2009 Books: The Likeness

19. The Likeness - Tana French

Apparently this is the second book about the main character, Detective Cassie Maddox but i hadn't read the first one. Doesn't matter, they made enough references to the previous plot that you get the gist. Don't really think i have to read it now! Anyway, this book takes place in and around Dublin in present day. A murdered woman is found and she looks to be Cassie's identical twin though is not. Cassie has not been working on the murder squad or the undercover squad after some traumatic events and has to be persuaded to take over the woman's life to help find the murderer. The woman lives in a house with four graduate students who may or may not be suspects and Cassie has to find a way to fit in and figure it all out. She does fairly well thanks to the dead woman's mobile phone that has a lot of video that was shot of the roomies and information the police extracted about the dead woman's life from the same roomies. The dead woman is an enigma, however, with no apparent family, friends or past so the murderer might be someone she knew from her former life.

The book is well written and it drew me in. The roommates are not completely drawn out but then since they are strangers to Cassie and she's trying to get to know them but not get too close to them, it works. Cassie does get drawn in to their cocoon of a life, a bit, while trying to unearth a murderer. They are all loners, people that don't quite fit in but found each other and seem to live in their own little world, which, little by little, is developing the cracks that Cassie soon detects. Little by little, the story unfolds and you start having various suspicions along with her. It did keep my interest and the ending, while not a complete surprise, wasn't quite what i expected either.

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It's blazing hot outside but in here? it's lovely. Not cool but it's quite comfortable. One of the reasons i love this apartment. Yes, it's crowded and i need more space but there's so many good things going for it that i've avoided moving. Bus stop right out front... rush hour bus right to my office. Rent is very good so i save lots of money for travel. And the cool thing. If it's really humid out, then yes, it's hot and sticky in here but if there's no humidity, it's usually pretty good.

I bought a top a couple of weeks ago, in the mark down end of season sales. It's black and longish and it's got a little frill on the bottom that i'm not "frilled" with. It's cool, though. Cotton and it's got spaghetti straps. Only, on my slopey shoulders, they always slide down. Right. I dug out my old strapless bra. It's not great, it doesn't hold the girls up where they should be but it at least stops 'em from floppen. so to speak. :) Then i untied the straps and pulled them together and tied all four in one knot so the front two look are tied around my neck like a halter and the back two are caught up in the knot at the back of my neck. No sliding, bare shoulders and it's lovely and cool. And it's going to be a beautiful, hot, sunny weekend. Best of the summer so far i think. I hope.

There's a Zombie Walk through Halifax tomorrow. I may go for a gawp. Mom and i may go for a drive on Sunday, but possibly tomorrow. We'll see.