First Born

I loved Will Dean's previous book The Last Thing to Burn so I was thrilled to hear he had a new book coming out. First Born is the story about twins Molly and Katie (KT) who look alike, but whose personalities are complete opposites. Katie is a free spirit and Molly is the neurotic worrier. When Katie dies suddenly, her twin is put in a precarious situation as she tries to find out what happened.

The book starts off strong (albeit a slow burn) and I was intrigued by Katie's murder. Readers see the story through reclusive and obsessive Molly's POV which I felt was equally fascinating and uncomfortable/irritating. Despite my lack of love for Molly, this first half of the book was the strongest part and Dean drops a doozy of a twist. 

But the second half felt repetitive and unbelievable, requiring me to suspend disbelief too far outside my comfort zone. There is a big final twist but by that time things got too outlandish and confusing, and the twist didn't hit me like it was expected to. Sadly, I felt disconnected from the characters, and I still don't understand how some things were connected or why they were included.

While this slow burn book was too over-the-top for me, Will Dean remains on my must-read thriller authors and I'm eager to read his Tuva Moodyson series and whatever he comes up with next.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks Atria/Emily Bestler Books for my complimentary copy of this book which was provided in exchange for an honest review.

My Rating: 3 stars

Author: Will Dean

Genre: Suspense

Type and Source: Trade Paperback from publisher

Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books

First Published: July 5, 2022

Book Description from GoodReads: Sisters. Soulmates. Strangers.

Molly Raven lives a quiet, structured life in London, finding comfort in security and routine. Her identical twin Katie, living in New York, is the exact opposite: outgoing, spontaneous, and adventurous.

But when Molly 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 twin’s final movements, cracks begin to emerge, and she slowly realizes her sister was not who she thought she was and there’s a dangerous web of deceit surrounding the two of them.