THE LEFT-HANDED TWIN is the ninth installment in Thomas Perry’s critically acclaimed Jane Whitefield series. Jane has a particular skill set at which she excels: she helps people disappear. Typically, she deals with those who are desperate to escape a potentially deadly situation and are trusting their lives to her. They soon realize that they literally have to lose themselves --- their name, their past, all of their relationships --- before she will dedicate her resources to help them start over as someone else.

Jane is living in upstate New York with her husband, Carey, and has a fairly standard existence until a lost soul turns up at her doorstep needing her assistance. Twenty-two-year-old Sara Doughton testified against her violent ex-boyfriend, Albert McKeith, in a murder case. Unfortunately, he was acquitted by a bribed jury due to his ties with the Russian mob. She now fears for her life as a result of her betrayal of Albert and must disappear.

"Jane Whitefield is such a unique and richly drawn protagonist that you cannot help but root for her, and THE LEFT-HANDED TWIN may very well be the best entry in the series to date."

Jane first verifies all of what Sara has told her with a lawyer, and everything checks out. She is now ready to invest whatever time is necessary to keep her client safe. This will not be easy as both Albert’s friends and the Russian mob are on Jane and Sara practically from the get-go. There are thrilling chase scenes on New York highways that will test Jane’s guile, not to mention her driving prowess.

The pair eventually land in central New York at the home of the contact she uses primarily for creating new identities. Any remnant of Sara Doughton will be permanently erased as she now must get used to life as Anne Preston Bailey. Perry starts referring to Sara as “Anne” from this point on, which I found authentic and quite immersive.

Meanwhile, the action switches between Jane and Anne and the vengeful Albert. We see Albert make a deal with the devil in the form of Russian mob boss Oleg Porchen. Porchen’s minions appear to be endless, and they are all expert trackers, which keeps the suspense consistently at an uncomfortably elevated level. The novel takes its name from the Native American parable of the right-handed twin Hawenneyu, the creator, and the left-handed twin Hanegoategeh, the destroyer. The situation with Jane and Anne will exist on a fine line between the twins, with a lean towards the left and complete destruction.

The two traverse New York, eventually landing briefly in Manhattan, with members of the Russian mob seemingly at every turn they make. Several automobile switches and other forms of transportation play into their subterfuge as they desperately attempt to stay one step ahead of the army of Russians on their tail. Eventually they get to Boston, where Anne is finally placed and left on her own. Unfortunately, the Russians are still after them, and Jane is a far easier target to locate.

To escape and potentially end this chase scenario, Jane drives to the northern stretch of the 2,000-mile trail in Maine in the shadow of Mount Katahdin. This move is not lost on the Russians as four of the best trackers they can find are sent there to end Jane’s life. What transpires next is some of the most thrilling fiction you will read this year.

Jane Whitefield is such a unique and richly drawn protagonist that you cannot help but root for her, and THE LEFT-HANDED TWIN may very well be the best entry in the series to date.