Monozygotic twins are never truly identical. Minor variations in the womb, chemical imbalances, introduce subtle, epigenetic, differences, even where the DNA is 100% identical. Externally Katie (KT) and Molly Raven are identical but internally KT is a flamboyant, risk taking extrovert, leaping before looking, trying everything at least once, while Molly is an ultra-cautious introvert, dressing to avoid being noticed, investigating the potential risk of everything, never travelling far, existing on a narrow, preselected, range of ‘safe’ foods. Nevertheless they live close to each other in London, talk every day and meet frequently; until KT takes up the offer of a scholarship at Columbia University, New York. That was a year ago. Their parents have just flown over to visit her, a trip Molly would never take because, as a dedicated web researcher, she knows the nature and probability (from food-poisoning to a wing falling off) of all the risks. But when her parents phone to say that KT has been found dead, murdered, Molly has no choice but to join them in NY and to use her research skills to identify possible killers and analyse and identify motives.
The story is a psychological murder mystery, told as a first person narrative, and is assiduous in describing the events from the point of an ultra-cautious introvert: every step considered in advance; every risk calculated; back-up plans in place; meetings with other people, police, private investigator, potential suspects, anticipated. No one can be trusted. It contains twists, of course, including one major event which I did not see coming, and a later related one which was also a surprise. I initially felt things were going a bit slowly, and I couldn’t see how they were going to pick-up with this narrator. But it turned out I was wrong; her methodical approach and the execution of her plans are meticulous and fitted to the pace of the story (or vice versa, of course). Incidentally, as she moves around New York the reader also gets a free tour guide of the highlights.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

I liked this book but didn't love it like Last Thing To Burn, the author's previous book. Its an inriguing read with the plot centred around the death of a UK student in New Yourk. I kept guessing what the outcome would be but I was completely wrong!

Some books are easier to review than others, you can maybe give a hint of the story or characters and give nothing away, this book is ( for me ) not one of them, so, something different, 10 words that describe this book…
1. Dark
2. Engrossing
3. Twist tastic 😎
4. Clever
5. Mesmerising
6. Haunting ( not in a spooky way )
7. Compelling
8. Shocking
9. Headshakeable ( prob not a word ) and
10. Brilliant

10/10
5 Stars

I was super excited to read this book as I've read all previous books from Will Dean and loved them! I was gripped by it from the start and loved how it ended. As with all his other books, I can only highly recommend it!
Thanks for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Molly is devastated when she learns that her twin sister Katie has been found dead in her apartment in New York. She gets on a flight to the USA to find out what happened to her sister and to support her parents who are there on holiday.
A real page turner with quite a few twists and turns and a really enjoyable read.
Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Molly Raven lives a quiet, structural life in London, finding comfort in security and routine. Her identical twin Katie, living in New York, is the exact opposite: outgoing, spontaneous and adventurous. But when Molly hears that Katie has died, possibly murdered, she is thrown into unfamiliar territory. As terrifying as it is, she knows she must travel across the ocean and find out what happened. But as she tracks twins final movements, cracks begin to emerge. She slowly realises her sister was not who she first thought she was.

Mollie and Katie Raven are total opposites even though they are identical twins. When Molly learns that Katie has died, she knows she will have to go and find out what happened to her sister. The pace is slow to begin with but it soon picks up. The suspense builds, the twists keep coming, it's captivating and unpredictable. In fact, I loved everything about it.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HodderStoughton and the author #WillDean for my ARC of #FirstBorn in exchange for a honest review.

Well- just when you think all twins are alike and have a good relationship life takes a different direction. Molly on hearing of her sister-KT’s death, has to put all her fears behind her and travel to join her parents in New York. where KT was living. Will takes us all down a certain path where we assume we know the ending, but no! it is not at all as it seems.

Molly’s life is torn apart when she received a phone call from her parents about her twin sisters death.

Facing her fears and anxieties (of which she has lots) she gets a flight to New York where her parents were visiting.

Katie’s death was suspicious; murder- and she takes it upon herself to discover who the killer was.

Wow, what a book! I was happily plodding along with the investigation by Molly until about 50% , then bam! I was hit with a sledgehammer. I had to reread the passage to endure I’d read it correctly!

As the story develops you realise how you get into the psyche of the characters and what they are truly thinking.

Then Will Dean hits you with an almighty slap right at the end. Loved this book and will be catching up on that back catalogue real soon!

I didn’t envy Will Dean writing First Born this year. His last book The Last Thing to Burn became such a success last year (including making my top list of books in 2021), that expectations are at an all time high. As the last book was very much a standalone, this adds pressure of stepping out of his comfort zone with something completely different but still delivering a great book.

I needn’t have worried – Will Dean has absolutely done it again and First Born is another standout hit for this reader! In First Born we meet Molly Raven, who has spent all of her life in her twin sister’s shadow. While the daring and charismatic Katie is living her life in New York, Molly has stayed in England, struggling with day to day anxieties and disaster scenarios which plague her thoughts. However, when her sister is found murdered, she makes the trip across the pond to help investigate what has happened.

There seems to be a trend at the moment for socially awkward main characters that we can all relate to (think The Maid or Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine). This works really well here as Molly ponders through all of the worst-case scenarios of what could happen to her on a day to day basis. Although this is unusual, some of the quirks she had, particularly in regard to airport etiquette I completely empathised and related to and so I found her to be a really compelling main character. The book starts very much as a standard crime thriller but then there are two sensational twists that I did not see coming which shake up the plot and left me racing through the pages to find out what would happen next.

I won’t discuss the plot in any more detail for fear of giving anything away, but I really do recommend you read this book to find out more. My only criticism would be that as the twist is so great, it does throw up some plot-holes and questions about certain characters if you look back on the rest of the book with hindsight. However, I think that fixing this would have given everything away too early!

Overall, Will Dean has produced another brilliant and twisty thriller and I can’t wait to read whatever he writes next! Thank you to NetGalley & Hodder & Stoughton for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Will Dean is an author who never fails to disappoint. I have been completely pulled into this one and unwilling to put it down until the very end.

This is addictive and completely unpredictable. I have loved every second of this and been completely torn between wanting to devour page after page, but also wanting to savour every last event.

Molly and Katie are twins. This is a focus I haven’t read before so instantly I was keen to find out more. Molly gets a call to say that Katie is dead and is keen to get to the bottom of what happened… This is where the tension and suspense really ramps up.

First Born is written in such a way you feel as though you are watching the events play out. I could easily imagine this as a movie and I would definitely be there to watch it. The mystery moves on and on as you read, I have been unsure who to trust in this book.

Dean is an absolute genius. This book has surprised and shocked me at every twist and turn. I have loved the narrative and found myself wanting to know more. I have loved the way we are told this one.

This is perfectly plotted and well-paced. I am a huge fan of Will Dean, this is definitely my favourite book yet. I have been completely unwilling to put this down and return to reality.

There is nothing negative I can say about this book. It is a brilliant read that which will make your heart race. Dean builds the tension perfectly and this is completely unputdownable.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What a brilliant book. The more I read from Will Dean, the better he gets. My only worry is how he lives with such a twisted mind! The basics are that one of a set of twins, Molly, who is Uber cautious and constantly waiting, albeit prepared, for when disaster befalls gets a phone call to say her twin, KT, has died in New York. Her parents are in New York visiting and say they need Molly to go and be there with them. Molly arrives and soon launches her own investigation into KT’s murder. She researches the whole of KT’s life, her friends, boyfriends, everything you can think of. Just when you think you’ve got it sussed and know who the killer is, Mr Dean hits you with an unfathomable twist! This is one of the best books I’ve read all year, I couldn’t put it down and read it within 24 hours! Brilliant

A pacy murder mystery with a taut plot and some great twists I didn’t see coming.
Molly is risk averse and lives in London when her identical twin, Katie dies in New York she has a lot to overcome to get out there. She needs to know what happened and flies out to begin her own investigation. However nothing is what it seems.

This is a fascinating story about a set of identical twins, Katie and Molly Raven. The twins have very different characters, Katie very outgoing and Molly almost neurotic. When Katie moves to New York Molly is devastated but they do keep in constant touch. When Molly gets a call from her parents who are visiting Katie in New York, her world turns upside down when she hears that her sister is dead. Molly puts all her fears aside and jets off to America where she becomes determined to find out what happened.
The story moves on at a cracking pace and is full of twists.
First Born is the first Will Dean book that I have read, but it won’t be the last.

First Born is the new standalone thriller by Will Dean and is another stellar book for me.

The main characters are twins Molly and Katie and are as different as you can get. Molly lives a very careful and structured life in London and even a simple plane journey, will require plenty of safety checks and investigation whilst Katie lives a more carefree and easygoing life in New York whilst attending college and living a seemingly completely different life to Molly. During a visit from their parents, Katie is found dead in her apartment and Molly realises she needs to come out of her comfort zone to find out what really happened to her sister and to get some closure.

I found First Born a real slow burner which grew on me the more I read and learned about the sisters and their chalk and cheese relationship. What I really liked about this book is that for me, it was a book of two halves – the first half is very family drama plotted and then the second half catapults you into a pyschological thriller that stunned and surprised me the more I read. I have to say, I didn’t really guess the ending although if I were to read again, I would try and be extra vigilant to see if I could pick up any clues that were no doubt scattered throughout the chapters!

Another brilliant read from Will Dean – I really do need to get around to reading the series he has written…..!

I enjoyed this suspenseful thriller. This is my first book by this author which I enjoyed reading. It is a story that is not only well written but it is full of twists and turns that you don't want to miss. I enjoyed being pulled into the story by the characters. They are connectable and brought the story to life. They kept me turning pages fast and had me coming back for more. This is a fast paced story that has great growth of the plot throughout the story. A story about a twin that was murdered and dark secrets. You dont want to miss what happens with these characters. A story that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat just waiting to see what will happen next. I look forward to reading more from this author and can't wait to see what is next for them. A great story that I highly recommend.

THE LAST THING A TWIN EXPECTS IS TO BE ALONE ...

Molly and Katie (KT) Raven are identical twins, but that's where the similarities end because these girls couldn't be more different. Molly is the quiet one, living an unassuming life in London, paranoid about anything that could cause her or her loved ones harm. Katie is outgoing and spontaneous, always ready to take a risk and until she moved to New York a year ago the twins were inseparable, though they do keep in constant contact. Then Molly receives a call from her parents who are visiting her sister, telling her that Katie has died and they need Molly to fly to New York so they can be together as a family during this tragic time. As much as the journey ahead horrifies her, she knows she must do this to find out what happened to her 'other half'. As she delves into KT's last days alive, the truth begins to unravel and things are definitely not as clear cut as they first seemed.

This story is told from Molly's perspective and is set between London and New York. It starts off slow, with the author drip feeding the plot to the reader, then it hits that first twist and things go crazy, I had to skip back to make sure I'd read it correctly, then I skipped back again, I just could not comprehend what I'd just read! When I finally got my head round it, I was excited about what was going to come next, and things just kept on getting crazier. When the author hits you with the next twist, everything starts to fall into place. I love this authors descriptive writing style which keeps you on the edge of your seat. When I read Last Thing to Burn last year, I was blown away by this incredible read, so when I saw that Dean was releasing another book, I couldn't wait to read it and it didn't disappoint, although I still think Last Thing to Burn takes some beating and I look forward to reading more of his work.

I'd like to thank Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

First Born is Will Dean’s second stand alone book after the superb Last Thing To Burn. Wowsers. It’s not often a book makes me stop after a barn-storming twist such that I have to revisit where I thought we were going. This book does it twice.

Molly Raven is consumed by anxiety and catastrophises every situation. When she hears dreadful news about Katie, her identical twin sister who is studying in New York, Molly has to park her fears to travel stateside. While supporting her parents, Molly sets to unravel Katie’s secrets to work out what is happening.

This dark and twisty thriller will be a huge hit. It wasn’t at all what I expected, as it deftly moves through the story at pace. The characters are excellent and it is pure escapism.

Thanks to Hodder and Netgalley for the ARC.

Wow , what a brilliant book . Ive got to say I’ve never heard of this author before but I will be looking to read more from him . Interesting start with one of the twins dying in New York and the other flying there for the funeral with all her anxieties. Then the whole story changed and became even more interesting. This is one of the best books I’ve read in a while despite a few typos . Can’t wait for the next , definitely 5 stars from me

Creepy thriller with a twist. Molly travels to America where her twin sister has died. It is difficult as Molly worries about everything. But all is not as it seems and Molly has a plan, she has scores to settle and she can be whoever she wants to be. Excellent pacing and tension build in this well written thriller. Recommended.

A story of twin sisters, alike in looks but different in character. It begins with news of the death in New York of the elder sister who has been hosting a visit from their parents. Naturally the younger sister wants to be with them but she has excessive worry issues that complicate things. However she gets there and a study of grief is seemingly the story but with hints that the death is in reality a murder it all becomes a dark tale of revenge. Cleverly constructed all the reasons become clear but as in all reality complex tales there’s a shock twist in the tale! Good stuff with descriptions of New York City that meld with the yarn really well.