Excellent twists and turns in this tightly written novel. Dream like and murky, this story doesn't disappoint in it's surprising plot shift. I highly reccomend this.

This is a mystery thriller that I think is best experienced blind because of how it builds and how the imagery unfolds. The best thing about this book for me is the house itself. It feels like its own character, especially when all of these rich and strange childhood memories pull you in. It is a bit on the fantastical side as far as thrillers go, which will not be for everyone. But if a mystery about a sister's sudden disappearance intermixed with flashbacks to childhood memories about clowns, pirates, and other imagery from "Mirrorland" sounds at all interesting then you should certainly check this book out.

Cat now lives in LA running away from a life in Scotland she wanted to forget. Until she gets a call, her twin sister who she hasn't spoken to in 12 years has gone missing. Through her "twin senses" she knows El is not dead but still finds it best to travel back to Scotland to help look for her. Cat must also travel back to her childhood and remember the things she wanted to forget.

Once Cat arrives, El's husband is distraught and thinks she is dead but is something more sinister going on? Cat starts receiving letters that may point to something more than an accident.

This thriller covers many genres and themes including fantasy, mystery, murder. It also has a few TW including trauma and abuse. This really sucked me in wanting to find out what happened to El and if it was an accident or if someone was behind her disappearance. I docked one star off this because the fantasy sections do start to get confusing but stick with it because it all ties together in the end!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Scibner for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest opinion!

So I thought this would be my type of book and for some reason, I was thinking of the movie Us. However, I was wrong matey. A bit too fantasy for me...I am usually more the psychological thriller type. And pirates? Eh dunno.

Wow! So many twists and turns! It’s hard to believe this is a debut novel!

I was utterly confused until about 45% through. To the point where I almost DNFed because I felt dumb that I wasn’t “getting it,” and then it all started coming together ... and unraveling again ... and coming back together ... and unraveling again, etc. until the end when you finally ACTUALLY know what’s going on. I never fully guessed what was happening, because everything kept changing.

Don’t rush through this one. Don’t read it when you’re distracted. Savor and enjoy the story! It’s demented, and twisty, and shows the resiliency of the human spirit to overcome all odds.

There definitely needs to be a trigger warning for all the variations of abuse and death. Tread lightly if these are trigger points as there are a lot of them!

I've been looking forward to reading this one since I first read the description - estranged identical twins with a tragic past?? Just the type of story that my Sweet Valley-loving heart loves best! I saw some other pre-publication reviews that were a bit mixed, but they did nothing to dampen my excitement.

The book opens with Cat, on her way back to Edinburgh after leaving at 19. Her twin sister, Ellice is missing. They haven't spoken in years, but Cat feels confident that this is nothing more than yet another dramatic ploy for attention. It also brings her back to Ross, the boy who drove a wedge between the sisters so many years ago. Intermixed with the mystery of the present, Cat discovers that her sister and Ross are living in the house where the girls lived until they were ten. Past memories - and childhood games - are interwoven and slowly reveal a more sinister side of their early years. I can see why some readers didn't enjoy this more imaginative side of Mirrorland (the title takes its name for their hidden passageway from their youth). But this type of play resonated with me and works really well here as Cat examines her own memories.

I really enjoyed this one - parts of the plot may not be entirely unpredictable (although some elements are drawn out enough that I started to doubt what I had been so certain of). I also really appreciated all of the Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption references throughout. The characters, while never acting forthrightly, still come to life and I just loved it! I can't wait to see what Johnstone will follow this one up with!

This is a book that you won’t see coming. It’s a book you really have to pay attention to and think about, but the payoff is a wild, twisting ride through a story that’s part psychological thriller and part magical realism, with a dark, gothic flair to it. This book isn’t light reading - the complexity and intricacy of the plot demands your full attention, and even so, your brain will be fried trying to determine what’s up and what’s down. If you like books whose plots leave you befuddled and bewildered, ‘Mirrorland’ is definitely for you.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the early read of Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone. Cat Morgan is called back home to Edinburgh when her estranged twin sister El goes missing in a boating accident. Cat has not been home in many years, escaping a tough childhood and an unexplained (at first) argument with her sister. When she arrives at their family home, where El and her husband (and a childhood friend) Ross live, she is thrown back in time – everything is just as she remembers it. But does she really remember? That is the question that haunts Mirrorland. El has left Cat a series of notes, almost like a treasure hunt, which convinces Cat that El is not actually dead. But, she no longer trusts her twin, and she doesn’t know what her end game might be. The clues lead her on a memory tour of their childhood, and the imaginary world that they created called Mirrorland. It becomes clear that their childhood was filled with trauma and abuse – how does that connect with El’s disappearance now? Cat must learn to trust her sister again and question everything she remembers. What is true? What is real? And how will that bring El home? This book was a great combination of spooky gothic and psychological mystery, with lots of twists and turns as the reader learns more and more about Cat and El’s childhood, about both of their relationships with Ross, and about El’s life without Cat. There are a few unexpected surprises in the end as well. If you liked Gone Girl or Girl on the Train, then you would like Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone.

Mirrorland was more thriller and less fantasy than I thought it would be. I wasn't much for the thriller aspects of it, or the reveal for the mystery. I also found the present tense hard to get into. Readers who like thrillers should definitely read this one. It is well written.

I recieved an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was surprised to find how much the fantastical elements of the girl's fantasy land played a part in this book. It wasn't quite what I was looking for but could be a good fit for someone looking for escapism tinged in darkness.

While it took me a second to get into this book, once I was in, I was IN! The map in the front pages clues you into the fact that the house is a character in and of itself. And while not every twist was unexpected, there was enough surprise to satisfy a dedicated suspense reader. I'd recommend!

Mirrorland by Carole Johnston is a trippy, disjointed, thrilling, and at times frustrating read.

I went into this novel hopeful, as it was blurbed by Stephen King and the premise sounded really intriguing. I was a fan of the plot and pacing itself, but I didn’t connect with any of the characters in this novel, which is a big deal for me. Had I.....well, liked the characters, I feel that I would have been more drawn in by the craziness of their story. Unfortunately, I just never felt like I was engaged enough by them to feel truly invested. Not a bad read by any means, but I wish I felt more than middle of the road about it.

Reading Between the Wines book review #53/115 for 2021:
Rating: 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book 🎧: Mirrorland
Author: Carole Johnstone
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
RELEASED on April 20, 2021!!!
Recommended to readers who like a little weird, Alice in Wonderland weird.

Sipping thoughts: Wow, I was totally confused for a big part of this book. I kept reading because I was also equally intrigued. It had such an Alice in Wonderland feel. After I started to understand what was really happening, I became invested in finding out the mystery. The ending was really good, and I really liked the twist and reveals. If you read this book, suspend reality and just go with it. Part 2 really pulls the story together.

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley and @Scribner for an advanced copy of @Mirrorland

#Mirrorland #Scribner #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThriller

This book had kept me up at night! It made me anxious and excited and terrified all at once. Cat is a complete conundrum of a person in the beginning, but as her life story slowly unravels, she because much more understandable. I couldn't get enough of Mirrorland even though it's a place I would never want to go! This book was so much fun to read even if I lost sleep over it!

Pay attention to all the intricate details in this novel; as they become key in unlocking the mystery that is Mirrorland. Mirror twins Cat and El describe the second part of their story/life as a rebirth on a rainy dock one night when they are around 12 years old. Present-day Cat lives in LA as a writer and estranged from her sister El who seemingly has the life Cat feels she should have had. When Cat finds out her twin has disappeared in an apparent boating accident she races across the pond and comes face to face with El's husband Ross; who has a history with Cat as well. Stunned to find out the El wanted Ross to purchase the gothic mansion they grew up in, Cat starts to remember their time in Mirrorland-this imaginary place in the hidden passages in their house-that protected them as children. Memories and flashes start tumbling back and suddenly Mirrorland isn't so imaginary and Cat realizes the secrets to El's disappearance are scattered all around Mirroland-by El herself. Can Cat outwit the demons of the past and save herself before it's too late?

This story has so many twists and turns and nuances that pay off if you follow closely; Carole Johnstone has written a stunner of a novel that will keep readers guessing until the last page. Invest the time into it-it's worth it!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

I had high hopes for this one. It started off strong and then about 1/3 of the way through it just lost me. The writing is good but I found myself skimming through certain parts and still keeping up with the story line. I did like what happened with the trial but the very end was a bit of a let down. A bit too much like Gone Girl in places and a little too fantastical in parts. I have some trusted friends who like this, so perhaps it’s a case of it’s me, not the book. Thanks to netgalley and Scribner for the book to read. I’ll definitely try another from this author.

Another book about the weird world of twins? Don’t worry, this is great novel and i highly recommend this An intriguing look into the lives of two girls told in the past and present full of magical writing and magical places from a semi gothic childhood framing them into the women they are today. I ordered it as it a mystery but at heart is a family drama told in a different sparkling way, full of joys and sorrows, the bond of family and the realizations of turns taken and opportunities missed.

I was very interested in this book as I thought the synopsis had so much potential. It was a bit slow-moving, however, and I had to put it down a few times. When I returned to commit to reading it, I just couldn't get into the story. I often found myself confused and had to keep referring back to previous pages to understand what was going on. The "magical realism" or "fantasy" element just did not resonate with me and I did not realize there would be so much of it in the book. I was here for the thriller twin aspect, but didn't really click with the rest.

Thank you to Netgalley and Scribner for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After years away in LA, Cat returns home to London when she learns her once beloved, now estranged twin El has gone missing. Cat feels confident her sister is alive and looking for attention, a theory confounds police and infuriates El’s husband Ross. When Cat begins receiving notes directing her through their childhood home and referencing shared experiences, she is initially relieved to have proof that her sister must be alive and her theory is correct. However… Cat is unprepared to dive deeper into truths about El’s life and realities of their shared childhood.

This one didn’t quite do it for me, although some unexpected twists and multiple layers of darkness helped me push through to the end. This book raised really interesting questions about perspective and memory, but they just didn’t completely land for me when mixed in with this writing and story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Scribner Books for a copy of Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone in exchange for an honest review. Thrillers are my jam so I was so excited to read this one after the premise grabbed my attention of a young woman returning to her home country in search of her missing twin sister. This was a fast-paced story broken up by short chapters and excerpts of text message and email exchanges which always keeps me engaged and not losing interest.

I think what made this story just so-so for me was the execution of the plot, it just felt unbelievable at times and the switch between present day and flashbacks were not clear, it would go from a flashback in one paragraph and back to reality in the next with no transition to let the reader know of this change. The ending made me like the story a bit better than I thought I would by the halfway point of the book so I'm glad I stuck with it. With so many thrillers coming out this year and some already exceeding my expectations, this one will likely fall somewhere in the middle.