As you have probably already guessed from my previous posts and reading choices, I love a good suspense/thriller. At this stage in my life, the romance/chick lit books just aren’t doing it for me anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll slip a good “palette cleanser” book into the mix every so often when I need a break from the heart-pounding and the gore. But primarily, suspense/thrillers are where it’s at for me these days.
I saw The Half Sister by Sandie Jones pop up in my BOTM groups the last few months. I put it on my wish/hold list with the library (it wasn’t one I HAD to have immediately, like The House in the Cerulean Sea or The Push, which I shamelessly and excitedly ordered from Amazon. No regrets for either of those five-star reads!) I was pleasantly surprised when the library fulfilled my request for this book within a week of requesting it (I always expect a few month wait on the hold list for any new/newish books).
Summary: Sisters Kate and Lauren have lunch at their mother’s house every Sunday, a tradition they’ve struggled to keep up after their father’s passing. One Sunday, a young woman knocks on the door claiming to be their late father’s daughter–their half sister. The events that follow uncover more and more secrets in their small family, threatening to widen the divide that already exists between the sisters.
My Review: The Half Sister was just the right amount of suspense for me. It was a bit thrilling at the very end, and I wasn’t expecting it with the tone set throughout the rest of the book. But it was a good thrill. I had a very strong dislike for Lauren’s character throughout the book. She was just too much for me. And I always struggle with women in abusive relationships in books. Simon was a DICK. Every time she took crap from him, I wanted to shake her (you know, in my head). Her tryst was also super annoying to me. It didn’t have the normal thrill and excitement vibe for me, probably because he had three young children. It’s hard to put that out of your mind when you’re reading it. I felt like she was betraying her kids, even if her husband was an asshole.
I will relay a very personal connection I have to Kate’s perspective and character. Kate struggles with fertility issues, and this struck home for me. The last year has been a very difficult one for me on this front, and at times, it was hard to read Kate’s fears and worries because they so closely mirror my own feelings. That being said, it definitely made me relate to Kate more as a character, and I was very invested in her story and journey. The fact that she was the blunt sister who took no shit and got stuff done also made her my literary doppelganger.
Rose. Ahhh, Rose. You devious, manipulative bitch. And that’s all I’ll say about that. You’re going to have to read it for yourself!
Conclusion: A solid four stars for The Half Sister by Sandie Jones. A well-written, engaging suspense novel with memorable characters (some positive, some negative).