I received an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time! It was definitely a book that kept you thinking! I would definitely recommend this book to fellow readers. Thank you!

A gripping story that highlights the hidden past of the families involved.

A tangled web of family secrets may have bigger repercussions than anyone could ever have imagined.

A suspenseful, character driven drama that explores a complicated relationship between a mother, Annie and her two daughters, Sylvie and Persephone.

Sylvie has plenty of reasons to feel guilty (at least in her mind) about her sister's unsolved murder. There is a reason she feels the guilt. I loved the close bond the two sisters shared. Sylvie did her best to watch over Persephone. almost like she wanted to be her guardian angel.

The story line jumps between sixteen years ago on the night Persephone never came home to present day and her case is as cold as ever.

Sylvie returns home years later, as an adult, to care for her ailing mother. Her ever present guilt drives her to start asking questions about Persephone's murder. Can she find the answers that the police failed to come up with? Who has kept secrets for all these years? She may have secrets of her own.

A haunting story of love, obsession, and a search for redemption. I was able to predict some things early on, but enjoyed the well developed characters and the emotional journey. I'll be interested in what this author writes next!

The Winter Sister by Megan Collins Isn't an edge of your seat thriller. It quietly gets under your skin, where you feel compelled to continue reading, wanting to know the entire story. Twists and turns and some back and forth in time make The Winter Sister a story that will linger. I was given an early copy to read.

I realize human nature is sometimes unpredictable, but there were characters in this story whose motivations didn't seem particularly believable. A mother who loved her child so much she treated her like crap? Okay, that didn't ring true to me, nor did the reason behind the ultimately revealed murder mystery. And perhaps, the most irritating feature was the sister's name of "Persephone." A strange complaint, I know, but that name popped up multiple times on every single page and it drove me nuts ...maybe because I had to keep figuring out how to pronounce it!

Thanks NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

This one is tricky. I didn’t love it or hate it. I liked it. I wasn’t consumed by the story, but it kept me interested in order to find out what exactly and had happened to Persephone. And who killed her.

The narrative is okay...and Sylvie is reliable as a narrator. I enjoyed her voice and perspective. She was easy to sympathize with regarding all aspects of the story.

One of the hardest pieces of the story to relate to was Annie, Sylvie and Persephone’s mother. Perhaps relate is the wrong choice, but I didn’t despised her character. And even after finishing the book, I don’t think she ever redeemed herself for what she did, things she said, etc. Regardless of being ill, I couldn’t give her behavior a pass in the past or present day. She was essentially a terrible human being.

I loved Ben...despite the accusations against him. And as I got to know him the more the story progressed, he was definitely one of the better characters. I felt his guilt. His pain. His love.

As for the mystery: it wasn’t hard to figure out as clues started appearing. Most suspects were far too obvious and therefore I felt that they may have been guilt of other incidents, but not murder. The one aspect I couldn’t piece together was a motive. And really, considering the big (not shocking) reveal the girls’ mother had been hiding, it was disturbing. Not so much in the why, but just as a “how could this person do this?” There is another part of the story that completely grossed me out and had me once again pissed off at Annie and also Ben’s father. That was also the turning point of the entire tale, as well.

Anyhow, I did enjoy unraveling the story. Like I said earlier, it’s nothing completely captivating, but it’s enough to keep the reader engaged. I did think parts dragged as it had pacing and plot issues. A lot of nothing taking place often. But overall, a good read.

AMAZING, AMAZING, AMAZING! Literally y'all, you HAVE to read this book. I was shocked at the ending but the best part was that this story kept my attention until the very last word. I cannot say enough good things about this novel. And oh my the characters were truly some of my favorites. I hope that Megan Collins writes another one soon because I need to read more of her stories!!! Seriously, read this book, you will finish it in one day.

For the first 80%, i was loving this book. I was concerned early on that it would be going in a certain direction but was relieved that it was not—-until 80% in where the plot went there. The topic addressed in the twist is not one I find entertaining and It also led the book to lose all credibility for me. What two characters allow to happen in order to protect themselves (one in particular) is vile. The book is well written and was on track to receiving a 5 star rating from me until the twist. I enjoyed the writing style and will read her next novel because I figure she won’t pull this certain topic out of her hat twice.

The story behind an unsolved murder slowly starts unravelling. Lots of secrets and lies. It's a well written book and it grabbed me from the start. I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone that enjoys mysteries and thrillers.

Sylvie O’Leary’s 18 year old sister, Persephone, was murdered 16 years ago. Persephone was last seen getting into her boyfriends car on a snowy evening—as opened and closed as the case may have to appeared to Sylvie, no one was ever charged with the horrible crime.

After all these years, Sylvie has come back to her hometown to help take care of her mother, Annie, as she battles cancer. After Persephone’s death, Annie had a breakdown and from that point on Sylvie’s relationship with her mother was severely severed.

Being back in the house she grew up in has stirred up old wounds. The biggest wound being the fact that Persephone’s murder is still unsolved. Determined, Sylvie starts digging for clues on her own and little does she know what she will uncover!!!!

What a fantastic read! I adore when I get completely lost in a novel and The Winter Sister definitely delivered that— unputdownable! Megan Collins tackles the intricate relationship between mothers/daughters/sisters and in doing so has created an addictive and edgy storyline! The Winter Sister is a complete 5 star read that will have you hooked the entire way through. I have to say I was shocked to learn that this is Megan Collins’ debut novel because she writes as if she is a seasoned veteran! This is an author that everyone should keep on their radar—I cannot wait to read what she has up her sleeve next!

There’s so much to love about this novel. Its characters are so rich and their lives feel so lived in. There’s a mystery at the center of the story, that every thread is tied into, but its the badly damaged relationship between mother and daughter that really delivers the real knockout punches here. Collins doesn’t take any shortcuts. She makes sure that each encounter is earned and each revelation worth the wait. The dialogue is crisp and cutting, many times leaving me breathless at the end of a scene.
If you’re looking for a thriller with more than just cops chasing bad guys, this is one to grab off the shelf immediately. Be prepared to feel emotionally drained when the ride is over, but damn, what a great ride it is.

"The Winter Sister"
by Megan Collins
Atria Books


Women's Fiction -- Release Date: February 5, 2019


ReaderToReader.com review for NetGalley download


Sylvie O'Leary has been carrying the grief of her older sister, Persephone's death for years. The two were close and when Persephone secretly started seeing Ben Emory, Sylvie covered for her. Their single mom, Annie forbade both girls to date, and though Persephone was eighteen, she had to sneak out to be with Ben.

One winter night, Sylvie locked their bedroom window so Persephone couldn't get back in. Sylvie was tired of covering for her and assumed Persephone would ring the doorbell and her secret would be out. She heard Persephone knocking but feigned sleep and wouldn't let her in. Instead, she watched her leave and head back to Ben's car. Only, she never returned.

Distraught, Annie phoned the police and her sister, Jill who stayed with them until they received word that Persephone's body was discovered dumped under a snow bank. A hysterical Annie hid in her room and began drinking.

Sylvie felt Persephone would still be alive if only she let her in. Her relationship with her mom soon became intolerable so she went to stay with her aunt Jill. After high school, she left Connecticut to go to college and live in Rhode Island.

Now, sixteen years later, Jill summons Sylvie home to care for Annie who is undergoing cancer treatment. She does not want to return but is obligated to. But, she wants answers. What exactly happened to Persephone that night? Who killed her? Thinking it was Ben she confronts him and sees he is still grieving over her loss. Conversation with her distant mother brings no resolution and though the case is still open it's now cold.

Familial bonds are shattered, hearts are broken, and secrets are withheld until the ugly truth is exposed. "The Winter Sister" is a mesmerizing, complex thriller.

This book was offered to me by a publisher for review purposes, based on…well, based on tons of similar books I read. Female authored female driven mystery thrillers. There are so many of them out there, it really takes something spectacular to stand out. And this book wasn’t especially spectacular. It was well written, all the more so for a debut, but…here comes the but…so it’s essentially a mother/daughter story. Originally there were two daughters, but one, ominously named Persephone, was murdered when she was 18 and the crime remained unsolved. The family didn’t survive it as a cohesive unit, mother drifted to drink, daughter to her aunt to stay and then to college and then to a decent if not especially deliberate or well thought out life. But now 16 years later the two are begrudgingly reunited, the murder still hanging over them, casting a pall on their lives and seems like it’s finally time to find out the truth. So yes, ok, a mother/daughter story, very dramatic, obviously expecting much emotional involvement from the readers, but the author made the mother character (who is dying and therefore should be considered kindly, you would think) so unpleasant, so hideously thoroughly loathsome, just a morally repugnant person who spent her entire life loving and pining away for an equally terrible person no matter what it did to those around them, including her own children…and it’s just very difficult to care. And you’re supposed to, that dynamic is the primary plotline, the main dramatic narrative. Obviously, I’m not saying every character in the book should be a morally upstanding and all around terrific person, they can be good or evil or anywhere in between, but they have to be interesting, compelling, complex…and this was neither, this was much too one note, arc free, pitiable certainly and tragic, but the main emotion you’d get reading it was anger. Families…boy, do they f*ck each other up. Probably not the right message for a book read on Thanksgiving. And it dragged on somewhat too, the revelations came slowly, the things with the bruises alone was so predictable and made so much out of and the prerequisite twisted ending was plausible and kinda sorta (not too much, I’m glad to say) predictable too, mainly due to the fact that there just weren’t that many main players. No, actually, mainly because of how uncompromisingly irredeemably evil the author writes her antagonists. There just wasn’t enough moral ambiguity to lay blame at random, it was a pretty concentrated affair. And yet, the book was entertaining, it read well and I made it through in one prolonged sitting. Yes, it was more frustrating than I would have liked, but it passed the time decently enough and the author certainly shows promise. Thanks Netgalley.

Families. They really suck, unless they're other peoples. Then my fascination is endless, don't you think? Oh, then to be a fly on the wall.

THE WINTER SISTER is kinda one of those. It's also pretty unputdownable. The writing is crisp and the editing - even in my advance copy - is faultless.

The story is a simple one. 18 year old Persephone is killed late one night after a date with her boyfriend. The case goes cold. Sixteen years later her half sister comes home and lies begin to unravel.

This was an amazing book. I'm so happy that Simon and Schuster offered me an advance copy. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys mysteries and thrillers.

I rather enjoyed The Winter Sister. Lies run deep throughout this well-written page-turner. It was nearly impossible to put down and, even though I had figured out what was going on, I was still thoroughly impressed with the way the story played out.

I am excited to read more from Megan Collins in the future.

This book had me hooked instantly and kept me until the very last page. That's not always the case for me, especially if I'm not reading a fluffy YA romance. It came to me with a "if you like Megan Miranda" tagline, so I dove in.

The story starts with Sylvie the night her sister disappears. Sylvie's young and Persephone has snuck out to be with her boyfriend, whom Sylvie things abuses her sister because she always comes back covered in bruises. Persephone has been forbidden to date so Sylvie is the one who lies for her. But Sylvie gets tired of lying for her sister. And then her sister never comes home.

After Persephone's death, things with Sylvie and her mom get worse. She's practically raised by her aunt and manages to get into art school and eventually move away. When her mother gets sick and her aunt can't help anymore, Sylvie comes home.

I love the dark feel of Sylvie, knowing that she's trying but she's also still suffering so much. She lives a sad, simple life and no one, not even her family truly knows her. I definitely got some Gillian Flynn vibes from Sylvie. She's obsessive and angry, but uses it to find her answers. When she see's Ben again she immediately goes to the police like a crazy person. I can definitely appreciate the drama with her.

Persephone's story unfolds quickly, not too many unnecessary things happening. The story unfolded nicely and I really liked the interactions between Ben and Sylvie. Annie's story is sad, but it worked well with the story. I would have liked to have had more with Ben and Sylvie, so I ended up with four stars.

Huge thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing and ARC free of charge.

Thank you to Touchstone, Atria books, and NetGalley for an advanced read in exchange for this review.

Sixteen years ago, Sylvie's sister, Persephone, was murdered.  The murder remains unsolved.  Sylvie has now returned home to take care of her ailing mother.  She runs into Ben, Persephone's boyfriend at the time.  She's always suspected Ben was responsible for her sister's death.  As more secrets begin to unravel, will the truth finally come out?

What a wild ride!  The story alternates between chapters of the present of Sylvie and Persephone and Sylvie in the past.  Her relationship with her mother is strained, and Sylvie has to learn how to deal with her mother while figuring out what she wants to find out about her sister's death.  There are some elements of surprise as the plot begins to take shape.  I found some of it to be a bit messy, but it works for the story.  Really enjoyed this one.

The Winter Sister is a beautifully written family drama and psychological thriller that has a cast of highly intriguing characters, an emotionally resonant storyline and an edgy literary vibe that really involves the reader in this intricate familial web.

Sylvie returns home years after her Sister’s murder, to look after her Mother who is battling cancer. The relationship between these two is strained and unpredictable, both are hiding things surrounding the killing of Persephone, the once loving mother daughter bond dissolved. As the story unfolds, layer upon layer of secrets fall away until Sylvie is left with the stark, horrific truth.

This was a complex character study, extraordinarily fascinating especially in the very different perceptions of the Sisters when it comes to their Mother. Annie is hugely secretive and obviously damaged, Sylvie in her childhood memories gets that across even as she struggles to understand it herself.

The mystery element is very much secondary to the exploration of parent/child relationships and the events that can form a personality.  Who killed Persephone is all tied up in the forming of bonds, the choices we make and the different ways we define love.

It was excellent. Disturbing, intelligent and hugely addictive, with a strong emotional sense, The Winter Sister works on many levels.

Recommended.

I don’t usually care for books about women obsessed with men who done them wrong or bad mothers. This one has both so I was surprised that I liked it so much. This mother is one bad mother. But the rest of the story is really good even though it is built around a well worn trope: the unsolved murder of a sibling. This is a strong debut and I will definitely be recommending it and be eagerly awaiting her next.

This is an extraordinarily compelling book. It truly is a sit and read through novel.
That being said, I had almost no compassion for the protagonist, Sylvie, notwithstanding her age at the time of the pivotal event. Overarching ignorance of the legal system is troubling at best, and she exemplifies it. Selfish assumption of burdens not one's own are an excuse for a lack of boundaries. Being excessively judgmental becomes somehow a justification for the anger and damage she seems bent on spreading. Sylvie lacks compassion and thus garners none.
Nonetheless, the book is compelling

This was an interesting mystery thriller whose plot twists I could see developing miles away. Probably the only reason it still intrigued was the reveal and motive of the killer which unfortunately didn’t pay off as much as I expected. Nevertheless, it was interesting to read and put together the puzzle pieces.

I think Sylvie felt stuck. She was aware that her moment of selfishness and the mistakes she made when she was a kid, may have led to her sister’s unresolved death leaving her with too much guilt to move on and find direction in her life. Her character played a major part in turning the cogs that lead to the solving of her sister’s case, which I wouldn’t say resolved her life, but it definitely set her up for it by the end.

The main characters were deeply flawed – whether by circumstance or their own follies – and its these flaws in the end which contributed to Persephone’s death; some more than others. I was appalled at the behaviors of some of the parental figures and I couldn’t get myself to empathize with them because they were too hurtful and selfish.

I felt like miscommunication or even lack of any communication amongst the characters played quite a major role in the novel and this somewhat irked me. Sometimes the motives of some of the characters were confusing – especially that of Will Emory and Annie.

The novel deals with how much a child needs a parent, how abuse and neglect can shape a person’s life leaving a deep impact and how complicated relationships can be. Melancholic and a page turner, The Winter Sister was a commendable debut which despite the little bit of predictability was intriguing enough that it kept me engaged till the end.