When Lisa Jewell, Julie Clark, and Chris Whittaker back a book, you know it’s gotta be a good one.

First Born by Will Dean introduces us to twins Molly and Katie Raven - identical but so opposite. When Molly hears that Katie is dead, her whole world is turned upside down and she heads from London to New York to find out what’s happened. But the more she digs, the more she discovers the truth about Katie - it’s as twisted as ever and Molly might not come out unscathed herself.

Described as “clever, compelling, and utterly thrilling” - First Born might just be the summer thriller you didn’t know you needed!

This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I...am...full-on...gobsmacked!!! I think I've read so many mysteries/thrillers of late that I was just expecting the same old. Not true, in the slightest, and I think I'll be raving about this book to whoever will listen to me for the foreseeable future.

"Sometimes I feel like I am a false positive."

Introduction to Molly, a constant threat assessor and uber-sensitive person to her surroundings, always on guard for an attack because you never know what lurks around the corner. This woman buys breathable pillow cases so she won't suffocate while sleeping, she carries a pocket knife (because she'd rather get arrested than dead), she won't leave her room while her phone is charging in case it bursts into flames and, when renting an accommodation, she asks the realtor for the exact elevation of the building to be sure she'll survive the rising sea levels. All in all, she's prepared for just about everything.

Then the readers are introduced to her twin sister, Katie/KT, the daredevil and polar opposite of her safety conscious twin, who comes to a tragic end (not really a spoiler since it's apparent within the first couple pages of the story).

I proceeded to make notes for myself while reading this book because I knew a review was pending; however, as the book progressed, we find that clear-headed Molly is helping the NYPD to find Katie's killer (perhaps a change in profession for her??). As with every mystery/thriller book, there are the requisite suspects: a parent, a colleague, a best friend, a significant other, etc. I was prepared for this list. It was a given, and that's where my notetaking ended. I was NOT prepared for a dramatic twist! And then a turn! And a freaking somersault thrown in for good measure! And maybe a few backflips as well!

"Never underestimate the capabilities of a person, no matter how reasonable or normal they seem."

I'm not sure what else to say, without letting loose some bona fide spoilers, but I have to say that I NEVER saw a chunk of spins and twists that happened, and I'm just so delighted that I got an opportunity to read this book before it's official publication date!

FIRST BORN is my first Will Dean book and I really enjoyed it! I've read several "twin thrillers" and I thought this book was really well-executed compared to the others. It was twisty, flowed easily and I loved the short chapters. The first half of the bit is a bit of a slow burn but when you get to the first real twist it really picks up. I thought the story and ending of the book were really clever although there were a few lose ends I would've liked some closure on. Overall, loved the book and can't wait to go back and read Dean's first book: The Last Thing to Burn!

Thank you, NetGalley, Will Dean and Atria Books, for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I had never read anything from this author until this, and oh my gosh it made me want to check out all of her books! Awesome!

What a whirlwind! Really enjoyed this one. This was my first by the author and I look forward to reading more of their work. Thank you netgalley & the publisher for the arc!

The Last Thing to Burn is one of my favors thrillers so of course I was excited to get my hands on Dean’s newest release, First Born.

The less you know the better so gonna just say this — two twins with polar opposite personalities, a murder, mystery, and a web of deceit.

This book felt really different than The Last Thing to Burn. A slow burn at first but then really picks up pace midpoint. In fact, it felt very cinematic at times; much more like a popcorn thriller than TLTTB. A mystery with a couple of shocking twists I did not see coming! I always appreciate a thriller that surprises me. This is a novel in which I think you do have to suspend disbelief and that goes in hand with the cinematic feel. I was very eager to find out how it all ends and finished it in two days!

I liked this book overall and thought it was clever, but I was missing the all-consuming writing laced in symbolism along with the eerie atmospheric feel of the The Last Thing to Burn. But I will continue to read anything Dean writes!

I came away with two major observations after reading First Born by Will Dean. The first is for other readers to be very careful when reading about First Born because the potential for spoiling the contents is too easy, and the less known about the novel, the better. The second one is for readers to stick with the novel because at about the halfway point the novel explodes with shockwaves that continue until the end of the novel.

Katie and Molly Raven are biologically identical twins, but at the same time, entirely unlike each other. Katie is outgoing, popular, vivacious, and exploratory, while Molly is an introvert, most likely with an OCD-like neurosis regarding her personal safety. Want to know the chances of food poisoning, being killed in a plane crash or hit by a car, or hurt in a fall down the stairs, just ask Molly and she can tell you – and in percentages.

For most of their lives, the two have remained inseparable with an ability to be tuned into each other’s every bodily function, including communicating in code.

With Katie being the adventurous of the two, she has moved to New York to further her studies, while Molly has remained in England where she feels it is safe.

After time apart, with her parents in New York visiting Katie, Molly receives a telephone call from her father that her twin has died under mysterious circumstances and Molly needs to come to New York.

Molly then travels to New York determined to learn exactly what has happened to Katie and to ensure if any guilty party exists, punishment will follow.

First Born then turns into a seemingly “police procedural” without the police and with Molly filling the role of a dogged detective normally occupied by police investigators. The novel is not a rapid, page-turning, edge-of-the-seat thriller – at first – but instead a study of the relationship of a pair of wildly different twins and done so with slowly divulged exacting detail.

Dean then reveals a meticulously plotted tale, which includes an expansively detailed examination of Molly’s personal safety neurosis and how it impacts every single moment of her lifestyle, thought processes, and relationships with others in this world.

First Born is highly recommended to those that enjoy plots with detail, complex characters, and stories that slowly build until boiling over the top.

First Born was provided by Netgalley and Atria Books for the promise of a fair review and is available for purchase.

This review was first published at MysteryandSuspense.com.

I was a HUGE fan of Will Dean's The Last Thing to Burn, so I knew I had to read this book. It did not disappoint. It is creatively done, and I am left with my mind blown. Such great twists that I would have never guessed. I would highly recommend this thriller!

✨BOOK REVIEW✨

Attention all thriller lovers: You need this book in your life. Run, do not walk to your nearest bookstore and pick up a copy for yourself.

✨Brief Summary✨

Molly lives a safe, comfortable life out in London. Her identical twin sister, Katie, lives a life on the wild side out in New York City. One day, Molly receives a devastating phone call from her mother, letting her know that Katie has died unexpectedly. Molly jumps on the next flight to America to comfort her parents in their time of need. She later learns that Katie's death is being treated as a homicide. Will Molly be able to help track down Katie's killer? And will anyone else be hurt in the process?

✨My Thoughts✨

This is one of those books that you just can't put down. I found myself flying through the pages in order to find out who murdered Katie. It was so good that I even found myself thinking about the book whenever I did have to put it down.

The characters in First Born were utter perfection for a thriller. Molly was bordering on maniacal. She wouldn't use her phone while it was charging because she was afraid of being electrocuted. She only road in Volvos. She kept a doomsday supply under her bed. I loved the way that she was described. I even read some of these descriptions to my friends because she was such a fascinating character.

I don't want to spoil anything, but you GUYS, the TWISTS in this book are insane. I didn't see any of them coming and I loved them all.

I'll even go far as to say that this was one of the best thrillers I've read in 2022.

This one starts out pretty slow but then a few twists pick up the speed on this one! You won't be able to put it down!

This book requires a pretty big suspension of disbelief for the entire second half. It yoyo's back and forth with it's twists making you think it's one thing, then another, and then oh just kidding let's go this direction instead.

The only saving grace was it was a very fast read.

I loved “Last Thing To Burn” so I jumped at the opportunity to read “First Born.”

The first half of “First Born” is a slow burn twin trope. There was an abundance of ambiguity in the beginning. The language seemed repetitive and stilted to me. There was a lot of vagueness. It was as if the characters were dancing around the problem. I became annoyed. I was constantly thinking, “Can we just address it already?”

As the novel got to the halfway mark, it picks up pace and was filled with action. This part of the story tied up loose ends and answered questions from the beginning of the book. The ending pleasantly surprised me.

“First Born” is a quick read that some readers might find fun. It is a must-read for readers who like the twin trope.

Well, I’m always saying I hate when I can see the turns in thrillers coming, right? This book definitely solved that particular problem for the moment: not once, but twice!

But therein lies the rub, folks. Because sometimes an author can overplay their hand in the quest to shock and awe their readers.

I should start off by saying that overall I did love this book. It was enthralling from the start, the premise was intriguing, the characters were well done (especially the protagonist, which I really can’t go into for spoileriffic reasons, but just trust me on this one), and the writing was nice and tight. I didn’t see the 50% turn coming or the 90% turn. The issue? The 90% turn took me from thoroughly enjoying a cunning, sly, clever, and propulsive suspense thriller to feeling like the author had just jumped the shark. It went from an almost perfect book to over-the-top in a single page. I literally thunked my head down on my dining room table, people. Then I took a deep breath, picked up my Kindle again, and continued to read on, but the book didn’t recover from that thought I had at that moment: “Why couldn’t you have just stayed the course? This book could’ve been just about perfect if you had just kept going in the direction you were headed.”

If you love a good suspenseful thrill ride, I still highly recommend it. It’s smart, well-plotted, and even though I’ve read a ton of suspense thrillers this year I still didn’t see a great deal of this book coming. It was everything I love about the gray area of morality, vengeance, and how New York City can simply swallow multitudes of sins. It’s really the city that never sleeps.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for granting me access to this title in exchange for a fair and honest review.

When Molly learns that her twin sister, Katie, has mysteriously died, she boards a plan to NYC to meet up with her parents and try to get some answers as to just what in the heck happened?! Molly is an overly anxious character, she has a lot of thoughts on being a twin (it isn't always all that is cracked up to be), and she has a strange obsession with personal safety (always being aware of her surroundings and wanting to have a weapon of some choice handy). Upon her arrival she immediately starts playing detective, looking into the people in Katie's life, and she passes along her suspicions to the real police. Will she be able to get justice for her sister?

From the start I was invested in finding out what happened to Katie. Was it murder? Was it natural causes? There were multiple people to suspect and the investigation meandered along until about the last 25% of the book when things quickly escalated and the answers/motivations were revealed. Was the ending a bit bonkers? Yes. Did it make my head explode? Yup, it bumped this one up from a 3.5 to a 4 stars rating for me. I definitely plan to circle back and check out Will Dean's previous book The Last Thing to Burn.

Special thanks to @netgalley and @atriabooks for the ARC of First Born for review purposes. All opinions are my own. This one is out now so grab it!

I was immediately drawn to the twin trope because that is one I often enjoy with a thriller. Unfortunately, this one was a miss for me. I felt like the characters were one-dimensional and the dialogue was pretty basic.

4.5 stars

First Born, by Will Dean, is a psychological suspense drama featuring twenty-something identical English twins, Molly and Katie. Molly is cautious, preoccupied with her personal safety, and seemingly unable to fully let go and have fun in her life. Katie, her twin, is compulsive and carefree, and moves to NYC on a scholarship to Columbia University. Katie’s disappearance, deemed murder, upends the lives of her parents, and especially Molly’s narrow belief system in her family’s function and success.
As Molly investigates what happened to her twin in NYC, the story unfolds quickly and becomes a fun caper story—short, staccato chapters, plenty of action, a bit of cat-and-mouse with the NYPD, and some good twists and red herrings thrown in. The intensity of New York City is captured well and enhances the action.
Molly is the best developed character, and is actually quite likeable as an intrepid, intelligent young woman, in spite of her overly cautious overlay of worry and fear of looming disaster around each corner. Dean’s writing strength shows in his ability to deftly set a scene with a paucity of words and his ability to put the reader in the head of Molly, a complicated place!
I flew through this whodunit, unable to put it down until the final, greatest twist was revealed, and I read the absolute corker of a last page!
Highly recommend!!

Thank you to Emily Bestler Books/Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my unbiased review.

4.5 stars, rounding down here on NetGalley.

So good! I loved the setting in NYC, and the characters. I love stories about twins and also murder mysteries. I did see where this one was going, but the personality and quirks of the main character were so interesting, I did not want to put this one down. I will definitely read this author again!

Ohhh boy. This was not the book for me!! It was compelling at first but then swayed into the absolute ridiculous. I’m surprised that this was a BOTR pick

Well, I get why this one has been getting all the buzz in the thriller crowds. Molly is a twin and has lived most of her life with that as her identity. But she's always known her sister, Katie, was the twin that got all the "good" genes - she was outgoing, popular and fun. Molly is fearful of the world and does all she can to prepare herself for the inevitable risks of the world. When Katie turns up dead across the Atlantic, she must muster the courage to join her parents in NYC to help resolve her sister's affairs. When she arrives, she can't help but get herself embroiled in figuring out who killed her sister. I'll stop there because anything else would be a spoiler.

This one is so fast paced, I totally burnt myself because I forgot to reapply my sunscreen I was so obsessed with turning the pages. The first quarter it is easy to be a little annoyed with Molly and her obsessive ways but she definitely shows some spunk, then you eye roll a bit at how quickly she inserts herself into the investigation but about mid-way you're fully on the journey with her. The truth of what happened to Katie is shocking and the revenge Molly dreams of is intense. The ending will make you scream!

Thanks to Netgalley for advanced access to this one. I did go on to purchase a copy. All opinions above are my own.

Born a twin was very different for Molly Raven. She is the twin who worries about everything that happens around her and she is always trying to keep herself safe and avoid getting hurt. She is a little paranoid and plenty introverted.

Then there is the other twin, Katie. She is the polar opposite. She is easy-going and adventurous. Katie moved from Nottingham to NYC through a sponsorship without telling Molly about it until she had accepted the position.

Then, Molly gets a call that changes her life. Her parents called to tell her, that Katie is dead and that the police are treating her death as a homicide.

Molly needs answers. Despite being terrified of flying, she travels to NYC and tries to piece together the life her sister had in the city, the people involved in her sister’s circle, and if any of them could be the one behind her death. Nevermind, that a killer is on the loose and she might be his/her next victim.

First Born had a good mix of suspense and disbelief. I liked it but didn't love it. There were two big twists. One I guessed, the other one took me by surprise.

It was interesting to learn about Molly and her anxieties. It has to be so hard living a life in fear all the time. Exhausting really!

I can’t wait for the next story by Will Dean!

Cliffhanger: No

3.5/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Atria/Emily Bestler Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.