THE RESEMBLANCE | Lauren Nossett
11.08.22 | Flatiron Books
Rating: 4/5 stars
On a chilly November morning at the University of Georgia, a fraternity brother steps off a busy crosswalk and is struck dead by an oncoming car. More than a dozen witnesses all agree on two things: The driver looked identical to the victim, and he was smiling. Detective Marlitt Kaplan is first on the scene. An Athens native and the daughter of a UGA professor, she knows all its shameful histories, from the skull discovered under the foundations of Baldwin Hall to the hushed-up murder-suicide in Waddel. But in the course of investigating this hit-and-run, she will uncover more chilling secrets as she explores the sprawling, interconnected Greek system that entertains and delights the university’s most elite and connected students.
I love books that center around academia. Add in a death that has mysterious circumstances surrounding it and you can pretty much guarantee I want to read it. THE RESEMBLANCE dives into the world of Greek life and hazing in a way that handles the subject with care, while also showing the real world implications and ease with which these events can and do happen. While this story may be fictional, the source of inspiration is very real.
Nossett does a fantastic job of mixing this storyline with details about our main character, Detective Marlitt, and her backstory. I loved the connections that were present between the two and how Nossett handled the complications that this could cause while investigating. The pacing wasn’t overly fast, but it also didn’t lull in places. Nossett also smartly adds in a few twists and big reveals just when the reader believes they know where the story is headed.
THE RESEMBLANCE is an impressive debut novel that has me eagerly anticipating what will come next from Nossett!
A huge thank you to Flatiron Books for my gifted copy!
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