Book Review: The Half Sister by Sandie Jones (ALC)

The Half Sister

Author: Sandie Jones

Narrator: Kristin Atheron

Publication Date: 16 June 2020

Genre: Adult Fiction – Domestic Thriller

Length: 10 hours 11 minutes

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

From Sandie Jones, the New York Times bestselling author of the Hello Sunshine Book Club pick The Other Woman, comes The Half Sister; a compelling new domestic suspense novel about a family who is forever changed when a stranger arrives at their door.

Meet the half sister, and unravel the ties that blind us.

THE TRUTH

Sisters Kate and Lauren meet for Sunday lunch every week without fail, especially after the loss of their father.

THE LIE

But a knock at the door is about to change everything. A young woman by the name of Jess holds a note with the results of a DNA test, claiming to be their half sister.

THE UNTHINKABLE

As the fallout starts, it’s clear that they are all hiding secrets, and perhaps this family isn’t as perfect as it appears.

Last summer, I listened to and fell in love with The First Mistake by Sandie Jones (here is my review), so when I found out about the upcoming release of The Half Sister, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy. One thing that I have learned when it comes to Sandie Jones is that she knows how to write a compulsively addictive domestic thriller.

Following the passing of their father, sisters Lauren and Kate lunch with their mom Rose every Sunday. One particular Sunday lunch is interrupted when 22 year old girl Jess knocks on the door. Following the results of an online DNA ancestry kit, Jess claims to be their half sister. But, that can’t be right. Their dad would never cheat on his family. Or would he? As Lauren and Kate begin to learn more about Jess, skeletons come flying out of the closet in extraordinary fashion. Maybe their family wasn’t as picture perfect as they seemed.

The story alternates between Lauren’s and Kate’s POV. As far as characters go, I loved Lauren the most since she seemed to be the least devious/scheming. Don’t get me wrong, her skeleton closet is by no means clean, but Kate is a journalist and vulture. That being said, by the end, I couldn’t help but feel for Lauren, Kate, and even Jess. The three of them were really well developed and each of them had something that made them relatable even if their actions were a bit questionable.

In terms of the plot, it starts off with a bombshell as Jess quite literally falls into everyone’s laps. The story does lose a bit of steam as we learn the daily inner workings of Lauren’s and Kate’s lives, but by about half way through the book, the secret drain gets unplugged and I was in constant shock of all of the new revelations.

I would also like to say that Lauren’s husband Simon is a POS. He’s controlling and abusive (emotionally and physically). I wanted to shake the hell out of Lauren every time she explained away his behavior, but as someone who left an abusive relationship, I completely understood why she did. It was frustrating but eye-opening.

Overall, if you’re looking for a page-turning domestic thriller wrought with familial drama and secrets, look no further because you need The Half Sister!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing an advanced listening copy for review. Thank you Minotaur Book and Bookish First for providing an advanced readers copy for review. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.