Her Perfect Twin by Sarah Bonner

Today I’m sharing my thoughts on the brand new thriller from Sarah Bonner, Her Perfect Twin. My thanks to publisher Hodder & Stoughton who provided an early copy of the book via Netgalley. Here’s what it’s all about:

About the Book

When Megan discovers photographs of her estranged identical twin sister on her husband’s phone, she wants answers.

Leah already has everything Megan has ever wanted. Fame, fortune, freedom to do what she wants. And when Megan confronts Leah, an argument turns to murder.

The only way Megan can get away with killing her twin is to become her.

But then lockdown hits. How can she continue living two lives? And what happens if someone else knows her secret too?

HER PERFECT TWIN IS THE MOST ADDICTIVE, TWISTY THRILLER YOU’LL READ IN 2022. DON’T MISS THIS WILD RIDE OF A NOVEL.

My Thoughts

Well this is one humdinger of a tale of duplicity – in every possible sense. Secrets, deception, family estrangement … murder. Her Perfect Twin is a wonderfully addictive read that combines intriguing, if not entirely likeable characters, with fabulous storytelling and a narrative that is twistier than a plate of noodles.

The basic premise – twins estranged by the kind of inflated sibling rivalry that only two people who share everything, including looks, can achieve – is perhaps nothing new. But Sarah Bonner has taken this estrangement, this competition that exists between Megan and Leah and kicks it up a notch with a rather understated confrontation that results in the ultimate act of separation that can never be taken back – murder. But it is so much more than a simple family argument gone nuclear, it’s a story of gaslighting, double crossing and some properly twisted and tangled relationships. A truly toxic relationship set against a backdrop of the pandemic which adds a layer of jeopardy and tension to an already fraught tale.

Just when I thought I knew where the story was going, what certain characters were capable of, there was some new revelation that got the mind whirring and the hackles rising. It’s a strange kind of read in that, in truth, I should probably feel only a modicum of sympathy for Megan. In spite of everything, no matter what it appears is happening around her, she is a killer and there can never really be any justification for that. And yet … It’s not that simple, and there are few others in the book exactly setting the correct tone for morality either, the victim very much included. But it is Megan’s husband, Chris, who really makes the skin crawl. from the very beginning there was just something very unsavoury about him, something just below the surface that kept me on edge and the author has done a great job of presenting the duplicity of his character – the charmer and the abuser – in a way that feel authentic and often menacing.

You do have to wonder, even with identical twins, how easy it really would be for Megan to replicate Leah’s life, to become her, and there are many times where the truth that is only so very slightly buried, moves closer to the surface. I could never quite tell if I wanted Megan to get away with her deception or be caught out, but I had certainly made a decision by the end if the book. And if you think you know how the book with end, be prepared for a surprise. There is a pivotal moment where everything changes and the tempo steps up a gear, where you think maybe Megan is finally losing her advantage, and the pandemic and lock down certainly doesn’t help her one iota. But … everything about this book is a kind of distortion, even the way in which the story concludes. The clues are there, the execution, the way they are woven into the action, very clever. Did the ending leave me satisfied and smiling? It did actually. Was justice served? Well … you’ll have to find out for yourself, won’t you.

Pacy, twisted, and full of surprises, I’m just glad I get on with my sisters. Mostly. It’s a cracking debut from Sarah Bonner and I’m intrigued to see what comes next.

About the Author

Sarah Bonner grew up in Salisbury, dreaming of a career as a writer and performer. Instead, she became an accountant! After a fifteen-year career, she decided to answer her original calling and completed her first novel, Her Perfect Twin. She lives in West Sussex with her husband and very spoiled rescue dog.