If I Had Two Lives

by A.B. Whelan

"You're telling me I have a brother I don't know about?" When ambitious law officer Vicky Collins transferred to the FBI, she thought she was ready for anything - until a DNA background check brings up the criminal record of a brother Vicky didn't even know she had. Tracking down her mysterious sibling might be the only way she can cling to her career in law enforcement - but what price will she and her family have to pay when their darkest secrets come to light?

As the truth emerges, it sends Vicky's career, relationship, and mental health spiraling to pieces all around her - and that's before her investigation uncovers one more disquieting possibility: That the secrets she's revealed might link members of her own family to the murders committed by the Piggyback Killer - the same serial killer she'd been assigned to investigate just prior to her suspension.

Tautly written, visceral, and intense, If I Had Two Lives is the third stand-alone psychological thriller by A.B. Whelan; described by readers as "chilling, disturbing, and unputdownable." Fans of Gillian Flynn, Paula Hawkins, and Alex Michaelides will be instantly enthralled by the chilling storyline, achingly relatable characters, and immensely satisfying conclusion.












 

Genres: Thriller, Audiobook, Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Mystery Thriller

276 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 14, 2019

About the author

New release: Easy Prey is a a razor-sharp psychological thriller inspired by real-life con artists and emotional predators. Easy Prey will leave you breathless and questioning everything. Releasing on July 17, 2025.

Whelan is an Amazon bestselling author of domestic psychological thrillers.

She currently resides in California with her husband and two children. When she isn't writing, editing, marketing, or researching her next book, you can find her walking her two rescue dogs, socializing online, coaching soccer, or doing another DIY project with her husband.


Find me on:
* Facebook (AuthorABWhelan)
* Instagram (authorabwhelan)
* Goodreads (A.B. Whelan)
* Twitter (AuthorABWhelan)
* Bookbub: A.B. Whelan

Reviews

[Chelsea Humphrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 STARS

What a wild and crazy ride! I thoroughly enjoyed this, and highly recommend to readers looking for quality indie authors to support. Full review to come!

*Many thanks to the author for providing my review copy.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I Had Two Lives.......

Apparently, some people have multiples.

Layered one on top of the other. Redesigned. Reinvented. And often resuscitated from the flames.

I'm gonna tell you straight out that I sat on a solid 3 stars for this one. My eyeballs rolled around inside my head like marbles from the shifting sands of implausibility. It seemed straight out of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

And then it singed and scorched me like a lightning bolt strike that real life nowadays is nowhere near explainable. What fit into neat little boxes of existence is no longer that. We're like a cattle truck with its contents spilled out all over the highway. Skid marks and the upturned vehicle and beasts high-tailing in all directions. Such is life.....

Special Agent Vicky Collins is a highly trained FBI Agent who has recently been assigned to the Cybercrime Unit out of San Diego. She and her boyfriend, Doug, have been together for ten years. Doug is a successful realtor and social media star. Their schedules seem to collide leaving them going in different directions. Crazily, Vicky remains in this unstable relationship.

But what has grabbed the attention of Vicky and her new partner, Anaya Reed who is originally from the UK and based in Las Vegas, is the Piggyback Serial Killer. Seems like this individual replicates crimes from the recent past. Vicky needs to prove her capability here under this new assignment.

And it's Vicky Collins who is a tightly twisted, knotted up, stressed out, relentless main character. She gave me the shakes just unraveling her story. A.B. Whelan must have created her after a night of hard-hitting Tequila shots. Whelan knew we couldn't look away. We followed Vicky Collins into the echoes of that dark endless cave not even realizing where it would all lead. And we kept turning pages as Vicky's family members made their appearances. Once you start blinking rapidly, it all starts to fall into place. Heaven help us.....Whelan, hope we haven't seen the last of ol' Vicky girl.

I received a copy of If I Had Two Lives through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to A.B. Whelan for the opportunity.

[Sandysbookaday (taking a step back for a while) · Rating 2 out of 5]

EXCERPT: She was haunted by her vivid imagination, recollecting the possible events Emma had to suffer through under her care.

Emma must have been awake and aware, feeling every thrust and hearing every groan, lying there helplessly. She had already surrendered control over her body when she suffered a traumatic brain and spinal injury as a little girl. She was in a head on collision with a drunk driver. Her parents lost their lives in the accident, and young Emma had been living in the care facility ever since. Her brain could sense touch and other sensations but was unable to respond to anything. She couldn't move or talk. She only lay in bed, eyes set on the blank ceiling. Someone so evil - capable of taking advantage of her disability - didn't deserve to live in society.

ABOUT 'IF I HAD TWO LIVES': "You're telling me I have a brother I don't know about?" When ambitious law officer Vicky Collins transferred to the FBI, she thought she was ready for anything - until a DNA background check brings up the criminal record of a brother Vicky didn't even know she had. Tracking down her mysterious sibling might be the only way she can cling to her career in law enforcement - but what price will she and her family have to pay when their darkest secrets come to light?

As the truth emerges, it sends Vicky's career, relationship, and mental health spiraling to pieces all around her - and that's before her investigation uncovers one more disquieting possibility: That the secrets she's revealed might link members of her own family to the murders committed by the Piggyback Killer - the same serial killer she'd been assigned to investigate just prior to her suspension.

MY THOUGHTS: I struggled to finish this book, and in retrospect I wish I had abandoned it. The problem is that I have read and enjoyed other books by this author, but I could find no trace of the talent that has kept me frantically turning the pages in those books. It feels and reads like it was written by someone else.

The writing style is wooden. Clunky. It doesn't flow and isn't at all suspenseful. The premise sounded great, and I was looking forward to an enthralling and twisty story, but it never happened. Dialogue is forced, unnatural.

Vicky's character is cold and rigid. And I hated that she blathered on constantly about not feeling that she could spend the rest of her life with her partner, and not wanting to have her children with him, but not doing anything about it! I was expecting a positive character, a role model, but Vicky is portrayed as judgemental and shallow. Very shallow. Very judgemental. Not a smidgen of compassion in her.

There are just so many things about this book that I disliked that if I catalogued them all, I would run out of space.

And sorry, but I didn't even like the narrator, Kristin James. Her men's voices are appalling.

For a very short book, this took me a long time to get through.

Reading is a personal and subjective experience, and what appeals to one may not please another. So if you enjoyed the excerpt from If I Had Two Lives, and the plot outline appeals, please do go ahead and read it. Just because it wasn't for me, doesn't mean that you won't enjoy this.

⭐.5

#IfIHadTwoLives #NetGalley

I: @authorabwhelan @orangeskyaudio

T: @AuthorABWhelan #OrangeSkyAudio

#audiobook #contemporaryfiction #crime #familydrama #mystery

THE AUTHOR: A.B. Whelan currently resides in California with her husband and two children. When she isn't writing, editing, marketing, or researching her next book, you can find her walking her two rescue dogs, socializing online, coaching soccer, or doing another DIY project with her husband.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Orange Sky Audio via Netgalley for providing an audio ARC of If I Had Two Lives written by A.B. Whelan and narrated by Kristin James for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

[Julie (JuJu) · Rating 5 out of 5]

”‘If I Had Two Lives' is a twisted tale of family secrets and the darker side of human nature”

After reading that statement in the book blurb, Ms. Whelan had my attention! This is a truly twisted and dark psychological thriller!

We are all molded by our childhood in some way, whether it is good or bad. Can we control the ripple effects of childhood trauma and abuse that follow us into adulthood? Beat the odds?

“Judging is easy to do, but we shouldn’t do it until we’ve lived two lives.”

This book exceeded my expectations! Several seemingly unrelated characters tell their story. When you start to connect the dots, you won’t want to stop reading! And I doubt you’ll be able to predict the shocking and twisty ending.

“Lead the horse to water, but let him drink on his own.”

After this mind-blowing read, I’ll be checking out this amazing author’s previous work.

Warning...the story begins with a disturbing incident of rape/sexual abuse. And the dark topics continue to surface throughout the book.

My Rating: 4.5 ⭐️’s (rounding up)

Published: November 14th 2019 by inMotion Capitol
Pages: 262

Recommend: Yes, if you aren’t disturbed by the dark subject matter.

Thank you to BookSirens, inMotion Capital and A.B. Whelan for this digital ARC, in exchange for my honest opinion!

#psychological thriller #mustread @AuthorABWhelan

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This mystery about an FBI agent, Vicky Collins, who is simultaneously investigating a serial killer and the hidden secrets in her family, was a real page turner with genuinely shocking twists. Vicky is a strong and smart heroine you will want to root for. The setup is pretty genius: a routine DNA test taken when Vicky joins the FBI shows that she has a brother who is a criminal. The FBI thinks she didn’t disclose him, but in fact she never knew he existed. As Vicky investigates her previously unknown brother, she also learns more about the killer and some parallels emerge.

I really liked AB Whelan’s writing style. Addictive and page-turning. I also really liked the heroine and the shocking nature of the twists. I had a few problems with the plot — at times it required a little TOO much suspension of disbelief and required the reader to disregard a few too many coincidences. There were also a few loose ends left hanging that I would really have liked to seen resolved, particularly the ones about Vicky’s marriage. But overall I really enjoyed the characters and the writing. I will for sure seek out this author’s other books!

3.75 stars. Thanks to the publisher, AB Whelan and NetGalley for the advance copy!

[Linda Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 STARS

Vicky Collins, an FBI Agent specializing in cyber crimes has been placed with a new team who are searching for a serial killer. This killer is unique ... he piggybacks his crimes on the killings of other serial killers.

Everything goes well until DNA from a previous crime is entered into their system... with amazing results. The sample reveals there is a match .... a sibling match ... to Vicky. It shows it comes from her brother.

The problem is ... Vicky doesn't have a brother... does she?

What follows is a harrowing journey Vicky undertakes to find a brother she never knew existed through his life as a foster child and beyond. The secrets she unveils are more monstrous and terrifying than she ever imagined, and a new truth about her childhood threatens to consume her.

She finds herself facing depressing problems with her boyfriend, chasing a copy cat serial killer, family complications ... and she feels as though her life is in shambles.

Then the Piggyback Serial Killer strikes again, but this time, Agent Collins has multiple suspects—including members of her own family.

(FROM THE AUTHOR) This book was inspired by a young woman in a vegetative state who was sexually assaulted and impregnated by an employee of the care facility and delves into dark subject matter — murder, sexual violence, and childhood abuse. It is not for the faint of heart.

This is a well-written psychological thriller with twists and turns as a family disintegrates under the weight of many years of lies and secrets. The story premise is a good one, even though credibility was stretched a bit as FBI Agents are not usually free to hunt for serial killers on their own .. especially if they are related. The ending was totally surprising and unpredictable.

This is not the first of this author I have read ... nor will it be the last.

Many thanks to the author / Weapenry Co-Op - In Motion Capital / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Halle bloody lujah! After a bad trot, at last a book I actually really enjoyed. Vicky Collins has just joined the FBI as a Special Agent after being an officer of the San Diego Police Department for 10 years. She joins the cybercrime unit and they are investigating a pattern where a killer dubbed the Piggyback Killer copies exactly the methods used by other serial killers around the place to hide his specific kills. Just as they seem to get a bit of a handle on things she is put on administrative leave following a routine background check where it seems she hasn't declared a brother who just happens to have a criminal history.

Vicky swears she hasn't hidden anything and confronts her parents about this. Anyway, since she is officially on leave she decides to dig into this so-called brother and uncovers a whole lot of uncomfortable truths about her past, her family and, and, and...

This flowed well, it made sense, the pace was good, there were no dull spots. The characterisation was well done and the people seemed 'real'. I'm getting a bit jaded with secrets and lies but here it was done really well and not just as a convenient plot device. I've enjoyed a couple of books by this author so had no qualms about picking this up. It was well worth the read.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking for a weekend binge read? (Really, who isn’t?) If I Had Two Lives was a super twisty, engaging read that follows a female FBI agent as she works on a task force trying to find a serial killer. There is a lot going on here between Vicky’s work as an agent and the unraveling of her personal life and I am here for it! This one went dark and disturbing you guys, definitely some difficult subject matter, but if you’re looking for a fall thriller this one was tense, fast paced and unique.

[Rosh · Rating 2 out of 5]

#InANutshell – How the heck is this book rated so highly on GoodReads with 70% ratings being 4+ stars!?!??!?!?

Story:
The premise of the story is great. And what a start to the book! There are two fairly long but fabulous prologues and both hook you in immediately. The main narrative introduces us to 34 year old Vicky Collins, who seems to be having the best & worst week of her life. Having accepted her new role as an FBI special agent, she is assigned to a case about a serial killer who seems to have no distinct style of his own but piggy-backs on other murderer’s modus operandi. Her FBI background check meanwhile reveals a startling fact: she has a brother that she didn’t even know about. Now Vicky is divided between locating the serial killer and finding her lost brother, until she realises that the two searches might be the same.

Isn’t that a fantastic plot structure? It would have been so thrilling to read if it had been handled well. Sadly, everything else in the book fails to match the expectations.

Writing:
The plot outline is good, no doubt about that at all. The entire puzzle fits in together very well, and the twist at the end caught me by surprise. While not a thriller in a strict sense of the word (there’s hardly any tension in the book except in the climax and the first crime scene doesn’t appear until 50% into the book,) the book will still make you proceed further just to know what happens at the end.

While the story unfolds very quickly, there are many needless scenes in the book. (Till the end, I didn’t understand why Tyler’s character was relevant to the plot. I was hoping he would come up in some twist at the end but he simply disappears. That entire arc was a waste of pages.)

Also, I don’t appreciate authors putting across their own strong opinions in the form of character thoughts. There are so many instances in the plot when Vicky seems to be spouting some clichéd opinions or facts that no person would think/say aloud in a routine conversation. I wish I could have noted down every instance but the disadvantage of an audio version is that you can’t bookmark every such conversation. In a dramatic book, such sentences could get by if written well. In a thriller, they hinder the pace and flow of the story.

Another thing I disliked in the writing style was the excessive physical descriptions. Oh God! Everything from the hair to the eyes to the skin colour of every single character is provided when they first appear in the story. And though this is done frequently to establish a visual in the minds of the readers, it is shown, not told. Not in this book though.

Characters:
When you see a book with a woman FBI officer as the lead character, you look for a positive role model. Vicky unfortunately failed to establish any kind of connect with me as her character is quite self-contradictory and short-sighted.
- Vicky is supposed to be a cyber-crime expert, yet throughout the investigation, the only time she uses any kind of technology is with her car GPS to reach various places. She doesn’t use the internet for any kind of search, nor does she use her smartphone to take notes or record conversations. Cyber-crime experts are usually tech geeks, so this behaviour is quite odd.
- She is highly judgemental and starts profiling everyone she meets, sometimes without any reason whatsoever. For instance, there’s a scene with a forensic pathologist who appears in the book only that one time. And yet we have an entire character analysis done by Vicky based on just her looks. In fact, for every character she meets, her entire initial judgement is based on their appearance. If a criminal is handsome, “I don’t understand what he’s doing here in prison with his good looks”. If the forensic pathologist is beautiful, “How come she chose this career when she could easily have been a model!”
- She is shocked when her boyfriend of a decade ends up in bed with his male business partner. She then begins her psychobabble again: that she should have understood his homosexual tendencies when she saw that he was quite feminine in his behaviour and obsessed with his looks almost like a woman. In one single sentence, this insults homosexuals as well as women. How did this type of stereotypical rubbish pass by the editors?
- She seems to have nothing in common with her boyfriend Doug. I don’t get their connection at all, and failed to figure out why such a strong independent woman was stuck to such a narcissistic prig right till the end, even after the above-mentioned incident with the business partner.
- She is proud of her sister for being a fire-fighter and herself too for being a police officer and considers this a good step for women. Yet, in an interrogation scene with a criminal, she doesn’t hesitate to unbutton her blouse in order to get the information she requires. And no, she wasn’t under cover at this time, but in a prison meeting area. What self-respecting police officer would flash her boobs at a criminal to get information?
(In fact, I was confident after this scene that this book is the perfect bad example of a "man-writing-woman". But no, the author is a woman, And that stumps me even more about she could write like this!)

I could go on and on about why Vicky left me befuddled with her behaviour but I guess this much is enough. A saving grace would have been possible if there were some other strong or memorable character in the lead. Unfortunately, Vicky is the only lead and most of the secondary characters just come and go as needed. So other than physical descriptions or their minor appearances, we don’t know anything about them and they too don’t have much time to make an impact. Many of the secondary plots are left midway or unexplained, thereby creating plot-holes.

Why did I still complete this book? The credit goes entirely to the narrator Kristin James. What a voice! What a performance! Right from the very first word she read aloud, I was dazzled by the impact of her voice and her portrayals of the various characters. Towards the end, I almost felt sorry that she was giving her best to read this kind of a book. I would love to hear more books narrated by her. If she could make me hear this book, she could bloody well read the dictionary aloud and I’ll hear it happily! For the narration: a well-deserved 5 stars.

Not for the book though. I should have stayed away from this book.

Thank you, NetGalley and OrangeSky Audio, for the audio ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.




***********************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
Follow me on Instagram: RoshReviews

[Tina Loves To Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a Psychological Thriller. This book is a wild ride that pulled me into the story from the first page. I guess some of the twists, but on the other hand I was total took by surprise by other of the twists. The characters was not what made this book what it is. The storyline drove this book from the beginning, and it kept you wanting more. I did not think I would love this book as much as I did. I do have to say there are some hard to read topics in this book, so please look into triggers for this book if there are things in books that could upset you. I won a kindle edition of this book from a Goodreads Giveaway, but this review is my feelings about the book.

[Erin]

eBook Giveaway Win!

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy of this book to listen to in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

***AUDIO BOOK VERSION***
If I had Two Lives is a rollercoaster of a read. I've read the physical copy a few years ago and jumped at the chance to listen to it on audio. I absolutely loved this listen!
The story follows Special Agent Vicky Collins who has been assigned to the Cybercrime unit of the FBI. Vicky I'd paired up with Anaya Reid, a British agent based in Las Vegas. Their case catches the attention of The Piggyback serial killer - a killer who replicates past crimes. I loved Vickys character - stressed and in a long term dead end relationship with her partner Doug. As Vickys story unravels,w we meet her family and watch this strong female handle whatever life throws her way. The narrator was a fantastic fit for this book and I couldn't stop listening!

[A.B. Whelan]

LIMITED TIME OFFER! AMAZON KINDLE COUNTDOWN DEAL!
Download your copy for only $0.99. Ends July 14, 2020
Available on Amazon Kindle Unlimited!

AMAZON US
AMAZON UK
AMAZON CA

Not all secrets remain buried forever...

A twisted tale of family secrets and the darker side of human nature that will leave you wanting to research your own family history.

Can we control the ripple effects of childhood trauma and abuse that follow us into adulthood? How do we know monsters aren’t lurking inside loved ones in our own family? Or us?

Thirty-five years ago, the unthinkable happened in a family-run hospice. A young woman confined to her bed and unable to fight back has repeatedly endured the most horrific of crimes. The staff is shocked to learn that a predator is among them, but the director hurriedly covers up the incident to protect himself and the company.

In the present day, a single young mother is found brutally murdered in her home. The local police believe it to be the work of a serial killer they’ve been pursuing, but the FBI has a different theory.

Vicky Collins, a newly minted FBI agent, is having the worst week of her life. One moment she is celebrating her selection to a special task force investigating the Piggyback Killer. The next, she finds herself fighting to keep her job and repair her reputation. A routine DNA test at the FBI reveals an unknown sibling match—a registered criminal she neglected to mention on her background check. The problem is that Vicky doesn’t have an estranged brother, or does she?

Vicky undertakes a harrowing journey to locate a brother she never knew existed. To save her career and learn the truth, she must dig up mysteries from her past and uncover long-held family secrets. The more lies and deception she unearths from her past, the more she realizes the danger closing in around her and her loved ones.

Will she identify the killer and clear her name before it’s too late, or will her past finally catch up to her?
HERE IS WHAT EARLY REVIEWERS ARE SAYING:

If I Had Two Lives is an emotionally-charged and thought-provoking psychological thriller about the ripple effects of childhood experiences and our obsession in seeking the truth that will leave you wanting to research your own family history. If you are a fan of Gillian Flynn, Paula Hawkins, Alex Michaelides, and Caroline Kepnes, and enjoy TV shows like Criminal Minds, Without a Trace, Law & Order: SVU, and How to Get Away with Murder, then this book might be your next favorite read.

"A chilling, disturbing, and unputdownable thrill ride!" Goodreads

"Talk about a page turner- this suspense novel written by A.B. Whelan is seriously a book I could not put down until I finished." Booksirens

"This was a fantastic psychological thriller. It had me completely gripped."Netgalley

"This may very well be one of my favorite psychological thrillers of all time!!@whatshesees Bookstagram

"Recommend for fans of Jennifer Hillier's Jar of Hearts! This was a great read! Blew through it and loved every second! Totally disgusting and completely psycho - but I loved it!" Netgalley

[David Gibson · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Short Version: OOOOPH! This was a PAINFUL audiobook. It’s a twisty mess mired in clunky prose, terrible characters, and a mish-mosh of troubling issues (diversity, sexism, homophobia)

The Long Version: I received an advanced copy of this audiobook thanks to NetGalley and Orange Sky Audio in exchange for an honest review.

There was very little redeemable in this book, I’m dumbfounded it’s gotten such good reviews because this was slop. I was disengaged by the end of the first chapter because the dialogue was so unnatural and clunky. For example a nurse finds out a woman in a vegetative state has been raped and impregnated, she alerts the head of the facility who basically wants to cover it up, but then in describing his plan says

“We can draw blood from the fetus and compare it to the male employees, we have everyone’s blood type on file which is good.”

Later when the nurse is at home, troubled by the events of the day her husband comes to call her to bed.

“Honey are you coming to bed?”
“I’m trying, I just need to see something beautiful to ease my soul”

Who talks like that in casual conversation!? Sadly it didn’t get much better from there. The book is short and it almost feels like there was a novellas amount of content and they layered on words to call it a novel.

The plot of the book wasn’t awful and the twists contained were surprising enough, but dear god the muck you plod through to see that.

The main character is unprofessional, homophobic, and all around unlikable. She probably would have been fired in real life.

The book also had a weird fixation on diversity, but did it in such a forced way. They would go out of the way to make sure you realized a character was black or Asian or Hispanic, but sometimes these characters weren’t even around for 3 pages. It felt like they were trying to go “LOOK! we have an Asian person! And a black person! And Hispanic people!”

The book also made every male character a horrible sexist piece of crap. There was no subtlety and if the book was trying to convey the issues women deal with in modern society, like casual sexism, bludgeoning you over the head with sexist archetypes is just lazy, not progressive or thought provoking.

The narrator of the audiobook was solid and she made the listening bearable, but I felt bad for her having to read this.

1.5 out of 5 rounded down and 1 of those stars was for the narrator’s solid performance.

Component ratings
Concept/Idea: 4 out of 5
Protagonist: 0 out of 5
Character development: 0 out of 5
Plot: 3.5 out of 5
Pacing: 3.5 out of 5
Narrator’s performance: 4 out of 5
Prose: 1 out of 5
Dialogue: 0 out of 5
Ending: 3 out of 5

[Ellie Clayton · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

First, thank you SO much to @whatsheseees for recommending this book and to @authorabwhelan for being so generous in sending me a copy!! It is 265 pages and is super fast-paced, so it is an easy one to fly through in just a few days. It is super twisty, and, like the cover states, the ending left me shocked! This book is darker than most thrillers I read, with some difficult subject matter, so feel free to message me if you would like to hear trigger warnings. I loved Vicky's character and thought that the storyline was so interesting and unique. I would definitely recommend this one and look forward to reading more books from Whelan!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

In just one week a person’s life can change from bad to worse and that’s what happened here. I can’t imagine dealing with all of this in just one week.
I thought this started out really strong and then something went wrong. I can’t put my finger on it but it was disjointed. I listened to this as an audiobook and the narrator was ok. Not great.
I guess I’m trying to say that some places dragged and at other places it went to fast. Maybe it just needs some more development for both main characters.
Anyway, that’s all I got.
Thanks OrangeSky Audio via Netgalley.

[Holly in Bookland · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5 stars ✨

This was a very compulsive read! Fast-paced with lots of twists that I didn’t see coming!

[Tonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talk about a page turner- this suspense novel written by A.B. Wheland is seriously a book I could not put down until I finished. (What an eventful ending too!)

If I Had Two Lives starts with a tension...between Vicky and her boyfriend. She earns the opportunity to work on an elite task force with the FBI chasing a serial killer...and then, out of nowhere the FBI tells her she has a sibling that she has failed to disclose.

Only she has never had a sibling, so this is news to her. She tries to work, make some sense out of her relationship with her boyfriend, and figure out where this missing sibling has been her entire life.

I liked the tension that seems to grow with each chapter, and Vicky seems to be a realistic character that I can relate to. She is far from the perfect heroine (and whew she does make a few mistakes...). Vicky is also very determined and stubborn enough to pursue the truth. The last part of the book moved so fast I literally would not fix dinner until I was done reading this book! The writing is good too- good character development and dialogue! Definitely a writer I want to follow!

The truth is far from anything she could have imagined, so buckle in as you're heading for a bumpy ride with If I Had Two Lives. I received a temporary digital advance review copy for free to read and enjoy from BookSirens. I am leaving this review voluntarily. As always, my opinions are my own.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my last book in 2020 so the expectations for this book to amaze me were very high. If I had Two lives was a riveting book right from the very first chapter! I held off on reading this book for reasons I dont remember, but such a mistake! I found the characters & story to be brilliant! Vicky Collins is a complicated character that was laid out very well. I couldn't stop rooting for her throughout the book. I loved the way we see the high's and lows of the main character. This made me feel very invested in the plot. The supporting characters were great too. Although there were warnings about distressing scenes I did not find any scenes that made for uncomfortable reading. I quite enjoyed the twists that were in there. There were a few things that I could figure out right from the start but so many things left me surprised. I found that towards the end the chapters got more intense & I couldn't stop turning those pages! I finished this book in about 2 sittings taking a break only to sleep - reluctantly. I hope Vicky Collins makes a comeback in the future. This book would make a great start for a series. Im so happy this book put A.B. Whelan on my radar. I look forward to reading more from them!

Thank you, NetGalley & A.B. Whelan for an arc!

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

What a ride this book is! Such a fantastic story I just couldnt put down! So many little twists and turns ut will keep you guessing until the end!
This book not only shows the darker sides of life, it grips you and won't let you go.
I really hope there will be a sequel to this book.

[Sherri Thacker · Rating 3 out of 5]

A gripping and exciting thriller about Vicky who is a FBI agent with some twists thrown in. She tries to solve a murder and has lots of personal family issues along the way. It was a quick read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release. All opinions are my own.

[Debbie Viscosi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven’t felt sorry for a fictional character in a while. A.B. Whelan has written a terrific story of a young FBI agent whose world implodes. Family life? Not as normal as she thought. Love life? Is he having an affair? Work life? She is accused of failing to disclose criminal activity. This could be a book about a victim of circumstances but - being adult and not acting on your initial impulses. The main character, Vicky, has a very rough series of circumstances to overcome. She isn’t perfect and yet she manages to rise to the challenge.

This is a quick paced book that holds you hostage. What could possibly happen next? I admire Vicky as she seems determined to unravel the pile of spaghetti that her life has become. Grab a throw, curl up on the couch and enjoy. Time will fly and you will be thoroughly enthralled.

[JANELLE || WHATSHESEEES · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may very well be one of my favorite psychological thrillers of all time!! ⠀
⠀I LOVED this book and if you are a fan of psychological thrillers you MUST read this one!! ⠀
⠀I started this a day before I went on vacation and finished it all on the plane heading to California. It was an easy read but an addictive one if that! The story was progressing just as fast as I was reading and I was full-on inside this book while reading. It was a profoundly written novel and I am already craving more books from this author. ⠀
⠀

⠀Trigger Warning ⠀
-This book was inspired by a young woman in a vegetive state who was sexually assaulted and impregnated by an employee of the cafe facility.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh hello wild rollercoaster ride! If I Had Two Lives was sooo twisty. Packed full of secrets and shocking revelations this was my kind of thriller!! That ending. Did not see that coming at all. Wow.

I'm going to need to get my hands on A.B Whelan's other books... huge thank you to NetGalley and publisher for my review copy!

[Tam Sesto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Take an FBI agent who is having one of the worst weeks of her life and a surprise around every corner, and you have the book, If I Had Two Lives by A.B. Whelan.

The main character, Vicki Collins was an interesting character. The author had her tipping at the edge of insanity as she dealt with one blow after another. The other characters in the book were well written.

The plot flowed from one incident to another. The action was non stop and kept you turning page after page. One of the things I really like about this book was that it was all story. No useless filler to fill the pages. The author knows how to tell a story.

Thank you to Hidden Gems Books, A.B. Whelan, and inMotion Capitol for the chance to read and review this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ book.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. A thriller that keeps you guessing until the end. This is a book that you can't wait to finish, but hate that it ends. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers. I received this book as an ARC and this is my honest review.

[Kylie · Rating 4 out of 5]

*audiobook version*

Narrator 5 stars Loved this narrator!! She was fantastic!!

Story 4 stars
First time I've heard of this author let alone read /listen to a book by her but I was so hooked half way through that I went over to kindle and brought two of her books (which I'm looking forward to starting next) This book had so many twist and it was so good. The reason I didn't give this 5 stars was because I don't understand the relationship with the boyfriend. That really annoyed me.

[Barbara Schultz · Rating 4 out of 5]

4+
A.B. Whelan’s Facebook states …”Author of wicked psychological thrillers… stories that will turn your whole world upside down”.
I am a big psychological thriller fan and this is my first novel by Ms. Whelan. I am so delighted that I have found a new favorite author. Additionally fun that she lives in Southern California, the setting in this story is North San Diego County and parts of Riverside County. As a Southern California resident these areas are familiar to me, so I immediately felt attached!

FBI Special Agent Vicky Collins has joined the cybercrime unit that is investigating a killer dubbed the “Piggyback Killer” as the methods have been used by other serial killers. Story delves into some dark disturbing subject – murder, sexual violence, childhood abuse and family secrets! Hmmm!

There is no doubt that this was a twisted page turner for me. Hmm, I am still trying to digest my feelings for Special agent Vicky Collins. Cannot say that I like her ~ certainly times I wanted to shake her! Never wanted her any harm to her, I just tried to figure out what was really going on with her.
I cannot remember where I saw this ….
“The past that made who she is … is the past that threaten to kill her”.

I didn’t know what it meant until the heart pounding end.
Want to thank NetGalley and Xpresso Books Tours for this early release granted in exchange for an honest professional review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for November 14, 2020

[Sherry Fundin]

I love the cover for If I Had Two Lives by A B Whelan. The colors pop and the content creeps me out. If I Had Two Lives was inspired by a young woman in a vegetative state. I think I have read another book or saw a TV show about the event, so it made me even more curious about If I Had Two Lives.

I am sickened, filled with disgust, yet oddly drawn to know more.

As Vicki Collins, an FBI agent, investigated the Piggyback Killer, a problem arises that causes her much difficulty…an unknown brother with a criminal record. The FBI frowns on secrets. And there is so much more to come than she could have anticipated.

Doug…he’s a piece of work. I can’t figure out why she is with him, other than an occasional hop in the sack being more convenient than going out and looking for it. The more I get to know him, the less I like him.

Human nature is why I love to read thrillers, and the more damaged the characters, the better. Will they be redeemed? Will they succumb to their baggage? I want to know what happens when the shit flies. My curiosity is a monster with an insatiable appetite that can never be satisfied.

Though If I Had Two Lives seems choppier and more disjointed than other books I have read by A B Whelan, I still loved the story. The blows to Vicki keep on coming and I didn’t see everything coming. I love book surprises and reward them. The more I read, the harder it was to put the book down. I had to know how it would end. I love that through all the suspects, he remained elusive….until we came face to face.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of If I Had Two Lives by A B Whelan.

See more at fundinmental

[Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5stars
The blurb for If I Had Two Lives promises a psychological thriller, and the description certainly sounds like one. However, the proof is in the pudding, and I can't say that I found very much about this story to be even remotely thriller-like. It started off well enough, but it didn't take long to connect the dots on who Vicky is or her connection to the case. For me, it kind of felt like this one started going off the rails right about the time that Vicky is made aware of a sibling she didn't know about. From there, it's like this woman can't catch a break. It's one thing after another, and it all started to be a bit much. As I said, this one didn't feel like a thriller to me. Drama, definitely, this story has loads of drama, and parts of the story are jarring, but there was just something missing for me. Part of that may be the two-dimensional characters that made it hard to connect, plus there weren't many that were particularly likable. And then there were the numerous twists in the story. Twists are all well and good, and I quite enjoy them, but this felt a bit like the author was throwing everything at us to see what would stick. There is a good twist at the end, and I'll admit that I had no idea, but by that time, it was more a determination to see the book through than a real interest in the answer to that question. There were a couple of things left unresolved, and to be honest, I was more interested in finding out what happened with those things. This book did have potential, and I had high hopes in the beginning, but it left me disappointed.