Doppelganger Experiment

by Margaret A. Millmore

Originally published via World Castle Publishing 2011, revised & re-edited 2012; re-published via Amazon 2014

Jane woke up to find several things wrong; she was in a hospital, she'd been in a coma for over four weeks, it wasn't 2007 like she last remembered, it was 2010, and she was married to a man she didn't know. Dreams of a mysterious green building infiltrate her sleep, but are they just dreams or are they memories? As she struggles to recapture a life she doesn't remember she discovers clues to a lost love and dangerous experiments that lead to murder. More flashes of memory and a re-acquaintance with an old scientist lead her to an investigation into the mystery of the green building and the discovery of horrific experiments that end in murder... and something worse than murder. She learns her best friend has betrayed her and the husband she is trying to know and love is not who he says he is. With her trust shattered and her life precariously close to falling apart, she is more dedicated than ever to finding out who is behind the green building and the horrible things that happened there, that happened to her there. The more she learns, the more danger she is in.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Science Fiction

243 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2011

About the author

Margaret Millmore lives on a quaint island in the Puget Sound, Washington with her husband and two cantankerous alarm clocks (better known as cats, who are apparently starving to death at 5 a.m. every single darn morning…).

Her first published works were flash fiction, which were featured on Bay Area artist, Kenny Mencher’s blog, The Welcome Home and Untitled – Luke N. Goode.

In 2011 she published her first full length novel, since then she’s published a three book series, another novel and her current series (via Creativia Publishing) What Haunts Me (Ghost Killer Book 1) and The Edge of the Cemetery (Ghost Killer Book 2), which was awarded the August 2016 Book of the Month award by Long and Short Reviews. She’s currently working on book 3 in the series, which incorporates an epic journey taken by her grandfather in 1915, she hopes to have it published by early 2018. The majority of her books are set in San Francisco where she lived—previous to island life—for over 26 years.

Margaret’s preferred writing genre is supernatural fiction, with the exception of her time-travel novel, The Dragonfly Door.

All her books can be found on her website and her Amazon Author page:
http://www.margaretmillmore.com/
http://www.amazon.com/Margaret-Millmo...

Additional links to follow:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author...
https://twitter.com/MMillmore
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...

I am also a reviewer for the GR group Book Explosions, please check us out for what we're reading, what we like to read and our reviews: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

Reviews

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doppelganger Experiment
Author: Margaret Millmore

Waking up in the hospital after being in a coma for four weeks would frighten anyone and make you wonder where the time went and what happened. But, when Jane wakes up all that is familiar to her is her first name and when addressed by the last name Knox by the hospital staff she is unsure of whom they are speaking to. How did she get this Traumatic Brain Injury and why did she think it was 2007 and not 2010? How did Jane lose three years of her life and yet when questioned remembered certain facts and not others? The false sense of security provided by the nurses, hospital staff and the man claiming to be her husband is unnerving to say the least. Flashbacks of events in her life come front and center yet most questions go unanswered. A reoccurring dream keeps appearing in her mind each night as she wakes from a difficult night’s sleep hoping to regain some semblance of her former life. What is constant is a green building. Not able to totally identify what kind of structure it is whether apartment building or warehouse Jane tries to hone in on the exact image but more disturbing is the figure in the shadows that she can’t seem to identify. While cleaning up and trying to make herself look more presentable more images appeared in her mind starting with her best friend Kira and another named Brett. Just why they did not come to see her is unknown at this time. When her supposed husband appears again he seems to know a lot about her friends what happened to her and the man who supposedly caused her accident. Out of nowhere her friend Kira calls and asks to see her and more memories flood back not everything is what it appears to be. Michael is trying to make her feel safe but just who he is she really is not sure. Seeing a psychiatrist was supposed to help bring back her memory and working with PT her physical strength.

Doppelganger means double walker. Doppelganger is an apparition of oneself or another person whom we are acquainted with or know or even never met. Imagine yourself or someone with you that is yours or his body double that is supposed to be with us at all times. It is someone you can or cannot be aware of at times. It might be a premonition of what lies ahead in your life. It cannot be seen in the mirror but is considered to be a bad omen predicting death. Is this what Jane has to look forward to? What is the Doppelganger Experiment that she has been a part of and just does not know it? When Jane questions Brett about how she met Michael and their courtship is it real? As both of her friends fill her in on their impressions of Michael you gather that they are not thrilled with him that he’s too stiff and definitely not the kind of person they thought she would wind up with. But, a bad dream startled her again and this time she saw the orderly Franklin in her dream warning her against going into the green building. But, Michael arrived and disturbed her train of thought telling him about Kira and Brett’s visits and discussing the past as Franklin entered the room but this time was cold to Michael giving Jane some pause for thought. The same dream seems to reoccur when she is alone. Standing in front of the same green building this time visualizing it as an apartment building and trying to focus on the figure that appears each time. The figure appears as it does in a Doppelganger as a ghostly image. But, even her friends seemed different yet she did not make any startling connections or disconnections yet from the past to the present. Franklin would appear at times and although he seems friendly enough it appears he has something to do with the green building and what lies hidden behind its walls as he just might be the link she needs to her past.

As Jane became home and more acclaimed to her new environment she began to relate to the reader her exploration of her home, the photos she found and the unsettling feeling she had when she looked at pictures of her old boyfriend Aaron who resembled Michael. Not only that learning from Brett that they were total opposites intrigued her more. Wanting to know more about this green building and looking up information based on a business card brought her attention to a study dealing with temporoparietal junction at the Center for Temporoparietal Advancement. When Jane started to look this up what she found were two definitions of what they dealt with. One is mind control and the other is Self. The procedure she found out might have been inconclusive but the end result in some cases was a second self. This was caused by the fact that electromagnetic stimulation was used on subjects creating as the title states the doppelganger phenomenon or effect which created a person or second self “identical to the original person who copied or mimicked the person.” Frightening to the subjects and enlightening to Jane. As Jane continued on her search for information what she did not find were the names of any doctors or scientists that conducted the study which was discontinued.

Then cold statement made by a guest at a cocktail party leads Jane to delve further into Michael’s past and possible identity. As Jane discusses things with Brett she realizes that something about her friends just might be off. Then meeting with the doctor that actually worked on the patients in this experiment what she learns will terrify the reader, bring chills down your spine and make you think twice before entering any building that just might be green. These experiments deal with the mind and how to alter behavior. Added to that she learns more about her boyfriend Aaron and her part in this experiment and why she was targeted and hit.

The truth behind the experiments and who was in charge will surprise the reader and definitely made you wonder how and why anyone would create a doppelganger or alter ego person for someone else. These evil experiments cost lives and now Jane had to decide whether to trust Michael, Brett or Kira or no one. Who were they and what was behind Michael’s transformation? What was done to all of them and what would the end result be? Imagine a center creating this physical doppelganger alter personality for you. Imagine not being in control of your own mind. Author Margaret Millmore has created a novel filled with research, psychological drama, mind control, fear, diabolical doctors and lies and betrayals that one woman named Jane has to sort through to find her way through the Doppelganger Effect or Experiment in order to find any reality. Cruel experiments at the hand of those who thought it would help those who fought for our country. What happens at the end will leave many unanswered questions and hope that the author will bring these characters back in order to learn the final ending. One mind boggling and thought provoking book that is really quite scary when you think about it and the premise behind it frightening. The end is really just the beginning. Read it to find out why. You won’t be disappointed.

Fran Lewis: Reviewer

[Collette Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit that I love a good thriller, and this one had just enough psychological suspense to keep me up long into the night to finish the book. I couldn’t put it down. When Jane wakes up in the hospital, she’s lost four years of her life. From that moment, she’s faced with returning memories and mysteries, and she finds that not everyone in her life is who they seem to be. Ms. Millmore very skillfully places enough doubt and hope around her characters to keep you guessing up to the end, and she also paints a vivid picture of the confusion and fear Jane feels from the start. Jane was a very believable heroine, tough and smart, and although she’s struggling with the flashes of memory she has enough wisdom to keep her fear at bay. Her mysterious husband and two ‘changed’ best friends will make you wonder just who is truly on her side. The suspense builds when Jane finally meets the little doctor, who seems to have all the answers but just never has the chance to reveal it all. As the story progresses, you start biting your nails as you jump to conclusions on your own. It is not a disappointing end. Everything is revealed, and yet you hope there will be another chapter in this captivating novel.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Margaret Millmore, author of Doppelganger Experiment, has ventured into the world of thrillers and given it a kick in the pants. Are the ideas expressed in this novel possible? Could they be happening now, in our time, with no one being the wiser? There are few of us who haven’t been told at one time or another that someone saw our ‘double’, also known as a doppelgänger. As I was reading this novel I couldn’t help but think of The Matrix (movie) and how this story could be a prequel to the movie.

Doppelganger Experiment is a thriller that just keeps on going, page after page. The characters are well developed and the writing keeps you interested and looking for more. It also keeps you guessing about who the real villain is, who the good guys are, and what will the outcome be after all is said and done.

I did find some of the descriptions to be much too involved and over written, but for the most part things moved along quickly. The only real beef I had was in the last few pages when one of the characters was shot in the leg, but a short time later was spitting blood as he was speaking. Umm, hello?, he was shot in the leg, in the femoral artery to be exact. Exactly how did that correlate to him to spitting blood after being shot? I even went back to see if I missed him being shot again, in the chest maybe, but no he was shot in the leg. Unfortunately that skewed the end for me because it totally threw off my rhythm and left me wondering how that could happen.

Overall it was a great read, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think most people who like a good thriller with espionage, intrigue and medical experimentation would really enjoy it.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has awakened and kept my interest.

Jane wakes up after a coma with severe memory loss and slowly pieces together her past and who is friend or foe until she discovers the truth about
an atrocious experiment (see book title).

It was the right kind of mystery/thriller for me, because I don't like unnecessary use of violence and too great a rush in a story. The underlying scientific theory seems to me to be incorporated into the story quite well. Over the top, sure, but not outrageously improbable. Only the description of, e.g., rooms and houses were a little too extravagant. But I like the characters' way around San Francisco, because I've been there myself one time, and even remember some of the street names. The end I found a little disappointing.


This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great story, very imaginative and well-paced, but sorely in need of an editor. There are many instances where the author uses the wrong word (waived instead of waved, too instead of to, balled instead of bawled), misplaces commas, and writes run-on sentences. Ms. Millmore, find yourself an editor and you'll go far. I hope to see another good yarn from you soon.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

After being involved in a hit and run accident Jane wakes up from a four week long coma suffering with severe memory loss. She meets Michael, her husband of two years but is wary when she has no recollection of him at all. At least three years of Jane’s life are missing and we follow her as she tries to remember that time.

The book is written from Jane’s POV and I managed to connect with her, feeling her confusion and uncertainty as she reconnected with the people in her life. Once Jane leaves the hospital she soon realises that she is being followed and as her memory slowly returns she learns that her accident may not really have been accidental. The plot is quite intricate with twists and turns and lots information to keep track of that kept me reading and needing to know the outcome.

It was definitely a complicated and interesting plot that kept me guessing right to the very end but I did have a major ‘gripe’ with this book’. The description is too much…the excessive details of things like the colour of the paint on the walls, stroking the cat, pushing the button on the key fob to open the car and the size of parking spaces etc was totally unnecessary and slowed the pace of the story down, it made the book feel ‘over written’ which was quite irritating...there was almost a full chapter describing Jane’s house giving us a floor plan and décor down to the colour of the paint work and none of it had any bearing on the story what so ever and was not needed. I had to try to ignore all the twaddle to stop me from being distracted from the story. It is for this reason that I am down rating the book from a 4* to a 3*

Copy provided for review

[Maria Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very interesting and fresh. It's not normally the sort of book I would read, but I'm glad I found this author.

Doppelganger Experiment is well written. I know this author took the story back to the drawing bored after a hic-up in editing. Well, I didn't read the first editing, but this one reads pretty damn fine to me.

The story follows Jane who has just woken from a four week coma and realises she has lost years of her life. She doesnt even remember her husband. As the story unfolds, Jane starts to remember certain things which makes her think that the accident that caused her to be in coma, wasn't actually an accident at all.

This book is not an easy read, you need to pay attention to everything. Some of it can be rather complicated, but by no means is this a bad thing. When you finish the book it stays with you in a freaky kind of way. You keep asking yourself... What if this happened to me?

Thank you so much Margaret Millmore for allowing me to read and review this novel. You should be proud of it. It's fresh, unique and keeps you glued to the pages.

[Leslie Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could this really happen? I was captured by this intriguing story. The author has created an extremely believable scenario that toys with the imagination. Psychological manipulation is a fearful war tactic, one I sincerely hope never comes true. I loved Jane's point of view, her fears and that nagging knowledge that things are not what they seem that sends her in search of the truth. The science behind this story is frighting. If we could control the mind, erase undesired memories and create a new personality, that power could change the world... but in the wrong hands that power could destroy humanity.

Margaret Millmore is a gifted author. I sincerely enjoyed this thrilling novel and I hope we see more from her soon!

[C.C. Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished “The Doppelganger Experiment” by Margaret Millmore recently, and thoroughly enjoyed this book. Told in first-person, it chronicles the story of a young woman named Jane, who awakens after an accident to find her life changed; a husband she didn’t know, former friends that over time weren’t the same, and gradually finds out an ugly truth that uncovers nothing is what it seems. With Orwellian undertones, this is an entertaining read with a gradual, steady, pull on the intrigue that is enough to keep the reader interested without a thrown-in dull moments or pushed dialogue. I highly recommend this novel to readers that enjoy a return to science fiction and the use of “doppelganger” in a non-fantasy setting. Five stars!

[Margaret Millmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

February 2012: I am very excited to announce that the 2nd Edition (revised and re-edited) of Doppelganger Experiment will be available on February 4th at http://amazon.com/dp/B005MGOX50
A special thank you to my publisher and editor at World Castle Publishing for all their assistance!


January 2012:A review for the Reviewers! Thank you to EVERYONE that has read and reviewed Doppelganger Experiment. Your comments and insights are invaluable to me and because of that my publisher and I are pulling DE for a few weeks to address those concerns. The revised (and more thoroughly edited) version will be available soon.

MM

[Dellani Oakes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jane Knox wakes after a month long coma suffering from substantial memory loss. She didn't lose a few weeks, she lost years. In her mind, it's 2007. In reality, it's five years later. Not only has she forgotten her ex-boyfriend, Aaron, she's forgotten her husband, Michael. The only two people who are familiar are her college friends, Kira and Brett.

Fairly soon, she realizes things aren't what they seem. A disturbing scenario unfolds. Someone has been mind wiping certain individuals – apparently Jane included. The appearance of a strange little man in a trench coat sets her on a journey of discovery that could get her killed.

Jane enlists the help of her friends and soon discovers she's forgotten more than she realized. Will she figure things out before it's too late? Or will the watchers in the mysterious, dark windowed Audis catch her first?

This moderately paced thriller is set in the San Francisco area. It's obvious, given the ending, that a sequel is lined up to follow.

[Diana Hockley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Margaret Millmore has created a fast-moving thriller which kept me interested all the way through. I did spot the "baddie" half way through, but that in no way detracted from my enjoyment of the plot. The tension was there from the very first chapter and well maintained throughout.

I guessed who Michael was also, but the twists and turns to the finale were well worked and kept me reading.

An excellent first novel, I will read more of this author's work when it is published.

[Les · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty good book. The characters are a bit thin, but the plot is good and the story moves right along. I found myself trying to get in one more chapter before I turned out the light, which is always a good sign.

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would have given the book 5 stars if not for the grammatical errors and for the open ended finale. I was left with unresolved questions that only a sequel can answer.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A real page turner. Thoroughly enjoyable.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Couldn't put it down.

[Simon Goodson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good story, well written and exciting. The characters are great and the overall story draws you in and keeps you guessing.

Definitely recommended.

[Bookaholic · Rating 5 out of 5]

this one took me by surprise. totally unexpected and really enjoyed it