‘I had to pick my jaw firmly up from the floor when I sadly finished this fantastic novel. I started reading it on Friday night and couldn’t take myself away from it until the wee small hours. I was captivated from start until finish.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘You don’t think Jamie and I have secrets, do you? No, we tell each other everything.’ She smiled. ‘Including your dirty little secret. So … your dirty little secret. So maybe it’s time to start being nice to me?’
THE WIFE: Clare is ready for a break. It’s been a tough year and now she wants to put her feet up. Arriving at the Italian villa for their summer holiday, she decides it’s high time her husband and his family did some of the work. After all, her husband owes her…
THE HUSBAND: Even though Dan had his head turned by someone else, he’s realised the error of his ways. He’s here now, and he says it’s for keeps. Clare can trust him, can’t she? At least he’ll have his brother there, to keep him in line…
THE BROTHER: Jamie is the prodigal child, back in the family fold again after years of travelling abroad. But when he gets to the villa, he’s not alone. He’s brought a wife, someone none of them have met before.
THE SISTER-IN-LAW: Ella is everything Clare isn’t. Glamorous. Young. Influential. But she knows a secret about Clare. Something that has the power to break the whole family apart.
And there’s someone who will do whatever it takes to make sure that this deep secret never comes to the surface.
An utterly unputdownable, gripping, twisty psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Before I Go To Sleep, The Girl on the Train and Date Night.
Readers are loving The Sister-in-Law:
‘Wow wow wow… I could not put it down! A gripping, on-the-edge-of-your-seat page turner… My blood pressure was up the whole way though this!’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘I give this book 5 stars, hands down! What a fantastically written thriller! I COULD NOT put this book down… Holy cow. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen – PLOT TWIST! I highly recommend this fast-paced thrilling read. You will not be disappointed!’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A story that will send shivers down your spine… I was literally on the edge of my seat… Electrifying. I could hardly control myself in my desperation to discover what secrets were being hidden… An enthralling page-turner that I defy anyone to try and put down… A totally addictive read.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘This book was just what I needed during this stressful time… This was the most amazing escape to the Amalfi Coast… I couldn’t put this down… You need to read it to believe it!’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A perfect excuse to shut everything else that is going on on this planet out… It’s one you don’t want to put down, but you don’t want it to end either… Brilliant!’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Pulled me in and held me captive from the very start… The perfect escape from these uncertain and stressful days… Twisty, compulsively readable and another sure hit for an author who should certainly occupy a place on your must-read list.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Wow!! What an absolutely fantastic and gripping read… I have devoured this book in just one sitting… There is no way I could’ve predicted this ending. It actually shocked me.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘What a book!… A powder keg – you just knew everything was going to blow, but you never knew when!’ Robin Loves Reading ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Wow, wow, wow! Serious book hangover commencing!… What an absolute cracker of a novel… I honestly thought I’d worked it out and then BAM it was all up in the air again and WOWZERS, the ending was 100% unexpected.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐more
Clare and her husband Dan and their three children are vacationing in Italy with Dan’s parents. After a tough year, Clare just wants to relax and work on her marriage. Everything is going great – that is until Dan’s brother Jamie arrives with his new wife Ella. Ella is young, gorgeous, glamorous, and an Instagram model. At first, Clare is excited to get to know her new sister-in-law but Ella seems to have taken an instant dislike to Clare and warns her that she knows her secret…and isn’t afraid to tell the family.
I am a huge fan of this author. Her writing style and storylines make me want to keep turning the pages until I get to the end. This book is no exception. I found it to be a thoroughly entertaining and addictive thriller, with lots of family secrets and family drama. Clare was a likable enough character and I was furious on her behalf at how no one from her so-called family stood up for her when Ella was constantly criticizing her and being rude to her. I was actually so upset at how Clare was being treated that I had to stop reading a couple of times. Even when it was revealed why Ella did what she did, I still couldn’t muster up an ounce of sympathy for her. I’m happy at how things ended for Clare though, and after all these years she finally saw the Taylors for what they were.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book starts off all lovely but it soon becomes apparent that things aren’t perfect – ‘but I want them to be.’ (Book sticks tongue out and says, you don’t always get what you want. This is a psychological thriller, you moron). Book is right of course. This is no romance.
As the reader, I was soon transported out of covid-19 hell lockdown and into the beautiful Amalfi Coast setting, and Clare’s family was so lovely. (Is it wrong that I got holiday envy from a book?)
The underlying current of impending doom is planted right within that beautiful setting. It is soon apparent that all isn’t well. At times I felt my heart pacing with anger as Clare tried so hard. In true psychological thriller style, I felt the cord tightening around my own neck as the story ramped up. It’s claustrophobic, it’s fist clenching and I couldn’t put it down.
‘The Sister-in-Law’ is perfect for those who like a simmering trap, one that seduces you with its beauty before its jaws lock down. My feelings were all over the place by the end and that is all down to the skilful way in which it was written. Another gripping book by Sue Watson!
First, I want to thank Sue Watson, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I can bring you this review.
WOW! Sue Watson is back with a jam packed twisted and gripping thriller in The Sister In Law. As always she gifted us with her amazing yet unique storyline. Another must read form Sue.
From the very beginning Ella (one of the main characters) rubbed me the wrong way. I Was not the only one that mentioned her dislike of her in the book. Claire didn’t care for her either.
Sue did an awesome job with the characters. Each of them brought something unique to the storyline.
Being into pop culture I enjoyed reading the fact that Ella was into everything stardom on Instagram
This book discusses topics such as Infidelity, secrets, lies, etc.
One thing I loved about the book was how Sue brought up and educated her readers on Vegetarianism. I laughed about the jokes saying Claire loved meat.
The twists and turns at the end totally blew me away. Never saw that coming!
If you know me you know that I am a huge fan of the Royal Family. So the fact that this book was based on Megan Markle joining the Royal Family made me love this story even more.
Every time I thought I knew who the “bad guy” was, I didn’t.
Misty’s Corner Review:
Where do I even begin?! My head is STILL spinning, and I finished this book yesterday! I needed some time to collect my thoughts as Sue Watson has most certainly one-upped herself this time! Definitely one of my top 5 psychological thrillers of 2020! I started reading via ebook, listened to the audiobook when I couldn’t read, and finished it all off with my very own paperback! I just knew that I had to experience The Sister-in-Law in every format, and boy, am I glad that I did!
I raced through those final 100 pages of this book as I just could not stop myself. The secrets were finally unfolding, and while I guessed part of Clare’s secret – the full magnitude of the Taylor Family’s deception was beyond me! Right about when I thought everything had been unveiled *whoosh*, there was more! The Sister-in-Law is an intricately woven narrative of deceit and blurred family values focussing primarily on Clare Taylor and all of the figurative bodies her new sister-in-law Ella digs up. This is precisely the type of book that makes my book blogging journey so much fun – the ones that keep you guessing, even when you think you’ve got it all figured out!
Sue Watson captures your interest immediately. No ifs, and or buts. She leaves you begging for more after your brief glimpse of the ultimate conclusion, as visited in the prologue. At first, I found a connection in Clare – a mum and wife, on the way to a much-needed vacation with her husband and kiddos. They were a presumably happy family facing day-to-day struggles and balance. However, as the story progressed, I began to pity Clare, I was rooting for her, sure – but how much people-pleasing and surrendering can one woman endure? Maybe it’s because I am the exact opposite. I found Clare to be overly agreeable to her mother-in-law, to the point where I seriously considered that she’d been unknowingly trained into being the proper daughter-in-law.
…enter Ella Taylor. The newest member of the Taylor Family. Perfect in every way. Talk about a piece of work! She’s the one you love to hate, making you all the more Team Clare! Considering we’re only given Clare’s narrative, we never truly see Ella or any other Taylor for that matter. At least, not until right when Sue Watson wants us to! This is the beauty of a psychological thriller; it drips with suspense from every page as it leads up to the final shocking turn of events. In the end, I found myself feeling rather sorry for Clare but proud of Ella and her character’s development. I’m hesitant to say much more as this book is one that’s best to experience for yourself!
I would recommend this book to fans of psychological thrillers everywhere. Seriously! Everyone should read Sue Watson’s carefully crafted stories! I’m over-the-moon excited to see what she comes up with next!! Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers at Bookouture, and the author Sue Watson for providing me with a complimentary ebook copy of this title in exchange for my honest review. #mistyscornerreviews http://www.mistyscornerreviews.com
The peaceful setting of an Italian villa on the Amalfi Coast belies the tension in the family inhabiting the villa. This contradiction adds to the claustrophobic atmosphere. The author did a good job of creating characters that were real enough that their actions were natural. There were a few worthy twists (like when Clare fought fire with fire (no spoiler)) and some of my suspicions were proven true, but they were still good reveals. It felt like it lagged a little bit in the middle, but overall, it was good, quick psychological thriller. For a full review, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC of the book.
Clare and Dan plus their 3 young children are spending a summer with Dan’s parents and his younger brother, Jamie.
Jamie is back after spending years meandering around the world. But he has a surprise in store for the family. He’s brought his brand new wife, Ella.
Ella is everything Clare is not… young, beautiful, alluring, stylish. She knows a secret about Clare … a secret that will tear this family apart if it becomes known.
Someone wants this secret to stay in the shadows … forever.
This is the most dysfunctional family ever. Dan is a serial cheater. And he is certainly attracted to his brother’s new wife. Clare is the ever-suffering wife, putting up with her husband’s affairs time and time again in order to maintain her family. Dan’s mother is the queen bee. She’s a bit on the bossy side and no one seems to want to ever get on her wrong side. Dan’s father is quiet … and he will do anything to keep his wife happy. And then there’s Ella. She has her own agenda and she’s determined to get her own way. But what…exactly.. is her agenda? She’s manipulative, sneaky, and calculating ..and she really, really doesn’t like Clare or her ‘brats’ as she calls them.
This is well written with skillfully drawn characters and a tightly woven plot filled with twists and turns that leave the reader riveted to each and every page. The conclusion is explosive ..and unexpected.
Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
The Sister-in-Law takes mostly over a two-week family vacation in sun-drenched Italy. Clare Taylor, a forty-something-year-old nurse and mother of three is hoping to use the vacation as an opportunity to reconnect with her philandering husband Dan. After her brother-in-law Jamie shows up with his new wife, Ella, a beautiful young Instagram influencer, the vacation dissolves into a whirlwind of tension and accusations that ultimately ends in a tragedy where nearly everyone has a motive.
Sue Watson once again takes her readers into a suspenseful, entertaining read that is easily devoured in one setting. Almost everyone has that relative with the ability to create chaos wherever they go, but few of them have the ability to create the spiderweb of lies and deceit that are unveiled during the annual Taylor family vacation. Watson’s latest novel makes the reader wonder how well we really know our families and just how far we would go to keep them safe and protected. The Sister-in-Law is definitely a book that readers looking for a tension-filled page-turner will enjoy!
Joy Taylor is bossy and manipulative and her husband, Bob, is a wimp. They are retiring from their family business and leaving it in the hands of their two sons, Dan, who has already been working for the company, and Jamie who is a world traveler having a good time doing nothing and being funded by his parents. Dan and his wife Claire have 3 small children and she is a registered nurse. Joy and Bob rent a villa on the coast of Italy every year for a “family vacation.” This year, their son Jamie arrives a day late accompanied by a drop-dead gorgeous model, Instagram celebrity and successful blogger who he introduces as his wife, Ella. Claire and Ella instantly dislike each other. What could possibly go wrong with this scenario?? Lots of bickering and backstabbing occurs from all members of the family and there are lots of family secrets that begin to come to light. None of the characters were, in my opinion, likeable, but I think that is why it is such a great book. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this book that kept me on the edge of my seat and kept me mesmerized until the end. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good thriller.