I loved this book from the first page. Molly is such a great character, full of paranoia and little quirks, struggling to make her way in the world. And then I got to about halfway through, and one sentence turned everything I'd read upside down. An enthralling read that I got through in about a day, as I had to see what happened next!

Incredible writing, tense action and a gripping story line make this a fantastic read. Highly recommend.

I don't even know where to start with this book, it was completely captivating right from the very first page. It was so well written with well developed characters that jumped off of the page and a storyline that kept readers gripped the entire time. It was atmospheric, tense and unpredictable so I didnt know what to think or what to believe which was definiately helped along by the code and secret language themes that ran through the book. I loved it

I am a HUGE Tuva Moodyson fan, as well as really enjoying his first standalone novel ‘The Last Thing To Burn’ so I was positively predisposed to this one, and it definitely did not disappoint. Set in New York, it’s very much New York from an outsiders perspective, which I loved, and you get a strong sense of an unmoored provincial family from the start. I won’t put any spoilers (it’s hard!) but at first I thought ‘oh, Will’s written more of a traditional whodunnit’ and was enjoying that very much, then everything went a bit bananas and I enjoyed that even more! Just a really excellent crime/thriller novel with Will’s unique twists and turns in it.

WOW! Those plot twists! They were real eye-poppers, I'll tell you that. First Born is indeed a thrilling read. Highly recommend.

First Born focuses on Molly, who lives in London and is overly cautious. In comparison, her identical twin sister Katie, who lives in New York, is more outgoing and adventurous. The only thing these twins share is their looks; personality-wise, they're as different as night and day. The novel begins with Molly finding out that Katie is found dead in her NY apartment, and soon makes arrangements to meet her parents in New York to grieve... and to figure out who was behind her sister's death.

Back to those plot twists. In hindsight, the plot twists are simple, but when reading the book, I didn't see them coming because of the well-executed setups and diversions that kept me from truly guessing the twists. What I thought were character inconsistencies were subtle clues to hint that there's more to what you're reading. Once you pass the midpoint of the novel, things get really interesting, and we launch into thriller mode.

If you're the kind of reader that wants to actively figure out the twists or solve the mystery, then my advice is to not trust any of the characters in this book. If you're the kind of reader that simply wants to escape and be immersed in a good story, then sit back and relax because you're in for a wild ride.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for providing me with the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Identical twins Molly and Katie are total opposites,Molly likes the quite life,security and structure,everyone of her days the same.
Katie is spontaneous and daring living life to the full.
When Molly hears Katie has died suddenly in New York she goes to find out what happened totally out of her comfort zone.
As she tracks her sisters last movements she finds out nothing is as it seems.
Can she find out the truth?
I was really looking forward to reading this book and I wasn't dissapointed,full of tension and totally gripping throughout

Another fantastic book by Will Dean, which I urge everyone to read. Gripping and intriguing, this book grabbed me from the first chapter.

I cannot wait for more from this author.

The blog/summary for FIRST BORN sounded an intriguing read. On the first few pages my feeling was that this book was not for me but I continued reading. I struggled and was confused with the plot.

I give a 2 star rating.


I WANT TO THANK NETGALLEY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY OF READING AN ADVANCED COPY OF THIS BOOK FOR AN HONEST REVIEW

First Born by Will Dean

Wow I feel like I've been grabbed by the shoulders and shaken until my teeth rattled !
First time read by this author and I can see him becoming a new favourite.
Fantastic characters , great plot , lots of twists and suspense. Just what makes a book from a good read to a fab one.

Loved this book. The characterisation was excellent and I guessed none of the twists! But they were so very satisfying when they came. Well paced and very creepy.

This book is one hell of a read. Plenty of twists turns & OMG moments! Molly twin sister Katie is murdered in NYC. Molly goes over to New York & begins to investigate her sisters murder. It takes her on a path full of twists & an ending that you won't see coming. A great read

i was really excited to read this as i really enjoyed the last thing to burn. sadly i didn't get into this as much as that one, that book was a true one-off, this just didn't meet my expectations.

Expect The Unexpected…
They may be twins but they are opposites in every personality trait. Molly, quietly loving her security in London and Katie, gregarious and spontaneous in New York. When Molly discovers that Katie has died she needs to find out why. Edge of seat suspense, well constructed and with twists, turns and surprises that have the reader bubbling with the anticipation of what will happen next. A superb read. Expect the unexpected.

Will Dean tiptoes into Highsmith territory here. Pacy, exhilarating and jaw-dropping, it's a meditation on identity and loneliness as well as a bloody good pageturner. I love the way New York buffets its characters about its ruthless streets, much as the reader is propelled from one twist to the next.

For an author who says in his acknowledgement section that he never believed he could become a writer, this book is a terrific achievement. The whole concept of the twins, identical but dramatically different, works from page one. The younger, Molly, is left in London when her sibling deserts her for New York. That causes Molly enormous angst as she has always been the less outgoing of the two. The parents go to visit KT as the other daughter is known and during the visit she is murdered. Molly is exceedingly well described as a neurotic woman terrified of everything. The story developes in all kinds of unexpected directions using the background of New York to great effect. At the end of chapter 22 there is a sudden revelation that changes the reader’s idea of what’s happening but don’t assume that’s it. There is more to come. This is a well constructed story, well written. I recommend it strongly.

This is the second of Will’s books that I’ve read and I’ll definitely be back for more. Risk averse Molly – who knows the potential danger in just about everything – loves structure and security. It makes her feel safe. Her identical twin Katie is the opposite, now living in New York and really living her best life – though the sisters still speak daily. But when Molly learns that her twin has died in mysterious circumstances, as scary as the world outside her chosen location is, she has to get on a plane and head to the city to discover what really happened. Along the way she’ll meet a group of individuals, some of whom will help her, some will definitely hinder her. Full of codes and language twists, this will have you pleasantly confused throughout, as the plot takes you by the hands and brings you along with it. You’ll feel as though you’re in the hustle and bustle of the city that never sleeps. And certainly for Molly, she has no plans to rest until she discovers the truth, even if it’s dangerous.

Once again, Will Dean proves he can write one hell of a good thriller! The pacing is brilliantly executed; after the initial shock of the opening scenes, the first half unfolds slowly, the story gaining speed before thundering to the explosive end. Molly has a very distinctive voice and a unique way of looking at the world which adds real flavour to the narrative. Will uses the New York setting almost as if the city were a character herself; the effect is wonderfully immersive and really draws the reader in to that world.

I would highly recommend this.

I would describe this book as a bit of a slow burner but stick with it as it’s well worth it. I found it quite gripping and suspenseful with unexpected twists. As the story progressed I couldn’t put the book down I was so eager to see what was going to happen next. Highly recommended.

I was looking forward to reading this despite not having liked the popular The Last Thing to Burn. I enjoy Will's writing and this one seemed particularly intriguing. It was! WOW what a book of twisty threads.. I can' t imagine trying to find the killer of someone in a city the size of New York. There was tension throughout and nothing is as it seems.

Enjoyed this ride!

Not for me. Despite it being properly written and I liked the interaction of Molly and Jimmy. However, as I'm thinking is very much how whodunnits are these days, there were so many twists and turns, the double bluff.