When Sienna returns to her hometown to care for her mother, who suffers from paranoid delusions, she is haunted by memories of the past. A decade earlier, while walking home from the college library, Sienna stumbled across the body of a murdered girl. The dead girl was wearing the same white coat as Sienna, and was traveling the same isolate path that Sienna often traveled. She can’t shake the feeling that the murderer was actually waiting to kill her that night. Is she right? Or is she suffering from the same paranoid delusions as her mother?
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This is a fast, suspenseful read. I’m a really slow reader, and I finished it in four days. I was convinced—multiple times—that I knew what was going on and who the murderer was. And I was wrong every time. If you like a good thriller, definitely check it out!

There are two look-alikes in this book: a murdered girl who was wearing the same coat as Sienna and Sienna’s mother to whom bears an uncanny resemblance. Let me start properly: Sienna Scott returns home to the fictional town of Tranquillity Bluffs, Wisconsin after living in London for 10 years. Many years after the murder of her friend, Sienna is still haunted by the possibility that she was the intended victim. Her father is dead at this time and her mother is mentally ill. Sienna dreams of running her own restaurant in Tranquility Bluffs and also hopes to rebuild her relationship with her mother and half brother, Brad. Unfortunately, Sienna has to accept that Mom is worse than she thought and displays symptoms of dark delusions and paranoia. The local police department's re-opening of the old cold case leads to more trouble such as a series of terrifying phone calls. The Look-Alike started out exciting but kinda lost its momentum somewhere in the middle. I knew out who the murderer was early on. I hate when that happens, but a good story and character development can help this. The role of mental illness was a very interesting element of the Look-Alike and I was glad that was a part of things. I liked the book enough to finish. It wasn't my favorite thing I've ever read, but I also didn't hate it. Thanks, Net Gallery for the ARC.

I was excited to read this book as the description sounded really good and I enjoyed it. I love mystery, suspense and thrillers and this definitely had all three. There were a lot of twists and turns and unexpected developments and it moved really fast. There were some places that were triggers for me but overall it was enjoyable. I will definitely go back and read some of her other books, hopefully they will be good too,

A really great look at mental health. Not only how the person is dealt with, but how other people in the family and the closest circle are treated.

The story itself was a fast and easy read. A really fun, twisty plot that wasn't as obvious as I would have expected. There were some unbelievable parts for me, like the insta-romance, but I can accept it and move on even if it was a bit eye rolling.

The MC wasn't a favorite, but not the worst. I could totally feel her pain in always having to question her own mental health state just because everyone else was pointing it out. Seemed like she wasn't ever sure of herself when showing back in the toxic situation that her family life was.

Overall a nice read with a fun twist in the end.

Erica Spindler has become of my favorite suspense authors. While she began her writing career in the romance genre, she has quickly made a name for herself with her crime fiction series and her stand-alones, which are the ones I love most. Now she is back with The Look-Alike, a can't put down thriller that will have the reader doubting their own sanity. Let me also state, up front, that I admire any author or publisher who remembers to put a hyphen in the wordd look-alike!

Sienna Scott, our primary character, has led a bizarre and rather sad life living with a mother who a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic. She literally lives a life in constant fear and paranoia. Sienna's father has done everything he can to protect Sienna from her mother including shipping Sienna off to London to keep her from "shattering" after Sienna discovers a fellow college student dead on campus. However, now Sienna is back home, with her mother, where she begins wondering if, in fact, she was the target of the killing so many years ago. The victim could have been Sienna's exact "look-alike."

Spindler weaves a tale of suspense that will leave you doubting your own sanity as much as Sienna and her mother doubt theirs. The Look-Alike is filled with twists and turns that will keep you reading until the end - but, never once do the surprises appear staged for shock value, Rather, they are the perfect course for a case like to take. Who is telling the truth? Who is really behind the murder and how much paranoia is real and how much is being exacerbated to make Sienna and her mother off balance. Fabulously written, this is a thriller that I highly recommend to all who enjoy crime fiction, thrillers and suspense.

Sienna Scott has returned home from London. Her father sent her to London after a gal she knew was murdered. Sienna found her when walking home from her study group in the library. She is helped by campus police. Sienna wonders if she was the one that was supposed to be kill as they both were wearing white winter coats. When her mom finds out about Sienna’s experience, her paranoid delusions rear up quickly upsetting Sienna. Sienna feels like the only person she can talk to is the campus policeman who helped her. When her dad finds out, he sends her to London. Sienna learns to be a chef. Coming home, she stops and surprises her brother. When he finds out that she has come home to stay, he is unhappy. Sienna tells him that she will be living at home with her mom until she finds a place of her own. Why? He warns against it due to her mom’s paranoid delusions. She goes home to a happy mother. When she discovers that a favorite local restaurant is on sale, she is delighted and goes to the owners thinking of buying it. Will she buy it? Sienna starts getting scary phone calls. Sienna sees a white unmarked van driving past the house slows down and then speeds up. Sienna becomes afraid that besides looking like her mom, police will think that she is having paranoid delusions too. Will they? Is someone after Sienna?

A psychological, mystery thriller that has twists and turns throughout the story. It includes more than just a mystery but also has mental illness, elements of stalking, fear, and romance. There are characters with hidden agendas. I enjoyed the mystery of who and why the gal discovered.dead by Sienna. It’s a well written novel.

Sienna Scott has always been told she looks exactly like her mother. But when your mother has suffered from paranoid delusions all your life, it may not be exactly what you want to hear.

As a college student, Sienna accidentally stumbled upon a dead body on campus. Clearly traumatized she tried to assist the police with everything she saw. But between her father’s attitude of her not getting involved and her mother’s paranoia, Sienna starts to unravel. It’s only when she realizes that she and the dead girl were wearing the same jacket that she begins to wonder if she had been the actual intended target. When she mentions this to her parents she is sent to live in London with her grandmother.

Flashforward 10 years when Sienna, a chef now, decides to come back home and stay. With her father having passed, she chooses to live with her mother whose delusions seem to have gotten worse through the years and her paranoia even stronger.

She finds out the Chief who was in charge of the school murder is retiring and he wants to reopen the case to see if he can give closure to the family as his last accomplishment.

But what ends up happening is Sienna seems to be the target of someone, reopening her fears that she was actually the intended victim. Was it really her that the person was after? Or is she becoming her mother and developing a mental illness she has kept hidden through the years? She begins her own investigation into the truth.
Scared and confused she turns to those who knew her then and to some she has recently met. But are they protectors or killers? How does she know? Or is she just being paranoid…like her mother!

The Look-Alike is a terrific psychological thriller with a little romance thrown in which I must admit I had figured out at about page 100, oh yes, I am that good…WRONG! Spindler throws enough sneaky clues to lead you down one path, only for you to discover you have been led down a dead end!

Thank you #NetGalley #St.Martin'sPress #EricaSpindler #TheLook-Alike for the advanced copy.

Thank you Macmillan and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Erica Spindler does it again! After loving The Other Girl and Justice for Sara, I went into The Look Alike with high expectations and wasn't disappointed. What drew me to this book right away was the theme of mental illness and what it can do not only to an individual, but their family and friends. It really makes you feel for these characters and what they have been through. Spindler has always provided a lot of red herrings that throw you off track and make you question what is going on. She kept me guessing until the end. The one criticism I will give is that I thought the twist in the end seemed rather far-fetched/not plausible. But it was extremely entertaining nonetheless.

The Look-Alike is a psychological thriller about a woman who happens upon a murder one snowy evening on her way back to her dorm from the library. She's shocked by the blood coloring the snow, but more shocked when she realizes she's wearing the same coat as the victim. Was she the intended target? Or is the coat merely a coincidence? She comes to believe it was supposed to be her that night, leading her to question her sanity. Sanity which she already had doubts about due to the mental delusions her mother suffers. They look alike, so in her mind it's not a far stretch that they could think alike too.

After spending ten years living abroad in London after the incident, Sienna returns to her small town only to learn that the murder investigation has been re-opened. Again, the coincidence of it re-opening right when she arrives home hits a little too closely for Sienna. On top of that, she starts receiving phone calls telling her it was supposed to be her all along. Her paranoia starts to compound, rightly so.

The Look-Alike was just ok for me. The writing was ok, the dialogue was ok, and the characters were ok. I'll admit I wasn't able to deduce who the killer was before the reveal, but I'm going to chalk that up to distraction from my dislike for the other characters in the book. Sienna made irrational decisions and acted like a doe-eyed newborn seeing the world for the first time. It wasn't becoming, Her brother and love interest were also quite unlikeable. The romance plot, in general, was unnecessary and moved extraordinarily quickly for no apparent reason. Romance is not what you need when you think you're the target of a murder.

The role of mental illness is the most interesting element of the Look-Alike, but even that doesn't seem to be as developed as it could be. Sienna's mother, Vivian, is the most compelling character in this book, and I wish she had been given more space in the story. If that had been leaned into vs the romance, I think this could have been a very disturbing read, which is how I like my thrillers.

This was my first book by Erica Spindler but it won't be my last. This is a Brenda Novak Book Club pick of the month for February which is why I initially picked it up. I was impressed with this psychological thriller. The story centers around Sienna Scott who quite literally stumbles over a murder as a college student. The murder remains unsolved until Sienna returns home after being sent away for more than a decade. Upon returning home, she finds all isn't what she thought and she has to face many ghosts from the past. There are many twists and turns and this book kept me guessing all the way through leading up to a very satisfying ending. Highly Recommend!

This took me awhile to really get into and I didn't find it as fast paced as I probably should have. However, the entire mystery did still keep me intrigued and I *did* feel like I really needed to know what happened. Might have just been the wrong time for me to pick this one up. I have enjoyed other books by this author so I will continue to read her future works.

Well-developed psychological thriller.

The Look-Alike features a fictional town, Tranquility Bluffs, where the name is as it sounds - the sheer tranquility of town is a complete bluff. A murder had taken place…but not the one Sienna's mom thought should have.

Filled with intrigue and a hint of romantic bliss, the story grows spindly and eerie as Sienna's worst fear seems to flow into existence as she begins to give that very fear unnecessary power.

This psych thriller was different. Perhaps, it was Spindler's style and artistic ability. Having weaved in flashbacks and connecting the dots to the present, her writing pulled me in and I fell into story headfirst.

I immediately thought of Andrea Kane novels while reading Erica's newest release.

Highly recommended for readers who enjoy taut psychological thrillers with strong, positive mental health themes.

A solid addition to the author's psychological thrillers. with a twist of romance and a movie like ending. Although in some ways predictable, still an enjoyable reaf.

This book didn't work for me. There was too much going on with: solving the murder from 10 years ago (which the police haven't been able to do); Sienna's mom's mental health and paranoia; Sienna's own 'am-I-like-my-mom' paranoia; pressure from her brother; a new, but too friendly hunky neighbor; potentially buying and opening a restaurant; and other diversions like white vans and crank calls. Oh and throw in a weird friendship with a cop from the original murder 10 years ago.

The whole story seemed slapped together hurriedly without much thought put into character development. This one was not for me, but don't let my opinion stop you.

The Look Alike is a psychological thriller that I read in one sitting! I couldn’t put it down. No matter what you label this one as it’s a great read! I love a great who-dun-it book. This book had me guessing to the very end! I would definitely recommend this book!

I received a copy from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Another great Erica Spindler book....she can always weave a great suspense story, leaving little clues that keep you wondering if you can guess what is really going on. As usual, I was wrong. Excellent mystery that satisfies at the end!

Sienna Scott was returning to her dorm room at college late one evening during a snowstorm when she stumbles across a body.
One of the girls at school was murdered, stabbed again and again. Since the victim was also wearing a white parka identical to Sienna's, she wondered if she was really the intended target.
Her family sends her off to London to stay with her grandmother, she ends up staying for ten years.
She decides to return home to help her brother care for their mentally ill mother who suffers from paranoid delusions.
The murder of her classmate remained unsolved, and now that Sienna is back, she is getting menacing phone calls, one says "it should have been you". She isn't sure if she was the killers real objective, or if she is her mother's daughter and is now suffering from paranoid delusions as well!
This psychological thriller was a bit too predictable for me. I guessed who the killer was early on. It was entertaining, but didn't add anything new to the genre.
I did enjoy the writing style, so I would try another book by this author.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC via NetGalley.

This story will appeal to readers that enjoy psychological thrillers, stories that twist and turn and sometimes have you wondering where the story is going. I liked the back and forth in time to help you understand all the facets of the situation. It brings some understanding of dealing with mental illness. There were times though that the story dragged for me, when I was waiting for something to happen. I always appreciate an ending where the bad guys lose and the good guys can go forward with their lives.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the views expressed here are my own.

Chef, Sienna Scott, has grown up under the cloud of her mother's paranoid delusions and has spent her thirty years fearing that she also suffers from the same mental disorder as her mother. As an eighteen year old college student, she trips over the body of another girl, who is wearing a coat just like hers. As a murder investigation begins, Sienna fears that she was the intended stabbing victim and those fears, added to her mom's insistence that she was the intended victim, leads to her father sending Sienna to London, to live with her grandmother.

Ten years later, Sienna is back to make a career and life, in her hometown, ready to help care for her mom and move on from the past. But at the same time, the murder investigation is opening again and there are a slew of suspects and a ton of red herrings. Sienna is once again fighting against her mother's claim that she was the intended victim and her own belief that she was the intended victim and she is getting mysterious, threatening phone calls, claiming just that very thing.

This story has a lot of things that I do not like. Insta-love, the main character doing very unwise things, a murderer that seemed way to obvious to me, and a clunky resolution, so many things left unsaid and unasked...the list goes on and on. At the same time, I could not put the book down. Even as I was rolling my eyes, I was enjoying the story. This was pure entertainment to me, no need to overthink things, just go with the flow and find out how it ends.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
@StMartinsPress #thelook-alike @ericaspindler #bookstagram
Sienna Scott comes across the body of a murdered girl one snowy night on her way home from the school library. As if this isn't enough, she has to deal with her mother's paranoid delusions that Sienna was actually the intended victim. A murder that isn't being solved. Her father sends her away to live with a relative in England and 10 years later Sienna decides to move back to her childhood home. Her older brother has been their mother's caregiver since her father's death and Sienna decides it's time for her to relieve some of that responsibility from him. She is jarred back into the past to relive the time of the murder when the investigation is reopened. Weird things start to happen shortly after her return that have her questioning if her mother's mental disease has been passed on to her or if the events she is experiencing are indeed real.
This is a great thriller with a high creep factor that keeps the reader interested and engaged to the very end.
Characters are well written with believable actions and supporting motivations.
A thoroughly enjoyable storyline.