Dead Letters

Ava Antipova has her reasons for running away: a failing family vineyard, a romantic betrayal, a mercurial sister, an absent father, a mother slipping into dementia. In Paris, Ava renounces her terribly practical undergraduate degree, acquires a French boyfriend and a taste for much better wine, and erases her past. Two years later, she must return to upstate New York. Her twin sister, Zelda, is dead. Even in a family of alcoholics, Zelda Antipova was the wild one, notorious for her mind games and destructive behaviour. Stuck tending the vineyard and the girls' increasingly unstable mother, Zelda was allegedly burned alive when she passed out in the barn with a lit cigarette. But Ava finds the official explanation a little too neat. A little too Zelda. Then she receives a cryptic message-from her sister. Just as Ava suspected, Zelda's playing one of her games. In fact, she's outdone herself, leaving a series of clues about her disappearance. With the police stuck on a red herring, Ava follows the trail laid just for her, thinking like her sister, keeping her secrets, immersing herself in Zelda's drama and her outlandish circle of friends and lovers. Along the way, Zelda forces her twin to confront their twisted history and the boy who broke Ava's heart. But why? Is Zelda trying to punish Ava for leaving, or to teach her a lesson? Or is she simply trying to write her own ending? Featuring a colourful, raucous cast of characters, Caite Dolan-Leach's debut thriller takes readers on a literary scavenger hunt for clues concealed throughout the seemingly idyllic wine country, hidden in plain sight on social media, and buried at the heart of one tremendously dysfunctional, utterly unforgettable family.

About the Author :
Caite Dolan-Leach is a literary translator and critic, whose translations from French have been published by Dalkey Archive Press. Her criticism has appeared in Music and Literature, The Quarterly Conversation and the White Review. She currently lives in Paris. Dead Letters is her debut novel.

Review :
Newcomer Caite Dolan-Leach shows us just how close twin sisters can be - and shockingly far apart. With near-perfect plotting and an ear for the complicated lives of clever women, Dolan-Leach writes like Paula Hawkins by way of Curtis Sittenfeld. At once a moving family drama and a wickedly macabre mystery, Dead Letters is above all a satisfying puzzle that will keep readers guessing until the very last page. Excellent! A really gripping read So far, it's my favorite crime debut of 2017, and it will take a lot to change this. A perfectly orchestrated cat and mouse thriller that will keep you guessing until the very last chapter... Not to be missed! A smart, dazzling mystery with a twist... Captivating. In her startling debut novel, Dolan-Leach nimbly entwines the clever mystery of Agatha Christie, the wit of Dorothy Parker, and the inebriated Gothic of Eugene O'Neill. Dolan Leach's tautly crafted crime debut will resonate with fans of Gillian Flynn's and Paula Hawkins' domestic psychological thrillers. A story as compassionate and insightful as it is riveting A smart and twisty thriller that will keep you guessing right up to the ending. A masterful debut. Harrowing, revelatory, brilliantly alive. I lovethis book on so many levels. We are so lucky that this debut novelist chose to shine her light on that most inescapable, infuriating dichotomy: Are you a good girl or abad girl? An exceptionally smart debut... [It] kept me guessing and compulsively turning pages to reach its surprising and very satisfying end. A clever and compelling mystery that will keep you guessing until the end. Dolan-Leach writes like Paula Hawkins by way of Curtis Sittenfeld. A roller-coaster read that's as enthralling as it is WTF?!