Lucy Hay is a script editor and so picking up her debut thriller I had high expectations of the writing quality and wasn’t disappointed. This is a contemporary novel that deals with modern family issues in a social media age. A fast paced thriller with a twisting tale that will keep you guessing right to the end.

When India falls to her death from a bridge over a railway, her sister Poppy returns home to Brighton for the first time in years. Unconvinced by official explanations, Poppy begins her own investigation into India’s death. But the deeper she digs, the closer she comes to uncovering deeply buried secrets. Could Matthew Temple, the boyfriend she abandoned, be involved? And what of his powerful and wealthy parents, and his twin sister, Ana? Enter the mysterious and ethereal Jenny: the girl Poppy discovers after hacking into India’s laptop. What is exactly is she hiding, and what did India find out about her? Taking the reader on a breathless ride through the winding lanes of Brighton, into its vibrant party scene and inside the homes of its well- heeled families, The Other Twin is a startling and up-to-the-minute thriller about the social-media world, where resentments and accusations are played out online, where identities are made and remade, and where there is no such thing as truth…

The Other Twin has an intriguing range of characters with Poppy the ‘heroine’ in search of her sister’s killer. Nobody is as they seem – as you’d expect, but neither are the characters clichéd. The author has a fresh voice for today’s readers and isn’t shy of tackling issues that others might skirt around. This book will appeal to young adults and those looking for a fresh voice.

There is a strong sense of place with Brighton at the centre of the story, and the evocative descriptions of this town anchors a plot which is slippery and dark. Just as you think you might be within grasp of seeing what’s going on it’s whisked away, keeping you guessing until the end.

Is Poppy someone who I liked? Not at first. She was selfish and unsociable. However, by the end of the book I had warmed to her loyal but flawed personality and her dogged determination to get to the bottom of her sister’s death.

The Other Twin is an intriguing well told story for a modern reader that is a breath of fresh air and a recommended read.

BLONDE PLOTTERS STAR RATING 9/10