Sister: A Novel (book review)

Sister: A Novel

By: Rosamund Lupton

Category: Mystery and Thrillers

List Price: $24.00

Hardcover: 336 pages

Publisher: Crown (June 7, 2011)

Language: English

Product Description: When her mom calls to tell her that Tess, her younger sister, is missing, Bee returns home to London on the first flight. She expects to find Tess and give her the usual lecture, the bossy big sister scolding her flighty baby sister for taking off without letting anyone know her plans. Tess has always been a free spirit, an artist who takes risks, while conservative Bee couldn’t be more different. Bee is used to watching out for her wayward sibling and is fiercely protective of Tess (and has always been a little stern about her antics). But then Tess is found dead, apparently by her own hand.

Bee is certain that Tess didn’t commit suicide. Their family and the police accept the sad reality, but Bee feels sure that Tess has been murdered. Single-minded in her search for a killer, Bee moves into Tess’s apartment and throws herself headlong into her sister’s life—and all its secrets.

Though her family and the police see a grieving sister in denial, unwilling to accept the facts, Bee uncovers the affair Tess was having with a married man and the pregnancy that resulted, and her difficulty with a stalker who may have crossed the line when Tess refused his advances. Tess was also participating in an experimental medical trial that might have gone very wrong. As a determined Bee gives her statement to the lead investigator, her story reveals a predator who got away with murder—and an obsession that may cost Bee her own life.


A thrilling story of fierce love between siblings, Sister is a suspenseful and accomplished debut with a stunning twist.

"Lupton’s remarkable debut novel is a masterful, superlative-inspiring success that will hook readers (and keep them guessing) from page one…A chilling, gripping...enigma of a story.”–Booklist, starred review


“Hitchcockian spookiness in this tale of two sisters—one living, one dead—in London. A skillfully wrought psychological thriller.”—Kirkus Reviews
 
My take: WARNING! DO NOT ATTEMPT TO READ THIS BOOK WITHOUT A BOX OF TISSUES AT THE READY!  This spectacular debut novel has moments of aching sadness within it that literally left me weeping.  As someone who has experienced profound grief (really, who among us hasn't at some point grieved), I was astonished at how well Ms. Lupton managed to capture in words the myriad of emotions that flow through and within the grieving process.  All of this, wrapped up inside a stellar "who-done-it" suspense and a surprise ending that I, for one, did NOT see coming, will make Sister, A Novel the must-read novel of the summer of 2011 (in my humble opinion).  This book, this story of two sisters, separated only by death, moved me deeply.  Bee's belief in Tess and Bee's deeply rooted guilt keep Bee on the path to the truth, long after all others took the easy way out.  We can all only hope to have someone who loves and believes in us so much.  Six stars on a scale of 1 to 5.  One of the best books I have ever read (and I've read a lot!). 

About the author: For years Rosamund Lupton has been a script writer for the BBC. She lives in London with her husband and two children. Sister is her debut novel.

This review was sponsored by Amazon Vine™ who provided the book for review. I was not compensated in any way except for the complimentary book.

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