Will Dean is a clever author. He also manages to write women really well. (Unlike a lot of male authors.)
First Born is quick, thrilling and intriguing. Set in New York, it took me there at a timer when my opportunities to travel were curtailed by the pesky pandemic. The use of identical twins - the main characters - provided opportunities for twists and turns I didn't see coming. It is an unusual and complicated thriller that would transfer well to TV or big screen.
I am giving this four stars, not because it isn't a really good book, but because I had such high expectations as I thought the The Last Thing to Burn was exceptional and I am bound to be comparing this book to it. If I could, I would give it 4.5, and I will definitely always read a Will Dean book.

A great read with lots to think about. I enjoyed the book but the story did become very convoluted in parts which was a shame. It didn't stop me from finishing the book but did reflect my feedback. I really liked the characters they were well thought out and used effectively.

Fun lightweight but engaging thrilled. Really didn’t spot the twists coming. But ridiculously implausible conclusion which left hundreds of unanswered questions

If you’ve been to New York, you are very likely to be drawn in by this narrative; it’s a macabre love letter to the city. And even if you haven’t walked those streets, you’ll be transported there by Will Dean’s highly atmospheric prose.
‘First Born’ focuses on identical twins, Katie (or KT) and Molly. Katie has been sponsored to study at Columbia university for two years and Molly, her introverted, anxious, neurotic other half, finds it difficult to be separated from her. Tragically, Katie dies when her parents are visiting and Molly has to overcome her fear of flying and join them as they prepare for the funeral. From the outset, the death is seen as suspicious and Molly is determined to do all that she can to help bring her sister’s killer to justice.
Whilst Dean’s narrative asks the reader to suspend belief big-time, his action-packed twists and turns ensure that we are caught up in the pace of the story and, racing along, there is little time to pause and reflect. This novel will certainly appeal to those who enjoy the unexpected and it does make us ponder on the extraordinary intimacy that twins may share.
Whilst not quite as memorable as the author’s other standalone, ‘The Last Thing to Burn’, this is, nevertheless, a gripping read.
My thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

I have very much enjoyed Will Dean's previous books particulary The Last Thing To Burn and was delighted to be approved on net galley to review this book which I had seen created with excitement on Book Twitter
I love the concept to identical twins as a basis for a story their differences and similarities enthral me , however the situation with one twin pretending to be the other ,although used widely in literature from Shakespeare onwards can be somewhat predicable. I found this took away from the plot twists that are needed in a good whodunnit story and I had guessed what was the likely twist here from too early on in the book spoiling the eventual reveal .`Having said that I did enjoy the book which in common with the other books I have read by this author was beautifully written and a smooth entertaining read . It is worth pointing out that I am not much of a fan of the genre and have been following Mr Dean after the last thing to burn , I don't think otherwise I would have picked up the book.
I enjoyed the characters and their descriptions although felt they were not as detailed as previous books by the author , the setting inNew York was entertaining and added the frenzy of city life to the back story adding in the excitement but again I felt that the story lacked the authors deep understanding of the city.
There were some episodes in the book of startling violence which came suddenly and were unexpected
in summary this is an enjoyable whodunnit story would make a great holiday read but in my view not quite attending up to the brilliance of The Last Thing To Burn which haunts me still

Woah! What did I just read?
It started off slow, it was even confusing at times. I was even irritated at times by the list-type of writing style. For example: the character keeps listing down the tasks she did. I did this, I ate this, I went here etc. But after the first twist which was fantabulous by the way, I was hooked! I did marginally guess the end but it was good. The entire story is fast-paced & super interesting. Worth your time.

Will Dean is on top of his game!
Dean manages to dig his heels into a character's nuances without having them run away from him. Oftentimes, these small nuances take the reader out of the book. Dean managed to sprinkle the flair only he is able to inject.
Not only are the characters as real as the people around you, but the plot also drives the story forward without any wayward turns. Too often we meander down paths that do not need to be traveled. Dean keeps us on the straight and narrow as we hold on for a white knuckle ride of who we can trust.
I see a few have mentioned that it starts off too slow, but I personally feel that the character work Dean does initially, is a prerequisite for the wild ride we are about to embark on.
Highly recommended!

Amazing read! Will Dean has yet again brought us yet another corker. Full of twists and turns. Highly recommend. Fantastic characterisation. Starts off slow but then beware it picks up a fast pace and it is very hard to put down when it gets to that point! Five very well deserved stars!

Many thanks to the publisher, Hodder & Stoughton, NetGalley and the author for the ARC.

Fabulously twisted story keeping you hooked from start to finish. Do not expect to sleep while you read this one :-)

I'm slightly stuck on reviewing this book.

The first half was way too slow for me, and I actually considered abandoning it. But I just can't bear to do that so I ploughed on. The book then really did pick up after that, but maybe it picked up a bit too fast as I found myself slightly confused at certain points.

However, we all read things differently, so whereas it didn't work for me, I'm sure it will do for others.

I’ve just finished First Born by Will Dean, and all I can say is “Wow!”

I’ve been a fan of Will’s writing since reading the incredibly tense and atmospheric, “The Last Thing To Burn” last year. First Born tells us of a family tragedy, the death of Katie, a much loved daughter and identical twin. What follows is the story of the family coming to terms with this very sudden death, while on foreign soil, and helping the New York Police with their investigations. For the most part, the focus is on Molly, Katie’s identical twin, for whom visiting the US for the first time, is incredibly hard, for many reasons.

Will seems to have a talent for looking at the lives of people, the people whom some might be judgemental of, those who might be overlooked, and seeing right into them. Seeing why they are who they are, what makes them tick.
I read another review of First Born, the reviewer called Molly crazy, which she isn’t. She is a very loving and loyal person, who cares so deeply for those she loves, that she desperately wants to keep them safe. This love, when it is filtered through her anxiety, leads to certain behaviours, which some will see as crazy, but that isn’t a fair analysis.

You may feel at the start, that it is a slow burning book, but I really enjoyed this part. We really get to know both Molly and Katie, and develop many possible theories surrounding Katie’s death. Then there is a massive gear change in the story, just one of the twists, that will have you completely drawn in, desperate to continue reading.

Just in case you weren’t sure, this is definitely 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me. If you’re looking for a book that will keep you gripped, and have you resenting the times that you have to stop reading, you should really read First Born. Having said that, I highly recommend that you should read any, and all of the author’s books. I now need to settle back, and wait patiently for the next Tuva book, because I really need to know what happens next, after the last page of Bad Apples.

This book was an enthralling read. Will Dean has painted a vivid portrait of the busiest of cities. The beginning is slow-paced, however there was constantly new layers being added. The writing was Incredibly tense with action and a gripping story line. I did suspect the final twist, but that didn’t spoil it as the story was so engaging and well written. In conclusion this book delivers both suspense and surprises and i would 100 percent recommend.

What a good read. Had to be in on a cold day and read it pretty well across the day. I enjoyed every minute, if not the stiffness from not moving! Identical twins offer a lot of options and the author used this well. The plot is complex but very well constructed, the characters interesting and well drawn. It moves at a good pace with some unanticipated twists and turns. A good ending, what more can I say - I shall look forward to the next book but in the meantime will seek out the first.

Another 5 star heart-in-your-mouth thriller from Will Dean. Having only discovered Will Dean at the end of 2021, I wish I'd discovered him sooner! Based on identical twins Molly and Katie, one in London and one in New York, this is a novel about love, obsession, betrayal and how far we're prepared to go, to get what we want. There are moments in this book, when you think you know the character and then, boom, Mr Dean throws in another plot bomb! Utterly captivating, Iread some paragraphs 2 or 3 times, just to savour the words. I wish I knew how a man writes so well as a woman, this book is a roller coaster ride you'll never forget!

Katie and Molly are twins. Kt lives in New York. and Molly lives her methodical life in London.
When their parents, visiting Katie, called Molly. to let her know that Kt has been murdered Molly feels her world crushing. Kt was her identical twin and she can think of her life without her.
She travels to NW to be with their parents and find out what happened. She wants to help the police and also fix some wrongs.
Through the novel, we discovered that Molly is not what she looks like at the beginning of the story and that sometimes she can be quite dangerous.

I have mixed feelings about the book. The first part was ok but when reaching towards the middle of the book it was taking me longer than I wished to finish it quick. I read a whole other book while I was reading the last chapters of First Born altogether.
I didn´t like the main character. I couldn´t connect with her and how she was behaving in NY, despite what had happened to her twin. There were some odd things happening that I was struggling to imagine even in a fictional story.
The last chapters turned better somehow and there was a twist to the story that I didn´t see coming.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I have heard so many good things about the author so I thought I would give this one a go to see what the fuss was about.
I’m a massive fan of any type of thriller so I thought this would be right up my street.
And the first half of the book I really enjoyed, it had a great pace, the main character was interesting and I was invested in finding out who had murdered KT. However the second half of the book went a bit downhill for me, I feel like the storyline didn’t really make much sense or was very realistic and I lost a bit of my enthusiasm. However, I definitely did not see the ending coming and thought that was very clever.
Overall a fairly good thriller with enough surprises to warrant 3 stars.

How does one identical twin cope when her twin sister dies suddenly, and suspiciously?

Molly and Katie are twins, Katie lives in New York while Molly lives in England.

Following Katie's sudden death Molly travels to New York and starts investigating what really happened. It's a blend of murder mystery and psychological thriller and I'm sorry to say I wasn't a huge fan.

I found it fairly slow, not that much happens in the first half and while there are some big twists later on I didn't especially care about the characters.

I've read a few twins thrillers recently, including Mirrorland and The Perfect Twin, both of which held my attention better and had more impact.


Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton

I wanted to love this as much as The Last Thing to Burn… and I almost did! (The suspense in the former would be hard to replicate!)

First Born is dark and twisty and brilliant. It’s an excellent delve into the minds of complicated, identical twins and I couldn’t quite guess the ending even though I thought I had it all figured out. I will read EVERYTHING Will Dean writes. Incredible psychological insight and exceptional writing.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and Will Dean for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is a slow burn of a book which turns into a breathless thriller. Narrated by Molly Raven whose identical twin has just been murdered while studying in New York. Molly is terrified of life, constantly thinking that the apocalypse is about to happen, murder and mayhem about to break out but despite this she travels to New York and tries to unravel the mystery of her adventurous sister's life and death.

At the half-way point of the story the twists and turns begin and they don't stop until the final page. At times it's a little unbelievable but that only occurred to me later; at the time of reading I was just racing through, breathless and completely absorbed. A truly excellent read!

I am sort of a twin. And by 'sort of' I mean not a twin at all.

But I have an older brother who is ten months older than me, and I was born with hours to spare before I would have been in the school year below him.

So, being in the same school year, and the concept of ten months age difference between siblings being too crazy for people to accept meant that we were often viewed and treated as twins (and there are dozens of people who still believe we are to this day).

That means I have a significant amount of experience in spending my formative years being considered only as part of a package, a yin to a yang, a reflection and projection of my brother's reputation, and he of mine.

It was safe and suffocating. Annoying and a buffer. It meant little privacy in our uncomfortably overlapping social circles (my now-husband was a football friend of his first).

When I saw First Born featured twins I didn't really give any thought as to whether I'd relate to it personally, simply assuming I wouldn't. But I found myself having mini flashbacks to claustrophobic sibling struggles as I was invited into the mind of Molly on her mission to discover the truth behind her twin's sudden death.

22-year-old Molly Raven wakes up to a nightmare: her parents calling from New York during their visit to Molly's twin sister, Katie, to inform Molly that her twin has been found dead. Perpetually and irrationally fearful, Molly embarks on a trip from London to New York to join her parents for mutual support.

Before she and her parents return home, she also hopes to assist the police in the murder investigation they open, working to keep the case moving forward before it's buried beneath the inevitable arrival of new 'young dead girl' cases.

Molly quickly finds herself tied up in dangerous circumstances, uncovering more than one explosive revelation during her investigations, and discovering that all with Katie was not as it seemed.

It's really difficult to talk about this book without giving away a load of spoilers! So I'll try to do it justice while keeping its narrative safely intact.

I found Molly to be a really unusual character who I couldn't warm to at all, and I think this is intentional. She goes to extreme measures and research to ensure she is safe at all times, such as keeping a fire extinguisher in every room and learning how to make a monkey fist weapon.

But then I found myself questioning the believability of some of her actions that seemed to not fit with that level of safety compulsion at the start of the book. I suffer from Generalised Anxiety Disorder myself, so I could recognise some of her irrational safety behaviours (even if I don't go to those extremes myself).
But then, in other places, she seemed completely unfazed by doing things that would have rendered me, personally, immobile. I found myself frustrated with these juxtapositions for much of the beginning half of the story...but had lightbulb moments later on when subsequent plot points explained much of that.

I also don't generally like lots of place names in fiction, and there were a lot once Molly reached New York. I feel like when place names are dropped without elaboration they are meant to have some significance to me and feel frustrated when they don't because I don't know the place (I notice novels set in London do this a lot).

However, as the story progressed I found my mental map of New York to be rather vivid and colourful. It actually made me want to visit! And, again, it makes sense with later revelations why the city itself is significant to the narrative.

There was some tasty food description too, which I highlighted to return to later in case I want to try to recreate some recipes.

My favourite feature in this novel was the stark change of pace and perspective around halfway through. I thought that was very cleverly done and it was at this point the novel really picked up for me.

There is a lot of duplicity within the story in place of extensive prose on Molly's deeper thoughts on her relationship with her sister. I really appreciated that, particularly with reflection after the ending.

The story makes you question the natural assumptions you have about twins. I could relate to a lot of the feelings the twins may have had toward the pressure that comes from outsider assumptions.

All children, I think, have a natural inclination towards pleasing and receiving praise from adults. Our culture trains them that way. But with twins, and possibly siblings extra-close in age, like my brother and I, I think there's an added layer: wanting to affirm grown-ups' happy assumptions that siblings close in age are mutually, lovingly close too.

And that, as First Born highlights, can have devastating impacts post-formative years.

Many thanks to Will Dean, NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC.