“Tense and compelling” — Daily Mail review of Dead Ringer
Christena Appleyard of the Daily Mail gives her review of Dead Ringer.
The idea of this book might sound a bit far fetched — two girls find their doppelgängers via a new facial recognition app and decide to swap lives.
Nicola Martin spins this slightly dodgy idea into a tense and compelling story that courageously embraces contemporary themes ranging from new tech consumption to mental health.
Ella is the girl who comes from a deprived Northern background and Jem is the London party girl who seems to have it all. But both have very big problems.
The book tracks the dark twists and turns as their innocent idea to swap lives in order to solve problems plays out as a treacherous and disturbing nightmare.
Being partly set in the little-known and very isolated landscape of Walney Island in Cumbria is one surprising aspect of the book’s appeal. But it’s Martin’s nimble skill at creating such relatable characters that makes this book so easy to read. Her talent for imagining dramatic scenes between two women will delight fans of Killing Eve.
