God this was good. I'm not sure why it took me so long to discover Tana French. I remember being a scared child seeing [b:In the Woods|2459785|In the Woods (Dublin Murder Squad, #1)|Tana French|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1562761513l/2459785._SY75_.jpg|3088141] on the New table at Borders, thinking "I'll never read this." Now, I love mysteries and thrillers - but they have to be of a certain kind. French's work is the exact kind of mystery I love. It's subtle, it's literary, it's intricate, and it's beautiful. Her characters are deeply real and very human.

I picked up the The Likeness because a coworker told me that it bears resemblance to [b:The Secret History|29044|The Secret History|Donna Tartt|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1451554846l/29044._SY75_.jpg|221359]. Donna Tartt really did create an entire genre with that book. The Likeness is full of the tropes and character archetypes of The Secret History, right down to the final death. However, it's not a copy. What's fascinating about it is that it's almost a story within a story. Detective Cassie Maddox goes undercover, posing as a dead girl who is a dead ringer for her. The world of Whitethorn House feels so separate from Cassie's real life that it feels like a fever dream. French expertly switches between worlds, but the narrative never feels interrupted or jarred out of place. Though it's long (the audio is 22 hours), I hung on every word. The audio narration pulls you in especially.

I think what I love most about this book is that it isn't frightening. Yes, there is murder, and yes, there is a mounting dread and level of suspense throughout the story. But there is a thread of melancholy running through, which makes it thoughtful and philosophical, rather than gruesome. It takes talent to achieve that.