Although I enjoyed another read by this author, I simply could not finish this book. I tried to slog my way through and just could not. There was nothing wrong with the writing, but nothing made me want to find out more. It may have eventually went somewhere but at about 45% in and still nothing, I decided to call it quits.

A twin with severe anxiety, paranoia and compulsion, has to deal with the murder of her twin, her other half. She grieves, she investigates or does she. A tense, complicated thriller,with a matter of fact style had me gripped right from the beginning and held my interest, while the ending wasn't as strong it did leave me thinking, which i like

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

Despite her extreme anxieties Molly flies to New York to be with her parents after the murder of her twin Katie, and works harder than the police and a mysterious PI to find Katie's killer. We hear about every meal Molly eats and where she eats it, and the precise location of every building she enters and how she gets there. It is impossible to go into details without spoiling, but I found the narration unconvincing emotionally and psychologically, and the plot was complex and implausible, leaving certain foundational elements unexplained.

However, I'm still giving it three stars, because I found it an entertaining read and it held my interest on an almost apocalyptically nightmarish journey.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the copy of First Born. I found this book enthralling at first. I loved Molly and all of her quirks and fears. The research she did to stay safe was so interesting. Then the details started to get convoluted and confusing. One big twist was completely implausible the way it was written. The very end didn’t really make sense to me and was kind of a letdown. I enjoyed most of the book and if you are willing to suspend belief and love some good twists this book is perfect for you. I’m not sure I would read it again, but I am interested in other books by this author because I really liked the majority of the book. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

4.25 twin stars

These twin sisters – Katie and Molly – may look alike, but they have very different personalities. Katie is more outgoing and always willing to try new things. Molly is fearful of new situations and prefers to be an observer of life. Katie is off on a new adventure, attending Columbia on a scholarship and loving life in New York.

Molly’s world is shaken when she gets word that Katie has been found dead in New York. She fearfully boards a plane in London to be with her parents, who had been visiting Katie, and grapple with her twin’s death.

Despite her fears, Molly heads out into the world of New York to find clues in her sister’s death. She meets her sister’s friends and boyfriend and tries to piece it all together. The police are trying to get to the bottom of the case when another body is found!

True to form with this author, all is not what it seems and this one had some clever twists that kept me guessing and made for a thrill ride. Overall, I did enjoy this one, but it is a tad over the top and stretches believability. If you are good with those elements, I recommend this one!

The premise is interesting, and the book is a slow burn with twists and turns, some more hard to believe than others. This book was not for me, but it seems popular with others, so I would recommend for those who appreciate slow to start, twisty suspense novels. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I have never met a set of twins that I couldn’t tell apart.

So, I was relieved when Molly shared with us, in the first few pages, that although she has a monozygotic (identical) twin, that the two couldn’t be more different. Though once, one person-they definitely aren’t anymore.

Molly leads a structured life, finding that comfort in routine, and meticulous research, helps to calm her neurosis.

Katie, (KT) is outgoing and adventurous, and she accepted a college sponsorship and moved to NY.

So when Molly’s parents call her to share the news that Katie may have been murdered while they were visiting her in the States, she must set aside her fears and travel there. Wanting to investigate on her own, Molly will have to channel her “inner twin” for the courage to track her final movements and right some wrongs.

Unlike most readers, I preferred the first half, as Molly pushed herself beyond her comfort zone, on behalf of Katie, in a pulsating Manhattan setting.

But the second half loses ALL PLAUSIBILITY once the first SHOCKING twist is revealed. The motive for murder was weak, and the denouement pretty outrageous.

This was a FUN group read which offered some lively discussion!

NO DOUBT it’s entertaining if you can suspend all belief, and prefer TWISTS to a credible narrative.

3.5 ⭐️

Thank You to Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

I love Will Dean, I was so excited to get approved for this book as The Last Thing To Burn is one of my favorite books. He did not disappoint. He is a master story teller and keeps the pages turning. I really enjoyed this one.

Will Dean does it again! Such a great read with a huge creep factor. Starts with a bit of a slow burn and then I got totally sucked in. Loved the characters and loved to hate some as well. Twists and turns that knocked my socks off.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

What?!?! Wow! I did not see that ending coming!
There are so many twists all throughout this story. It really kept my interest. I was totally invested in it and finished it within a day! This will definitely be a thriller for the summer!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Molly Raven is an identical twin. Her life in London is quiet, reserved, and governed by the belief that one can never (literally, never) be over-prepared for a bad situation. Halfway across the world, her twin sister Katie is living a vibrant life of partying and spontaneous jet-setting. That is, until she's found dead in her New York apartment with suspicions of foul play.

If you are a reader that can easily suspend belief and prefers a punch-packing twist to a plausible plot and fully-formed characters, look no further than "First Born." Dean masterfully weaves not one, but several heart-pounding twists into his latest debut; and even more for the experienced reader, these will be hard to see coming.

Personally, I never became fully invested in the story because of little plot holes, the characters feeling under-developed, and implausible dialogue. The story served up a lot of potential, but ultimately fell short for me even with its jaw-dropping twists and turns. If you're an analytical reader like me, and need your twists to come with a side of strong character development and airtight plot plausibility, I'd recommend you skip this one.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for my advanced review copy of this title*

Holy shit. What the hell did I just read? Will Dean is a master at weaving a twisted and addictive read. I had no idea where this was going and 100% didn’t see the ending coming. It just smacked me in the face out of nowhere

3.5 stars.

I have to commend the author for a truly unique plot! I read a ton of thrillers and lately seem to be reading books with similar tropes. I've been in a little bit of a reading rut and this was the perfect read to get me out of it. There are plenty of twists and turns and even the most seasoned thriller won't be able to see them coming.

However, certain aspects of the plot seemed unnecessary and, even as red herrings, detracted from the central storyline. A deeper dive into one or two of these strands would have been much more effective. I can easily suspend my disbelief when reading but it makes it harder when the ridiculous, over the top storylines don't serve a larger purpose. I enjoyed the big twists (even though at least one will be controversial with readers) but felt the smaller details could be more refined and would really make this book a top thriller of 2022.

I also feel like the ending of this book left me with so many questions... Not because it was open ended, rather that cohesiveness was sacrificed to create the big twists.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for a review.

OHMYGOODNESS! 10 BILLION STARS! This another thriller of the summer. The first twist blew me away! Until the 2nd and 3rd and then the final twist. This book was so good and cleverly well written and it's unlike anything I've read. It was crazy, eerie, haunting and gasp out loud amazing.

Ok, wow! I literally just finished this book, but needed to get some thoughts out to process my feelings! This book, which I felt started slow, picked up a little before midway and sprinted to the end. What was the first twist for me just came out so quickly and effortlessly, I yelled WHAT??? Then reread that part 5 times. It was a single sentence, that changed literally everything. Then I sat there and had to think back on the book for any signs I might have missed! With the final twist, I found myself doing the same thing! This book flowed nicely and the characters were so complex and interesting! I enjoyed the twins angle for this story, it worked and made it very interesting. I haven’t read anything by this author before, but will definitely look for more books now! Thank you NetGalley and atria books for this digital arc!

Oh, Will Dean, you took me on a roller coaster ride 🎢, I yelled all the way, and loved every page of it. The ups and downs of this story left my head reeling and the twisty turns were some mighty fine gotcha moments.

This story revolves around twins, identical in every way. Almost! Molly and Katie Raven, the Raven twins, were united in the womb, but seemed to grow to be as different as day and night. Katie was outgoing, a college student at Columbia University with NYC at her fingertips. She had a scholarship which paid for everything, as well as educational trips to destinations that many of us dream of. Yes, Katie had a brilliant life until someone murdered her. At the time of Katie's murder her parents were visiting from England, and alarmed and devastated they called Molly who came rushing over from London where she lived.

Molly is an odd sort, always worried about the ways in which one could die, and preparing herself for any eventuality, Be prepared was the mantra she lived by. However, Molly's life was dull, boring, and she envied the life that Katie has set in front of her. Molly was shy, didn't date, so this sad trip to NYC was very taxing on her. She and her parents stay in a fifth-rate hostel for money is tight. They console one another as best they can and await the autopsy results which eventually show that Katie was smothered.

Molly is overwrought and sets it upon herself to track down the killer as she meets a cast of Katie's friends and people she knew, all of which give off creepy vibes. Preparing herself with a baseball bat, and assorted other accoutrements which she thinks will protect her from the nasty NY element, she sets out and ferrets out clues, people and internet connections with a contact to the police department.


I was deeply involved in the story and my Nancy Drew radar was up 👀, so at about 45%, I deduced I had found the culprit, only to have my deduction fail in the next 5% 😳. I loved it however 😍! The fact that for the first 50% Will Dean had fooled me and then delivered a smashing curve ball made me realize how brilliant Mr. Dean was. 🧠 (Perhaps I need a refresher Nancy Drew class! 🤷‍♀️)

The second half of the book is filled with schemes, lots of schemes and wondering what was going to occur, I anxiously turned the pages (figuratively, I was on my kindle) and found a story that even at the end had another revelation that blasted my perceptions. All in all, this was a fun story, cleverly executed, and so easy to read. Did it have a few eye rolling moments? Yep...Did I mind them?.....Nope

So, if you like books that carry a surprise or two, grab onto this one due out on July 5, 2022.
Many thanks to Will Dean, Atria Books, and NetGalley for and advanced copy this enjoyable story.

Amazing book! The first part had me confused as to why this was a thriller....the rest just wow! I could not put it down. The twists and turns are crazy.
Thanks to netgalley, the publisher and mostly the author for the chance to read this advanced copy.

This one is hard for me to review. I absolutely loved the first half of the book and the New York setting was AMAZING. NYC is one of my favorite settings for books and this one was done so well. I really felt like I was living inside the book and I love that.

However, I didn't love the second half. I didn't really love any of the characters and actually hated some but not in the love-to-hate-you kind of way. I just didn't care for them. The plot also seemed to take some weird turns that I didn't particularly enjoy, which was so disappointing to me since I devoured and loved Dean's last book, The Last Thing to Burn.

The ending did had some shock value but I was a little underwhelmed.

Overall, this one was three stars for me. Fantastic setting and writing, ok characters and plot.

Molly, who lives in London, receives a call that her twin sister Katie has been found dead in her apartment in NYC. Despite her anxiety and OCD, she travels to New York, and discovers her sister has been hiding quite a few secrets. I won’t ruin the story by revealing any more of the plot, as this is one crazy ride from start to finish. The writing is crisp, totally in sync with the characters, with fantastic scene-setting and unending suspense as Molly tries to track down her sister’s killer. I was completely absorbed in this one, there’s more than a few “what did I just read” moments, and it just blew me away! Absolutely loved it, move this to the top of your must-read list, totally recommend.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I cannot wait for this author's next book. Chilling, riveting and obsessed -I could not put this book down, read in a day.
Molly lives a quiet, structured and stable life. Spending hours on YouTube and other sites to become more aware of surroundings, safety techniques and hoarding the necessary items, Molly has always been conscientious of potential hazards, down to the percentage.
Her parents call with devastating news - her identical twin (though they are not identical people) has been found dead. Suspicious death, looks like homicide. Their parents found her body - on a visit to NYC to see KT.
Molly quickly gathers her necessary items, gets on a plane and arrives. Quickly picking up the leads of KT's case, Molly immerses herself in KT's life - anything to help the Detective solve the case before it loses interest.
Love Dean's writing style -this book DID NOT disappoint!