When I was reading this book, I was so glad that I'm an only child! Emily is a thoroughly dislikable woman and I'm not sure Jess is much better - though her personality has been moulded and coloured by the way her sister has behaved to her. Even James leaves a bit of a bad taste in the mouth.

That saying, I found the story engaging and it held my attention right to the epilogue, but unfortunately, that's where it fell apart for me.

I wasn't too keen on the way the author brought everything together, and found the ending problematic.

There was never any character that you could believe in. There were so many lies, you weren't sure who to trust or like. After a while, Emily just really grated on the nerves. I felt there was a lull in the middle of the book. I loved the setting and wish more detail had been provided about that.

When Jess is babysitting for her baby neice Daisy she passes out and when James and Emily come back Daisy is missing...... was it a burglary and baby snatch or is there something more sinister and what secrets are they all keeping...... why were Emily and Jess estranged?

A great psychological thriller that kept you turning the pages with so many secrets coming out and working well by being told by the different points of view

Little Sister begins on the night that baby Daisy disappeared. All we know is that her parents, James and Emily, went out that night. Jessica, who is Emily’s sister, was home babysitting. When the parents got back home, Daisy was gone and Jess was lying on the floor, out cold! What exactly happened that night? That was the question on my mind from the first page.

At first, I thought it was pretty obvious what had happened to Daisy. An intruder broke in and took her, right? However, I quickly found out that nothing was obvious in this story. Each one of the characters was hiding something and there were so many secrets and lies to get through to unearth the truth. This had me turning pages up to the end.

The story is narrated in the present by the sisters. There are flashbacks that help in explaining the relationship between them. One of the sisters really disappointed me. I disliked her in the past narrative and also in the present one. You won’t believe just how deep betrayal can run between siblings. You will have to read the story to find out more about this but I bet that you will end up feeling the same way about this character.

Little sister is a captivating, page-turner about secrets, betrayal and lies. It is quite a twisty read and I enjoyed Ashdown’s writing. I especially liked how she was able to seamlessly shift between timelines and characters.

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

This is a fast paced tale of secrets, lies and family drama.

Emily and Jess are reunited after the death of their mother. Emily is happily married with a baby and a teenage stepdaughter. Jess is babysitting for baby Daisy on New years eve when she passes out due to a medical condition and Daisy goes missing.

Both sisters have secrets and both sisters are liars but which one is evil and which one is misunderstood. James, the husband and Chloe the teenager also have their secrets and everyone lies in this book to cover themselves. None of them are likeable but some are far worse than others.

This is a well written book with rounded characters and a gripping storyline that kept my interest right to the unexpected end.

Oh my gosh! Sisters, love, secrets, lies!! This book is full of sisters and their secrets! I love the different storylines that unfold as you read this book! The answers that you find for all the questions that are brought up as you read! If you like a good mystery, a who-done-it, then this is the book for you! As the story moves along, you begin to feel your loyalties change. My love for the characters definitely switched from beginning to end! With sisters, which one should you trust?

This was an excellent thriller, which had me wanting to know what happened to Daisey and why? It was written well and in a way that kept the reader engaged and wanting more, Definitely a thriller I think most who love suspense/taught/and chills will love! Will be recommending and reviewing much in much more depth in Chapter Chatter Pub this week!

I love family drama and dysfunction! I love mysteries and suspense! The more secrets and lies the better! This book is about what happened to Daisy... she’s missing and was under the care of her aunt. This is about estranged sisters, deception, and will have you turning pages quickly unable to put it down because the plot is so fast paced it’s easy to read in only 1-2 settings.

Little Sister is a wonderful mix of lies, suspense, and secrets! I'm still wrapping my head around it, but Ashdown does a masterful job and will have you turning pages as quickly as possible. The plot centers around a missing child and the family's deception and history surrounding it. Little Sister is filled with multi-faceted characters and an extremely fast paced plot that will have you guessing till the end. Highly recommend.

Wow! This was a great psychological thriller about formerly estranged sisters, Jessica and Emily. After Jess moves into Emily's home, she is left to babysit Emily's daughter, only to be found passed out on the floor covered in blood when Emily and her husband return home. Their daughter, Daisy, is gone. The author did an excellent job of laying out ways for each character to be responsible for Daisy disappearing. Only the best writers of psychological thrillers can convince the reader to look at other people than the one they suspect when they start reading. I definitely recommend this one! It was full of twists and turns and was well written!

So many secrets and lies!! It took one sentence for me to hate Emily - - the one regarding their hamsters. And my opinion of her never changed. I felt sorry for Jess, but she had secrets of her own. Actually, everyone in the book had secrets! Every time I thought I had things figured out, another twist revealed itself and I had to reassess my thoughts. The characters were all well-developed and realistic; the story - both current and past - compelling.

This book is definitely a page-turner; I was never bored. A really entertaining read.

This is the fascinating story of two sisters who lie. Jess is staying with her sister Emily and her perfect family. One night, while babysitting their baby Daisy, she passes out due to a chronic medical condition and, when she comes to, Daisy is gone. The book is about what happens to the family after that. The Police investigation trying to locate Daisy is quite interesting, but it's the family's descent into chaos that makes the story compelling. We know that both sisters are lying. But it seems like everyone else around them has issues with the truth. Emily's husband has some secrets, as well as his daughter from his first marriage who is now a teenager. I couldn't get past how they are all hiding things that may help the Police find Daisy, this seemed a little unfeasible and made me yell at the characters more than once. There are many twists and mostly were well thought out and executed. The ending was simply perfect.

This book was rather interesting but it was way too long than necessary. Personally, i think it would have been more compelling if it was shorter.
Baby Daisy was kidnapped on New Year's Eve while her aunt Jess was babysitting her, her parents out in a party and her stepsister in another one. The investigation of this kidnapping led to the discovery of many secrets that each member of the family was hiding.

The story was told from the point of view of Jess and her sister Emily, alternating the chapters, and in each chapter the author unravel a bit more of the past between the sister, what led to their estrangement for almost two decades. As i already said, it was interesting, but after a while i started feeling annoyed at the repetition of the "feelings" of both of them. It was a bit tiresome to read in each chapter how Emily can't pull herself together, how she longs for a drink, her alternating mistrust and gratefulness towards her sister. and then it was Jess, how she keeps the family together, cooking, cleaning, caring fot everyone. And there was not enough real discoveries in the meantime to move the story a bit. What happened between the sisters was kind of obvious from the beginning, but it was so divided in the chapters that it almost lost its effect as a final revelation.
Even the twist between part one and part two was not enough. It was a turning point in the story and i hoped that things will move on faster after it, but no!


I can't say i liked the characters that much, they were certainly complicated and in a way that was the reason for the 3 stars rating instead of 2.
The end felt so extremely tidy, i expected a messier end after the "final revelations", and it didn't seem real or plausible for me.
Perhaps i am becoming harder in my opinions with this particular genre, or less susceptible to be surprised, but i did have high hopes for this book.

A dual narrator/timeline thriller involving a kidnapped infant and years of lies between two sisters. Jess has just recently come back in Emily's life after years of estrangement, and she's taken over the job of nannying her niece. She has a diagnosed heart condition that leaves her on the floor passed out on New Years Eve when her niece is taken and her sister is out with her partner for a party. Who took Daisy, and why becomes the central tenant of the first part of the novel, but the real star of this show is the absolute pathological nightmare of a sh*tshow sociopath that is Emily. I can't remember the last time I've hated a character so much. She has NO redeeming qualities. Epitome of a terrible human being. This novel is a twisty, turny, atmospheric thriller drenched in white wine from beginning to end. Great read!

'No one knows you better than a sister—your dreams, your fears, your mistakes, and all your secrets'

As children, this was certainly true for sisters Emily and Jess.
 
A long estrangement of sixteen years has been swept under the carpet and they've once again become close to the point that Jess has moved in with Emily and her family.

This picturesque apple cart gets turned over when Emily's toddler, Daisy, mysteriously disappears whilst in Jess's care. With Jess unable to remember what happened, Emily's life begins to fall apart.

With Police detectives now investigating Daisy's disappearance, we begin to get a different picture from this seemingly idyllic family, unfolding deceptions and long ago choices, the story ultimately revealing the shocking reasons behind Daisy's abduction as well as the underlying reason as to what tore these two sisters apart years ago.
 
Peeling away the layers through alternating perspectives, between past and present, Little Sister reveals itself to be a dark, twisted tale where nothing is as it seems as everyone has their secrets to protect.

An engrossing tale of sibling rivalry, broken loyalty and shocking secrets that had me eagerly turning the pages with each new twist in this plot driven book, tying things up nicely with its suprising ending.

I really enjoyed this clever read, and look forward to reading more by Isabel Ashdown. Many thanks to her, Netgalley and Kensington books for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Where is Daisy? Who is telling the truth? Is everyone lying? Does everyone have a secret? An entertaining read that weaves the past with the present. Filled with characters that are highly unlikable, this book had a few slow parts, but as secrets were revealed little by little, the story grew much more compelling. More of a family drama than an edge of your seat thriller, this book is a good one to curl up with on a lazy afternoon.

Little Sister delves into family secrets and the hurt that goes along with them. There are two plot lines being told. The first, set in the present on the Isle of Wight, is about the disappearance of James and Emily’s baby daughter Daisy one night while they were at a party and she was supposedly being watched by Emily’s sister, Jess. As the story progresses, there are many false leads in finding the culprit of this devastating loss. But the reasons behind the abduction are absolutely shocking.

The second story takes place during the teen years of Emily and Jess. What occurs is absolutely heartbreaking and leads to a long estrangement of the two sisters.

Isabel Ashdown deftly takes the reader from present to past and back again without missing a beat and the two storylines work brilliantly together. Heart-pounding revelations are made right up to the end. With all the books coming out with “sister,” in the title, this is one that you definitely don’t want to miss!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Press for providing me with a complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of the books you read and don't forget. It hits you deep in the heart. The ties that bind sister also lead to sibling rivalry and jealousy. I was thoroughly entertained reading this book and definitely would recommend it. Look forward to more by this author.

Little Sister by Isabel Ashdown

Twisted is the first word that came to mind when I finished the books. The story, characters, family, relationship…all…twisted…

Sisters should be friends but are they? Can you trust your sister? What about your husband and your friends – are they trustworthy? And, what about yourself? What about the things you tell yourself and others – are they honest and true and how does your “truth” synch with that of those around you? All of those things came to mind as I wondered just how two women who are sisters could end up as they did in this story.

I have to say that the storytelling style was not my favorite flipping from one character to another with three eventual viewpoints and within a segment the past and present were often mentioned in a haphazard way. At first I almost put it down but persevered and did finish the story but…did I like any of the characters? Nope…not really. Could I relate to any of the characters? Not really. Would I read another book by this author? Perhaps. I am not sure if “like” is a term one can use to describe this book. It did make me think and say, “Oh my!” a few times but…it was truly TWISTED.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars

After being estranged for sixteen years, two sisters are reunited at their mother’s funeral. Everything is going well, until one night when Emily and her husband go out, leaving Jess to babysit their daughter. When the parents come home, they find their daughter, Daisy missing and Jess covered in blood on the floor. While trying to find Daisy, lies start unraveling and secrets come out. What caused the sister’s to be estranged for so long?

This novel is gripping right from the beginning; I was addicted and didn’t put it down for hours! I enjoyed the characters and enjoyed that most of them were hiding things so they wouldn’t be looked at like a suspect. I also enjoyed the half truths that were told to cover for the bigger lies. I liked Jess and Chloe, but I found Emily a very unlikeable character and I often found myself annoyed at her while reading the chapters from her perspective. I did enjoy that they chapters went between the two sisters perspectives and later on how they included the perspective of the child’s abductor.

I really enjoyed the twists and turns this book takes you through and I was shocked by some of the secrets we find out. I loved the dark turn of events and found I didn’t want to put it down until I knew all the twists. These sisters have a complicated history, but I really didn’t expect it to be so dark! I love that the sisters seem to come together and fall apart so easily, because it’s kind of true of all sisters. I did find the middle part of the novel did drag a bit more then I would have liked, but the rest of the book is quite fast paced and you could easily sit down and binge-read the first half. Overall, I really enjoyed the writing and I didn’t see the twists coming at all and I love that in a book. I will definitely be trying more books by Isabel.