I had such high hopes for this novel, and I can see why it would appeal to some readers, but it just didn't work for me. I didn't enjoy the (incredibly depressing) plot, the characters were all pretty easy to hate, and there was nothing particularly special about the writing. And, though it's been billed as a thriller (a genre that, admittedly, hasn't been my favorite of late), it was really more of a dysfunctional family saga. Having almost completely lost interest in the story, I lightly skimmed the entire second half of the book.

It focuses on 25-year-old estranged twins Ava (the good girl) and Zelda (the wild child). They haven't spoken -- other than a series of entreating e-mails from Zelda -- since a Terrible Event caused Ava to flee her family's ailing upstate New York vineyard and head to Paris for her graduate degree. Her fairly happy existence in Paris is rocked, though, when three years later she receives word that her once-beloved twin has died in a barn fire at the vineyard.

Ava hurries home, all the while dreading interacting with her father, who has a whole other vineyard and a fresh new family in Napa, and her dementia-addled mother, with whom she's always had a tense, difficult relationship. Once home, it doesn't take long for Ava to start following her sister's trail of breadcrumbs and thinking everything is just a little too "Zelda." Could it all be one of her overly dramatic sister's sensational schemes?

The answer to that question is definitely a bit unexpected, but it didn't feel particularly thriller-y to me. The book is a lot more about family dynamics, including such joyful topics as alcoholism, bulimia, severe intimacy issues, emotional abuse, sibling over-competitiveness and dementia.

Even as I write this, the plot sounds vaguely interesting. But really, it just did not hold my attention. Part of the problem was that the whole thing, from start to finish, just felt unrealistic. And it was hard to relate to a life (and a lifestyle) so very different from mine (which doesn't usually happen under the pen of a good author -- one of the reasons I love reading is to vicariously step into other people's shoes). I didn't feel any connection to or empathy for Ava, just intensifying dislike; we get to know Zelda a bit through her flashback emails and I didn't really care for her either.

All that is to say, I didn't particularly enjoy this book but many people seem to have positive thoughts about it. I'd say if dysfunctional family novels are your thing (clearly, they're not really mine), then give this one a look. Otherwise... meh.

*I received a free advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Less a mystery and more a dysfunctional family saga. This is an impressive debut.

Smart, absorbing, and well-written. Reading this was a treat. Heed my advice, though: if you are a wine drinker like myself, make sure you have some in the house before you start this one. The long descriptions of flavor notes and wineries will surely leave you wanting otherwise. This is an author I must remember to watch! I'm really impressed with this debut.

Ava hasn't spoken to her twin Zelda in two years. She left the county, wanting to escape from her family, betrayal, and their failing vineyard. Now Ava lives in Paris... studying, spending time with her French boyfriend, and of course, drinking plenty of wine. She has been ignoring letters from her twin the whole time, but she can't ignore the latest from her mother: Zelda is gone. The barn she made her own burned down, and she's assumed to have been in it. Ava returns to America, but isn't entirely convinced. It's all so dramatic, so shocking... so very Zelda. She couldn't have been in the barn. Ava is convinced her sister has faked her own death to bring her back home... and not long after she arrives, she gets another email. From her dead sister. She tries to find Zelda as she learns just what she's been up to in the past two years... making new friends and lovers, trying to save the family business, and caring for their mother. Her mother even sometimes refers to Ava as Zelda, confusing the sisters in her failing mind and seemingly forgetting that Zelda is supposed to have perished in the fire. Ava increasingly realizes that she has missed her sister immensely... her other half. Even while cursing her games, her desperation to find her intensifies.

There are elements of suspense, but I wouldn't refer to this one as a thriller or suspense novel. I think it's closer to literary fiction. Very clever and addictive.

I received an ARC of this novel from Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

I did not finish this book as I did not engage with the story or the characters.

As soon as she was able, Ava took off for France, leaving behind her father with his alcohol and new family, her mother with her dementia and failing vineyard, and her identical twin with her drugs and dysfunction. But when the barn behind the house burns down, supposedly with Zelda inside, Ava is forced to return home to pick up the pieces left behind by her twin. Not long after her arrival home, though, Ava begins to receive letters from Zelda, implying that perhaps she is not the pile of ashes found in the barn. I absolutely love the premise of this novel, and the clues Ava receives from Zelda are brilliantly constructed. The main characters are incredibly flawed human beings, but it's obvious that their dysfunction comes from a place of pain rather than intentional malice, making it easier to empathize with them. Parts of the novel dragged a bit, but for the most part it was quickly paced with all of Zelda's clues and Ava's realizations showing up at exactly the right moments.

Available online- link is below

Ava Antipova gets an email from her mother telling her that her twin sister Zelda has died in a fire. Ava has been in Paris for two years after a fight with her sister. They haven’t talked in all that time. Ava flies home to sort things out. Her father picks her up at the airport, he who left them and lives in California with his third wife and new family. Her mother Nadine, has been diagnosed with dementia. They run a family winery and this family are all quite the crew of drinkers. She finds Zelda’s phone and starts receiving messages from Zelda. They lead her on a scavenger hunt of a sort and Ava believes that Zelda is really alive and playing some kind of game with her.

This is a great premise for a story. It relives some times in their past as well as the chase that Ava is on. Ava has been at loose ends in her life for quite some time. My problem was that I didn’t really like these characters all that much and it got to where I almost didn’t care if she was alive or dead. I found myself wanting to flip through pages to get to the end. It wasn’t that it’s bad, it just wasn’t one that really held my attention throughout. I thought it was a suspense story but there really wasn’t a lot of that. I think it’s more of a story of family, a screwed up one at that, and the bond between sisters.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was initially drawn to [book:Dead Letters|30899279] because I really like reading about twins and the plotline here sounded so intriguing. My reading experience in actuality was upside down, inside out, 'say what' kind of emotions. Dark, deceptive, and dysfunctional all deftly describe this book.

Ava and Zelda are identical twins that haven't seen or spoken to each other in 2 years due to both boy and family trouble. Ava lives in Paris and Zelda is stateside taking care of their dementia-diagnosed Mother and the struggling Vineyard they own and run. To say their family life has been dysfunctional is a definite understatement... Ava receives notification that rocks her world--Zelda is dead. She comes home to take care of business and begins receiving strange messages that further shake all that seems to be real. Could Zelda have staged her own death? Take a trip through the alphabet with Ava while she tries to discover the truth and discern fact from fiction. All along the way we learn about the inner demons the girls have been fighting and hiding. The characters here are not ones that you will make you want to be their next best friend, but the writing is clever and will pique your curiosity. Wine lovers will be delighted at all the "vine" talk (and all the drinks consumed) too. Recommended!

**Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishers for an ARC to read and review**

“Dead Letters” is the cleverest and most appropriate book title I’ve encountered so far this year. Letters refers to a number of things in the novel including the names of the twin sisters (Ava and Zelda, the beginning and end of the alphabet,) and the cryptic messages Ava receives over the course of the book. Twin sisters Ava and Zelda grew up in Selinus, a vineyard their parents own. A prime location for their alcoholic parents, and the perfect breeding grounds for the twins to develop their own obsessions with alcohol. With a mother descending into dementia, a father who escaped to California and created a “better” family, and a failing vineyard, dysfunction rules the lives of Ava and Zelda. When Ava receives news that her sister Zelda has perished in a fire, she flies home from her idyllic life in Paris to be with her family and make the necessary arrangements. She has niggling doubts about Zelda’s death, but perhaps that denial is just one of the stages of grief. Then she starts receiving messages from Zelda. Those abecedarian (my new favorite word!) messages lead Ava on a complicated and bewildering search to discover if Zelda is really dead or has simply disappeared. I won’t reveal any more of the plot so I don’t spoil the clever and captivating plot developments or the meaning of the baffling and mysterious messages Ava is receiving.

I never know what to expect from debut authors. There are some who produce a first book which reflects that they are at the beginning of their writing careers, and sometimes a debut seems as if the author has been writing great books for years. Caite Dolan-Leach definitely falls into that category. She has created a smart, literate, carefully constructed suspense novel, while also delving into family dysfunction, small town life, and the possibility of healing past wounds and moving on. While many of the characters are not particularly likable, they are all extremely well developed and Dolan-Leach provides remarkable insight into the unique relationship that twins share. I raced through the book on my first read, anxious to discover the secrets of this family. Now that I’ve had time to re-read the book, I’ve gained even more appreciation for Dolan-Leach’s writing style, dazzling plot twists, literary allusions, and suspense that never stops. Heartily recommended.

My review was posted on Goodreads on 2/26/17

This book was a bit dysfunctional for me. I did not realize it had a lot of that and less true mystery.

These are my Happily Ever After Novel Thoughts...

The synopsis of this book doesn't tell you how twisted and weird this story really is. It's such a strange story with lots of twists and turns. I wasn't sure whether she was dead or alive until the answer was revealed.

I found this book to be a long read but it held my interest and had me trying to figure things out.

There is quite a bit of drinking going on from most of the cast and references to drug usage. It's definitely not a story for the feint of heart. There's not much to be said about the story without going into detail and revealing spoilers unless I tell you about all of the characters. But, the characters have their own things to say, so I won't.

I really liked this book and think anyone who likes their stories a little twisted would like this one as well. No promises for a Happily Ever After or not.

This was definitely an interesting read. I was sucked in from the beginning, with its rich prose and intriguing premise. Let me warn you all right now: this is not a thriller. There is no crazy action plot, no scary hidden secret. This is all about dysfunction and family. And damn, this is a dysfunctional family! The author did not hold anything back when she created her characters, for they are all deeply flawed and messed up. While I usually enjoy seeing characters that aren't "picture perfect", this novel took it a bit too far; I ended up feeling no connection or emotion to any of the characters. This made me feel really disconnected with the story itself, which is quite a shame because I'm sure my experience with this novel would have been even better if this had happened. I enjoyed the intrigue of finding the clues and putting it together, but there were times when I felt like the author was really stretching the limits in order to make everything tie in - that's where it became more messy and less cohesive. I really really really liked the prose; the author has great vocabulary and she knows how to use her words! The prose also helped form the character's personality, which was nice to see. What I mean by that is that the words Ava used were very eloquent and perfect-sounding, which is the image that she strives to maintain even as she falls apart. There were loads of positives with this story from the way the author described everything to the richness of the relationships between characters to the essential question of what Zelda's endgame is. There were a few negatives as well with the lack of connection to the characters and the sometimes-messy intrigue of putting the past together. A lot of thought and work went into this novel and for a debut, I'm quite happy with what I read! I think that this author definitely knows her stuff and knows how to create a story that will capture the reader's interest and keep them in the novel! I'm excited to know what she will come up with next.

The aptly named Dead Letters is a page turner. I was captured at the start.

This is the story of estranged, identical twin sisters, Ava and Zelda [A to Z]. The former fled to Paris a couple of years earlier and is summoned home by her mother by email-- "... your sister is dead..." as a consequence of a drunken binge and a fire. BUT. Is she really dead? Or, merely, disappeared?
Zelda sets Ava on a scavenger hunt literally by the alphabet--by epistles and emails.

Ava is the more studious, serious one. Zelda the more twisted, destructive, wild sister who has enjoyed playing games their entire life. So--this latest hunt one does not necessarily take Ava by surprise.

Another dysfunctional family--all overly fond of drinking [in fact. this got tiresome after a while]. And oddly [or not], they own a winery in New York's Finger Lakes region. Nadine, their mother, an alcoholic, also suffers from early onset dementia. Marlon, their father, also drinks too much and now lives in California with his new family and new winery [but her returns for the end game]. Then there's Opal, the grandmother--quite the character. And Wyatt, the male who has bedded both sisters--but that's another story.

This story is not only about finding one's sister, but also finding oneself. And the connection between twins. A dark tale with very little humor [though there is some].

Endings often spoil a book for me [usually when they rush to a conclusion, or tie up ends too neatly] but I thought this was a satisfactory finish.

This is Dolan-Leach's debut novel. I will be looking forward to her next book.

For two years, Ava Antipova has been in Paris studying comparative literature after turning her back on her family and their failing vineyard. Now, she must return to pick up the pieces of her family after her twin sister's alleged murder. Her mother, Nadine, is suffering from dementia and keeps thinking that Ava is actually her dead sister while her father, Marlon, is pushing for a memorial to happen soon so he can get back to his other family, and successful vineyard, in California. Their love of alcohol is the only thing that keeps the Antipova family together.

But when Ava finds her sister's hidden burner phone and starts receiving messages from seemingly beyond the grave, Ava isn't convinced that her sister is dead. This was all just a set-up to get back to Ava for going off to Paris and sticking Zelda with the business and their housebound mother, or for Ava turning her back on her high school love, Wyatt. Together with Wyatt, Ava works to piece together the mystery of her sister and is forced to face a reality that she didn't see coming.

While more commercial than literary in style, Dolan-Leach's thrilling debut digs deep at what holds a family together wrapped up in a clever mystery that stays with the reader long after they finish.

One of the characters in this book and Amy Dunne would make the perfect friends–god help everyone else. Ava returns home to her family’s failing vineyard when her identical twin sister Zelda dies in a fire. But Ava is suddenly finding herself receiving messages from Zelda which send her on an elaborate game to unravel the mystery of where Zelda might really be… Think a fractured family is forced to reunite literary novel that is held together by a mystery and sprinkled with suspense.

This is the story of twins who finally get to know each other after one is dead. Ava is called home from Paris when her sister Zelda is discovered dead in a barn fire. This story is intriguing in the fact you can't quite decide if one sister is dead or not. Zelda leaves a series of letters for Ava to solve the puzzle of her death and help her accept their parents shortcomings. This was a good mystery and an insight into the lives of twins.

Wow. Talk about unlikeable characters. The shrewd and despicable characters felt Gillian Flynn-esque. I hated them, but I had to know how the mystery would unravel. Ava returns home to her family vineyard when she finds out her twin sister has died. She begins receiving messages from her supposedly dead sister, leading to a gradual, garrulous, gruesome game. The mystery itself is a little too crazy, and it did seem to drag for a while, but there was no way I was giving up. It was also a little more literary than I’m usually interested in, but overall I really enjoyed it! I’ll be looking forward to the author’s next book!

Dead Letters by Caite Dolan-Leach, Feb. 2017
Dolan-Leach’s debut is a story about two estranged, identical 25 yr. old twins, Ava and Zelda, who have had a falling out two years previous over a young man. Ava, furious with her sister and her dysfunctional, alcoholic parents, leaves her family behind and takes off for Paris. Surprised by an overwrought email from her detached mother, Ava is informed that Zelda has perished in a fire. Or has she? Ava can’t quite feel that her twin is dead, plus shortly after her mother’s email, Ava begins receiving cryptic emails from her sister, goading her, and leading her on an alphabetical scavenger hunt of sorts which unleashes all kinds of family secrets. At center-stage throughout the novel are the circumstances leading up to the death (or disappearance of Zelda), and Ava’s subsequent quest to discover and decipher the clues Zelda has left behind for her twin. Dolan-Leach skillfully maintains the tension in this fast-paced psychological novel which will keep readers flipping pages as fast as they can.

An interesting mystery surrounding dis-functional family, twin relationships, the past and the present, dementia, and sisters whose identities are opposite sides of the coin.

Dead Letters is one of those rare mysteries that have you guessing what exactly happened until the end of the book. This book will suck you in while Ava goes on a scavenger hunt that was orchestrated by her twin sister, Zelda. What the scavenger hunt reveals and what it forces Ava to face is what makes this book so good.

*********************************************

This isn’t one of those fun mysteries with likable characters and a happy ending. Not even close. This has to have been one of the saddest, complex books that I have read to date. Ava’s family has to be one of the more dysfunctional ones in all the books that I have read to date.



What I liked about this book was that it truly was a mystery and that the author had no qualms about throwing out red herrings left and right. Just when I thought I had the mystery of what happened to Zelda pegged, the book went in a totally different direction and totally screwed me up. This happened two times and both times, I had to put my Kindle Paperwhite down because the shock just got to me…both times. Well done, Caite, well done.

I was truly on the fence about liking Ava. She came across as so uncaring with her mother, father and grandmother (but she does have her reasons why) but when it comes to Zelda, the emotions just can’t stop. I do think that the scavenger hunt was maybe a little unfair to Ava but Zelda wanted to make a point. And oh boy, did she.

Marlon and Nadine were detestable as parents. Whenever Ava started to think about her past, all she could think about was how her father was checked out most of the time (and I mean checked out mentally) and how she had to walk on eggshells around her mother. No wonder the girls turned out the way they did.

I also should point out that the author did a great job portraying what living with an alcoholic is like and what growing up as a child of a functioning alcoholic is like and what it is like to be a caregiver to someone with dementia. Not easy subjects to talk or write about but she did it beautifully.

The end of a book was a huge surprise in two ways. Not going to ruin it for anyone but I had to get up and walk around after the 2nd surprise came around. Then I sat down and went “W.T.H.”

How many stars will I give Dead Letters: 4

Why: I really enjoyed reading this book. I couldn’t put it down. I had to find out about what happened to Zelda, why Ava was the way she was and everything else in the book. Truly captivating.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Language. Also scenes of verbal abuse (which could be triggers in some people), drug use and some mild sex scenes

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**