THE BOOK OF LIES

When identical twins tell each other lies, the result could be deadly.

Piper has led a posh life in Winchester, England, with loving parents, popularity in school, and boyfriend Zak (the only character of color) at her beck and call. Her identical twin, Quinn, was raised by their eccentric, fortuneteller grandmother in remote Dartmoor, never attended school, and only saw their mother, Isobel, sparingly. Because Isobel kept them separated, the 17-year-olds first meet at her funeral. Quinn wants to know all about the father she never had; Piper wants to know Quinn’s mysterious background. The twins’ mutual curiosity and suspicion instantly set a mood of intrigue in this thriller, which alternates their perspectives in short, first-person chapters. Reluctantly agreeing to work together to piece together their pasts, Piper and Quinn discover a bond forged through shared dreams of darkness, an inheritance, and a family curse. Readers must constantly guess who is manipulating whom as secrets and lies mount in an effort to claim the inheritance—by any means necessary. Murky bogs, stormy moors, haunted woods, and supernatural beings add to the intensity and sinister atmosphere.

With elements of gothic literature (and a few references to Wuthering Heights), this story could serve as a bridge to gothic classics. Thriller readers may simply enjoy the creepy mystery.