Getting Away with it

by Julie Cohen

[Leah]

Liza Haven couldn’t wait to escape the small village where she grew up with her perfect identical twin sister, Lee. Her life in LA as a stunt woman is reckless, fast and free – and that’s just the way she likes it. But when a near-fatal mistake drives her home, she finds Lee gone and everyone in the village mistaking her for her twin sister. Liza has to deal with her ailing mother, the family ice cream business, and Lee’s dangerously attractive boyfriend. Liza’s always been the bad twin, but as she struggles to keep up the masquerade and puzzle out where her sister has gone, she realises it’s not so simple. She’s spent her whole life getting away with it – is it finally time to face up to who she really is and where she really belongs?

I’ve been a huge fan of Julie Cohen’s Little Black Dress novels since I first read Honeytrap early in 2009. I thought it was a fantastic read so when I heard Julie was writing her first novel for Headline Review I was thrilled. As soon as I heard the plot for the book I was even more excited to read the book as it sounded unique and nothing I’ve ever read before. So when a hardback copy, with the beautiful Autumnal cover, arrived I was got stuck into it straight away, staying up until midnight to finish the book!

Getting Away With It is a huge chunk of a book, coming in at just over 500 pages and with such a large book there’s always a worry it might be overly long but I didn’t have such a worry with Getting Away With It. I got stuck into the book almost immediately and I could barely put it down. The book is completely engaging and the book begins by Liza, a stunt woman, having her big accident that will eventually lead to her heading back home to Stonegate after many years away. I found the opening very intriguing, and I found it very interesting how it came about that Liza ended up impersonating her twin sister Lee. Liza has always been known as the ‘bad’ twin whereas sister Lee is the ‘good’ twin, so to see the switch between the two of them was fascinating as Liza suddenly finds herself being the good twin and ends up enjoying it whereas Lee, always known for being the dependable twin suddenly does a 180 and does some Liza-like things.

I thoroughly enjoyed Liza’s twin switch and how she suddenly began acting like Lee because it was easier than being thought of as the bad twin. I’ve never read anything like it, and I found it astounding how nobody, bar the twins’ mother, knew Liza was actually Liza and not Lee. Liza managed to fool everybody, even Lee’s boyfriend Will. The book not only focuses on Liza’s attempts to be Lee, but we also every once in a while learn what the real Lee is up to as she has her mini breakdown. I thought those chapters added a lot to the book and it was nice to learn a bit more about the real Lee. The book also deals with the terrible disease Alzheimers, which Lee and Liza’s mum suffers from. It was very touching how Cohen portrayed the disease and it was interesting to see her in her more lucid moments but it was also heartbreaking when she had her more difficult moments. But what was most interesting was the way Liza dealt with her mum’s disease. At times she was a bit cruel, but she eventually ‘got’ what having Alzheimers meant.

I really liked Liza. What she does by impersonating Lee is undoubtedly wrong, but I could completely see why she carried on the charade. Because she’s always been perceived as the bad twin, it’s understandable that suddenly being perceived as the good twin would be quite a change and would be something anyone would want to continue to be. I also loved the fact she was a stunt-woman, it’s such a strange job but I loved her fearlessness. Up until her accident, anyway. The fact is, Liza wasn’t a bad person, not really, and I liked her so much. I also really liked Lee. I could completely understand how being perfect and looking after her mum, the ice-cream business and everything made her crack and run away. Her life was so organised that she had no time to do anything fun. I didn’t really know what to make of the twins’ mum. Obviously her disease has changed the real her, but she had her lucid moments and above everything she seemed to come across as a very formidable woman. The only other main character is Will, Lee’s boyfriend who Liza finds herself attracted to. He sounded fantastic and I loved him.

The majority of the book is set in the town of Stoneguard and although the town sounded a bit suffocating it also sounded as if the people of the town would do anything for one of their own and I liked the community feel. And as Liza spends more time there, she, too, learns that Stoneguard might not be as terrible as she remembers it. Yes Ma Gamble was a nosy parker, but the majority of those who live in the town were really great. I particularly loved those who worked at Ice Cream Haven, the ice-cream company the Haven family built up. My biggest worry for the book would be how it all ended – how can a person impersonating another person really come out of it OK? – but I was impressed with the ending. It wasn’t rushed and it didn’t seem convenient, and I liked that. I loved how the book was about finding yourself but more importantly finding your way home. Cohen has hit a total winner with her novel and I can’t wait to see what comes next!