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First class Irish suspense

February 2nd, 2009 Mary K. - Central

Tana French is an Irish suspense author who has recently published two high quality novels.  In the Woods won an Edgar Award for Best First Novel.  It was followed up this year with The Likeness which is just as award-worthy.

In the Woods has Cassie and Rob handling their first big murder case, though they have been partners for years.  Katy Devlin, a 12-year-old, with much talent and promise has been found murdered.  The detectives quickly encounter her troubled and secretive family.  And Katy’s murder brings back childhood memories to Rob whose two close childhood friends were murdered in the very same woods.  Rob was involved somehow, but he can’t remember much about that day, and that crime was never solved.  Rob has never disclosed his involvement in that case to his superiors and that error in judgement may come back to haunt him.

In The Likeness Cassie has an entirely different role.  Although she has moved into the domestic violence squad, she is asked to reprise her first job as an undercover officer.  A young woman has been murdered in a small town outside Dublin and what’s astonishing is that she had assumed Cassie’s undercover identity, that of Lexie Madison.

Cassie closely resembles Lexie, and although reluctant at first, agrees to go undercover and take Lexie’s place (the police tell everyone that Lexie has been wounded by the stabbing, but not killed.)   Cassie joins Lexie’s four doctoral student housemates.  She quickly finds them to be a very close knit and exclusive group, but they do seem to accept her.

Once you accept the premise of the book (supposedly the housemates knew or thought they knew Cassie was dead), this is riviting and suspenseful story.  Cassie might be found out at any moment, and someone in this group probably had some involvement in the first murder.  As with In the Woods French takes her time developing the story and lets the suspense build organically.

Clearly French is a master of the psychological thriller; with many plot twists to keep the reader involved.  She provides a good description of modern Ireland, and really brings the house in The Likeness to life.  Both are very discussable if your book group ever wants to discuss a mystery.

Entry Filed under: Mystery, Thriller