A stand-alone thriller mainly set in New York. It is an interesting, well-written, enjoyable read with plenty of twists and intrigue. I did more or less guess the twist at the end of the book but it certainly didn't spoil the read in fact I was quite pleased with myself because I'm usually totally wrong.. Although the book is set in the US it is by a UK author and written in the style of UK crime books. Highly recommend.

The story of twins Molly and Katie. Both twins are opposites in that one is very gregarious and the other quiet and almost reclusive. One moves to New York and what follows is a chilling meditation and identity and what it can motivate you to do. Highly recommended.

First Born certainly doesn't lack punches. From page one you are tipped straight into the action. Following Molly Raven as she discovers that her best friend, her soulmate, her twin sister is dead - found murdered in her apartment overseas in New York City. Will Dean has a way with words, you are instantly transported to the hot, dirty, busy bustling streets of New York City, following mild Molly and her idiosyncratic ways as she navigates what it is like to lose her beloved sister, but also the other half of who that made her as a twin. I can't actually say too much more about the plot, other than it was a suspenseful, action packed, emotional read from start to finish. I loved the mystery surrounding the mysterious benefactor who 'sponsors' Katie to study and all that entails, as well as the more familiar subplots of the relationship with her tutor. This book smelt fishy because of all the Red Herrings that I fell for....and wow, when those plot twists get revealed, be careful as they'll smack you in the face! A superb, action packed read!

Will Dean’s stand-alone novel, First Born is a fast moving suspenseful crime thriller set in New York. Its focus is the Raven twins. Katie and Molly are monozygotic twins, derived from a single egg and thus are identical in looks, save for a scar on Katie’s forehead. Not so in temperament, though. Katie is the first born twin. Outgoing, vivacious, Katie or K.T. as Molly calls her is a risk taker. Molly is her opposite. She plans for every eventuality; calculates the risks and knows precisely how much safer it is to travel by boat than by plane. Her preparation for everyday journeys involves all sorts of precautions, including the use of everyday objects as potential protective weapons. One year ago, in a bit of a shock move for Mollie, Katie left her home and her twin and took a scholarship to Columbia University in New York City. Now Katie has been found dead in her NYC apartment and Molly has to make the journey across the Atlantic to be with her parents who were visiting Molly. It takes all her courage to get on to a plane and when she gets there, she makes it her business to find out what happened and why. Will Dean’s pacing is perfect for this book. Slower as the shock of Katie’s death sets in and Molly makes her travel preparations then building in pace and excitement as Molly discovers more about Katie’s life and friends, building to a crescendo at the conclusion of the book. This is entertaining, read-it-in-one-sitting fiction. The New York setting is beautifully done and captures the frenzy of this magnificent city. Will Dean’s writing is, as ever, highly engaging and he delivers excellent twists and turns alongside some genuine surprises. There’s one fairly sketchy character in this book I’d like to know more about and that makes me wonder if he will make another appearance? Verdict: Hugely enjoyable, First Born is an engrossing twisty and suspenseful psychological thriller, perfect for holiday reading or just escaping into in these dark days.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC. This is my first read by Will Dean and if his other books are anything like this one it won’t be my last. Wow, this was one hell of a thrilling read. It did begin fairly slowly in my opinion although I thought the author set the scene, atmosphere and introduced Molly’s character really well. Molly is devastated to be told that her identical twin sister has died and flies to New York to be with her parents. The start really piqued my interest and I found that as the book progressed I became invested in the story and it’s characters. But is everything as it seems? The first half of the book was a good read and the second half - I felt like I was unwrapping layer after layer of secrets, I thought the book really picked up it’s pace and I had a few wow moments when I thought hang on, have I read that right? Twists galore were cleverly introduced into the plot line. The last part of the book was filled with such tension and suspense and raced to a final conclusion which I’d already guessed before the end. I’d definitely read more of the authors books and would recommend this one as well.