This is the third book I have read by this author. The first was an excellent thriller, the second an ok book, and this one unfortunately was just ok as well. Two sisters, unable to have a relationship with each other, are confronted by a possible half sister. This was a quick read but more of a family drama rather than a mystery/thriller it is being classified as on Goodreads. The plot is just one I’ve seen over and over recently and the ending was a bit of a let down. The moral of the story: lies and more lies can and will destroy families!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Sandie Jones for the opportunity to read and review her latest novel. While her first two novels were both 5 star reads for me, I'm going with 4 stars for this one - still a good read but not quite as enthralling as those!

Sisters Lauren and Kate go to their mom's house without fail every week, bringing along their families. But since their dad died, tensions between the sisters are high. Lauren and her mom have always been close while Kate was closest to their dad. During one dinner, a young woman comes knocking at the door saying she is their half sister, based on a DNA test she took. While Lauren believes her, Kate is appalled at the thought of her dad having an affair. But everyone is keeping secrets and those secrets are set to destroy their lives.

I loved the short chapters with the sisters' points of view and the plot line with the popular DNA testing was interesting - who knows what skeletons will turn up!

Sisters Kate and Lauren have been drifting apart for years. Lauren is jealous of Kate’s jetsetting lifestyle, while Kate longs for just one baby, to Lauren’s three.

Kate is still mourning Harry, their father who died less than a year ago, but Lauren’s relationship with him was strained. Thus, when a young woman claiming to be Harry’s third daughter shows up at a family Sunday dinner, their reactions are vastly different. Lauren doesn’t doubt Jess’s claim, while Kate searches for another explanation. At the same time, Lauren’s marriage becomes more problematic, and for the first time, finally pregnant Kate doubts her own husband’s fidelity.

Sandie Jones is one of the best suspense writers publishing today, but THE HALF SISTER was not as mind-blowingly shocking as her previous books. Or maybe I’m getting used to her style. Even if I wasn’t completely blindsided by plot twists, I still couldn’t put the book down and it helped me forget the bleak world we live in for a few hours. I’m grateful for that. #TheHalfSister #NetGalley

The Half Sister by Sandie Jones is a twisted family drama, focusing on two sisters desperately trying to maintain their fragmented relationship after the death of their father. After a woman shows up claiming to be their long lost half sister, Kate and Lauren begin investigating their family's past, uncovering secrets and lies.

This one had great potential, but was lackluster compared to the author's other stellar novels. Regardless, the story unfolds as a solid mystery (I wouldn't bill this as "domestic suspense"), finishing at a satisfying conclusion with everything tying up nicely.

A slow-burn, low-suspense novel, The Half Sister is a good starting point for those who are interested in dipping their toes in this genre but aren't interested in a thrilling, fast-paced read.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest, unbiased review.

Sandie Jones is my favorite domestic thriller writer and this one did not let me down.

I loved the family dynamic at the center of this story. The animosity between siblings and assumptions you make about their lives was relatable. Lauren is jealous of Kate’s seemingly glamorous life as an entertainment reporter while Kate is jealous of Lauren for her ability to easily have children. This wedge between them grows larger when one day, Jess comes to the door claiming to be their half-sister.

I loved reading the thought processes of each sister. While at times it felt repetitive I think it was true to what would happen with real life people in similar scenarios.

If you’ve read a Sandie Jones novel you know she always has intricate plots that unfurl is explosive ways. I think this was one of the most shocking endings out of all of her books. I thought I knew what was going on but I was so, so wrong. This was a juicy, drama filled ride that I could honestly see happening in real life.


After hearing that a big part of this story was inspired by the genealogy testing that caught GSK, I needed the novel even more. My extended family went through this exact same thing a few years ago and the discovery of a new family member through these sites was handled very realistically.

Although both of Jones' earlier novels are on my TBR, this is actually the first novel of hers that I've read. It's an engaging domestic drama told from the perspectives of two sisters, Kate and Lauren. Now adults and both married, the women are both still dealing in the aftermath of their father's unexpected death. At a family dinner, a young woman shows up - looking for their father - who she insists is her father, too.

This bombshell sets a host of emotions and past secrets tumbling forward. With quick chapters, it's an engaging and fast-paced read. And it certainly involves some twists to the story, both expected and quite unexpected. With all of the secrets, this book is easy to keep turning the pages quickly! I genuinely had a hard time putting down! It's an easy read and I think this makes for a good summer thriller to read poolside or elsewhere!

I was really excited to read this one. I loved her other ones The First Mistake which I gave 5 Starrs and The Other Woman which I gave 3 stars. The plot on this one was pretty predicable but I still enjoyed reading it and following the clues. It definitely makes you think twice about DNA testing and its implication and issues surrounding that process.

The Half Sister by Sandie Jones is another great psychological thriller that will have you second-guessing what you think is going to happen. Kate and Lauren are sisters with a somewhat tumultuous relationship that they each wish would get better. Into this family dynamic arrives Jess. Jess is claiming to be their secret half-sister courtesy of their father. Lauren buys Jess's tail completely but Kate is much more skeptical and begins to dig deep into Jess's life to see what she can learn. As Kate digs she begins to unravel plenty of twists and turns. Read and enjoy!

This novel is up with the times and uses the science of DNA to create a complex plot about Jess who claims to be the half sister of Lauren and Kate, who are true sisters. Kate refuses to believe that her dad would ever have an affair and is determined to prove that Jess is not who she claims to be while Lauren embraces the idea of having a half sister. The story is delivering many possibilities but not everyone is telling the truth.

I enjoyed this book a lot. Sandie Jones is a master at throwing monkey wrenches in the story and misleading you. It would have been a perfect delivery until I guess “who did it” at about five chapters before the end of the book. It is still a great read and I recommend it to those who enjoyed Sandie Jones’ other books: The Other Woman and The First Mistake.

OᐯᗴᖇᐯIᗴᗯ: Kate and Lauren are sisters who each have very different relationships with their parents. Kate is a daddy's girl while Lauren and her mom are inseparable. About a year after their dad has passed away, they get a shock when a young woman shows up at the door claiming to be their half sister. She has a DNA test to prove it. Lauren believes her, but Kate is skeptical and determined to prove she is lying.

ᗰY TᕼOᑌᘜᕼTᔕ: This novel was more family drama and less suspense than Jones' previous novels. The family relationships were well-developed, and I found myself taking sides as if I were an actual member of the family. (I sided with Kate most of the time). However, the misdirections caused me to change theories about the half sister more than once until I finally settled on the correct one. I was not disappointed in the ending!

ᖇᗩTIᑎᘜ: ★★★★

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Sisters Kate and Lauren are having trouble getting along in the wake of their fathers sudden passing just under a year ago. Though they still have family dinner together every Sunday for their mothers sake.
When one Sunday a young woman shows up with DNA results claiming to be their half sister of their worlds get turned upside down.
Just how many secrets can one family have?
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This book has all the elements of a Sandie Jones novel.
1 - A female character(s) who you wish would make better choices.
2- A Male character who you wouldn’t mind seeing shoved off a cliff.
3 - And a last page twist that definitely stays with you.
Now this book is so much more than just these things. It’s just something I’ve noticed about her books 😆
While this wasn’t the most shocking thriller I’ve read it was a fun ride.
I enjoyed how different these two sisters are and seeing their very different perspectives/experiences growing up with the same parents.
This is definitely a summer read you should have on your radar!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5
There were a few good twists in this book but ultimately it was a bit predictable and far-fetched. Kate and Lauren are sisters whose father recently died when a woman named Jess shows up at their mother’s doorstep during a family dinner, claiming to be their half sister. I found it really unbelievable that Kate was so convinced that Jess was not her father’s daughter, despite DNA evidence, just because she loved him so much. Also, I couldn’t stand the way Lauren let her husband treat her horribly. And then there were other things that annoyed me, but I don’t want to give too much of the plot away. It was a quick read and I’m sure other readers might enjoy it, but I just found it to be okay.

I felt like I was having deja vu the entire time I read this, it was like I had read this exact book before but with different character names. If I wouldn’t have had all that going on I still would have found this book very predictable. This is not a book for a die hard thriller reader, maybe one that is just starting out. It has has some decent suspense, tension and intrigue but I would not classify this as a thriller. 2.5 stars rounded up.

Sandie Jones has a knack for writing the perfect domestic thriller. Once again she has created a fast paced, twisty tale of family secrets. In The Half Sister, those family secrets are held tight until a genealogy dna test begins to unravel it all. I really love the style of her writing. Fast paced chapters make it easy to get lost in the story. And before you know it, it’s over! Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for the ARC!!

The Half Sister is filled with twists and turns from beginning to end. At the beginning of the story, the reader is introduced to Kate, who is struggling with fertility problems...which, as the story evolves, becomes an afterthought to the other conflicts her family encounters. When Jess shows up at a family lunch claiming to be Kate and Lauren's half sister, the daughter of their recently deceased father, events are set in motion that will change their lives forever. This is a book in which I felt invested in the characters and their stories. The plot was so riveting that I found myself thinking about the plot even when I wasn't reading the book. Another triumph by Sandie Jones.

The Half Sister is book about family drama and secrets that have been that have been buried in the past. Although, I did not think this book fell under the genre of thriller, it was more of a family drama with a little mystery. I love Sandie Jones and have enjoyed all of her books, and this one was a quick fast paced read. Some of the twists I guessed and some I did not see coming!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

Four women who really don't like each other but are they family? Well, Kate and Lauren, who tell the story, are the daughters of Rose, whose husband Henry has recently died. Jess, who turns up at their door, is the daughter of Henry but she doesn't know who her mother is. Oh the perils of DNA testing. To be honest, Lauren, who started the whole thing off, is not particularly likable, although she's got a lot of pressure and isn't happy. Kate, on the other hand, is more engaging. Jess, not so much and in fact she felt a bit of a cypher to me. The sisters circle one another, but Kate, using her skills as an investigator, goes for the truth. Thanks to the publisher for the Arc. It's a fast paced read which highlights a number of issues.

This book was okay. This book didn’t have the mystery/suspense that I was expecting. It was obvious to see where it was going with the way a particular character continued to act. I was still engaged in this book and wanted to finish it as fast as I could do see how it ended.

This book was a very enjoyable, quick read. I read it in about 3 hours. It followed two sisters, Kate and Lauren, their spouses, and their mother. They're sitting down to family dinner one night when there's a knock on the door and suddenly, life as they know it will never be the same again.
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I did enjoy this book, but it was very predictable to me. The surprise ending was not a surprise at all, but I still think it was a good ending. I was very pleased at the small details in the epilogue. All in all, I will definitely be reading more of Jones's work.

Wow! This was a perfect book for me to read during a time when I find concentrating difficult. This chilling novel about a family in crisis absolutely engrossed me from start to finish.

Jones spins a story of a “perfect” family shaken to the core when a young woman enters after a DNA search identifies her as a family member. It is Kate the younger sister who fails to take her appearance at face value, and thereby hangs this exciting, twisty tale!

I totally enjoyed this and thank Netgalley for this delicious ARC.