Puzzling and haunting family drama, with a needle-sharp sting that will pierce your heart!

I was a really big fan Matthews debut novel, The Prank, last year and had really high expectations for The Twins. Matthews does not disappoint and The Twins demonstrates what a gifted writer she is. In many ways, this is a more accomplished book than The Prank (which is very hard, as that is such an engrossing and satisfying thriller!), with a complex yet exhilarating plot and exceptionally developed characters. Not only does Matthews deliver a tense and twisted narrative, she writes some incredibly beautiful prose that is woven seamlessly into the dark tale between these pages.

There’s something very Hitchcockian about The Twins, with the core characters skirting around obsession, madness and deception. I can fully see how the master of cinematic thrills could have adapted this novel and brought it to the screen (and I hope that someone does do this, even though Hitchcock himself can’t). This novel is very much about its central characters and I was immediately drawn in to both Margo and Cora’s lives. Unlike a lot of twins, these two are like chalk and cheese and I was absolutely fascinated by the contrasting lives and personalities of both sisters. As Margo delves deeper into past traumas and Cora’s role in Margo’s life begins to become clearer and clearer, I can honestly say that neither sister was who I initially thought they would be. The format of the book really helped with this too and I really enjoyed the chapters alternating between the two distinct voices of Margo and Cora. Matthews is a master herself at leading readers down a certain path, only to unceremoniously rip the rug out from under and completely flip the story on its head. It makes The Twins an exciting and pacy, character driven read that is nigh on impossible to put down.

Without revealing too much of the perfectly plotted story, this book deals with some incredibly difficult and affecting issues too. Matthews does this with sensitivity, whilst also packing a massive, powerhouse of a sucker punch ending that I didn’t see coming until exactly when she wanted me to. It’s an incredibly satisfying conclusion that neatly brings all of the different elements of the story together and immediately made me think, “Of course!” and berate myself for not picking up on all of the clues that are so expertly dropped like Hansel & Gretel’s proverbial breadcrumbs through the course of the narrative. As the final revelations come to the forefront, I found this a heart-wrenching and powerful story in a way that I wasn’t expecting. I will be thinking about it for a long time and highly recommend it to those who enjoy a solid thriller with a deeper, thought-provoking meaning.