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My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Many thanks to Net Galley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.
Insidious , the word meaning refers to something that proceeds in a gradual, subtle way, but with very harmful effects and it is this word that kept reverberating in my mind whilst reading this astonishing thriller The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth. There’s nothing surreptitious about the story, in fact, everything is clear from chapter 1. There are 2 sisters, Rose is the responsible one while Fern has too many issues to count to lead a normal life. So where do you think is the thriller element coming from, and that’s exactly where the author succeeds in astounding the reader coz every single thing is slyly plotted and cunningly woven thru the story. As the chapters alternate between Fern and Rose, there’s nothing to do but sympathize with the plight of these young girls with a sociopathic mother.
I can go ga…ga over this thriller but trust me, words are not enough to capture the chilling effect of the truth once it gets revealed. Yes, things do make sense by around 70% and most seasoned readers can definitely guess the direction of the story so the SURPRISE factor does not affect much but it is then that INSIDIOUS began to play in the mind.
In addition to the devious story, Fern with her “straight talk” was absolutely delightful. Wally and Fern were just lovely and cute and evoked all kinds of cuddly feelings, of course, Fern is not someone who loves touching. The description of her routine in the library was amazing and extremely enjoyable that I sincerely wish all librarians are like FERN!
Highly recommended for fans of psychological thrillers, even if you are not, read it for the pure joy of being inside a LIBRARY!
From the outside, everyone might think Fern and Rose are as close as twin sisters can be: Rose is the responsible one and Fern is the quirky one. But the sisters are devoted to one another and Rose has always been Fern’s protector from the time they were small.
Fern needed protecting because their mother was a true sociopath who hid her true nature from the world, and only Rose could see it. Fern always saw the good in everyone. Years ago, Fern did something very, very bad. And Rose has never told a soul. When Fern decides to help her sister achieve her heart’s desire of having a baby, Rose realizes with growing horror that Fern might make choices that can only have a terrible outcome. What Rose doesn’t realize is that Fern is growing more and more aware of the secrets Rose, herself, is keeping. And that their mother might have the last word after all.
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Great review! I loved it too. And yes, the library parts are so awesome, and everyone should be lucky enough to have a librarian like Fern!
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Thank you, Lisa 💞💞. It feels so good to read books where library becomes a part of it, isn’t it??
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