Bookseller Publisher Review
This slow-burning psychological thriller will appeal to anyone devouring the subgenre dubbed 'domestic noir'. While it's a quicker, lighter read than Gone Girl, Only Daughter poses a mystery that is tantalising enough to keep readers racing through the pages long past their bedtime. The story opens as an unnamed narrator is arrested for shoplifting at a Sydney supermarket. When questioned about her identity, she tells police she is Rebecca Winter, a Canberra teen who vanished a decade ago, to whom she bears an uncanny resemblance. Before long, she's whisked off to suburban Canberra and delivered to the Winter family as their long-lost daughter. Meanwhile, a series of flashbacks reveal the events leading up to Bec's disappearance 11 years earlier, as the teenage Bec spends sweltering summer nights working at McDonald's and harbouring a secret crush on a coworker. In the present day, the narrator uncomfortably settles into life as 'Bec', surrounded by Bec's parents (who she chillingly refers to as 'the mother' and 'the father'), her brothers and friends. Anna Snoekstra has skilfully crafted a cast of creepy characters and an atmosphere laced with menace, with the chills intensifying as the story moves towards its inevitable and terrifying conclusion. Melinda Allan is a librarian and freelance book reviewer
Publisher's Weekly Review
In 2003, 16-year-old Rebecca Winter disappeared from a Canberra suburb. In 2014, a disheveled young woman nabbed for stealing food in a Sydney supermarket stuns police by claiming to be Bec, setting in motion Australian author Snoekstra's suspenseful if flawed debut. The mystery protagonist, who's on the run, isn't really Bec, but simply exploiting their uncanny resemblance. The author ratchets up the tension as the split narrative unreels along dual lines: the final week before Bec vanishes and the days after her doppelganger's appearance. If continuing to stymie police investigation on the one hand and avoiding slips with Bec's loved ones on the other weren't tough enough, the imposter increasingly begins to suspect an even higher-stakes risk-falling victim to the same fate as the girl she's impersonating. Though Snoekstra fleshes out her present-day protagonist far less than the phantom Bec, her smooth navigation through the twisty plot propels the reader along-until she finally hits the wall with a preposterous denouement. Agent: Mackenzie Fraser-Bub, Fraser-Bub Literary. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* A disheveled young woman is arrested for stealing food from a supermarket. Just as the police begin to arrest her, she drops a bombshell: she's Rebecca Winter, who went missing 11 years ago on her way home from work. The problem is that our mysterious narrator (the reader never learns her name) isn't Rebecca Winter, just a lookalike who is trying to escape her own life. As she insinuates herself into Rebecca's world, she realizes that the Winter family is hiding dark secrets, and the deeper she gets into her ruse, the more dangerous it becomes. The real Rebecca's story is told in alternate chapters, and we witness her descent from typical teen to paranoid young woman unsure of the people she should trust the most. Unreliable narrator thrillers are practically a subgenre of their own, and there are two unreliable narrators here as well as a wickedly twisted and fast-paced plot that leaves numerous questions unanswered. Readers who need to like their protagonists to enjoy a book might want to steer clear everyone in the book has nefarious motives but readers who enjoy a creepy thriller that will keep them guessing will be unable to put this down.--Donohue, Nanette Copyright 2016 Booklist
Library Journal Review
In suburban Australia, an unnamed narrator is arrested for shoplifting and claims to be a girl named Bec Winter, whose disappearance from the area 11 years ago remains unsolved. Her lie quickly spirals into a new life "reunited" with Bec's family, friends, and the detective in charge of the case. Her elation at escaping her own troubles disappears as she realizes she's interfering with the real investigation and may not be fooling everyone from Bec's past. When the imposter receives threatening text messages, she decides she owes it to the real Bec to find out what happened, even if it means risking her own life. The narrative also alternates with the authentic Bec's past, creating an ominous lead-up to her disappearance. Escalating tension and menace will keep readers glued to the pages, leading to a highly satisfying resolution that is both surprising and believable. VERDICT Snoekstra's excellent debut stands out in the crowded psychological suspense field with smart, subtle red herrings and plenty of dark and violent secrets. Recommend to genre aficionados and readers who enjoyed Lisa Lutz's The Passenger.-Emily Byers, Salem P.L., OR © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.