My Sister’s Bones is a mesmerising tale of two sister’s fighting their own personal battles. One being alcohol and the other being Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It is of no surprise that Kate is suffering from undiagnosed PTSD having been a correspondent in the war-torn town of Aleppo, Syria. One could only hazard a guess as to what horrific scenes Kate has witnessed.

There are pockets of time where Kate is being held under the Mental Health Act, so you can only assume that the authorities are trying to get to the bottom of her unusual behaviour. We are never quite sure as to the reason Kate is being held against her will until Nuala Ellwood reveals all to us. PTSD is one of the themes used in the book of which Nuala treats sensitively and with precision. This is such a tough topic to tackle and you can clearly see that guidance has been sought whilst writing.

Kate has returned to her old home in Herne Bay, Kent, in order to help her brother-in-law settle outstanding matters regarding her late mother’s estate. Her sister, Sally, is in no fit condition to even leave the house, due to problems with alcohol, let alone sign legal documents, which is why Sally’s husband has been dealing with matters in Kate’s absence.

Whilst back in Herne Bay, Kate starts to notice strange things and hear unusual noises coming from next door. Could all this be part of her state of mind suffering with PTSD, or has Kate stumbled across something?! And will she be able to uncover whatever is going on?!

Sally and Kate are sisters. Sister’s who clearly don’t get along which is probably down to them thinking that they have zero in common with each other. Although perhaps they have more in common than they think. They are both addicts. Kate is a functioning addict of sleeping pills and Sally is what I can only describe as a full-blown alcoholic. Both sisters have a shared history of troubling matters involving abuse, although they both view their childhoods very differently. My Sister’s Bones is a novel to make you envisage how perhaps various experiences and unprofound stress can have an impact on memories.

Another underlying theme is childhood death. Before Sally was born, Kate had a younger brother who unfortunately drowned when he was only a toddler. Upon their late mother’s death, Kate is a given a handwritten note by the solicitor detailing their mother’s confession of it being her fault that he died, which led to the reason why there were years of abuse from their angry father. Kate is not entirely convinced by this revelation, however how can she not believe it?!

This is an immense psychological thriller, and the add on of madness between the two sisters makes for great plotting. As the storyline develops, skeletons start to fall out of various closets, and the unpredictable twists certainly make for late night reading. This is a daring novel that should be read by everyone.

I would like to thank Penguin and Netgalley for providing me with an e-copy in readiness for the paperback release date on 7th September. E-versions of the book are already available to buy. My Sister’s Bones is definitely a book to be added to your ‘to be read’ list.

My final word: Immense!

Good read which follows Kate , a war journalist, and her alcoholic sister Sally. There is a mix of PTSD, childhood abuse and more in this book which makes it an interesting read - always something going on, however the ending was quite predictable and in some parts the book was very repetitive. That said, I did still enjoy it.

I have already reviewed this book back in February, sorry for requesting it again!

I really enjoyed this book about a war reporter and the horrors she endured on her last assignment. When she returned home she tried to connect with her estranged sister after their mother funeral. There was so much going on in their story that I could not put the book down and read it in one day. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent book. Great main characters and a real page turner. I loved the plot and would recommend this book.

My Sister's Bones is a tense thriller filled with twists and turns. Kate is a journalist whose recent experiences have resulted in her developing PTSD. To overcome her nightmares and flashbacks, she blots out life with sleeping tablets and alcohol.

Kate begins to become suspicious of the house next door and it's occupants. Several times she tries to alert the authorities but is brushed away.

Kate Rafter is a war reporter and has seen some awful things whilst reporting on the war in Aleppo, Syria. One particular event plays heavily on her mind and she finds herself taken back to Aleppo in distressing, realistic flashbacks and nightmares.
Kate goes back to Herne Bay, Kent following the death and funeral of her mother. Kate and her sister Sally suffered the same loss and saw the same abuse however the sisters have reacted in completely different ways.
Sally turns to alcohol to help her deal with things and Kate is very career driven.
My Sister’s Bones is a great story which is told in a really interesting way.
You have Kate's perspective at first, then Sally's and what is revealed towards the end is a real shock.
I highly recommend this book and would like to thank NetGalley and Penguin publishers for sending me a copy of this book to read and review.

This was an interesting read, that I would recommend. Its a slightly different perspective, however the story was very absorbing and it didn't take me long to get through it.

What a truly brilliant novel. I could not find enough hours in the day to keep reading this, I knew from page one it was going to be good and it ended up exceeding my expectations. This will be a big hit in 2017, of that I am sure.

I commend the author Nuala Ellwood for writing a novel that has parts of it set in, and about the terrible humanitarian crisis and war happening today in Aleppo, Syria. Events that I watch on the news that I feel so helpless to do anything about but want to. The author has done a brilliant job of bringing some of that truth to the public in the format of a really well written novel. I hope that many may be somewhat educated to the plight of the people living in the hell that is called Aleppo.

Kate is an investigative Journalist. She is no stranger to war-torn countries or being in the midst of danger, death and destruction. She has seen the worst atrocities up close and personal, in Iraq, in Syria, in Africa. Journalism and her passion for reporting the truth is in her blood and her bones. Kate's sister Sally is an alcoholic, spending her time wasting away with bottles of wine and ruminating on the bitterness and anger that runs through her blood. Sally's husband Paul is at a loss what to do with his wife and does his best to welcome Kate back to her home town, desperate for her to try to get through to her sister about her destructive drinking.

Yet both girls have come from the same family home, were witness to the same events, were impacted by painful and alarming family issues but could not have turned out so different in their outlook on life. The plot is really good and very interesting, it's paced really well, you won't be bored for a second and takes us on a journey into Kate's life and inner world. As the book moves us between timelines and locations you get the sense you are on a journey with the characters but are not sure where you will end up. All the characters in this book are strong points.

It's hard to review this book in-depth without spoilers, so I am going to keep it simple. Just trust me - the plot is very good, very interesting and it blew me away with some reveals that I did not see coming in a million years. The characters are written well and easy to connect with, form opinions about (those opinions may change over the course of the book) and there is nothing obvious about the book. There are so many hidden gems within the book that you really can't see fully in all their glory until the end of the book. The chapters leading up to the ending really stunned me.

The research done by the author into how PTSD impacts an individual was very good. It's written into the plot very realistically in regards to how it impacts a person who has experienced terrible trauma. I hope that the book does it's bit to raise some awareness of how debilitating PTSD is.

I truly didn't expect the book to go where it does, as a reader this novel kept me on my toes, just when I would get comfortable thinking I knew where we were going I would be spun around on my head and proved wrong, chucked back out of that comfort zone. I loved that element of Nuala's writing! There was nothing I did not like, this book has everything you need for an entertaining and page-turning read and I highly recommend this to everyone. Without a doubt - 5 stars for My Sister's Bones, truly riveting with many outstanding features.