't like:
Even though the ending wrapped up ...more
I'll start with the things I liked:
The one thing that "The Likeness" gave me that "In The Woods" did not was an ending that wrapped things up somewhat adequately. I loved the imagery and some of the characters.
What I didn't like:
Even though the ending wrapped up ...more
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2 comments
This follow-up novel (after In the Woods) featuring Dublin detective Cassie Maddox is a psychological thrill ride. When a homicide victim who bears a strong physical resemblance to Cassie is discovered with i.d. stating that her name is Lexie Madison, Cassie's world is turned upside down. Lexie Madison, it turns out, is not this woman's real name. Lexie doesn't even exist--the whole identity is one that was created for Cassie when she worked as an undercover agent on university drug bust some...more
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Read in August, 2008
I think I'm developing a girl crush on Tana French. Her 2nd book was just as much of a page-turner as In the Woods was -- and those who complained because she didn't tie everything up in a neat little package at the end of the first book might like that this story has more of a resolution. This time around, Detective Cassie Maddox is the narrator, and we pick up 6 months after the end of In the Woods. (Yes, you should read that one first; there are lots of references to it.) Ca...more
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Read in September, 2008
recommends it for:
mystery lovers
This is French's second novel/mystery thriller and I'm very glad to have discovered her. I couldn't put "In the Woods" down when I read it last year and I felt the same about this one. Her books are not light reads, they are dense with details and characterizations. The Likeness contains some of the secondary characters from "In the Woods", Detective Cassie Maddox is placed in an undercover assignment when a young woman ends up murder--and the girl could be Cassie's twin, t...more
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Read in July, 2008
There is just something about Tana French's writing that puts her in a class above other mystery/crime writers. Maybe it's the rural Irish settings and Irish slang that I love. Or maybe it's her whimsical use of descriptive prose that has me eagerly turning the pages. I love that French doesn't underrate her audience. She doesn't do what most mystery writers do in terms of setting up a crime and then giving too many clues to the ending, as though the reader wouldn't have already guessed. French'...more
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Read in August, 2008
There is nothing within this second book that reflects back to the kids lost in the woods so don't be tempted with this if that is all you are looking for. This is a new case to be solved and whilst the first third teases and builds atmosphere there is little after that peak to rave over at all. A three star crime story.
In the following Tana French video she speaks about the third book which will be about Frank :
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In the following Tana French video she speaks about the third book which will be about Frank :
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Read in September, 2008
What can I say? I love Tana French's stuff. It's not the deepest, most intellectually-intense literature I read, of course, but she combines intricate plotting, fascinating characters, and intriguing insights into contemporary Ireland's cultural conflicts (not the usual IRA issues). She tells a great story, and her writing is crafted without seeming precious or overdone. This book, with its depiction of a close-knit group of intellectuals who disdain the crass materialism of the rest of the worl...more
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Read in August, 2008
Despite all the nasty reviews on Amazon, In the Woods was quite a debut, and Tana French is an excellent author. The Likeness just builds upon that foundation. Similarities to Tartt's The Secret History may put some readers off, but this may well be the book Tartt wishes she'd written.
In the Woods was good, but this was better, and French's gift for description creates some haunting images. Her characters have enough flaws to make them human - and to set up plot issues - but not enough to...more
In the Woods was good, but this was better, and French's gift for description creates some haunting images. Her characters have enough flaws to make them human - and to set up plot issues - but not enough to...more
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4 comments
recommends it for:
David
In the follow-up novel to last year's bestseller, In the Woods, Cassie Maddox is lured back into undercover work under the most unlikely circumstances. A woman who could be her double is murdered. And more disturbing is the fact that the dead woman's name is Lexie Madison, the name Cassie used in a previous undercover assigment. Unfortunately, Cassie becomes so charmed by Lexie's life that she begins to forget her assignment to find her killer. A page turner and a reminder of how quite often...more
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Read in August, 2008
This book was amazing! I think I actually liked it better than the author's first book (In the Woods).
This book is a mystery, but at the same time has a bit of a twist in that finding the killer isn't really the main conflict. The whodunnit part of the story is solved with a good chunk of the story left to tell, actually. There is more to the story than just who the killer is...like why they did it and what's going to happen next and how has this whole thing affected everyone. I really...more
This book is a mystery, but at the same time has a bit of a twist in that finding the killer isn't really the main conflict. The whodunnit part of the story is solved with a good chunk of the story left to tell, actually. There is more to the story than just who the killer is...like why they did it and what's going to happen next and how has this whole thing affected everyone. I really...more
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Read in September, 2008
recommends it for:
fans of 'In the Woods' and 'The Secret History'
Picking up where In the Woods left off, The Likeness is told from the perspective of Det. Cassie Maddox. In this novel, she goes undercover as the victim of a fatal stabbing and finds herself slipping too far into the role she's playing.
The writing is beautifully descriptive and dark, and the plot is as tense and twisty as they come. There are also plenty of echoes to Donna Tartt's The Secret History, both in plot and tone, so fans of it will probably enjoy either one of Tana French's myst...more
The writing is beautifully descriptive and dark, and the plot is as tense and twisty as they come. There are also plenty of echoes to Donna Tartt's The Secret History, both in plot and tone, so fans of it will probably enjoy either one of Tana French's myst...more
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Read in August, 2008
Great follow-up to French's "In the Woods." This time the novel features Cassie (of Cassie & Rob) as the narrator. In the aftermath of the first novel's Operation Vestal, Cassie now finds herself in the midst of an undercover operation, Operation Mirror. Cassie is brought in, reluctantly at first, after a woman is found dead and it is discovered she is using one of Cassie's old undercover aliases. The woman, Lexie Madison, is a ringer for Cassie. Cassie finds herself drawn into the...more
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