The Resemblance

By: Lauren Nossett

ISBN: 9781250868923

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Flatiron Books

Publication Date: 11/08/2022

Format: Audiobook

Narrator: Saskia Maarleveld

9 Hours, 57 Minutes, 59 Seconds

My Rating: 5 Stars 🎧 (ARC)

NOV 2022 MUST-READ BOOKS LIST

Lauren Nossett’s artfully written debut, The Resemblance is an exhilarating, atmospheric campus thriller reminiscent of The Secret History and The Likeness.

Never betray the brotherhood

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.

The lines between Marlitt’s police work and her past increasingly blur as Marlitt seeks to bring to justice an institution that took something precious from her many years ago. When threats against her escalate, and some long-buried secrets threaten to surface, she can’t help questioning whether the corruption in Athens has run off campus and into the force and how far these brotherhoods will go to protect their own.

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My Review

This is one of the BEST campus/academia thrillers I have ever read!

A twisty, cleverly crafted, and haunting debut exploring the dark side of academia, power, and privilege—THE RESEMBLANCE from author Lauren Nossett, a new voice in fiction and one to watch!

Set in November in the fall (cover love), we met Detective Marlitt Kaplan, (the novel's heroine), a 20-year-old female and the first on the scene of a fatal hit and run at the University of Georgia in Athens.

According to witnesses, Kappa Phi Omicron member Jay Kemp was crossing the street when a car driven by accelerated to strike him. The driver appeared to be smiling.

Detective Kaplan is intelligent, tenacious, driven, and dedicated. She has her suspicions, and even with threats, she is determined to uncover the secrets and corruption and how far these brotherhoods will go to protect their own.

This taut campus crime thriller uncovers menacing and sinister secrets into Greek life and the cultures of fraternities as well. How far will they go with their tactics?

Timely and relevant, THE RESEMBLANCE (a fitting title) is a captivating blending of police procedural, psychological suspense, and campus mystery.

I hope we see more of Detective Kaplan in a series and enjoyed her character! Hopefully an upcoming series.

As a resident of Atlanta for many years, I love and support all my Atlanta authors and am delighted with this new debut novelist.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Saskia Maarleveld for a superb, engaging performance and listening experience. I loved the audiobook - Highly recommend it!

Thank you to #MacmillanAudio and #NetGalley for a gifted ALC to read, review, and enjoy.

@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks | #AuthorElevatorSeries

My Rating: 5 Stars

Pub Date: Nov 8, 2022

Praise

“The Resemblance is a taut campus mystery that grows bigger and dives deeper into the community as the crime unfolds. Twisty turns with an emotional punch deliver a captivating read.”

―Wendy Walker, bestselling author of Don’t Look for Me

"A campus crime plunges a driven young detective into the shadowy depths of Greek life, where power and privilege hide sinister secrets. In The Resemblance, Nossett pushes the stakes ever higher, and the horrors of this hidden world feel all too real. A timely and compelling thriller, and a jagged new twist on dark academia."

―Laura McHugh, award-winning author of What’s Done in Darkness

“Lauren Nossett's The Resemblance is a fresh, haunting take on dark academia that brilliantly peels back the layers of genteel southern Greek life to reveal the horrors lurking underneath. A sinister, addictive blend of self-aware police procedural and campus novel, this is the kind of book that slips its fingers around your throat and doesn't let go, complete with a jaw-dropping twist. Nossett is a gutsy, sensational new voice in crime fiction.”

—Ashley Winstead, author of The Last Housewife

“Twisty, dark and brilliant, The Resemblance is a chilling crime thriller that will keep you turning the pages faster than you can binge a true crime podcast.”

—Sally Hepworth, award-winning author of The Good Sister

“The Resemblance is a menacing whodunnit that explores the importance of brothers, but the dangers of elite brotherhoods. You’ll never look at men in the corridors of power the same way again. Detective Marlitt Kaplan is a heroine for our times.”

—Justine Ford, Australian true crime author, TV producer, and journalist

"At once a careful, nuanced dismantling of toxic masculinity and an exploration of academia's dark underbelly, The Resemblance is a powerhouse of a book that is as timely as it is terrifying. Perpetually twisty and full of chilling secrets, this masterful debut heralds Lauren Nossett as a fearless new voice in crime thrillers."

—Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, author of The Girls Are All So Nice Here

"A timely, expertly plotted mystery about power and privilege, The Resemblance will grab you from the first page and keep you guessing until the final twist. A captivating debut.”

—Alafair Burke, New York Times, Edgar Award-nominated author of twenty crime novels

About the Author

LAUREN NOSSETT is a former professor turned novelist with a Ph.D. in German literature. Her scholarly work has appeared in journals, edited volumes, and a book with Northwestern University Press. She currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia. WEBSITE

THE RESEMBLANCE is her fiction debut.

"Sometimes when I write, I’m tempted to skip ahead. Like an impatient reader who flips to the end of a story, I’m eager to know what happens to my characters. I often have to remind myself to slow down, enjoy the process, and allow my characters to develop fully before I speed them along to the future."

— Lauren Nossett