I'm giving If I Had Two Lives 4 out of 5 stars. I was given a copy of this through NetGalley for an honest review.

What would you do if you found out your parents were keeping something from you? What if your career has a FBI agent hinged on finding out the truth? What if you had to solve a string of serial killings, hunt down your personal truth and find time to kiss the ass of your boyfriend of many years?

These are all the dilemmas facing new FBI agent and seasoned detective Vicky Collins. Vicky, a strong, yet very naiive individual, lives with her less than supportive boyfriend Doug, a real estate mogul and social media influencer. Vicky, an experienved detective, is offered the job of a lifetime as an agent with the FBI. Vicky jumps at the opportunity, despite Doug's hesitance.

Her first stint as an agent is to hunt a serial killer murdering women in a fashion similar to other serial killers, giving him the pseudoynm CopyCat Killer. While Vicky is excited to have her hands in the case, she is informed by her boss, she lied on her FBI application. When questioned further, it is revealed that Vicky's family life is not at all what it has appeared to be. Vicky is placed on leave and uses this opportunity to uncover the deeply hidden secrets of her family. As Vicky becomes closer to the truth, another body is found murdered and Vicky is brought back onto the force to help investigate. On the back burner is her relationship with Doug, which to Vicky's despair winds up causing her even more hurt and will eventually lead Vicky to all the answers she was seeking and more.

This book had it all- mystery, secrets, intrigue, foregiveness, twists, and turns. It was well written and the characters were well developed. A.B. Whelan made you love them or hate them. I felt like I could relate some of the characters to those I knew in real life. The plot and sub plots were interwoven beautifully to lead me wanting more and not feel as I though I was getting lost from one or the other. The secrets were laid out nicely and everything was tied up neatly at the end- no cliffhangers for the reader. The relationships between the characters were well thought out and relatable as well.

There wasn't much I disliked about this book other than two things in particular. Vicky and Doug's relationship at the end of the book (I will leave details out to not spoil anything) made me so very mad. I think this was just from a personal standpoint but Vicky didn't deserve how Doug treated her and Doug, sure as hell, didn't deserve Vicky. I wanted to be that best friend to pull her aside and say not to choose the route she did. The second thing I disliked was how once all the pieces fell into place, the person being sought was someone so very close to Vicky. It was really difficult for me to comprehend that after Vicky obtained a picture of this person much younger, through criminal history, that she was not able to put two and two together seeing the face many years after the fact! It seemd a little too unreasonable for me. However, it was a welcoming twist, especially as earlier on in the book, the reader is misdirected to think something else.

All in all, I would recommend this book. The misdirection and mystery provided by the author makes it the type of book you don't want to put down until you figure out Vicky's family secret or who the infamous Copycat serial killer is.

This is truly a mystery thriller. The author takes you on an emotional and twisty ride. You will think you know who the killer is and how the characters are all connected but the end is jar dropping and happens fast. Buckle in readers.

I’ve decided to not finish this book after passing the 30% mark. I couldn’t connect with the characters, nor with the plot. The writing style was just not for me and I got a bit too bored.

I won’t share my review or opinions anywhere since I DNFed it.

If I Had Two Lives was a very exciting mystery/thriller. I enjoyed A.B. Whelan's writing style. The fact that this book is based on a true story adds to how disturbing it is. The book is definitely a dark, psychological thriller with great twists throughout.

Vicky is an FBI agent, who is working a murder case. While trying to find this killer she is also dealing with some serious family issues. She's put on leave after being told that she is hiding having a brother with a criminal past. She claims she has not been hiding anything and decides to look into her family. The two situations start to weave together in a page turning way. I really enjoyed Vicky and following her story.

I would absolutely recommend this book to family and friends. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC for my honest review.

A gripping and exciting thriller about Vicky who is a FBI agent with some twists thrown in. She tries to solve a murder and has lots of personal family issues along the way. It was a quick read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release. All opinions are my own.

I'm divided about this book. On the one hand, if you are looking for a gritty dark psychological thriller this one hits the mark. But I found that the main character just didn't click with me. Definitely not a light summer read but I still think you should give it a try. I received an e-book from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.

This was a great mystery. It follows an FBI agent as she works to solve a crime. I enjoyed reading this one, and it was written rather well.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this E-book to review via Netgalley.

This mystery about an FBI agent, Vicky Collins, simultaneously investigating a serial killer and the hidden secrets in her family was a real page turner with genuinely shocking twists. Vicky is a strong and smart heroine you will want to root for. The setup is pretty genius: a routine DNA test taken when Vicky joins the FBI shows that she has a brother who is a criminal. The FBI thinks she didn’t disclose him, but in fact she never knew he existed. As Vicky investigates her previously unknown brother, she also learns more about the killer and some parallels emerge.

I really liked AB Whelan’s writing style. Addictive and page-turning. I also really liked the heroine and the shocking nature of the twists. I had a few problems with the plot — at times it required a little TOO much suspension of disbelief and required the reader to disregard a few too many coincidences. There were also a few loose ends left hanging that I would really have liked to seen resolved, particularly the ones about Vicky’s marriage. But overall I really enjoyed the characters and the writing. I will for sure seek out this author’s other books!

3.75 stars. Thanks to the publisher, AB Whelan and NetGalley for the advance copy!

3.5 First a thank you to NetGalley for sharing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not going to summarize the book since that's best left to the professionals (and if you're reading this review you've likely already read one.) As soon as I saw the cover, then read all the glowing reviews, I dove into this with glee, expecting my brain to blow open. It didn't. That is not to say, however, that I didn't thoroughly enjoy this novel. There's basically nothing I love more than a straight up good old fashioned profiling tale. If I Had Two Lives more than cuts the mustard and it held my attention throughout. I also enjoyed several twist & turns in particular. My only real quibbles are that the characters didn't feel that they had as much depth as they could have and I did have to roll my eyes at some of the protagonist's choices regarding her personal life. But, then again, we all make unwise decisions once in a while. A few of the transitions could've been a little smoother, but I was reading the ARC, so that may be a moot point in the final product. Overall, an enjoyable engaging read and one that I would recommend.

I love thrillers, but I can usually figure out what happens before the big reveal or have at least some of the pieces put together! This thriller, however, kept me guessing until the very end and I loved it! I also felt like I could identify with Victoria, the main character a lot. Overall, this book takes a good look at the psychology behind children who experienced trauma in the foster care system, while also serves up a twisty thriller. It was a pleasure to read!

This was a wild ride! Fast-paced, addicting, full of twists, and will keep you guessing till the end. Loved it!

Thank you to Whelan, the publisher, and Netgalley for an advanced ARC of If I Had Two Lives in exchange for an honest review. This is a absolute thrilling ride read. I loved and devoured every page, I just couldn't get enough for the book. 5 STARS all the way.

Dark and twisted. Very well-written, filled with twists and turns to keep the reader guessing.

A surprisingly unguessable ending! Finally!

My first read from this author but not my last.

In general, I don't enjoy books with law enforcement/detectives as a main character. I don't know why, it's just a thing. Regardless, If I Had Two Lives, the story of a young FBI agent, is a fantastic thriller.

Vicky has a great life. She's a cybercrimes special agent and have a wonderful real estate star boyfriend. However....the walls around Vicky soon crumble as family secrets are uncovered.

Inspired by a true (and VERY disturbing) story, A.B. Whelan has written a page-turner of a book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book is really like a law enforcement thriller. The main character gets recruited into elite agency. I really liked it I was on the edge of my seat to the last page.

Firstly, I remember hearing the chilling real life incident which is the basis for this book The novel is even darker and more twisted, if possible. Secondly, please, I’m begging you, bring Vicky back for a sequel. As difficult as this book is to read, it’s a wonderful thriller with the reader looking over her shoulder at her own family at the end of each chapter.. Highly recommended but brutal. Read

I somehow requested a book I’ve already read and reviewed! Sorry!

4-5 stars, for this chilling, disturbing, and unputdownable thrill ride! I found it to be so well written, and absolutely chilling, and while disturbing still great. It was fast paced, and easy to stick to and not so easy to switch to another read. I highly, highly recommend to those who love twisted, deliciously dark thrillers!
Will make sure to buzz it up on all the different platforms