The Silent Sister

by C.L. Jennison

One brutal night. Two broken lives. Twenty years of secrets.

When ghostwriter Allie Sawyer arrives in the faded seaside town of Stonethorpe-On-Sea, she’s meant to be researching forgotten fairgrounds. But beneath the rusting rides and sea-slicked promenade lies something far more sinister: a brutal attack in 1997 that left teenage sisters Rubie and Scarlet Sanderson shattered—one scarred, the other mute.

The town whispers about what happened. About the wild Clifton boys. About the fairground workers who vanished after Halloween. But no one was ever held responsible. No one ever told the full truth.

Now, two decades later, someone’s asking questions. A mysterious man is searching for answers. A ghost from the past has returned under a new name. And Allie? She’s suppressing secrets of her own.

As buried memories rise and lies begin to unravel, the truth about that night will come to light—dark, twisted, and more explosive than anyone ever imagined. . .

A gripping psychological thriller about fractured families, buried trauma, and the revenge no one saw coming.

250 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 8, 2025

Reviews

[Diane Elizabeth Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Silent Sister is a brilliant read! We meet newly single ghost writer Allie who is visiting the coast, investigating the aftermath of a tragic, life-changing attack carried out on local twins 20 years ago.
The story illustrates  the desolate beauty of the seaside town, creating the backdrop of this unsolved historic crime.
The narrative is full of angst, ire and suspense.
The dual timeline, seamlessly written between past and present, is expertly handled, building multiple layers of intrigue with every turn of the page.
Our characters are incredibly well-defined and authentic, each carrying the weight of the town's secrets.
The plot races along at a relentless pace, ending in a totally unexpected twist that comes out of nowhere.
A perfect read if you're a fan of mysteries that delve into the human psyche.
I received an advance copy and this is my opinion.

[Dana Granville · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1997 2 of 3 triplet sisters were attacked and irrevocably their life was altered. Now, in 2017, one sister is mute and stuck at 16 years old and the other is disfigured and wishful that life could be different. Meanwhile, a ghost writer, Allie, has come to the small town where this all happened to gather information on a book she's writing and she gets kind of swept up in the mystery of the 2 girls. I figured out who people were pretty early in, but I still enjoyed the read. it was also a very quick read.

[Alison Irving · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a twisty ride this book is!
Two sisters lives were forever changed when they were sixteen and the victims of an attack from an unknown assailant. Their sister disappeared at the same time and has never been found.
Years later Allie goes to the seaside town to research the fair which used to set up for a few days each year, but was stopped after two separate brutal attacks and suspicion fell on the fairground workers.
I thought I knew where the story was going, then it was all turned on its head.
Another great book from this author.

[Eleanor Jordan O'Farrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story in this book flicks between past and present, peeling back the layers of what happened to the Sanderson sisters one Halloween night in 1997. It’s part whodunnit, part psychological unravelling. There are secrets tucked into every corner and characters you’ll be second-guessing right up to the final reveal. Dark, tense, and twisty – the kind of book you race through, muttering “just one more chapter” until it’s 2am and you’re still going.

[Jillian Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic read.
CL Jennison has crafted an amazing novel.
The Silent Sister grips you from the very first page and the whole book is full of fantastic twists & turns that keep you hooked until the very last page.
I devoured this book in days by Bloodhound and I’ll certainly be looking out for other books by CL Jennison in the future.
10 out of 10 👏👏

[Emma Langford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I preferred the second half of the book to the first. The first half gave a nice back story as to what happened back in 1997 for Rubie and Scarlet, and present day of Allie ghostwriting her latest novel. It was interesting to see the family dynamics of the siblings and the secrets kept for all those years. A nice couple of twists near the end too.

[Fizzie Heseltine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a brilliant book. Plenty of twists and turns. Just when you think that you have got the measure of the twists another curveball comes at you. But not in a frustrating way. I was disappointed when the book was over

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick to read page turner that has very relatable characters and the relationships with some twists, turns, and curve balls thrown in to keep the reader guessing and off balance. I voluntarily reviewed an advance readers copy of this book.

[Mrs lisa M Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed following the journey of writer Allie on her latest commission to Stonethorpe-on-Sea. An easy read with, very relatable sibling rivalry, love and unexpected events.

[Shaz Mcdill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good read I particularly enjoyed the second half and the few good twists thrown in at the end