4☆ The Title sums this book up perfectly! Loved it!

Mad is the first book in the Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know Trilogy.

Mad is the perfect name for this book.
It's jam packed with Craziness, lots of laugh out loud moments, each chapter incorporated one of the 7 deadly sins.....
Sloth, Envy, Wrath, Lust, Gluttony, Greed and Pride.

When Beth contacts her identical twin Alvina asking her to come visit her and her family in Sicily, Alvina has always said no. It's really the last place she wants to be.
See they don't get on and Beth has the perfect family and Alvina is just cruising through life.

But on this occasion Alvina finds herself at a loss. She's just lost her job and has no money and no home.
 So she reluctantly agrees.

So when Alvina finally makes it too Beth's she really isn't expecting what Beth has in store for her.
I mean really not expecting it!
It's completely out of Beth's character..... she might as well be Alvina!!!! .... I mean that could happen....they are identical after all!!!

Trust me from here on you are in for a roller coaster of events. From murder, to mafia, to hit men.....its fast paced, completely MAD!! But totally addictive.

Is it believable?.... nope but it would make a great movie!
It really doesn't matter that it was so far from believable, because it stretched my imagination and I loved it.

Beth and Alvina just don't get on.
Beth is definitely the favourite twin which is why Alvina resents her so much.
Alvina has always lived in Beth's shadow. Never good enough, the one to always make mistakes.

For me I had a love/ hate opinion of Alvina she grated on me. But I could understand why she acted the way she did. Never being good enough, So she may as well become what everyone expected of her.

I loved how they wasn't your typical twins.
Yes they were identical.... But they really didn't get on.
I have twins in my family and they are best friends.
 Plus my Nan was a twin and she had the Twin vibe and if one hurt themselves so would the other twin.
So for me this book was really different to see the other side to twins.

I really don't know how to sum this book up or even what genre it might fall into, as there really is so much going on.

So I guess you will just have to read it for yourselves to decide where it should be placed.
You definitely won't be disappointed. Once you open the pages you won't be able to stop
It's gripping, family jealousy,thriller, very funny, sexy, dangerous, and just crazy!

I also would just like to point out that this book contains a fair amount of Sex and Adult themes.

Wow! What a debut novel. Written in the first person by our heroine,Alvie Kinghtley ( perhaps that should be anti-heroine) and takes us through a week of her life. Starting in London, Alvie is broke, about to lose her job and flat, not knowing what the future holds. But then her identical twin sister Beth gets in touch. Beth lived in Sicily and wants, no NEEDS, to see Alvie. Once in Sicily, Alvie changes dramatically over the next seven days and the whole thing is of course MAD.
Clearly this book appeals to women in their 20s and 30s, but I am a man, older than that, but simply loved this book. Extremely well-written, and very very funny. You will literally be laughing out loud. Ok, some things might be far-fetched but who cares. Just go along with the wild ride and enjoy it.

Firstly thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is definitely mad!
It is well written, flows well and the story is quite unique!
I did like the book but I'm not sure that I loved it. Saying that, I would read the rest of the trilogy as Alvina makes a very interesting character.
Quirky, violent, sexy - if these three words entice you then read this book!

Alvie is a twin, and her life in London couldn’t be more different from that of her happily married sister Beth, in Sicily with her gorgeous husband and adorable baby, wearing designer clothes and living in a luxurious villa in the shadow of Mount Etna. Beth has the life Alvie wants.
Then Alvie gets an invitation (and a first class ticket) form Beth and she begins a sex and drug-fuelled trip that turns into a killing spree. At last Alvie’s found something she’s good at. But what’s really behind Beth’s invitation?
This is a really different book. It’s definitely uncensored and Alvie is definitely unhinged. It’s violent and Alvie is clearly a psychopath. But she’s also horribly funny and some of the situations she gets herself into are so mad that it’s difficult not to laugh. But she’s a horrible person and there really isn’t anything about her to counteract the terrible things she does.
But I think that that’s what makes this book so different. It makes you feel uncomfortable; Alvie makes you feel uncomfortable. There are no soft edges to her, nothing that invokes your sympathy. And that’s a brave character for the author to write.
I did think there were a few places where the writing could be tightened up a bit and where things were a bit too extreme, even for Alvie. But on the whole this is a fast-paced, uncomfortably funny book. And I’ll read the next in the trilogy, just to see what on earth Alvie gets up to next.

I will be honest here, I don't know quite how I feel about this story. I finished it a few days ago and have had to try and form my thoughts in the time since, but I'm still not sure.

I feel that there was a lot of unnecessary stuff which, for me, wasn't vital to the story itself. The chapters detailing Alvie's past I tended to skim read. From the time the story begins the reader finds themselves in the middle of something which gains pace so quickly your head will hurt.

I did feel I was losing my grip on reality somewhat as the book went on, the author throwing so much at us in a short space of time. This is not a read for the faint hearted I can assure you of that.

As much as I'm still not sure exactly how I feel about the overall story, I will be watching out for the next two books as I feel invested in the story now. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy.

This book lives up to its title, it is a hectic, at sometimes 'mad' story of twins, one good and one bad. I never knew what was going to happen next or why throughout this book. It has completely exhausted me, there are twists, a lot of sex, murders and secrets. I couldn't help but like Alvina, even though at times I despaired of her, she did make me laugh with her logic. Thank you to Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for the chance to read and review this book, i look forward to the next book in this trilogy.

Mad is a hilarious romp in the company of an unlikeable but most engaging character. Alvie is a selfish identical twin who envies her sister, Elizabeth, always their mother's favourite, who lives a life of luxury with her gorgeous Italian husband and baby in Sicily. Alvie wants what Elizabeth has and when she is invited to Sicily after losing her job and home she sets out to get it, resulting in a week of murder and mayhem with a large cast of characters, mostly sexy Italians. The ending is great even if to me a little obvious. #GoAlvie

The book has many laugh out loud moments - I'm not sure I'd recommend reading it on a tube journey because you'd probably miss your stop. Mad is the first of a trilogy and I can't wait to read the next two (Bad and Dangerous to Know.) Thanks to NetGalley and PenguinUK/MichaelJoseph for the opportunity to read and review such an enjoyable book. I'm sure it will be a great success.

Alvie is pretty fed up with her life, her twin sister Beth has always had everything whilst she's left on the sidelines. When Beth sends her a first-class plane ticket to fly to Italy to visit Beth, her husband and their new baby, Alvie isn't sure she wants to go. When things at home in London go from bad to worse, Alvie hops on the plane, determined to show Beth her life isn't the train wreck she thinks it is. Madness ensues. Literally. From mafia connections to stolen $20million paintings, murder, secret lovers and corrupt priests, this story is a wild ride from start to finish.

This book was a hilariously messed up mystery that had me dying to know what was going to happen. I loved Alvie and her personality and saw myself in her in many ways (minus the murdering, ofc.) The writing style was unique and although parts were ridiculously unrealistic, it just added to the nonchalant nature of Alvie. Fairly safe to say I can't wait for the next book in the trilogy!

I really enjoyed this book and thoroughly enjoyed the idea behind it however I did think that some parts were a little slow paced but it definitely made up for it by the fantastic ending! I can't wait to read the next book

Wow, this book was INSANE! Yes it was a bit far fetched, but so what? Suspend your disbelief for a while and get lost in the madness.

Alvina and Beth are estranged twins. Like chalk and cheese, their relationship has always been tumultuous. Now, reunited after years apart, it's about to become deadly.

I was thoroughly gripped by this book and can't wait for the rest of the books in the trilogy!

I was kindly sent a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I'm not by any means a prude, but this book felt like a cheap attempt at porn at times. The graphic descriptions and language not only become distracting but also make you hate the lead character - common as muck comes to mind. As an aside, some of the things described in these scenes are pretty much logistically impossible - sex scene with Nino mainly.... It just felt uncouth and tacky all the way through. The lead character is wholly unlikeable and the story is way too far fetched. It's like the author tried to fit too many things into a small space (brings us back to my earlier point weirdly...) Not one for me. Feels a bit vulgar and trying too hard to be shocking.

Completely bonkers but funny.
What you think is a love storu, followed by a female psycho thriller followed by a Mafiosa tale and finishing with comedy and pathos, you're never sure what will be round the next corner with this book,

At times heart wrenching but very very funny.

*This book was received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

This is the story of Alvie Knightly who gets a first class ticket to Scicily to visit her twin sister and family. Alvie is not keen on the idea at all but when she loses her job and her house mates kick her out, she decides it will be a good vacation and she will meet the sexy Italian that Beth is married to.

When she gets there things start to go down hill, and Beth ends up dead.

This was a funny, murderous book of how Alvie suddenly decides she likes killing and goes on a bit of a killing spree.

Brilliant!! Started like a standard chick lit. Didn't end that way though!!!

Wow! What a book. I loved loved loved it. The plot was fantastic and had me guessing all the way through. I didn't want it to end. I feel inpatient for the next instalment of this trilogy. This is going to make a fantastic film. Pure brilliance ! Will recommend to anyone to buy this summer!

Well this was a rollercoaster ride and lived up to its title. Sex, money and murder. What more can you ask.?
The plot was far fetched, but then it was meant to be. Enjoyable and intriguing swapping of characters and identities.
I enjoyed the freshness of the writing and the lightheartedness of the characters approach to the most serios of life's issues.
A fun read. Definitely bizarre.

Warning: this book is bonkers! The good kind of bonkers.
Without giving away too much this book is about a selfish heroine, Alvie. She's a twin and her sister, Beth is living the high life in Sicily. When Alvie finds herself jobless and homeless, at Beth's invitation, she goes to visit her in Sicily. There she gets involved in murder, men and mafia.
This book is really funny, silly and at times will leave your jaw hanging open.
I kinda loved it though

This book has the right name, it was totally and utterly mad, took a while to get into but once in I couldn’t put it down.

Alvie and Beth are twins, Beth is the good twin whose life has been perfect from day one, Alvie born second hasn’t had it so easy, life for her is hard, she has lost her job and her place to live so when Beth asks her to come to Sicily for a holiday, she decides why not.

Beth asks Alvie to swap place with her for a couple of hours, Alvie jumps at the chance but when Beth ends up dead she decides no one needs to know and she becomes Beth. Alvie discovers that the life Beth was leading is not so perfect. Were there problems within her marriage? Who is the sexy artist next door? And what were Beth and her husband planning?

Alvie is absolutely bonkers, she discovers she likes designer clothes, jewellery, fast cars, lots of sex and killing people, a life she never would have had the opportunity to live if not for death of her twin. A good book with a nutty storyline but very readable.

I've just finished a pretty crazy story. It was a good crazy though.

Mad is released on 15th June 2017! I got this as a digital arc, through NetGalley so thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for being chosen to review it.

4 Stars!

Note: This is very much an adult read as there's lots of sex, killings and crime in general so it's for ADULT readers. If you're sensitive to any of that I would NOT read this also.

Mad tells the story of Alvina (Alvie) who turns to the life of crime when an incident happens. Alvie looses her job right at the beginning of the book. Alvie is a twin. She's always felt as if she was the unlucky twin because her mother didn't live her as much as her sister, Elizabeth (Beth). When Alvie looses her job she gets in contact with Beth who invites her over to Italy, where she lives with her family.

As I said above this is very much a crime story. We, as the reader aren't sure of the story the entire time. We're kept guessing. It was good fun to be on the edge of my seat as it kept me reading.

Spoilers below...

Alvie is the poor sister. Before she went to see her sister in Italy, she was staying in a hostel like place and she was fired from her job. However, when she gets to Italy and sees just how much Beth has she's jealous and wants everything Beth has. Including her husband and son. She basically kills Beth one night, accidentally. This however sets off a series of murders and crimes.

The novel is called Mad because we as the reader can see Alvie going mad as in crazy. She even refers to herself as Mad a couple of times.

What I liked about Mad:
I liked how the book was written in first person throughout. This made me feel closer to Alvie as a character. It also made me see just why and how she was going Mad.

I liked the flashbacks to Alvie's past. It was interesting to see how Beth got everything she wanted and how Alvie was seen as the naughty one all the time.

I liked how this is an adult book. We get to know literally everything about Alvie.

I liked how Mad was a compelling read. As soon as something's happened, I had to know what was happening next. The book never let me go

What I didn't like about Mad:
I didn't so much like that there wasn't a love interest, just men Alvie slept with. This might happen in the other books.

I didn't like how easy the death of her sister was to Alvie. If it were me, I'd have called for an ambulance, and the police straight away. If Alvie had done that, though we wouldn't have a story.

I enjoyed Mad. I thought it had a little bit of everything a good book should have. The story was compelling as I was always thinking about Alvie and just what she would get up to next. The only reason why it's not a 5 star read is that some of the situations that happen in Mad are very unlikely to happen in real life and as this wasn't fantasy, I just thought it should have been a little more true to everyday life. But then none of what happens in Mad would happen to just anyone in everyday life so there's that argument too. I'm looking forward to reading the next books when they release. I'll want to review them for you all too so stand by for when they are released.

Thank you to the publishers Penguin UK and netgalley for the arc in return for an honest review.

This book features the most amoral, unhinged, thoroughly unlikeable character I have read about for a long time. a brief mention of a childhood accident could explain her complete lack of empathy, and her childhood appears to have wanted for love. Although being the fantasist that she is, can the reader really believe any of this to be true?

Alvina lies, cheats, steals and murders her way through this book. She has no compunctions about taking what she wants, when she wants. She sees everything through the filter of how it impacts her.

She could be a delicious villain that you love to hate, but for the frequent references to cruelty to animals (burning a dog in a shed for example) and her complete lack of any feelings for her twin sister. She could be intriguing, but all her actions are so spontaneous that there is clearly no thought behind them, and everything happens at breakneck speed.

It's certainly a thrill of a book, and it will be interesting to see where Alvina goes next. As a holiday read, I can certainly recommend it, it pulls you in and doesn't let go until the cliffhanger at the end.