This book had me guessing the entire time. The author definitely kept me on my toes and kept the pages turning. There were so many characters to love, then hate, then love again.

I don’t think I’ve ever read anything from this author before, but from what I read in this book I am kind of glad I haven’t. The writing wasn’t that great and the story was just boring.

Sienna is an interesting character. I wasn’t sure if I could believe her version of events until the end. I love books that make we question the reliability of the narrator. This was a fast-paced thriller with good twists.

Having read a lot of psychological thrillers, The Look-Alike was painfully predictable. You think you know who the killer is from the get go? Then you probably do.

That being said, I enjoyed Erica Spindler's writing. Despite the lack of suspense, I did want to keep reading. This was my first Spindler novel, but I doubt it'll be my last. I would pick up another one and give it a go.

Based on the reviews I've seen elsewhere, I'm not in the majority in feeling this way. This one just wasn't for me.

A thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of The Look-Alike by author Erica Spindler, for my honest review

I must say that this was a tough read for me, a book that just was not for me

I had found it interesting at the beginning, but as the story moved along I just struggled getting through it and became quickly bored

I found that I could not get into the characters, or storyline either. I just wanted to finish and get on to reading other books that I would enjoy more

Not a knockout for me.

My main hurdles were: 1) main character was super immature 2) a lot of things were oversimplified, including mental illness, which is not simple. Less impactful were the annoying brother, how the father was written, and overly simplified writing. I also figured out early who the killer was but had no idea what the motivation was so that spurred me to read through. Figuring stuff like that out doesn't bother me though, so that was not a factor in the meh rating.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the premise of this story: a young woman who thinks she may have inherited her mother’s mental illness tries to convince herself and those around her that the threat to her life is truly a valid concern. But in the process, her kneejerk reaction to each and every perceived threat convinces those around her that she’s as unhealthy as her mother.
The weak link in this book is the character development. Poor Sienna is as shallow as they come, jumping from one needy relationship to another, falling head over heels in love overnight and face-planting into walls at every turn. The other main characters also struck me as shallow and not at all developed. Her “hotty” neighbor is just too flirtatious and available, her mother is one-dimensional, and her step-brother is a boor and a self-centered prick. But somewhere in the midst of these flawed characters, does a killer reside? I still enjoyed the story and had to finish the book just to satisfy my own curiosity.
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for making it available.)

This book is classic Erica Spinder! The story focuses on the character of Sienna who just arrives back in town after a 10 year hiatus. In the past, Sienna had discovered a body on her college campus. The discovery left her wondering if perhaps she was the intended target. Her mother's paranoid delusions did not help the situation. Sienna is determined to not let the past impact her future and wants to settle down roots back in her home town. She also wants to help with the care of her mom. Sienna's arrival back in town coincidentally coincides with the reopening of the case. There are definitely a lot of plausible red herrings thrown in the mix to complicate the story as well as a solid love interest with questionable motives. I did like that there was a hint that could lead the reader to the true culprit. It's always nice when there are some genuine clues thrown into the mix. Cuddle up and enjoy this book!

I figured out the ending of this book at the beginning, and I was less-than impressed with the book as a whole.

Erica Spindler will definitely be listed as one of my new favorite authors. ”The Look-Alike” kept me reading long into the night. This was a a who-dunn it type mystery of a murder that had occurred many years prior when the main character (Sienna) whom discovered the murder was a young 18 year old. Sienna’s mother has mental issues and Sienna was always afraid that she would also be saddled with the same issues later in life. Sienna’s father sends her to London to live with her grandmother to remove her from the controversy surrounding the murder. When Sienna finally returns circumstances push her into trying to solve the yet unsolved murder. The story moves at a rapid pace which I prefer. Erica keeps you guessing between characters as to whom did this dirty deed. The story definitely kept me engaged and I totally appreciated the opportunity to read an advance copy from Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an honest opinion. Thank you so much! I will be recommending this book to my friends and book club.

This book starts out with our main character (Sienna) coming back home to look after her ailing mother with the help of her two siblings only to be informed that the murder investigation that she ran away from years ago has been reopened. The more that Sienna in town the more that she digs into the murder investigation that is taking place. And the more coincidences seem to be popping up. Why did her and the deceased girl look so similar? Why were they in the same spot at the same time? Was she the real target? After our main character escapes a murderous attack years ago she starts taking a look at what happened and starts to become convinced that the madman is back to finish off what he started in the first place. This book was really intense but more of a suspense novel that leaves you guessing and on the edge of your seat the whole time. I found the characters in this book to be very interesting and well written and the plot just kept pulling me in deeper and deeper until I couldn't close the book even if I wanted to. There was so much going on in this book that it is hard to talk about in one review however all of it was amazing! It really pulled you in as a reader and when everything was finally laid out in the end it gave you a moments pause to go back and think about everything that led up to it and to see the clues with a new set of eyes. Very good book and I'm glad that I got the chance to check this one out. Not only was the story line something that ever thriller thrives to be but I found the characters to be amazing! Even the ones that I didn't like I found were well written and I loved to hate them. I can't say enough good things about this book! Everyone must read this one. It was like a roller coaster that I never wanted to get off of..

The look alike was an unexpected favorite! This psychological thriller will chill you to the core. A violent murder, a daughter who witnesses a violent crime, a mother with a psychiatric condition, a love affair with a handsome stranger and dysfunctional family dynamics. The twists and turns in the story will take you on a wild ride. The ending will make you scratch your head and rethink everything you’ve read. A great read. 4 stars.

The Look-Alike is a hard to put down and hard to forget novel. The story haunted me for days after I swiped the last page. Full of twists and turns, completely unpredictable. An amazing read!

Sienna Scott hasn't had an easy, carefree life. Her mother is mentally ill, suffering from paranoid delusions. Sienna is now attending college, and one night, she leaves her library study group later than her normal time, only to stumble across a dead body. The victim, a girl wearing an identical coat to Sienna. While Sienna wonders if she was the intended victim, she starts to doubt her sanity, wondering if she has inherited her mother's illness. Sienna's father decides to send her to London to live with her grandmother, and it will be ten years before she comes home.
Her mother is not taking her medication, her brother seems distracted and not very happy to hear that Sienna wants to stay and open a restaurant, and someone is making disturbing phone calls. Could Sienna have been right all those years ago? Was she the intended victim?
I enjoyed The Look-Alike because the author provided so many red herrings! After going back and forth, I settled on one suspect who I was sure was the killer. I was wrong but did manage to figure out several of the sub-plots, so I didn't fail in my attempts to determine whodunnit and why. The plot was fast-paced, there were plenty of suspects, and the reality of living with someone who is mentally ill was well written. I will look for Erica Spindler's books again.
I received a DRC from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley.

I just couldn't get into it. I read the entire book but just never felt connected and didn't have that "I can't stop reading this" feeling. I enjoyed the plot for what it was but for whatever reason, it didn't land with me. I'm not sure if it was because of the way it was written and I think the beginning really through me off as well.

Ten years after the still -unsolved murder of a college classmate and the possibility that she herself was the killer's intended target, Sienna Scott returns to the scene of the crime - the small midwestern city where she was raised and where her beloved stepbrother and her mentally ill mother still live. By now Sienna is a trained and experienced chef, and the inheritance her brother has been managing may make it possible for her to buy out the retiring couple who own the restaurant that could be the fulfillment of her professional dreams. Plus, there's the handsome stranger who's just moved into the house across the street. If not for her mother's paranoid delusions that both their lives are in danger, Sienna's would be close to perfect. But it isn't, and it's about to get a lot worse. Nicely drawn characters and expert pacing in a well-, plotted thriller.

The Look-Alike by Erica Spindler

First Sentence:

Sienna Scott nearly tripped over the body.

Set in Tranquility Bluffs, Wisconsin, college student Sienna Scott stumbles across a murdered girl on campus while walking home late from a study group. The initial investigation never produces the murderer. Strangely enough, Sienna was wearing the same coat on the same night as the girl who was murdered on campus, ten years prior. Coincidence? This is the start of a downward spiral which ultimately leads to Sienna finishing her studies in London. Sienna resembles her mother, who has a serious and debilitating mental illness and Sienna has always felt that people were waiting for her to inherit more than just her mother’s good looks. In fact, for a long time, Sienna was waiting, too.

Ten years later, Sienna returns to Tranquility Bluffs just as the chief of police is reopening the investigation of the murdered girl, Madison. There are several suspects, all of which I was certain were guilty at some point in the book but I have to say that I was pretty surprised when the murderer was revealed.

Sienna is a perfect protagonist for this psychological thriller, she is at times fragile, filled with self-doubt, and fighting against her experiences with growing up with a mentally ill mother but she also shows courage and intelligence in the face of adversity.

The plot is well thought out, traverses seamlessly between the past and the present, and progresses at a quick pace. This is the first book I’ve read by Erica Spindler; I’ll definitely be picking up more of her books.

A big thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

What an ending... This was a truly good psychological thriller. Spindler wove a tapestry of past and present and had me captivated from page one.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. How does the old quote go? Something like, "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you". That is the idea behind this book. Daughter moves back to town to help her sick mother just as the cold case she moved to get away from is being reopened. With lots of twists and turns this one keeps you guessing and reading until the very end. A great book to curl up with on a bad weather day.

One cold winter evening after Sienna Scott leaves her college library , she walks her usual shortcut to her dorm room that’s when she finds a dead girl in a white parka and blood everywhere in the white snow. The campus cop escorts her to the police car and that’s where she learns the dead girl is another student named Madison Robie and she was wearing the same coat as Siennas. Maybe it was Sienna that was supposed to die? Fast forward ten years and never getting over the murder she stumbled on Sienna has been living in England. She decides to move back home to Tranquility Bluffs and help her mother who suffers from a mental illness. Vivienne Scott suffers from persecutory delusional disorder she sees the word as everyone is dangerous. Now back home Sienna begins to wonder if she suffers from the same illness after constantly worrying if it was suppose to be her murdered that cold night. She soon hears the police are reopening Madison’s cold case. Sienna decides to do her own investigating. Her delusional mothers keeps telling her a white van keeps driving by and soon Sienna sees the white van but is she falling for her mother’s delusions? But when the phone calls start with a voice telling her that she was supposed to die that night she gets scared. Sienna wonders if the murderer is someone she knows or is watching her? Is it the new neighbor across the street he keeps watching her from his window, or the white van that her mother claims driving by or is it someone she’s known her whole life? This book kept me guessing I give it four stars!