By: Bradeigh Godfrey
Narrators: Brittany Pressley, Eileen Stevens
ISBN: 978-1665055185
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Publication Date: 09/13/2022
Format: Audiobook
My Rating: 4.5 Stars 🎧
“Spine-chillingly, jaw-droppingly good!" ―Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of Local Woman Missing
A psychological thriller exploring sisterhood, secrets, and the neuroscience of memory.
Two sisters, a lifetime of secrets
Lilian and Rosie were once the closest of sisters, but the untimely death of their parents pulled them apart. Now, three years on, Rosie has reached out to her big sister, asking to meet. Driving on an icy road in the middle of a snowstorm, Rosie admits that she has something important to tell Lilian―a secret she describes as a matter of life and death. But before she has a chance to tell Lilian, a car careens into theirs, with devastating consequences.
Lilian survives unscathed, but Rosie is left with a traumatic brain injury, unable to communicate. Lilian is convinced that someone deliberately rammed Rosie’s car. But why? As Lilian begins to explore her sister’s past, she uncovers disturbing secrets that make her question if she ever really knew Rosie.
The closer Lilian comes to the truth, the more danger she and Rosie find themselves in. But Lilian is certain of one thing: she abandoned her little sister once before and will never do so again. Even if it means sacrificing everything.
Praise
“Bradeigh Godfrey forges this unforgettable thriller from the intricacies of the human mind. Pulling from her own experience as a doctor…she grounds her debut novel in an unnerve sense of reality. Nothing in this exciting thriller is exactly as it seems.”
—Apple Books editorial review
“As slick and slippery as a dark, icy road, IMPOSTER has it all…. Tense, immersive, and smart, this is a must read.”
– Lisa Unger, New York Times Bestselling author of Last Girl Ghosted.
“Everything a psychological thriller should be: unsettling, totally immersive, and completely unpredictable… Spine-chillingly, jaw-droppingly good!”
– Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of Local Woman Missing
“The lines between reality and illusion blur as Imposter builds to an electrifying twist and action-packed ending.”
– Wendy Walker, internationally bestselling author of All is Not Forgotten and Emma in the Night
“Brimming with gasp-worthy surprises, Imposter is my favorite kind of thriller: twisty, unsettling, and emotionally rich.”
– Megan Collins, author of The Family Plot
“Emotionally chilling, twisty, and intense, Imposter is your new addiction!”
– Jeneva Rose, bestselling author of The Perfect Marriage and One of Us is Dead
My Review
Spine-Chilling. Gripping. Twisty.
IMPOSTER is a psychological thriller exploring sisterhood, secrets, and the neuroscience of memory and trauma.
Bradeigh Godfrey's intriguing debut is a mix of psychological suspense and medical thriller for fans of author, D. J. Palmer.
You will be rapidly turning the pages into the wee hours of the morning to discover how this web of lies and deceit will turn out.
Meet our unreliable narrators: Two sisters. Lillian and Rosie
Lillian and Rosie's parents died in a freak accident. Lillian, the older sister, practically raised her younger sister. When she went off to college, her younger sister started acting out and continued to make poor choices.
Dr. Lilian Donaldson is struggling with being a new mom and the stress related to her job as a pediatrician. She recently was sued in a malpractice suit when a patient died.
Due to this, she is overprotective and second-guesses everything. With high anxiety, Lillian suffers from panic attacks and worries about her daughter's well-being to the point of being paranoid.
Her husband, Caleb, is a successful surgeon, and their marriage is strained due to Lillian's anxiety, taking leave, and staying home. He is the solo breadwinner.
Upon his encouragement, Lillian decides to meet with her younger sister, Rosie. She has something urgent to discuss with her sister. Rosie had reached out after years of silence, and hopefully, they could repair their relationship. On their way to dinner, a terrible accident occurs.
Driving on an icy road in the middle of a snowstorm, Rosie admits that she has something important to tell Lilian―a secret she describes as a matter of life and death. But before she can tell Lilian, a car careens into theirs, with devastating consequences.
With traumatic brain injury, Rosie is confused. She has Capgas syndrome (meaning the person may have an irrational belief that an imposter has replaced someone they know or recognize).
Lillian is anxious to discover the urgency of Rosie's need to speak with her, but she does not recognize her as her sister. In addition, a guy shows up at the hospital saying he is Daniel and they are engaged, and he is ready to take care of her.
However, she also thinks he is an imposter and not the real Daniel. Something about the accident is not right.
From POV, Lillian and Rosie's diary entries she writes for her psychiatrist. The puzzle pieces are slowly unraveled as both sisters are in danger. Someone is gaslighting and manipulating in a game of obsession and control.
Gaslighting. Obsession. Manipulation. Mystery. Dark Secrets.
In an intense cat and mouse game, the lines between reality and illusion are blurred, while the tension remains high in this fast-paced nail-biting immersive suspense thriller!
The author has spent more than a decade working as a physician specializing in rehabilitation after severe neurologic and musculoskeletal injuries. She also is the co-writer of The Beach Trap under the pen name of Ali Brady with BFF Alison Hammer.
I enjoyed learning more about brain trauma, anxiety disorders, and CS (Capgas syndrome), which can be caused by brain or neurological damage. It may also occur due to another condition affecting the brain, particularly those that affect how the brain perceives or processes information or stores and retrieves memories.
After reading went diving for more research into this disorder and found it fascinating. I enjoyed how the author infused medical into the storyline, making this a must-read!
I purchased the audiobook narrated by Brittany Pressley (a favorite narrator) and Eileen Stevens for an engaging performance! Highly recommend the audiobook.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustRead Books
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Pub Date: Sep 13, 2022
About the Author
Photo credit: ElizaRose
Bradeigh Godfrey is a physician, mom of four, and a writer. Her medical career is focused on caring for veterans with visible and invisible disabilities, and she is passionate about improving quality of life and wellness in veterans through research, teaching, and clinical work. Her debut novel, IMPOSTER, is a psychological thriller exploring sisterhood, secrets, and the neuroscience of memory and trauma (Blackstone, September 13, 2022). She’s an avid reader and book reviewer and can be found on Instagram (@bradeighgodfrey) sharing her latest reads. Bradeigh also co-writes romantic women’s fiction under the pen name Ali Brady (www.AliBradyBooks.net).
