The Twin's Daughter [Kindle Edition]

Lauren Baratz-Logsted (Author)

Book Description

Lucy Sexton is stunned when her mother’s identical twin sister shows up at the family’s front door one day. Separated at birth, the two women have had dramatically different upbringings, and Lucy’s mother, Aliese, will do anything to make it up to Helen-including taking Helen into their home and turning her into a lady that all of society will admire. Aunt Helen’s transformation is remarkable. But is it just Lucy’s imagination, or does Helen seem to enjoy being mistaken for Lucy’s mother? Then, on New Year’s Day, Lucy is horrified to find her aunt and mother tied to chairs in the parlor. One of them has been brutally murdered-but which twin has died? Surely her daughter will know...

Filled with shocking twists and turns, The Twin’s Daughter is an engrossing gothic novel of betrayals and secrets that will keep readers guessing until the end.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up–Lucy Sexton lives a charmed, but relatively boring, life in Victorian London. Her writer father provides her with books to read and money to spend while her mother, a true lady, dotes on her only daughter with love and affection. Then a knock comes at the door that changes her life forever. Standing on the other side is a woman who is the spitting image of her mother. Helen Smythe is her name, and she is the long-lost twin of Lucy's mother, Aliese. After being separated at birth, the sisters grew up in totally different situations. Aliese was raised by a family with wealth and promise while Helen lived in an orphanage and was forced to work. After the initial shock wears off, Aliese welcomes Helen into her family. After months of coaching, training, eating, and tailoring, Helen truly becomes Aliese's double. All seems well until one cold winter day when Lucy comes home to find Helen and her mother in a bloody room–one dead and one alive. Lucy is sure it is her mother who has been spared, but as years pass, her certainty wanes. This suspense-filled story starts out as a basic mystery but quickly turns into a fast-paced thriller filled with murder and intrigue. Readers will also enjoy a love story as Lucy falls for Kit, her new neighbor. This riveting story will keep readers guessing until the very end.–Traci Glass, Eugene Public Library, OR. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

Thirteen-year-old Lucy Sexton is the beloved only child of a wealthy London family circa WWI. When her mother’s identical twin sister appears on their doorstep, the family is shocked but immediately accepts Aunt Helen as one of their own. Separated at birth from her more fortunate sister, Helen blossoms as she receives new clothes, tutelage, and etiquette lessons until it’s hard to tell her apart from Lucy’s mother. Tragedy strikes when Lucy comes home one day to find her mother and aunt tied to chairs and covered in blood, one dead and the other traumatized. Who’s behind the killing, and who is the survivor? Baratz-Logsted’s gothic murder mystery is rife with twists and moves swiftly and elegantly. Lucy is a spunky young woman who frequently challenges societal expectations yet remains in character as a member of upper-class English society. Despite a predictable romance with the boy next door, the many surprises that comprise the ending will intrigue and delight readers, as will the satisfying epilogue, which follows Lucy into adulthood as she raises her own daughter. Grades 7-11. --Debbie Carton

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 594 KB
• Print Length: 396 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1599905132
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens (August 31, 2010)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B003Y3BBA8
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #46,493 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Menacing and mesmerizing October 16, 2010

By small review

Format:Hardcover

This deliciously gothic tale opens in the early 1900s when narrator Lucy Sexton is thirteen years old. After answering the doorbell, Lucy is shocked to see her beloved mother Aliese standing before her gaunt and in rags. Only the woman isn't Lucy's mother. The woman quickly reveals herself to be Aliese's twin sister Helen, separated at birth on the recommendation of a psychic and sent to live in poverty while Aliese was raised with luxury. Claiming no resentments on either side, Helen is welcomed into the family and quickly given a wardrobe, lessons, and all of the accoutrements of a lady. Lucy is overjoyed by her aunt's presence, finally feeling like she has a friend and sister. However, nothing is as it seems, and as the differences between Aliese and Helen are smoothed away leading to confusion as to which twin is which, secrets, jealousy, and resentments simmer beneath the façade of civility.

This book is perfect for those days when you want to curl up in a comfortable chair with a warm drink while the weather rages outside. Perfectly atmospheric, The Twin's Daughter wraps you up in layer upon layer of mystery as it steadily builds to a shocking climax--only the story doesn't end there. Baratz-Logsted treats us to not one, not two, but three jaw-dropping climaxes with each revelation providing more clues that both answer questions and send the reader down garden paths. At one point I was absolutely convinced I had it all figured out (I was even slightly annoyed with the main character for not having realized the answer sooner) only to discover that I was completely wrong! You're kept guessing up until the very end, but even if a reader were more accurate in their conclusion than I was, the story is still entirely absorbing....

Lucy is an excellent narrator whose voice is both appealing and evocative. Her manner of speech and observations all help build the setting, effectively transporting the reader into Lucy's world. Her innocence and naďve descriptions of things she does not understand juxtaposed with the sinister occurrences and dark foreshadowing we the reader accurately recognize is especially effective in building tension and fear for Lucy.

Though Lucy's story begins when she is only thirteen and ends when she is in her late teens, her role and narration style help The Twin's Daughter transcend the YA genre. Lucy's recounting of the mysteries surrounding the adults in her life leaves her in the position of almost an omniscient narrator, and though the main character is a young adult, the story is primarily about the adults she observes. Adults who shun this book on the grounds that it is a YA title are doing themselves a disservice.

That isn't to say the book is entirely observational. Lucy endearingly relates her changing feelings for her neighbor, a wry boy named Kit who first teases her and later falls in love with her. Kit and Lucy's relationship is tender and perfectly paced (a stark contrast to the love at first sight romances that seem to make up a large bulk of YA lately). Baratz-Logsted sensitively recounts Lucy's development from a young girl to a woman, realistically portraying her thoughts and feelings to the events she experiences and their effect on her personality.

Fans of gothic novels like Diane Setterfield's The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel, John Harwood's The Seance, and Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights(all books I adore) will delight in The Twin's Daughter. The Twin's Daughter is a perfect example of classic storytelling. Highly recommended. Read more ›

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Gothic Mystery! August 30, 2011

By The Allure of Books

Format:Hardcover

You guys, when the summary says that this book will keep you guessing to the very end - it ain't kidding. This plot will have you so twisted up into knots that you will be devouring it to get to the end. It is really rare to find a mystery where you aren't mostly certain what the outcome will be, and The Twin's Daughter is the answer to that problem.

When I was a kid, I read Victoria Holt novels obsessively. I loved them. They are gothic mystery/romance novels written back in the 1950s-60s. As I got into high school, they stopped feeding my gothic addiction. The fact that they have little to no character substance or development became a glaring problem that I couldn't ignore. This book reminds me of those books, because it is exactly what I wish a Victoria Holt novel could be.

Basically, I have nothing negative to say about the story. As I've already said, the plot is brilliant and one of the best written mysteries I've ever read. The fact that it is a stand-alone is another huge plus. It seems like everything is a series lately. And the characters? Yeah. They're amazing too. Lucy Sexton is the perfect heroine. She gets caught up in the mystery between her mother and newly discovered aunt - and we have to try puzzling things together along with her. All the things she considers and discovers are completely believable and perfect to fit the story.

Suspense, mystery, love, family dynamics and a rather large creep factor all come together in a perfect balance to make one fantastic story. I highly recommend picking this up.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Gothic Mystery January 29, 2011

By Galleysmith VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Alright, now, I'll start by saying that I totally admit that I was worried after I started this book. Because thus far I've liked all of this author's work but with this book it took me a full two-weeks to get through the first 100ish pages. For a reader like me (slow, slow, slow) that's bad news! If a book doesn't grab me right off and keep me moving along pretty quickly it's fair to say the probability of me liking it is pretty low. Thankfully, a trusted blogger friend reviewed the book that same week and though I didn't read her whole review for fear of being spoiled I did see her say it was a favorite of the year. That gave me the impetus to push through and boy am I glad I did.

Victorian era gothic-vibed murder mystery? Sign me up please!

Once I got to Part 2 of this book the background was done being set and the action began. What action it was too! Baratz-Logsted had built an intricate and compelling mystery through the pages of The Twins Daughter. Given the fact that the murdered party is one of the two twins you can imagine how many twists and turns there are leading the reader in both directions. I was pleased that in one chapter I thought Lucy had lost her Aunt Helen and then a chapter later I though that maybe it was her mother instead. It was literally the very bitter end when all of the answers were revealed and boy I just adored how the finer details told throughout the story ended up fusing back together to give the answer of not only who the murdered party was but also who did it.

Have I mentioned that the characters weren't half bad either?...

Lucy was the perfect combination of endearing, trusting, intelligent and inquisitive to be able to be both mislead by the perpetrator yet still spearhead the investigation into what truly happened that murderous night. As a character, she exemplifies what it means to be a powerful young woman who has the ability to show a level of grace under pressure. Having found herself smack dab in the center of the most extreme of circumstances she could have collapsed into herself or allowed a man to take charge but instead she continued to follow her instincts until she found satisfaction.

Baratz-Logsted also did a fantastic job taking what was a very dark story and infusing bits of light. The addition of Kit as the boy next door/partner in crime was a stroke of genius. The push and pull of their friendship turned romance gave Lucy both an excellent source of distraction but also much needed support. As her confidant Kit was able to be the sounding-board for ideas as well as the inspiration for resolution. The romance itself was well written, it was chaste enough for the time period but contained enough passion to express their feelings for each other.

Skillfully plotted and wonderfully written The twin's Daughter is an excellent read that spans across age and gender boundaries. It's filled with the perfect amount of intrigue and action to enthrall mystery fans while still latching on to the romance crowd as well.

So, what else can I tell you about this book? Not a whole lot, I don't want to ruin the fun of the mysterious experience. All I can do is encourage you to enjoy it for yourself. Read more ›

More About the Author

I was an independent bookseller and buyer for 11 years before deciding to take a chance on myself as a novelist. While trying to sell my books, I worked variously as a Publishers Weekly reviewer, a freelance editor, a sort-of librarian, and a window washer. My first novel, The Thin Pink Line, about a woman who fakes an entire pregnancy, was published by Red Dress Ink in 2003 as their own first-ever hardcover. It was published in 11 countries and was the first book from any Harlequin imprint ever to receive a starred Kirkus review. I've since had over 20 books published for adults (Vertigo), teens (The Twin's Daughter) and children (The Sisters 8 series, created with my husband and daughter). Recently, I've published a few ebooks as well, including a comedic romance for adults, The Bro-Magnet. I live in Danbury, CT, with my wonderful husband Greg and my equally wonderful daughter Jackie.