Secrets In The Mirror

A Psychological family saga that
“toes the fine line between sympathetic and terrifying”

Family. The same people who destroyed Gavin’s self-esteem are the ones he must save. But can he save himself?

Published September 13, 2022 by
Atmosphere Press
ISBN 9781639884070
Available in Paperback and eBook on Amazon and most major retailers

Content Warnings
This fictional family saga depicts how each member of an extended family deals differently with issues such as domestic abuse, substance use, mental illness and death. Readers who are sensitive to such subjects should be alert.
The fictional characters in this story use profanity, and one expresses racial bias and uses epithets that are abhorrent to reasonable, respectful people. That behavior is an aspect of the conflict in the fiction, and in no way represents the views or beliefs of the author.

“A psychological thriller perfect for our time” that “toes the fine line between sympathetic and terrifying,” Secrets In The Mirror is a sweeping saga of one family’s challenges to rise above the toxicity of multigenerational domestic abuse and crime. Gavin struggles to salvage his self-esteem from Dad’s bullying, and from narcissistic abuse by his identical mirror twin, while Mom resists spousal abuse to assert sanity into the mix. But when Devon gets into drugs and trouble with the Mob, people start dying. Gavin flees far away to protect himself and his new family, but he can’t escape his sociopathic brother, or the Mob. Yet inextricable bonds tie him to Devon, and Gavin vows to break the lethal chain of family dysfunction and rescue his twin from his self-destructive path. Can he save his brother before Devon destroys them both?

Fans of ‘Echoes Of Family’ (Barbara Claypole White), ‘The Girl On The Train’ (Paula Hawkins), ‘The Push’ (Ashley Audrain), and ‘The Witch Elm’ (Tana French) will enjoy this tale.

Quotable Lines:

“Gavin would always remember that weekend as the turning point, when day turned to night and the earth erupted, cleaving brothers apart.”

“You can’t save someone unless they want to be saved. And you can’t save anyone until you save yourself.”

“He was invariably sucked back into Devon’s clutches ― like a moth to the flame, and couldn’t turn his back on his twin. As if the mitosis of their twin development were incomplete, keeping him tethered to his brother. How could he save himself if he wasn’t sure who his own ‘self’ was?”

“Angry red tentacles crawled across Tony’s shirt, exposing a twisted tale, one locked inside him for generations. In that pattern Gavin saw the shape of his father’s past and that of his fathers, the model of truculent dominance and captious misogyny that maimed human dignity, destroyed his mother, warped and defiled Devon’s identity, distorted and crippled his own self-determination, polluting the lives of every DiMasi. Including his father, who lay before him a martyr to the expectations of his ancestors and to the legacy he imposed on his twins.”

‘With half the family gone, does the dysfunction go down by half?”
“No, The ghost of dysfunction remains.”

Awards for Secrets In The Mirror

Sample reviews for Secrets in the Mirror

“Kain’s grim, character-driven story, which spans a decade, thoughtfully develops its cast. The parents’ relationship, for one, echoes the twins’ dynamic of good versus evil. The novel provides a thoughtful consideration of a disorder that has the capacity to devastate relationships. A somber, absorbing coming-of-age tale.” – Kirkus Reviews

“Kain carries readers along this intense ride with a piercing narrative that highlights the multi-layered effects of physical and emotional trauma… Kain’s passion for mental health advocacy is evident throughout and comes alive with her development of Devon’s personality and the devastating effects it has on loved ones…audiences will relish the tension in this psychological twister. Great for fans of: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins and The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn” –BookLife

“Leslie Kain delivers a suspensefully entertaining story about the relentless drive to preserve a family, no matter how troubled it may be … The tension begins cascading through the DiMasi home from their first harsh interactions and doesn’t relent until the final electrifying moments. … Deliberately unnerving and impressively intricate, Secrets In The Mirror is a successful psychological thriller that toes the fine line between sympathetic and terrifying.” – Indies Today (5-star review)

“A captivating family drama [about] domestic violence, abuse and addiction, perfectly demonstrating what happens when family trauma and dysfunction are passed down through generations. The characters are complex and layered, for a compelling dynamic. Highly recommended.” ‒ Readers Favorite (5-star review)

A “dynamic, realistic and at times quite terrifying storyline … Kain’s writing offers a depth of perception that allows the reader to share Gavin’s dilemma and to continue to urge him, as he urges himself, to persevere. Too, the novel’s grim, gritty, and gory moments will satisfy those who enjoy a hardcore mobster-infused mystery with a wide range of intriguing characters. Secrets In The Mirror, with its skilled plotting, believable characters, topical psychological insights and cinematic suspense is sure to garner a wide readership.”
— Feathered Quill

“A potent, deep, and thorough psychological investigation of one family through generations. [It] opens strong, casting a powerful spell on its reader with two brilliantly written characters and … concludes with a powerful ending that leaves the reader with a deep feeling of satisfaction, amplified by the highly emotional ride that earns deep investment in its ups and downs.” – Independent Book Review

“The author successfully exposes the harsh truth about physical and emotional abuse and its psychological effects on one’s self-esteem, self-worth, and growth. RECOMMENDED.”
― US Review of Books

“Leslie Kain’s compelling psychological story, Secrets in the Mirror, puts a twist on the classic coming-of-age tale. A novel of familial tumult and uncertainty, this story dives deep into the complexities of epigenetics- a phenomenon that will leave readers in awe. Plunged into an emotional journey full of suspense, readers are invited to consider their own family relationships as they become engrossed by the characters’ intricate arcs and personal dilemmas. This psychological mystery is genuinely unforgettable: prepare yourself for a haunting read!” — AuthorsReading

“Secrets in the Mirror is a compelling story about Narcissistic Personality Disorder mixed with family patterns of abuse and addiction. Gavin, the hero, wants only to save his family, but his identical twin’s increasingly risky behavior and grandiose thinking threaten everyone’s wellbeing and safety. Add in the Mob, and this explosive page-turner will keep you up at night!” ― Barbara Claypole White, author of The Perfect Son and The Promise Between Us

“I love a book that gets my stomach tingling and worried for the characters right from the start. The slow-building tension stays throughout the book and keeps you turning the pages with a little bit of dread and a lot of curiosity. The identical twin dynamic of Gavin and Devon set up an instant good versus evil plot that is riveting. This story unpacks the ultimate nature vs nurture debate and shows how a family’s past can influence the future.” — Julee Balko, author of The Things We Keep.

Backstory

With the rise of dysfunction in Western society, families, and individuals (including well-known public figures who encourage & promote it) ― domestic abuse, misogyny, narcissism, racism, mental illness, and substance abuse ― this story shows how such dysfunction can proliferate from one generation to the next, and the effect it has on individuals and families. The heart of Secrets In The Mirror centers on whether & how the members of a family can escape and recover from such dysfunction.

Genre

Secrets In The Mirror is Cross-Genre psychological fiction. It spans eleven years between 1994 and 2005, as the twins age from 16 year-old teens to 27 year-old men. Because of the content behind the trigger warnings, it is not appropriate for most Young Adults. At its core, it is a dysfunctional Family Saga. That dysfunction gets the characters into trouble, which escalates the threat and shades the plot into a Psychological Suspense. Those two genres ―family saga and suspense ― define the two primary stakes in the novel.  

First, the interior struggles of each family member reflect their personal emotional journey and transformation (which incidentally defines Women’s Fiction). The other major stake is the imperative to escape dangers ― both physical and emotional ― that threaten the life and soul of each family member:

• The main character Gavin must overcome the damage done to his self-esteem, his identity, and his agency, by his dad’s demeaning bullying and his twin’s narcissistic gaslighting & abuse. As Devon’s narcissistic abuse escalates, Gavin must distance himself in order to develop his own self-esteem. Then when his twin’s behavior also gets Gavin in trouble with the Mob, he flees far away; yet Devon follows and continues to manipulate and stalk his twin, threatening not only Gavin’s personhood, but also his new family, business and life.
• Gavin’s twin Devon must confront and overcome his father’s grooming him as a baseless “winner”, which fosters his narcissism and consequent risky behavior (substance use and crime), in order to define his true identity and self-worth. And ultimately such emotional transformation is essential to save his life, from the Mob and from his self-destructive behavior.
• The twins’ mother Colleen must overcome her fear and spousal loyalty to assert herself over her husband’s domestic abuse, in order to save her sons, her marriage, and her own well-being.
• The twins’ father Tony must overcome the bullying macho culture of his childhood (and that of his forefathers) to embrace his own self-worth and support the true identity of his family members.

The ultimate imperative, Gavin realizes, is to finally break the multigenerational pattern of abuse that engendered his family’s crisis. Although he vows to do this, he will continue to struggle with validating his identity in the sequel.

Book Clubs

There are pages of thought-provoking Book Club Questions at the end of the novel.

Audiobook

Coming soon! To listen to first chapter sample and get your free Audible Code for the full audiobook, go to https://www.audiobookrelease.com/secretsinthemirror

Media

See Press Release here.