Its my turn on the blog tour for this magical, fantastical land where you really do see double.
Detangling the plot:
Twelve years ago my life began again.
But it was a lie.
With the startling twists of Gone Girl and the haunting emotional power of Room, Mirrorland is the story of twin sisters, the man they both love, and the dark childhood they can’t leave behind.
Cat lives in Los Angeles, about as far away as she can get from her estranged twin sister El and No. 36 Westeryk Road, the imposing gothic house in Edinburgh where they grew up. As girls, they invented Mirrorland, a dark, imaginary place under the pantry stairs full of pirates, witches, and clowns. These days Cat rarely thinks about their childhood home, or the fact that El now lives there with her husband Ross.
But when El mysteriously disappears after going out on her sailboat, Cat is forced to return to the grand old house, which has scarcely changed in twenty years. No. 36 Westeryk Road is still full of shadowy, hidden corners, and at every turn Cat finds herself stumbling on long-held secrets and terrifying ghosts from the past. Because someone—El?—has left Cat clues all over the house: a treasure hunt that leads right back to Mirrorland, where she knows the truth lies crouched and waiting…
A sharply crafted mystery about love and betrayal, redemption and revenge, Mirrorland is a propulsive, page-turning debut about the power of imagination and the price of freedom. Perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn, Ruth Ware, and Daphne du Maurier.
Bobs and Books honest review:
OOH this one tricks you. This has such an intricate plot that you really need to pay attention or you will get lost in a strange land. This whole book is so meticulously plotted; blink and you might miss something really significant. The way in which Cat & El's backstory is revealed is clever. Please be warned though, this really isn't for the faint hearted. If you are keen to know the trigger warnings, please check them out here: Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone - Book Trigger Warnings
This is packed with so much suspense and I got so wrapped up in it that I just needed to know immediately what was going on with El. Cat definitely feels like an unreliable narrator which makes it even harder to suss out.
Its creepy, challenging, conflicting. I think every single reader of this book will be stunned at how this unfolds and I can quite confidently say that this is not predictable. Shockability factor is VERY HIGH.
About the author:
Carole Johnstone is an award-winning writer from Scotland, whose short stories have been published all over the world. Mirrorland, a psychological suspense with a gothic twist, is her debut novel.
Having grown up in Lanarkshire, she now lives in the beautiful Argyll & Bute, and is currently working on her second novel: a very unusual murder-mystery, set in the equally beautiful Outer Hebrides.
Mirrorland is out now.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54304146