Erica Spindler | THE LOOK-ALIKE

Plot (via Goodreads):

Sienna Scott grew up in the dark shadow of her mother’s paranoid delusions. Now, she's returned home to confront her past and the unsolved murder that altered the course of her life.

In her mother’s shuttered house, an old fear that has haunted Sienna for years rears its ugly head —that it was she who had been the killer’s target that night. And now, with it, a new fear—that the killer not only intended to remedy his past mistake—he’s already begun. But are these fears any different from the ones that torment her mother?

As the walls close in, the line between truth and lie, reality and delusion disintegrate. Has Sienna’s worst nightmare come true? Or will she unmask a killer and finally prove she may be her mother’s look-alike, but she’s not her clone? 

Review:

This is one really fun and creepy read! I loved The Look-Alike by Erica Spindler! The opening to this one was like a wintery horror movie that made me double check my locks and be thankful I was indoors...after this one, I wasn't ready to go outside for at least 12 hours. The case in this one and the resurgence of all of these key players in a decade old murder was so entertaining and fun to read, yet well-paced. I loved how this one danced with a psychological thriller aspect and had this small-town creep factor that is the perfect read around the holidays and in the winter months.

I loved reading about Sienna Scott. There were times where she was a little over-the-top with her reactions and character overall, but I just think that's who she was as a character and it made it so entertaining. All of the characters in this one served such great purpose and kept me really invested in this story. For a novel that I never saw coming, this was such a delightful surprise and Spindler's writing is just as effective and sensational in her storytelling as other authors I've read. The way this story progressed was downright addictive and jaw-dropping in its suspense. Spoiler free, but the ending to this one takes place during a blizzard and I felt the way that Spindler had the weather almost play a character of its own in this small town was really effective in an atmospheric way and definitely flirted with my imagination. There's something about Spindler's writing between the flow of her story, her characters, and her ability to apply setting to her story that just really blends together fantastically and made this a really memorable and enjoyable reading experience.

If you're looking for something that isn't too violent or over-the-top, that is entertaining and wild with great characters and a cold-case murder story-line, don't look any further - The Look-Alike is the novel that you've been waiting for. This is the perfect read to cozy up under your favorite blanket and read late into the night, but make sure you are settled in first because it's impossible to put down once you start. I don't know what Erica Spindler is going to do next, but I have a feeling I'll be enjoying her back-list until I get my hands on whatever is upcoming.

Special thanks to St. Martins Press for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 5/5