“A stunning, dark and sexy debut thriller set in the winding lanes and underbelly of Brighton, centring around the social media world, where resentments and accusations are played out, identities made and remade, and there is no such thing as the truth

When India falls to her death from a bridge over a railway, her sister Poppy returns home to Brighton for the first time in years. Unconvinced by official explanations, Poppy begins her own investigation into India’s death. But the deeper she digs, the closer she comes to uncovering deeply buried secrets. Could Matthew Temple, the boyfriend she abandoned, be involved? And what of his powerful and wealthy parents, and his twin sister, Ana? Enter the mysterious and ethereal Jenny: the girl Poppy discovers after hacking into India’s laptop. What is exactly is she hiding, and what did India find out about her? Taking the reader on a breathless ride through the winding lanes of Brighton, into its vibrant party scene and inside the homes of its wellheeled families, The Other Twin is startling and up-to-the-minute thriller about the social-media world, where resentments and accusations are played out online, where identities are made and remade, and where there is no such thing as truth…”

I am thrilled to be one of two stops today for The Other Twin blog tour.  The Other Twin is the debut novel from L.V. Hay and was published by Orenda Books on 3rd July 2017.  I was privileged to have L.V. Hay feature as one of the authors on my #damppebblestakeover last year. Hay wrote a fascinating piece on the ‘star rating system’ which still, to this day, has more views than most other posts on the blog.  If you missed it the first time then please click here.

I was excited when I heard Orenda Books were going to publish Hay’s debut novel, The Other Twin.  I couldn’t wait to get my mitts on a copy of this book.  And I wasn’t the slightest bit disappointed.  I was expecting something a little different to my usual reads and flipping heck, I got it!  This is a psychological thriller.  But this is also so much MORE than your standard psychological thriller.  It was a breath of fresh air.

The Other Twin focusses partly on the LGBTQIA scene in the vibrant seaside town of Brighton. Poppy’s younger sister, India has recently committed suicide but despite a lack of contact over the years, Poppy knows India would never take her own life.  As the story unfolds we follow Poppy as she attempts to discover exactly who wanted her sister dead and the twisted reasons why.  The only evidence to hand are coded blog posts written in the lead up to India’s death.  Poppy has to work out exactly who they refer to and what part, if any, they played in India’s demise.  What I wasn’t expecting but was (unusually for me) pleasantly surprised by was the romance aspect of this novel. Returning to the place she grew up Poppy has to confront old friends as well as her ex-lover. The end of the romance was particularly unpleasant which normally dictates the reunion should be equally as unpleasant, which it is.  But the chemistry between Poppy and Matthew just won’t go away.  I loved the friction between these two characters.  There was a sense of deceit, of wrong-doing oozing from Matthew which I loved.

Would I recommend this book?  I would.  I loved the nest of lies and deceit this story was built upon.  I really enjoyed Poppy’s determination to find the truth for her sister and the muddle of secrets she has to wade through to do so.  A great, brilliantly written, confident mystery and I can’t wait to read more from L.V. Hay.

Four out of five stars.

I chose to read and review an ARC of The Other Twin.  The above review is my own unbiased opinion.  My thanks to Orenda Books and Anne Cater for asking me to join the tour.

The Other Twin by L.V. Hay was published in the UK by Orenda Books on 3rd July 2017 and is available in paperback, eBook and audio formats | amazon.co.uk | amazon.com | Waterstones | Goodreads |

Lucy V. Hay is a novelist, script editor and blogger who helps writers via her Bang2write consultancy. She is the associate producer of Brit Thrillers Deviation (2012) and Assassin(2015), both starring Danny Dyer. Lucy is also head reader for the London Screenwriters’ Festival and has written two non-fiction books, Writing & Selling Thriller Screenplays, plus its follow-up Drama ScreenplaysShe lives in Devon with her husband, three children, six cats and five African Land Snails.

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