I finished this new LDS suspense novel last night and loved every minute of it. It’s not often that a book has so many twists and turns, I can’t stay ahead of it, but this one kept me guessing through the end.
Megan O’Connor’s father passed away six years ago, and her needy mother asked her to stay home from college and help get things organized. Her twin sister, Kristen, walked away and never looked back, leaving Megan to pick up all the pieces. As the years passed, their mother became more and more demanding and manipulative, wheedling Megan’s college savings out of her one crisis at a time. Megan is working two jobs to try and save enough to fulfill her collegiate dreams, but every time she sets aside a decent amount, her mother sucks her dry.
When her sister shows up for a visit, Megan is immediately on her guard. Kristen has kept herself scarce and Megan can’t imagine what she wants. But Kristen has a proposition. They have a rich aunt who is dying, and Kristen has been taking care of her for quite some time. The aunt has said she’s going to leave everything to Kristen as long as Kristen cares for her until her death, but Kristen is worn out. She wants Megan to pretend to be her and take her place for a little while so she can get some rest. But Megan will have to be very careful not to let it slip that she’s a twin and not Kristen – the aunt is suspicious of strangers, and it’s taken Kristen a long time to earn her trust. When the aunt dies and the money goes to Kristen, she’ll give Megan a cool half-million, and that will more than take care of college.
Megan is doubtful, but she’s wanted Kristen’s friendship for so long, and she can’t see the harm in it. Aunt Evelyn will get the care she needs, she wants to give the money to Kristen, and she’s just helping everyone get what they want, right? Leaving her whiny mother behind, she comes to Massachusetts and moves in with her aunt, who doesn’t seem to suspect that she’s not Kristen. The care is definitely hard, and she understands immediately why Kristen needs a break.
But things start happening that don’t make sense, and Megan realizes that she’s been brought into something much bigger than she ever dreamed. Kidnapping, extortion, murder – there’s more going on than simply caring for an elderly woman, and she nearly doesn’t make it out alive.
If you’re looking for a book with tight suspense, an intricate plot, and engaging characters, “Fool Me Twice” is the perfect choice.
(This book was published in 2008 by Covenant.)
Related Blogs:
Tristi’s Picks: Best Novels Read in 2006
Author Interview: Carole Thayne