Category Archives: The Good Sister

Review: The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth

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.

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Filed under Contemporary, Domestic Thriller, Rated B+, Review, Sally Hepworth, St Martin's Press, The Good Sister

Review: The Good Sister by Gillian McAllister

Title: The Good Sister by Gillian McAllister
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 400 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

An electrifying novel about the unyielding bond between two sisters, which is severely tested when one of them is accused of the worst imaginable crime.

Martha and Becky Blackwater are more than sisters–they’re each other’s lifelines. When Martha finds herself struggling to balance early motherhood and her growing business, Becky steps in to babysit her niece, Layla, without a second thought, bringing the two women closer than ever. But then the unthinkable happens, and Becky is charged with murder.

Nine months later, Becky is on trial and maintains her innocence–and so does Martha. Unable to shake the feeling that her sister couldn’t possibly be guilty, Martha sets out to uncover exactly what happened that night, and how things could have gone so wrong. As the trial progresses, fault lines between the sisters begin to show–revealing cracks deep in their relationship and threatening the family each has worked so hard to build. With incredible empathy and resounding emotional heft, The Good Sister is a powerhouse of a novel that will lead readers to question everything they know about motherhood, family, and the price of forgiveness.

Review:

The Good Sister by Gillian McAllister is a poignant yet suspense-laden courtroom mystery.

Sisters Becky and Martha Blackwater are exceptionally close despite their different personalities and lives. Becky is separated from her husband Marc which leaves her a single mum to their nine year old son Xander.  She also hates her job which is why she is receptive to Martha’s suggestion to become a nanny for her newborn daughter, Layla. What seems like a good idea in theory quickly turns to misery for Becky since Layla cries virtually non-stop day in and day out.  When both Martha and her husband Scott are out of town on business, Layla dies whilst in Becky’s care.  Everyone initially believes the cause of death is sudden infant death syndrome, but the autopsy reveals the truth-Layla died of asphyxiation. Becky is arrested for murder and with the court case now underway, Martha still finds herself unable to believe her sister murdered her daughter. But if Becky did not kill Layla, who did?

Becky’s experience with motherhood is quite different than being nanny to her niece. Xander was a calm baby who slept for long stretches of time so she is ill-prepared for Layla’s non-stop crying.  Barely able to handle the stress of caring for her niece while Martha is in town, she is pushed to the breaking point when Scott extends his business trip by another day. Becky has always maintained her innocence but the courtroom testimony from friends, neighbors and the medical community is damning.

Martha vacillates back and forth between believing her sister is guilty of killing Layla.  She is hard-pressed to fully accept Becky murdered her daughter but some of the witness testimony leaves her second-guessing her sister. Throughout the weeklong court case, Martha attempts to figure out an alternate suspect for her daughter’s death. But by Becky’s own admission, she is the only person who was at home when Layla died. Is it possible her sister is lying to protect someone else?

With chapters alternating between various points of view, The Good Sister is an absolutely enthralling mystery. The family dynamic is fascinating to watch as the sisters’ parents and brother deftly balance their support for both women. Becky’s and Martha’s lives are tightly intertwined which makes Martha’s struggle to believe in her sister’s guilt believable. Gillian McAllister brilliantly leaves Becky’s fate hanging in the balance until a very shocking courtroom scene. An outstanding mystery that fans of the genre are going to positively love.

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Filed under Contemporary, Gillian McAllister, GP Putnams Sons, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, The Good Sister