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Sister, Sister
From the bestselling author of The Girl Who Lied
Alice: Beautiful, kind, manipulative, liar.
Clare: Intelligent, loyal, paranoid, jealous.
Clare thinks Alice is a manipulative liar who is trying to steal her life.
Alice thinks Clare is jealous of her long-lost return and place in their family.
One of them is telling the truth. The other is a maniac. Two sisters. One truth.
Alice: Beautiful, kind, manipulative, liar.
Clare: Intelligent, loyal, paranoid, jealous.
Clare thinks Alice is a manipulative liar who is trying to steal her life.
Alice thinks Clare is jealous of her long-lost return and place in their family.
One of them is telling the truth. The other is a maniac. Two sisters. One truth.
364 pages, ebook
First published January 6, 2017
About the author
Sue Fortin
13 books544 followersWriting historical fiction as Suzanne Fortin and mystery/suspense as Sue Fortin.
Suzanne writes historical fiction, predominantly dual timeline and set in France. Her books feature courageous women in extraordinary circumstances with love and family at the heart of all the stories.
Suzanne was a bookworm as a child and this naturally progressed to wanting to write her own stories. It wasn’t until she was on maternity leave with her fourth child, that she thought it was now or never and finally managed to write a complete novel. Having joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association under their New Writers’ Scheme, writing then as Sue Fortin, she sent her manuscript off for a critique.
After another year of working on the novel, Suzanne self-published United States of Love – a contemporary romance. This was then picked up by a traditional publisher, HarperCollins and under their imprint HarperImpulse (now One More Chapter) this book was republished. Writing as Sue Fortin, another seven books in the romantic suspense genre were published with HarperCollins.
More recently, Sue has moved to writing historical fiction and publishes under the name of Suzanne Fortin, with her debut in this genre, The Forgotten Life of Arthur Pettinger released in early 2021 with Head of Zeus imprint, Aria Fiction.
A self-confessed Francophile, Suzanne has a home in the Morbihan region of France and visits as often as she can with her husband and family. The region has been a huge inspiration for Suzanne’s books and is often the backdrop to her writing.
Suzanne writes historical fiction, predominantly dual timeline and set in France. Her books feature courageous women in extraordinary circumstances with love and family at the heart of all the stories.
Suzanne was a bookworm as a child and this naturally progressed to wanting to write her own stories. It wasn’t until she was on maternity leave with her fourth child, that she thought it was now or never and finally managed to write a complete novel. Having joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association under their New Writers’ Scheme, writing then as Sue Fortin, she sent her manuscript off for a critique.
After another year of working on the novel, Suzanne self-published United States of Love – a contemporary romance. This was then picked up by a traditional publisher, HarperCollins and under their imprint HarperImpulse (now One More Chapter) this book was republished. Writing as Sue Fortin, another seven books in the romantic suspense genre were published with HarperCollins.
More recently, Sue has moved to writing historical fiction and publishes under the name of Suzanne Fortin, with her debut in this genre, The Forgotten Life of Arthur Pettinger released in early 2021 with Head of Zeus imprint, Aria Fiction.
A self-confessed Francophile, Suzanne has a home in the Morbihan region of France and visits as often as she can with her husband and family. The region has been a huge inspiration for Suzanne’s books and is often the backdrop to her writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 900 reviews
April 27, 2023
This is a really great twisty psychological thriller. The twists kept coming right to the last page. Loved that. This is an easy to love book.
The plot in this is fabulous, it's gripping and you will be well fooled by much of it. Expect the unexpected! Characters that really pop and have depth (hooray). Some you will love, some you will hate and I'd like me, you might fluctuate on that more than once.
If you want a book that's going to keep you intrigued, entertained and then suitably satisfied with great reveals then don't go past this brilliant book. You really can't beat a good psychological thriller. This is just that.
5 stars! Remember, just when you think you've got this one all worked out...well...
An ARC copy was received from the publisher. All review opinions are my own, honest and totally unbiased.
The plot in this is fabulous, it's gripping and you will be well fooled by much of it. Expect the unexpected! Characters that really pop and have depth (hooray). Some you will love, some you will hate and I'd like me, you might fluctuate on that more than once.
If you want a book that's going to keep you intrigued, entertained and then suitably satisfied with great reveals then don't go past this brilliant book. You really can't beat a good psychological thriller. This is just that.
5 stars! Remember, just when you think you've got this one all worked out...well...
An ARC copy was received from the publisher. All review opinions are my own, honest and totally unbiased.
March 20, 2023
I really enjoyed this thriller by Sue Fortin! Claire’s father took their sister away to America when they were kids and never returned, splitting their family in two. She hasn’t seen Alice since she was four years old. When they reconnect, and Alice comes to England to stay with her and her mother, Claire is excited, but as one can imagine in a thriller titled “Sister Sister” things do not go as smoothly as planned.
This one had all the usual delicious hijinks as Claire tried to suss out what was really going on, and everyone around her refused to believe her. A story that has been told many times in many versions, but no less enjoyable in this one! I loved the reveals that Sue Fortin kept coming all the way to the end.
This one had all the usual delicious hijinks as Claire tried to suss out what was really going on, and everyone around her refused to believe her. A story that has been told many times in many versions, but no less enjoyable in this one! I loved the reveals that Sue Fortin kept coming all the way to the end.
June 6, 2019
3 Stars
Told in single POV, 1st person, it’s a standalone novel. The writing was good and held my interest till the end but the plot was predictable. It’s fast-paced, an easy read and still I don’t know what to think about the ending.I'm in the minority here as you can see all the good reviews. Overall, it was an okay read and hope you enjoy it more than me!
Told in single POV, 1st person, it’s a standalone novel. The writing was good and held my interest till the end but the plot was predictable. It’s fast-paced, an easy read and still I don’t know what to think about the ending.I'm in the minority here as you can see all the good reviews. Overall, it was an okay read and hope you enjoy it more than me!
July 9, 2017
Clare and Alice, two sisters, were separated when they were young. Their dad decided to take Alice with him to America leaving behind Clare with her mom in UK. Years passed by but Clare and her mom never gave up trying to find Alice going as far as hiring a private investigator for the job. Now Clare is an attorney in a private firm with two more partners and lives with her mom, husband Luke and two daughters. This year though after her dad’s death Alice contacts her mom and Clare and wants to meet them. The much-awaited reunion though does not go as planned. Soon Clare starts feeling left out of the close bond Alice starts having with her mom and outings with Luke. Alice starts wearing clothes and her hair like Clare’s ,even befriending her friends. Clare when objects ends up sounding paranoid and jealous. Is Clare losing her mind or is there a sinister plan behind Alice seeking her mom and sister out?
This is my first book by Sue Fortin and will definitely not be my last. Even though you could see where the book was heading the reasons behind it kept me turning the pages. It is a fast-paced psychological thriller with lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing
Many thanks to HarperCollins UK, HarperImpulse , HarperImpulse & NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
This is my first book by Sue Fortin and will definitely not be my last. Even though you could see where the book was heading the reasons behind it kept me turning the pages. It is a fast-paced psychological thriller with lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing
Many thanks to HarperCollins UK, HarperImpulse , HarperImpulse & NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
January 5, 2019
"Sometimes the coldest places are not in the midst of winter, when your breath puffs white, your feet are numb from the cold and your fingers are stiff and frozen. Sometimes the coldest places are in the warmth of your own home, surrounded by your family."
Sister Sister by Sue Fortin is a gripping page-turner of a novel that'll leave you craving for more.
I picked up this book impulsively and having nothing better to read in the first week of the year, I decided to go for it. I was hoping to fill up my entire lazy week with this book as I was on a vacation on a beautiful hill-station, but when I started reading this book, all hell broke lose and I was up in the night at 4 o clock trying to read the book and finish it as soon as I could.
The best part about this book is the pacing. The book was proceeding with a blinding speed and I started to feel really anxious whenever the lead character was faced with a dicey situation.
The characterization is beautifully real. I could totally relate to the main character, though at some places she behaved rash considering that she was a lawyer by profession, but I still understood as behaving with a calm mind in every situation is almost always next to impossible for impatient people. I loved how beautifully the relationship between the lead couple was shown and how over the period of time it was shown getting weak by the chapter due to the situations and "incidents."
"Sometimes the darkest places are not in the pitch black of the night, when the moon is clouded over. Or when you close your eyes and track the sparks of colour dancing behind your eyelids. Sometimes the darkest places are when your eyes are wide open. When the sun shines brightly and the dust motes float int he beams of light"
The beginning was good and I was pulled into the story from the starting page itself. The ending was perfect and even though it was predictable, the pacing and the tension buildup totally made up for it.
The writing style of the author is brilliant and it made this fun a really memorable experience. I still can't get the story out of my mind. This was my first book by author Sue Fortin, but I'm sure I'll be buying her other books soon as I absolutely loved her writing style.
I'd recommend this book not only to all the mystery and thriller lovers but also to anyone who wants to read a nice book with strong characters and a powerful story.
You can also read this review at The Reading Bud.
Sister Sister by Sue Fortin is a gripping page-turner of a novel that'll leave you craving for more.
I picked up this book impulsively and having nothing better to read in the first week of the year, I decided to go for it. I was hoping to fill up my entire lazy week with this book as I was on a vacation on a beautiful hill-station, but when I started reading this book, all hell broke lose and I was up in the night at 4 o clock trying to read the book and finish it as soon as I could.
The best part about this book is the pacing. The book was proceeding with a blinding speed and I started to feel really anxious whenever the lead character was faced with a dicey situation.
The characterization is beautifully real. I could totally relate to the main character, though at some places she behaved rash considering that she was a lawyer by profession, but I still understood as behaving with a calm mind in every situation is almost always next to impossible for impatient people. I loved how beautifully the relationship between the lead couple was shown and how over the period of time it was shown getting weak by the chapter due to the situations and "incidents."
"Sometimes the darkest places are not in the pitch black of the night, when the moon is clouded over. Or when you close your eyes and track the sparks of colour dancing behind your eyelids. Sometimes the darkest places are when your eyes are wide open. When the sun shines brightly and the dust motes float int he beams of light"
The beginning was good and I was pulled into the story from the starting page itself. The ending was perfect and even though it was predictable, the pacing and the tension buildup totally made up for it.
The writing style of the author is brilliant and it made this fun a really memorable experience. I still can't get the story out of my mind. This was my first book by author Sue Fortin, but I'm sure I'll be buying her other books soon as I absolutely loved her writing style.
I'd recommend this book not only to all the mystery and thriller lovers but also to anyone who wants to read a nice book with strong characters and a powerful story.
You can also read this review at The Reading Bud.
January 8, 2017
I can already tell this is going to be a strong contender for my book of the year. The opening scene sets the scene - with the main narrator in hospital for an unknown reason, sending out little hints that all may not be what it seems.
The blurb suggests that 2 sisters who are reunited after over 20 years apart have many issues to deal with. Who is paranoid and who is hiding something? Just what lengths will they go to to protect themselves and what are we about to discover?
With Claire starting the book in hospital we begin to wonder whether her paranoia has tipped her over the edge. But is Alice all she seems? Is Alice trying to destroy Claire's family and take her place?
I was trying to second guess the story all the way through and it had me gripped throughout. It must be awful to be separated from a family member in childhood and this book shows how it can affect everyone involved. The Mum in the book has never got over the pain- and the reunion has put the sparkle back into her eyes.
I really would highly recommend this book and would like to thank Net Galley for the opportunity to discover Sue's books. I just know she's going to join my list of favourite authors and already had a couple more books lined up to read.
The blurb suggests that 2 sisters who are reunited after over 20 years apart have many issues to deal with. Who is paranoid and who is hiding something? Just what lengths will they go to to protect themselves and what are we about to discover?
With Claire starting the book in hospital we begin to wonder whether her paranoia has tipped her over the edge. But is Alice all she seems? Is Alice trying to destroy Claire's family and take her place?
I was trying to second guess the story all the way through and it had me gripped throughout. It must be awful to be separated from a family member in childhood and this book shows how it can affect everyone involved. The Mum in the book has never got over the pain- and the reunion has put the sparkle back into her eyes.
I really would highly recommend this book and would like to thank Net Galley for the opportunity to discover Sue's books. I just know she's going to join my list of favourite authors and already had a couple more books lined up to read.
June 30, 2020
Quick and easy read, but completely predictable and basic. Didn't really care much for any of the characters, and I kind of hated her husband. He was really quick to turn on his wife.
Still, it was enjoyable enough. 3 stars
Still, it was enjoyable enough. 3 stars
January 5, 2017
I enjoyed this psychological thriller thoroughly and read it fast, it has an addictive pace and an interesting theme - long lost sister returns home and ends up completely mucking up the family dynamic. Are there more nefarious plans afoot? Finding out makes for a fun read.
I did have a few bugbears - first Clare, in my opinion, over reacted to small things way too early, it was almost LOOK LOOK SOMETHING IS GOING ON before anything really WAS going on. It felt a little unlikely especially given how her character is set up - a bit of a plot device maybe to ensure nobody listened to her later? Also I did find it very predictable in its twists, there were no surprises at all I had it pegged from very early.
But you know, those things are things that come when you read widely in one genre and Sue Fortin has a lovely touch to her writing that keeps the story addictive anyway - of course there was always the possibility that I was wrong you never know with these sneaky author types so on I went, it was still compelling and intriguing and the resolution was solid.
Overall a good example of its kind. Readers who love these twisty tales with unreliable narrators and sudden what the heck moments will love this. The Sisters have it this year it seems.
I did have a few bugbears - first Clare, in my opinion, over reacted to small things way too early, it was almost LOOK LOOK SOMETHING IS GOING ON before anything really WAS going on. It felt a little unlikely especially given how her character is set up - a bit of a plot device maybe to ensure nobody listened to her later? Also I did find it very predictable in its twists, there were no surprises at all I had it pegged from very early.
But you know, those things are things that come when you read widely in one genre and Sue Fortin has a lovely touch to her writing that keeps the story addictive anyway - of course there was always the possibility that I was wrong you never know with these sneaky author types so on I went, it was still compelling and intriguing and the resolution was solid.
Overall a good example of its kind. Readers who love these twisty tales with unreliable narrators and sudden what the heck moments will love this. The Sisters have it this year it seems.
June 12, 2017
So much potential, thrown away because the author decided to turn the heroine into a complete moron 70% of the way through the book. Clare is a married solicitor who lives with her husband, two young daughters, and Mom in the home she grew up in. Pretty happy life, except for one thing, when she was little, her Dad took her younger sister Alice away to America for good, against the will of the Mom, and, after years of searching, Clare and her Mom finally hear from Alice, and the family is quickly reunited. But, of course, all is not what it seems.
Here's the thing, the mystery here isn't that hard to figure out, it's actually pretty basic Lifetime movie plot. However, I think the author did a good enough job building the story and characters in a way that made me want to continue reading, to see the story carried out to the end. While not a page-turner, I genuinely was interested to see the plot fully realized, and enjoyed reading it....
Until about 70% of the way in, where Clare turns into an imbecile. I'll get more specific below, but let's just say, Clare is supposed to be a smart lawyer, yet she had multiple opportunities to gather solid proof to prove her case, but instead goes about asking questions, while overlooking the most obvious things. Long analogy here, but it's like in the movies/TV when someone finds out a secret, and in the process of trying to tell that secret to someone else who doesn't want to hear it, they decide, instead of just blurting out what they know like a normal person, to waste time arguing w/the other person that they have something really important to say, and just keep repeating that, pleading to be listened to while the other person refuses to listen, leaving without ever hearing the big news. All the time you, the frustrated viewer, are screaming at the screen, "Just friggin say it!" But of course, they never do, because it's a cheap plot device to drag out the secret and build tension. Those are Clare's actions (or inactions) the last 25% to 30% of this book. A cheap plot device.
Plus, if I'm really honest, she was starting to get on my nerves before then for how she responded to her husband, Mom, friends, boss, and Alice. She behaved like an overly emotional child instead of the rational thinker she should be in her line of business. And why do people in books so easily doubt themselves? Sorry, but pretty sure I'd remember committing a very violent act. You'd have to be pretty insecure to be so easily convinced against yourself, no matter how emotional you are. And don't get me started on her husband. All marriages are based on trust, for him to turn on her so quickly and thoroughly, especially after being skeptical initially...I would have thrown his butt to the curb. Her ready forgiveness, to me, made her look even more dumb. At least make him grovel.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS
Here are my big gripes with this book:
- again, she lets her family, boss, friends walk all over her. Stand up for yourself. How do you let your husband convince you that you violently attacked a painting, or think you made things up you KNOW you saw? I can be convinced, in my stress, that I forgot to send an email I thought I did, or pick something up from the grocery store I swear I did. But knife a painting???
- she's a lawyer who doesn't know how to build a case or properly collect evidence. She writes down a list of questions, but instead of meticulously gathering proof just yells out random accusations, even though it was so easy to gather obvious evidence. She put herself in a position to let Alice get the better of her. She was too easily manipulated.
-Trip to America: she was already suspicious of the picture due to the clock (and sorry, but dyslexia explained for mixing up an image? Maybe I'm uneducated, but red flag,) yet it never occurs to her to show the picture to the neighbor, waitress, or Roma? She never asks Roma about the dyslexia? She doesn't share her suspicions with the woman who could be her witness that Alice was not who she said she was? She had three people who KNEW Alice and/or Martha, but doesn't ask them to back her up?
-Luke: so she lost her evidence, but, again, hello, tell them to call Roma or the neighbor. What about the eye color. She could have told Luke, in a rational way, what she learned, but she behaves so irrationally, pleading with him not to leave. Plot device.
-Tom: seriously never occurred to her she was drugged in college? 3-day "hangover?"
-The cliche plot device where the main character decides to confront the bad guy at a time/place that leaves them completely vulnerable. Why, when he went to get the wine, and she heard the first 30 seconds on the call, did she not just grab it & run, before he got back?
-the nudes pics: what was the point of those? And her 1st thought when she sees Leonard is to worry about him seeing the pics? Huh? How about being rescued???
-There's more, but you get the point. If Clare had been written better, this could have been 4 stars...
Here's the thing, the mystery here isn't that hard to figure out, it's actually pretty basic Lifetime movie plot. However, I think the author did a good enough job building the story and characters in a way that made me want to continue reading, to see the story carried out to the end. While not a page-turner, I genuinely was interested to see the plot fully realized, and enjoyed reading it....
Until about 70% of the way in, where Clare turns into an imbecile. I'll get more specific below, but let's just say, Clare is supposed to be a smart lawyer, yet she had multiple opportunities to gather solid proof to prove her case, but instead goes about asking questions, while overlooking the most obvious things. Long analogy here, but it's like in the movies/TV when someone finds out a secret, and in the process of trying to tell that secret to someone else who doesn't want to hear it, they decide, instead of just blurting out what they know like a normal person, to waste time arguing w/the other person that they have something really important to say, and just keep repeating that, pleading to be listened to while the other person refuses to listen, leaving without ever hearing the big news. All the time you, the frustrated viewer, are screaming at the screen, "Just friggin say it!" But of course, they never do, because it's a cheap plot device to drag out the secret and build tension. Those are Clare's actions (or inactions) the last 25% to 30% of this book. A cheap plot device.
Plus, if I'm really honest, she was starting to get on my nerves before then for how she responded to her husband, Mom, friends, boss, and Alice. She behaved like an overly emotional child instead of the rational thinker she should be in her line of business. And why do people in books so easily doubt themselves? Sorry, but pretty sure I'd remember committing a very violent act. You'd have to be pretty insecure to be so easily convinced against yourself, no matter how emotional you are. And don't get me started on her husband. All marriages are based on trust, for him to turn on her so quickly and thoroughly, especially after being skeptical initially...I would have thrown his butt to the curb. Her ready forgiveness, to me, made her look even more dumb. At least make him grovel.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS
Here are my big gripes with this book:
- again, she lets her family, boss, friends walk all over her. Stand up for yourself. How do you let your husband convince you that you violently attacked a painting, or think you made things up you KNOW you saw? I can be convinced, in my stress, that I forgot to send an email I thought I did, or pick something up from the grocery store I swear I did. But knife a painting???
- she's a lawyer who doesn't know how to build a case or properly collect evidence. She writes down a list of questions, but instead of meticulously gathering proof just yells out random accusations, even though it was so easy to gather obvious evidence. She put herself in a position to let Alice get the better of her. She was too easily manipulated.
-Trip to America: she was already suspicious of the picture due to the clock (and sorry, but dyslexia explained for mixing up an image? Maybe I'm uneducated, but red flag,) yet it never occurs to her to show the picture to the neighbor, waitress, or Roma? She never asks Roma about the dyslexia? She doesn't share her suspicions with the woman who could be her witness that Alice was not who she said she was? She had three people who KNEW Alice and/or Martha, but doesn't ask them to back her up?
-Luke: so she lost her evidence, but, again, hello, tell them to call Roma or the neighbor. What about the eye color. She could have told Luke, in a rational way, what she learned, but she behaves so irrationally, pleading with him not to leave. Plot device.
-Tom: seriously never occurred to her she was drugged in college? 3-day "hangover?"
-The cliche plot device where the main character decides to confront the bad guy at a time/place that leaves them completely vulnerable. Why, when he went to get the wine, and she heard the first 30 seconds on the call, did she not just grab it & run, before he got back?
-the nudes pics: what was the point of those? And her 1st thought when she sees Leonard is to worry about him seeing the pics? Huh? How about being rescued???
-There's more, but you get the point. If Clare had been written better, this could have been 4 stars...
February 3, 2017
I have read two other books written by Sue Fortin and thoroughly enjoy her writing style. I love how her mind works as she tackles whatever subject she is writing about, I know I'm in for a good read once I start the first page right until the end.
This has been an anticipated read for me so I'm glad that Harper Collins allowed me to read this via Net Galley.
Two sisters.
But something happened to separate them.
The one left always missed her sister. But now she's married with kids of her own. All living in one big house along with her Mother.
Unexpected events happen.
Although I guessed the twists (yes....Twists...plural) I still wasn't absolutely sure until the end. But that didn't matter because you had to carry on reading to find out the where's and the why for's.
I would purchase this book for anyone who likes a good psychological thriller that's mixed in with family drama.
Loved it.
February 6, 2017
I've read too many similar books and even seen a movie or two with the same plot. Claire acted brainless and I wouldn't have had her pegged as a solicitor if I didn't read that she was. Most of the book was slightly unbelievable. Claire's actions, the families disbelief and many other things. I knew what was going to happen within the first 5 chapters or so. The pace was decent until the middle where I was bored for a few chapters before improving. It ended up being an okay read.
I received a copy from Edelweiss and the publisher for my honest opinion.
I received a copy from Edelweiss and the publisher for my honest opinion.
February 6, 2017
All of my reviews can be found on www.novelgossip.com
Wow what a ride this book was! It had all the elements necessary to create a top notch psychological thriller; family secrets and betrayals, drama, intrigue, twists and turns galore, and a sense of paranoia throughout leaving you unsure who to trust.
Clare and Alice are sisters who were separated when they were very young. For twenty years, Clare and her mother have tried to find Alice and reunite their family. Their dreams have finally come true and Alice is home at last. But the happy family reunion that Clare has always imagined isn’t the reality. Something is off with Alice, Clare can sense it, but no one believes her and labels her as jealous and insecure. Desperate to find out what’s really going on with her sister, she begins digging into Alice’s life but the consequences of these actions will be earth shattering for her.
Clare narrates the entire story and at first, I really liked her and so wanted her to reconnect with Alice. As things progress Clare becomes paranoid and starts behaving erratically and I had no idea if I could believe what she said or not. Was she a completely unreliable narrator? Or were there parts of her story that were actually true? I love not being able to pinpoint who I can trust in a psychological thriller and I especially love the extra layer of tension and dread this tactic adds.
There was a constant build up of the tension as Clare becomes more irrational the deeper she digs into her sisters past and everything comes to a head in an exciting conclusion that I didn’t even come close to guessing. I made several predictions while reading this and I was wrong about every single one. I love being dead wrong and that feeling of shock and awe happened to me more times than I can count here. This was a really strong psychological thriller that’s guaranteed to delight fans of the genre.
Wow what a ride this book was! It had all the elements necessary to create a top notch psychological thriller; family secrets and betrayals, drama, intrigue, twists and turns galore, and a sense of paranoia throughout leaving you unsure who to trust.
Clare and Alice are sisters who were separated when they were very young. For twenty years, Clare and her mother have tried to find Alice and reunite their family. Their dreams have finally come true and Alice is home at last. But the happy family reunion that Clare has always imagined isn’t the reality. Something is off with Alice, Clare can sense it, but no one believes her and labels her as jealous and insecure. Desperate to find out what’s really going on with her sister, she begins digging into Alice’s life but the consequences of these actions will be earth shattering for her.
Clare narrates the entire story and at first, I really liked her and so wanted her to reconnect with Alice. As things progress Clare becomes paranoid and starts behaving erratically and I had no idea if I could believe what she said or not. Was she a completely unreliable narrator? Or were there parts of her story that were actually true? I love not being able to pinpoint who I can trust in a psychological thriller and I especially love the extra layer of tension and dread this tactic adds.
There was a constant build up of the tension as Clare becomes more irrational the deeper she digs into her sisters past and everything comes to a head in an exciting conclusion that I didn’t even come close to guessing. I made several predictions while reading this and I was wrong about every single one. I love being dead wrong and that feeling of shock and awe happened to me more times than I can count here. This was a really strong psychological thriller that’s guaranteed to delight fans of the genre.
September 7, 2017
This book grabbed me from page 1 and kept me very interested until the very end. I did figure out parts of the book until the very end and then I saw “WOW. I did not see that coming!” and I would've finished it in 1 day but there's something that got in the way called "SLEEP" and I had to put off the end until this morning. LOL It was a very fast read for me since I could not put it down!
August 11, 2019
Me ha gustado mucho. Mantiene la tensión hasta el final y aunque he adivinado una parte del misterio, sí que me he llevado alguna que otra sorpresa. Sin duda, seguiré leyendo lo que esta autora publique.
April 20, 2017
Sister Sister is the best book by Sue Fortin that I have read. I very highly recommend this novel to all crime fans. Two sisters completely different. Alice is beautiful, kind manipulative liar. Claire Tennision a solicitor is intelligent loyal, paranoid, jealous. As a child Alice is taken by her father on holiday to America and both never come home they stay in America. Years later Alice makes contact and returns home to the UK. Claire who is married with two girls lives with her mother. When Alice returns home tensions builds up between Claire and Alice. When Claire tries to tell her family about her suspicions about Alice no one listens. Through out this nail biting crime story there are two sisters, but only one truth.
March 15, 2017
An enjoyable, page turning psychological thriller of the domestic variety. When Clare's long lost sister Alice suddenly appears back to within the family fold, initially all seems well as Clare and her husband Luke her mother and her two young daughters delight in her return. But when Alice begins acting odd, Clare begins to suspect that she isn't all she seems.
I found the authors writing to be easy on the mind yet it kept me intrigued from start to finish. There were some clever twists and although I found some parts a little predictable, overall I did enjoy the book. I will continue to read this author and recommend it to friends who are fans of decent thrillers.
I found the authors writing to be easy on the mind yet it kept me intrigued from start to finish. There were some clever twists and although I found some parts a little predictable, overall I did enjoy the book. I will continue to read this author and recommend it to friends who are fans of decent thrillers.
December 22, 2018
This one was not too good. Umm.... yeah.
Admittedly for a fair part of the novel, I resorted to skimming just to get it over with. I really could especially with the plot, character and even the writing style.
It would really help if there was a little more indication when there was a scene change, maybe a little block setting, so I know how she teleported.
The main character was hypocritical, not the worst thing, depending on the plot and book it could be totally fine. But not with this book. She kissed her ex, then gets mad at her husband after seeing a photo, just a photo (which could have been photoshopped, doesn't matter) kissing her sister. I don't know which of the two crimes is worse, kissing your ex, or kissing your sister in law, but in any case she was a little difficult to like.
Plus, she was by no means the strong female character, and at this point it really shouldn't be a problem for me. But I just couldn't get through her paranoia not to mention her in the center of attention approach, (that's the feel I got while reading this novel). She often spent her work days talking about her family situation to her heart's content. Not much work was getting done.
I think what also kinda pissed me off was how outright paranoid she was. You've been looking for your sister all this time, yet the minute she comes you suspect her of trying to steal your family from you. It's one thing to be paranoid, but another start yelling off accusations with no evidence. She's a solicitor, she should KNOW better.
And I apologize to Fortin for this criticism. This book didn't end up being for me, even just because of the nature of the novel. I had a feeling about the way the plot was going to move, and when it did I didn't quite like it.
However, I did enjoy the plot when the twists started to come and we got the character background. But it all came a little too late, and I found myself waiting to find out where the scene at the beginning of the novel came from.
Admittedly for a fair part of the novel, I resorted to skimming just to get it over with. I really could especially with the plot, character and even the writing style.
It would really help if there was a little more indication when there was a scene change, maybe a little block setting, so I know how she teleported.
The main character was hypocritical, not the worst thing, depending on the plot and book it could be totally fine. But not with this book. She kissed her ex, then gets mad at her husband after seeing a photo, just a photo (which could have been photoshopped, doesn't matter) kissing her sister. I don't know which of the two crimes is worse, kissing your ex, or kissing your sister in law, but in any case she was a little difficult to like.
Plus, she was by no means the strong female character, and at this point it really shouldn't be a problem for me. But I just couldn't get through her paranoia not to mention her in the center of attention approach, (that's the feel I got while reading this novel). She often spent her work days talking about her family situation to her heart's content. Not much work was getting done.
I think what also kinda pissed me off was how outright paranoid she was. You've been looking for your sister all this time, yet the minute she comes you suspect her of trying to steal your family from you. It's one thing to be paranoid, but another start yelling off accusations with no evidence. She's a solicitor, she should KNOW better.
And I apologize to Fortin for this criticism. This book didn't end up being for me, even just because of the nature of the novel. I had a feeling about the way the plot was going to move, and when it did I didn't quite like it.
However, I did enjoy the plot when the twists started to come and we got the character background. But it all came a little too late, and I found myself waiting to find out where the scene at the beginning of the novel came from.
February 23, 2017
I really Liked the writing style of this author.
An easy read with enough drama to keep you reading and guessing.
A husband leaves his wife and takes one of his daughters with him to America to start a new life.
Twenty years later the sister returns(Alice), the other sister Clair doesn't have a good feeling about her from the start alice makes clair look bad all the time is Alice trying to alienate Clair from her family?
A good twist at the end.
Thank you netgalley the Author and Publisher for a free copy to review.
An easy read with enough drama to keep you reading and guessing.
A husband leaves his wife and takes one of his daughters with him to America to start a new life.
Twenty years later the sister returns(Alice), the other sister Clair doesn't have a good feeling about her from the start alice makes clair look bad all the time is Alice trying to alienate Clair from her family?
A good twist at the end.
Thank you netgalley the Author and Publisher for a free copy to review.
April 24, 2017
This one was just an OK read for me. It was pretty predictable and I found myself skimming parts of it. I'll never understand how a family doesn't do DNA testing on a person who shows up after YEARS of not being around. Especially when that person was a little kid when they disappeared. Is it really that unreasonable to ask just to avoid fraud? At any rate. There were a couple of surprises, but the book overall dragged for me.
September 28, 2017
not at all what i expected.... but in a good way! great book
June 16, 2019
This was a first for me, the book was slow but I had to read it to find out what was going to happen in the end. I have never read Fortin before, I will try her again soon.
January 3, 2017
I'm sitting here gobsmacked at what occurred in Sister Sister. It starts as a rather nice story, about a family who have always been splintered, and developed into a far more sinister storyline, complete with betrayal and secrets.
Claire and Alice had been separated as young children, when their father took Alice on a long holiday to America and never came back, splitting the family. As Claire grew up and became a solicitor she was able to afford to high private detectives, but they never found Alice. Suddenly this year though, Alice makes contact with her mum, and shortly afterwards she is back in the family house, and everyone is making up for lost time trying to reconnect.
However Claire can't really feel much for Alice, and despite being happy her sister is home, also suspects something is fishy, but the way everything is presented, the rest of her family think she is going mad.
The question I had to ask was whether I was reading a story with an unreliable narrator, or was everything that I was seeing true fact, and that Alice was the one making things up. There were points during the story where both of these possibilities seemed equally true, all the while I was gripped by what has occurring and had to keep reading to find out, just how the events in the first chapter really came about.
At points during the book I genuinely did feel that Claire may be on the brink of a breakdown, but at the same time everything she was saying seemed quite believable. Other times, I was curious to know more about the sister that had returned. I also quite liked Claire's husband Luke and his reactions to the circumstance seemed initially logical but then he seemed quite keen to believe his wife was not quite coping, while seemingly getting closer to the other sister.
The whole story developed until it was caught up in a thrilling finale, where I really couldn't have predicted the final outcome. maybe I am just too trusting of facts at face value! There is a lot of action in this book, and I think the story definitely got under my skin a bit. It definitely had me thinking how I would feel if a sister returned after such a long absence.
There are many revelations in the book, and most of them seemed quite unexpected when I first read them, but thinking back afterwards they are the sorts that make a lot of sense, what you think them through, and I was wondering why I hadn't thought like that myself.
Sister Sister, is a another top quality story from Sue Fortin, an author who is becoming reliable for producing books with lots of drama, suspense, relatable to characters and a romantic element to them too.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Harper Impulse for this copy of the book which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
Claire and Alice had been separated as young children, when their father took Alice on a long holiday to America and never came back, splitting the family. As Claire grew up and became a solicitor she was able to afford to high private detectives, but they never found Alice. Suddenly this year though, Alice makes contact with her mum, and shortly afterwards she is back in the family house, and everyone is making up for lost time trying to reconnect.
However Claire can't really feel much for Alice, and despite being happy her sister is home, also suspects something is fishy, but the way everything is presented, the rest of her family think she is going mad.
The question I had to ask was whether I was reading a story with an unreliable narrator, or was everything that I was seeing true fact, and that Alice was the one making things up. There were points during the story where both of these possibilities seemed equally true, all the while I was gripped by what has occurring and had to keep reading to find out, just how the events in the first chapter really came about.
At points during the book I genuinely did feel that Claire may be on the brink of a breakdown, but at the same time everything she was saying seemed quite believable. Other times, I was curious to know more about the sister that had returned. I also quite liked Claire's husband Luke and his reactions to the circumstance seemed initially logical but then he seemed quite keen to believe his wife was not quite coping, while seemingly getting closer to the other sister.
The whole story developed until it was caught up in a thrilling finale, where I really couldn't have predicted the final outcome. maybe I am just too trusting of facts at face value! There is a lot of action in this book, and I think the story definitely got under my skin a bit. It definitely had me thinking how I would feel if a sister returned after such a long absence.
There are many revelations in the book, and most of them seemed quite unexpected when I first read them, but thinking back afterwards they are the sorts that make a lot of sense, what you think them through, and I was wondering why I hadn't thought like that myself.
Sister Sister, is a another top quality story from Sue Fortin, an author who is becoming reliable for producing books with lots of drama, suspense, relatable to characters and a romantic element to them too.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Harper Impulse for this copy of the book which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
May 8, 2020
4,5⭐️
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Al principio pensé que el libro trataba de dos hermanas pequeñas por la portada, pero nada que ver. Las protagonistas son adultas, las separaron cuando eran unas niñas, Clare se quedó con su madre y Alice se fue de viaje con su padre en América pero nunca regresaron. Clare y su madre intentaron localizar a Alice pero nunca lo consiguieron. Ahora es Alice quien las ha encontrado , pero Clare ve algo en ella que no es de fiar.
Me ha gustado mucho la historia, me sorprendió porque no fue lo que esperaba encontrar. No pierde ritmo, te hace sufrir y que creas mil hipótesis de lo que puede estar pasando.
Aunque yo imaginé lo que ocurría, el libro consiguió engancharme hasta el final. Hay cosas que se quedan sin resolver y me hubiera gustado que se explicase algo más... pero en general ha sido un thriller genial, que ha conseguido cumplir con mis expectativas.
Es un thriller que tiene todos los ingredientes para ser de los buenos, celos, secretos familiares, desconfianza, venganza... Lo recomiendo mucho.
.
Al principio pensé que el libro trataba de dos hermanas pequeñas por la portada, pero nada que ver. Las protagonistas son adultas, las separaron cuando eran unas niñas, Clare se quedó con su madre y Alice se fue de viaje con su padre en América pero nunca regresaron. Clare y su madre intentaron localizar a Alice pero nunca lo consiguieron. Ahora es Alice quien las ha encontrado , pero Clare ve algo en ella que no es de fiar.
Me ha gustado mucho la historia, me sorprendió porque no fue lo que esperaba encontrar. No pierde ritmo, te hace sufrir y que creas mil hipótesis de lo que puede estar pasando.
Aunque yo imaginé lo que ocurría, el libro consiguió engancharme hasta el final. Hay cosas que se quedan sin resolver y me hubiera gustado que se explicase algo más... pero en general ha sido un thriller genial, que ha conseguido cumplir con mis expectativas.
Es un thriller que tiene todos los ingredientes para ser de los buenos, celos, secretos familiares, desconfianza, venganza... Lo recomiendo mucho.
September 12, 2017
This confused me. Every time I updated it on my kindle the title changed to cuckoo although. My front cover said sister sister.
Anyway.
This was a good and easy read, but I did guess (most of) it from the beginning and was getting a little frustrated with the characters. Like really guys?! But they did throw in a few extra little plot lines. It also ended well, a little cliff hanger but not enough for me to be massively frustrated that I even read the book.
Worth a read.
Anyway.
This was a good and easy read, but I did guess (most of) it from the beginning and was getting a little frustrated with the characters. Like really guys?! But they did throw in a few extra little plot lines. It also ended well, a little cliff hanger but not enough for me to be massively frustrated that I even read the book.
Worth a read.
April 27, 2018
"Remember, Clare, your family is my family"
'Sister Sister' was my first ever Sue Fortin novel and I have to say I loved it
this book made me feel the emotions that Clare the MC was feeling, it was like I was in her shoes.
The book starts with Clare being in the hospital and her husband Luke is there with her, she's not fully conscious so when the police come to ask a few questions Luke ends up answering some instead.
Skip a few pages and the book takes place 6 weeks before the accident. You find out that Clare had a younger sister called Alice but she was taken by their father to America and they never returned.
Clare lives with her mother, her husband Luke and their two daughters; Hannah and Chloe in the Uk.
One day they get a letter from Alice and their lives change forever.
I really enjoyed the plot of this book, it took turns that I didn't see coming and it had me trying to figure out along side Clare what was going on with Alice. I felt anger, jealousy, sadness and happiness. You really feel how Clare feels in some of the situations and thats what I love about this book it's that it can make you feel
I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, the way Alice was written it made me want to slap her silly for some of the things she did and I feel like that's what Fortin was going for. Clare herself was a strong, smart woman and her jealousy and anger did make her lose control sometimes but that's what made me relate to her as I would probably be the same in her situations. Luke and her mother annoyed me alot of the time as they never believed Clare with what she was saying, it was making me frustrated because as the reader you know Clare isn't crazy.
I did see some of the twists coming which was made up for twists I didn't see coming, which is what makes this book enjoyable, I think most people won't predict all the twists so it will make the book more thrilling for everyone.
Overall this book was great I read it in one sitting and was up till 3am finishing it, so that's a good sign in itself. This book is a page turner and you won't want to put it down so if you enjoy the thriller genre then I highly recommend this book.
'Sister Sister' was my first ever Sue Fortin novel and I have to say I loved it
this book made me feel the emotions that Clare the MC was feeling, it was like I was in her shoes.
The book starts with Clare being in the hospital and her husband Luke is there with her, she's not fully conscious so when the police come to ask a few questions Luke ends up answering some instead.
Skip a few pages and the book takes place 6 weeks before the accident. You find out that Clare had a younger sister called Alice but she was taken by their father to America and they never returned.
Clare lives with her mother, her husband Luke and their two daughters; Hannah and Chloe in the Uk.
One day they get a letter from Alice and their lives change forever.
I really enjoyed the plot of this book, it took turns that I didn't see coming and it had me trying to figure out along side Clare what was going on with Alice. I felt anger, jealousy, sadness and happiness. You really feel how Clare feels in some of the situations and thats what I love about this book it's that it can make you feel
I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, the way Alice was written it made me want to slap her silly for some of the things she did and I feel like that's what Fortin was going for. Clare herself was a strong, smart woman and her jealousy and anger did make her lose control sometimes but that's what made me relate to her as I would probably be the same in her situations. Luke and her mother annoyed me alot of the time as they never believed Clare with what she was saying, it was making me frustrated because as the reader you know Clare isn't crazy.
I did see some of the twists coming which was made up for twists I didn't see coming, which is what makes this book enjoyable, I think most people won't predict all the twists so it will make the book more thrilling for everyone.
Overall this book was great I read it in one sitting and was up till 3am finishing it, so that's a good sign in itself. This book is a page turner and you won't want to put it down so if you enjoy the thriller genre then I highly recommend this book.
December 11, 2018
** Spoiler Alert **
This is one of those books that is incredibly frustrating because everything is so glaringly obvious, yet you can't stop reading because you want to get to the part where the mega bitch gets her comeuppance. Let's think here: a long lost sister makes contact after two decades and nobody bothers to Google her? A sizable inheritance appears to be a stake, but nobody bothers to verify her identity? I'm able to figure out Alice isn't Alice in a few chapters, but it doesn't dawn on our heroine until 70% into the book?! From the first few pages, anyone with half a brain would at least consider the possibility that Daddy only took one daughter because only one was his. And after taking that baby step, Leonard - who Clare literally calls a father figure and who Clare's mother is hanging out with all the time - becomes pretty obvious as the candidate for Clare's real father. Tom is clearly a bad guy and sirens go off when Clare's 3 day lost weekend is introduced.
I hate it when the protagonist is an idiot, and Clare is an idiot in spades. If I could figure all this crap out, she should have had a glimmer or two earlier on. The secondary characters weren't much better and I didn't like any of them. It was incredibly annoying when everyone took fake Alice's side over Clare's side. I can maybe stretch my imagination to an emotional mother falling for Alice's bullshit, but Clare's husband Luke, who has never met Alice before? Frankly, I would have kicked that asshole to the curb for his behavior and lack of faith in his own wife by the time the truth came out.
This was one of the most predictable books I've read in ages. I will say Hannah's questionable parentage slightly surprised me, but I found Clare's deceit in this, as well as her and Leonard's cover-up of Tom's crimes, combined to make the ending as unsatisfying as the rest of the book.
This is one of those books that is incredibly frustrating because everything is so glaringly obvious, yet you can't stop reading because you want to get to the part where the mega bitch gets her comeuppance. Let's think here: a long lost sister makes contact after two decades and nobody bothers to Google her? A sizable inheritance appears to be a stake, but nobody bothers to verify her identity? I'm able to figure out Alice isn't Alice in a few chapters, but it doesn't dawn on our heroine until 70% into the book?! From the first few pages, anyone with half a brain would at least consider the possibility that Daddy only took one daughter because only one was his. And after taking that baby step, Leonard - who Clare literally calls a father figure and who Clare's mother is hanging out with all the time - becomes pretty obvious as the candidate for Clare's real father. Tom is clearly a bad guy and sirens go off when Clare's 3 day lost weekend is introduced.
I hate it when the protagonist is an idiot, and Clare is an idiot in spades. If I could figure all this crap out, she should have had a glimmer or two earlier on. The secondary characters weren't much better and I didn't like any of them. It was incredibly annoying when everyone took fake Alice's side over Clare's side. I can maybe stretch my imagination to an emotional mother falling for Alice's bullshit, but Clare's husband Luke, who has never met Alice before? Frankly, I would have kicked that asshole to the curb for his behavior and lack of faith in his own wife by the time the truth came out.
This was one of the most predictable books I've read in ages. I will say Hannah's questionable parentage slightly surprised me, but I found Clare's deceit in this, as well as her and Leonard's cover-up of Tom's crimes, combined to make the ending as unsatisfying as the rest of the book.
March 13, 2018
***Spoilers included***
I had to force myself to finish this one, but looking back, I’m not sure why I made the effort! This book reads like a Wikipedia summary: No emotion, detail, or complexity, just the plot. In fact, the summary would have spared me over three hundred pages, so it may have been preferable!
Plot: Claire lives with her freeloading mother, “artist” husband, and kids. She works at a law firm where the co-partner is actually her biological father (and there is hardly any development with that at all) and her ex boyfriend from college who turns out to be a rapist that has always been “in love with her.” No, those aren’t even the main plots. Claire’s father ran away to America with her little sister, Alice, and Alice shows up as an adult and wants to be another freeloader. Turns out, Alice is really Martha, the friend from the wrong side of the tracks who killed Alice (nope, little development there as well) and decided to come to England to steal Claire’s life. It has all of the elements to make a Lifetime movie without making a decent one.
Major issues:
The people in this book are just idiots, from Luke who lets Claire get her ex bf a job, to Claire, who is apparently savvy in legal matters, but doesn’t test DNA when an inheritance is involved, to Martha, who thinks she can threaten Claire early on and nothing will happen.
Not sure if it’s English people or just this author, but the dialogue sounded like a bunch of seven-year-olds, complete with Claire telling the police she would have realize she stepped in “poo.”
This book is so utterly slow..even when things are supposed to be happening! I found myself skimming, waiting for someone to die.
Suddenly, there are car crashes, injured kids, a fight over a phone (um, ever heard of the Cloud, Tom?) resulting in drowning, etc., yet it reads as an idea board for a TV show with a panel of writers, not a book.
Martha isn’t even that great of a villain; she just steals clothes, mostly, although she did push that kid on the playground.
So, Claire is going to keep her rape and paternity of her child to herself…great idea considering everything that has happened…
What I liked:
NOTHING! I can’t even write an entertaining snarky review because it was so abysmal. I guess I appreciated the author’s note at the end thanking me to read it, but that’s not part of the book! How is this woman a bestselling author?!
I had to force myself to finish this one, but looking back, I’m not sure why I made the effort! This book reads like a Wikipedia summary: No emotion, detail, or complexity, just the plot. In fact, the summary would have spared me over three hundred pages, so it may have been preferable!
Plot: Claire lives with her freeloading mother, “artist” husband, and kids. She works at a law firm where the co-partner is actually her biological father (and there is hardly any development with that at all) and her ex boyfriend from college who turns out to be a rapist that has always been “in love with her.” No, those aren’t even the main plots. Claire’s father ran away to America with her little sister, Alice, and Alice shows up as an adult and wants to be another freeloader. Turns out, Alice is really Martha, the friend from the wrong side of the tracks who killed Alice (nope, little development there as well) and decided to come to England to steal Claire’s life. It has all of the elements to make a Lifetime movie without making a decent one.
Major issues:
The people in this book are just idiots, from Luke who lets Claire get her ex bf a job, to Claire, who is apparently savvy in legal matters, but doesn’t test DNA when an inheritance is involved, to Martha, who thinks she can threaten Claire early on and nothing will happen.
Not sure if it’s English people or just this author, but the dialogue sounded like a bunch of seven-year-olds, complete with Claire telling the police she would have realize she stepped in “poo.”
This book is so utterly slow..even when things are supposed to be happening! I found myself skimming, waiting for someone to die.
Suddenly, there are car crashes, injured kids, a fight over a phone (um, ever heard of the Cloud, Tom?) resulting in drowning, etc., yet it reads as an idea board for a TV show with a panel of writers, not a book.
Martha isn’t even that great of a villain; she just steals clothes, mostly, although she did push that kid on the playground.
So, Claire is going to keep her rape and paternity of her child to herself…great idea considering everything that has happened…
What I liked:
NOTHING! I can’t even write an entertaining snarky review because it was so abysmal. I guess I appreciated the author’s note at the end thanking me to read it, but that’s not part of the book! How is this woman a bestselling author?!
February 7, 2017
I hope I am not the only one who got this theme song stuck in their head whenever they read the title...
Clare and her mother have just found out that Clare's long lost sister Alice is alive and well, and wants to see them. I honestly had a struggle reading this just because everything seemed so predictable. There were a few twists I didn't see coming, yet the overall premise has been done time and time again. Luke was such a God awful husband and yeah...not happy with the ending is all I can say. One thing I noticed (maybe it was the arc...or I was tired) that REALLY bothered me was there were certain times Clare was saying talking to say Luke...yet the sentence read "Leonard drove quickly as possible."
Like I said, maybe I was tired and not fully functioning, but I noted that several times one character was meant to be talking, but another was tied to the dialogue.
Pretty decent psychological thriller, but was a bit too predictable.
Clare and her mother have just found out that Clare's long lost sister Alice is alive and well, and wants to see them. I honestly had a struggle reading this just because everything seemed so predictable. There were a few twists I didn't see coming, yet the overall premise has been done time and time again. Luke was such a God awful husband and yeah...not happy with the ending is all I can say. One thing I noticed (maybe it was the arc...or I was tired) that REALLY bothered me was there were certain times Clare was saying talking to say Luke...yet the sentence read "Leonard drove quickly as possible."
Like I said, maybe I was tired and not fully functioning, but I noted that several times one character was meant to be talking, but another was tied to the dialogue.
Pretty decent psychological thriller, but was a bit too predictable.
February 7, 2017
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Having never read a book by this author before, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Well, let me tell you, you can expect a lot. She really delivered with this book. The plot was interesting, the characters believable and reading this book got my emotions pumping. The first half of the book deals with Alice's return to the family circle and Clare's reactions to her return. Instead of feeling elated and excited about Alice's return, as Clare thought she would, Clare finds herself being suspicious and jealous. And you know what? A lot of the time I could actually understand Clare's feelings and I shared in her mistrust of Alice. Alice, the one who returns to the loving, open arms of their mother, making her happier than she's been in a long while. Alice, the one who's hanging out with Clare's husband, Luke, in his art studio at 3am while Clare is supposed to be asleep. Alice, the one who goes on day trips with Luke and her two little girls, doing fun and interesting things, while Clare works on a difficult case at her law firm. Alice, the one who prances around the kitchen every morning in nothing but a large T-shirt, despite the fact that Luke's in the kitchen making breakfast. All things considered, Alice's behaviour was such that it got my blood pumping.
By the second half of the book I was asking myself why Luke, who's been married to Clare for over eight years, keeps doubting her. Why doesn't he listen to her and give her the benefit of the doubt. Would a loyal husband do that? Would he side with a stranger over his own wife, the mother of his children? I wanted to throw a bucket of ice water over his head, just to wake him up. And then the seed of doubt crept into my mind - who's really telling the truth and who can be trusted?
As I'm sure you can tell, I was gripped. This psychological thriller had all the elements of a great read - it moved quickly, it got the emotions pumping, there were characters to love and hate and a plausible plot that never let up. It's a great read, plain and simple.
Thanks to author, Sue Fortin, publishers HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for my copy.
Having never read a book by this author before, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Well, let me tell you, you can expect a lot. She really delivered with this book. The plot was interesting, the characters believable and reading this book got my emotions pumping. The first half of the book deals with Alice's return to the family circle and Clare's reactions to her return. Instead of feeling elated and excited about Alice's return, as Clare thought she would, Clare finds herself being suspicious and jealous. And you know what? A lot of the time I could actually understand Clare's feelings and I shared in her mistrust of Alice. Alice, the one who returns to the loving, open arms of their mother, making her happier than she's been in a long while. Alice, the one who's hanging out with Clare's husband, Luke, in his art studio at 3am while Clare is supposed to be asleep. Alice, the one who goes on day trips with Luke and her two little girls, doing fun and interesting things, while Clare works on a difficult case at her law firm. Alice, the one who prances around the kitchen every morning in nothing but a large T-shirt, despite the fact that Luke's in the kitchen making breakfast. All things considered, Alice's behaviour was such that it got my blood pumping.
By the second half of the book I was asking myself why Luke, who's been married to Clare for over eight years, keeps doubting her. Why doesn't he listen to her and give her the benefit of the doubt. Would a loyal husband do that? Would he side with a stranger over his own wife, the mother of his children? I wanted to throw a bucket of ice water over his head, just to wake him up. And then the seed of doubt crept into my mind - who's really telling the truth and who can be trusted?
As I'm sure you can tell, I was gripped. This psychological thriller had all the elements of a great read - it moved quickly, it got the emotions pumping, there were characters to love and hate and a plausible plot that never let up. It's a great read, plain and simple.
Thanks to author, Sue Fortin, publishers HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for my copy.
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