Buckle up for a rollercoaster of suspense and mystery as you dive into Sarah Engell's "The Chinese Twin." I listened to the audiobook version, and the experience unfolded like an enthralling auditory journey through the dark and chilling corners of a provincial town in Northern Denmark.

At the heart of the narrative is Eva, a resilient woman grappling with the aftermath of a profound personal tragedy. Engell masterfully weaves Eva's grief into the fabric of the story, infusing it with emotional depth. The disappearance of a buried corpse, a kidnapped child, and a vanishing woman set the stage for a mystery that goes beyond the conventional boundaries of crime fiction.

The strength of Engell's storytelling lies in her ability to create an atmosphere thick with tension and intrigue. The mysterious Chinese symbols left at each crime scene inject an enigmatic quality, driving the narrative forward with an air of suspense. The audiobook's pacing is well-crafted, keeping listeners on the edge of their seats as the plot unravels.

The characters in "The Chinese Twin" are a mix of shadows and complexities. Eva's determination to unravel the truth is palpable, and the supporting cast adds layers of intrigue to the storyline. The author delves into the past, intertwining secrets, lies, and heinous crimes, creating a narrative mosaic that demands attention.

As with any mystery thriller, the success lies in the resolution. Engell manages to tie up loose ends in a manner that is both shocking and unexpected. The revelations unfold like a series of well-placed jigsaw pieces, creating a satisfying and chilling culmination. The audiobook format accentuates the suspense, with the narrator skillfully navigating through the twists and turns of the narrative.

However, no journey is without its bumps. While the mystery is captivating, some elements of the plot felt a bit convoluted. The complexity of the narrative, especially when delving into past secrets, might require a listener's careful attention to fully grasp the connections.

This is a riveting mystery thriller that takes readers on a compelling ride through shadows, secrets, and unexpected revelations. Sarah Engell's storytelling prowess shines, creating an atmospheric tale that seizes the imagination. Whether you're a seasoned mystery enthusiast or a newcomer to the genre, this book offers a gripping experience, replete with surprises and spine-tingling moments.

Title: The Chinese Twin
Author(s): Sarah Engell
Read by: Olivia Vinall
Publisher: Saga Egmont Audio
ISBN: 9788726655209
Edition: audiobook
Publication date: 05/08/2021

Content:
"A buried corpse disappears. A child is kidnapped. A woman suddenly vanishes. The only clue - mysterious Chinese symbols; left behind at each of the crime scenes in a provincial town in Northern Denmark.
In the eye of the storm is Eva. After suffering a deeply sorrowful tragedy - where her long-awaited daughter is stillborn - Eva is fighting to get her life back on track together with her husband who recently, and inexplicably, became paralyzed and is now unable to take care of himself. In an attempt to escape her grief, Eva embarks on her own investigation to find out who is behind these violent crimes. And why. It turns out, the past will play a chilling and completely unexpected role...

'The Chinese Twin' is Sarah Engell's captivating, best-selling thriller bringing together past secrets, lies and heinous crimes in a shocking culmination."

Opinion:
First of all, I wanted to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the review copy!
The first thing I noticed about the audiobook was the cover. I really liked the colors and the overall design.
What can I say about the content? Well, the blurb of the book really caught my attention. I'm a big thriller lover, so I was curious and, to be honest? I wasn't disappointed by the audiobook at all. It was definitely exciting from the beginning till the end. Especially, the atmosphere was very thrilling. I actually don't know how to describe it properly, but I got goose bumps all over my body because of it. What I also liked was the unexpected ending, which got me shocked.
Also, the protagonists seemed character vise pretty developed. They all had their good and bad sides and, therefore, were very authentic.
Moreover, I totally loved the readers voice. I totally enjoyed listening to here throughout the audiobook.

Conclusion:
All in all, this book is an absolute great thriller, which I would totally recommend to all fans of this genre!

This is my first experience with this Danish author's writing - and I must say that I found this to be a riveting mystery, tinged with horror. Eva, the main narrator, is dealing with her own grief after the child that she and her husband had tried for years to conceive is born still. On top of that, her husband becomes oddly paralyzed in his grief but won't go to a hospital. When the police arrive to inform Eva that her father-in-law's corpse has been stolen from his grave, Eva begins to question what her husband told her about his family - and soon goes in search of her own answers.

It's vividly written and smoothly translated into English. I really couldn't stop listening to the audio version! The audio performance is quite solid and the plot's pacing makes it easy to just keep listening!

The Danish setting means that Eva's husband, who is Chinese, seems to be on the receiving end of unaddressed racism from Eva's own family - as well as from strangers who assume that all Asian people know one another in Denmark. I couldn't stop listening to this one and am curious to check out more from Engell in the future!

Thanks to NetGalley and Saga Egmont.

Thank you Netgalley and Saga Egmont for this advance listener copy in exchange for my honest review.

I had a love/hate relationship with this book. It gripped me and I listened to it within a day, but it definitely had some issues.

This book is about Eva, a woman who recently miscarried and who's husband mysteriously becomes paralyzed. As living people and corpses go missing in town, Eva finds herself in the middle of it all. To help avoid her grief, she begins to play citizen detective and begins piecing together the pieces of the puzzle, finding that some things aren't always what they seem.

Things I liked:

I enjoyed the story. I liked the protagonist, Eva. I loved the mystery that played out throughout. I liked hearing about old Chinese traditions.

Things I didn't like:

The Chinese characters were written a little stereotypically, which made them bland characters. The POV switched back and forth from two different first person perspectives and it got confusing. I saw the twist coming, so I wasn't surprised by it.

All in all this was a middle of the road, enjoyable story. Not the worst; not the best. The first half of the book was a little slow, but it picked up from there. Three stars.

I really struggled with this audio book and tried several times to listen until I finished. It really wasn't for me, but I can see how it would really suit some people.

I might have enjoyed it more as a book but I am not sure.

I was given a copy by the publishers and netgalley but the review is entirely my own.

The Chinese Twin follow a couple in the days that follow the loss of their daughter and the husband, Staten, becoming paralyzed. This story is pretty insane and I won't dive much deeper to save you from spoilers.

This was an extremely cinematic book. I really enjoyed how easy it was to see everything in your mind and the twists were so well planned. I felt so bad for the main character and could really feel her pain. It was heartbreaking to experience and the reason for the twists was so heartbreaking as well. This was a very easy read and a solid 4 star. Good action, well executed twists, shock factor, and sadness.

I really struggled with this book, I just didn’t ‘get’ it ! Why did the main character not seek medical attention when her husband suddenly became paralysed?? It could have been a good storyline if it wasn’t so far fetched and unbelievable

The narrator was good however she did tend to lower her voice at the end of sentences which sometimes made it quite difficult to hear

This is my first experience with this Danish author's writing - and I must say that I found this to be a riveting mystery, tinged with horror. Eva, the main narrator, is dealing with her own grief after the child that she and her husband had tried for years to conceive is born still. On top of that, her husband becomes oddly paralyzed in his grief but won't go to a hospital. When the police arrive to inform Eva that her father-in-law's corpse has been stolen from his grave, Eva begins to question what her husband told her about his family - and soon goes in search of her own answers.

It's vividly written and smoothly translated into English. I really couldn't stop listening to the audio version! The audio performance is quite solid and the plot's pacing makes it easy to just keep listening!

I am not quite sure how well received this one will be in America, though. The Danish setting means that Eva's husband, who is Chinese, seems to be on the receiving end of unaddressed racism from Eva's own family - as well as from strangers who assume that all Asian people know one another in Denmark. And though some of the plot's twists aren't quite as shocking as others - and the plot definitely pushes plausibility a few times - I still couldn't stop listening to this one and am curious to check out more from Engell in the future!

What a strange world we have entered in The Chinese Twin. In the beginning there are two stories being told. One with twin brothers and family traditions and the other with a woman having a very bad year. The woman has lost her pregnancy and her husband suddenly becomes paralyzed for no reason at all. Then her father in laws grave is robbed and a child at her school is kidnapped right from the playground.

The book takes an interesting look at other traditions. This is a world in which people don’t know what origami is and have never heard of a ghost wedding. It is also a world in which a woman doesn’t think there is any need to get medical help for her husband who has sudden, random paralysis. It is disgustingly clear that all of the events are connected and the title of the book tells you how. Watching the characters react to the horror of a child lost before it can be born is the only thing that makes any of it almost make sense.

I enjoyed the book, still. It was a quick story that never let up in action or tension. This is my first book by this author and I almost wonder if some may be lost due to translation. Thank you for the opportunity to enjoy this book by providing the ARC.

A dark and gritty tale of twisted family secrets, steeped in psychology and mystery.

Engell's writing was exceptional, well-suited to the disturbing story lines. This was especially impressive given that the book is translated. The novel was fast paced, and I remained hooked through the dual narratives.

That having been said, I felt uncomfortable with the portrayal of the Chinese ethnicity in the book. Other reviewers have pointed out the same problems, as most of the Chinese characters weren't relatable and made exceptionally questionable decisions.

This point made me reduce the rating of an otherwise extremely intriguing and twisted novel. I'm excited to look into other works of the author.

A huge thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC.

On the audio version the narrator did a great job. One of those voices that you just love listening too.
On the story I would say a solid four star.
We have horror, mystery, romance and family relationships all interwoven within the story. Occasionally it gets a bit confusing but it does all become clear eventually.
You do wonder on Eva’s sanity sometimes. Understandable that the stillbirth of her child would make her overly concerned about bringing her husband to the hospital. Her sister in my opinion is a bit of a saint and keeps her cool with Eva a lot longer than most people would have. I wish the attitude of her parent would have been better explained. Was the only reason that they terminated their relationship with their daughter because she married a Chinese? In that case they weren’t the nicest people or did they have other misgivings.
Eva struggles with the acceptance of the loss of her child in the last stages of her pregnancy. The strange illness of her husband that keeps him completely paralyzed. First day back in work a toddler in here care has been kidnapped. Husband seems to be keeping secrets and her Father in law body has been removed from his grave. This book is not for everybody but I really enjoyed the story .

The Chinese Twin is a Scandi-noir psychological thriller by Sarah Engell. Released 5th Aug 2021 by Saga Egmont, it's 301 pages and is available in audio and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. It makes searching for info so much easier with the search function. This is a book where I spent a fair bit of time flipping back and forth to gain context and check information.

This is a superbly atmospheric and, at times, positively creepy book. Readers are dropped into two parallel narratives, from two narrators, both in first person, one in the past, and one in the present day. The chapters aren't delineated, which makes it even more disorienting. After a short while, I did manage to separate the points of view, but I sat with a sort of dreamlike confused dread throughout. It was well written although I struggled with the motivations of several of the characters' actions which impacted central plot points. The denouement and resolution were -odd- and not entirely satisfying. I was also uncomfortable with the outlandish representation of Chinese culture, especially given the upswing in targeted racist attacks in recent times.

Originally released in Danish, this English language translation is seamless. The translation work doesn't impair the scansion of the narrative and it doesn't feel as though it's translated, especially from a Scandinavian language which has generally shorter, more direct cadence.

The author is quite gifted in the more technical aspects of her craft and although there were some character motivations and a few plot points which dragged me out of my suspension of disbelief, it was overall an enjoyable and immersive book. The language is rough, approximately R-rated. Trigger warnings for kidnapping, child loss, stillbirth, trauma, murder, and stereotyping.

The audiobook version is read by Olivia Vinall who has a wonderful range of emotion and delineates the characters' voices very well. I had no trouble keeping the narrative straight with her capable narration. Run time is 7 hours, 8 minutes.

Three and a half stars for the book version, four stars for the audiobook.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

In a nutshell: An interesting combination of literary fiction plus psychological thriller.

Story:
Eva is seemingly dealing with one tragedy after another: her long-awaited baby was stillborn, her husband is in bed, inexplicably paralysed, and now her father-in-law’s corpse has been robbed from his grave with nothing but mysterious Chinese characters left behind. Her troubles don’t stop and soon she finds herself reeling in the face of her personal emotions, the familial secrets and the spiralling circumstances around her.
The book comes to us in two perspectives: Eva and the mysterious perpetrator.

Where the book clicked for me:
• Though literary fiction, the writing goes by very fast. The book is picturesque in its descriptions and at the same time, in taking the plot ahead.
• The ambience of the story is quite atmospheric, giving you the creeps in all the right places.
• The main characters are well-sketched, especially for Eva’s husband’s family (Wish I could write out their names but I couldn’t figure out a single spelling except that of Eva! Danish author, Indian audiobook listener, and a mix of Danish and Chinese character names… this had to happen!) You will find yourself emotionally invested in their troubled lives, though you won’t identify with many of their decisions.
• I liked the way the author built up her plot to the climax. While extreme, it sprung logically from the plot and was built up wonderfully from the preceding events and the flashbacks.
• The interspersing of fairy tales in the narrative and peeking into their darker side was a nice touch.
• <spoiler> The insight into mental degeneration as an outcome of trauma is shocking and brilliantly done.</spoiler>

Where the book could have worked better:
• When the title promises you a “Chinese twin”, you expect something about Chinese culture. But there’s hardly anything about actual Chinese rituals or traditions. Mentioning dragons and silk garments does not make for Chinese culture. The few Chinese characters that are a part of the narrative are either stereotypical or weird. Also, the few Chinese rituals mentioned also seemed inaccurate. For instance, a Chinese traditional wedding won’t involve the use of “Do you take this woman to be your wife? I do!” (I wonder who goofed up here: the author or the translator.) So if you were looking for a genuine China-intensive encounter, you won’t find it within these pages. If you read it only as a suspenseful psychological drama, you will have a much better experience.
• Some of the situations and character decisions are farfetched, But I've come to slowly realise that this is the hallmark of the modern thriller and I will have this complaint about almost every contemporary thriller.

The audiobook experience:
Ah, this is where I am disappointed. I was happy with the length of the audio as at just over 7 hours, it was a welcome change from the lengthy offerings I’ve heard recently. However, the narrator left me dissatisfied, and I don’t know whether to point fingers at her alone or the audiobook producer too. There are three character voices in the story: one female, one male and one child (in a few flashback scenes). All of these are voiced by a woman, who uses almost the same voice for each of these characters. Plus., while the book goes back and forth across the people and the timelines, there is no warning in the form of a chapter heading. It spoiled the audio experience for me. I have no doubt would have enjoyed this even more had I read it.

I would definitely recommend this book if you want to get a rare glimpse into celebrated Danish writer Sarah Engell’s work or if you want a twisty and creepy reading experience. However, I would suggest going for the ebook or physical version than the audio.

Thank you, NetGalley and Saga Egmont Audio, for the audio ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This one took me a little bit to get into. As an audio book it was a bit confusing going back and forth between two different stories and trying to trace it all together. That being said - this book did NOT disappoint. The last few chapters had me sitting in my car for the afternoon commute with my jaw on the floor. Lots of twists and turns with this one and something sinister sprinkled throughout. Excellent read!

An interesting fictional book based on family values, family is everything! Bit confusing to start with then go into the story. A woman loses her baby is she losing her mind as well? Contains descriptions of death, loss of a child and body parts all relative to the story, so not for the faint hearted. Thank you #NetGalley for the audiobook to review.

The Chinese Twin by Sarah Engell thank you to #netgalley and #sagaegmont for my gifted audiobook for an honest review : This book immediately intrigued me. A buried corpse disappears. A child kidnapped and a woman vanishes. The only clue Chinese symbols. Eva has just lost her baby daughter who was stillborn. Eva trying to get back to normal life with husband Steen who became inexplicably paralysed. Eva delves into Steens past and finds he is a twin when she sets out to visit his mother in a care home to inform her of his condition. In the background flash backs to Steens past and in it the strange Chinese custom of a ghost marriage, something I’ve never heard of. A marriage in which one or both parties are deceased. In traditional Chinese culture it is shameful to be parents of an unwed daughter or unmarried girls usually are shunned. For men ghost marriages can insure the linage carries on. So I learnt something here. In the book secrets are unravelled into a twisted end. I was torn with this book I feel I should of enjoyed it more. Maybe it just wasn’t for me, I’m positive for other thriller book lovers it will be a worth while read. Great cover would definitely make me pick this book up and a original storyline sorry though a ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Chinese Twin is possibly the creepiest book I have ever read and I do read a lot of dark and twisted tales. It’s one of those that you almost can’t bear reading but can’t stop at the same time, truly compelling. The writing is beautiful and the characters are well developed and realistic. Chinese customs and folk tales integrated into the main story line add intensity and atmosphere. I listened to the audio version and the narration was good.

This was my first book by the Danish authoress Sarah Engell. Thank you Saga Egmont Audio and Netgalley for this english audiobook of The Chinese Twins.
This was such an enigmatic tale that at times things felt a bit confusing. Well that's the beauty of this book.
The narrator of the audiobook Olivia Vinall made the story more exciting.
I enjoyed it.

Thank you netgalley for a pre publication copy for an honest review
This book is highly recommended and creepy and grabs you in the opening cheaper I had the audio version and listened in one sitting highly recommended

Eva is overwhelmed by the tragic stillbirth of her daughter. Her situation is further complicated by her husbands unexplained paralysis, which means Eva needs to care for him and try to cope with her everyday life. In addition there are strange incidents around Eva's husbands family (one she never knew he had) and a continued mystery around a missing girl abducted from the school Eva works at.

The Chinese Twin is twisty, with multiple subplots and complicated in its execution. While I enjoyed the read and wanted to know what happened at the end, it did not completely work for me. Personally it felt like some of the decisions and actions were not that believable or realistic. Not every book works for every reader and while it may not have rated that high for me the writing and conceptual idea of the story line was good.