Katie (KT) and Molly are twins, close as close can be - they even had their own language and spoke only to each other at one point. The girls couldn't be more different as people, Molly takes no risks and is constantly evaluating risk and being very low key. KT left home, is away to college in New York and doing things Molly couldn't even contemplate. They speak every day/email and always in touch so when KT turns up dead in her own home Molly has no choice but to leave the comfort of her home and go meet her parents at New York, speak to the police and find out what happened. Who killed her sister, why and of course the balance needs to be redressed. Both their parents are shell shocked and Molly doesn't know where to start but she won't be going home until she finds out what happened to her twin!

The story slowly teases out what happened to KT as we follow the story through Molly and her interactions, getting to know her and the family. We know they are suspicious about KT's death but it takes a little time to get to it. We learn that Molly is a bit more quirky than we first thought and as we spend more time with her. She does her own digging to try and find out what happened and look into the people in her sisters lives. To be honest the boo focuses more on her investigation than the polices.

It is a bit out there at times and suspend reality for a few parts but still it makes for an interesting, different and twisty read. Some very shady characters, questionable actions/choices but it certainly isn't boring - just a bit wild and out there, 4/5.

This was my first Will Dean book and it proved to be a very clever, twisty thriller with some real ‘gasp’ moments.

As the main character, Molly is fascinating with her meticulous planning, preparations and routines to cover every eventuality, and very well thought out.

Having been to New York, reading about Molly’s first impressions, the sights, sounds, hustle and bustle felt authentic.

I read a lot of thrillers and now often find myself thinking ‘I wonder if….’ And yes I got some of it but certainly not all and how all the twists came together was quite masterful.

There were moments when I happily suspended belief, as the plot took a couple of unrealistic turns, as the pace, tension and events kept me intrigued, with its multi-layered plot.

As the blurb says, this is a real web of deceit and made for a pacy engaging read.

This is a slow burner thriller. There are many twists throughout. It is very suspenseful and gripping.
The ending felt very rushed and unbelievable

Really enjoyed this - will definitely be recommending and looking forward to the next one by this author!

After having read and loving The Last thing to Burn I was so looking forward to reading this one.. oh wow I’m so glad I did it was brilliant.

I keep trying to pick this up & get through it but I’m struggling. The pace is slow & I didn’t like any of the characters. Probably great for some fans of the author & his work but sadly wasn’t for me.

Molly Raven lives a quiet life in London, she finds comfort in security and routine. Her identical twin sister Katie is the opposite of her, she is outgoing, spontaneous and adventurous and lives in New York.

When Molly hears the devastating news that Katie has died, possibly murdered she faces her fears and travels to New York to find out who has taken her sister's life.

Once in New York Molly tries to track her sister's life, since she moved, but it soon becomes clear that Katie is not who she thought she was.

A great gripping read that starts as a slow burner until a twist in this book had me falling off my sofa in surprise. I loved that this totally threw me and by the end I did not know whether I was coming or going!!

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Definitely a book that gets better with pages read. Starting off at a pedestrian pace, but soon moving into a canter and finally a gallop! Great twists, and another great read from an accomplished and assured author. Many thanks to NetGallet, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read and review.

A twisty tale of twins and thrills, First Born starts out great but doesn't quite stick to the landing. When Molly receives the news that her identical twin Kate has died, she forces herself to leave the comfort of her home in London to go to New York, where Kate lived. There, she sets out to find out what really happened to her sister. I thought the detailed description of Molly's anxiety and how she copes with day-to-day life is done well and made me feel like I knew her. The mystery of Kate's death and how the people in her life - including a best friend and a boyfriend - might know what happened lends to the suspense.

However, halfway through the book we get a reveal that stretches credulity and the story becomes something completely different. On top of that, there's a side plot about smuggling that throws the characters into a spy-agent situation that comes across as half-baked. The final reveal is a twist for the sake of a twist and makes no sense in the context of the story, in fact, it renders most of it moot. I had enjoyed the author's previous books so this is a rare miss for me, hopefully, I have better luck with the next one.

Molly lives a quiet life, very orderly and safe. Her twin, Kate is polar opposite, and the life and soul of the room. They were inseparable until Kate decided to move to New York where she had settled into a gear lifestyle. Then Molly gets a call from her parents who are visiting Kate, to tell her Kate has been killed. Travel phobic Molly does her best to over come her fears to be with her parents in New York and determined to find out what really happened to Kate.
An interesting suspense thriller, with an amazing twist at the end. A steady paced read with Molly as a strong character. Plausibility goes slightly out the window but worthy of perseverance.

This book sounded great but was not great. It was fast paced and thrilling in parts but it was very predictable. I had an idea of what was going to happen and I was right. That's not meant to happen so early on in a book.

I've tried reading this a couple of times now but I just can't get along with it. I think actually the twin thing annoyed me & I thought I could see where this was going (I've since checked with others who've read it , I wasn't far wrong).

DNF, not for me I'm afraid

Really good psychological thriller that keeps you engaged and guessing all the way through. Fast paced with something around every corner. I actually couldn’t figure out if I liked Molly or not but I suppose that’s all part and parcel of how cleverly it’s written. Great twists and turns that keep you on your toes. A read that you don’t see what’s coming is a great read in my book (pardon the pun 🤪). Definitely one to read and one you won’t be able to put down and will have you gripped.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity read #FirstBorn

First Born is a phenomenal thriller from start to finish. Filled to the brim with twists and a captivating plot, this one is sure to keep readers hooked. The characters are well-developed. The story is incredibly fast-paced. This is one not to be missed! Highly recommended! Be sure to check out First Born asap.

Molly lives a quiet life in London. She is extremely risk adverse and the total opposite of her twin sister Katie who lives in New York.

When Katie (or KT as she is known to Molly) is found dead in her apartment, Molly must face one of her worst fears and board an airplane to fly to New York.

There is no question about her journey, despite her fears. She MUST know what happened to her sister, and will stop at nothing to find out.

When she arrives in New York, some of KT's friends are understandably unnerved by Molly's appearance. For them it's like seeing a ghost. Molly needs to get to know each and every one of KT's friends, lecturers and causal acquaintances, as she tries to find out the truth.

The Police seem to be doing a lousy job, so Molly turns detective on her own.

New York may be the city that never sleeps, but Molly soon becomes like a native New Yorker, something that leaves her parents desperately worried about her, they just want Molly to leave the police to do their job.

But for Molly that just won't do, even if she is putting her own life in danger. I can't say too much more, but even the most prolific reader may find a few surprises in this novel!

First Born is a real page turner of a novel, and I'm intrigued to read Will Dean's next.

This book kept me guessing all the way through, full of intrigue and plot twists. The is the second book of Will Deans I have read and it was just as good as his first..

Due to a family passing at the time, I was unable to download this in time before it was archived, and having only returned after several years away due to it severely affecting me, I am now working my way through those reviews I was unable to get to to detail the issue. Thank you for the opportunity, and I look forward to working with you in the future.

A story about twins. This is one hell of a read. Just when you’ve settled into it you find it’s not what you think. Brilliant stuff.

First Born is a psychological thriller with the story focusing on Molly and Katie Raven who are identical twins. Molly lives a sensible life in London due to her OCD and paranoid personality, while Katie lives in New York where she is studying at University. When Molly is told her sister has died in suspicious circumstances she travels to New York despite finding every step of the journey terrifying.
I enjoyed this book at the start with its fast pace and many unanswered questions that I was interested to find out about. After a point, it became slightly farcical and left me wondering if the author intended it to be tongue in cheek or not. I finished the book but did lose interest due to the craziness of the plot line.

My first introduction to Will Dean was the incredible Last Time To Burn which blew me away. First Born has a similar style, it is a slow burn that builds layer on layer of tension, red herring after red herring and building ultimately towards some shocking twists. Another brilliant stand-alone novel from Will Dean ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of five.