The Swap
Dom Tolen craves a simple life. He keeps his head down at work, jogs off his midweek beers and busies himself with jigsaw puzzles. What riles him is his irksome twin, Donald. Separated from his wife and making his presence felt holed up in Dom’s spare room, Donald turns to pestering him to play a practical joke.
Caught off guard, Dom agrees. The episode, with its disastrous results, changes his carefully constructed life forever.
Weeks later, as Dom battles with the aftermath of the prank, a stranger calls. Her bizarre lies prove irresistible to the shattered twin. Determined to solve the mystery of her visit, Dom sets off on a perilous journey, one that will force him to confront family truths and inner shadows.
Each revelation distances him from the trouble-free life he longs for and sees him tumbling through an unnerving maze of deception, greed and murder.
What are people saying about The Swap?
I fully enjoyed the twists, turns and revenge in this novel. I found it easy to follow which kept me up later at night than I should have been. Looking forward to more from this author in future.
Michelle on Goodreads
Great read. Kept me guessing throughout. Believable characters and great storyline.
Jane Anne on Goodreads
I have always been intrigued by the connection between identical twins and the premise of the book quickly caught my attention. This is a fast paced story about twins, Dominic and Donald, whose "swap" for a day turns to tragedy. A simple life turned into a complicated web of despair. A cast of characters intertwined in the crisis that unexpected misfortune creates. There are many unresolved answers and disbeliefs, adding to the suspense. Many are seeking truth, plotting revenge and wanting closure.
I enjoyed the setting in Australia and gained some new vocabulary (and slang) along the way. It reads like a crime novel, has aspects of a psychological thriller. The characters were well constructed, a wide variety of those one might like and those one might hate. The emotions of tragedy are established throughout the novel and it keeps it real. I appreciated that there were some unexpected twists and turns right through to the end. It was difficult to put down, a fast paced story that keeps you interested.
Wanda on Goodreads
Fancy a sneak peek?
Here's an excerpt from one of the early chapters to whet your appetite.
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It was a quarter to five. Donald was leaving the office with Dom’s leather bag over his shoulder and his final task was to bid Belinda good night.
‘See you real soon, Belinda.’ He flashed her a big grin. Done.
The lift crawled its way to Clarence Street and Donald stepped out, his face a drab mask. He walked quickly with the crowd and he spotted a brief text message.
How did it go?
Responding now would slow him down and he was in a rush to get away. He dashed to the intersection but the lights changed too quickly for him. He ran into the road, hoping to make it across, too excited to stand still and hang around for traffic lights. But cars were already moving and he judiciously stepped in reverse to the kerb. He found a small patch of footpath to perch on, toes over the edge and hands in trouser pockets, unfazed at squashing into the pedestrians behind. They were so close he could feel them shuffling against Dom’s bag. That’s when the
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first fat blobs of rain landed on his shoulders and he felt the cold spots on his head.
Trucks and taxis whizzed across the intersection. Donald eyed the lights directly ahead of him. ‘Come on,’ he muttered.
Someone came behind him, shifting and nudging against the bag, someone even more impatient than him. The lights changed and a truck picked up speed as it entered the intersection to make it through the lights. Donald waited for the green figure.
He felt the force behind him and tried turning to say something, at the same time, trying to remove his hands from his pockets. The pushing continued and he fell forward, one foot momentarily propping him up, but not long enough to keep him upright.
He screamed as he tumbled into the truck’s path.
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