Possession by A.S. Byatt

Roland Michell stumbles upon drafts of what appears to be love letters written by the prominent poet Randolph Henry Ash to an unnamed someone. Intrigued, he searches for any documentation that could shed light on the possible recipient of the said missives. He comes across the name Christabel LaMotte, a distinguished scholar herself, admired by feminists. In his desire to learn more about the woman, he solicits the help of LaMotte scholar, Maud Bailey. Together, they discover the tie that binds Ash and LaMotte and the influence each had on the other's masterpieces, Bailey's true identity, and the beginning of their own romance.
The story itself is captivating; look beyond the romance and one is confronted with modern-day issues set in 18th century Europe. The inclusion of the full texts of the poems mentioned in the story is a delightful trimming on the cake. Poem enthusiasts are going to love this book. I particularly found the last chapter sad...but sweet.

Mr. Murder by Dean Koontz

Martin Stillwater, or Marty, is quite sure he had a rather violent encounter with someone who looked and sounded like him. As if that isn't troubling enough, The Other even claims that Marty stole his life, his wife and his children. The police wouldn't believe Marty; with a doubt bordering close to skepticism, they entertain the thought that Martin Stillwater, mystery novel writer and recent People magazine feature story, is on a publicity-seeking spree. With nobody else to trust, Marty takes matters in his own hands to protect the family The Other is so bent on reclaiming.

It's a clone story, and while I'm not into the sci-fi genre when it comes to books, Mr. Murder is, surprisingly, a good read. It isn't more of the science and less of the suspense. In fact, apart from mentioning the reason for the eerie similarity between Marty and Alfie, nothing more of the science mumbo-jumbo is mentioned in the book. It's the thrill of the hide-and-seek that gets you hooked.