Wow! Just Wow!

The Shadow Twins by Fiona Holloway is a totally gripping psychological suspense that I could not put down.

We see the effects on three lives after a dreadful tragedy saw a young twin sister drown (before the book opened). The marriage has fallen apart as the mother and remaining twin sister move houses and schools for a fresh start. “Was this what she had wanted? A town where no one knew her name, where no one asked questions?”

What starts out as anonymity soon warps into notoriety as the lives of both mother and daughter begin to unravel.

The mother is eaten up with grief, sorrow and guilt. She is denying the need for help, whilst nursing a dreadful secret.

The remaining twin appears to be communicating with her dead sister – but is she? Or is it grief and denial talking?

A fresh start in a new school brings some shocking results. The mother doesn’t believe they need help – when they clearly do.

The father steps in – but is it too little, too late? Can he beat the voices vying for attention?

All the characters were well drawn. The grief journey affected them all differently. We see that the grief journey is not linear. “Grief has a way of changing shape over time.”

There were some scenes that definitely rose the hairs on the back of my neck. The action was decidedly creepy at times – as I wondered, what is real?

As the suspense rose and the conclusion was coming, the tension heightened – until a jaw-dropping seen that I did not see coming! It was definitely a ‘wow, oh wow!’ moment!

I can thoroughly recommend The Shadow Twins. I could not put it down and read it in just one sitting – it was a late night for me!

JULIA WILSON