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Dead Ringer
Small-time criminal, Taylor Callahan, dreams of starting her life over. When she inadvertently causes the death of a teenage girl who looks just like her, she does the only thing she can she takes over the dead girl's life.
Now, twenty-one-year-old Taylor must navigate the ins and outs of living with the MacKenzies, the safe and loving suburban family of the dead teen girl. By using her street-smarts, fast-thinking, and the help of her best friend and partner in crime, Ivan, she works to keep her true identity a secret while fighting the demons of her past. Just as Taylor thinks she has made a new life for herself with the MacKenzies, she learns that this wholesome family hides a twisted and deadly secret.
Dead Ringer is a dark coming of age story perfect for fans of FX's Cruel Summer or lovers of psychological thrillers with surprising twists and turns.
Now, twenty-one-year-old Taylor must navigate the ins and outs of living with the MacKenzies, the safe and loving suburban family of the dead teen girl. By using her street-smarts, fast-thinking, and the help of her best friend and partner in crime, Ivan, she works to keep her true identity a secret while fighting the demons of her past. Just as Taylor thinks she has made a new life for herself with the MacKenzies, she learns that this wholesome family hides a twisted and deadly secret.
Dead Ringer is a dark coming of age story perfect for fans of FX's Cruel Summer or lovers of psychological thrillers with surprising twists and turns.
285 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 7, 2022
160 people are currently reading
188 people want to read
About the author
V.P. Morris
8 books57 followersV.P. Morris is an award-winning thriller and horror writer and podcast host. Her interest in true crime and criminal psychology inspired her debut novel, ShadowCast. When she isn’t writing, she is enjoying her time with her husband, son, and their rescue dog, Oscar.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
February 22, 2022
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.
DEAD RINGER by V.P. Morris
Published by: Black Rose Writing
Publication date: April 7, 2022
Pages: 256
Genres: Thriller (classified by publisher); (and from me:) Young Adult (but it's pretty violent for that), Mystery (a small mystery contained within), Horror (a small horror contained within), Psychological Thriller
POV: first person, past tense; single POV for the first third, then multi-POV quite effectively
Narrator: True and authentic, differentiated across the POVs
Opening setting: November 1, 2015, coastal city
Other significant locations: Atlantic City, New Jersey; city versus the suburbs
Number of named, identified or described characters: 79 (on the high side, largely driven by seeing deeply into two lives instead of one)
Publisher's Summary:
Small-time criminal, Taylor Callahan, dreams of starting her life over. When she inadvertently causes the death of a teenage girl who looks just like her, she does the only thing she can do: she takes over the dead girl's life.
Now, twenty-one-year-old Taylor must navigate the ins and outs of living with the MacKenzies, the safe and loving suburban family of the dead teen girl. By using her street-smarts, fast-thinking, and the help of her best friend and partner in crime, Ivan, she works to keep her true identity a secret while fighting the demons of her past. Just as Taylor thinks she has made a new life for herself with the MacKenzies, she learns that this wholesome family hides a twisted and deadly secret.
Dead Ringer is a dark coming of age story perfect for fans of FX's Cruel Summer or lovers of psychological thrillers with surprising twists and turns.
My Review:
You should read this book that opens 29 days after the switch, where we meet 21-year-old Taylor Callahan who has taken the place of 16-year-old Jamie MacKenzie. On the first page, we have to decide if a 21-year-old could masquerade as a 16-year-old in high school or more importantly in the same room with Jamie's younger sister, Faith, but we see Taylor cloak her real identity and research extensively, so I bought it.
It's challenging to write from the perspective of a person with essentially two identities, but Taylor's voice is established quickly as is her vernacular to refer to her old identity, who is dead to the world, as my body, my death, my grave.
We learn quickly that Taylor's single mom dropped her. With her criminal past, Taylor felt doomed, as if she had thrown her life away. But after the switch, as Jamie, her future is bright, if she can pull it off.
The first day of the book is November 1, 2015--the Day of the Dead (nice touch!) and in chapter two, we're taken back to October 2nd to the day before the switch.
From the first pages of this book, I was hooked because the story started in medias res. And in only the first 4% (Kindle progress) of the book, we finish a micro-journey having been yanked and shoved through a miniature novel with a hook, an inciting incident, a false victory which leads to a trough of despair, culminating in a climax, yet in its overall structure, this book delivered us solidly to the novel's inciting incident and launched the hero (anti-hero?) into her new world.
I was drawn to Taylor, who reminded me of other sixteen-year-old kids who made a few bad choices and changed their lives for the worst forever. Who wouldn't want a do-over? Frequently in this book when I wondered how Taylor felt, the next line would show me. Often when I feared she was overstepping a boundary, she had the same thought. So I related well to her.
We follow Taylor as she switches place with Jamie and tries to step into her life, a daunting task, even for a studious, fast-thinking young woman. Some big surprises boosted her up the learning curve in her secret role and increased the tension and pressure on her. These conflicts pulled me through the story. The scenes are crisp, flow well and show us vivid details provided to Taylor as she fakes her way through Jamie's life, and while we all know social media can give away too much private information, this was a frightening journey of how one person can hijack another's life leveraging such tools.
The daily moments in Taylor's new world, inhabiting Jamie's place in high school, span the spectrum from unknown and risky for her to downright comedic, exposing just how hard it would be to takeover another person's friends, foes and favorites without extensive training. As we learn more and more about what wrecked Taylor's life before the switch, we explore the various paths teens face matriculating through metal detectors, music and menacing peers. If you had a good time in high school, this read will help you understand those who did not. You'll see cliques again from all vantage points. It was fun to watch the young woman, wearing her Jamie mask, decide when to exercise power and when to cower away from big and scary things and play dumb.
Just as Taylor seems to have gotten away with her ruse, cracks start to appear.
On many levels, this book examines redemption from bad choices. Are evil people lost forever? Or can sinners recover? Why are systems in place in society to help us identify good from bad and separate them? Do such systems even work? Who is in charge of meting out justice? I enjoyed examining weaponized religious fundamentalism, too.
Many elements of this book were outstanding. The characters, plot and structure were solid; even some character names did some heavy lifting. It's an interesting kind of thriller since we learn of Taylor's switch very early. The question then becomes: can she get away with it? And for an advanced reader copy, which is sometimes rushed out with incomplete proofing, this copy editing was some of the most accurate and cleanest I've seen in an ARC. Loved hearing from multi-POVs, the timing of which provided nice movement to the story.
During our look back, it was hard to watch Taylor's developmental years be consumed by her illicit work as a drug dealer, but that view seemed authentic yet heartbreaking, especially witnessing her drug dealer groom and grow her into a master criminal. And her history provided a solid propellent to vault her towards her inevitable decisions. And if you're willing to follow this hero on her journey all the way down to her deepest despair and disappointment, then you can follow her out.
There were a couple circumstances that seemed slightly out of place or even jarring when I read them, but in the end those were clues to the upcoming improbable hairpin turns that kept me furiously flipping e-pages and were written with intent, I'm sure. As I read this book, 11% of the way in, I predicted Taylor's likely antagonist, which turned out to be correct, although I was kept guessing all the way to the end. Identifying that challenge for her may have upped the tension for me. I found only two minor events where I could not understand the character motivations, but neither bothered me too much.
But you should read about this dead ringer and decide what you think.
DEAD RINGER by V.P. Morris
Published by: Black Rose Writing
Publication date: April 7, 2022
Pages: 256
Genres: Thriller (classified by publisher); (and from me:) Young Adult (but it's pretty violent for that), Mystery (a small mystery contained within), Horror (a small horror contained within), Psychological Thriller
POV: first person, past tense; single POV for the first third, then multi-POV quite effectively
Narrator: True and authentic, differentiated across the POVs
Opening setting: November 1, 2015, coastal city
Other significant locations: Atlantic City, New Jersey; city versus the suburbs
Number of named, identified or described characters: 79 (on the high side, largely driven by seeing deeply into two lives instead of one)
Publisher's Summary:
Small-time criminal, Taylor Callahan, dreams of starting her life over. When she inadvertently causes the death of a teenage girl who looks just like her, she does the only thing she can do: she takes over the dead girl's life.
Now, twenty-one-year-old Taylor must navigate the ins and outs of living with the MacKenzies, the safe and loving suburban family of the dead teen girl. By using her street-smarts, fast-thinking, and the help of her best friend and partner in crime, Ivan, she works to keep her true identity a secret while fighting the demons of her past. Just as Taylor thinks she has made a new life for herself with the MacKenzies, she learns that this wholesome family hides a twisted and deadly secret.
Dead Ringer is a dark coming of age story perfect for fans of FX's Cruel Summer or lovers of psychological thrillers with surprising twists and turns.
My Review:
You should read this book that opens 29 days after the switch, where we meet 21-year-old Taylor Callahan who has taken the place of 16-year-old Jamie MacKenzie. On the first page, we have to decide if a 21-year-old could masquerade as a 16-year-old in high school or more importantly in the same room with Jamie's younger sister, Faith, but we see Taylor cloak her real identity and research extensively, so I bought it.
It's challenging to write from the perspective of a person with essentially two identities, but Taylor's voice is established quickly as is her vernacular to refer to her old identity, who is dead to the world, as my body, my death, my grave.
We learn quickly that Taylor's single mom dropped her. With her criminal past, Taylor felt doomed, as if she had thrown her life away. But after the switch, as Jamie, her future is bright, if she can pull it off.
The first day of the book is November 1, 2015--the Day of the Dead (nice touch!) and in chapter two, we're taken back to October 2nd to the day before the switch.
From the first pages of this book, I was hooked because the story started in medias res. And in only the first 4% (Kindle progress) of the book, we finish a micro-journey having been yanked and shoved through a miniature novel with a hook, an inciting incident, a false victory which leads to a trough of despair, culminating in a climax, yet in its overall structure, this book delivered us solidly to the novel's inciting incident and launched the hero (anti-hero?) into her new world.
I was drawn to Taylor, who reminded me of other sixteen-year-old kids who made a few bad choices and changed their lives for the worst forever. Who wouldn't want a do-over? Frequently in this book when I wondered how Taylor felt, the next line would show me. Often when I feared she was overstepping a boundary, she had the same thought. So I related well to her.
We follow Taylor as she switches place with Jamie and tries to step into her life, a daunting task, even for a studious, fast-thinking young woman. Some big surprises boosted her up the learning curve in her secret role and increased the tension and pressure on her. These conflicts pulled me through the story. The scenes are crisp, flow well and show us vivid details provided to Taylor as she fakes her way through Jamie's life, and while we all know social media can give away too much private information, this was a frightening journey of how one person can hijack another's life leveraging such tools.
The daily moments in Taylor's new world, inhabiting Jamie's place in high school, span the spectrum from unknown and risky for her to downright comedic, exposing just how hard it would be to takeover another person's friends, foes and favorites without extensive training. As we learn more and more about what wrecked Taylor's life before the switch, we explore the various paths teens face matriculating through metal detectors, music and menacing peers. If you had a good time in high school, this read will help you understand those who did not. You'll see cliques again from all vantage points. It was fun to watch the young woman, wearing her Jamie mask, decide when to exercise power and when to cower away from big and scary things and play dumb.
Just as Taylor seems to have gotten away with her ruse, cracks start to appear.
On many levels, this book examines redemption from bad choices. Are evil people lost forever? Or can sinners recover? Why are systems in place in society to help us identify good from bad and separate them? Do such systems even work? Who is in charge of meting out justice? I enjoyed examining weaponized religious fundamentalism, too.
Many elements of this book were outstanding. The characters, plot and structure were solid; even some character names did some heavy lifting. It's an interesting kind of thriller since we learn of Taylor's switch very early. The question then becomes: can she get away with it? And for an advanced reader copy, which is sometimes rushed out with incomplete proofing, this copy editing was some of the most accurate and cleanest I've seen in an ARC. Loved hearing from multi-POVs, the timing of which provided nice movement to the story.
During our look back, it was hard to watch Taylor's developmental years be consumed by her illicit work as a drug dealer, but that view seemed authentic yet heartbreaking, especially witnessing her drug dealer groom and grow her into a master criminal. And her history provided a solid propellent to vault her towards her inevitable decisions. And if you're willing to follow this hero on her journey all the way down to her deepest despair and disappointment, then you can follow her out.
There were a couple circumstances that seemed slightly out of place or even jarring when I read them, but in the end those were clues to the upcoming improbable hairpin turns that kept me furiously flipping e-pages and were written with intent, I'm sure. As I read this book, 11% of the way in, I predicted Taylor's likely antagonist, which turned out to be correct, although I was kept guessing all the way to the end. Identifying that challenge for her may have upped the tension for me. I found only two minor events where I could not understand the character motivations, but neither bothered me too much.
But you should read about this dead ringer and decide what you think.
February 16, 2022
My first taste of this author was Shadowcast, which put her firmly into my 'read more of' list.
This is quite different. It's another thriller, about a young woman, Taylor, who assumes the identity of teenager Jamie killed in a case of mistaken identity. Taylor hopes it's a chance to put her troubled past behind her and have a life she believes she should have had.
A different story, but the same high quality of writing. The steady pace keeps you engaged and alert: is anyone going to twig that Jamie is not Jamie, her parents in particular? Is Taylor going to find the life she wanted? Is Jamie's killer going to realise he killed the wrong person? Essential answers that keep you committed as you bump into surprises, dark twists and a sly ending.
The moral of this story is quite simple: the grass isn't always greener. And of course, that I shall look forward to another book by this author.
This is quite different. It's another thriller, about a young woman, Taylor, who assumes the identity of teenager Jamie killed in a case of mistaken identity. Taylor hopes it's a chance to put her troubled past behind her and have a life she believes she should have had.
A different story, but the same high quality of writing. The steady pace keeps you engaged and alert: is anyone going to twig that Jamie is not Jamie, her parents in particular? Is Taylor going to find the life she wanted? Is Jamie's killer going to realise he killed the wrong person? Essential answers that keep you committed as you bump into surprises, dark twists and a sly ending.
The moral of this story is quite simple: the grass isn't always greener. And of course, that I shall look forward to another book by this author.
April 30, 2022
This was an intriguing story that flipped back and forth in time surrounding Taylor's life and how she ended up a part of the MacKenzie family. I found her life to be interesting and how she was able to adapt to the situation whether good or bad. Especially when she assumed the life of Jamie MacKenzie. I'm not sure I would want to go back to high school even if I was only a few years past that age, but for Taylor, it was a chance to make her life better.
While Taylor thinks that she has it made in the MacKenzie family, all is not as it seems. They have a dark secret that was quite surprising and the impact it had on Taylor and the younger MacKenzie daughter was night and day. In the end, it might have been her downfall but the epilogue leaves us wondering if things might have been turned around on this family. I know that is rather vague, but it would give away a main plot twist!
We also see chapters from Joan MacKenzie's point of view. She is a mother and feels that something is wrong with her daughter Jamie and if she only knew the truth. Taylor has to keep on her toes to be able to imitate Jamie so that no one gets suspicious. Joan is a mother wanting to protect her family and that might be one reason that she goes into law enforcement. We also learn the truth about her sister's death which I think tipped her over the edge and changed how she saw life.
We also see how Taylor's life was after being kicked out of her home by her mother and how bad that life must have been especially when she visits the home again to see her brother. Her mother is one for the books and I could do nothing but shake my head and wonder why she was this way towards Taylor. I think there are a lot of reasons, including dealing with her own insecurities and failures.
Perhaps the unsung character is Ivan. He is the son of someone that Taylor gets involved with before the fateful incident. She catches Ivan trying to put skimmers in place and not very successfully. Her brash attitude allows her into this circle of crime but protecting Ivan against his father draws them closer. In the end, Ivan may be her salvation.
This is a psychological thriller and I really wonder where the rest of the story could have gone since there were so many possibilities.
We give this book 4 paws up.
While Taylor thinks that she has it made in the MacKenzie family, all is not as it seems. They have a dark secret that was quite surprising and the impact it had on Taylor and the younger MacKenzie daughter was night and day. In the end, it might have been her downfall but the epilogue leaves us wondering if things might have been turned around on this family. I know that is rather vague, but it would give away a main plot twist!
We also see chapters from Joan MacKenzie's point of view. She is a mother and feels that something is wrong with her daughter Jamie and if she only knew the truth. Taylor has to keep on her toes to be able to imitate Jamie so that no one gets suspicious. Joan is a mother wanting to protect her family and that might be one reason that she goes into law enforcement. We also learn the truth about her sister's death which I think tipped her over the edge and changed how she saw life.
We also see how Taylor's life was after being kicked out of her home by her mother and how bad that life must have been especially when she visits the home again to see her brother. Her mother is one for the books and I could do nothing but shake my head and wonder why she was this way towards Taylor. I think there are a lot of reasons, including dealing with her own insecurities and failures.
Perhaps the unsung character is Ivan. He is the son of someone that Taylor gets involved with before the fateful incident. She catches Ivan trying to put skimmers in place and not very successfully. Her brash attitude allows her into this circle of crime but protecting Ivan against his father draws them closer. In the end, Ivan may be her salvation.
This is a psychological thriller and I really wonder where the rest of the story could have gone since there were so many possibilities.
We give this book 4 paws up.
August 19, 2022
“Dead Ringer” introduces Taylor Callahan, a twenty-one-year-old young woman who made some choices that she regrets. She’s selling drugs and living day to day when her ex-boyfriend, Zeke, unexpectedly gets out of jail. Circumstances lead Taylor to meet her doppelganger— a teenage girl named Jamie MacKenzie. They look so much alike that Zeke kills Jamie and her two best friends instead of Taylor.
Overall, I was kind of torn on this tale. As a premise, this story is pretty crazy. The possibility of finding a doppelganger so similar that a teenage girl’s entire family and life would not realize a stranger has entered their life is a little far-fetched. But, it’s fiction, right? So suspend reality and enjoy the ride. The pacing of the tale is great until the end. The suspense builds, past events are unmasked, and secrets are revealed. The story is told through both a past and present timeline which helps with character development and the suspense. The full blog post can be found at heatherlbarksdale.com
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
Overall, I was kind of torn on this tale. As a premise, this story is pretty crazy. The possibility of finding a doppelganger so similar that a teenage girl’s entire family and life would not realize a stranger has entered their life is a little far-fetched. But, it’s fiction, right? So suspend reality and enjoy the ride. The pacing of the tale is great until the end. The suspense builds, past events are unmasked, and secrets are revealed. The story is told through both a past and present timeline which helps with character development and the suspense. The full blog post can be found at heatherlbarksdale.com
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
February 18, 2022
Review of eBook
Twenty-one-year-old petty criminal Taylor Callahan finds herself in a dangerous position when a “routine” drug sale goes drastically wrong. This, thanks to Zeke, her vengeful ex-boyfriend, who murders the three girls who came to the pier to buy weed, coke, and ecstasy from her.
The catch? Taylor is almost an exact counterpart for one of the girls. In order to hide from Zeke, Taylor assumes the identity of her doppelganger and becomes Jamie MacKenzie. With the help of her friend, Ivan, and some quick thinking, she steps into the dead teen’s shoes and sets herself on the road to a new life.
But the MacKenzie family hides a secret that may undo everything Taylor believes she has achieved for herself.
=========
Told from two points of view, this twisty tale uses flashbacks to provide the necessary backstory for Taylor and to expose the details of her involvement in the drug-selling business. Then, between Taylor and mom Joan MacKenzie, the unfolding narrative reveals the intricacies of Taylor’s life as a sixteen-year-old high school student.
Most of the characters in this quasi-coming-of-age tale are, despite being reasonably well-developed, thoroughly unlikeable. Taylor believes the opportunity to take Jamie’s place will provide her with a new life, but the unscrupulous choice she makes is perfidious from the outset, leaving readers to wonder if she’s going to be found out before each chapter comes to a close.
The plot takes a few unexpected twists on its way to the dark denouement arising from Taylor’s impersonation.
Twenty-one-year-old petty criminal Taylor Callahan finds herself in a dangerous position when a “routine” drug sale goes drastically wrong. This, thanks to Zeke, her vengeful ex-boyfriend, who murders the three girls who came to the pier to buy weed, coke, and ecstasy from her.
The catch? Taylor is almost an exact counterpart for one of the girls. In order to hide from Zeke, Taylor assumes the identity of her doppelganger and becomes Jamie MacKenzie. With the help of her friend, Ivan, and some quick thinking, she steps into the dead teen’s shoes and sets herself on the road to a new life.
But the MacKenzie family hides a secret that may undo everything Taylor believes she has achieved for herself.
=========
Told from two points of view, this twisty tale uses flashbacks to provide the necessary backstory for Taylor and to expose the details of her involvement in the drug-selling business. Then, between Taylor and mom Joan MacKenzie, the unfolding narrative reveals the intricacies of Taylor’s life as a sixteen-year-old high school student.
Most of the characters in this quasi-coming-of-age tale are, despite being reasonably well-developed, thoroughly unlikeable. Taylor believes the opportunity to take Jamie’s place will provide her with a new life, but the unscrupulous choice she makes is perfidious from the outset, leaving readers to wonder if she’s going to be found out before each chapter comes to a close.
The plot takes a few unexpected twists on its way to the dark denouement arising from Taylor’s impersonation.
February 27, 2022
I wound up liking Dead Ringer more than I thought I would! Taylor is your typical crappy-childhood-turned-criminal story. She just can’t seem to shake the tendency toward drug dealing and other schemes. When a girl who happens to be her exact doppelgänger gets shot right in front of her, she’s presented with the bizarre opportunity to take the girl’s place and have a do-over.
Okay, sure. You have to really suspend disbelief a bit. Quite a few too-coincidental things take place that make it possible for her to, apparently, pull it off. For a while at least. Then it turns out her “new” family has a very dark, twisted ritual that complicates things.
I found I couldn’t put this down. I kept telling myself it was a silly premise… but still! It was told so well. The ending was not at all what I expected, which I can appreciate.
The copy I received was an ARC, so I can forgive some editing errors. There were, however, a LOT of errors. Enough to be distracting. I have seen this before from both published and ARC copies of books from Black Rose Publishing, so I hope they will get this edited thoroughly. I’d hate to see a great story be received poorly because of poor editing. My review is solely on the book and the writing itself though.
I received this ARC as part of LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers program. All opinions here are honest and entirely my own.
P.S. Despite the age of the characters, I don’t think this is appropriate for kids or even teenagers. Perhaps an older teen, but parents are advised to preview.
Okay, sure. You have to really suspend disbelief a bit. Quite a few too-coincidental things take place that make it possible for her to, apparently, pull it off. For a while at least. Then it turns out her “new” family has a very dark, twisted ritual that complicates things.
I found I couldn’t put this down. I kept telling myself it was a silly premise… but still! It was told so well. The ending was not at all what I expected, which I can appreciate.
The copy I received was an ARC, so I can forgive some editing errors. There were, however, a LOT of errors. Enough to be distracting. I have seen this before from both published and ARC copies of books from Black Rose Publishing, so I hope they will get this edited thoroughly. I’d hate to see a great story be received poorly because of poor editing. My review is solely on the book and the writing itself though.
I received this ARC as part of LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers program. All opinions here are honest and entirely my own.
P.S. Despite the age of the characters, I don’t think this is appropriate for kids or even teenagers. Perhaps an older teen, but parents are advised to preview.
February 27, 2022
I was selected to read and review as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewer program.
What an interesting plot summary. A woman, Taylor, is a criminal who happens to be there when a teenager, Jamie, is killed. Twist is that Jamie and Taylor look alike. So, Taylor decides to take over Jamie's life to kind of get a reset at her own life.
Except for the fact that Jamie's parents are not exactly perfect. That was an entire ride of just "Really?" and "OMG". And not to mention the ending! 😳
I wish I could go higher with the stars, but there was just too much jumping around from the present to the past. I felt it could have been done better to reveal the things we needed to know. And the writing, at times, was a little stale. More just telling us what was happening, instead of showing. It was a little underwhelming, to be honest.
What an interesting plot summary. A woman, Taylor, is a criminal who happens to be there when a teenager, Jamie, is killed. Twist is that Jamie and Taylor look alike. So, Taylor decides to take over Jamie's life to kind of get a reset at her own life.
Except for the fact that Jamie's parents are not exactly perfect. That was an entire ride of just "Really?" and "OMG". And not to mention the ending! 😳
I wish I could go higher with the stars, but there was just too much jumping around from the present to the past. I felt it could have been done better to reveal the things we needed to know. And the writing, at times, was a little stale. More just telling us what was happening, instead of showing. It was a little underwhelming, to be honest.
February 17, 2022
When a drug deal goes catastrophically wrong it leaves small-time crook Taylor with a chance to leave her old life behind and pass herself off as the murder victim who bears her a remarkable similarity.
Taylor is about to find out that the grass is not always greener in this psychological thriller that twists and surprises right up to the end
Told from the perspective of Taylor and her 'surrogate mother', the story bounces between the present day and flashbacks to Taylor's earlier life, which explain how she came to be involved with the drug deal that results in her second chance at a normal life.
The story flows well, has believable characters and both strands of the story are equally interesting.
An enjoyable thriller with an ending that doesn’t disappoint.
Taylor is about to find out that the grass is not always greener in this psychological thriller that twists and surprises right up to the end
Told from the perspective of Taylor and her 'surrogate mother', the story bounces between the present day and flashbacks to Taylor's earlier life, which explain how she came to be involved with the drug deal that results in her second chance at a normal life.
The story flows well, has believable characters and both strands of the story are equally interesting.
An enjoyable thriller with an ending that doesn’t disappoint.
May 27, 2022
I was gifted a copy of this book. This book was very intriguing! It went back and forth between two different (or the same??) people and points of view. A few twists and turns, lots of flashbacks and some unpredictability. Overall, this story was told well but there are definitely some very dark parts in this book.
Read if you like:
- Multiple points of view
- Flashbacks
- Unfolding truths
- Family Secrets
Read if you like:
- Multiple points of view
- Flashbacks
- Unfolding truths
- Family Secrets
June 15, 2022
Surprise Surprise
Now this was a true mystery suspense story. I couldn’t put this book down. A criminal takes the identity of a look alike teen and manages to live her live….for a little while. I liked how the story went back a few years to get the understanding of the life of the criminal. Awesome ending, didn’t see that coming.
Now this was a true mystery suspense story. I couldn’t put this book down. A criminal takes the identity of a look alike teen and manages to live her live….for a little while. I liked how the story went back a few years to get the understanding of the life of the criminal. Awesome ending, didn’t see that coming.
December 24, 2023
It caught your attention early in the book, and I liked how the author kept alternating between characters’ view points both during and before the masquerade. I thought the ending was rushed. The author didn’t explain how the husband was convinced of his wife’s suspicions. But a very good story indeed.
December 24, 2023
An abrupt ending
This might have been a good read but the ending was entirely too absurd and constructed to make sense. From one huge piece of the puzzle to the final touch just felt incomplete and at odds with the entirety of story. I'm disappointed the ending made absolutely no sense and ruined what was otherwise a gripping story. What the back happened to Taylor?
This might have been a good read but the ending was entirely too absurd and constructed to make sense. From one huge piece of the puzzle to the final touch just felt incomplete and at odds with the entirety of story. I'm disappointed the ending made absolutely no sense and ruined what was otherwise a gripping story. What the back happened to Taylor?
March 24, 2025
1.5 ⭐️
I really didn’t enjoy this 😭
The premise was super interesting and I was excited to get started. However, the book was full of half-baked ideas and unlikeable characters. It felt like there were so many backstories & storylines that weren’t thought out properly, and the ending was ridiculously abrupt.
The editing was also horrendous - I don’t usually let this bother me too much, but there were so many grammatical errors that genuinely distracted me from my reading.
I really didn’t enjoy this 😭
The premise was super interesting and I was excited to get started. However, the book was full of half-baked ideas and unlikeable characters. It felt like there were so many backstories & storylines that weren’t thought out properly, and the ending was ridiculously abrupt.
The editing was also horrendous - I don’t usually let this bother me too much, but there were so many grammatical errors that genuinely distracted me from my reading.
June 12, 2022
very good mystery
Good story line. A little unrealistic but it keeps the reader interested in how the story ends. There are so many twists in the story you wonder how a family can be so gullible.
Good story line. A little unrealistic but it keeps the reader interested in how the story ends. There are so many twists in the story you wonder how a family can be so gullible.
June 18, 2022
Dead Ringer
Very interesting story of a poor girl with a criminal past that looks just like a popular girl from a prominent family. Anticipating how much trouble this could cause keeps the reader's attention.
Very interesting story of a poor girl with a criminal past that looks just like a popular girl from a prominent family. Anticipating how much trouble this could cause keeps the reader's attention.
July 5, 2022
Review
Wow! What a great story! Poor Jamie was screwed no matter what she did. My jaw literally dropped when I found out what those crazy parents actually hunted! Well worth reading.
Wow! What a great story! Poor Jamie was screwed no matter what she did. My jaw literally dropped when I found out what those crazy parents actually hunted! Well worth reading.
July 8, 2022
This book could've been completed, fully fledged phenomenal novel. But for some reason the author left the phone ringing without voicemail.
April 15, 2023
good book!
This book had me completely absorbed. I read it in one sitting. Good book, great writing, BAD ENDING! NAUGHTY AUTHOR!!
This book had me completely absorbed. I read it in one sitting. Good book, great writing, BAD ENDING! NAUGHTY AUTHOR!!
December 1, 2023
An intriguing story and a nail-biting thriller, with a surprise ending. I really enjoyed this story.
December 1, 2023
Outstanding
This book with all of it's unique twists and turns will keep you guessing until the very end of the book. It's a very fast paced book.
This book with all of it's unique twists and turns will keep you guessing until the very end of the book. It's a very fast paced book.
December 1, 2023
A different kind of story. The ending comes as expected although I kept wishing not so. The author takes two outlier group of our society and mixes it up. No happy ending here.
December 2, 2023
Did not expect the twist plots
Wow…this book had twist plots that I did not see coming! Definitely a great read and I will have to look into more books from this author.
Wow…this book had twist plots that I did not see coming! Definitely a great read and I will have to look into more books from this author.
December 2, 2023
This book read as a young Adult fiction but a deviation in the plot makes for an interesting and sordid turn of events.I loved the ending.
March 9, 2024
Brilliant. This is by far the deepest, perfect for books clubs, best book I’ve read in years. It begs to be talked about by everyone, especially families. Very well written. ❤️
June 8, 2025
Nope. Too easy to figure out the ending.
Way too easy to see what was going on. Rather unbelievable. Needed more so you could actually have a mystery
Way too easy to see what was going on. Rather unbelievable. Needed more so you could actually have a mystery
June 9, 2025
This book was a fast read. A bit of a thriller, but too unbelievable in my opinion. However, I liked it enough to finish it.
February 1, 2024
If you are a fan of Jodi Picoult books, this one is for you!
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