Review: THE ICE TWINS, S. K. Tremayne

• this edition published by Harper Collins Publishers 2015
• ISBN 978-0-00-756304-3
• 373 pages
• pseudonym for Sean Thomas
• first title under this name.
• source: my local library 

Synopsis (Publisher)


One of Sarah's daughters died. But can she be sure which one? A terrifying psychological thriller that will chill you to the bone.

A year after one of their identical twin daughters, Lydia, dies in an accident, Angus and Sarah Moorcraft move to the tiny Scottish island Angus inherited from his grandmother, hoping to put together the pieces of their shattered lives. But when their surviving daughter, Kirstie, claims they have mistaken her identity - that she, in fact, is Lydia - their world comes crashing down once again. As winter encroaches, Angus is forced to travel away from the island for work, Sarah is feeling isolated, and Kirstie (or is it Lydia?) is growing more disturbed. When a violent storm leaves Sarah and her daughter stranded, Sarah finds herself tortured by the past - what really happened on that fateful day one of her daughters died? 

My Take

This was certainly a gripping read, and the reader is never quite sure where the truth lies.

The story is narrated principally by the two parents, Angus and Sarah, and you become aware that each sees what happened the day that Lydia died differently. Angus seems to be shielding Sarah, and she for her part doesn't quite trust him. Both had some sort of breakdown after Lydia died. The story peels back layer by layer.

The locals say that the Moorcroft's new island home is "thin", that is, close to the the line that divides this world from the next. It is possible that the lighthouse keeper's cottage is haunted, and certainly previous residents have found it impossible to stay.

There was always a strong bond between Lydia and Kirstie, they had their own language, and almost telepathic communication. Their parents found it impossible to tell one from the other, and Sarah becomes convinced that they have wrongly identified the one that died.

Highly recommended.

 My rating: 4.6

About the author
S. K. Tremayne is a bestselling novelist and award-winning travel writer, and a regular contributor to newspapers and magazines around the world. Born in Devon, the author now lives in London. S. K. Tremayne has two daughters. This is his first novel as S.K. Tremayne. As Sean Thomas he writes for the Sunday Telegraph, the Guardian, and the Daily Mail and has published three novels.