‘I did something terrible Grace. I hope you can forgive me…’Grace hasn’t been the same since the death of her best friend Charlie. She is haunted by Charlie’s last words, and in a bid for answers, opens an old memory box of Charlie’s. It soon becomes clear there was a lot she didn’t know about her best friend.When Grace starts a campaign to find Charlie’s father, Anna, a girl claiming to be … father, Anna, a girl claiming to be Charlie’s sister steps forward. For Grace, finding Anna is like finding a new family, and soon Anna has made herself very comfortable in Grace and boyfriend Dan’s home.
But something isn’t right. Things disappear, Dan’s acting strangely and Grace is sure that someone is following her. Is it all in Grace’s mind? Or as she gets closer to discovering the truth about both Charlie and Anna, is Grace in terrible danger?
There was nothing she could have done to save Charlie… or was there?
A compelling, gripping psychological thriller perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train, I Let You Go, and The Girl With No Past.
What people are saying about The Sister:
‘I was gripped to The Sister from the first page until the very end. I thought I had it all worked out until I was proven sooo wrong.’ Robert Bryndza
‘I could not put this book down. I neglected all the house work and put off cooking dinner until I was finished… I loved every page.’ Renee Reads
‘My eyes were racing down the pages… had me guessing right up to the very end and I had tears in my eyes as I relived Charlie’s last moments… exceptional… It’s an addictive page-turner that begs time and again for just one more chapter until the whole book has been devoured and thoroughly enjoyed.’ The Book Magnet
‘Wow What an amazing debut novel Full of intense twists Fantastic book to start off summer reading Highly recommend.’ Loud and Proud Book Junkie, 5 stars
‘I loved this book, it grabbed me right from the beginning.’ Beady Jans Books
’I genuinely struggled to put this book down… I can’t recommend this book enough, it’s made it to my favourites… I can’t wait for more books to come from Louise Jensen… A well-deserved five stars from me.’ Emporio Epidemic
’I couldn’t put my Kindle down until I had answers … I wasn’t sure which characters to trust and which to not trust… a 5 star book that would make a fantastic summer read ’ Steph and Chris’ Book Review
‘As the skillfully woven web of lies and deceit starts to untangle the author throws in a massive twist that I certainly didn’t see coming… a definite must read for all psychological thriller fans and it’s one of those books that deserves to be talked about.’ The Haphazardous Hippo
‘One of those books that you can’t stop thinking about even when you’re not reading it … the tension never seems to drop for one second … an absolute treat, albeit a scary one, to read Highly recommended ’ Books and Me
‘Just as I thought the story was wrapping up BANG I was hit again with another…
more
I loved this book. The author went from then to now all throughout the book. Kept me guessing the whole book. The plot was different than other psychological thrillers. This was a book that I looked forward to reading every chance I got
When Grace starts in a new school, in a new town living with her grandparents, being the new kid she is bullied. But Charlie comes to her rescue and they have been best friends since grade school until Charlie’s death. They had buried a memory box and upon Charlie’s death Grace digs it up and finds a letter inside that Grace did not know Charlie had placed there. The letter prompts Grace to search for Charlie’s dad only to have a woman turn up on her door step claiming to be Charlie’s half-sister, Anna. Anna moves in with Grace and Dan and then things start to happen. Dan begins acting strangely, things start to disappear and Grace feels like she is being followed. The story moves back and forth between past and present with a lot of twists and turns. Great read. I would like to thank the Publisher and Net Galley for the chance to read this ARC.
Twists and turns galore!
Great book, as are The Date, The Surrogate, others. Love her suspense! I am a fan. If you like dark and twisty, def buy her books!
The sister is the type of book that makes me read it in the middle of the night (although I pay a heavy price for lack of sleep) because you cannot just put it aside until the next morning.
Grace’s life seemed to be relaxed. She has a stable relationship, a good job, a home, a cat, but inside her soul, there is a demons dance that doesn’t give her peace.
And then comes Anna; Grace’s Sister. Anna manages to enter her sister’s life, her home, her soul, and cause a much bigger storm than Grace could imagine.
In short, Without going on to detail of the plot and ruin your pleasure, I will tell you that surprisingly, this is a good and worthy book of tension!
Highly recommend!
At the moment, the market is flooded with psychological thrillers and domestic noir, but this bestselling debut novel by Louise Jensen is one of the best. I read it over two days and it held my attention throughout. The twist at the end is a brilliant one.
When Grace and Charlie were children, they were best friends. Charlie helped Grace to settle into a new school, was always up for mischief and adventure, and displayed her caring, sharing nature by helping her depressed, poverty-stricken and alcoholic mother to deal with life. But then Charlie disappears and Grace is devastated. She’s now with Dan, a boy she met while she was still at school, so has known forever. But Dan can’t seem to help Grace to cope with such a devastating loss.
Then Anna comes into Grace’s life, claiming to be a half-sister Grace never knew Charlie had.
Anna looks like Charlie, and Grace wants to believe Anna might become a new best friend, someone who is not Charlie but who is almost as lovely. At first, Anna is indeed lovely, cooking for Anna and Dan, treating Grace to days out, and taking Grace shopping for gorgeous clothes. But something isn’t right. Why does Dan seem both attracted to and repelled by Anna? What is Dan hiding? What is Anna hiding, and is she mad, bad or merely misunderstood?
As the novel reaches a nail-biting climax, there are revelations upon revelations. Who is Anna, who are or were her parents, and what does she really want?
Louise Jensen explores the bonds of friendship, loyalty, and the paralyzing power of guilt in The Sister. Grace was befriended by Charlie when they were young girls on Grace’s first day in a new school. Their friendship forged that day endured until Charlie’s untimely death. The loss devastated Grace, who has remained haunted by Charlie’s last words: “I did something terrible Grace. I hope you can forgive me.” Grace has no idea what Charlie did or why she asked for forgiveness.
When Grace and Charlie met, Grace was already burdened with guilt. She had just moved into her grandparents’ home. Charlie was raised by her single mother, Lexie, a would-be songstress who drank too much and left the girls on their own most of the time. Charlie never knew her father, but following her death, Grace uncovers clues to his identity and becomes determined to find him. Instead, she finds Anna, who claims to be Charlie’s half-sister. Anna informs Grace that her father is also deceased, but she wants to learn about the sister she never knew. For Grace, Anna represents a new best friend with whom she can share her memories of Charlie. When Anna asked to stay with Grace and her boyfriend, Dan, briefly while she secures a new job, Grace readily agrees, But Anna settles in with no intent to leave. And once she does so, everything begins to go wrong for Grace. Her belongings go missing, her relationship with Dan becomes strained, problems develop at work, and Grace becomes convinced that she is being stalked. Determined to learn the truth, Grace continues her quest to learn what Charlie did that was so awful she was prompted to ask for Grace’s forgiveness. As Grace uncovers more information, catastrophes continue to befall her. Has she figured out that she is in real danger in time?
Grace lacks self-esteem and confidence, always seeing herself as overweight and unattractive, unable to lose the ten pounds or so that separate her from satisfaction with her appearance. She was already weighed down by grief and regret about her father’s death & her mother’s reaction to that event when Charlie suddenly left town. Although Charlie sent postcards from all the places to which she traveled, Grace missed her terribly. When Charlie finally returned, her death was another cruel blow that rendered Grace unable to function. Dan stood by her and she has begun piecing her life back together when Lexie asks Grace to help her clean out Charlie’s room. Grace’s discovery sets in motion a series of events that lead Grace closer and closer to the truth but place her in danger. Anna is sweet and ingratiates herself into Dan and Grace’s life, but from the outset there is tension between Dan and Anna that Grace does not understand. Grace’s gullibility and vulnerability due to her long history of sadness inform and compel the action in this fast-paced mystery. Jensen has created an eclectic, but believable cast of characters with Grace at the center of the story. The question is whether the truth, once fully revealed, will serve to set Grace free and allow her to finally find peace and happiness. In Jensen’s capable hands, learning the answer is entertaining, even if the promised shocking plot twist isn’t very shocking. Readers will undoubtedly figure it out quickly, but that doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of reading The Sister.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader’s Copy of the book.
I will begin by saying this certainly does not read like a debut novel. From page one, it reads as though a seasoned author had put this together.
Charlie (Charlotte) and Grace became friends when they met in school. They say that opposites attract, and in this case, it was so true. Charlie was outgoing,friendly, and willing to do almost anything for a bit of fun. Grace is quieter, an introvert, but a willing follower of Charlie.
The book takes you back and forth between NOW and THEN, as the girls were growing up. Around their 18th birthdays, Charlie ups and leaves. She says no good-byes other than to tell Grace .. I am so sorry. Please forgive me. But what is she sorry about? And forgive her for what? Five years later Charlie reappears but before they can talk, Charlie falls dead.
Grace’s dad walked out of the home when she was very young, her mother abandoned her to her grandparents. The loss of Charlie in her life tears her apart.
Anna appears in Grace’s life …. she states that Charlie was her half-sister and Grace gladly welcomes her into their home. And then strange things start happening. Small accidents .. like hazelnut in her coffee when she’s very allergic to nuts. Malicious notes left for her. Her car is keyed. Her live-in boyfriend, Dan, has become distant. And Anna moves in.
All of a sudden, the friend has become cumbersome. She’s always saying things that make Grace feel insecure and she’s planting ideas that her boyfriend is cheating. And now her home has been set afire with her in it.
Is Anna the culprit? And why would she do these things? Is she even Charlie’ sister?
There are many twists and turns that keep the pages turning. I love the way the past and present are written. They are easy chapters to read and all are told in Grace’s voice. The characters are well described, especially as most of us have had that one great childhood best friend. The reader can imagine .. and wonder….
For anyone who likes psychological thrillers, I highly recommend this one. This one will stick to you for a long time….
Many thanks to the author / Grand Central Publishing / NetGalley who provided a digital copy of this Psychological Thriller. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
The story of an evil sister has been done before. Predictable.
Excellent reading. Would recommend.
I read this book during Hurricane Irma and it was the perfect distraction! The plot was wonderfully played out and the writing was engaging and allowed me to fall into the story and enjoy the characters. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more from this author.
How people’s action tumble across others lives and all changes. Interesting mystery.