The Dr. Lisbeth Socorro Novels
Book One: Hide and Be
“Hide and Be. Worked again. Just Like Always.”
Mirror twin brothers, Arthur and Martin, were raised in foster homes from the time they were 2-years old. And as we know, not all foster homes are safe places.
They learn to twin speak along with other twin behaviour but they take it further. They pose as each other to share the punishment and the pain when they have been bad in the eyes of their foster parents. The twin with the bad behaviour hides, and the twin who didn’t do the bad thing takes his place.
All of these deep-seated coping conventions follow them into their adult life and seemingly they manage well for years.
They are inseparable in all aspects of their lives, including spending their birthdays together regardless of what it takes to be together.
As they were split up to work in bi-coastal offices of their employer the AmHull insurance company, Martin sets up a scheme to defraud them as revenge. He’s not quite as clever as he believes he is for someone is watching.
A boating accident, takes Martin’s life, a simultaneous fracturing and binding event for Arthur. He decides to live both his life, and his brother’s life, to keep Martin alive.
As the FBI move in to arrest Martin for fraud, the local police charge him with the murder of his twin Arthur. But isn’t it Arthur who is alive?
Book Two: My Brother Myself
“We Always Share. Blood. Lives.”
The FBI Forensics Research Evidentiary Suspect Team (FREST) is working on a serial murder case.
The cases are all about the murder of a male twin on his birthday, when the murdered twin’s brother is not with him to celebrate.
Dr. Socorro is called in to help due to her extensive study of twins and their behaviour.
After much discussion with the FREST team, it’s reflection on the case during a walk, when the penny drops for Dr. Socorro.
What twin does she know who recently lost a brother and who was consumed by living his life along with his own.
With this revelation, the investigation moves forward with the team speaking to Alice Singleton, who worked in the office with the twins, as well as the bi-coastal girlfriends he had relationships with. Their responses ranged from fear to anger. A somewhat curious reaction.
A tip leads to the arrest of Arthur, who promptly declares he is his brother Martin and that his brother Arthur couldn’t be the killer because he told him so. We’re off to the races.
Hide and Be, provides some history of the twins and their formative years and lays the groundwork for the psychological evaluation and identity trial that follows.
My Brother Myself, is the ‘police’ procedural as the FBI work to stop the murders and with the arrest, see what the identity and competency issues will bring the cases.
Both books bring us deeper into a personality disorder of complexity, misidentification, and loss. Some isochronal exposition, however these books are definitely a compelling and immersive read.
~ June Lorraine Roberts
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Murder in Common is #33 on the Feedspot Top 100 Crime Novel Website
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