Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to review this book. I've been a fan of Erica Spindler, and The Look-Alike lived up to my expectations of her books. This was an easy, quick read, and the story drew me in immediately.

Sienna returns home to confront her past and her and her mother's dysfunctional relationship. Her mother won't leave the house, and I appreciated the author's detailed attention to her mental illness, and Sienna's need to confront whether or not she suffers from similar delusions. Unfortunately, her return home coincides with the police reopening an unsolved murder, and it leads Sienna to question whether or not she was the intended victim. This is where the thrill ride begins, from suspicious phone calls and new neighbors to old friends, old relationships, and family. Spindler keeps you guessing as little pieces of the mystery are revealed. She did a great job weaving in the murder mystery, developing the characters, throwing in some romance, and highlighting the importance of family.

Definitely a suspense book worth the read.

This book started out slow for me. And the story moved way to fast in my opinion. You dont meet someone new for 5 minutes and knock on there door at 3 am the same night just cuz there lights are on and your lonely. And I'm not fond of books that hit you in the face the second to the last chapter with the "mystery solved". So I did not think I was going to enjoy reading this story. BUT It started to draw me in and I finished reading this in 2 days. I liked it. It was a good story but not a GREAT story. Maybe if it was told in a different way or the characters had a bit of a different personality I would have loved it. All in all it was a satisfying read.

Wow, I loved this book! I felt like my head was spinning and my body was in chills many times. The author did well at developing the story in a manner that had me hooked, as well as making sure the characters were well developed! Will definitely be reading more by Spindler. Highly, highly recommend!
I will make sure I highly, highly recommend!

This book had me guessing the entire time. The author definitely kept me on my toes and kept the pages turning. There were so many characters to love, then hate, then love again.

I don’t think I’ve ever read anything from this author before, but from what I read in this book I am kind of glad I haven’t. The writing wasn’t that great and the story was just boring.

Sienna is an interesting character. I wasn’t sure if I could believe her version of events until the end. I love books that make we question the reliability of the narrator. This was a fast-paced thriller with good twists.

Having read a lot of psychological thrillers, The Look-Alike was painfully predictable. You think you know who the killer is from the get go? Then you probably do.

That being said, I enjoyed Erica Spindler's writing. Despite the lack of suspense, I did want to keep reading. This was my first Spindler novel, but I doubt it'll be my last. I would pick up another one and give it a go.

Based on the reviews I've seen elsewhere, I'm not in the majority in feeling this way. This one just wasn't for me.

A thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of The Look-Alike by author Erica Spindler, for my honest review

I must say that this was a tough read for me, a book that just was not for me

I had found it interesting at the beginning, but as the story moved along I just struggled getting through it and became quickly bored

I found that I could not get into the characters, or storyline either. I just wanted to finish and get on to reading other books that I would enjoy more

Not a knockout for me.

My main hurdles were: 1) main character was super immature 2) a lot of things were oversimplified, including mental illness, which is not simple. Less impactful were the annoying brother, how the father was written, and overly simplified writing. I also figured out early who the killer was but had no idea what the motivation was so that spurred me to read through. Figuring stuff like that out doesn't bother me though, so that was not a factor in the meh rating.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the premise of this story: a young woman who thinks she may have inherited her mother’s mental illness tries to convince herself and those around her that the threat to her life is truly a valid concern. But in the process, her kneejerk reaction to each and every perceived threat convinces those around her that she’s as unhealthy as her mother.
The weak link in this book is the character development. Poor Sienna is as shallow as they come, jumping from one needy relationship to another, falling head over heels in love overnight and face-planting into walls at every turn. The other main characters also struck me as shallow and not at all developed. Her “hotty” neighbor is just too flirtatious and available, her mother is one-dimensional, and her step-brother is a boor and a self-centered prick. But somewhere in the midst of these flawed characters, does a killer reside? I still enjoyed the story and had to finish the book just to satisfy my own curiosity.
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for making it available.)

This book is classic Erica Spinder! The story focuses on the character of Sienna who just arrives back in town after a 10 year hiatus. In the past, Sienna had discovered a body on her college campus. The discovery left her wondering if perhaps she was the intended target. Her mother's paranoid delusions did not help the situation. Sienna is determined to not let the past impact her future and wants to settle down roots back in her home town. She also wants to help with the care of her mom. Sienna's arrival back in town coincidentally coincides with the reopening of the case. There are definitely a lot of plausible red herrings thrown in the mix to complicate the story as well as a solid love interest with questionable motives. I did like that there was a hint that could lead the reader to the true culprit. It's always nice when there are some genuine clues thrown into the mix. Cuddle up and enjoy this book!

I figured out the ending of this book at the beginning, and I was less-than impressed with the book as a whole.

5 Stars!! An intense whodunnit that had me reading long into night and wee hours of the morning. I absolutely love Erica Spindler's work and when I seen this book was out and available for request I jumped on it, excitedly, and I was not disappointed!
The story is thick with suspense and unexpected twists and turns to leave you guessing who murdered a college girl 10 years earlier.
I don't like to give too much away in reviews. But I can guarantee you will not be able to put this book down until the very end. It's gripping, intense, suspenseful, addictive, and I highly recommend!

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Erica Spindler for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Erica Spindler will definitely be listed as one of my new favorite authors. ”The Look-Alike” kept me reading long into the night. This was a a who-dunn it type mystery of a murder that had occurred many years prior when the main character (Sienna) whom discovered the murder was a young 18 year old. Sienna’s mother has mental issues and Sienna was always afraid that she would also be saddled with the same issues later in life. Sienna’s father sends her to London to live with her grandmother to remove her from the controversy surrounding the murder. When Sienna finally returns circumstances push her into trying to solve the yet unsolved murder. The story moves at a rapid pace which I prefer. Erica keeps you guessing between characters as to whom did this dirty deed. The story definitely kept me engaged and I totally appreciated the opportunity to read an advance copy from Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an honest opinion. Thank you so much! I will be recommending this book to my friends and book club.

This book starts out with our main character (Sienna) coming back home to look after her ailing mother with the help of her two siblings only to be informed that the murder investigation that she ran away from years ago has been reopened. The more that Sienna in town the more that she digs into the murder investigation that is taking place. And the more coincidences seem to be popping up. Why did her and the deceased girl look so similar? Why were they in the same spot at the same time? Was she the real target? After our main character escapes a murderous attack years ago she starts taking a look at what happened and starts to become convinced that the madman is back to finish off what he started in the first place. This book was really intense but more of a suspense novel that leaves you guessing and on the edge of your seat the whole time. I found the characters in this book to be very interesting and well written and the plot just kept pulling me in deeper and deeper until I couldn't close the book even if I wanted to. There was so much going on in this book that it is hard to talk about in one review however all of it was amazing! It really pulled you in as a reader and when everything was finally laid out in the end it gave you a moments pause to go back and think about everything that led up to it and to see the clues with a new set of eyes. Very good book and I'm glad that I got the chance to check this one out. Not only was the story line something that ever thriller thrives to be but I found the characters to be amazing! Even the ones that I didn't like I found were well written and I loved to hate them. I can't say enough good things about this book! Everyone must read this one. It was like a roller coaster that I never wanted to get off of..

The look alike was an unexpected favorite! This psychological thriller will chill you to the core. A violent murder, a daughter who witnesses a violent crime, a mother with a psychiatric condition, a love affair with a handsome stranger and dysfunctional family dynamics. The twists and turns in the story will take you on a wild ride. The ending will make you scratch your head and rethink everything you’ve read. A great read. 4 stars.

The Look-Alike is a hard to put down and hard to forget novel. The story haunted me for days after I swiped the last page. Full of twists and turns, completely unpredictable. An amazing read!

Sienna Scott hasn't had an easy, carefree life. Her mother is mentally ill, suffering from paranoid delusions. Sienna is now attending college, and one night, she leaves her library study group later than her normal time, only to stumble across a dead body. The victim, a girl wearing an identical coat to Sienna. While Sienna wonders if she was the intended victim, she starts to doubt her sanity, wondering if she has inherited her mother's illness. Sienna's father decides to send her to London to live with her grandmother, and it will be ten years before she comes home.
Her mother is not taking her medication, her brother seems distracted and not very happy to hear that Sienna wants to stay and open a restaurant, and someone is making disturbing phone calls. Could Sienna have been right all those years ago? Was she the intended victim?
I enjoyed The Look-Alike because the author provided so many red herrings! After going back and forth, I settled on one suspect who I was sure was the killer. I was wrong but did manage to figure out several of the sub-plots, so I didn't fail in my attempts to determine whodunnit and why. The plot was fast-paced, there were plenty of suspects, and the reality of living with someone who is mentally ill was well written. I will look for Erica Spindler's books again.
I received a DRC from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley.

I just couldn't get into it. I read the entire book but just never felt connected and didn't have that "I can't stop reading this" feeling. I enjoyed the plot for what it was but for whatever reason, it didn't land with me. I'm not sure if it was because of the way it was written and I think the beginning really through me off as well.

Ten years after the still -unsolved murder of a college classmate and the possibility that she herself was the killer's intended target, Sienna Scott returns to the scene of the crime - the small midwestern city where she was raised and where her beloved stepbrother and her mentally ill mother still live. By now Sienna is a trained and experienced chef, and the inheritance her brother has been managing may make it possible for her to buy out the retiring couple who own the restaurant that could be the fulfillment of her professional dreams. Plus, there's the handsome stranger who's just moved into the house across the street. If not for her mother's paranoid delusions that both their lives are in danger, Sienna's would be close to perfect. But it isn't, and it's about to get a lot worse. Nicely drawn characters and expert pacing in a well-, plotted thriller.