I haven't read any Erica Spindler thrillers in a few years but have always loved them. She deftly lobs red herrings and masterfully misdirects while writing excellent characters.

This book does a great job of sensitively illustrating the impact of mental illness on entire families but manages to weave it into the mystery and it doesn't drag the story down. The story moves quickly, has many likable and unlikable characters and resolves surprisingly and satisfactorily.

I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to Erica Spindler, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for giving me this Arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Look-alike is about a young woman, Sienna, who goes back home to stay with her mother who suffers from paranoid delusions, just in time to find out that the investigation into the brutal murder she escaped ten years ago, has re-opened.

Who killed beautiful brown-haired Madison Robie, stabbing her eighteen times?

There were so many suspects: friends, neighbors, family...Which - along with the chilling, mysterious calls - reminded me of a quote from the movie Scream, "Ah, friends count, but it's the family ties that cut deep...am I right?" The culprit's identity, however, definitely surprised me, and made perfect sense.

This was a solid mystery/thriller that kept me entertained from start to finish. I'm also stunned by Spindler's writing, and the way she combines the suspense, the atmosphere, the characters, their emotions...in a way that rendered me feeling chilled to the bone!

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. A great psychological thriller. Sienna ha a a mother that suffers from delusional disorder. Her father sends Sienna to London to live to protect her from the mental illness. Before she leaves, she discovers a dead body and noticed a disturbing thing.The girl is dressed like her. Thrilling and fun to read.

“The Look-Alike” by Erica Spindler is an exploration into several aspects of mental illness and the way it affects a family. Sienna Scott has come home after being away for 10 years creating a life for herself as a chef. Missing her mother and brother was part of the reason she is back, but she soon realizes that many of the reasons that she departed had not changed and life is not going to be easy. Ms. Spindler does a first rate job of portraying mental illness with a depth of compassion and understanding that allows the reader to see a snapshot into the constant struggle that many people face. I was given an advanced copy of this book, and all of the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really enjoyed this thriller, and look forward to reading more books by this author. This book had so many twists and turns, I was constantly changing my theory about which characters were villainous. Most importantly, the end was surprising to me and I was so impressed by the way the author incorporated so many earlier details to really make the puzzle fit together for the ending. Highly recommend this one!

Erica Spindler keeps writing great books.
You would think that after a while there would be a drop off, but they keep getting better.
The Look Alike is about Sienna Scott who believes that she escaped being murdered several years ago.
Now she feels that this killer will come back and finish the job.
What is true and what is imagined?
Will her nightmare come true or will she be able to unmask the killer before it is too late

A stand alone thriller that keeps you guessing till the end with the typical Spindler flair and the twists and turns that make it interesting
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book

The reviews on this book seem to be mixed. I personally really enjoyed this book. I admit that the main character got a bit annoying at times. And no, this won't win a Pulitzer. But if you take it for what it's meant to be, you will have a fun, enjoyable ride.

You have a mystery. As women who is afraid she's mentally ill. A town filled with secrets. A little romance. What more could you want?

I want to thank the publisher and #netgalley for an advance copy of this book, which I truly liked. It did not effect my review

The Look-Alike by Erica Spindler has a premise that could’ve been compelling - a woman who fears that her concerns may be mental illness, a killer on the loose, family dysfunction, a small town full of secrets. However, the elementary writing, underdeveloped characters, and a rushed pace make this thriller fall flat from the start, and it never recovers throughout the rest of the story. Mediocre at best.

Absolutely loved this book! The story flows, the characters are fascinating and I couldn't tear myself away. Highly recommended.

Sienna Scott returns to her hometown to help her older brother care for her mentally disturbed mother and face some demons of her own. Just as she arrives in town a decade-old murder investigation is reopened. sienna will never forget the case; she was the one that found the body. and she had always suspected she was the intended victim. while Spindler delivers up and interesting story, her characters just did not ring true and had too many internal inconsistencies to feel like real people. And though I suspected who the killer was about halfway through the book, the reasons behind the killing just seemed ridiculous. I really enjoyed THE OTHER GIRL, Spindler's last book, and I will certainly give her next book a try, but this one missed the mark for me.

A stand alone thriller a chilling look at mental illness .A mentally ill mother a daughter struggling looking for the truth of a horrific act .Multi layered so well written. So tense.#netgalley#st.martins

So good! I am not typically one for thrillers (I have enough trouble sleeping as it is), but I couldn't resist the psychological element of this book. Is Sienna suffering from the same delusions as her mother, or is she on to something in thinking that a local girl who was murdered was really meant to be her? I couldn't put it down!

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

II really liked this. The main character, Sienna, seems like someone that i could be friends with. She is not overly tough and strong, but not frail either. I also felt for Sienna, living with a mentally ill family member. The author provided a lot of insight of the struggles and how difficult it can be to watch someone you love go through this. While I did guess the killer almost as soon as the person was introduced, Ms. Spindler did a pretty decent job of steering me away and making me second guess myself. The storyline moves fairly quickly and held my interest throughout.. Is Sienna crazy? Was she meant to die instead? This was a nice break from the dark, intense thrillers I have been reading lately. I had read several Erica Spindler books over the years and will definitely go back and read some more!

Thank you #NetGalley, Erica Spindler and St. Martin's press for the ARC!

I have posted my review on Goodreads and will post to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook on January 28th, publishing date.

Well written with some unique characters but probably could have been edited for length. I guessed the killer in the first 1/3 of the book.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45046788

The Look-Alike is a page turning thriller about a woman who returns to her home town after being away for a decade to ease her trauma over having found a dead body when she was a college student. In the intervening time, her father which whom she has a close relationship has passed and her mother, who is mentally ill, is even more delusional that before. The murder is still unsolved and Sienna is desperate for answers enlisting the local police, the big brother whom she adores and the handsome new neighbor to help her.

Taut, dramatic, slightly scary and a darn good read! I thoroughly enjoyed #thelookalike from beginning to end and highly recommend it. The stage is set by going back to the past and then switching to the present and this back and forth continues as needed to keep the story developing. The characters are not all as they seem but you are drawn in as they develop and reveal themselves along the way. A classic thriller! Thank you to #netgalley for the ARC to read and review.

Another absolutely amazing, suspenseful and fast paced book by Erica Spindler. Having read all of her novels, each one gets better and better! I thought I had this one figured out, then thought I didn't, then went back to original thought (and so on and so on).. Way to keep the reader on the edge of their seat. This is a book I will absolutely recommend. Thank you for the advanced copy!

Wow! This was such a captivating read! The author does a great job of dealing with the issue of mental illness and the stereotypical misconceptions. The mystery and subterfuge was wonderful. I kept looking at all the characters trying to figure out who it was. I wasn’t surprised by who the evil villain was, but it kept me guessing to right before it was revealed. The writing is phenomenal. This is truly a wonderful piece of psychological suspense. The author should be very proud of herself for creating this masterpiece!

I love reading thrillers that have me guessing until the end and Erica Spindler is a master at them!!!

The Look-Alike centers around Sienna Scott who at age 18 was at the scene of a vicious murder. Not remembering what had transpired that horrific day has haunted Sienna for 10 years! Sienna has avoided her hometown for the last decade for a couple of reasons—the unsolved murder being #1, but her mother instability and metal illness had also played a huge part in wanting to escape. Now back in her hometown, Sienna is determined to help solve the murdered that rocked her to her core as well as face the fears she’s buried about her mother! Wowzer!!!

As I write this review I am still waiting for my racing heartbeat to slow down lol! I found this edge of your seat thriller completely captivating! Erica Spindler has a real talent for placing unforeseen twists and turns in exactly the perfect spots! The storyline was well paced and I promise you won’t be able to put this book down (and if you do, you will be non-stop thinking about it 😂)! The Look-Alike is a 5 star gem that I recommend every mystery/thriller fan!