The Twin's Daughter by Lauren Baratz-Logsted; Bloomsbury, 2010.
"Does not a child recognize her own mother?" This is what Lucy Sexton thinks when she finds a woman who looks exactly like her mother on her family's doorstep. It turns out that Aliese Sexton has an identical twin, separated at birth, and none of her family members, including her, knew! The Sexton family takes in unpolished Helen Smythe and grooms her into a fashionable, cultured woman and then formally presents her to society. Unfortunately, death begins to enter into the picture after the celebration. An intruder enters the house, ties up both sisters, and then brutally murders one of them. Lucy thinks that her beloved Aunt Helen has been killed, but then begins to have doubts. Could it be that her mother was murdered and her aunt is trying to take her mother's place? Even when Aunt Helen was alive, Lucy often got her mother and sister confused! Shouldn't a child know her own mother????
This was a gripping tale, from beginning to end! The attention to detail of fashions of this time period was exquisite. The history was very well-researched, and the customs and manners were woven into the plot. I especially appreciated the way that a secret tunnel and the way it connected two houses was implemented into the storyline. There were so many twists and turns, betrayals, and jealsousies brought out that I was kept guessing until the end of the book!
This is a thriller, and a real page-turner! I highly recommend this book for high school and public libraries. According to barnesandnoble.com, it will be available on August 31, 2010!
