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My Sister’s Lies

S.D. Robertson (Goodreads Author)

really liked it 4.00 · Rating details · 71 ratings · 45 reviews

For a decade, Hannah’s life has been pretty close to perfect – she has a great job, she’s married to Mark, and her child-free existence means she’s free as a bird. The only sadness in her life is a fall-out with her sister Diane, who hasn’t spoken to her in over ten years. But now Diane is on her doorstep – and this time, she’s got her teenage daughter Mia in tow.

When Dian ...more

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Paperback, 368 pages

Published March 21st 2019 by Avon

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really liked it 4.00 ·

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· 71 ratings · 45 reviews

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Mar 26, 2019 Selena rated it liked it

I received a copy of My Sister's Lies by S.D. Robertson from NetGalley for my honest review.

A story of twin sisters, Diane and Hannah, who haven't spoken to each other for ten years. Hannah, is a happy woman and has a wonderful husband named Mark. Then one day, Diane is on Hannah's doorstep with her fourteen year old daughter, Mia. . Diane asks her sister to look after Mia for a few days, so she can get some things in her life in order. She agrees, mostly because she wants to get to know her Nie ...more

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Apr 09, 2019 Dash fan rated it really liked it

Shelves: blog-tour, favorites, netgalley, profile, publisher-review

4☆ A Gripping, Taut read

My Sister's Lies is a gripping and taut story of family, secrets, lies and drama.

Hannah and her twin sister Diane don't have the best relationship, so when Diane turns up on Hannah's door asking for Hannah to take care of her daughter Mia for a little while, Hannah can't say no!

Despite their awkward relationship, Hannah adores her niece.
But as time flies by, Diane still hasn't contacted Hannah and she's beginning to worry.

What has happened to Diane, can Hannah find her be ...more

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Mar 13, 2019 Shalini rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Sometimes I wonder what life is all about, and then I read a book like this which deals with tough topics like suicide, loss of a sister, and devastating lies. This might seem to be a fictional tale, but with billions living in this earth, it might have happened to someone.

S. D. Robertson has taken this slice of life about a wickedness, a jealousy, and the need to feel better about oneself and written a story about two sisters Hannah and Diane. The story goes thus, Hannah and Mark lead a happy ...more

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Mar 21, 2019 booksofallkinds rated it it was amazing

*I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book from the Publisher

If you want a story that will tug at your heartstrings, characters that will engage and connect with you at every turn, and a plot that will keep you gripped the whole way through, then look no further than MY SISTER'S LIES by S.D. Robertson.

Hannah is happy with her marriage and her new career as an author. Sometimes she wonders about her sister Diane, a sister whom she hasn't seen or spoken to in over ten years, but the thought alway ...more

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Apr 12, 2019 Laura rated it really liked it

This is a well-crafted, thought provoking novel about forgiveness, family and - of course - secrets. There's an element to mystery about it, as the book opens with an unnamed woman preparing for something quite dramatic which we can sort of work out, but we don't know who it is or when it's occurring. Then the narrative switches to Hannah and her husband Mark, who is visited by her estranged sister Diane and her daughter, Mia. Diane asks them to take Mia in whilst she sorts 'something important' ...more

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Mar 23, 2019 Adele Shea rated it really liked it

I have read a couple of of S.D. Robertsons books before but My Sister's Lies, by far, tops them.
Brilliantly written with lots of twists that keeps you wanting more.

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Mar 20, 2019 Lainy rated it really liked it

Time taken to read - < 1 day

Pages - 368

Publisher - Avon

Source - Review Copy

Blurb from Goodreads

For a decade, Hannah’s life has been pretty close to perfect – she has a great job, she’s married to Mark, and her child-free existence means she’s free as a bird. The only sadness in her life is a fall-out with her sister Diane, who hasn’t spoken to her in over ten years. But now Diane is on her doorstep – and this time, she’s got her teenage daughter Mia in tow.

When Diane asks if Mia can stay wi ...more

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Mar 31, 2019 Amy rated it really liked it

3.5 stars

If you like your mysteries with a lot of emotion–the sort that make you tear up (okay, downright weep)–this is the book for you.

S D Robertson introduces us to two sisters, Hannah and Diane, who have spent the last dozen or so years largely estranged. The one tie that remains is Diane’s daughter Mia, whom Hannah wishes she knew better. The opportunity for that presents itself when Diane shows up, Mia in tow, and asks Hannah to watch her for a few days. When a few weeks go by and Diane is ...more

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Mar 17, 2019 Elizabeth Mellen rated it liked it

Shelves: chick-lit, contemporary, read-your-shelves-march

This didn’t really do much for me. I felt like a lot was given away towards the beginning, and so I wasn’t shocked as things came out later. Another thing that bothered me was how often we’re hit over the head with “Mark never wanted children, after a trauma in his childhood” it took so long to hear what the trauma was, but that it existed with no detail kept being restated. The same for the event that caused the sister’s rift. I just was let down to find out the background stories to both of th ...more

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Mar 27, 2019 MarylineD rated it really liked it

"My Sister’s Lies" by S.D. Robertson.

4 stars.
Really good! I loved the way it started and knew I was going to enjoy that book right away.
It just felt a little slow around (before) the middle then wow!
I loved the characters, I felt their emotions. These situations must be so hard to go through!
That poor teenager, Mia!

I am glad my sister and I are close and don't have secrets... at least not that kind! And we would never let each other go through things alone.

A great read!

Thank you NetGalley and ...more

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Mar 16, 2019 Elle rated it liked it

3.5 stars. This was a good book with a smooth read and believable characters. It wasn't my usual genre, but I did enjoy it. It kept my interest well and had a few decent surprises along the way.

For full review: My Sister's Lies on EPJ

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Mar 21, 2019 Juana rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. “She waves goodbye to him through the windscreen of her car and congratulates herself on a fine acting performance. She’s fairly certain she managed not to give anything away while driving the short journey to the station. It wasn’t as hard as it might have been with another person. Things were bound to be awkward between them anyway, particularly after last night and everything they discussed.”

This is how “My Sister’s Lies”, S.D. Robertson’s fourth novel, begins.

This is the story of a family th “She waves goodbye to him through the windscreen of her car and congratulates herself on a fine acting performance. She’s fairly certain she managed not to give anything away while driving the short journey to the station. It wasn’t as hard as it might have been with another person. Things were bound to be awkward between them anyway, particularly after last night and everything they discussed.”

This is how “My Sister’s Lies”, S.D. Robertson’s fourth novel, begins.

This is the story of a family that has been struck by tragedy one time too many.
It is the story of two estranged twins, Diane and Hannah, that circumstances will bring back together after 11 years spent apart.
It is the story of 15 years old Mia, daughter of Diane, who she brought up alone and to whom Mia is her everything.
It is also the story of Mark, Hannah’s loving husband, and of the effects that Mia and her mum’s appearance will have into the perfect life he has been carving together with his wife in the last decade.

Mark and Hannah have no children of their own, a choice they mutually made before getting married. Nonetheless they accept the challenge to have teenager Mia staying with them for as long as Diane needs her to be. It’s the reason why she showed up in Manchester after twelve years of living in Bournemouth. She will have to go away for a while to sort out some unfinished business down South.

Now, if you did not read the book and ignored the “spoiler alert” at the beginning, I would suggest that you stop reading here. As part of the beauty of this story resides in the final twist that will make sense of the whole mess the characters found themselves in. Sure, I could conclude my review here, but hey, by doing that I would deprive myself the pleasure to tell you what I liked most, so bear with me!!

I liked the tension between the two sisters I could feel all along the story.
I liked the goodness in Hannah and, strange enough, also Diane’s weaknesses, due to her envy and jealousy towards her sister’s persona and life.
I liked how easy and simple it felt to read this book. The story flows always at the same pace, without causing bursts of adrenaline nor bored yawns. The dialogues feel so real that I sometimes had to remember it was fictional characters I was reading about. Suppose that’s down to Robertson’s background as a journalist. Right words chosen and placed just at the right place to give sentences’ construction and dialogues that added real feel by cutting off the unnecessary.

I wish some other authors did the same. Like, how many times did we find ourselves thinking “couldn’t they make it a 100 pages shorter?” or “gosh, the story is intriguing, but do we really need 1500 pages about the horses sculpture’s that are on top of Venice’s cathedral??”
I plead guilty there, too. I am the one who cut over 400 pages off the second draft of my book. Everything’s essential in a story for its author. Even when the essential means wasting two A4 pages describing the living room of a character we first meet in that chapter and will never see again afterwards.

But I’m going off topic here, sorry peeps.

Let’s go back to My Sister’s Lies: did I like it? ‘Suppose my 500-something words review should confirm that, but as I do not expect you to count them I would simply add another one: yes. I did like this book. I liked it because I could picture each corner and place in Manchester the characters visited and went – kind concession of me having lived here for donkey’s ages. I liked it because, in a way, with its tragic ending the story of these two sisters provides some kind of a cross-section of normal people’s life.

Hannah and Diane could be your neighbour, colleague, friend of friends. Their story isn’t that unusual nor improbable, come to think about it. These things happen all the time. And that’s exactly what I believe makes this book so powerful. ...more

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Apr 08, 2019 Mairead Hearne (swirlandthread.com) rated it liked it

My Rating - 3.5*

Just released on the 21st March with Avon Books, My Sister's Lies is described as 'an emotional story that delves into the true meaning of family, sisterhood and secrets'

Not every secret should be shared...

Hannah and Mark have a life many dream of. On a whim they can pack up their bags and head off to the airport or spend an evening in a top-class restaurant. But life hasn't always been like that, as Hannah has been dealing with her own demons for a number of years.

Hannah had ...more

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Apr 05, 2019 Clair Sharpe rated it liked it

Shelves: 2019, book-tours, female-authors

Hannah's life is pretty much perfect - she is just about to publish her first book, she is happily married to Mark and they life in a beautiful apartment in Manchester, enjoying their child-free existence.
The only sadness in her life is her ongoing feud with her sister Diane, whom she hasn't spoken to for 10 years after a huge argument just after their mum died. But as the book starts, Diane is back on Hannah's doorstep unexpectedly, with her 14 year old daughter Mia in tow.
Mark and Hannah assum Hannah's life is pretty much perfect - she is just about to publish her first book, she is happily married to Mark and they life in a beautiful apartment in Manchester, enjoying their child-free existence.
The only sadness in her life is her ongoing feud with her sister Diane, whom she hasn't spoken to for 10 years after a huge argument just after their mum died. But as the book starts, Diane is back on Hannah's doorstep unexpectedly, with her 14 year old daughter Mia in tow.
Mark and Hannah assume Diane is down on her luck and wants money from them but what is actually wants is for them to look after Mia for her while she has to sort some stuff out. After a few awkward days while Mia settles it, Hannah is thrilled to be able to bond with her niece again, whom she hasn't seen since she was a toddler.
Diane is carrying a devastating secret that will destroy Hannah's carefully constructed life. But how much is she willing to reveal and when will she pick her moment?
Just a quick heads up, there is a suicide right at the beginning of the book and this is upsetting to read but I think the author gets into the head well of the person in question to understand why they might take such a step.
Mia seems like a lovely girl - she isn't sure about being left with her Aunt and Uncle to begin with. She actually gets on better with Mark than Hannah. Her typical teenage habits get on Hannah's nerves (towels on the floor, messy bedroom etc) but they soon bond over their love of books and reading. We learn Hannah has had a breakdown in the past (linked to her mother's death) and she still sees a therapist.
Unfortunately I didn't like Diane at all. She isn't a very sympathetic character and I'm not sure I warm to her at any point or actually have much compassion with the choices she makes. I was surprised to find out S D Robertson is a man as I think this genre of books are usually written by women. Without wanting to sound patronising, I think he did a really good job with all the characters voices.
The relationship between sisters is the main crux of the story. As the saying goes, "We can't choose our family" and the book looks at the problems different personalities bring, how parents feel and treat their children, and resentments and rivalry between siblings.
I enjoyed this book - it is very realistic and readable and if you enjoy books about family relationships with secrets thrown in then I think you will enjoy this. ...more

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Mar 17, 2019 Cara Ross rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc

I'm going to warn you all now that this book tackles a lot of tough and somewhat taboo subjects, so if you are sensitive to the discussion of suicide, please do not read this book.

***
As someone who enjoys listening to true crime podcasts (which is kind of strange to say), As a British ex-pat, I prefer the calm voices of the British ones, and when I chose this book to read, I felt from the synopsis that this could quite easily have been real life! Well, at least in the small Essex Town that I a ...more

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Feb 26, 2019 Tara rated it really liked it

Every so often while reading My Sister’s Lies, a big dinner gong felt like it went off right beside my ear.
‘Wait, what?’ I would think and then have to scroll back through everything I'd previously read in my head, asking myself why I hadn’t added up the clues before.
They were definitely there but S D Robertson is a master of dropping little morsels of information that might seem insignificant but you soon realise are clearly relevant in the end.
There’s no gentle easing in to this book, he smac ...more

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Apr 03, 2019 Andrea rated it liked it

Shelves: free-books, 2019-reads, family-and-friends

More reviews and book-ish content @ Club Book Mobile & Andrea RBK

My Sister's Lies by Rachel Hargrove was the story of strained relationships and secrets all around. It begins with a death (so content warning right away that this is a suicide), and you wonder what has happened and who is involved. The story then fully begins when after a decade of being estranged, Hannah's sister Diane shows up on her doorstep with her teenage daughter Mia in tow. With no context as to the request other than ...more

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Jan 27, 2019 Aubrey rated it really liked it

Thank you Netgalley for the copy of My Sister's Lies in exchange for an honest review. This is the first book that I've ready from S.D. Robertson, and it won't be my last. The story focuses around husband and wife, Mark and Hannah, and Diane and Mia, Hannah's sister and niece. Diane and Hannah have had an estranged relationship for 10 years until one day, they both show up at Hannah's front door...only for Diane to leave Mia in the care of her sister and husband and she never returns. What happe ...more

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Apr 09, 2019 Pat Simpson rated it liked it

This book opens with a jaw dropping first chapter ensuring that you don’t put it down, Hannah gets a shock when her twin sister Diane and teenage niece Mia, turn up on her doorstep. She hasn’t seen or spoken to them for over ten years after a major argument following the death of their mother, which has caused Hannah a lot of pain and anxiety over the years. Hannah is married to Mark and now has a successful career as an author. Mark didn’t want children so when Diane asks them if they will look ...more

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Mar 19, 2019 Angela Mellor rated it liked it · review of another edition

My Sister’s Lies was an ok read it just lacked any suspenseful buildup towards the main topics of contention.
Hannah and Mark live a nice life in Manchester, Mark has never wanted children and Hannah has accepted that and as a result have a fun filled life doing what they want, when they want until Hannah’s sister turns up after not speaking to each other for over a decade with her 14 year old daughter in tow. Diane leaves Mia in the care of Hannah and Mark for a few days as she needs to sort her ...more

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Mar 26, 2019 Lozzi Counsell rated it it was amazing

I've always enjoyed emotional books, but lately I've been struggling to feel as emotional as usual. I'm reading books that are supposed to make you sad, and I know that in the past they would have made me sad, but I just feel nothing instead. I had the complete opposite with this book. I would be reading, not even realising how emotional I'm feeling and next thing I know, tears would be hitting my pillow.

The first chapter, which showed the death of one of the characters, was a complete shocker a ...more

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Mar 20, 2019 Shana rated it really liked it

First, thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read an e-galley of this book.

Get your tissues! I loved this story, the suspense, the twists and turns, and the family ties and all that goes with it.

Hannah has a good life, great husband, Mark, whose job allows her to follow her dream of being an author. She has a sister, who she had a falling out with 10 years ago, and they haven't spoken in all that time, which means she hasn't seen her niece since then.

So, when her sister, Diane, shows up ...more

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Apr 13, 2019 Stephanie rated it liked it

Hannah and Mark have a happy but childless marriage when Diane, Hannah’s estranged sister turns up on the doorstep asking them to look after Mia, their niece, for a short time. She doesn’t explain why, only that she has something to take care of. But Diane isn’t being entirely honest and you know that her actions are going to have a devastating affect on the family.

The author does a convincing job of creating three voices, I could appreciate Hannah’s attempts to make Mia more comfortable and not ...more

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Jan 24, 2019 Julie Williams rated it it was amazing

Another great read by S D Robertson, as this story examines a whole range of emotions mostly brought about by secrets and lies.

There are four central characters, Hannah her husband Mark, Hannah’s twin sister Diane and Diane’s daughter Mia. They each have a difficult relationship with each other mainly due to events which occurred years ago. These are revealed as the story progresses with Mia being the only innocent one in my eyes.

When Diane and Mia suddenly turn up on Hannah’s doorstep after an ...more

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Mar 22, 2019 Claire Thake rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019, avon-arcs

This is the story of two sisters, Hannah and Diane. Hannah is an author and happily married. She hasn't spoken to her sister Diane for over ten years, when she appears on her doorstep with her daughter Mia, needing help. Diane wants Mia to stay with Hannah for a few days until she gets her life sorted out and even though they haven't spoken for a long time, Hannah is desperate to connect with her niece and so agrees. When Diane doesn't appear back after a week, secrets begin to unravel...

Wow, th ...more

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Mar 10, 2019 Samantha rated it liked it

No fireworks with this one, it was a reasonable read but lacked suspense which made it rather slower than I would have liked.

The ending was quite predictable in fact I had guessed early on what had happened and tied in pretty quickly who had committed suicide.

No a fan of the transcripts but they did give additional background so I suppose they were relevant although there was so much explanation on feelings in almost every page that the reader would have got the point without the transcripts any ...more

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Mar 20, 2019 Christine Rennie rated it really liked it

Shelves: kindle, netgalley

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc, which I have enjoyed reading.
My sister’s Lies by S D Robertson is not at times an easy book to read, dealing with the suicide of one of the main characters made that a foregone conclusion. It does however go back in time to the sisters childhood and teenage years to examine when they went their separate ways and why. The relationships between sisters, Hannah and Diane and with Mark and Diane’s daughter Mia are all closely examined. So that ...more

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Jan 19, 2019 Beth rated it liked it

Hannah and Diane are identical twin sisters with an estranged relationship. When Diane shows up at the home of Hannah, which her daughter Mia, Hannah and her husband Mark do not understand what is going on. Diane leaves Mia for a few days in order to clean up some parts of her life. Her non-responsiveness leads to worry and wonder about whether something else is really going on.

This book gave the idea that it was suspenseful but the suspense wasn't what drove me to keep turning the pages. There ...more

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Apr 13, 2019 Ann rated it really liked it

Twin sisters who are estranged are the story line in this great story. One a single mother and one who is married and childless. When Diane shows up with her teenage daughter, Mia at Hannah and Mark's doorstep to say they are surprised is an understatement. Diane wants Mia to stay there for a few days and Hannah and Mark are happy to help. Several days later they find out that Diane has committed suicide and a terrible secret. This is a good story that has a strong family theme. It is emotional ...more

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Apr 06, 2019 Janette rated it really liked it

An easy to read book which I did enjoy this is a story of family, secrets, jealousy, grief, suicide and lies. The story flowed well but was a little slow in places. I was drawn in from the start - the first chapter was so shocking and I wanted to find out more. Heart wrenching in places, this is an emotional read. I liked the characters and how their stories developed throughout the book. I enjoyed the sections with the counseller which added greatly to the story.

Highly recommended - I would gi ...more

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About S.D. Robertson

S.D. Robertson

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Former journalist S.D. Robertson quit his role as a local newspaper editor to pursue a lifelong ambition of becoming a novelist.

An English graduate from the University of Manchester, he’s also worked as a holiday rep, door-to-door salesman, train cleaner, kitchen porter and mobile phone network engineer.

Stuart lives in a village in North West England with his wife and daughter. There’s also his ...more