If We Tell You

This contemporary who-done-it maxes out on intrigue with identical 15-year-old twins Lewis and Cameron, on the run from an incident that involved their now-disappeared parents – who are either fugitive terrorists, undercover agents or something else they had no idea about until now. Their goal is to reunite with their parents, but how, and who’s following them and why?

The twins may look alike, but slowly their different personalities and agendas unfold. Make no mistake. They’re not entirely alike, given that one is left-handed, one right-handed; one is straight and one is gay – or is he? – and one’s a math whiz while the other is… never mind. It’s all part of the twisty plot and an aspect masterfully woven into hair-raising escapades. Their twin-ness leads to both closeness and fights that spiral into a crisis.

With chapters mostly alternating between the two boys’ points of view (and occasionally featuring one twin twice in a row, just to keep readers on their toes), it’s tough to distinguish their subtle personality differences, but essential as the novel progresses. Soon they take turns venturing out while the other is in hiding in order to make locals think there’s only one of them. This ramps up tension and inevitably leads to awkward situations and narrow escapes, including in the romance department.

Add a labyrinth of tunnels under the city (they’re in Edinburgh, Scotland), messages hidden in number codes, and clues hidden in an old house and beneath a painting. Cue in an aunt they’ve never heard of, who’s supposed to help but initially wants nothing to do with them. Then there’s the diverse cast of peers who may or may not be trustworthy and helpful (from a blue-haired computer nerd girl to the hijab-wearing swimmer neighbour to the rich kid who throws massive parties at his mansion and knows the local castle’s ancient underground dungeons and passageways. (The latter was actually a shallow, almost unnecessary character who felt like a plot device.) Plenty of adults also people the novel, each suspicious in some manner.

The result: total chaos, terror and confusion about who’s chasing them, spying on them, protecting them or intending harm. Absolutely no one can be trusted, and yet, they can’t find their parents (if their parents even want to be found) without help, and without solving the mystery of who their parents were – and what they did -- in Scotland before they fled to Canada with their infant boys for reasons unknown.

This is a page-turner that is big on tension, doesn’t shy away from violence (although thankfully only at the end) and has great teen dialogue (but any humour is pretty subtle). It delights in incorporating Scottish terrain, weather, history, music and food into the mystery and chase scenes.

“Looks like they’re under the Royal Mile,” Aisha said. “The Smuggler’s Labyrinth doesn’t open for another couple of hours, so that entrance is out.”

“We can break in,” I said.

“If you want the police involved, that’s a brilliant idea,” Aisha said. “I’m sure they’d love to hear about the stolen paintings and all your criminal relations. Maybe we could ask them to bring their battering ram for the metal door to the vaults.”

“I think there might be an entrance on the beach,” Ruby said. “In the cliffs.”

Jamie shook his head. “Too dangerous. That tunnel gets flooded at high tide. We’d be better using the castle entrance.”

“Your information’s five hundred years out of date,” Aisha said. “The Castle’s tunnel entrance was blocked with David’s tower collapsed.”

It’s also a story that fully, delightfully explores all that identical twins are and can get up to. It would have been so easy for that aspect of the plot to feel cheap, lame or over-relied-upon. Nope, as the daughter, sister and aunt of twins, I give this novel five stars just for pulling that off.

In summary, If We Tell You is a great who-done-it for mystery lovers who like rollicking action with a side of Scotch. The plot is believable, the pace is one constant game of hide and seek, and neither language nor sex is an issue here.