Sienna Scott’s life has been defined by the persecutorial delusionary disorder that grips her mother - and the popular belief that she will follow in her mother’s footsteps and descend into madness. After all, she looks just like Viv. Sienna was sent away to London when she stumbled upon a murder victim on her college campus and started to exhibit what her father thought was paranoia. But 10 years later, she’s returned - and so has the murder case. Can Sienna put the ghosts of the past to bed and start living a normal life in her hometown? Or will the past forever haunt her?

This mystery combines some of the classic elements of a great thriller - murder and madness, which also means an unreliable narrator and tons of questions. Also, there’s plenty of suspects and misdirection. It’s pretty obvious who the three main suspects are going to be at the beginning of the story, and each becomes the main suspect at some point in the book. I was convinced of each person’s guilt or each person’s “real” identity at different points, and each time I was wrong, lol. So trust me, there’s plenty to keep readers guessing.

Sienna is a good character because you want to trust her so much and root for her, but there’s always that little voice in the back of your head that is looking for a hole in her story. And she’s not even that confident in herself throughout most of the book, so it’s a great twist in the plot to have her working through all her personal demons while she’s also trying to work through this intense murder mystery.

There’s also a bit of romance in the story, which added a bit of spice to things. And a bit of intrigue. It was quite interesting. And I loved it. That’s all I will say about it.

Overall, Fans of thriller should go out and get this book, pronto, You won’t be disappointed.

At 18 years old Sienna Scott was the first to discover the body of a murdered student on her college campus late one stormy night on a secluded path she took home regularly. Sienna begins to question whether or not she was the intended target when she realizes the victim was wearing the same coat as her. Sienna's worries are compounded by the fact that her mother's paranoid delusions are getting worse. When things reach a tipping point Sienna is abruptly sent away to London to live with family. Ten years later, Sienna has decided to return to her hometown only to discover that the murder case that drove her from home has been reopened and her mother's illness has taken a turn for the worse. When Viv begins ranting about white vans and prank phone calls Sienna fears for her mother's sanity but when Sienna begins to experience the same strange occurrences she begins to wonder if her mother has been telling the truth all along or could it be that she is slipping into the same illness that has taken over her mother's life for all these years? "The Look-Alike" is a page-turning thriller filled with twists and turns. Though you think you may have this whodunit figured out numerous times author Erica Spindler leaves you second guessing yourself over and over again. A worthwhile read for any suspense/mystery fan. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this one and couldn’t put it down! I will continue to seek out and read Erica Spindler’s books and I’m looking forward to it!! Read this. Thank you!

Good old family drama mixed with a who done it! Sign me up! 

Sienna was sent away to London by her father because he worried about her mental health. Her mother suffers from mental illness. Years later she decided to return home to be with her mother and face her fears. When Sienna was younger she found a girl murdered. She had always wondered if it was meant to be her. Now with her back she begins to wonder who around her is the killer.

This book was a excellent read. The author did a great job building the characters and writing a believable story.

The Look-Alike was such an unforgettable psychological thriller that I couldn't put down and easily finished within a day!  

Erica Spindler has become a very steady favorite author of mine!  I feel like I can always depend on an excellent read from her!  She did a superb job of making the reader feel just as confused as the characters seemed to be! I must have gone through a dozen theories before the end just to find the ending was something totally different than all of thoughts that I had previously!

Overall, stellar book that I couldn't put down!  It was a fast-paced, suspenseful read!  Don't waste any time getting this book and devouring it!  I absolutely LOVED this book!

I would like to extend a sincere thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Erica Spindler for providing me a copy of The Look-Alike in return for an honest and unbiased review.

When I get the chance to read an Erica Spindler novel, I jump at the chance.  I love her books and have been a fan for a while now.  With her newest book The Look Alike, Erica does not hold back, nor does she disappoint me in any way.  Sienna Scott did not grow up in a normal, happy-filled life, but in the shadows of her mom's paranoid delusions.  However, is it her Mom's head or is there some truth behind it?  
   While Sienna was in collage, she stumbles upon a gruesome scene. A young woman was murdered just moments before hand.  Like any normal person, Sienna had some nightmares over what had happened, not to mention the what if's,the could have and starting to have doughts about certain things.  
   Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of, to feel shamed about, and Erica Spindler did a marverlous job with Sienna's mom and Sienna's own accord. Erica is truly a creative, spine-tingling, cannot put the book down, and who caused me to have some restless nights.  Which is okay on my book.  I love books like this one.  The plot kept moving, characters grew when they needed to, and kept me at the edge of my seat. 
  Thank you Netgalley for giving me this opportunity for this this ARC. Thank you Erica Spindler for writing another spell-binding story. Love it.

When Sienna Scott, a college student, stumbles upon the body of a fellow student on campus, her life is turned upside down. 

I have read several other novels by Erica Spindler and I thoroughly enjoyed all of them. This novel was no different. I love reading thriller novels and this one was full of twists and turns that the reader never sees coming. 

One irony of the novel is the setting. The city of Tranquility Bluffs is everything but tranquil for many years after the unsolved murder takes place. 

One thing I loved about this novel is that the reader never knows who the killer is until the very end. Spindler keeps the reader guessing the entire novel and I personally never saw the end coming. 

I will continue to be a fan of Erica Spindler and read any novel she publishes.

Another thriller, bone chilling - can't pout down story from Erica Spindler! Sienna grew up in an alternative reality with her mom. Thinking her mom is delusional Sienna just wanted to escape but she has returned home now after being gone for many years. Soon Sienna begins to ask herself was her mom really delusional? or was someone really after them...Sienna in particular. A story you won't want to put down! Happy reading!

The Look-Alike is suspenseful, and twisty, and everything I like in a thriller.  I enjoyed this book completely, and read it in one sitting.  Thank you, Erica Spindler, for a wonderfully entertaining novel!

Loved it! I had never read this author before, but saw a friend recommend this book. I was not disappointed. Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read and review this title!

A big thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for originally giving me a chance to read and review THE LOOK-ALIKE by Erica Spindler. Unfortunately, I put it on the back burner for quite a while with more pressing library hold due dates and book club picks. I finally read this tense thriller thanks to my membership in Brenda Novak Book Club.
I am so glad I finally read this book in March. Erica Spindler was a new to me author, but after reading this book I have become a huge fan. I have even gone so far as to join her EPIC Facebook group.
Sienna is afraid that her mother's mental illness issues are affecting her just as she has inherited her mother's looks. Sienna moved away from her hometown after tragedy in the past, but now she is back again to care for her mother. The past seems back to haunt her and she fears a killer is out to get her and tie up loose ends from the past. Her next door neighbor is very attractive, but can she trust him?
Erica Spindler does an incredible job of crafting a thriller that will keep you going at a fast pace to find out whodunit. Psychological and domestic thrillers are all the rage now and only talented writers like Erica Spindler make them seem realistic and not contrived.
I will certainly be going back to read this amazing author's back list and looking for future novels.

I’m not exactly sure if I’ve read, or listened, to an Erica Spindler book before. I think my reasoning behind requesting The Look-Alike by Erica Spindler to be featured on my blog was so that I could try out her writing style. Or maybe I just wanted to figure out what her brand of mystery novels were all about. My experiment was a success and I can honestly say that I enjoyed her brand of storytelling.

I wasn’t expecting to have to wait almost 2 months before the audiobook became available from my local library, but I knew that in order for me to get the full scope of the story I would need to listen to The Look-Alike in full production. Having Tavia Gilbert narrate it was also a treat I wasn’t expecting, it was nice having her voice in my ears since I hadn’t listened to a narration of her since my Night Huntress days.

The mystery at first seemed predictable, which prompted me to immediately think that I knew who the bad guy was. I was surprised and shocked that the person I paid the least attention to ended up being the killer. That was a twist I wasn’t expecting nor anticipating, I was sure that it was someone much closer to her just off of a few instances and interactions that happened early in the book.

The one critique I have for The Look-Alike by Erica Spindler was that none of the characters were likable for me. Maybe the Sheriff I somewhat looked favorable on, but for the main characters I got comfortable in the fact that I would have to rely upon the actual story to carry me to the last page if I was ever going to fully enjoy this book. With that said, I am definitely interested in reading, or listening, to other Erica Spindler titles that happen to cross my eye as I’m searching for my next mystery/thriller/suspense novel.

I received this book for free as an ARC for an honest review from #NetGalley.

This book is a lot mystery, some people might call it thriller), a little bit romance. I probably suspected each of the different characters at some point throughout the book. Well done, Ms Spindler!

I would definitely read another book by this author. Fully enjoyed it!

THE LOOK ALIKE by ERICA SPINDLER was an entertaining, light, and quick read but it was one that I wasn’t always fully invested in.

I found the premise to be quite appealing and the story suspenseful enough even though I figured out quite early on who the killer was. I kept on reading though because I could never figure out what their motive was.

Overall it was an okay read and I’m glad that I read it. 

Thank you so much to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Erica Spindler for the opportunity to read an early copy.

Amazing thriller! I had never read any of Erica Spindler's novels before, and now I want to read all of them. I loved all the twists and turns. It definitely kept me interested, and I just wanted to keep reading. I love novels that involve psychological illness. It makes the storyline so much more interesting to me. Highly recommend if you love a fast paced thriller!!

**Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the copy in exchange for an honest review.**

Sienna comes back home 10 years after she discovered a murdered girl at her college campus. Her Mom suffers from delusions, certain everyone is out to get her and her family. 
Sienna has always worried she might be like her mother and being home with these memories being drudged up, it might seem that way.

Though I guessed who the killer had been pretty quickly, I was still intrigued by the thought that I might be wrong.

I tried to get into this book but it ultimately fell flat for me. The premise was unique but I found the writing stilted and a little boring. Not one of my favorites.

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

I’ve had some Erica Spindler books on my list for awhile- but something about this one caught my eye and I sat down to read it

I really enjoyed the pacing of this book- I did figure out some of the ending ahead of time- but that was ok- because I was really entertained by the story.

What I liked:

The cover. Memorable and creepy.

Mother/daughter dysfunctional stories can be my jam or they can be a disaster. This was my jam.

How everything was wrapped up- satisfactory!

 

Bottom line: Because I enjoyed The Look-Alike so much, I picked up another one of Erica’s books to read at some point- The First Wife.

The Look-Alike
Erica Spindler
4 stars
What a ride!  The Look-Alike by Erica Spindler is a fantastic psychological thriller that kept me turning the page.  Sienna Scott stumbles on a murder 10 years ago, a murder that remains unsolved.  Sienna has gone on to London, finished culinary school, and is now back in her hometown where the murder changed her life before.  But someone has been waiting for her.  Filled with suspense throughout, I really enjoyed this book.  I did figure out who did it very early on, but there were so many twists and turns that I doubted myself throughout and had everyone on the suspect list at one point or another.  Great read from Erica Spindler!  I look forward to reading more from her.
Thank you to #Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced e-copy.

there are two kinds of readers, those who like lots of description and those that want to get to the meat of the story. I'm in the second group. Although this was suspenseful, I thought too much had been added. As I reflect back on that perhaps that was needed for all the red herrings thrown out to distract us from the real culprit. The issue of mental illness and its treatment was well done. That, the red herrings and the understanding that all readers aren't like me, deserve the 4 stars. If you are more like me, its a 3 star.