The Girl in the Mirror

Australian heiress Iris Carmichael, the narrator of Carlyle’s assured debut, has always envied her identical twin sister, Summer, who’s considered perfect by everyone and is also Iris’s mirror image. When Iris looks in the mirror, she sees Summer. Their complicated relationship changes after their father dies and his will stipulates that his $100 million fortune go to the first of his six competitive children—by his three wives—to produce a grandchild. Meanwhile, Summer, who’s married to “wealthy, handsome, charismatic” Adam Romain and a few weeks pregnant, needs Iris, an expert sailor, to help her sail the family yacht from Thailand to the Seychelles. During the trip, Summer accidently falls overboard and is lost at sea. To secure the inheritance, Iris resolves to “step into” Summer’s life, get pregnant, and beat her closest rival. Iris, who tells Adam she lost the baby during the voyage, convinces Adam and her mother that she’s Summer, but the suspense grows as her lack of knowledge about her sister threatens to expose the imposture. The intricate plot builds to a strong finale. Psychological thriller fans are in for a treat. Agent: Faye Bender, Book Group. (Oct.)