Title: The Look-AlikeAuthor: Erica Spindler
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, & Suspense
Format: Hardcover
No. of Pages: 311
Date of Publication: January 28, 2020
Description: Sienna Scott grew up in the dark shadow of her mother’s
paranoid delusions. Now, she's returned home to confront her past and the
unsolved murder that altered the course of her life.
In her mother’s shuttered house, an old fear that has
haunted Sienna for years rears its ugly head —that it was she who had been the
killer’s target that night. And now, with it, a new fear—that the killer not
only intended to remedy his past mistake—he’s already begun. But are these
fears any different from the ones that torment her mother?
As the walls close in, the line between truth and lie,
reality and delusion disintegrate. Has Sienna’s worst nightmare come true? Or
will she unmask a killer and finally prove she may be her mother’s look-alike,
but she’s not her clone?
My Thoughts: I was drawn to this book for a number of reason: the location, a favorite author, genre, and the story line. The Look-Alike takes places in Tranquility Bluffs, WI. I immediately became very excited for this as I live in Madison, WI. Now, Tranquility Bluffs is not an actual town in WI, however, Erica Spindler does mention some popular tourist places in her book like UW Madison Campus, Madison, and Door County.
I quite enjoy a good mystery, suspense, and psychological thriller and that is exactly what this book is. It opens up immediately to the murder of Madison Robie, which drew me automatically into the book. The book then jumps forward 10 years and follows Sienna Scott, who had found Madison Robie and was shortly after sent to London by her father and has finally returned to Tranquility Bluffs. The story then becomes a little bit more confusing as you are unsure of what direction Erica Spindler is trying to go with the story. Was Madison Robie the intended victim or was it supposed to be her (Sienna Scott)? Then there is Sienna's mother Viv, who Sienna looks exactly like, and suffers from persecutory delusions. Sienna wonders if she is becoming like her mother because she can't get it out of her head that it was supposed to be her that was supposed to be murdered and not Madison Robie.
Erica Spindler does well when it comes with the character development. There is a lot of tension and stress that is portrayed very well throughout the book, especially when it surrounds Viv's mental health and how it affects those around her including how her community views/treats her. There is also a love triangle that is formed that includes Sienna which adds another element to the story.
The story is written from primarily Sienna Scott's point of view, and as previously mentioned, it jumps between past and present. It does this pretty seamlessly and it is easy to follow. Each chapter is either time or date stamped so you know whether you are reading about the past or present.
It is also very clear to be that Erica Spindler took time to research mental health disorders, which I really appreciated, as I work in the mental health field. I find it quite nice to have mental health portrayed in such a realistic way.
Rating: I enjoyed this book quite a bit, even though it did get a little confusing at times as to what direction the book was trying to go. I had a lot of fun trying to guess who the murderer was and often times I would think I would have it and then the story would make me second guess myself. I found it really hard to put this book down and for that reason I am giving it a 5 out of 5.
A New York Times and International bestselling author, Erica Spindler's skill for crafting engrossing plots and compelling characters has earned both critical praise and legions of fans. Published in 25 countries, her stories have been lauded as “thrill-packed page turners, white- knuckle rides and edge-of-your-seat whodunits.”
Raised in Rockford, Illinois, Erica had planned on being an artist, earning a BFA from Delta State University and an MFA from the University of New Orleans in the visual arts. In June of 1982, in bed with a cold, she picked up a romance novel for relief from daytime television. She was immediately hooked, and soon decided to try to write one herself. She leaped from romance to suspense in 1996 with her novel Forbidden Fruit, and found her true calling.
Her novel Bone Cold won the prestigious Daphne du Maurier Award for excellence. A Romance Writers of America Honor Roll member, she received a Kiss of Death Award for her novels Forbidden Fruit and Dead Run and was a three-time RITA® Award finalist. Publishers Weekly awarded the audio version of her novel Shocking Pink a Listen Up Award, naming it one of the best audio mystery books of 1998.
Erica lives just outside New Orleans, Louisiana, with her husband and two sons and is busy at work on her next thriller.
Thank you St. Martin's Press for the copy of The Look-Alike. This is my honest opinion.
Follow
Comments
Post a Comment