Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced ebook copy in return for an honest review.

Sienna Scott leaves her hometown to escape an unsolved murder she came across and her mother's mental illness. She has been in London for 10 years when she decides to come back, and the case happened to be reopened. Sienna looks exactly like her mother, and she is worried that she is becoming paranoid like her as well. She keeps thinking that she was the one that was supposed to be killed that night in the blizzard - she did have the exact same coat as the girl who was murdered.

The Look-Alike is a psychological drama instead of a thriller, but it kept me guessing the entire time. I kept changing my mind on who the killer was throughout the book, and I ended up being wrong. I really enjoyed the First Wife by Erica Spindler, and I will continue to read her books! I would recommend this book to people who are looking for a lighter thriller.

The Look-Alike by Erica Spindler follows Sienna Scott, a young woman who 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 that altered the course of her life. 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?

I really enjoyed The Look-Alike, because it is such a unique twist on the thriller genre. It focuses on the typical mystery tropes, while also showcasing popular topics, like mental health and its effects on a family.

The writing is truly captivating, making this one unputdownable read. When I began reading, I felt the title, synopsis, and, especially, the author's note (positioned at the beginning of the book) were giving away too much information. Admittedly, I was going into this book a bit miffed. I thought I had most of the plot worked out in my head before I read the first sentence. Thankfully, the author worked in enough twists to keep me guessing until the very end. With that being said, I did predict certain things correctly, but the writing still made this an enjoyable read for me.

My favorite part about this book was all the unreliable narrators. Every character seemed to have motive, making it particularly hard to trust their words and actions. That makes for a stellar read, because I was constantly wondering what would happen next.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest, unbiased opinion.

Sienna Scott is coming home from her stay in London where she was living with her grandmother. Tranquility Bluffs, the scene of a murder that she literally stumbled on years ago, has a restaurant for sale and that might be just what she needs. Restaurant or not, she believes it’s time to help care for her mother, who has paranoid delusions. It’s also time to return and face her own demons.

The girl that she found dead 10 years ago had been walking the same path at the same time Sienna usually walked it. And to make matters worse, they were wearing the same type of white coat with a hood.

Couldn’t the murderer have been hoping to kill her? After all, it happened during a snow storm. It would have been hard to see clearly.

Though Sienna has matured during the 10 years she’s been away, she is still very concerned about her mom’s protective nature toward her. But the neighbor who is renovating and flipping the house across the street catches her eye and heart, so that helps distract her. But does she know anything about him? Is it safe to fall in love with him?

There might be a lot at stake since 10 years ago the killer of the girl Sienna stumbled upon was never caught.

My thanks to St. Martin’s and #NetGalley for an ARC and the ability to freely express my thoughts.

What Concerned Me
Compared to Spindler’s other books that I’ve read, this felt a little bogged down with some repetition and took more time to gather speed.

What I Liked Best
The writing is good and there are enough red herrings along the way that for most, they won’t guess the ending. Although a few might think they know who the bad-guy/lady is, I imagine most will still waver between this person and that until the very last.

Recommended for
those who like a touch of romance with their psychological mystery.

Another masterfully written book by Erica Spindler ! A college student stumbles upon the body of a dead girl wearing the same coat as her . WOW !
This book will keep you hooked from the first thrilling page ! Mesmerizing thriller with many twists and turns and great characters ! I highly recommend ! Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book ! #Netgalley #St.Martin'sPress #TheLook-Alike

*** 4 Stars ***
Expected Publication: Jan 28th 2020

I'm going to be honest, when I was approved to read this ARC and reread the premise, I eye rolled hard and thought "Why would I choose this?" I mean let's be real, a girl comes across a girl's body who had just been murdered on her college campus and she thinks the killer meant to kill her because they had the same coat.. whatever mistaken identity... weak. I also thought I had it all figured out by 15% in....BUTTTTTTTTTTTTT I was so so wrong. I loved this book. Way more than mistaken identity. There's so many elements to this and I the main character Sienna is so likable! My advice, don't read the premise, just read this and go in blind. There is family drama, love/relationship drama, mental illness, and career paths/dreams. I thought this was really well written; fast-paced, and great flow that kept me guessing until the end.

Special Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First novel by ERICA SPLINDLER , it was pretty good but a little predictable I figured out the killer but still enjoyable. Thank you Netgalley.

Whoa! I devoured this book in two sittings! It grabs you from the start. Sienna is a college student who is leaving study group when she stumbles upon the body of a dead girl. A girl wearing the exact same coat as her. She immediately thinks “Was it supposed to be me that was killed?” A kind cop quickly comes to her aid and they form an unlikely friendship. When Sienna tells her family her suspicions they are alarmed because Sienna’s mother suffers from paranoid delusions that someone is out to get her and her family. They immediately worry Sienna will be just like her mother and send her to live with her grandmother in London. Ten years later, Sienna comes back home intending to visit although the murder is still unsolved, which frightens her. And those same thoughts begin to resurface as well as secrets from those around her. I literally kept changing my mind with every chapter about what really happened that night and who did what and that is EXACTLY what I love in a book, unpredictability. This book was fast paced, intense, and at times very creepy! Would definitely recommend!!

This was a great book. I was hooked from beginning to end. There are so many layers to uncover and twists and turns through out. The author does use the trope of mental illness to progress the story but the author mentions in the front acknowledgements that she had assistance by a medical doctor to help her "deepen (her) understanding of the persecutory delusional disorder. I am not sure how well she was able to accurately portray this condition but I really liked the way she treated this condition in her writing,

Having a mother that thinks everyone is out to get you makes the main character's life hard but after a campus murder that could have been her it throws her for a whirl and she had to escape. Fast forward and now she has come back and the past is starting to come back to light and things start happening when people start looking into the past,

The character development was well done, the writing style kept it all very interesting. Even the dual timelines were easy to follow. Each character has a very distinct characteristic which made it a breeze to keep track of all the different charters. The atmosphere of the book made it feel so real. I could easily visualize everything like a movie in my head.

This would make a great movie.

I've read one of her other books and i really liked it. This one thought... it was alright but not amazing. Other book was much better.

I found this one to be highly predictable and i guess that is was ruined it for me. I had a hard time getting into it but once i did it went by fast.

Thanks NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

#thelookalike #ericaspindler #netgalleyreview #Netgalley #arc murder. Mystery. Mayhem. When you literally run in to a dead body. And the coincidence of you both wearing the same coat. Add to that a mother with a mental illness. And Bam folks we have a book. This one took us on twists and turns. I must say once the villan was revealed I was shocked. I didn't expect it. I was looking at EVERYONE. There's nice twists and turns in here that'll make anyone to keep reading ...

The Look-Alike is the perfect, twisty, shocking, fast-paced thriller! From the first page on, I could barely stop reading! There were so many possibilities and scenarios, I was guessing until the very end!

"The Look-Alike" is one of those strange books that I really enjoyed and often disliked at the same time. I can see why it would have a lot of high-starred reviews- the story is engaging and for many people, it is just the right amount of suspense and story development.
There were a few things that I had a difficult time with:
1. The ending. Minor spoiler: <spoiler> It is important for an author to wrap up loose ends in a story, but forced happy endings come across as too fake. </spoiler>
2. I did not like the relationship between two of the main characters. I guess most my issue is that I don't really enjoy 'love at first sight' stories, especially if the characters 'click' because they are the only two that possibly could in the story.
3. Sienna, the main character, is just not that interesting.
4. I can't quite put my finger on it, which is why I haven't written a review even though I finished the book a few days ago, but there is something in the writing style that is stilted.
.... and yet, even with a list of 'complaints,' I genuinely enjoyed it. "The Look-Alike" is a fast read that is fun and different. It is like a B action movie- great in the moment, but maybe not as memorable in the long run. I would recommend "The Look-Alike" to people who enjoy suspense thrillers, as well as for people looking for a quick "summer" read.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book as an advance reader's copy and enjoyed it. The Look-Alike in this context is a student, Madison Robie, who was murdered in a college campus. Another student, Sierra Scott, tripped over her body in a blizzard, The girl was wearing the same coat as Sierra.

Ten years later, Sierra returns to her hometown after being away due to circumstances surrounding that murder years before. Her mother has some mental issues and Sierra intends to assist her half-brother, Bradley, with her care. At the same time, the police reopen the murder case since they were never able to solve it..

There were some twists and turns in the book which kept me reading. The main character, Sierra, was a little annoying at times and it seemed that she might also have some mental issues. All in all though, I did enjoy the book.

I do not read Thrillers and Mysteries, but I will read Erica Spindler's every book!
Her books are full of twists and turns. Her books are well researched. Her books keep you guessing till the end.
Read her FORBIDDEN FRUIT book and you will read every one of them..... Including this one too!

Spindler delivers a great who-dunnit that may have you thinking you know who did it...that is, until the next viable suspect comes along, and the next one, and the next. The book definitely keeps the reader hooked. There are ups and downs and twists and turns, but the ending ties everything up in a bow and the reader can satisfy any burning curiosity.

This book was a roller coaster of a ride.

Sienna has a lot on her plate. After she is home for awhile, she begins to wonder if she should have just stayed away.  From calming her mom down during her episodes, to the van that slowly drives by the house, and the mysterious caller saying it was supposed to be her that died that night.  The murder case has been re-opened, and Sienna has every intention of solving it.  However, it seems that everyone close to the case either ends up dead or injured.

Although her mom is not all there most of the time, she has a very strong will to protect her only daughter from everyone. There is also the fact that her mom says she was pushed down the stairs in her own home.  Due to her mental state, nobody believes her, but they soon find out that they should have listened to her.

I figured out who the killer was pretty quickly, but then I had doubts all throughout the book.  Everyone is a suspect.  From the cute neighbor next door whom Sienna can't seem to stay away from, to the step-brother who has run into financial trouble.  Even the step-brothers mom and ex-wife are suspects.  It seems they would have good reason to want Sienna gone.

Thank you NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for the digital ARC.

Loved it!!! From the start I was very suspicious of someone, but so many things happened and I would keep changing my mind. I always came back to the same person. Pretty much everyone Sienna talked to(neighbors, police, family members) were on my list of likely subjects. She was surround by crazy, actual crazy. Her mom was just over the top. I can't imagine growing up in that family. Pretty much everyone thought Sienna was going to turn out just like her mom. Vivienne was very unpredictable and so many things could set her off. Sienna got shipped off right after the murder and nothing ever got resolved. Loved the characters, story and writing style. There were so many twists and turns, I never knew who to believe. Loved the ending when the truth was finally revealed.

Definitely recommend the book. It was a great mystery/thriller. I look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

It has been many years since I read a book by Erica Spindler and I was intrigued by the premise of this novel. The main character, Sienna, was not unlikeable but I didn't connect with her immediately and some of her actions didn't match her personality. The other characters, especially Vivienne, are well written and I thought the author did a good job showing the effects of mental illness and how it impacts family members. The plot has enough twists and red herrings to keep the reader's attention. In fact, all the elements of classic suspense are present but the book was not as fast paced as I'd hoped. It took me longer to read than I anticipated but I was engaged enough to stick with it until the conclusion which actually surprised me.

Wow! What a book! Loved it.

Plot - 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 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?

What an absolute rollercoaster of a book. It had me completely hooked and I just could not put the book down.
The author has done such a fine job with the characters that I was left guessing constantly who the murderer was since all the characters were untrustworthy.
Such an interesting, intriguing, fast-paced thriller. The short chapters had me racing through the pages to get to the end.
This is my first Erica Spindler book and it was amazing. I am a fan and will definitely be checking out all her other books.

I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Look Alike by Erica Spindler

A who-dun-it thriller.
Trying to guess who the killer was, was like bouncing around on a playground. Sure I had guesses but they kept changing as the book progressed.
This book has a focus on mental illness and it’s impact on family.

Overall a quick read, not to intense, but I didn’t want to read it home alone at night! What’s that noise? They say it’s a mental illness but could there really be someone there?
The heroine make some stupid decisions that made me care less than I might have otherwise.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.