Where Everything Seems Double

In this novel by Penny Freedman, the character of Gina takes the reader on a journey as she works along side her granddaughter Freda to uncover the truth of a mystery that includes the disappearance of a thirteen-year-old girl. This book was incredibly suspenseful and had me hooked from the very beginning. The plot constantly leaves the reader thinking they know what is coming next, but surprising them every time. I would recommend this to anyone who is in a reading slump and wants something fast paced and highly thrilling.

What a great book thoroughly enjoyed throughout read it super quick didnt want to put it down....would definitely recommend this book to others

Where Everything Seems Double was a compelling read. And one that had me flipping through the pages. I enjoyed this book alot. The writing was just spot on loved the writing and the characters I was hooked.
A really good book!

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Where Everything Seems Double by Penny Freedman in exchange for an honest review. Gina receives an email from Eve saying that Gina has ruined Eve and Colin's lives with her meddling. Gina had discovered that Colin had lied to the police about the murder of a 13 year old girl. Gina then heads up to Cumbia, in the Lake District. Gina and her granddaughter, Freda, ride the train up there.
This was an interesting story. I enjoyed the many layers of family and friend relationships. I find it so curious to see the difference in people's public and private faces.

Gina Gray receives a message from an old friend she hasn't seen or talked to in many years. She is being asked to look into the recent disappearance of young teenage girl. How can she refuse?

She takes her granddaughter Freda with her to act as her undercover agent among the town’s teenagers, and while Freda struggles with the secrets and lies among the young, Gina launches herself into an investigation which turns toxic.

Needless to say, Gina's boyfriend, DS David Scott doesn't approve, but he does respond when Gina asks for help. Seems like everyone is hiding something. and it becomes real personal when Freda also disappears.

Full of twists and turns, there are multi-layers to be peeled back to get at the truth. In addition to the mystery of where the girls are and who took them, there are also family dynamics at play here. The characters are deftly drawn, Although a part of a series, this can easily be read as a stand alone, but I recommend reading them in order ... gives the reader a bit more backstory on the intriguing characters. The ending was quite unexpected.

Many thanks to the author / Troubador Publishing / Matador Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction/mystery. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Synopsis:

Gina Gray receives a message from an old friend asking for her help in unraveling the mystery of a thirteen year old girl’s disappearance during a performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the Lake District. She brings along her granddaughter, Freda, who goes undercover amongst the town’s teenagers. Freda struggles with secrets and lies amongst the teenagers, and Gina’s investigation quickly turns perilous. Gina is out of her element and away from home, in a place where everyone seems to be hiding something, and finds herself in a situation which puts both her and Freda in the path of extreme danger.

My review:

This story is complex and multi-layered. Not only do you have the mystery of what happened to Ruby (and who took her), but you’re observing family dynamics as well. It was definitely an interesting, very extremely suspenseful, suprising read and I was hooked from the beginning. It’s quite a fast-paced novel, very thrilling, and definitely not for the faint of heart.

Thank you to Net Galley, Penny Freedman and Troubador Publishing for the opportunity to review this ARC. This review and all opinions are my own.

This is my first book but definitely not my last with this author. I truly enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down.. This book is
full of twists and turns, there are multi-layers to be peeled back to get at the truth. I now need to buy the other books in the series to get caught up. Great quick read

Penny Freedman introduced us to her amateur sleuth, Gina Gray, over a decade ago. Now, six novels later, she's back, in the company of her thirteen-year-old granddaughter Freda.
Gina and Freda are in the lake district to help an old friend of Gina's. It is no longer the innocent idyll of Arthur Ransome's Swallows And Amazons. A teenage girl is missing.
This is a beautifully written mystery, with well-drawn characters, deserving of one's empathy. I love all the literary references in the text. An absolute pleasure to read.

Where Everything Seems Double was a very enjoyable read. From the start I liked the character Gina -- probably because I'm of a similar age and it's rare to find books about 60+ women that does not portray them as old ladies.

Gina's relationships with her children and grandchild Freda are convincingly portrayed, in particular that walking-on-eggshells feel of dealing with the ups and downs of a moody teenager who every now and then reverts back to being gran's favourite girl..

There is a strong sense of place: you easily imagine the scenes around the hotel and lake where the story is set, as well as the ferry and town. The characters are equally distinctive. It all helps to pull you into and get invested in the story.

'Where Everything Seems Double' is a clever title: just about everything in this novel allows for a 'double' interpretation. You're left guessing about who is really what they seem and who is hiding what. Is what apparently happened what actually happened? It's intriguing and keeps you hooked.

I like that the story is not deeply twisted and strange: it's just obscure and odd, and hard to figure out (like moody teenagers, I suppose!). It's more cozy mystery, but with a modern twist. There's nothing terribly complex about this novel, but what it sets out to do it does very well. A perfectly good scone.

It's well written, well observed and nicely plotted. And charming. Gina can definitely be accused of recklessness in bringing her 13 year-old granddaughter along with her on a sleuthing mission, but it makes for an engaging and entertaining novel. I look forward to reading more by Penny Freedman.

Fantastic! Nothing to complain about here - good story, characters, dialogue and pace. So tempted to flick to the back page as I was so desperate to get to the resolution to the mystery but the dialogue helped me keep my discipline! Great relationships between characters, not all of whom are very likeable, and a sharp, descriptive style.