Identical by Scott Turow

25 years ago, after pleading guilty to killing his girlfriend, Dita Kronon, Cass Gianis is a free man.  Meanwhile his twin brother Paul is the candidate to beat in the race for mayor of Kindle County.  Dita's brother, Hal is convinced that Paul also played a role in his sister's death.  Hal is determined to sabotage Paul's political career and launches his own investigation into what happened the night his sister was killed.  As his team digs through decades evidence, they unearth more secrets and lies than the any of the families ever suspected.

"Identical" is fantastic, it reminded me of one of my favorite TV shows,"Cold Case."  Like "Cold Case," Dita's murder was re-examined in a thorough and detailed manner.  Turow takes his time to tell this tale by slowly introducing the readers to each individual who may or may not have had a role in Dita's demise.  Each character was established like a small but necessary piece in a very complicated puzzle.  As you read, each person interviewed seemingly had motive as they reflect on that fateful day.  You'll be creating your own theories along with the detectives and placing the blame on the various characters until the very end.  It was fun trying to put all the pieces together.  Did Cass really do it?  Or was he just protecting his twin or someone else? Was it a tragic accident?  Or are Cass and Paul merely scapegoats caught in the rift of a generations old conflict with the Kronon family? 

In addition to the mystery elements of this novel, I also loved the rich family dynamics detailed in this book.  The love and resentment that sometimes develops between even the closest of families was illustrated and motivated all of the characters.  Turow also clearly uses his lawyer background to provide the interesting procedural details.  The study of DNA and forensic evidence is thoroughly explained as is its impact on criminal investigation. 

Don't miss out on "Identical," it a great absorbing read.  I highly recommend you pick it up this weekend and get comfy because you won't want to put this book down.

Please note that I received no financial compensation for this review.  I was fortunate to receive an Advanced Reader Copy of "Identical" at the 2013 Book Expo America.