Regina's Song - Hardcover

Eddings, David; Eddings, Leigh

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0345448987 ISBN 13: 9780345448989

Publisher: Del Rey, 2002

Synopsis

The beloved Eddings writing team, coauthors of the bestselling Belgariad and Malloreon fantasy series, now turn their creative storytelling skills to one of real life’s most mysterious occurrences: the shared biology of twins and the uncanny bonds that arise from it. Part murder mystery, ghost story, and psychological thriller, Regina’s Song masterfully fuses together elements that elicit our deepest, darkest fears. . . .

Twins Regina and Renata are so identical that even their mother can’t tell them apart. Eerily attuned to one another, they often speak together in a secret language no one else can understand. Then tragedy strikes when one of the twins is viciously murdered. The remaining twin is so traumatized, she reverts to the cryptic language she once shared with her sister. What’s more, since identical twins share identical DNA, there is no way to tell which girl was the victim. The parents believe the surviving twin is Renata and have no choice but to commit her to an institution. There she lives, incomprehensible to the rest of the world. Until the day Mark, a family friend, comes to visit and the young girl utters her first intelligible word.

From that day forward Mark spends hours with Renata at the hospital. When she finally begins to communicate again in English, she reveals virtually no memory of the past. Mark remains a strong link between Renata and her former life–a fact that drives him to a resolute sense of responsibility for the fragile girl. Brilliant and beautiful, Renata gradually reacclimates herself to the outside world. But she is far from recovered. Her nightmares grow steadily more frightful, followed by wild fits of hysteria and dark mood swings.

Meanwhile, as Seattle is plagued by a grisly serial killer, Mark has a terrifying realization: the murders coincide with Renata’s strange outbursts. Could she be the killer? Determined to dispel his suspicion, he stakes out Renata’s home. But his nocturnal vigils do nothing to ease his fears. For the unholy sight he witnesses on one of Seattle’s most bone-chilling winter nights will haunt his soul for the rest of his life. . . .

About this title

Review

Regina and Renata are truly identical twins. They are so strikingly alike, even their mother can't tell them apart. Since their DNA is identical and their infant footprint records were lost by the hospital, no one can be sure which is which. This doesn't bother the twins. In fact, they're inseparable--until one of the young women is murdered. The other has no memory of the event, no idea who she is. In her near-total amnesia, she can remember only family friend Mark, who has always been a surrogate big brother to the twins. And Mark finds himself fearing that the effects of the trauma don't end with amnesia, for now a series of vicious murders terrorizes Seattle, accompanied by the howl of wolves....

A perhaps-supernatural thriller, Regina's Song is also a novella-length idea padded to 400 pages of novel. It may please young-adult readers, but it won't satisfy many experienced thriller fans. The plot twists aren't all that numerous or complex, and the cutesy dialogue in this turn-of-the-millennium novel seems more suited to the 1950s. --Cynthia Ward

About the Author

David Eddings published his first novel, High Hunt, in 1973, before turning to the field of fantasy and The Belgariad, soon followed by The Malloreon. Born in Spokane, Washington, in 1931, and raised in the Puget Sound area north of Seattle, he received his bachelor of arts degree from Reed College in Portland, Oregon, in 1954 and a master of arts degree from the University of Washington in 1961. He has served in the United States Army, has worked as a buyer for the Boeing Company, and has been a grocery clerk and a college English teacher.

Leigh Eddings has collaborated with her husband for more than a dozen years.

David and Leigh Eddings live in the Southwest.

About this edition

• Publisher: Del Rey
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0345448987
• ISBN 13: 9780345448989
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 432