Synopsis

Small-time criminal, Taylor Callahan, dreams of starting her life over. When she inadvertently causes the death of a teenage girl who looks just like her, she does the only thing she can do: she takes over the dead girl’s life.

Now, twenty-one-year-old Taylor must navigate the ins and outs of living with the MacKenzies, the safe and loving suburban family of the dead teen girl. By using her street-smarts, fast-thinking, and the help of her best friend and partner in crime, Ivan, she works to keep her true identity a secret while fighting the demons of her past. Just as Taylor thinks she has made a new life for herself with the MacKenzies, she learns that this wholesome family hides a twisted and deadly secret.

Dead Ringer is a dark coming-of-age story perfect for fans of FX’s Cruel Summer or lovers of psychological thrillers with surprising twists and turns.

Come for the brilliant premise; stay for the chilling reveals. DEAD RINGER is a dark, page-turning thriller that proves that even the happiest families have secrets worth burying. –Megan Collins, author of The Family Plot

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Review

This was an intriguing story that flipped back and forth in time surrounding Taylor’s life and how she ended up a part of the MacKenzie family. I found her life to be interesting and how she was able to adapt to the situation whether good or bad. Especially when she assumed the life of Jamie MacKenzie. I’m not sure I would want to go back to high school even if I was only a few years past that age, but for Taylor, it was a chance to make her life better.

While Taylor thinks that she has it made in the MacKenzie family, all is not as it seems. They have a dark secret that was quite surprising and the impact it had on Taylor and the younger MacKenzie daughter was night and day. In the end, it might have been her downfall but the epilogue leaves us wondering if things might have been turned around on this family. I know that is rather vague, but it would give away a main plot twist!

We also see chapters from Joan MacKenzie’s point of view. She is a mother and feels that something is wrong with her daughter Jamie and if she only knew the truth. Taylor has to keep on her toes to be able to imitate Jamie so that no one gets suspicious. Joan is a mother wanting to protect her family and that might be one reason that she goes into law enforcement. We also learn the truth about her sister’s death which I think tipped her over the edge and changed how she saw life.

We also see how Taylor’s life was after being kicked out of her home by her mother and how bad that life must have been especially when she visits the home again to see her brother. Her mother is one for the books and I could do nothing but shake my head and wonder why she was this way towards Taylor. I think there are a lot of reasons, including dealing with her own insecurities and failures.

Perhaps the unsung character is Ivan. He is the son of someone that Taylor gets involved with before the fateful incident. She catches Ivan trying to put skimmers in place and not very successfully. Her brash attitude allows her into this circle of crime but protecting Ivan against his father draws them closer. In the end, Ivan may be her salvation.

This is a psychological thriller and I really wonder where the rest of the story could have gone since there were so many possibilities.

We give this book 4 paws up.

About the Author

V.P. Morris is an award-winning horror and thriller writer. She is also the creator of the fictional podcast, The Dead Letters Podcast. Her interest in true crime and criminal psychology inspired her debut novel, ShadowCast. When she is not reading or writing, she is sending time with her husband, son, and a rescue dog in their Connecticut home.

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