Identical twins only look the same…
Beautiful twin sisters Iris and Summer are startlingly alike, but beyond what the eye can see lies a darkness that sets them apart. Cynical and insecure, Iris has long been envious of open-hearted Summer’s seemingly never-ending good fortune, including her perfect husband, Adam
Called to Thailand to help sail the family yacht to the Seychelles, Iris nurtures her own secret hopes for what might happen on the journey. But when she unexpectedly finds herself alone in the middle of the Indian Ocean, everything changes.
Now is her chance to take what she’s always wanted – the idyllic life she’s always coveted. But just how far will she go to get the life she’s dreamed about? And how will she make sure no one discovers the truth?
Written with the chilling suspense of The Girl on the Train and Before I Go to Sleep, The Girl in the Mirror is an addictive thriller about greed, lust, secrets and deadly lies.
Read our Preview reviewer thoughts here:
Straight from the back cover “addictive thriller about greed, lust, secrets and deadly lies”. I read it in one sitting, I gasped, I actually said “oh no” and “oh my god”. It is really, really well written, lots of suspense and enough twists and turns to make you flip back a few pages as you’ll question what you know so far! The ending I did not see coming and I plan to read it again at a much more leisurely pace, and I will be thinking to myself, I think I know what’s going to happen! I absolutely loved it and I’ll be really surprised if it’s not a best seller! – Penny, NSW, 5 Stars
That is one twisted sister… or sisters twisted? Hard to say a lot about this tale without giving it away – but even though I thought I knew where it was going, I never really did. Loved this book – such a page turner. Enjoyed the shift of story setting between Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and Seychelles. Will definitely be looking to read more books from Rose Carlyle. – Kylie, NSW, 5 Stars
This book gripped me from the get-go. An absolute page turner that kept me reading late into the night. Twin sisters Iris and Summer are physically very much alike, but that is their only similarity. Envious of her sister’s endless good fortune, when Iris is called to Thailand to help sail their yacht to the Seychelles she seizes the opportunity. An incident out at sea changes everything for Iris and she realises that she may finally get what she has always wanted. I thoroughly enjoyed ‘being’ with the two sisters as they were sailing their yacht Bathsheba across the ocean from Thailand to the Seychelles. I felt like I was right there with them all the way, the detail was so specific and beautifully detailed. I felt for Iris always thinking she was second best and not quite good enough when patience and loyalty are what truly matter. This book is a true thriller with an ending the reader just does not see coming. I highly recommend this book. it is the perfect read on a cold winters night curled up by the fire. – Carolyn, WA, 5 Stars
This clever and addictive suspense novel reminds me of ‘The Bold and the beautiful meets The girl on the train’! From the moment I read the first page I knew I wouldn’t want to put it down. For anyone who loved Christian White’s The wife and the widow or Fiona Lowes No ordinary family it is a must read! Set in a few different locations – Australia, Thailand and Seychelles, Carlyle transports you to these places in detail and next thing you know you are on a yacht at sea! Twin sisters. Rivalry, jealousy, deceit and one big competition. Iris seeking a sense of belonging and acceptance, Summer who simply has ‘The perfect life’, perfect body, perfect husband or so it seems.. Carlyle at times goes back in time when the twins were young and you learn a big family secret.. Just when you think you have learnt all the truths. You haven’t! I had to re-read the end to make sure what I was reading, was what was truly happening! – Samantha, QLD, 5 Stars
Thank you Better Reading for my ARC of this book. A number of books claim to be psychological thrillers but fall short of the mark, but this is the real deal. A tight plot, duplicitous characters, and just the right number of twists and turns to keep you guessing. A great read. – Pamela, QLD, 5 Stars
The Girl In the mirror is a knockout debut by Rose Carlyle. A psychological thriller filled with family drama, money, greed and envy is sure to satisfy your craving for suspense. I found it started off slow, but even still I couldn’t put it down, I was drawn in by lure of something big brewing, and I wasn’t disappointed. So many twists and turns, did she or didn’t she? and an end you will never see coming! – Renee, NSW, 5 Stars
This book grabbed me from the first page and kept me guessing until the last. I could not put it down and didn’t want it to end. Carlyle has created characters that we could all secretly relate to whether we want to admit it or not, the lust, greed and jealousy are all worthy of a TV soap opera. This book should definitely be made into a movie or tv series. An amazing read that you think you have worked out but are then thrown into a spin again. i cannot wait to see what Rose Carlyle comes up with next. – Mel, NSW, 5 Stars
The Girl in the Mirror was a suspenseful roller coaster ride across the Indian Ocean between Thailand, the Seychelles to Australia. It is a story of how money can destroy relationships and the close bond of family – not only that but it can also erode the perceived “unbreakable” connection that twins hold. The story had me hooked within the first chapter. Carlyle was able to describe the raw emotions felt between twin sisters Iris and Summer, and the unbearable decision about telling the truth or living a lie. Each way, there will inevitably be heartbreak and so many lives will be shattered – whether it be due to innocence or just plain greed. The plot was tight, and the mastery of words had me feeling like I was right there with Iris and the crazy storm of life she was navigating through. There was a hugely unexpected twist at the end that still has me thinking, days after finishing the novel. Highly recommended! – Margo, QLD, 5 Stars
I found reading this book quite disturbing at times but totally absorbing. The story twists and turns revealing Iris’s low self esteem when comparing herself to her twin, Summer. I found it sad that Iris struggled through life wanting everything else than what she had. Once again money rears its ugly head pitting family members against one another. Right to the very last sentence, this story will keep you guessing and astounded by human nature to win at any cost. Once finished, this book was still fresh in my mind how people can be wolves in sheeps clothing and being family meant nothing. Thoroughly enjoyed this book. – Shelley, NSW, 5 Stars
Rose Carlyle’s debut novel, The Girl in the Mirror, is an absorbing and enthralling thriller which follows the lives of identical twins, Iris and Summer, and their crazy, twisted pursuit of a one hundred-million-dollar inheritance. Drawing upon Carlyle’s own yachting expeditions, the story centres around Summer and Iris’s journey sailing the family yacht from Thailand to Seychelles and what happens when only Iris makes it to land. Iris has long been envious of Summer, including her perfect husband, Adam, but when she allows herself to be swept up by Adam (who assumes that she is Summer) Iris finds that the idyllic life she has always envied is not as it seems. A fast-paced and immensely entertaining story of family secrets, greed, lust and jealously – impossible to put down and with an ending that I certainly did not see coming. Highly recommended. Thank you to Better Reading and Allen & Unwin for this advanced copy. – Kate, VIC, 4 Stars
I was given the opportunity by Better Reading to review The Girl in the Mirror by Rose Carlyle. Iris and Summer are identical twins. Iris gets a call to help her sister who is on a magnificent sailing boat. The story then moves very quickly with lots of twists and turns. There are lots of underlying subplots which make this a very interesting story. This book is not of the normal genre I would read , but I quite enjoyed it. The ending is very unexpected- at least for me! Am sure if you love a thriller you will love this! – Stacey, NSW, 4 Stars
Rose Carlyle sets this up as an intriguing read right from the very first page and this book soon had me turning pages at a frantic pace! It has everything you would want from a good thriller. The twist and turns throughout the book kept me guessing and never quite getting it right! At many points there was a hint of what was to come but the ending was still a shock. I highly recommend to anyone who is a fan of the genre, as it will not disappoint. – Lee, VIC, 4 Stars
The Girl in the Mirror is a chilling, suspenseful novel about ‘mirror twins’ Iris and Summer – twins who are identical except that some physical features and organs are switched, so that when facing one another they appear to be a mirror image. Beyond these physical differences, however, lies a much more sinister and fundamental division between the sisters: while Summer has achieved success in every area of her life and is universally beloved, Iris has lost everything. The question is: how far will Iris go to even the score? I really enjoyed reading The Girl in the Mirror – it is a compelling, creepy, suspenseful, and impossible to put down. Just when I thought I had it all worked out, the story moved in an unexpected direction that completely took me by surprise. I loved it! – Amanda, QLD, 4 Stars
All isn’t as it seems… This book really plays with your head so get ready! The way things are flipped (like the “Mirror” twins) is so cleverly written, I just had to keep reading… If you want a book to keep you on edge, which you can’t put down till you’ve reached the end, this is it! Summer seems sugary sweet but I was all for Iris. If you want to know why, strap in and “enter at own risk”… – Ayesha, NSW, 4 Stars
In The Girl in the Mirror we meet Summer and Iris, ‘mirror twins’ with an unbreakable bond. People can’t tell them apart. However, Iris’ life has not been as as smooth as her twin sister Summer’s charmed life. But now Summer needs her twin’s help to sail a yacht across the vast Indian Ocean. The twins are also pitched against each other and their siblings in a bitter contest to secure a multi-million dollar inheritance left by a cruel and manipulative parent. A psychological thriller that keeps you guessing until the end as the secrets, intrigue and sibling rivalry spirals out of control. Written with suspense of ‘The Strangers We Know’ and ‘The Last Mrs Parrish’, Rose Carlyle’s spectacular debut kept me hooked to the very last page. – Terese, TAS, 4 Stars
The Girl In The Mirror was a great read. The story line was daring and had twists and turns that kept me guessing and wanting to find out more. The Girl in the Mirror is the story of the relationship between identical twins (well almost) “Summer” and “Iris”, and the events that play out as the plot is revealed. It is a tale of greed, love, lust and evil that has a shock ending that I didn’t see coming! I would recommend this book to anyone who is after an entertaining read with a mix of suspense, sex and intrigue thrown in. I really hope there is a sequel as the ending left me hanging and hoping that surely good will triumph over evil in the end! – Marg, VIC, 4 Stars
The Girl in the Mirror is an insight into sibling (twin) rivalry with a large measure of intrigue that leads the reader through plot twists to the very last page. An engaging read about being cautious of wishing for what others have! – Kerri, NSW, 4 Stars
Iris and Summer are mirror twins. The symmetries reproduced in each other’s faces become one face in front of a mirror. The same, but different. When their father dies, his will states that only the first child to marry and produce an heir will inherit his fortune. The “inheritance clause” permeates each page and sullies Iris’s ability to move on with life. The book begins slowly, setting up the characters in minute detail that gradually unfurls dropping details throughout the novel. The rarity of mirror twins presents a unique approach to this psychological thriller. Iris and Summer seem interchangeable. Together, their differences are visibly amplified. Their characterisation is nimbly applied throughout the novel and the melding of voices entangles the reader in the proceedings. The crisp, clean, first-person voice enables Iris and Summer to seep into the reader’s consciousness we are swept into their rivalry. The book progresses with hairpin bends, menacingly twisting and turning with the change in chapters. Absorbing to the end. Impressive debut. Thank you to Allen & Unwin and Better Reading for the advanced copy of this novel. – Cynthia, NSW, 4 Stars
This book was a little slow to start with and I wasn’t sure I was going to like it as it involves a race to claim the family inheritance. However it really picked up pace when twin sisters get together whilst sailing across the Indian Ocean. I couldn’t put the book down and there were so many twists and turn and I had to read the final chapter a few times to comprehend what had happened. A great read well done Carlyle!! – Alicia, TAS, 4 Stars
Summer and Iris are identical twins. No one can tell them apart except for the scar on Summer’s thigh but Summer is different from Iris. Her beauty runs deep and Iris has always been jealous. Summer has it all – beauty outside as well as in and a perfect husband to match. One day Iris is called to Thailand to help her sister out to sail their father’s boat and learns that her twin is pregnant – something which Iris has been longing for as their father had a will set up claiming to provide whoever gives birth to the first Carmichael heir with a hundred million dollars. Unfortunately for Summer she gets knocked overboard while Iris is fast asleep. When Iris finds her sister is missing, she searches and searches but she is nowhere to be found. Their father’s hundred million dollar promise drives Iris to do the unthinkable and take her sister’s place… Such a good read – I couldn’t put it down. I was a bit disappointed at the ending but other than that, I loved it! – Francis, NSW, 4 Stars
I found the plot of the The Girl in the Mirror to be quite confusing and reflecting on the story, I’m still not 100% sure of which character was which. The story itself moved along at a fast pace and was engaging however I found I lost track of what was actually happening in more than one occasion. Using mirror image twins as a twist was definitely imaginative and interesting, but also confusing. – Jodie, WA, 3 Stars
The Girl In The Mirror is a Dynasty-esque thriller full of the Gorgeous and the Rich, doing as G&R folk do – plotting and scheming in exotic surrounds in designer clothing (mainly swimwear) on yachts. Iris is the unexpected 2nd twin, identical in all ways to Summer except she is mirror reversed internally. Summer is also the ‘perfect’ twin, sugar sweet, dedicated paediatric nurse, loving wife, and doting stepmother, adored by all. Much as Iris loves her sister, envy, and the sense of being second best is taking her to a dark place… Now throw in a winner takes all inheritance race between the sisters and the children from their father’s second marriage, a tragic sailing accident and Iris has the chance to finally have it all. Twists and turns abound, is anyone truly who they seem to be? An enjoyable holiday read for fans of mystery thrillers, the twists are a little predictable but if you’re after something you can kick back with and enjoy the ride, I can recommend The Girl In The Mirror. Thanks to Better Reading for the opportunity to review this book. – Juanita, NSW, 3 Stars
An interesting concept, which I’ve always thought was a great start for a novel. Identical twins, able to be mixed up easily, and a good mystery involving mistaken identity and sibling rivalry. Although my attention was kept throughout the novel, I did find it slightly unbelievable and far fetched. A good twist at the end, and it certainly kept you guessing. – Ros, ACT, 3 Stars
I was looking forward to reading this book, however on the whole it was disappointing. The plot was mostly predictable, and although the final twist was unexpected it felt forced and I had to read it again to understand how it was possible. The characters were all unlikable and the relationships between the characters didn’t ring true – reading this book was like being in an episode of the Bold and the Beautiful. I found it especially unbelievable that no-one could tell the twin sisters apart – and this is what the whole plot is based on. The setting also felt very contrived – I’m from North Queensland, and have never been to this magical place on the edge of crocodile territory where you can somehow swim in the sea but not in the river for fear of being mauled. Overall, my dislike of the characters and issues with the setting got in the way of my enjoyment of the book. Everything about this felt American – which is a pity given how many great books are being set against an Australian backdrop. – Amber, VIC, 1 Star
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