Sister, by Rosamund Lupton

The Sunday Times best seller Sister by Rosamund Lupton is a tear jerking tale of family bonds, loyalty, and the lengths that sisters are willing to go to insure justice.

First, the Goodreads review:
Sister
by Rosamund Lupton

Nothing can break the bond between sisters...

When Beatrice gets a frantic call in the middle of Sunday lunch to say that her younger sister, Tess, is missing, she boards the first flight home to London. But as she learns about the circumstances surrounding her sister's disappearance, she is stunned to discover how little she actually knows of her sister's life - and unprepared for the terrifying truths she must now face.

The police, Beatrice's fiance and even their mother accept they have lost Tess but Beatrice refuses to give up on her. So she embarks on a dangerous journey to discover the truth, no matter the cost.



Let's hear from one of my favourite thriller writers, Jeffrey Deaver who says: "Truly marvellous! As compelling as it is stylish, Sister exists in that rare place where crime fiction and literature coincide".

I like to read books by debut novelists and it was a pleasure to read Sister. It is the most exciting debut thriller I've read for some time. The suspense kept the pages crackling, with twists and turns coming thick and fast. There is also a touching poignancy about the relationship between the sisters. Lupton has been described by some as a young Daphne du Maurier. I think she is truly original.

When Beatrice gets the call to say that her younger sister, Tess, is missing, she wastes no time in boarding the first flight home to London where her mother and sister still live. Beatrice has become an uptight New Yorker who appears to be living the American dream - great job, the fiance, nice apartment - all of which is shattered when she receives the phone call from England. As she learns about the circumstances surrounding her sister's disappearance, she is stunned to discover how little she actually knows of her sister's life - and she is unprepared for the terrifying truths she must now face with each discovery.

The police, Beatrice's fiance (a New Yorker who follows her to London) and even the mother accept they have lost Tess but Beatrice refuses to give up on finding out what happened to her sister. As a result she embarks on a dangerous journey to discover the truth, no matter the cost. And the cost is high.

In a bid to find her sister, Beatrice plays Tess in a police reenactment of her (Tess's) last known movements, and when it becomes clear that Tess was pregnant at the time of her disappearance, the race is on...

One thing that I really enjoyed about this book was the fact that every single time I thought that I had discovered who the villain was, something would happen to turn everything around. The end came as a complete surprise. At the start of the last chapter, I was confused about how the ending could possibly turn out, but by the final page all was revealed in a (sort of) satisfactory way.

This book had some very intense emotional moments that ranged from the uplifting to the dark and disturbing. The bond between Beatrice and Tess felt very real and was maintained throughout by the author. Even though the reader never meets Tess face to face in the book it feels as if she is known through Beatrice’s thoughts and the opinions of others.

This is a well-paced thriller that manages not to give too much away until the final moments. This is a book that would even suit those who do not usually read thrillers because it also has great emotional depth and looks at family relationships and how they survive under pressure.

A wonderful read, and a beautiful story of love family and sisterly bonds. This is the first book in a long time that moved me to tears, while telling a fantastic crime story. Well written, and a must have for any book shelf.



L'Aussie's Verdict: 9/10

 

5 comments:

JJ said...

Sounds like a powerful read. I love books that keep you guessing!

Dawn Embers said...

Great review. I've not read a thriller in a long time but this book does sound interesting. I like the words on the cover in particular. May have to check this one out. Need to learn how to keep readers guessing and from your review I bet this is a good one for that.

Denise Covey said...

JJ and Dawn: Yes, it is a great book. One of those that will keep you 'reading at dawn.'

Trisha said...

This sounds like a great read! Haven't heard of this author or this title before.

Adding to my to-read list!

Iris B said...

Great review Denise! I agree, it's a great debut by Rosamund Lupton. Like you, guessing the killer was hard, and to find out who it was a surprise! Unlike you, I wasn't really satisfied with the ending, but totally in awe of Rosamund's "writing style".

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