Molly Raven lives her life assessing and avoiding risks wherever possible. One half of a pair of identical twins, Molly feels that she is the darker of the two, the twin who ended up with all of the negative attributes, while her sister Katie – or KT, as Molly calls her – is the happy, outgoing type, a mirror image to Molly’s personality despite their shared DNA. When Molly receives a call from her parents telling her that Katie has been murdered in her New York apartment, Molly takes her first flight – despite the dangers involved – to be with her family, and to help the police find her sister’s killer. As she tries to get inside her sister’s head, she meets the people who were closest to her since her move from England a year earlier. One of these people, she is convinced, is a murderer, and she is determined to find out which one before she has to return home.

Sometimes I feel the I am a false positive.
Not sometimes. For at least eighteen of the past twenty-two years. Since I was four years old. That’s when I realised two important things in life. First: there are no such things as identical twins. Second: the universe conspires to trip you up.

Will Dean has become something of a force of nature since his 2017 debut, Dark Pines. We can’t get enough of his Tuva Moodyson books and last year’s standalone debut from Hodder, The Last Thing to Burn, proved that there was much more to the Wild Man of the Moose Forest than his deaf reporter and her beat in Sweden’s wilderness. First Born is another standalone, and shows yet another side to this versatile and brilliant author.

From the outset, we find ourselves in the head of Molly Raven, as we follow her first-person account of the book’s events. Molly is constantly aware of the risks around her – regardless of how likely they are, one risk is treated equally to all others – and does as mch as she can to mitigate those risks, whether it’s carrying a knife in case someone tries to attack her, or keeping a supply of canned food and bottled water in case someone sets off a dirty bomb in the vicinity. Molly is a no-nonsense type, and there are times when her directness and inability – or lack of desire – to place a filter between brain and mouth sometimes make her quite unlikable, bearing more than a little resemblance to Tuva Moodyson. This is her first excursion outside the comfort of Britain, and she finds herself in, arguably, one of the greatest cities on the planet. Where you or I would be staring, agog, at our surroundings, Molly is planning for the worst, and trying to work out what supplies she needs to have, just in case. We get a sense that our guide is something of a loner, a person with no real friends, whose only connection to the rest of the world is through the person with whom she shared the womb, a sort of Ms Hyde to Katie’s Doctor Jekyll.

At the heart of First Born is the mystery of Katie’s death, and Molly plays amateur sleuth, trying to help the NYPD as much as possible, while also attracting attention from less-savoury characters. It isn’t long before we have a list of suspects as long as our arm, and we start to get the niggling doubt that Molly may not be the most reliable narrator. She is clearly, for want of a better word, unhinged and, while she has just lost the person to whom she is closest in the world, some of her actions seem questionable when we get time to stop and think about them.

First Born is, without a doubt, Will Dean’s most ambitious novel to date. Less linear and more complex than anything that has come before, it is, thankfully, no less enjoyable. It’s a clever, twisted puzzle that will keep you guessing right to the end. Like all of Dean’s novels so far, this one comes with a strong female protagonist, and highlights the author’s skill in creating strong, believable women who can get under our skin in one way or another.

Forget what you thought you knew about Will Dean from reading the Tuva Moodyson novels. Forget the Will Dean of The Last Thing to Burn. First Born is like no crime novel you’ve read before, and showcases a talented, versatile author at the height of his powers. An instant classic, this is a book designed to keep you on your toes, and nothing will come between you and the next chapter. Gripping and insightful, it’s Will Dean’s best novel to date, one more masterpiece from a writer who gets stronger and more confident with each book. Whatever you do, don’t miss it!

I thoroughly enjoyed this murder mystery/psychological thriller about identical twins who have polar opposite personalities and lifestyles. The story is based in Manhattan where Molly, the introverted twin, flies to be with her parents, following the loss of her sister Katie. The pace is non stop and the unraveling of the plot is very cleverly done. I was completely shocked by the various twists and turns. It’s a real page turner to savour.

My thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I was looking forward to reading this book as I really enjoyed the author’s Tuva Moodyson series (although The Last Thing To Burn not so much). However, First Born seemed like it was written by a different writer - thin and implausible plot, predictable twists, cardboard characters. Overall, a great disappointment.

Will Dean is a master at writing a psychological suspensive thriller. The plot is so excellently paced and the characters so full and imaginable. I have loved everything Will has written and this is no exception

Excellent story that really does keep you intrigued, the twists and turns are good so it leads you up the wrong track. I was so surprised towards the end as I did not imagine it developing as it did. brilliant writing by Will and looking forward to reading another of his books.

Will Dean invokes New York City perfectly. His descriptions had me believing I was there.

An intriguing plot and an unusual protagonist.

Thrillingly executed novel that packs Dean’s trademark punches and shocking twists!

I am a huge fan of Will Dean’s first standalone thriller (the phenomenal The Last Thing to Burn - read it if you haven’t!), so I had exceptionally high expectations for First Born. I can categorically say that these were more than met! First Born is another absorbing thriller that is completely addictive to read. It blends Dean’s skills as a writer of evocative place, exquisitely drawn character and a perfectly constructed, dark and sinister plot. All of these elements are blended together with a true stroke of masterpiece, meaning this novel is a brilliantly layered book that evokes a whole range of emotions and thoughts from its readers. If you enjoy books that thrust your into a place, giving you a true sense of being there amongst the characters and in their world, then this book is for you. If you enjoy books that give you a deep dive into a character’s psychology through first person prose, as well as a cacophony of additional characters that are vividly bought to life, then this book is for you. Finally, if you enjoy a book that has a brooding, unsettling plot that builds to jaw dropping twists at completely surprising moments, letting you think you know what is unfolding only to rip that away, then this book is for you.

I was completely absorbed by the lead character, Molly. She is a fascinating protagonist, who suffers from anxiety and an extreme form of risk assessment in her daily life. Dean captures her difficulties and the way she finds everyday situations or actions unsettling so well that I felt the anxiety leaking off the pages and became completely consumed by it whilst reading. It really helped to weave tension through the entirety of the book in a way that not all thrillers deliver. Molly is a complex character and I really enjoyed the dive into twin psyche and the mental and emotional link between her and her sister Katie. It’s very hard to review this book without revealing too much, but Molly is an absolute onion of a character and I was totally invested in peeling those layers away to discover her core. Needless to say, as it’s a Will Dean novel, those peeled back layers delivered surprise after surprise after surprise. The supporting characters are equally multidimensional and bring so many different facets to the plot. They are constructed in a clever and devious ways, meaning that I suspected everyone of Katie’s murder at least once (including her own Dad! That man is S H A D Y!!). Dean delivers a plethora of red herrings, casting doubt and suspicion across the cast, but I defy anyone to claim that they can work out the truth - it’s so clandestine!

The final aspect of this novel that stood out for me is the character that New York itself played. Dean describes the various locales in minutiae, which really transports the reader to the locations in the book. As someone fortunate enough to have visited Manhattan a couple of times, I could really picture where things were taking place. However, even if you’ve only seen New York in a film or television series, you will completely find yourself walking it’s sidewalks and frequenting it’s hotels and eateries. Dean describes these locations in such evocative detail that this novel literally comes alive with the hustle and bustle of life in the city that never sleeps. It also helps to ramp up the tension: this is an unforgiving and dangerous place. However, I also found that it symbolised retribution. New York will chew you up and spit you out. But with a little planning, you might just take New York and all it stands for on…and win!

Delivering shocking revelations like a brick to the face on multiple occasions, I can’t recommend this to my fellow thriller fans more!

First Born by Will Dean was brilliant from the beginning till the end, it was a great read and tells the story of twins Katie and Molly where one of them is dead and the other is set to find out the murderer of her sister. This was full of great twists and turns throughout I was sitting on the edge of my seat - what a roller coaster ride this book was. I loVe it and Molly was such an interesting character she made this book great.

I highly recommend this book and looking forward reading more books by Will Dean in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

Molly and her identical twin sister, Katie, are complete opposites. Molly lives in London and is an introvert who takes her safety very seriously. Katie is much more outgoing and has recently moved to New York City for college. Molly’s heart is shattered when she finds out Katie has died in NYC while their parents are visiting. Murder is suspected. Molly has to be brave and travel abroad to be with her family. Once in New York, she tries to track her sister’s life since she moved, and it quickly becomes clear that Katie isn’t who Molly thought she was.

This was everything you need for a thriller and crime story. It is not as black and white as you first think and like most typical thrillers, is full of twists. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Ooh this was soooo good 😁 Molly was such an interesting character and I loved her take on the world, risk assessing everything - from food choices to airline safety. Cleverly done! I am really enjoying Will Dean’s stand-alone novels!

I received an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author.
Hmmm not sure about this one! It all moved a little bit too slowly for me and the final twist was a good one, but felt plucked out of thin air and not suitably reinforced by the earlier plot points. As a result, the story felt disjointed and slightly rushed. Only ok! Slightly unsatisfying.

I enjoyed this book and read it in almost one sitting. It was very well researched and the main characters were well defined, with New York being a big character in the story too. I liked the concept of identical twins who have very different personalities and traits. The story is written at a good pace, not too fast so as to be exhausting, but just enough for you to think ‘I’ll just read one more chapter’.

Will Dean is one of my favourite authors. The Tuva Moodyson series is one of the best crime fiction series to have been written.
But sadly, his latest work, First Born, doesn’t get the usual five stars from me.
Molly and Katie Raven are identical twins, but personality-wise, they couldn’t be more different. Molly’s anxiety over keeping safe reach pathological levels, whilst Katie is out-going and adventurous and currently studying at Columbia in New York.
Without going into too much detail to avoid spoilers, First Born is an intensely twisty tale. Full of mis-direction and shocking reveals.
The plot was really well thought out but I did think the first major reveal peaked too early. And although Will Dean’s hyper-engaging writing style and the fact that he covers all possible loose ends ultimately makes this very readable, I did have several ‘oh come on! Really?’ moments of incredulity.
It’s certainly not that Will Dean is trapped by the brilliance of the Tuva series - Last Thing to Burn was an outstanding book too, but unfortunately, for me, First Born was my least favourite of his books to date.
* Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

What an awesome read!! I loved every minute and the twists were jaw-dropping good! It starts off as a good mystery thriller with a sister trying to find out who killed her identical twin. There are a few suspects and she seems dead set on finding out what happened. So here I was merely reading along till about halfway and BAM!! Plot twist deluxe! The whole story turned on its head! My mouth was literally hanging open! I was reading till late at night because I had to finish the book to see how everything will play out just to be hit with a final plot twist!

Will Dean is a master storyteller that will never disappoint!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

I loved the idea of this book and I was totally immersed in it gif the first half but unfortunately, although the writing was as good as ever, I found the plot unravelling ridiculously unbelievable and in places predictable. The final plot twist just didn’t make any sense to me and ruined what had been a good premise for a novel, I live Will’s writing but this book didn’t live up to his high standards. However an enjoyable read and many thanks for the arc.

Yowzers! WHAT A NOVEL!! Will Dean may very well have written the perfect psychological thriller. First Born left me breathless and speechless; it's so addictive that I raced through it and to say I was shocked is an understatement.

When Molly's mum and dad go to New York to visit Molly's twin sister Katie, the last thing they expect is to lose a daughter. When Katie dies, Molly has to leave her comfort zone in London and fly to New York. Molly is such a strange, quirky character; she sees danger in everything and tries to minimise her risk by being prepared for any eventuality. I rather liked her oddness as it made her very unique.

Determined to find out why Katie died, Molly looks deeper into Katie's life in New York but in doing so she increases the risk of danger that she so desperately tries to avoid. What a dilemma! The bond between twins is such an intriguing subject and I really can't imagine how it feels to not only be almost part of the same person but to have that person taken from you. I really felt for Molly and her parents as they struggled to come to terms with their loss.

First Born is an exceptional novel; the twists and turns are mind-blowing and I actually clapped and said out loud: 'well played, Will Dean' when I finished reading. An easy 5 stars! I really can't recommend it highly enough - this is a book not to be missed.

I received an ARC from the publisher to read and review for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

Slow paced and way too descriptive

First Born tells the story of two twins Katie and Molly where one of them is dead and the other is set to find out the murderer. The blurb and the plot line was really intriguing and I went into this read with a lot of hopes. Sadly, this book didn’t work out for me and I had to DNF it.

The plot is way too descriptive for a thriller. I mean there is nothing thrilling or suspenseful happening for atleast 30-40% of the book. It’s just the characters daily life and even that didn’t connect with me. I found myself dragging and bored to hell thinking there might be some twist in the book but almost all my patience worn out and I couldn’t find it in myself to continue this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.

What can I say this is one of the best thrillers i read this year! Will dean does not shy away from his previous book. This is amazing as the last one! I have a full review on my channel here:https://youtu.be/zQvTkyNCLU4

Thank you to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and Will Dean for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Will Dean is a genius who has an incredible talent for continuously keeping you guessing. ‘First Born’ did not disappoint. It is a dark and gritty psychological thriller. I want to be cautious of spoiler but it will not disappoint. This author is one to watch.

I have a little confession to make- yes yet another one. Although I have all of Will’s books on my ever increasing ’to be read’ pile, I haven’t read one….until now. I read the synopsis for ‘First Born’ and it certainly sounded intriguing. When I was invited to take part in the blog tour for ‘First Born’, I knew that I wouldn’t get a better chance to introduce myself to Will’s work and give me the kick I needed to start trying to make a dent in the ‘to be read’ mountain. I am so glad that I did. I really enjoyed reading ‘First Born’ but more about that in a bit.
It didn’t take me long at all to get into ‘First Born’. In fact by the time I got to the bottom of the first couple of pages, I knew that this was going to be one of those books that I would find rather hard to put down for any length of time. I have to admit that I wasn’t really fond of any of the characters as I got the distinct impression that each character was wanting to keep something hidden. I read too much crime fiction because I suspect everybody and believe nobody. I picked the book up only intending to read a chapter or two to say that I had made a start but I became so wrapped up in the story and in the different characters that I was still sat there reading over half a dozen chapters later. I had my own suspicions as to what was going to happen and I had to keep reading to see if I was on the right track or if I had wandered down the wrong path entirely. The more of the book I read, the more I wanted to read and the quicker the pages seemed to turn. All too quickly I reached the end of ‘First Born’. I found ‘First Born’ to be a gripping, dramatic and tense read, which kept me guessing and which kept me on the edge of my seat.
‘First Born’ is very well written. The author certainly knows how to gab the reader’s attention and draw them into what proves to be a compelling story. For me, ‘First Born’ was a slow burn story which suits the tale that the author is trying to tell. As the story develops, the tension increases and the drama becomes that bit more intense. Reading ‘First Born’ was a bit like being on a rather scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way. I love the way in which the author makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story themselves and at the heart of the action. That’s how I felt at any rate.
In short, I really enjoyed reading ‘First Born’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Will’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.