Her identical twin Katie is her exact opposite: gregarious and spontaneous. They used to be inseparable, until Katie moved to New York a year ago. Molly still speaks to her daily without fail.
But when Molly learns that Katie has died suddenly in New York, she is thrown into unfamiliar territory. Katie is part of her DNA. As terrifying as it is, she must go there and find out what happened. As she tracks her twin’s last movements, cracks begin to emerge. Nothing is what it seems. And a web of deceit is closing around her.
Delivering the same intensity of pace and storytelling that made THE LAST THING TO BURN a word-of-mouth sensation, FIRST BORN will surprise, shock and enthral.
I'm thrilled to be hosting the blog tour for First Born today. Huge thanks to Will Dean and Jenny Platt from Hodder Books for inviting me and for my advance copy of the novel.
First Born is the second standalone thriller from Will Dean, following last year's outstanding The Last Thing To Burn. That novel was set in the wide, open fenlands and while the urban New York City setting this time is completely different, the book still has the immaculate sense of place that I've come to expect from Will's books. Whether it's the flat landscape of the East Midlands, the chilling intensity of the Swedish forest in his Tuva Moodyson series or one of the most recognisable cities in the world, this is an author who is always consummately able to bring his locations to life.
The first chapter of First Born opens with Molly and it's immediately obvious that she is obsessively concerned with all aspects of staying safe and protecting herself from any potential risks; no matter how improbable they may seem, Molly will know the statistical likelihood and prepare herself accordingly. She describes herself as half a person, the other half being her twin sister, Katie. So when her parents ring with the devastating news that Katie has been found dead in a suspected homicide in NYC, it's understandable that she feels she has lost more than a sister – she's lost a part of herself.
I found these early scenes deeply emotional; having experienced the unexpected death of my brother, albeit not through murder, I thought Will Dean perfectly depicts the grief of losing a sibling. When you receive a call that rips your world from its axis, there's a seismic shift where you lose not only the person themselves, you also lose a part of your own identity and the future that you'd always expected to share. Realising you'll never celebrate milestone birthdays, never become an aunt to their children and never grow old together is indescribably hard and when that's expressed through Molly's fascinating first-person narrative, it's piercingly accurate. Of course, as Molly often observes, losing an identical twin is different again because not only is this the person who shared the same DNA code with her, she's also reminded of Katie (or KT as she called her) every single time she looks in the mirror.
So these scenes are heartbreaking but the complex storyline developed in ways I didn't expect at all. It's impossible to say much about the plot without giving away spoilers but after Molly leaves her ordered life in London to be with her parents in New York, her desire for revenge and determination to research her list of possible suspects becomes all-consuming. The doubts cast about Katie's relationships – were they stiflingly close, was she coerced, was there a suggestion of violence, was she cheated on or stalked? – meant my suspicions constantly shifted between characters until the shocking truth was finally revealed.
There are many layers to First Born beyond the mystery of Katie's death; the falseness of social media, incels and the dark web, abuses of power and sex, all adding further intrigue to the story. I don't know New York City beyond what I've seen on television and in films but Will Dean vividly captures the essence of the city that never sleeps. It's exciting and dangerous, welcoming yet anonymous and I particularly loved the inclusion of Jimmy, an immigrant from Afghanistan who acknowledges he is a US citizen who considers himself lucky to be alive but realises if he leaves the country, he may not be let back in, and how that contrasts with Molly's own experience and expectations.
If Will Dean ever decides to write an espionage thriller, I have no doubt that it will be exceptional as there are parts of First Born which reminded me of their intricate, edgily tense plots. Twisty, exhilarating and unsettling, First Born is a superbly compelling novel and a hugely entertaining read. I thoroughly recommend it.
First Born is published in the UK by Hodder Books, purchasing links can be found here but please support independent bookshops whenever possible.
Don't miss the rest of the blog tour, details are below.
About the Author
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| Credit: Rosalind Hobley |
DARK PINES, the first in the Tuva Moodyson series, was published to huge critical acclaim in 2018, was shortlisted for Not the Booker prize, selected for Zoe Ball’s TV Book Club and named as a Daily Telegraph Book of the Year.
His second standalone novel, FIRST BORN, will be published by Hodder in April 2022.
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