
Dublin Murders
2019 • Crime, Drama • TV-MA
Two detectives are dispatched to investigate the murder of a young girl on the outskirts of Dublin, but as the case of the missing children intensifies, both are forced to confront the darkness that lies in their past.
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Why you should read the novels
Before you stream Dublin Murders, consider reading the source: Tana French's In the Woods and The Likeness. These acclaimed Dublin Murder Squad novels deliver layered, award-winning crime fiction set in Ireland.
French's prose builds atmosphere and psychology the TV adaptation can only hint at. Through intimate narration, you enter Rob Ryan and Cassie Maddox's minds, feeling every doubt, memory, and moral crossroads.
If you search for Dublin Murders books, start here: deeper character arcs, resonant themes, and unforgettable twists. Available in English in print, ebook, and audiobook, perfect to read instead of watching.
Adaptation differences
Dublin Murders TV series vs book: the show fuses In the Woods and The Likeness into one season, intercutting plotlines. The novels are separate, first-person cases: Rob narrates In the Woods, Cassie narrates The Likeness.
The adaptation reimagines Lexie and Cassie's undercover setup, treating the double as a more tangible presence and altering motivations and backstory. In the novel The Likeness, Lexie begins as an invented alias, shaping a different psychological game.
On screen, the two investigations are tied together with stronger connective tissue and visual motifs around Knocknaree, trauma, and possible conspiracy. The books keep the cases discrete and lean into ambiguity, especially regarding Rob's childhood mystery.
The series updates timelines, changes names like Rob Ryan to Rob Reilly, compresses arcs, and streamlines or shifts roles for characters such as Sam O'Neill and Frank Mackey. The books favor slow-burn introspection; the show emphasizes pace, externalized clues, and thriller beats.
Dublin Murders inspired from
The Likeness
by Tana French
In the Woods
by Tana French