eBook review copy; 384 pages
paperback ISBN-13: 9780008238070
Sister Sister by Sue Fortin is a recommended psychological thriller.
Currently Clare, a solicitor, and her husband, Luke, a painter, and their two daughters are living with her mother, an arrangement that has worked out well for all of them. Twenty years ago Clare's father took her little sister, Alice, on a trip to the USA and never returned. Her mother has been pining away for her missing daughter ever since, even buying and putting aside presents for her yearly. Over the years they have hired investigators to look for Alice, but nothing turned up. Then when a letter from Alice suddenly appears, everyone is elated that there will be a reunion with the missing daughter/sister. What seems like a wonderful heartwarming visit soon turns into tension-filled days as Clare's suspicions about Alice's behavior begin to rise.
Sister Sister is certainly technically well-written and the story will keep your interest. You will want to continue to read the story to see what happens to the characters. It is a good choice for a vacation read or an airplane book. It will hold your interest but you won't cry if you misplace it. Many readers are going to be thinking that they have heard very similar stories before and this one is equally predictable. There is nothing truly shocking that happens in it nor are the twists really surprising. You will likely have already predicted what is going to happen long before any of the characters, besides Clare, have a clue.
Although I read it to the end and basically enjoyed it, Sister Sister is not without its problems - beyond the predictability.
Clare starts out as an intriguing character but quickly becomes a bit bumbling and insipid. She is supposedly an intelligent woman who is a lawyer. She should be able to logically collect evidence and present a well-supported case. Instead she becomes a bit of a shirking violet, afraid of hurt feelings. It is also illogical that no one else in the family is suspicious of anything and that they turn on Clare so quickly and easily. Her mother should have had suspicions too. Even if you want to believe, that doesn't mean you don't use your head. Luke is an idiot who should have been supporting his wife. Clare, though, mainly acts out, whines, and throws out suspicions without presenting evidence. Even a simple, "Alice did this, then this, then this. Why is that acceptable?" And, come on Clare: use that cell phone, take pictures, gather evidence and supporting proof.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins.
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