Molly Raven lives a quiet life in London minimising risks in ways most of us wouldn’t consider. She’s always vigilant, on guard for dangers which she constantly calculates. Her monozygotic twin Katie (KT) lives in New York and is as different to Molly as day is to night, as light to shade. She is there pursuing her studies and enjoying a New York lifestyle. Molly gets a phone call from their parents, who are visiting New York, to inform her that KT is dead and Molly knows she has to bravely venture out of her comfort zone to join them where revelations and secrets emerge about KT’s lifestyle. Molly narrates, how reliably only time will tell.

Will Dean knocks it out of the park yet again in this superbly crafted mystery thriller. New York as a setting has a frenetic feel yet also provides a claustrophobic backdrop to the multiple twists and is a perfect match; in fact the plot is probably twisted rather than twisty! The author uses locations extremely effectively such as diners, parks, stores to achieve maximum impact.

The characterisation is outstanding especially of risk minimising Molly and the deep seated psychological aspects of the ‘twin thing’ is excellent and I enjoy the transformations that take place. The plot twists are excellent, talk about wool pulling over the eyes, it’s so clever, and I think as the finale approaches my eyes (once wool is removed!) are out on stalks! My mouth hangs open that’s for sure as it’s so full of tension, suspense and what transpires is so unexpected. Well played Mr Dean!

So, if you like a thriller that starts out as a slow burn, the picks up pace, misdirects and shocks you at times to your very core then this is for you! Be warned though it’s very hard to put down once started!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Hodder and Stoughton for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

3.5 stars

New Will Dean is always a cause for celebration,so I was very excited to get my hands on this.
Another stand alone,that is again completely different to his other books.
We open with an overly anxious Molly,who had me rethinking a few things I do around the house... and follow her to New York where her sister has been murdered.
I felt the pace was a bit slow to begin with... but the further in you get,it picks up,and surprises galore are thrown at you.
There's subtle hints how things are going to pan out, but plot twists ensure you're not going to guess it all.
Another solid read from Mr Dean.

I discovered Will Dean last year when friends recommended The Last Thing to Burn. I was eager to read this one and wasn't disappointed despite it being a different style and pace. The premise of a twin being left behind lured me in as did the descriptions of New York, I could visualise myself walking down the streets with Molly adding to the tension.
Molly is a brilliant character and her anxiety and need to control was well presented but it is a tale of two halves. The first is slower and investigative and then bam I was thrown into fast paced, twists and turns until the conclusion.
A fantastic novel to start the year with and can't wait to read more of his work.

Well…………this is my first book by Will Dean - it won’t be my last!
It’s a murder mystery with a difference. I don’t generally précis the story in my reviews, that’s done perfectly well by the publishers and many other reviewers, but suffice to say it’s the story of identical twins, one living in New York (the extrovert) and the other still living in their country of birth, England (the introverted). The New York twin is murdered while their parents are out visiting her and the book starts with the other twin flying out to New York to be with them. It didn’t grip me straight away, I have to say but when the first twist came it made me gasp………literally!
I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to suspecting the final twist, but that didn’t spoil it at all for me. It definitely kept me page turning, reading for way longer than I planned!

Definitely worth the four star rating I have given, four stars only because, for me, I didn’t get immediately sucked in to the book, it took a while to hook me in, probably about a quarter to a third way through the book, although I was a bit intrigued from earlier than that; Then when the first big twist comes about half way through the book, wow five stars from them on!

My thanks to Will Dean, the publishers and to NetGalley for an advanced e.reader copy of this book.

Will Dean is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. Completely different to 2021’s The Last Thing To Burn but equally as enjoyable. Fast paced, intriguing characters and my goodness those twists! This is sure to be another success for this great author.

Wow! What did I just read?. Absolutely fantastic, loved it. Was hooked from the first page then suddenly was flipped upside down. What a roller-coaster of a book. Fabulous

Really liked this book.
Pacey storyline and also set in New York one of my favourite destinations. Would reccomend you read this book.

This novel felt well on course for a 5 star read, but it all fell into place far too early for my liking. The writing is good and the tension kept at exactly the right level in a psychological thriller. You inhabit the mind of the 2nd born of twins as she deals with the aftermath of her first born sister. Despite being paranoid about every imaginable risk, Molly does some digging into Katie’s life and starts to discover her sister was not who she thought she was.
Please don’t be put off by my comment about things falling into place for me. It happens sometimes with all of us, but this writing is really very good.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this as an arc. This review is in no way influenced by this. (less)

First Born certainly doesn't lack punches. From page one you are tipped straight into the action. Following Molly Raven as she discovers that her best friend, her soulmate, her twin sister is dead - found murdered in her apartment overseas in New York City.

Will Dean has a way with words, you are instantly transported to the hot, dirty, busy bustling streets of New York City, following mild Molly and her idiosyncratic ways as she navigates what it is like to lose her beloved sister, but also the other half of who that made her as a twin.

I can't actually say too much more about the plot, other than it was a suspenseful, action packed, emotional read from start to finish. I loved the mystery surrounding the mysterious benefactor who 'sponsors' Katie to study and all that entails, as well as the more familiar subplots of the relationship with her tutor. This book smelt fishy because of all the Red Herrings that I fell for....and wow, when those plot twists get revealed, be careful as they'll smack you in the face!

A superb, action packed read!

Another great thriller from Will Dean .
Katie and Molly are identical twins with non identical personalities . They have not been very close of late and Katie has been over in America studying . Their parents go over on holiday to visit her and not long after -Molly gets a phone call -her sister has been murdered . She sets off for America determined to find out what has happened .
There are lots of twists and turns to keep you glued to this book. Suspend disbelief and enjoy the ride .

Thankyou NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review

Will Dean is just an extraordinary writer. First Born is a fantastic read, just a rollercoaster of a novel where you have no idea who you can trust. Hugely recommend.

This is a proper twisty turny cracker of a book by Will Dean. Molly and her twin sister, Katie have been as close as close can get since the day they were born, but with totally different personalities. Katie is a free spirit, happy to embrace all that life has to offer and lives her life to the full. Molly is totally risk averse, and I mean TOTALLY risk averse. She's a health and safety freak gone mad! So when Molly gets the news that her sister is dead and she has to travel to New York on the spur of the moment, she is plunged into a world where danger lurks around every corner. Trying to cope with her grief, and the grief of her parents, Molly suspects foul play and turns detective on a mission to find out what really happened to her sister, and why she was taken so suddenly. A great read - it only drops a star because it just doesn't top The Last Thing To Burn by Dean, which was my top read of 2021.

I expected big things from this read after loving The Last Thing To Burn last year and I was not disappointed.
It was a well paced, utterly gripping tale with an interesting hook starting with the murder of a twin.
I couldn't put it down and was kept guessing right until the end even though it meant suffering my usual dilemma of needing to know how it ended, but not wanting to finish the book. Awesome.
My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for my eARC in return for my honest review.

Good solid writing from Will Dean. Intriguing story and well written and plotted as always. This author is fast becoming a go to author for me now. My favourite is still Last Thing to Burn but this has all the hallmarks of a very good read. An exciting ending not least because someone steps up to the plate which you wouldn't have imagined at the beginning of the book.
For me a good solid 3.5/5 stars

Wow! This is an astonishing thriller from Will Dean. His previous novel “last thing to burn” was one of my books of the year in 2021 and this is nothing like it in terms of content but its characters are as well drawn and the pace is phenomenal against a New York backdrop. Uptight and worldly unwise Molly wants to get to the bottom of her identical twin’s murder so travels to NYC with their parents. Her painstaking research into survival keeps her safe but plunges her into a dark world of exploitation, jealousy and possession. You don’t want to know the truth.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

This is my first read by Will Dean and if his other books are anything like this one it won’t be my last.
Wow, this was one hell of a thrilling read. It did begin fairly slowly in my opinion although I thought the author set the scene, atmosphere and introduced Molly’s character really well. Molly is devastated to be told that her identical twin sister has died and flies to New York to be with her parents. The start really piqued my interest and I found that as the book progressed I became invested in the story and it’s characters. But is everything as it seems? The first half of the book was a good read and the second half - I felt like I was unwrapping layer after layer of secrets, I thought the book really picked up it’s pace and I had a few wow moments when I thought hang on, have I read that right? Twists galore were cleverly introduced into the plot line. The last part of the book was filled with such tension and suspense and raced to a final conclusion which I’d already guessed before the end. I’d definitely read more of the authors books and would recommend this one as well.

Having gone head first into this book after finishing Dark Pines (Will Dean's Debut) I had high hopes! For 50% of the book it was very promising and I was hooked. However things just went a little south after that... I figured out quite early on, probably within the first 20% of the book, what had happened. Which ordinarily isn't an issue but the way that the storyline unravelled after that just wasn't strong enough for me. Compared to the atmospheric and chilling paragraphs of Dark Pines, this just didn't feel like Will Dean's signature style. Perhaps reading it as a debut from a different Author I might have felt differently.

I love Will Dean’s books and was thrilled to have had the opportunity to read this book. Molly is a risk adverse worrier living alone in London. Her identical twin Katie is her opposite and strikes out alone to study in the states. Katie is found dead in her apartment under suspicious circumstances leaving Molly and her parents bereft. However, things are not as straightforward as they initially seem to be. A brilliant book that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Really enjoyed it the characters were amazing it starts when Molly finds out her twin sister has been murdered in her apartment the storyline was awesome and would never have guessed the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy

My thoughts about Will Dean’s First Born, the pain which is being shown of losing a person, is out of the word, the memories if the people who left us is more painful than pain of losing them. Will Dean’s First Born captures your attention and a very engaging thriller from the start. First Born is Intense… Bold…. Thrilling…. Captivating…. Mature…. This Book is a superb peice of art. Will Dean’s First Born’s treatment of its characters is first-rate” and “the build-up to the impending scare is brilliant. The story of Will Dean’s First Born begins with a twin learns her sister has been murdered in New York and travels to the city to piece together what has happened.Molly lives a quiet, contained life in London. Naturally risk averse, she gains comfort from security and structure. Every day the same.Her identical twin Katie is her exact opposite: gregarious and spontaneous. They used to be inseparable, until Katie moved to New York a year ago. Molly still speaks to her daily without fail.But when Molly learns that Katie has died suddenly in New York, she is thrown into unfamiliar territory. Katie is part of her DNA. As terrifying as it is, she must go there and find out what happened. As she tracks her twin’s last movements, cracks begin to emerge. Nothing is what it seems. And a web of deceit is closing around her. Will Dean’s First Born is an outstanding book. A taut psychological thriller that keeps you guessing till the end, it leaves you spellbound, leaves you mesmerized, leaves you with an exclamation. I would like to say thank you to Author Will Dean, Netgally and Publishers Hodder Books, for kindly gifting me a copy for me to read and review this brilliant thriller, ive enjoyed reading. Mark my words, Will Dean’s First Born is going to be big in 2022.