I really wanted you to be heartbroken by the end of it. As a writer, how did you tackle a version of that same ending for the show? In the book, many readers found the ambiguous ending of “In the Woods” to be infuriating since there is no resolution to what happened to Rob as a child. “Dublin Murders” Showrunner Sarah Phelps Starz When they make mistakes, it has a devastating fallout right here, right now, not in terms of television production two years down the line. You’ve got a dynamic feeling to the secret that they’re keeping together.

Rather than waiting for a second series to see how Rob had impacted on Cassie, they impact on each other at the same time. There was a question - do you do Rob’s story and have Cassie as a secondary figure? And then do “The Likeness”? I said I’d like to put them together because Rob and Cassie are really, really equal. We had this huge discussion about how it could be done. Within the eight episodes of “Dublin Murders”, you opted to tell the stories of those first two books instead of producing them one at a time. I found them completely compelling, and within 10 pages I thought, ‘Oh God, I’d really like to work on these.’

What I really liked about them is yes, on one level, they’re a detective thriller, on another level, they’re a really deep dive into the human condition, and on another level again it’s a portrait of a nation trying to explain itself to itself and on another level they’re a modern retelling of really, really ancient fairy stories.

She writes with such beautiful descriptive seduction. Sarah Phelps: Kate Harwood and Noemi Spanos, from Euston Films, got in touch with me because I’ve worked with them before and said, ‘Have you heard of Tana French?’ They sent me “In the Woods” and “The Likeness.” I was really taken aback by them. IndieWire: How did you first come to know about Tana French’s books? This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. Inside ‘Yellowjackets’ ‘Difficult,’ ‘Stressful,’ and Teary Birthing Episode

Tana french the likeness review