The Other You by J.S. Monroe

Female Lead:
* Bad accident, talent lost, knight in shining armor appears from the mist to make it all better AND he has a huge bank account…
* Old beau proved untrustworthy so why not try out the guy who has money to make it all better?
* And...I can read people...yes I can...well...I could before the accident (she decides)
* Then something happens and she begins to question…is the knight who she thinks he is…or someone else entirely?

* Tempting isn’t it?

Thoughts while reading:
* sick psycho...whoever it proves to be
* a woman in love should be wary
* the man in love with the female lead nearly lost it all
* Friends should be treasured
* True friends will do a LOT to make sure their friends are safe
* a father should give more to family and home even though business is busy
* are there doppelgangers? And if so...do I have one?
* checked out a worldwide doppleganger match site and thought of seeing who they would find that looks like me BUT then…thought - “no way” - though I was curious
* The twist at the end…hmm…

Definitely a psychological thriller. Even having read the last page out of order was surprised by the “reveal”…great job and I would definitely read more by this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

Wow!!! I'm so tempted to write 'you must read this book' and end my review on a short and sweet note, for impact, but I shall refrain. But believe me when I say that you must read this book. This psychological masterpiece had me on the edge of my seat. I was furious when real life got in the way of my reading time and I was torn between wanting to get to the finish line to find out those all important answers and not wanting the book to finish, period.

The narrative was crafted to perfection, I simply second guessed myself from start to finish. It played with my mind in ways that no other story has ever done before and I was in awe of the psychological games that played out on the pages before my eyes. The twists and turns that drove the plot onwards were relentless as the story took on a roller-coaster ride of emotions. Goosebumps and feelings of unease were at the turn of each page, yet I couldn't stop reading, even for a minute.

The characters were created within an inch of their lives and they brought the story to life with vivid precision. I felt as though I was given just enough contextual information to relate and empathise but not too much to take away from the driving plot. The balance was was set to perfection. Kate was an incredibly fascinating character with a unique set of skills and I was mesmerised by her special ability for facial recognition. Her journey through the book wasn't an easy route in the slightest but what a tough and brave woman to have at the helm of this story. The rest of the characters fell into perfect place around Kate to create a truly gripping story that I won't forget in a hurry.

The Other You is a psychological dance of danger and death that had me hanging onto each and every word. I urge you all to grab a copy of this today and dive in....you can thank me later for such a great book.

Kate used to be good at recognising people. So good in fact she worked for the police, identifying criminals in crowds of thousands.

But six months ago she got into a car accident that led to brain injury. Now she can barely recognise herself in the mirror. At least she has Rob, who she met just after the accident and he nursed her back to health.

Until, one day Kate looks at Rob and is certain he is an impostor. Have her skills come back or is it just her damaged brain?


Throughout the book, Kate is obviously very vulnerable as she can’t recognise people in the same way, she can’t really trust anyone. Then you add in Rob appearing suddenly when she’s unable to recall faces and him working for a tech company and trying out new gadgets all the time, it definitely made him a suspect character. It added to that level of suspense that was constantly there.

We get sections told by others to add to the meat of the story which was great as the plot and unease builds more slowly and subtly. The connections in the plot to technology were really intriguing and it gets you thinking about artificial intelligence and how facial recognition software is in the rise, and how there are already cameras everywhere.

As it was a slow build, I don’t want to give too much away, but I really found it odd when in chapter one or two Rob gives a speech about how his biggest fear is his doppelganger stealing his life and his soul. But it did great at leaving Kate with a concern playing on her mind.

Kate is recovering from a car accident in Cornwall with her new boyfriend Rob, who she met in the hospital shortly after the accident, when suddenly things about him just don’t feel right.
Kate had been working as a super recogniser for the police when she suffered a brain injury in a car accident. Is what’s happening now a result of this or something else?
I thoroughly enjoyed this story which is well written and keeps you thinking.
It is an gripping and intriguing read which has left me questioning if that is even the end or is there more to come?
Thanks got to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review

This is a very clever, high concept, high tech story that burrows its way into your mind and really makes you think about things you probably usually haven’t. In that respect I mean the idea that we all have a ‘double’ out there in the big wide world,

The subject of the story is Kate, a police consultant who has a rare skill for facial recognition. When Kate is involved In a car accident she meets, Rob, an Uber successful young tech guru whilst In hospital. Rob helps to aid in Kate’s recovery using some high tech up to date gadgets his companies manufacture..

JS Monroe spins an excellent, clever and twisty thriller, your never quite sure what’s real and what’s not, and it’s quite a creepy experience. My first read from this author and I was well entertained. Top notch research, the author clearly knows his subject,

A very decent thriller that keeps you guessing and full on tension, Recommended

Kate was a super recogniser until a car accident robbed her of this ability.

She had recently broken up with boyfriend Jake, and meets Rob while recovering in hospital. Rob was caring, attentive and looks after her while she slowly starts to recover.

But, then one day, Kate looks at Rob and feels it’s not him, that someone has taken his place…..his doppelgänger. Rob had previously told her of his fear a doppelgänger would steal his soul if he met him a second time.

Is this all in her mind? Has the accident caused more damage than she thought? Or is something more sinister going on?

Wow, what a nail biter of a thriller…..part police procedural and part psychological thriller. I can’t say much about the plot for fear of spoiling it, but I found this to be so gripping and I really couldn’t put it down, a couple of late nights resulted as I just had to know…

With each chapter bring more revelations and twists, it kept me on tenterhooks from start to finish. Great characters, believable and twisty plot make this a compelling read. I can thoroughly recommend it.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this for free. This is my honest and unbiased review.

This is a chilling, complex and curious thriller, with psychological and technological themes. Told from three points of view. The reader lives the complete story. Whilst, it keeps you turning the pages, it starts your mind thinking too, what if?

The story has many strands. The unusual skill of the female protagonist, as a super recogniser, which now lost, has left her unsure and vulnerable. The secret world of the new man in her life, and his attitude towards her that makes their interactions often claustrophobic. The themes of doppelgangers, and his apparent obsession with his.

The story is full of underlying detail, which sets the scene convincingly, and evidences the author's copious research. There are many twists, and the ending is memorable.

If you've read this author's psychological thrillers before, you may be waiting for something to happen that you don't expect. It does, but its impact is more powerful than you may imagine.

Clever writing, intense suspense, and originality make this a must-read for those who like to explore the darkness and vastness of the human mind.

I received a copy of this book from Head of Zeus via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

First of all I have to say that fans of psychological thrillers are going to love this book, because I sure as hell did. It is bloody brilliant!

I was hooked right from the start and pulled into a very gripping and engrossing story. Imagine not being able to recognise people, this is what happens to Kate after she suffers a brain injury from a car accident. Then we meet Rob, but is Rob who he says he is. Kate believes that he isn’t her Rob. Even I wasn’t sure.

Every thing Kate starts to question, I started to question. Each page leaves you wanting more. This is a very clever story which will certainly get your brain ticking and tie you up in knots.

It is jam packed with suspense and takes you on a roller coaster ride giving me some pulse racing moments. I cannot recommend it enough giving it all the stars.

This book is a must read!

The Other You is a unique storyline, one that I’ve not read about before, I thought it was a well developed read with a lot going on, so much so I finished this in a day.
Kate is the main character and she is a super recogniser, meaning she is a very small minority of people that can see a face and recognise it in crowds even if it’s months later and the face is partially obscured. As she is one of the best she has been recruited by Swindon CID to help in a case as painting which she prefers to do just isn’t bringing in enough money. Whilst searching through ctv images she sees her long term boyfriend kissing another woman, upset she goes to a local pub has a drink and crushes her car on the way home leaving her with life threatening injuries.
Kate finds herself with Rob who she met in hospital and has looked after her in his plush Cornish home that’s full of high tech gadgets, alarms and security measures but after Rob telling Kate about his fears of a doppelgänger taking over his life is Rob really Rob or is it someone else?
This was a read that has so much going on from every angle, no character is boring or underdeveloped leaving this a very well crafted and thought out thriller.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Head Of Zeus for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

This book was intense . Full of twists . Cleverly written . This had me wanting more with my heart pounding the whole way through. I couldnt put it down. Its told by 3 different characters. Definately a roller coaster ride.

EXCERPT: 'We've all got a double out there somewhere, watching, waiting. Shadowless.' He looks around the cove, up at the clifftop behind them. The man with the binoculars has gone. 'And I've already met mine, a long time ago.'

'When?' she asks. He doesn't answer.

'They say it's bad enough to see your double once, but it's meant to be much worse if you meet them a second time.' He pauses. 'The day I see him again will be my last. He'll take over my life, me, you, the house, my company, all that I've achieved, everything that's precious to me.'

He pauses, eyes welling as the Cornish sun disappears behind a solitary cloud, casting the beach into sudden shade. 'He'll steal my soul.'

ABOUT THIS BOOK: You are waiting for your husband to join you on holiday. But when he arrives, you know it's not him...

This clever, twisty psychological thriller explores identity and pretence, paranoia and the disturbing notion that we are all, at some level, impostors.

MY THOUGHTS: Clever. Twisty. Chilling. I won't be sleeping any more tonight.

This is the second book I have read by this author, and he continues to stun me with his unusual plots and his ability to totally creep me out. I love to be creeped out. I can't remember the last time I had a sleepless night because of it.

This book is edgy and tense, The. Whole. Way. Through. If you are looking for a relaxing read, this isn't it. This is heart-pounding paranoia. This will have you looking twice at anyone acting a little out of character. This will have you doubting and questioning everything you know about everyone. This will give you sleepless nights...

A 'couldn't bear to put it down' read.

😱😱😱😱😱

#TheOtherYou #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: J.S.Monroe is the pseudonym of the British author Jon Stock. Jon is the author of five spy novels and a new standalone psychological thriller, Find Me, to be published in 2017 under the name of JS Monroe. He lives in Wiltshire with his wife and three children.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Head of Zeus via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Other You by J.S. Monroe for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage

What a fabulous read this was! I have read J. S. Monroe's Forget About Me but this book, The Other You, has to be my favourite to date.

Kate was a super recogniser, working alongside the police, particularly DI Silas Hart from Swindon CID, and helping to apprehend criminals with her unique talent for recognising faces. After a terrible car accident almost killed her, Kate ended her relationship with her partner Jake and also left her job as she had lost her recognition abilities.

Just after her accident Kate meets young, rich, handsome and successful Rob who runs a tech company based on the idyllic Cornish coast, and moves into his luxury modernist house. The nightmares of the accident fade, and she feels safe and loved. As her health recovers, aided by Rob, she looks at him with fresh eyes... and starts to wonder if the man before her has been replaced by an impostor.

I found this psychological thriller captivating from the start and loved its fast pace and the short chapters. The complex plot was brilliant and there was quite a mix of varied characters from the personable to pretty awful. Different characters narrated the story - Kate, Jake and Silas - and the writing style altered to suit that individual as their personal contributions edged the proceedings further along. The story read well and I liked the crossover which made their endeavours seem like a real team undertaking.

This was a superbly crafted cocktail of suspense, police procedural, brilliant characters and taut plotting. The main characters all had great parts to play as did the supporting cast including DC Strover who worked with DI Silas Hart, and Bex, who was Kate’s best friend. The characters were all believable which always assists the reader in engaging with the story.

The Other You was a mind-blowing story layered with paranoia, deceit, distrust, and drama. There was so much to keep the reader turning the pages and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this book and author. I still haven’t read J. S. Monroe's novel, Find Me, yet, though it has been on my radar for some time now and I hope I get to it fairly soon.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Head of Zeus via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

J.S. Monroe has a strong flair for capturing a distinctive crime that you won’t easily forget and then building a novel around it that has the reader questioning and second guessing the plot all the way down the line.

Kate was a highly skilled super recogniser. Working for the police and gaining high profile results when she had a car accident. Now she is recovering, but her skills at recognising have gone. She has ditched her loser boyfriend, Jake and is now living with her handsome partner, tech mogul Rob in a beautiful Cornwall home where she feels safe and cared for. Until one day she looks at him and is convinced that he has been replaced by an imposter.

Capgras syndrome is a recognised medical condition causing an irrational belief that someone the sufferer knows or recognises has been replaced by an imposter. Has Kate’s injury caused this syndrome or is something more sinister going on?

Monroe takes the reader on a thrilling journey, constantly asking us to evaluate what we are reading and test it against our understanding. I loved the twistiness of the plot, the constant need to recalibrate our understanding and the short punchy chapters that help keep the pace fast and the prose lively.

I’m always interested when a writer takes an original concept and demonstrates just how it can be achieved and Monroe’s creepy scenario is sufficiently plausible to make his plot truly chilling and completely addictive.

Told from the perspective of three principal characters, – Kate’s former boss Wiltshire Police’s DI Silas Hart; Kate’s ex-boyfriend, Jake, and Kate herself, Monroe builds up narrative strands which build the tension and enable the reader to become invested in their progress, as the narrative becomes ever more compelling and propulsive.

The themes are fascinating; from the rise of technology, to the way the brain works to notions of instinct over reason.

Verdict: A fascinating premise beautifully conceived and executed makes for an original and chilling novel that is part thriller and part police procedural. Unmissable.

Do you know if you have a double in some part of the world? And that if you meet them twice they will steal your life?
This is the only thing you have to know before reading this book, nothing more, nothing less! It will blow your mind with all the twists and turns during the story, and I can’t stop to recommend it!
What would you think if you wake up one day and you can’t recognise your partner? Kate is recovering from a fatal car accident, she has some lacks of memory and she is not herself yet. So when one day she wakes up and there are some strange things with her boyfriend Rob, she has to think twice if she is ill or someone is passing for Rob?
I will say that I loved how the story is written, making the reader distrust everyone and not sure what to believe or which answer is the correct! And let me tell you a secret, I loved the ending! Sometimes what makes you remember the book is not the plot but how the author connects all the dots, and this time has been done brilliantly!
I would have liked to know a little more about Kate’s job helping the police, I didn’t get much the job she was doing… Searching for specific faces from wanted people… But why did she hate it so much? I suppose all the questions I have will remain unsolved, but let me say that I love when a book makes you think and question yourself, it means that it will stay with you for a long time!
I don’t want to tell you much about the plot just in case I make a spoiler, simply take my advice and read it, you’ll have a great time!
Ready to discover The Other You?

This one really played with my head; at times I wasn't sure who  or what to believe - a great read!

Kate was a 'super-recogniser'; so good at picking out faces that she was employed by the police force to help them identify and find criminals - until a car accident affected the part of her brain responsible for this talent. On the bright side she met her new love, Rob, whilst in hospital and with his success in hi-tech business he can afford the very best of everything, including experts to aid her recovery. However, one day when Kate looks at Rob she doesn't recognise him as her lover - has he been replaced by his double?

This is a roller-coaster read! First we get to know Kate and how her life is now, then the story expands and we learn about her past and what things were like for her before the accident which affected her so badly. Then things take a sinister turn and - to be totally honest - I swayed this way and that, not knowing quite who or what to believe! An excellent thriller; well written and creatively crafted it travels at quite a speed, taking the reader along with it. I did think I had worked it out - I was wrong! With the story continuing until the very final words I was mesmerised and left with my jaw dropping! Definitely recommended to all lovers of a really good thriller, and earning 4.5*.

My thanks to publisher Head of Zeus for my copy via NetGalley; this is my honest, unbiased and original review.

The Other You is J.S. Monroe's latest standalone psychological thriller and boy what a rollercoaster ride of thrills and spills it was. I even had chills at certain points. The premise of the book doesn't bear thinking about and is terrifying to ponder. It centres around Kate who used to be so effective and efficient at recognising faces in a crowd that she used to help the police with their work. However, that ability has been all but deadened by an accident which impacted her head. Luckily, she had her wealthy boyfriend Rob to nurse her back to health but she never regained any of her amazing superhuman abilities. Now she fears that Rob has somehow been replaced by a doppelganger and this niggles away at her eating away her sanity piece by piece. Is she losing the plot or can her worst fears be confirmed? Why would Rob need to be replaced and who called for it to happen?

This is one of the best domestic-based psychological thrillers I've had the pleasure to read in a while and I feel that the synopsis really does the story a bit of a disservice. Once I had picked it up I devoured it in a mere few hours and then scolded myself for reading it so rapidly instead of savouring it. There are twists, turns and red herrings aplenty and I must admit that I certainly didn't see the conclusion coming despite reading hundreds of these books per year; that is the mark of a great author. My only criticism is that at just under 500 pages long I think it could've been tauter and tighter in terms of plotting if it was cut down a little. That said, it didn't impact me enough to really worry about it and I raced through it anyway. A highly entertaining, addictive and engrossing thriller with an original and completely captivating plotline. Many thanks to Head of Zeus for an ARC.

I’ve read a previous book by this author so I was looking forward to reading this story. I’m so glad I did as it was so good.

Kate’s life changes when she has a bad car accident that leaves her with a serious brain injury. I thought Kate was a fantastic likeable character. My heart was in my mouth reading parts as I was so on her side.

This was a brilliantly written psychological thriller that had me totally gripped. Can’t wait to read more from this author in the future.

THE OTHER YOU by J.S. Monroe was the first book I picked up this year and it did not disappoint. In fact, it has set an extremely high standard for every other thriller that I will read this year because this story is simply superb and completely unputdownable.

Kate used to be a super recogniser, working with the police and helping to catch criminals with her unique talent for recognising faces. But after a car accident almost killed her, Kate ended her relationship of ten years and quit her job as she had lost her recognition abilities. Meeting Rob, a wealthy tech guy who adores her, was obviously meant to be and now Kate is recuperating from all of the trauma of her past on the Cornish coast, spending her weekdays with her little dog, and her weekends with the love of her life. But when it becomes apparent that her accident wasn't an accident and that somebody may be after her, Kate cannot help but panic a little, and when Rob starts talking about doppelgängers and his fears, it all combines to put Kate on edge. Is she imagining things or is Rob acting very unlike himself and when her abilities begin to return, she cannot help but notice that he doesn't always look like her Rob. Can she trust her thoughts or are all of her doubts coming from injuries from the accident? Or has she been spending time with a stranger who wants to hurt her?

Twisted, creepy, and with plenty of turns along the way to keep you hooked and have you questioning everyone and everything, THE OTHER YOU by J.S. Monroe is everything you could ever want in a psychological thriller and then some. The characters are fresh and likeable and I really enjoyed the super recogniser element of the story because it is just so fascinating. Technology has become embedded in every part of our lives now and we just accept this blindly but after reading THE OTHER YOU by J.S. Monroe I guarantee you that you will look at everything in a slightly different light!

From start to finish THE OTHER YOU by J.S. Monroe captures your imagination and holds you captive to the very end and I cannot wait for more from this amazing author.

WOW, what a read, this is absolutely brilliant, I have read other books by this author but this has to be my favourite to date, just short of 500 pages but they flew by, maybe because of the short chapters, but also because of the brilliantly fast paced, engaging, engrossing storylines, told from three points of view, Kate, Jake and Silas.

Kate is a super recogniser she only has to see someone’s face once, she would then be able to pick them out of a crowd, she never forgets a face, she’s also a portrait artist, but that doesn’t pay the bills, so she begins working with the police DI Silas Hart, Swindon CID, Kate’s work is invaluable to them, she helps to catch people smugglers, but she is pushed hard, as well as the fact her long term relationship with Jake is all going wrong, she saw him kissing another female on CCTV, ending their 12 year relationship. Going home one night Kate crashes her car into a tree, it’s an old car no airbags, she has head injuries, which for Kate are life changing, as she can no longer remember faces, she also struggles to paint anymore.

Six months after her accident she is living in an ultra modern tech controlled house, with Rob a high tech entrepreneur, she had met him at the hospital whilst she was recovering from her accident, romance had blossomed, Rob spends weekends at the house in Cornwall, but most of the week he has to be in London to run his business, he is always on the go, he has arranged for a Dr Varma a neuropsychologist to monitor Kate, with some ultra technical headgear that shows whether Kate’s brain is recovering. He seems to be a very caring loving partner, always making sure she double locks the doors, the house is like Fort Knox. He confides in Kate one day about his biggest fear, which is that his doppelgänger will come and steal his life, and everything in it, he tells Kate that for his 21st birthday he had gone with friends to Thailand and he had met his doppelgänger, and theory is if you see them a second time that’s it your life is over. Kate is happy he has shared his concerns with her, after all she doesn’t really know much else about him, except for his business.

The problem with living in a tech controlled house is that random things can start happening, or are they random, Rob is convinced that Kate’s brain is healing, and that she will be painting again soon. But then Kate starts thinking Rob is not Rob, but if it’s not Rob who is it?

This is a brilliant psychological thriller crossed with a police procedural, I love the main characters in this Silas and D.C. Strover who works with him, Bex, Kate’s best friend. The characters are relatable, likeable and believable which for me is a big part in making a book work, if you are rooting for characters the author has done a good job, if you don’t care for any of them it makes it hard to engage with the whole story.

I very highly recommend this book.

I would like to thank #netgalley and #HeadofZeus for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

This was such a different and intriguing read that managed to grip me and capture my attention from the very start.
A psychological thriller and a good one at that.
Not only did it keep me guessing it also felt so fresh and had such a unique storyline running throughout.
Kate a former super-recogniser once employed by the police to identify criminals is left with a brain injury after a recent car accident.
Her new boyfriend Rob is everything she could ever want successful, attentive, loving and rich.
He is also super invested in her recovery and doing everything he possibly can to aide Kate's returns to full health.
she has never felt more content and secure until that is one day Rob returns home from the city to the house they share in Cornwall and Kate is convinced that the man she loves has been replaced by an imposter.
Told from various POV's Kate herself, her ex-boyfriend Jake and also her Ex employer Silas this is a race to uncover the truth.
Is something sinister afoot here or is it all in Kate's mind caused by her recent head injury.
So this was chilling and mysterious and all sorts of suspenseful.
I changed my mind constantly with what I actually believed was happening here.
No sooner had I decided then I swerved directions again.
Great characters and plenty of intrigue and also a really unique read.
This one really was a packed read and that final end-game was just superb.
A great read that I am happy to recommend.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of The Other You.