The Other Twin

In British author Hay’s murky first novel, Poppy Wade leaves London for her hometown of Brighton immediately after learning from her mother that her younger sister, 24-year-old India Rutledge, has fallen to her death from a railway bridge. Poppy has hardly talked to India in four years, but finds it impossible to believe that she killed herself. Once in Brighton, Poppy reconnects with her mother and stepfather—and with former boyfriend Matthew Temple. She also gains access to India’s laptop and her blog, snippets of which dot the narrative, as do brief, ominous passages from a man in thrall to “She Who Must Be Obeyed.” Poppy tries to figure out the identity of “Jenny,” the code name of the person to whom India’s final post was addressed. She also explores the club life of Brighton, including a seaside café where India briefly worked after losing a good accounting job 18 months earlier. Matthew and his twin, Ana, offer help but prove untrustworthy. Hay’s nonlinear, often vague approach can be difficult to follow as Poppy struggles to decipher the truth behind India’s death. (Nov.)