Member Reviews

This was an excellent mystery focusing on the disappearance of a twin sister and her sister’s quest for justice. Absolutely loved it!

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Her identical twin sister is missing! The police have investigated for twenty-five years and are no closer to solving the crime than when it first occurred. The younger twin (8 minutes) continues to search for answers. Can the often-touted genetic connection between identical twins help solve the case?

Barbara Copperthwaite weaves a very interesting intrigue involving a young dog whisperer and her male suitors. The ardent attention of the television production companies’ owner as well as her past romances keeps this novel fresh. Suspicion of the various suitors kept me projecting and guessing. Great tactic Ms. Copperthwaite! The ending was certainly not expected although in retrospect it made perfect sense.

I suggest this thriller to everyone who enjoys noir mysteries. The suspense grows at a quick pace only to be exposed as not possible near the end of the chapter. The ending of the book wraps the suspense in a very logical bow. 4 stars - CE Williams

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Leila went missing years ago, but her twin sister Stella never gave up on finding her, alive or dead.
Now, as the 25th anniversary of her disappearance approaches, Stella agrees to the making of a documentary about her sister.
Will it stir someone's memory from that fateful day? Will Leila finally be found?

This was my first book by Barbara Copperthwaite, so I didn't really know what to expect, but the blurb sounded promising, and I was happy to be approved for this ARC.
What I liked about the story is that the main protagonist was a dog behaviourist, which I don't recall ever having come across before in the books I've read.
The story, however, wasn't one that gripped me instantly. Instead, the events unfolded slowly, and my interest was only piqued towards the end.
At some point, I guessed who was behind Leila's disappearance and that perhaps didn't help in engaging me with the plot.
Overall, though, it was an enjoyable read, and I will definitely be checking other books from this author.

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Fantastic read. I have been completely unable to put this one down. I cannot wait to read more by this author.
Full review to follow on publication.

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Imagine losing your twin, never to see her again, except for when you look in the mirror. Horrible. Stella has been trying to find out the truth about what happened to Leila for 25 years. Every year Stella posts posters of her missing sister around town. This year she's been approached by a man who wants to make a Netflix documentary about what happened to Leila. After 25 years the culprit thought he was safe...

It's a good, solid mystery, a proper whodunnit. Although, we don't actually know what happened to Leila. Presumed dead, but who knows... This is also the last chance, for the Detective who handled the case 25 years ago, to find out what happened. He is about to retire and he plans on moving to Cyprus.

I enjoyed the read, the writing flows nicely, and I really wanted to know whom to blame. I did not warm up to any of the characters, unless we count the dogs. Stella's obsession, which I in fact understand, but it is so overpowering that it has taken over her personality. I would also have liked to learn more about the massive revelation the former singer, Mary, told Stella, because it was an interesting twist, but I felt like it wasn't utilized enough. I do like it when I start blaming everyone for the crime, so luckily this is just fiction.

All in all, it's a good read with a different kind of story, and those are hard to come by nowadays, since it seems like everything has been written about by now.

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Stella and Leila are identical twins and as close as two people can be. When they are 19, Leila disappears never to be found. Stella is destroyed- she can’t even look in the mirror anymore because the pain is too acute.

Later, her parents die and she is left alone in the world. Stella is the only one left to continue the search for her sister. She spends her life full of anguish, consumed with finding her sister- constantly chasing every lead. Her only companions are her dogs.

As the 25th anniversary of the disappearance approaches, a producer comes to town to make a documentary about the case.

The documentary shakes up the small town, new leads arise- but is Stella now in danger? 👀
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I really liked this one! A bunch of book friends had been telling me to try this author forever and I’m glad I finally did!
I enjoyed the author’s ability to create complex, relatable characters and also her skill in misdirecting the reader.

I will say the middle of the story did drag for a bit, but then the pace picked up and flew to the heart pounding conclusion. I sat there with my hand over my mouth a few times. Overall a great story!

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Oh this was really good! I really felt for Stella as her twin Leila had been missing for 25 years and she was scared to let anyone into her life in case she lost them again. I loved her dogs! Very cleverly written, the story is partly told through a documentary which Stella participated in, highlighting the 25 year anniversary of her sister's disappearance. Plenty of twists and I certainly didn't see what direction this was going in! Lots of interesting characters and I enjoyed the back story of Stella's mum's friend Mary.
Towards the end of the book it gets extremely dark as the truth unfolds. Very enjoyable thriller, I would certainly recommend.

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Engaging read, right from the start.

It was such a refreshing change to have it set 25 years after the original crime took place, gradually learning what happened all those years ago towards the end of the book. It's a format I haven't read very often and it really bolstered my enjoyment of the story.

With such a massive reveal (don't worry, no spoilers here), it was a hard task to keep throwing the reader off the scent and for that I am truly impressed. Netflix have really upped the features of true crime series recently, so I have to say that the idea of using the filming for a docuseries as the background to the story fitted perfectly in to the narrative.
With hundreds of people going missing every day, many without any leads as to what happened, I can completely believe what Stella is going through and how important it was for her to find closure.

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OMG what an utterly fantastic and riveting read. I loved this book it had me madly reading hanging on to every word frantically wanting to know what happened next. Boy oh boy that ending! This is a really good book which I highly recommend and don’t hesitate in giving five stars. Bloody brilliant!

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Blooming fantastic read. This Author never fails to grip me and keep me entertained throughout her superb twisty psychological chillers. This is a kind of who-dunnit with a difference and some really great characters.
The main protagonist is Stella, a middle aged single women who is a dog behaviourist, and has some of the best doggy characters I've met in a book. She has spent most of her adult life trying to find out what happened to her twin sister Leila, who disappeared when they were both young women and she has spent the last 25 years, wondering and thinking about what could have happened.
She distributes missing posters on her annual pilgrimage to her missing sister, this year she is given a glimmer of hope as a podcast production company contacts her as attractive and enigmatic Euan proposes a documentary to revive flagging interest in this cold case.
What follows is a cat and mouse chase where you never know who to trust and I kept changing my mind about who are the main suspects, theres a budding romance, dogs everywhere and lots of unexpected twists before it gains momentum to reveal the fate of the missing girl and finishes in a crescendo of horror and fear.
Original, compelling and riveting, The Girl in the Missing Poster is one hell of a roller coaster ride.

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Stella’s identical twin sister Leila disappeared when they were nineteen years old. Twenty-five years later, Stella still hasn’t given up trying to find her. In fact, she’s devoted her entire life to it. When a production company approaches and offers to create a Netflix documentary about Leila’s disappearance, Stella immediately agrees to participate, hoping it might result in new clues. What happens instead draws her into a heart-racing, psychological game of cat and mouse with none other than her sister’s killer. In the end, finding out the truth about what happened to Leila may cost Stella her life.

An addictive mix of anxiety-inducing suspense and heart wrenching drama, “The Girl in the Missing Poster” by Barbara Copperthwaite is a perfectly paced thriller brimming with palpable tension. Possessing a true crime feel, eerie happenings in the book are used to cast suspicion on even the most likeable characters. Even Stella feels like an unreliable narrator at times. Slower at first, the story’s speed picks up in the second half, filling you with unease as the truth reveals itself. The shocking final twists will make your chest tighten.

Alternating between Stella’s first person POV and the documentary script, author Barbara Copperthwaite uses both as tools to draw you into the story and hold you captive. It’s hard not to empathize with Stella, who can’t look in the mirror without seeing Leila’s face. The documentary script gives the much needed backstory of Leila’s disappearance, as well as insight into other characters. It does so without bogging the story down with boring details or stalling the plot. A lot of slower paced thrillers get that saggy mattress feel halfway through. Not this one, because of the way it’s written. If the tension and suspense don’t grab you by the hairs on the back of your neck, Stella’s story will grab you by the heart.

“The Girl in the Mirror” combines my two favorite sub-genres, psych thrillers and crime, into one unputdownable book. It’s my first Barbara Copperthwaite novel, but it definitely won’t be my last.

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This is an intriguing read. One twin has died, the other has never come to terms with her death because a body has never been found. The plot could have gone in many directions, and there are a few twists that keep you guessing.

A great read, with relatable characters and a story that hooks you from the beginning. Another book by Barbara Copperthwaite I highly recommend!

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Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Stella’s twin disappeared 25 years ago, never to be seen again. On the 25th anniversary, Stella makes an attempt to get the disappearance back in the news by agreeing to participate in a documentary about the disappearance. This brings the killer out of the woodwork and he starts emailing Stella, telling her he will trade details about the murder for details about the twins’ relationship.

I mostly liked this book. I was pretty engaged early on. I was interested in knowing what had happened to Leila, the twin, and I liked that Stella was a dog trainer with 4 dogs. You can’t go wrong putting dogs in your book. But, I will say the exchanges with the killer got a little boring for me and I was ready to find out who it was and wrap it up. I wasn’t overly shocked at who it was because some of the emails gave away enough details to really narrow it down. Overall, nothing earth shattering here, but a good enough read.

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First of I want to say a huge thank you to the publisher Booktoure, the author Barbara Copperthwaite , and to NetGalley for inviting me to join the blog tour for this book as well as letting me read and review it.I do have to say that it does start out slow but that actually works in the story's setup because it helps you to get to know the character much better and the more you read, the more the story comes to life, other thing I liked was how the author set the story up and how she told it, so much so that it made reading the story much more enjoyable or so I think so

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I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page! This book is very well written and knows just how to draw you in and keep you engrossed and entertained. page after page. I highly recommend this read if you like psychological thrillers. Thanks for the opportunity to read this book!

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This was a twisty and unique thriller. It centers on Stella, whose identical twin sister Leila vanished without a trace 25 years ago. Stella hasn't fully moved on with her life, feeling that a piece of her is missing, and jumps at the chance to get involved in a documentary series that will bring the mystery to a wider audience and hopefully help her get some closure. The book is fun because there is a whole cast of characters acting just suspiciously enough that Stella can't rule anyone out when it comes to who knows more than they are letting on.

I really enjoyed the mystery and the various red herrings that the author put out there. When the villain was revealed, it was someone that I had considered but I had in no way officially landed on that person, and it all made sense. I thought the characters were well-developed and was fascinated by the relationship between Stella and Leila, told in flashbacks. Stella made some decisions that drove me crazy, though, and I found myself regularly frustrated by the way she seemed to isolate herself from those who were there for her (though she definitely grew as the book continued).

The ending of the book, and the decisions Stella made to get to that point, seemed a tad far-fetched for me, but definitely played into the overall drama and fast pace of the book.

Overall, I enjoyed this and think it was a good read- I would recommend to those who read mysteries and thrillers. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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I've read several books by Barbara Copperthwaite and was really looking forward to picking this up. Even though I guessed the killer early on there were enough twists to keep you reading more driving towards a conclusion.
3 stars.

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It has been twenty five years since Stella’s twin sister went missing, and it’s starting to feel as though she is the only one holding out hope for finding some answers. When the opportunity to make a documentary about the night her life changed comes her way, she realizes that this might be her one chance to find what she’s been looking for. However, looking back at the past has a way of leading you to question everything and everyone around you. Could her ex boyfriend be to blame? Maybe her sister’s boyfriend? Or maybe, it’s this mystery person that is emailing her and feeding her little breadcrumbs.

In the end, Stella finds out the one person that she thought she could trust the most, is the one who has been hiding the truth from her for twenty five long and painful, years. The betrayal on top of all the loss she has been dealt is almost too much for one person to handle.

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The Girl in the Missing Poster by Barbara Copperthwaite is my first read from this author, and what an introduction it was! This one had me hooked from the start, and I read it with breathless anticipation in a single go. If this is indicative of Ms Copperthwaite's writing, I cannot wait to get my hands on more.

Dog trainer Stella Hawkins is an identical twin whose sister Leila went missing in 1994 following a family birthday party. For years, Stella has continued to seek answers, and blames herself for Leila's fate. As the twenty-fifth anniversary of the disappearance looms, Stella is approached to participate in a documentary about the case, and accepts in the hope that the program will yield new leads. As the film crew delve more deeply into the circumstances surrounding the disappearance, Stella will gain not only fresh insights, but a renewed fear for her own wellbeing.

This is a taut tale that is cannily crafted throughout. While I did feel that some of the reveals came out of left field and were never properly expanded upon or fleshed out, I very much enjoyed the execution of a most intriguing premise. 4.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

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I absolutely love this authors books, this being no exception. A harrowing read in places, it kept you interested throughout with a plausible storyline, colorful characters and an unforeseen ending. Thanks to the author, Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this brilliant book.

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