The Missing Twin

This is not my usual style of book but I was willing to give it a go, and wow I'm so glad I did. I was absolutely intrigued as to how the two main characters in this book, Edie and Fatima, were going to come together. When they did it made me love the book even more.
This book was so well written, I had absolutely no idea about Fatimas brother and Edies sister until right up to it was revealed.
Great story line and so nice to read something different. Would recommend this book to anybody!

I loved The Missing Twin I could not put it down.
I had no idea how Fatima and Edie would be connected throughout the book but this made me want to carry on reading as I just had to find out what would happen and it all fitted together in the end.
Throughout the story we find out more about Fatima and Edie and the stories they are telling.
The twists and turns towards the end of the book through me completely I had no idea.
A great book that I enjoyed.

A pair of very different storylines converge and eventually synchronise with fascinating aplomb. There are moments of genuine heart-wrenching pathos, anxiety, suspicion, fear and action. There are twists galore but the main characters aren’t simply cut-outs for the writer to manipulate. They are genuine people who mature and achieve self-knowledge.

The Missing Twin is essentially two stories, alternating between Edie and Fatima. Two very different people, both stories utterly compelling.
Edie is working in a holiday resort, she’s young and full of life, living the dream. Laura, Edie’s twin sister and best friend arrives unannounced and Edie is over the moon. They only have a short time together when Laura goes missing. Living and working in a foreign country, Edie isn’t sure who to turn to for help, can her lover Vuk help? The police don’t seem interested and Edie has her suspicions tickled when Laura’s scarf is found.
Meanwhile in another country Fatima’s life is turned totally upside down, she goes from living a comfortable life with her husband and twin daughters to total devastation when bombs rip through her country and the only way to survive is to flee and seek  asylum in the EU.
Both stories had me totally gripped, flying through the pages. Alex Day has a way of transporting the reader, I could feel the heat and tensions building up, this is one of those books where you can’t just read one more chapter. I’d get to the end of one of Edie’s chapters, holding my breath desperately needing to know what was going to happen next to then go on to Fatima’s chapter and be blown away by her story and desperately needing to know how things would turn out for her. It’s so very cleverly written, it’s very easy to lose time while reading.
From reading the description, I knew that Edie and Fatima’s paths were set to collide but I couldn’t figure out how and I was really eager to try and fit all the pieces together. Some I did but others were lost under the sofa I think as I was totally shocked when everything came together. The Missing Twin really does have the wow factor.   
I’m so pleased I bumped this up my reading list, I’m honestly not sure what I was expecting from The Missing Twin but I definitely got more than I bargained for, it really got under my skin. It’s tense, emotional, heart-breaking and really get’s you thinking about the world we live in and the journey lots of people are facing.
I definitely will be recommending The Missing Twin and I’m excited to see what Alex Day will come up with next.

The missing twin tells the story of two different people from different walks of life.
The first one is Edie who is working on a beach resort after leaving her life behind to do something different, one day her twin Laura comes to see her, they go out for the night, the next day Laura is nowhere to be be found. The rest of Edies story is spent trying to find Laura.
The second woman is Fatima, a refugee fleeing from a war torn country to claim asylum in the EU.
The book is split up into one chapter of Edie and the next Fatima and so on. At first Edie comes across as quite childish and annoying. Her obsession with Vuk, a man who works at the resort and treats her like dirt is annoying and at times I found myself thinking that it was ridiculous and no one acts like that. The chapters which were Fatima were, I thought a lot stronger at the start and her story was more real. The description of her life and what her and her family had to go through were really interesting and made me think more about refugees, and what they have to suffer to get to places such as England.
However once the story got fully going and Edie was uncovering clues as to where Laura was I found both parts or the story really good.
The way the story comes to its conclusion is really good and I wasn't expecting the twist at the end at all.
This book was fantastic and I really enjoyed it. It took me two days to read it and it's a real page turner. I know I'm enjoying a book when I skim in front because I can't wait to see what's happening, and I was doing this a lot especially towards the end when the story was reaching its conclusion.
Highly recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley and TBC for providing me with a copy of this book to review.

The Missing Twin is an exciting debut novel by Alex Day. It is a brilliant read, that’ll keep you guessing and turning the pages to find out what will happen next.

Edie and Laura are twins. Edie has been living and working on a Mediterranean island and is thrilled when her sister turns up out of the blue to surprise her. After Laura arrives they both hit the town but the next morning, Edie discovers that Laura is missing. Filled with anxiety for her twin, she is desperate to find her sister, but her boyfriend, Vuk, warns her against approaching the police. Who can she trust to help her?

Meanwhile, Fatmia is fleeing her country which has been torn apart by war. She is desperate to reach mainland Europe and begins the dangerous journey with her two children to find safety.

I was intrigued by both of the stories in this book. Fatima’s story was heartbreaking, it really makes you think about what is going on in the world today with the refugee crisis and Alex writes her story incredibly well. I was always looking for clues to see how the stories could possibly be connected but when I thought I had worked it out but I was completely surprised by the ending which Alex had in store for us, the ending of the book really blew me away.

A great read from Alex, a book that I highly recommend, I’m looking forward to seeing what she does next. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a copy to read.

Growing up in Brighton with two doctor parents, her twin Laura and their younger brother, Edie has only known her love life to be competitive with her sister as she falls in love with Vuk but as the adoration from Zayn stays strong, she vows to set him up with Laura.

When Edie wakes up from a night out to her sister being missing, she freaks out and panic's, just where is her sister now?

When the police can't help due to her sister being an adult and no suspicious circumstances being present. Whilst Edie carries on working at the resort she keeps on asking around if anyone has seen her sister.

Can she trust Zayn and Vuk completely?

Especially when her sister's scarf, texts supposedly from her begin arriving from an unknown number and a scream is heard also later on...

Fatima has two twin daughters whom she dotes over, however, when she finds their home has been destroyed by a bomb she never expects to find her husband's body there in an in repairable state. Taking her twins with her she flees for safety and a better life eventually after struggling for money and finding any relative safety. Unfortunately, that means forcing herself to marry Ehsan, a man who rapes her as he believes she owes it to him to fulfill his needs which then lands her in an even more dangerous situation as they are still on the run from their home country...

Then Peter, a holidaying cop makes a discovery as does Edie as she finds all is not as it seems and neither is the company she keeps as well as herself...

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Thank You to Helen Boyce and the author Alex Day on TBC Reviewer Request Group on Facebook for giving me a copy of "The Missing Twin", in exchange for a fair and honest review. This is a gripping debut psychological thriller that will keep you guessing until the last page.

“A MISSING GIRL…A SECRET TO BE UNCOVERED.”

Edie and Laura were identical twins. Laura expectantly arrived at the holiday resort on the shores of the Adriatic Sea where Edie worked, for a surprise visit. They both hit the town that night to celebrate, and the next morning Edie finds that Laura is missing! She must find her sister.

“At the same time, in a country on the other side of the sea, Fatima and her twin daughters set out on a harrowing journey that only the strongest – and luckiest – survive.”

After the death of her husband, Fatima and her two twin children are fleeing their war-torn country as refugees to Europe to find safety, and a better life.

“Edie and Fatima’s lives are worlds apart, but now, their paths are set to collide, with devastating consequences. When Fatima hovers on the brink of survival, Edie must risk her own life to save her, and finally discover the truth about her missing sister”.

Fatima’s story was heart-breaking, and made me appreciate my good life and take a closer look at the refugee crisis in the world today. Meanwhile, I was following the clues of Laura’s disappearance, trying to see where these two stories could merge. I was completely amazed by the ending… which really blew me away. I didn’t see it coming. This was a fast read and easy to follow with alternating chapters between Edie and Fatima.

The Missing Twin is an exciting debut novel by Alex Day, and that will keep you guessing and turning the pages to find out what will happen next.

Now available for request on Netgalley (UK)
Publication date is August 18, 2017

Now EVERYONE knows I love a twin book and I had so many people point me in the direction of this book but I have to say a special thanks to the fabulous Claire Knight who made sure I was aware of The Missing Twin as soon as it became available. And what a twin book this one was! Heartbreaking, intense and frustrating at times, its definitely one you won’t be able to put down as you struggle to work out the connection between Fatima and Edie. I thoroughly enjoyed following their stories, which are on a collision course to some shocking reveals!

Two very different women with two very different stories meant that this intriguing thriller was never quite what I expected. And I had rather different reactions to them both as well. Edie is working in a holiday resort somewhere on the Adriatic coast and is unexpectedly surprised by her twin sister Laura who turns up to visit her. But the day after she arrives Laura goes missing and Edie is struggling to remember what happened the previous evening. Fatima is escaping her war torn country for a better life in the EU with her young twin daughters but every step of the way is fraught with danger.

I was really baffled to begin with on how the stories of two such different women could actually be connected! Edie wasn’t a particularly likeable character in my mind, she seemed to have no self respect or discipline and made some very questionable decisions. But as soon as Laura went missing she changed and it became 100% about finding Laura for her. I had much more sympathy for Fatima and her heart wrenching tale of escape so she could provide a better life for her children. I found myself quite heavily invested in this part of The Missing Twin as Alex Day wrote with such emotion that I was always keen to get back to her story, hoping that nothing else could have gone wrong as she fought her way to safety. Whereas I was getting very frustrated with Edie as, although she was increasing in her desperation to find Laura, her questionable methods made me want to slap some sense into her (and I’m not a violent person honestly!) And her boyfriend Vuk gave me the creeps everytime Edie came into contact with him.

I do defy anyone to guess the outcome of this compelling thriller! Towards the end there are more twists and turns than you can throw a stick at and Alex Day needs to take a bow for writing this expertly crafted, diverting and absorbing storyline. Recommended by me.

A missing girl…a secret to be uncovered.

Edie and her identical twin Laura have always been best friends. So when Laura surprises Edie at the Mediterranean holiday resort where she’s working, Edie can’t wait for the partying to start! But then, Laura vanishes without a trace…

At the same time, in a country on the other side of the sea, Fatima and her twin daughters set out on a harrowing journey that only the strongest – and luckiest – survive.

Edie and Fatima’s lives are worlds apart, but now, their paths are set to collide, with devastating consequences. When Fatima hovers on the brink of survival, Edie must risk her own life to save her, and finally discover the truth about her missing sister.

I read this book in one sitting and I can’t say much about this book without giving any spoilers. Needless to say I enjoyed this book. 4*

The Missing Twin is an interesting psychological thriller that is split into two narratives. We meet Edie who is working at a holiday resort in the Mediterranean, her twin sister Laura visits her but after a night out, Laura has vanished. Then we meet Fatima, a young mother of twin girls who is forced to flee her war-torn country and she sets off on a route to the EU that is familiar to most of us from the news.

At first I was struggling to understand how these two stories would intercept but as the book progressed I guessed what was going on and I figured out the twists. I would have rated it five stars but there was just something about the book that didn't quite pull me in like other thrillers have done in the past.

I loved Fatima's story, she was such a strong-willed young woman who only wanted the best for her little girls but her circumstances meant that she had to flee and set off on a horrendous journey. I would have happily read a book about Fatima and her journey, I found when I was reading about Edie and Laura, I wanted to go back to Fatima. At times, Fatima's story broke my heart and I really wished there was more that could be done to help refugees without putting ourselves at risk.

Edie did bug me, she was being pushed around by Vuk who was just horrible to her and no one wanted to help her with her sisters disappearance. I struggled to connect with her, I felt she was bullied by Vuk and she didn't stand up for herself.

The book was well-written, I loved how Alex Day was able to write about two different narratives. I always enjoy reading about war-torn countries and how people survive and this is one that I'd recommend to others if they enjoy the same.

Huge thank you to The Book Club on Facebook and Alex Day for allowing me to read and review this book. All views are my own.

What a great story that kept me turning the pages until the early hours of the morning just to finish this. I loved Alex's writing style as well as the main characters. Vuk and Vlad were not very likable characters and I did not like it that Edie had to demean herself for Vuk. This was a very interesting story with an ending that I did not see coming.
Fatima had a rough time and my heart went out to her, her brother in law was not a likable character and I really did not like him, to me he was just a means to an end.
Very well written and I would definitely recommend this book to all Psychological Thriller readers out there.

Thank you to TBConFb and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for the opportunity to review.