Sister Dear

Sister Dear is a story about secrets, jealousy and revenge and it's the latest book by British born but now Toronto-based author Hannah Mary McKinnon. 

The book starts off slowly as we're introduced to its main character, Eleanor, a woman who has experienced great loss and learns of a long-held secret on her father's death bed. Oooo, right!? Family secrets and jealousy? Count me in! But the tension and suspense don't come into play until halfway through the book. This surprised me because, based on its blurb, it sounded like it was a suspense read but the blurb is misleading. Instead of an out-of-the-gate suspense read, Sister Dear has a strong character-driven Contemporary Fiction feel for the first half of the book where McKinnon gets the reader into the heart and mind of its main character.

As the story progresses, things fall into place and the tension rises as more characters are introduced, relationships become blurred and several red herrings are woven into the story. Over the course of the story I had named a few different culprits and kept rejigging my suspicions which kept things interesting!

Eleanor was, at times, a hard character to like but she has a LOT of baggage, so my heart often went out to her as she struggled to find her way. Her naivete and penchant for making silly decisions may endear her to some readers but possibly annoy others. The story is rounded out with an interesting cast of secondary characters and a few that readers, myself included, will looove to hate.

While I'm not a fan of slow burn reads, this Contemporary Fiction with a side of Domestic Thriller kept me intrigued. Even though I found the plot to be a bit predictable, this was a satisfying read that focuses on relevant issues of mental abuse, loss, rejection by loved ones and self-doubt.

My Rating: 3.5 stars

Author: Hannah Mary McKinnon

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Type: eBook

Source: NetGalley

Publisher: Harlequin

First Published: May 26, 2020

Opening Line: The police didn't believe me.

Book Description from GoodReads: Beauty. Wealth. Success. She’s got it all. And it all should’ve been mine.

When Eleanor Hardwicke’s beloved father dies, her world is further shattered by a gut-wrenching secret: the man she’s grieving isn’t really her dad. Eleanor was the product of an affair and her biological father is still out there, living blissfully with the family he chose. With her personal life spiraling, a desperate Eleanor seeks him out, leading her to uncover another branch on her family tree—an infuriatingly enviable half sister.

Perfectly perfect Victoria has everything Eleanor could ever dream of. Loving childhood, luxury home, devoted husband. All of it stolen from Eleanor, who plans to take it back. After all, good sisters are supposed to share. And quiet little Eleanor has been waiting far too long for her turn to.