From Erica Spindler, the New York Times bestselling author of The Other Girl and Justice for Sara comes The Look-Alike, a thrilling psychological drama about a woman who believes she escaped a brutal murder years ago–but does anyone else believe her? 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 … 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?
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The Look-Alike was a fantastic mystery. The author had me guessing at who the killer was until the end of the book. Until the killer was revealed, I did think it was someone else. I was stunned at who it was.
There were a couple of things that I didn’t like about the book. Sienna hooking up with her across the street neighbor was one. It was too fast, way too fast. Also, the fact that people were so quick to lump her into the category as her mother and not take her seriously. That made me go WTF. Other than that, I enjoyed reading The Look-Alike.
A romantic thriller that goes down the rabbit hole of mental illness…one of my favorite subjects.
It was hard to rate this book and write the review. But I think it’s more about me and my timing, than the book itself. The mental illness element was the big draw for me. Reading about Viv’s paranoid delusions, and how her family members are the focus of her issues, was the highlight of the book.
I was excited to get this ARC and my expectations were very high! It’s been several years since I’ve read this author and I’ve loved her previous work. I enjoyed this one, but not as much as I’d hoped. But I understand why her fans are drawn to her suspenseful stories, filled with romance and thrills.
I try to stay away from romantic thrillers, but Ms. Spindler is one of the few author’s that I’ll read, even though I’ll have to plod through the wretched romance! The whole “love at first sight” isn’t my thing!!
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Erica Spindler for this digital ARC, in exchange for my honest review!
My Rating: 3.5 ’s (rounding down)
Published: January 28th 2020 by St. Martin’s Press
Pages: 320
Recommend: Yes, if you don’t mind the “love at first sight” element.
#TheLookAlike #NetGalley #RomanticThriller
Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t after you.
Sienna Scott grew up with a mother suffering from paranoid delusions. Her mother always said ‘someone’ was after them … she was afraid to leave her house ..and she was mostly afraid that whoever it was would try to hurt her family.
While attending school, leaving the library one night, she literally falls across a young woman … dead … her jacket covered in blood. When Sienna realizes that the woman was wearing an identical coat to hers, she begins to believe that she had been the targeted victim and the woman just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Her father ships Sienna off to London to live with her grandmother. He was terrified that his wife’s mental illness was infecting his daughter.
Ten years have passed and Sienna is returning home for the first time. Her father has died … her brother has been taking care of Mom all these years … Sienna decides it’s time to confront her past and the unsolved murder from years ago.
The fear is still with her …. 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?
This is an excellent psychological thriller, well written, full of surprises leading to an unexpected ending. The characters are finely drawn, flaws and all.
Many thanks to the author / St Martin’s Press / Netgalley / McMillan Reading Insiders Group for the digital and physical copies of THE LOOK ALIKE. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
So-so psychological thriller
CAUTION: May contain slight spoilers
I’ve read other books by Erica Spindler over the years and enjoyed them. This book is way too long for the content it contains – lots of padding. And the timing felt off. Falling deeply in love after one meeting? Give me a break.
Ten years ago Sienna Scott had stumbled across a murdered girl on the college campus in Tranquility Bluffs, Wisconsin. She is sent to live with her grandmother in London to recover from the shock and to have a timeout from her mother, who has persecutory delusional disorder.
Now she’s back home, the murder case has been reopened since they never found the murderer, and Sienna is taking over the care of her mother, after leaving her half-brother in charge for the last ten years.
There’s a lot of red herrings thrown into this story. It becomes a rather convoluted hodgepodge.
I did appreciate the way mental illness was handled in the book and that’s why I rated this two stars rather than one.
I received this book from St. Martin’s Press through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.
The Look-Alike had me riveted from beginning to end. It was an amazing suspenseful adventure with many twists and turns and so many scenarios that had me changing my mind as to who had committed the crime. It was very well done. Definitely a page-turner. This is the first book by Erica Spindler that I’ve read and after reading The Look-Alike, I will be most likely be reading other books by her.
A big thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the review copy.
It seems like I’ve been waiting forever for a new book by Erica Spindler. Now, I know that’s not true but it has been a couple of years. Not that long in reality but in “Book” years, it’s a very long time. We have trouble waiting six months let along a year or two.
I know you guys know I’m a diehard romance reader. I don’t read anything other than romance. In fact, I don’t even do women’s fiction. I just do romance. Spindler is the only author I break that rule for. She always puts enough romance in with her suspense to keep me interested. Of course, there is the fact that she writes a great story too.
I was so looking forward to The Look-Alike and it didn’t disappoint.
The story is full of murder and plot twists. You will be lost in the story before you know it. I really loved the characters and loved how you didn’t know anyone else intentions but Sienna’s. Everyone else is a mystery to you. Makes you spend the book wondering who’s good or who’s bad.
So much fun.
I so felt for Sienna and what she’s gone through in her life. With her mother’s illness, an overbearing father and coming upon a murder, her life hasn’t always been fun. Of course, her sad life makes us very entertained. Really sucks to be her.
It was fun jumping from one character to the next thinking that they are the bad guy only to change your mind in the next chapter. At first, I worried that it would take me a while to get through the story but once I started I flew.
I loved many of the characters and enjoyed them within the story. As a whole, it’s a great book that if you like suspense you’ll love it. My only issue and it’s a small one is some of the flashback scenes felt out of left field. They just happened. I know they had to happen just didn’t always like how they happened.
Other than that minor issues I really enjoyed the story and I’m looking forward to what she has coming down the pike.
Loved it one of the many great authors. I have always enjoyed her books, but this one especially. It was great
Has Sienna Scott made a terrible mistake returning home to Tranquility Bluffs, Wisconsin after 10 years in London? Sienna, a young woman who studied culinary arts, is ready to open a restaurant and begin dealing with the demons that drove her away. Dealing with a delusional mother who struggles with a serious mental illness is only the first challenge Sienna meets in confronting her old life.
In this captivating and unpredictable psychological thriller, Sienna Scott will have to face a decade old murder and the reopening of its investigation along with all the disruption it brings into her life. To further upend her return, she meets the mysterious, handsome neighbor, Jonathan Hart, and is unprepared for the secrets he seems to be hiding.
Complex and twisted at times, this book will keep you guessing as to who the real bad guy is and who can be trusted. Will Jonathan and Sienna be able to find their way through the tangled maze of complications that stand in their path? Very good book for those readers who enjoy suspense and psychological thrillers!
This ARC copy was received from St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley.com. The above thoughts and opinions are wholly my own.
#TheLookAlike #NetGalley
Sinuous, devious, and compulsive!
The Look-Alike is an eerie, suspenseful thriller that takes us into the life of Sienna Scott, a young woman who finds herself back in her hometown of Tranquility Bluffs, Wisconsin after being sent away ten-years previous to protect her from her mother’s declining mental health, the aftermath of her discovery of a brutally murdered fellow college student, and the potential threat of a killer who may have mistakenly killed the wrong victim the first time around.
The prose is dark and intense. The characters are anxious, afraid, consumed, and secretive. And the plot, including all the subplots, intertwine and unravel quickly into an engrossing tale of life, loss, deception, manipulation, obsession, mental illness, complex familial drama, multiple suspects, violence, murder, and a touch of romance.
Overall, The Look-Alike is a taut, menacing, clever tale by Spindler that ultimately keeps you riveted, surprised, entertained, and guessing from start to finish.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The Look-Alike by Erica Spindler that I read and reviewed.
This book was an excellent read from start to finish that had one of those finishes that made you go Oh my God where did that come from? It was one of those off the charts books that keeps the reader guessing until the end.
I loved the characters. Especially Sienna and how she was so torn about her identity and if she was plagued by illness that her mother suffered because so many people in her life treated her like broken goods. Jonathan was also a character that as a reader you really did not know what to think about but you had no choice but to fall in love with him as a love interest for Sienna. This book had a number of other characters that were so deep and complex that made this book the gem that it is.
As for the mystery and who killed Madi meant to die or if it was really suppose to be Sienna it was written very well and Spindler told a great story in both past and current times to give the reader the the entire tale.
This book gets nothing less then five stars from me.
Sienna Scott was a college student when she found herself stumbling over a body of a girl who shared similarities with herself. Sienna was sent away when the murder was not solved and she couldn’t let the idea that it should have been her comes to light. At least that was one of the reasons, her mother was the other. Sienna has always known that her mother suffers from paranoid delusions and the murder has only heightened that.
Years later Sienna has returned home and plans to stay. It is complete coincidence that the cold case of the murder she fell upon is reopened. Now Sienna finds herself wondering if the murderer was someone she knew and if she should have been the victim?
Cat and mouse thriller that has you guessing until the very end. I kept trying to figure out where the story was going to go. Highly entertaining. can’t wait to read the next book by this author.
I haven’t read any Erica Spindler thrillers in a few years but have always loved them. She deftly lobs red herrings and masterfully misdirects while delivering excellent characters.
This book does a great job of sensitively illustrating the impact of mental illness on entire families but manages to weave it into the mystery and it doesn’t drag down the story.
It moves quickly, has many likable and unlikable characters, and resolves surprisingly and satisfactorily.
I really enjoyed it.
Thank you to Erica Spindler, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Sienna Scott nearly tripped over the body……this is the first line of the book and with it I was completely drawn into the story. Sienna has grown up under the shadow of her mother’s paranoia. After she stumbles across the body on the college campus, her life is altered. She is sent away and has finally returned home to help with he mother as well as confront her past. If you like psychological thrillers, and mother daughter relationships, this is the book for you! I thought I had it all figured out but the author threw me several times. I plan to read more of this author and recommend this book! Thank you NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
The Look-Alike was such a roller coaster ride of emotions and suspicion. Sienna was a character that was easily relatable, having just returned after being in London with her grandmother for 10 years. Her mother suffers from paranoid delusions and has problems with consistently taking her medicine, which makes her extremely unstable and prone to epic meltdowns. Unfortunately this has given her quite the reputation in the small town where she lives. Sienna has been unfairly judged through the same lens that people view her mother through.
Erica Spindler kept me reading faster and faster in an attempt to find out whodunit, among other details. She carefully and expertly unspools the story of what happens after Sienna returns, throwing out just enough clues to make the reader feel they know what’s coming, but I never really did figure it out.
If you like a well-plotted, edge of your seat thriller filled with great characters and a lot of suspense, pick this one up and be prepared to not want to put it down until you finish.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for approving my request for an ARC. The thoughts in this review are my own.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.
I enjoyed reading this psychological thriller. Sienna Scott returns home to fictional Tranquillity Bluffs, Wisconsin. She has been living in London, England, for 10 years. Her father sent her there after she was traumatized by the discovery of a murdered college classmate. Sienna is haunted by the possibility that she was the intended victim. Her father is dead and her mother suffers from persecution delusions.
While dealing with the unsolved murder and her mother, she starts a romance with a mysterious neighbor. There are enough false clues that I wasn’t sure who the killer was until near the end.
The story was a little slow at times. Since there were only 2 deaths and no graphic violence, it would be ok for cozy mystery fans.
One quote: “You’re right, Mom. I don’t see what you see. And I don’t want to. I love you, but I can’t live my life in fear.”
” For a long moment, her mother was quiet. When she finally spoke, the words broke Sienna ‘s heart. ‘You can’t live in fear. And I can’t seem to live without it. ”
Thanks to Erica Spindler and St.Martin’s Press for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
Sienna Scott is a strong character who has a lot to overcome. Her mother’s illness has really affected her life. I can understand her fear of becoming like her mother and how she wonders if her mother could be right about Sienna being the intended victim. There are so many possible suspects throughout the book and I enjoyed trying to figure it out myself. The author does an amazing job putting doubt in the readers mind about each suspect. There are so many well places twists that I would think one person was guilty and then change my mind.
Sienna’s mother and her illness broke my heart. How anyone handles someone with this disorder is beyond me. Sienna has a really strong support system with her dad and brother, but there is only so much they can do for her. Going away was probably the best thing for her, but I think it had a devastating affect her dad and brother. Brad, Sienna’s brother, has to deal with her mom more once she’s gone and it ends up destroying things in his life.
This is the first book by Erica Spindler that I have read and I look forward to reading more. Her story telling is smooth, even with flash backs. There are no bumps in the road that will through off the reader. I loved how I was unable to pinpoint who the killer was. It kept my interest and intrigued me the whole time. The characters are great and very likable, even the one that ends up being the killer.
(Advanced reader copy courtesy of St. Martin’s Press and Goodreads Giveaways)
Fast paced, well-written … Erica Spindler did it again. Great suspsense novel .
Thank you #netgalley and #stmartinspress for the eARC.
This was a great thriller that kept me guessing until the very end. Sienna has been living with her grandmom for years because of something that happened in her past and her mother’s mental illness. When she comes home 10 years later, old fears rear their ugly head. Is her mind playing tricks on her or has the past caught up with her? This was a book that kept me reading as I needed to know what was going on. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.
This takes place in Tranquility Bluffs, Wisconsin and opens during winter. Sienna Scott, 18, is leaving a study group at college while taking a short cut, there is a fierce snowstorm, and Sienna trips over a body. The victim is Madison Robie, who works at the college library. Sienna can’t get past a feeling that she was the intended target and carries the horror of that night for the past ten years.
Now, 28, Sienna has returned home. She is a chef, and has dreams of owning her own restaurant. She surprises her older brother, Brad, who isn’t all that pleased she is back, and feels guilty that Brad has been the sole one to look after their mother, who suffers from a mental illness. She, also, learns that Madison Robie’s case, the victim, has been reopened.
Haunted by the past, and fearing she was the intended target, Sienna finds herself suspicious of everyone, that suspicion drives wedges not just between family members, but a budding new relationship. A careless remark brings Sienna’s worst fear to mind, is she becoming her mother?
I love how Erica Spindler spins a tale that had me, second guessing about Sienna. I’d highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys thrillers.
I received an ARC through NetGalley via St. Martin’s Press and I have voluntarily reviewed this book.
I received an Advance Reader Copy of The Look-Alike by Erica Spindler It is a page-turning psychological thriller that will rock readers to their core. Sienna is haunted by a ten-year old unsolved murder of her college classmate. When Sienna returns home to care for her mother, the old memories of the murder return. As she begins to suspect someone is watching her and she receives threatening phone calls, she wonders if she could have been the intended victim all those years ago and is determined to find out what happened. This book is filled with twists and turns and jaw-dropping surprises. The author did an exceptional job in describing the extremely complex characters. The ending will leave you stunned and speechless. I rated it a five because it is one of those books you won’t be able to put down until you’ve finished it.