Title: The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth
Publisher: St Martin’s Press
Genre: Contemporary, Domestic Thriller
Length: 320 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
Sally Hepworth, the author of The Mother-In-Law delivers a knock-out of a novel about the lies that bind two sisters in The Good Sister.
There’s only been one time that Rose couldn’t stop me from doing the wrong thing and that was a mistake that will haunt me for the rest of my life.
Fern Castle works in her local library. She has dinner with her twin sister Rose three nights a week. And she avoids crowds, bright lights and loud noises as much as possible. Fern has a carefully structured life and disrupting her routine can be…dangerous.
When Rose discovers that she cannot get pregnant, Fern sees her chance to pay her sister back for everything Rose has done for her. Fern can have a baby for Rose. She just needs to find a father. Simple.
Fern’s mission will shake the foundations of the life she has carefully built for herself and stir up dark secrets from the past, in this quirky, rich and shocking story of what families keep hidden.
Review:
The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth is mesmerizing domestic thriller.
Fern and Rose Castle are fraternal twins who are extremely close. Rose is married but her husband Owen is currently out of the country on business. Fern loves her job working in a library and she is very loyal to her sister. Fern has a sensory processing disorder, but she controls it by adhering to her routine and avoiding large crowds. After discovering Rose cannot have children, she decides to get pregnant and allow her sister to adopt her child. But after entering into a relationship with library patron Rocco aka Wally, will Fern go through with her plan?
Fern is a logical thinker who interprets comments quite literally. She also takes everything Rose tells her as the truth and never questions what her sister tells her do. So, after a lifetime of hearing she cannot raise a child, she does not believe she will have any trouble giving her baby to her sister. But will Fern be able to give up both Wally and her baby?
Wally is an American currently residing in Australia and he is now living a #vanlife. He works in IT and he is now freelancing. Wally understands Fern’s sensory processing issues since he has a milder form than she does. He finds Fern easy to be with and he enjoys her company and sense of humor. Wally views Rose’s involvement in Fern’s life much differently than she does, but will she take his advice and impressions to heart?
Rose’s chapters are in the form of diary entries that are detailed accounts of her and Fern’s dysfunctional childhood. Rose describes how her mum is always unhappy with her behavior while also showing favoritism towards Fern. She also takes sister under her wing and tries to teach her to interpret other people’s emotions and facial expressions. After learning of Fern’s pregnancy, Rose becomes a force to be reckoned with until her sister gives birth.
The Good Sister is an absolutely riveting domestic thriller. Fern is a bit eccentric, but she is funny and very much liked by her co-workers and library patrons. Wally is a good fit for Fern but he does not know if he can convince her to take a step back from her sister. Rose is an intriguing person who wants protects her sister, but can her interpretation of events be trusted? With a few shocking twists and turns, Sally Hepworth brings this spellbinding thriller to a gratifying conclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend this domestic thriller to fans of the author and the genre.
