NPR devoted part of Talk of the Nation to "[t]wo modern-day mystery writers talk about how to create the perfect whodunit. Tana French, author of In The Woods and The Likeness, and Louis Bayard, author of Mr. Timothy and The Pale Blue Eye, weigh in on the most important elements page-turning thrillers."
I haven't read anything by Bayard. French's In The Woods was extremely well-written - but plot-wise? Let's just say that the plot had some big gaping holes in it. In fact, the central mystery was left unsolved, with a hint that something mysterious had done it. It would be like reading a page turning thriller only to learn that aliens or time travel or something like that were the solution to the who-done-it.
Still, that didn't stop me from putting a library hold on The Likeness - even though it hinges on a totally improbable idea, that a cop discovers that a dead woman bears an uncanny likeness to her and takes her place. Unless they are twins separated at birth, I don't think that would really work. Still, I will read it for the quality of the writing, which I hope will again be stellar.
To listen to the NPR story, click here.
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