BLOG TOUR: First Born - Will Dean

 

THE LAST THING A TWIN EXPECTS IS TO BE ALONE ...

Molly lives a quiet, contained life in London. Naturally risk averse, she gains comfort from security and structure. Every day the same.

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.

What did I think?

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.

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The Last Thing to Burn - Will Dean

 

He is her husband. She is his captive.

Her husband calls her Jane. That is not her name.

She lives in a small farm cottage, surrounded by vast, open fields. Everywhere she looks, there is space. But she is trapped. No one knows how she got to the UK: no one knows she is there. Visitors rarely come to the farm; if they do, she is never seen.

Her husband records her every movement during the day. If he doesn't like what he sees, she is punished.

For a long time, escape seemed impossible. But now, something has changed. She has a reason to live and a reason to fight. Now, she is watching him, and waiting ...

What did I think?

I've heard nothing but good things about Will Dean books, namely the Tuva Moodyson series, so when I saw that his new book was a standalone thriller I decided that the time was right to see what all the fuss was about.  The Last Thing to Burn is a hard-hitting book dealing with human trafficking so it's not easy to read at times but oh my word, it's absolutely brilliant.

Will Dean really manages to portray Thanh Dao's every emotion as we read about her being held captive by farmer Lenn.  I refuse to call her Jane as that isn't her name, which Thanh Dao keeps reminding us.  Thanh Dao holds on tightly to her identity through her meagre possessions that Lenn burns one by one in the Rayburn stove every time he perceives that she has stepped out of line.  Lenn watches Thanh Dao's every move through video cameras set up in the house so she really can't do anything without Lenn seeing.

Thanh Dao and her sister Kim-Ly were brought to the UK from Vietnam in a shipping container but their dreams of a better life were shattered when Thanh Dao was sold to Lenn.  Kim-Ly is working in a nail bar in Manchester to pay back the cost of their passage and Thanh Dao is warned that if she tries to escape, Kim-Ly will be sent back to Vietnam with the full debt to repay.  What a predicament to be in; Thanh Dao is desperate to be free of Lenn but her love for her sister is the only thing that keeps her going.

Thanh Dao has to clean, cook and lie back and think of Vietnam so it felt like I had stepped back into a different century; back to a time when a woman's place was in the kitchen.  Lenn is an absolutely odious man, treating Thanh Dao like a slave which of course is what she is.  Some of the things he does and says had my mouth gaping in shock and horror, he really is very selfish and doesn't have a caring bone in his body.  No wonder he had to buy a 'wife'.  There's certainly no fear of Thanh Dao suffering from Stockholm Syndrome!

As Thanh Dao's hatred for Lenn intensifies, and circumstances change, she becomes braver and starts planning her escape.  The tension is ramped up to fever pitch and I thought my heart was going to burst out of my chest; it felt like there was a string on a fret board being tightened and tightened until it reached breaking point.  Even my reading pace increased as if any extra seconds I could give Thanh Dao would help.  As I raced towards the conclusion, I was totally floored by another twist in the tale - to say I gasped out loud is an understatement.

The Last Thing to Burn is a heart-pounding thriller that is as taut as a bowstring.  Filled with tension and suspense, this is a dark and disturbing novel that is difficult to put down because Thanh Dao's story completely draws you in.  It's horrific and shocking but incredibly powerful, evoking so many emotions in me (especially negative emotions towards Lenn, admittedly).  Human trafficking is a difficult subject to read about but full marks to Will Dean for drawing attention to the plight of so many women who leave their home country in search of a better life, only to find themselves enslaved.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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