Title: The Good Sister
Author: Sally Hepworth
Narrator: Barrie Kreinik
Published: April 2021, Macmillan Audio / St. Martin’s Press
Length: 8 hours 18 minutes / 320 pages
Source: Audio – ALC via Libro.fm/Macmillan Audio / Print – ARC Paperback via St. Martin’s Press
Summary:
Sally Hepworth, the author of The Mother-In-Law delivers a knock-out of a novel about the lies that bind two sisters in The Good Sister.
There’s
only been one time that Rose couldn’t stop me from doing the wrong
thing and that was a mistake that will haunt me for the rest of my life.
Fern
Castle works in her local library. She has dinner with her twin sister
Rose three nights a week. And she avoids crowds, bright lights and loud
noises as much as possible. Fern has a carefully structured life and
disrupting her routine can be…dangerous.
When Rose discovers
that she cannot get pregnant, Fern sees her chance to pay her sister
back for everything Rose has done for her. Fern can have a baby for
Rose. She just needs to find a father. Simple.
Fern’s mission
will shake the foundations of the life she has carefully built for
herself and stir up dark secrets from the past, in this quirky, rich and
shocking story of unexpected love.
My thoughts: I
have been absolutely loving Sally Hepworth’s latest books and each time I read her newest book, it becomes my favorite one. I devoured this one in a day and it was my first time listening to one of her books and I loved that experience!
I’ve said it before and I will say it again…I love books that explore sister relationships. Having two myself, I just cannot get enough of these types of books. These relationships can be so complex and I think Sally Hepworth definitely captures that here, in a sinister, twisted way. I loved all the twists and turns this book took and loved how it kept me on my toes the entire times. She really explores some interesting personality traits that I’m not going to go into here so as to not give too much away, but I will say it’s done in a very compelling manner that keeps you engaged.
I loved the way the story was told, alternating between Fern’s point of view, which are all in the present day, and Rose’s journal entries, which are for the most part in the past. The journal entries really do a great job of giving us a look at the sisters’ childhood and their upbringing, and boy is that quite interesting. As the book progresses, and we learn more about the sisters – both in the present and the past – secrets are revealed and then you find yourself unable to walk away.
Things are definitely not what they seem in this book and there is a sense of foreboding looming throughout. Add in the fast-pace and you will be racing to see how things play out. I cannot recommend this one enough. If you enjoy domestic suspense and family dramas, this one is definitely for you!
Audio thoughts: I was excited to be able to pick up an early listening copy of this book. It’s the first time I’ve listened to one of Sally Hepworth’s books and I think it translated really well onto audio. Barrie Kreinik did a fantastic job with the voices, giving each character their own unique voice and infusing just the right amount of tension and emotion into her voice as needed. And she even has an Australian accent!!! I ended up listening to this audio in one day because I just could not put it down.
This sounds creepy and I do love a things aren't what they seem story!