This is a slow burn of a book which turns into a breathless thriller. Narrated by Molly Raven whose identical twin has just been murdered while studying in New York. Molly is terrified of life, constantly thinking that the apocalypse is about to happen, murder and mayhem about to break out but despite this she travels to New York and tries to unravel the mystery of her adventurous sister's life and death. At the half-way point of the story the twists and turns begin and they don't stop until the final page. At times it's a little unbelievable but that only occurred to me later; at the time of reading I was just racing through, breathless and completely absorbed. A truly excellent read!

Molly Raven lives a quiet, structural life in London, finding comfort and security and routine. Her identical twin Katie, living in New York is the exact opposite: outgoing, spontaneous and adventurous. But when Mollie hears that Katie has died, possibly murdered, she is thrown into unfamiliar territory. As terrifying as it is, she knows she must travel across the ocean and find out what happened. But as she tracks her twins final movements, cracks begin to emerge. She slowly realises her sister was not who she thought she was. Molly and Katie Raven are total opposites even though they are identical twins. When Molly learns that Katie has died, she knows she will have to go and find out what had happened to her sister. The pace is slow to begin with but it soon picks up. The suspense builds, the twists keep coming, it's captivating and unpredictable. I liked the authors style in writing this book. In fact, I loved everything about it. I would like to thank #NetGalley #HodderStoughton and the author #WillDean for my ARC of #FirstBorn in exchange for an honest review.

Molly and Katie Raven are identical twins, but they couldn’t be more different if they tried. Katie is the life and soul of the party. Outgoing, unafraid, she lives in the here and now, grabbing every opportunity that comes her way. Molly is introverted, risk adverse to the point it’s become a problem, planning her outings to the nth degree and ensuring she’s ready and equipped for any event. When Molly learns that Katie has died suddenly in her New York apartment, Molly’s world turns upside down. Despite her fears, she knows she must go to New York and discover what happened to her sister. But on arrival it’s clear to Molly that things aren’t quite what they seem and Katie has been murdered… What a compelling, twisty read First Born is! I thoroughly enjoyed this book from the moment I met Molly to the jaw dropping final chapter. Intricately plotted and utterly gripping, I was completely absorbed by Dean’s writing and I savoured every moment of it. Molly is an unusual character and for that, I really liked her. I found her fascinating – her plotting and planning, her forward thinking and the ingenious solutions she found to get herself out of a tricky spot, *should* one arise. The book is expertly paced and the mystery behind what happened to Katie made for an intriguing read, so much so that I was trying hard to spot where the story was headed. One of the big twists I was able to guess from fairly early on. The other blew my mind. Clever, very clever. I will say that although I was able to guess one aspect of the story it didn’t spoil my enjoyment at all. Even though I was pretty sure I knew what was coming, I still let out a little gasp of shock which I think is testament to the author’s skill. Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. First Born is a well-written, unique and clever tale featuring an unforgettable character who really left her mark on me. I really enjoyed this book and finished it in a few short sittings, keen to return to New York, and to unconventional Molly, time and time again. It goes without saying that I will, of course, be reading more of this author’s books as soon as time allows, starting with The Last Thing to Burn. An excellent thriller chock full of suspense and tension. Recommended.

Back home, back to reality, back to a slower reading pace

I have a little confession to make- yes yet another one. Although I have all of Will’s books on my ever increasing ’to be read’ pile, I haven’t read one….until now. I read the synopsis for ‘First Born’ and it certainly sounded intriguing. When I was invited to take part in the blog tour for ‘First Born’, I knew that I wouldn’t get a better chance to introduce myself to Will’s work and give me the kick I needed to start trying to make a dent in the ‘to be read’ mountain. I am so glad that I did. I really enjoyed reading ‘First Born’ but more about that in a bit. It didn’t take me long at all to get into ‘First Born’. In fact by the time I got to the bottom of the first couple of pages, I knew that this was going to be one of those books that I would find rather hard to put down for any length of time. I have to admit that I wasn’t really fond of any of the characters as I got the distinct impression that each character was wanting to keep something hidden. I read too much crime fiction because I suspect everybody and believe nobody. I picked the book up only intending to read a chapter or two to say that I had made a start but I became so wrapped up in the story and in the different characters that I was still sat there reading over half a dozen chapters later. I had my own suspicions as to what was going to happen and I had to keep reading to see if I was on the right track or if I had wandered down the wrong path entirely. The more of the book I read, the more I wanted to read and the quicker the pages seemed to turn. All too quickly I reached the end of ‘First Born’. I found ‘First Born’ to be a gripping, dramatic and tense read, which kept me guessing and which kept me on the edge of my seat. ‘First Born’ is very well written. The author certainly knows how to gab the reader’s attention and draw them into what proves to be a compelling story. For me, ‘First Born’ was a slow burn story which suits the tale that the author is trying to tell. As the story develops, the tension increases and the drama becomes that bit more intense. Reading ‘First Born’ was a bit like being on a rather scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way. I love the way in which the author makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story themselves and at the heart of the action. That’s how I felt at any rate. In short, I really enjoyed reading ‘First Born’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Will’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.