Publisher's Weekly Review
Starling (The Death of Jane Lawrence) hits a rare false note in this underdeveloped, anxiety-inducing take on both mad scientist and doppelgänger tropes. The brilliant but deeply unethical Dr. Tamsin Rivers has made a terrible discovery: her city, San Siroco, is sinking. Myrica Dynamic, the corporation bankrolling her underground experiments, demands answers she doesn't have, and her minder, Mx. Lachland Woodfield, makes it very clear that Myrica will hold Tamsin responsible for whatever happens to the city, good or bad. To make things worse--and weirder--a door appears out of nowhere in Tamsin's basement. When it opens, out walks Tamsin's double, who Tamsin names Prime. As Tamsin desperately tries to solve the mystery of the basement door, Prime starts filling in for Tamsin in public, until no one, not even Tamsin, can tell who's the original and who's the copy. For readers, this question is never in doubt, however, leading a third act twist to fall flat. Though the action is pulse pounding, the thematic exploration of identity and the limits of human understanding remains frustratingly shallow. Readers will be disappointed.. (Oct.)
Library Journal Review
Tamsin is the head of a crucial experiment taking place deep beneath the city of San Siroco. When she and her team discover that the city appears to be slowly sinking, they are quick to cover up their possible connection to it. Returning home, Tamsin finds that the same thing is occurring at her house, but only in her basement--and at a faster rate. When a mysterious door appears one night and a double of Tamsin emerges, she must find out what is really happening without alerting her employer. Tamsin's scientific work takes the forefront in this novel, and while it's important to the plot, the intricate detail sometimes bogs down the pace. The character of Lachlan is introduced as a handler for Tamsin, and while some unknown connections between the two are teased, their relationship is left very nebulous. Unfortunately, the novel's twist and ending are predictable. VERDICT It's billed as horror, but the latest from popular novelist Starling (after The Death of Jane Lawrence) is more of a speculative thriller; her fans will still clamor for it.--Emily Vinci