*Shortlisted for the RNA Romantic Thriller of the Year Award*
If you liked Blood Orange, The Perfect Couple and The House Guest you will love this!
Susan and Sarah. Sisters. Best friends.Together…forever?
Nothing could break them apart.
Until they meet him.
And he can only choose one…
And he can only choose one…
Now Susan is back. Determined to reclaim everything Sarah has taken from her.
Her home, her husband…her life?
Readers can’t get enough of The Twins:
‘Wow. Mind Blown. J.S. Lark is a wily wordsmith and not to be trusted’ DJ
‘My goodness, I don’t even know where to start with this one!… At times shocking, this book is an absolute must-read for anyone who likes a psychological thriller’ Emma
‘An original, gripping page turner and it had me guessing and shocked throughout’ Ceri
‘Started reading this Wednesday night and finished it by Friday morning…If you like physiological thrillers then you will love this’ Leanne
‘So many twists and turns that literally left me with my mouth hanging open’ Randi
‘A fast paced twisty psychological thriller’ Jayne
‘Lots of twists and turns and I just had to read ‘one more chapter’ Abbi
‘Wonderful well written plot that had me engaged from the start…Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had’ Billie
more
If you enjoy suspenseful, thrilling stories with interesting characters and plot twists, then this is definitely the book for you! The plot was compelling and twisted and had many unexpected moments. The characters really grew throughout this story which I wasn’t really expecting and the author even threw in flashbacks which were prefect for the atmosphere of this story. The writing was chilling and smooth and sucked me in right the start. This was the first book I’ve read by this author and it definitely won’t be my last!
4.5 stars, as reviewed at Roses Are Blue: https://wp.me/p3QRh4-1ox
Twins Sarah and Susan were born to a fifteen year old unwed mother, one who has provided for them, albeit, pitifully, by living with a series of “uncles.” The girls grew up street savvy, learning to steal, refusing to attend school, and generally doing whatever they wanted. By the time they were thirteen, they were smoking, drinking, playing around with drugs, and about to learn about sex. Through it all, they were like two halves of one person, even likening themselves to feral wolf cubs.
For the first time in their lives, there is conflict between them, as Sarah finds herself falling in love with Jonny, Susan’s boyfriend. Sarah learns that Jonny believes them to be sixteen years old, not just turned thirteen. When Sarah tells Jonny the truth, he is horrified, and breaks off the relationship, and leaves to pursue a career. Eventually Sarah and Susan reconcile, and move to London to see what life holds for them. Unfortunately, life is not kind. They become helplessly involved in prostitution and drug addiction, seemingly with no way out. When Sarah encounters Jonny again, he’s determined to rescue them from the life they’re trapped in. His loving care helps Sarah first, then they attempt to rescue Susan, but are not successful.
Three decades later, Jonny and Sarah have a grown daughter, a successful business, and a lovely home. Then, out of the blue, Susan shows up at their door. Sarah has no desire to reconnect with her sister, and has tried to forget their horrible life in London. Her daughter, Lucy, who was never made aware of Susan’s existence, is more than eager to become acquainted. Jonny, also, urges Sarah to give Susan a chance.
But Susan’s motives are deeper and darker. Jonny was hers first, and he should be her husband. Lucy should be her daughter. And their home and business should be hers. Susan inveigles her way into every facet of their lives, much to Sarah’s dismay. Soon, long kept secrets will be revealed, and Susan’s deadly plot comes to fruition.
THE TWINS is a genuine page turner, with dark twists and turns. Just when I was sure I knew where the story was headed, another curve was thrown my way. Stories of twins and their relationships with each other have always fascinated me. Is there really one good and one evil twin? As it’s a trigger for many, I do want to mention that there is a rape of a young girl in this book. Though THE TWINS is disturbing, I couldn’t put it down until I read the final shocking chapter.
This book has so many twists and turns that literally left me with my mouth hanging open. It is the story of identical twins who live with their single mother and a succession of “uncles” and spend most of their time hanging out on the streets and stealing. It flips from 1985 when the twins were 13 to the present which was sometimes confusing because I wasn’t sure which twin was talking but I could usually figure it out rather quickly. Through the time changes there is a good development of the characters, who aren’t always likeable. The twins were close as twins are until Jonny comes into the picture and jealousy rears its ugly head. Fast forward to the present. Sarah is married to Jonny although it was Susan who was dating him at 13. Susan, who has been out of her life for years, suddenly shows up on Sarah’s doorstep, obviously out to get Jonny back. Sounds like your usual jealous revenge book–WRONG! It took me a while to get into this book because it seemed confusing at first, but once I got into it I couldn’t put it down and read late into the night to finish it. I would like to thank netGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. I look forward to reading more from Ms Lark.
Favorite Quotes:
The head teacher told Mum we’re feral.
There’s a strange detached sensation that tingles through my nerves. I feel as if I’m sitting up high in the corner of the room watching all of us acting out a scene in a play. I’m in the audience. High above them, on the upper balcony. Like a queen on a throne orchestrating all of this.
My Review:
I had some issues while reading this one, but while I debated my feelings and looked at my notes, it is still a cleverly crafted 5-star read. It was not an easy tale as the plot was unique and complicated and bent back on itself several times, and was cast with a slate of complex and difficult characters. It was also deeply disturbing, smartly contrived, indubitably twisty, frequently frustrating, and intensely intriguing. The twins were delinquents before they were even juveniles – by thirteen they were hooligans, hoochie mamas, drug addicts, parents, and prostitutes. Wow. Mind Blown. J.S. Lark is a wily wordsmith and not to be trusted.
Sarah and Susan are identical twins born to a young mother and an absent father. Their mother had many boyfriends in and out of the house all with the name of “Uncle So-And-So.” The girls skipped school constantly and their mother did nothing to keep them going. Since their mother didn’t work, there was little money for food much less clothes. Very early, the twins became part of the streets. One friend they made was Jonny who was unaware that they are only 13 when they said they are 16. Jonny and Susan hooked up and Sarah was just with them and a couple of other guys as they hung around in places smoking and doing drugs.
One night while totally wasted, Sarah is raped by one of the guys they hung around with. Not knowing what rape is, she ends up pregnant even before she had begun her period. Meanwhile, Jonny and Susan plan to move to London to live until he learns she is 13 and not 16.
Slowly, the bond between the twins begins to crumble and they fall apart from one another and hate takes the place of love.
They are older when we see them again but the hate is still there. Is there such a thing as a good twin and an evil one? Read this roller coaster thriller and see for yourself.
I found I really had to pay attention and keep up with this chess game to know who was who with these twins. This is a very gritty book that made me pity children who literally have to grow up on the streets. So sad in many ways and so much hatred in others. Reviews are all over the place with this book which makes it an even more compelling read.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Two twins, one is evil , one is not. What more do you need.?
Wait , maybe they are both evil , I can’t decide.
They are definitely not very likeable .
Their mother less so
Who can you believe, who can you trust . Psychotic comes to mind.
They both want Jonny , one is married to him.
I had to find out who would win this battle and was I betting on the right twin.
The pages fly by and the twists keep coming.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for a wild read. Loved it.