The Half Sister

While overall this book has some compelling themes and topics, it wasn't one of my favorite Sandy Jones books. While more of a family drama than a thriller I still enjoyed it. Two sisters are visiting their mother when a knock at the door changes everything for them. How they move forward and find resolution is well-written and enjoyable. The reactions of the sisters are very different. One welcomes the idea while the other one does not. With the sisters already having a difficult relationship, this does not help. Overall this is a very fast-paced read that I could not put down. While it wasn't a huge mystery, it did have some good ones thrown in to make a mystery reader happy. The conclusion to the book is quite amazing as only Sandie Jones can do. She always makes it worth investing in the time to finish her books. And this like the others delivers.

Sisters Kate and Lauren couldn’t be more different. When a total stranger shows up at their mother’s house while they’re having lunch, their world’s are turned upside down. The girl claims to be their half-sister, with a DNA test as proof. Suddenly secrets that have been buried for decades are revealed, secrets that threaten to tear the family apart. The Half Sister is told in the first-person, alternating between the perspectives of Kate and Lauren. I found myself identifying more with Lauren and I’m not sure why. When I first read the synopsis of The Half Sister, I had no idea how the story was going to unfold. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the twisty thriller that presented itself. The pacing was significantly slower than Jones’ last book The First Mistake, but it was still a quick read, and thoroughly more plausible. If you like twisty, domestic thrillers, The Half Sister is for you. It will keep you guessing right up until the end. Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the review copy! All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed reading this mystery/thriller. I loved how I could not guess the truth. It did a good job of leading me off on tangents with Lauren and Kate and Jess and the ending was quite shocking but made sense when I put all the pieces together. The book was told from the views of Kate and Lauren and though both kind of irritated me at times with their actions, they redeemed themselves by the end since those actions ended up helping solve the mystery. I do like how it wasn't all about the sudden appearance of the supposed half sister. It was nice to read about how Kate was trying for a baby and that Lauren was looking for ways to keep her family together while trying to find happiness. This is a good summer read.