‘Two of a Mind’ by S M Stuart

Published by Troubador Publishing Ltd
2 March 2015. 

ISBN: 978-1784621681 (PB)

England, 2110. Dez is having her eve-of-sixteenth birthday party – the time when she’s supposed to first link up with her PT or ‘Psyche Twin’. She’s horrified to find herslef ‘Empty’ – but when her best friend, Seth, asks her to help him untangle the mystery surrounding his mother’s death, she finds that she can sense more than she wanted to ...

This story is told between two narrators, with Dez as a first-person in the future world of the novel, and members of the Simpson family back in 2015, in the aftermath of the nuclear war which will create the psyche twinning. The future world is only a century ahead, so much is normal but there are also plausible technological advances, like a wrist chip for shopping. Dez was lively and generally likeable, and her difficulties with her mother and tendency to rush in to trouble will appeal to teen readers. Her friend Seth was also convincingly drawn, and the storyline involving his mother’s diary was gripping. At the end, the two narratives combined to make an exciting climax, though – reader warning – there was an ‘unfinished’ end leading to the sequel advertised on the next page.

An enjoyable teen crime read with an interesting sci-fi premise behind it.

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Reviewer: Marsali Taylor

S M Stuart, originally from Yorkshire, currently divides her time between Berlin and Warwickshire. She is in the process of editing Echoes of the Soul, the sequel to Two of a Mind, and planning the third in the series. She enjoys spending any spare time with family and friends, and keeping active with regular Nordic Walking.

Marsali Taylor grew up near Edinburgh, and came to Shetland as a newly-qualified teacher. She is currently a part-time teacher on Shetland's scenic west side, living with her husband and two Shetland ponies. Marsali is a qualified STGA tourist-guide who is fascinated by history, and has published plays in Shetland's distinctive dialect, as well as a history of women's suffrage in Shetland. She's also a keen sailor who enjoys exploring in her own 8m yacht, and an active member of her local drama group.  Marsali also does a regular monthly column for the Mystery People e-zine.