The suspense in this book was absolutely relentless. Every chapter ended with a cliffhanger that made it impossible to stop reading. The ending was jaw-dropping and unforgettable.

"Identical" by Saskia Sarginson offers a compelling narrative with dual points of view between twin sisters, providing intriguing glimpses into the past. While the beginning may be slow for some readers, the last quarter of the book delivers suspense and mystery that keep readers on edge. Although the pacing could have been faster overall, the novel still manages to captivate with its suspenseful and thrilling moments. Despite its flaws, it's a worthwhile read, leaving readers eager for more from the author.

Wow, this was a brilliant read and I just couldn't put it down. Twisty. and tense I raced through it desperate to get to the finish. A new author for me and has certainly made an impression. Looking out for more in the future. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. This one definitely has an interesting plot. We all love the idea of identical twins switching places to trick people. However, it was slow to me, not enough action. I did like the story and the twist at the end was unexpected.

This book gripped me right from the beginning. I was able to read it in 24 hours and I never guessed all the twists. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. Was gripped by the story and where it was leading. It did not end as I expected. Would highly recommend this book

I really tried to stay interested in this book. Yes, sure the writer did a wonderful job of connecting the readers through a synopsis of the story. The flashbacks of the twins was a little informative, but were was the intensity? Where is the thrill of the story? I really felt that that the book lost me, because there was no action. There was no gotcha! Nothing exciting happened at all! Ugh.

Really loved this book! Thought the plot was EXCELLENT and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time!

Now here’s a book that is completely different from the usual suspense mystery read, so well written that you’ll believe that you know what’s going on, but do you?
The story swaps timelines and concentrates mainly on the twins of a dysfunctional family. Alice and Cecily are identical but with different personalities, Alice stays with Cecily’s family while she’s taking a break, she wants to divorce her abusive husband but Alice bonds with him and his daughter.
The characters did not enjoy their life as a family, the father was controlling with his religious beliefs and disciplining methods, leaving long lasting traumatic consequences.
The mystery continues as the story unfolds, Cecily has her challenges and concerns everyone around her, which is understandable given the mindset that she has developed.
I enjoyed Alice joining into Cecily’s family, becoming friends with Bea and even Gabriel and, after all the bizarre twists, how he supports her.
A truly intriguing book.

Thanks to Boldwood Books, NetGalley and the amazing author for the opportunity to read and review this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is an engrossing read that captivated me from start to finish. Drawn in by the intriguing cover and blurb, I was eager to dive into the story of Alice and Cecily, twin sisters bound by a dramatic and urgent call for help.

The alternating chapters from each sister's perspective, combined with a seamless weaving of past and present, created a rich, layered narrative. This structure not only deepened the character development but also kept me thoroughly engaged, offering insights into their complex relationship and histories.

The plot twists were both surprising and cleverly executed, making for a gripping and thought-provoking read. This book is a testament to the power of storytelling, and I look forward to exploring more from this author.

3.5/5.

When Alice gets a message from her estranged twin sister Cecily, she can’t help herself. She has to say yes. She leave instructions for Alice right down to how to use the oven. When Alice sees a message on the bathroom mirror she realises someone is out to get Cecily.
The timeline of the story is back and forth and told from both sisters point.

This was such a good book. I read it one sitting and could not put it down. I would definitely recommend this book to all my family and friends.

My unrestrained thoughts: Unintelligible, grieving noises.
Now, onto a little sophisticated review – it may contain tiny spoilers!

If you think you’re prepared for Saskia Sarginson’s Identical, you couldn’t be more wrong! The book is about identical twins, where Alice takes her estranged sister’s place for a week. Why? Because Cecily wants a divorce from her abusive husband. And a week is all she needs to arrange a divorce lawyer, a job, and get her life back on track. Alice agrees because that’s what sisters do for each other.

One week passes with Alice working the oven, cooking supper, and talking with Cecily’s family exactly the way Cecily would do. But there’s no sign of her sister and Alice realizes your once-meek-and-obedient sister is playing a really dangerous game. And she could be the one who gets the brunt of her actions…

The chapters proceed in an alternate pattern, with the present written from Alice’s point of view while we see snippets of their childhood in Cecily’s words. Their childhood was not a fun time, with the twins and their brother living under the control of a fanatic, deeply religious father and an obedient-to-a-fault mother in a dilapidated mansion. In the present, they are free, but the trauma of their past is imprinted on their souls and it reflects in their day-to-day actions.

Right from the start, the author presents our MIA heroine in a peculiar way that you can’t help but think she’s really odd. But not odd enough to hate her outright – so I had to settle for feeling uncomfortable whenever I read her voice. Which is really impressive, given the INSANE twist at the end!

The mystery is really well done, and you better believe I will say this a thousand times. Nothing, absolutely nothing prepares you for it… and once we get to the reveal, you can’t help but go back and connect the dots. Well, admittedly, I can’t make sense of some things. Like, did she go to that fort to stick the notes? And then came back and that’s why she knew exactly where to look? Does this also mean that Priest guy (I can’t even remember his name) was following her all this time?

Well, I have no other option but to reread it to make sense of it again! *eagerly goes back to read it*.

What I liked:
o The mystery:
I was initially intrigued by the fact that the story is about sisters because I have one. But then, the story took such different turns that I was left breathless, seriously! I literally made theories about why Cecily is acting this way and wrote them down in a document. Sarginson has placed a handful of red herrings throughout the chapters, camouflaged under the strings of suspenseful words. You can imagine I never went anywhere close to the actual reveal…
Some snippets of my theories, if anyone is interested –
I’m pretty sure that it’s Cecily’s mission to hunt down people who ruined her life/intrigued her/she holds grudges against (Edith Baxter, for cursing the family, Jude, for rejecting her “love”, and possibly Alice, for leaving her in that house with Daddy, maybe that’s why she trapped her in her life).
It seems like she didn’t help when Henry died and hid in some crawl room. Dad seems to have disowned Alice on it and Cecily is guilty about her inaction – is what my theory is right now. Doesn’t explain why she wants a divorce, or like leaving Gabriel, Bea, and her married life/

o Cecily’s personality:
You know the actor is really good at their role when you start hating them because of a character they played. The exact same happened to me when I started hating on Cecily right away. She was a spoilsport from the start; every single action of hers pissed me off. For instance, the way she was not on board with the party and eventually ratted out to her father was enough to set alarm bells in my head.
It had me thinking that I would never be able to tolerate her if she was my sister. But then, the big reveal happened and it had me going back to analyze her life and trauma. Needless to say, I was able to feel sympathy for her. For everything she went through and for how she’ll have to live from now on.

o The details of domestic life:
It’s such a small point that everyone would skim through, but I really loved the snippets of Alice playing mom and wife to Cecily’s family. The way she connected with Bea – helping her enjoy yoga, feeding her hummus (yes, I remember every detail), and making her comfortable enough to confide in her – was really comforting to read.
Progress with Gabriel was slow but they did become the perfect husband and wife after some time. She fit into the family like a lost puzzle piece and I almost wanted her to replace Cecily and live there forever… well, until we understand what’s really happening! I also loved how Gabriel doesn’t leave her, as she (and I) suspected, as we see in the epilogue. He really is a perfect man *sigh*.

What I wasn’t impressed with:
The book is well-written, so it’d be difficult to pinpoint something really worthy of dislike. Despite what other people are saying, I found it pretty easy to keep up with the leaps in time and the POV changes.
The only problem would be the way the story slows down during the finale when it should’ve picked up pace. It dragged so much that I actually skimmed through the pages because I did not want to read about how Alice was driving down the road and was trying to get rid of the stranger following her.
I think the chapters covering confrontation and the subsequent reveal were dragged to keep the mystery alive. But, for me, it watered down the effect it should have delivered. I was kinda distracted during that part, but, thankfully, Alice’s death pulled me right back into the plot.

My final thoughts?
Identical is a one-of-a-kind mystery that hits you in your feels like a ton of bricks. If you’re a fan of a heroine with a layered past (an understatement), family drama (but make it fatal), and a dash of religious fanaticism on the side, this is the best choice for you!

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
#netgalley #arcreview

I have previously read a book of Saskia's and loved it, so I knew I wouldn't be disappointed. I'm drawn to books about twins. My grandmother is a twin, so I enjoyed getting to know them and their past. The ending was what made it for me.

Having read quite a few cosy mysteries lately this book was such a gripping, thrilling engaging, heart-pounding, edge of your seat psychological thriller that I couldn't put down. From the moment I started on page one I knew this was going to be an emotional rollercoaster of a ride. Twin sisters, one in some sort of trouble has now put the other one in danger. So how will this all pan out...

I can't tell you but I will say it is well worth the read as it will keep you guessing and staying up til all hours just to keep reading so you can find out what is really going on. But with a twist here and a turn there you will be surprised I'm sure. Need I say more.... Read it. Fantastic thrill ride of a book.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

O my word, I just devoured this book! It was so well written, that I kept on flicking through the pages, and couldn't wait to get to the end! The twist at the end was very well done, and I didn't see it coming. Highly recommended!
TB

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. This mystery was an intriguing one for me. Twin sisters Alice and Cecily were close growing up but drifted apart after they lost their brother to suicide and the guilt they feel over that loss. Out of the blue one day Alice receives a call from Cecily asking her to move into her life and pretend to be her so that Cecily can start to get things in order to start divorce proceedings. Alice is told it will only be for a week and Cecily's husband and her have been living separate lives in separate bedrooms so he won't even notice the switch as no one knows that Cecily has a twin sister. Alice agrees to help her out and she must try to fool not only Cecily's husband but also their teenage daughter Bea. What happens when the week comes to an end and there is no way of contacting Cecily? Is there more going on here than what Alice was told? Great read but could have been so much more. Enjoy!!!

Thanks to Netgalley, Boldwood Books and Saskia Sarginson for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Identical. It was well written and intriguing. I was hooked from the first chapter and couldn't put it down.

The storyline was compelling, mysterious and at times heartbreaking. It had real emotional depth.
The relationship between Cecily and Alice was interesting and complex.
The twists were great. I really didn't see them coming.

I highly recommend.

4 stars from me. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

This was a really good novel, which at first I was a bit unsure of.
I saw all the signs in the book and saw the twist before it came but it was a good twist.
The identical twin swap was interesting but didn’t always make sense to me but it explained itself in the end.
The setting was normal and the pace was steady, an easy read overall.

*4 Stars*

Copy kindly received via NetGalley for an honest review.

A very interesting read. Great characters. Alice, Cecily and Henry certainly had a terrible father and a very weak mother. It was terrible what happened to the 3 of them. Gabriel was a good husband and very patient and understanding. The ending surprised me.