False Hearts - Laura Lam

To save her twin, she must take her identityOne night Tila stumbles home, terrified and covered in blood. She's then arrested for murder, the first by a civilian in decades. The San Francisco police suspect involvement with Verve, a powerful drug, and offer her twin sister Taema a chilling deal. Taema must assume Tila's identity and gather information to bring down the drug syndicate. The police may then let her sister live. However, Taema's investigation raises ghosts from the twins' past.The sisters were raised by a cult, which banned modern medicine - yet as conjoined twins, they needed life-saving surgery to replace their failing heart. And with help from co-conspirators, they escaped. Taema now discovers that Tila had found links between the cult and the city's criminal underworld. The twins were once unable to keep secrets, but will learn the true cost of lies.

Laura Lam was raised near San Francisco, California, by two former Haight-Ashbury hippies. Both of them encouraged her to finger-paint to her heart's desire, colour outside of the lines, and consider the library a second home. This led to an overabundance of daydreams. She relocated to Scotland to be with her husband, whom she met on the internet when he insulted her taste in books. She almost blocked him but is glad she didn't. At times she misses the sunshine.

Just fantastic. Rarely have I torn through a book so quickly. Dark, smart, fast-paced & sexy
Samantha Shannon, author of The Bone Season

False Hearts is that rarest of things - a fast-paced thriller with tons of heart and soul. Set in a chillingly believable future, it's bursting with original concepts and unforgettable characters. I defy anyone to put it down
Sarah Lotz

I thoroughly enjoyed it, from its explosive beginning right through to a very satisfying end. This is very much a character-driven piece, and although the story is of twins, it is really Taema's tale. I can happily say False Hearts has been the highlight of my year's reading so far
James Oswald

A strong debut from someone who's clearly got what it takes
Peter F. Hamilton

False Hearts has an ingenious premise, and Laura Lam executes it flawlessly. Gritty and wise, your own pulse will be racing as you get caught up in this exciting tale
Robert J. Sawyer

An intriguing and fast-paced tale
Heat

A chilling read that will have you gripped from page one . . . A must read
Woman's Own

Its vision of the future is seductively terrifying
SFX

This encompassing, fast-paced murder mystery in a cyberpunk, late 21st-century San Francisco . . . expertly explores themes of identity, totalitarian governments, cults, mind control, and familial love
Publishers Weekly

A rich and entertaining sci-fi tale that is brimming with ideas
SciFiNow

A thought provoking, fast paced tale which uses characterization to capture reader's imaginations. A truly great read from a great writer
Starburst Magazine