J.S. Monroe has previously written two psychological thrillers before “The Other You” which I haven’t read but after thoroughly enjoying this latest gripping thriller, I will definitely be looking to read his earlier books.
“The Other You” focuses on the main protagonist Kate, a Police ‘super recogniser’ who after suffering brain trauma following a suspicious serious car accident, can barely recognise herself in a mirror. When she starts believing her new successful techpreneur boyfriend Rob isn’t who she thinks he is, she doesn’t know whether he has been replaced by his doppelgänger, which has always been Rob’s worst fear, or whether she’s suffering from a condition called Capgras Syndrome, where you truly believe a loved one has been replaced by an imposter. Using a doppelgänger as a theme for the story was very ingenious and has you really thinking about how alike these people can be to yourself.
I loved the storyline to the book, the wonderfully developed characters and the fantastically written plot. I’ve never heard of ‘super recognisers’ before and was intrigued to find they are actually used by the police to track criminals and I thought to use this as the basis for a main character, was very clever. The denouement was exceedingly tense and well thought out, with a twist that I didn’t see coming. I particularly liked how the author explained everything at the end, unlike so many books which leave you to put the pieces together yourself. Part police procedural, part psychological thriller, with many layers intertwined, I enjoyed reading the story told through alternating chapters of Kate, her ex boyfriend Jake and her old boss from the super recogniser unit, Silas.
Unique, gripping, addictive, at times chilling and wholly very entertaining, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this book and author. Featuring paranoia, deceit, distrust, identity, memory, emotions and relationships, there’s just so much to keep you turning the pages and I’d be very surprised if you didn’t find this as enjoyable as I did. I’d love to read more from DI Silas Hart and his DC, Strover, I think they’d make a great series and I could easily see this book being made into an excellent movie.
5 wonderfully entertaining stars.
“The Other You” focuses on the main protagonist Kate, a Police ‘super recogniser’ who after suffering brain trauma following a suspicious serious car accident, can barely recognise herself in a mirror. When she starts believing her new successful techpreneur boyfriend Rob isn’t who she thinks he is, she doesn’t know whether he has been replaced by his doppelgänger, which has always been Rob’s worst fear, or whether she’s suffering from a condition called Capgras Syndrome, where you truly believe a loved one has been replaced by an imposter. Using a doppelgänger as a theme for the story was very ingenious and has you really thinking about how alike these people can be to yourself.
I loved the storyline to the book, the wonderfully developed characters and the fantastically written plot. I’ve never heard of ‘super recognisers’ before and was intrigued to find they are actually used by the police to track criminals and I thought to use this as the basis for a main character, was very clever. The denouement was exceedingly tense and well thought out, with a twist that I didn’t see coming. I particularly liked how the author explained everything at the end, unlike so many books which leave you to put the pieces together yourself. Part police procedural, part psychological thriller, with many layers intertwined, I enjoyed reading the story told through alternating chapters of Kate, her ex boyfriend Jake and her old boss from the super recogniser unit, Silas.
Unique, gripping, addictive, at times chilling and wholly very entertaining, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this book and author. Featuring paranoia, deceit, distrust, identity, memory, emotions and relationships, there’s just so much to keep you turning the pages and I’d be very surprised if you didn’t find this as enjoyable as I did. I’d love to read more from DI Silas Hart and his DC, Strover, I think they’d make a great series and I could easily see this book being made into an excellent movie.
5 wonderfully entertaining stars.