From the #1 bestselling author of My Sister’s Secret, a powerful new novel about families, secrets and lies. For the first time in your life, your mother is about to tell you the truth… a strange and enigmatic man named Idris, shocking the neighborhood and disgracing their family. Becky has never forgiven her.
But what her dying mother tells her still shocks Becky to her core – that this affair had resulted in a child… that Becky has a sister.
As Becky struggles to process this information, she knows one thing for certain – she must find her missing sister. Even if it takes her on a journey that will force her to confront the darkest secrets and lies of her mother’s life… and her own.
The new, addictive, page-turning, emotional thriller from bestselling author Tracy Buchanan. Perfect for fans of Kerry Lonsdale, Emily Bleeker and Kerry Fisher.
Readers love The Lost Sister:
‘I literally could not put it down… This is a compulsive read. I was gripped from beginning to end.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘Twisty, emotional and far too hard to put down.’ Katie Marsh
‘A twisty-turny tour de force which will keep you up at night and glued to a story that won’t let you go long after you’ve read the final page.’ Faith Hogan
‘This book will be with me a long time… [it] draws you in from the first page with lots of twists and turns and it will make you cry so be aware. It’s a real page turner’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘An intriguing story with plenty of twists and turns. A plot that keeps you guessing!’ Gill Paul
‘A beautifully written book, that truly sucks you in. Intriguing, likable and hugely relatable characters plus scenery so gorgeous you can’t help but wish you were living alongside them. Amazing… a perfect summer read’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘I was hooked from the first dramatic opening scene. It’s a gripping story of love and loss.’ Phillipa Ashley
‘What a compelling book. Full of tension and powerful emotion – absolutely stunning’ Nicola Cornick
‘Amazing! … A fascinating story… There were surprises I wasn’t even expecting!! Definitely well written, great characters… captivating and highly recommended!’ Goodreads reviewer
‘An addictive, page-turning, emotional thriller… this one had me guessing the whole time’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
Wow! Tracy has done it again. I have just spent the last few hours totally absorbed… I would highly recommend this book’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘I loved everything about the book – the story, characters and writing style.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
What readers say about Tracy Buchanan:
‘Tracy Buchanan writes moving, gripping, heartbreakingly real family drama.’ Susan Lewis
‘Perfect for sisters everywhere, it’s both heartbreaking and uplifting.’ My Weekly
‘A must read for fans of psychological suspense. Tightly plotted and intense… Filled with twists and turns, it will keep you flying through the pages to the shocking end.’ Heather Gudenkauf
‘Beautiful, heartbreaking, uplifting.’ Hello!
‘A compelling, page-turning read about secrets in families… I was completely hooked… Sad, powerful and absorbing.’ Julia Williams
‘I was entranced from the very first page and couldn’t put it down.’ Angela Marsons
‘A compelling and emotional read that pulled me in – full of intrigue and secrets. A riveting story that I know will stay with me for a very long time.’ Alexandra Brownmore
The Lost Sister by Tracy Buchanan has a surprising twist at the end! No, do not read ahead or you will spoil the story for yourself. Seriously I enjoyed this book very much, even though I felt an overwhelming sadness when I finished the story. I cared about the characters even though as I read the book I was hoping some of the choices they made would have been different.
The book is written from the perspective of Selma in the early 1990’s and Becky’s perspective is in present time. It is very well organized and does not cause any confusion with the time and events.
Selma is not happy in her life and feels that if she could just write a second novel which could become a best seller her problems would be gone. She has a character flaw which affects each person she loves. Selma tells lies easier than telling the truth. She just can not help herself it seems, even when she knows she should tell the truth. She loves her daughter, Becky, but is not comfortable in the role of a mother. Since Becky’s birth, Selma’s feelings for her husband has changed. It was not anything he did specifically, but Selma felt a change within herself.
Becky has grown up without her mother. She feels resentment and bitterness toward her mom for having abandoned her and her father when she was a child. Becky did not understand the choices her mother made when she left their home to live in a cave with strange hippie-type people.
Becky agrees to a last request from her mother. Even though they have been estranged for years, she goes to visit her mother before she dies. Her mother does not want hospice care but wants to be taken to the cave under the hotel to die. The last words Selma utters to Becky will send her across continents in search of a younger sister!
Sometimes the answers you seek may not be the ones you want to hear.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
The Lost Sister is the latest offering from British author Tracy Buchanan. This emotionally powerful novel couples events in 1991 with those in 2018. Becky Rhys’ mother Selma, an aspiring author, feels trapped in an emotionless marriage that she thinks is sucking all the creativity from her soul. A chance incident in May 1991 when an enigmatic stranger saves a young boy from drowning sets events in motion that will change all of their lives in unimaginable ways.
When the stranger, who calls himself Idris, takes up residency in the caves beneath the deserted cliff side Bay Hotel, the village opinions range from awe to aspersion of the growing “cult” in the caves. And when the floundering Selma meets Idris and visits the cave, she feels a freedom and fluidity of thought she had not recently felt. Arriving home late that night, she finds her husband awaiting her, confronting her, telling her if she cannot commit to their marriage to leave. She does, only to return to the cave where she takes up residence. The events that follow, the fight for custody of her daughter Becky, the fallout that ensues, set the tone for occurrences for more than two decades.
Flip forward to current times when Becky receives a call from her estranged mother from her deathbed. She hurries to her mother’s side, learning secrets she hadn’t known, including that she had a sister. The remainder of the story, with all of its twists and turns, follows Becky’s search to find this secret sister. And that search will take her across Europe to various cave communities in her quest.
With endings the reader will never expect, Tracy Buchanan once more writes a powerful novel in the same vein as The Atlas of Us and My Sister’s Secret. The emotional intensity of these novels almost leave the reader winded as they reach their conclusion. This novel will draw you into a journey of the heart and mind that will capture you and leave you thinking long after the final page. What a ride! I do recommend this book!