Saturday, July 13, 2024

The Perfect Sister

The Perfect Sister by Stephanie DeCarolis
7/16/24; 368 pages
Random House/Ballantine

The Perfect Sister by Stephanie DeCarolis is a highly recommended novel of psychological suspense set in The Hamptons and brimming with secrets.

Alex and Maddie Walker are sisters who have been there for each other no matter what throughout their unstable childhood and up until their mother's death. The two had a disagreement and now Maddie, a year older, has broken her life-long promise and will not be coming home for Alex's birthday week. Then, when Maddie doesn't even return Alex's phone calls, Alex takes matters into her own hands and head to The Hamptons where Maddie was supposed to have a job. 

When Alex arrives there she discovers Maddie was staying with a very wealthy family, The Blackwells, and they claim she headed back to New York City. Maddie's roommate there denies this and Alex suspects the Blackwells James, Katherine, and their two children, Theo and Lily, are all hiding what they know. They do allow Alex to stay in the pool house where Maddie stayed while she looks for her sister and reports her disappearance to the police. It seems that suspicions run high and secrets run rampant.

The well-written narrative unfolds through the multiple points of view Alex, Maddie "before", Lily, Katherine, Theo, James, and The Wharf. The chapters from Alex present day search and Maddie's from "before" are the most compelling, although the other narratives do add some depth to the story and potential suspects. I felt this technique is used quite effectively in The Perfect Sister and helped create tension and suspense.

This is a captivating plot, even though you do have to suspend disbelief several times, especially toward the end. I did this willingly because I had to know what happened to Maddie and who was responsible for whatever it was, which counts for a lot. Alex is a fully realized character and you will support her in her search. You'll also like Maddie. The whole Blackwell family veer more toward caricatures of a type of personality - the very wealthy.

The Perfect Sister must be the perfect choice for a summer read because I was engrossed in Alex's search for her sister and the truth. Thanks to Random House/Ballantine for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

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