Part of Rizzoli & Isles, book 4
First published 2005
Dr. Maura Isles examines corpses daily as Boston's chief medical examiner. She has seen countless murder victims, but nothing prepares her for the body that arrives at her lab. The dead woman is identical to Maura in every detail, sharing her face, her build, even her birthdate and blood type. DNA testing confirms the impossible truth: the victim is Maura's twin sister, whose existence she never suspected. Detective Jane Rizzoli joins the investigation as more bodies surface across the country, all connected to this mysterious doppelganger. Maura's search for answers leads her to a coastal Maine town where she uncovers disturbing secrets about her origins. The trail points to the mother she never knew, a cold and manipulative woman who may have orchestrated these murders. As the killer continues the cross-country rampage, Maura realizes she must confront this dangerous stranger who gave her life and now threatens to destroy it.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: deception, identity-crisis, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Boston, Maine
Period: Contemporary
432 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Ballantine Books
Content warnings: death, murder