IDENTICAL MISFORTUNE

Veronica Westbrook has never met her twin, Ann Livingston, as they were adopted at birth by two separate families. While serving time in prison for running a con on a woman with Alzheimer’s disease, Veronica receives a letter from Ann, who hopes that they can connect. Veronica has no interest in a reunion, but she does respond favorably to the fact that Ann has a wealthy husband, Ben. She concocts a plan to steal her sister’s identity, which, soon after her release, entails shadowing and then murdering Ann. Veronica subsequently fakes a car accident and resultant amnesia—as Ann—so she can convince Ben and his family of her identity long enough to swipe millions. However, homicide detective Tammy Jo Crowder thinks that there’s a possibility someone ran “Ann” off the road, but as she investigates further, she starts to think that the accident victim intentionally drove her car into a tree. Then she finds a notable discrepancy in some medical records suggests that the woman claiming to be Ann isn’t Ann. Ben, meanwhile, is also wary, as he’s noticed subtle differences in his wife’s personality. Complicating Veronica’s plan further is that fact that her former cellmate, Sarah Booth, is out of prison; she’s privy to the con and demands a piece of the pie. After transferring funds to a Swiss bank account, Veronica stages a suicide for a clean escape. But the cautious Crowder digs deeper to prove Veronica is on a crime spree.

Zappa fills this often somber but energetic tale with wonderfully complex characters. Veronica isn’t a one-note villain; she’s a sociopath who doesn’t experience a normal human range of emotion, and the story touches on her background (namely, regarding her and Ann’s biological mother). At the same time, Crowder isn’t a squeaky-clean hero; at one point, for instance, she acquires the aforementioned medical records illegally. She’s nevertheless an admirable detective who resists when her superiors want to close the case; readers will, of course, cheer her on, knowing that her conjectures are often spot-on. As Veronica’s scheme ultimately takes her out of the United States, new characters appear to great effect, including someone who’s gunning for the con woman, Will Goodman. The dialogue-heavy story predominantly consists of Veronica executing con-game manipulations and Crowder mulling over case details, but it generally maintains a fast pace. Indeed, Zappa largely eschews graphic depictions of sex and murder. Even during the final act, which includes confrontations between multiple characters, the author doesn’t linger on violence. Unfortunately, there are some blunders that are particularly noticeable as the detective delves into the twins’ history. For example, the age of Ann’s daughter, Meg, doesn’t match her date of birth.Although this novel works as a stand-alone, the author leaves open the possibility of a sequel.

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