The Good Sister

Oh m'gravy, this was a great read!! I read this suspenseful psychological thriller in just two sittings. 'Nuff said, right? The story centres around family dysfunction and successfully completes the suspense read hat trick: secrets, manipulation, and tension! Oh MY!

The story focuses on fraternal twins, Fern and Rose. Fern is highly intelligent (and a librarian t'boot) who speaks her mind and appears to be a high functioning person on the autism spectrum with sensory sensitivities. Yay for including neurodiverse characters! Fern's twin Rose is outgoing, married and a successful interior designer and since childhood, she has taken on the role as Fern's protector - a role that has continued into their adult lives. 

The story is told using two POVs - one from Fern and the from other Rose's diary entries which reveal situations from their childhood to current day. As the tension ramps up, I found some scenes quite emotionally charged and even hard to read at times - particularly as the truth comes to light. And while I may have figured out one of the big twists, Hepworth still managed to surprise me in the end.

Side Note: As a Library Assistant myself, Sally totally nails what it's like to work in a library setting (even staff's adverse reactions to customers' printer/photocopying problems! Argh!) I appreciate how she illustrates the importance of libraries, their changing roles, their inclusivity, and the sense of community that makes public libraries so much more than 'just books'.

I don't want to give away too much of the plot, so I'll just say this - You need to read this book. It is a tension-filled story with an interesting array of characters that is part psychological thriller, part family drama and a bit of romance thrown in for good measure. 

I have read and enjoyed all of Sally's books to date. She is an auto-read for me, so keep your eyes out for this book in stores on April 13, 2021 or preorder your copy today.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the author and St Martin's Press for my advanced copy given in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 5 stars

Author: Sally Hepworth

Genre: Suspense

Type and Source: eBook from publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: St Martin's Press

First Published: April 13, 2021

Opening Line: It's been three months since Owen left.

Book Description from GoodReads: From the outside, everyone might think Fern and Rose are as close as twin sisters can be: Rose is the responsible one and Fern is the quirky one. But the sisters are devoted to one another and Rose has always been Fern's protector from the time they were small.

Fern needed protecting because their mother was a true sociopath who hid her true nature from the world, and only Rose could see it. Fern always saw the good in everyone. Years ago, Fern did something very, very bad. And Rose has never told a soul. When Fern decides to help her sister achieve her heart's desire of having a baby, Rose realizes with growing horror that Fern might make choices that can only have a terrible outcome. What Rose doesn't realize is that Fern is growing more and more aware of the secrets Rose, herself, is keeping. And that their mother might have the last word after all.