Sandie Jones is very quickly becoming one of my new favorite authors. Her suspenseful writing with satisfying twists is exactly what I am looking for in a great thriller.

Kate and Lauren are two very different sisters. Kate has a career and is married and trying to have a child. Lauren is married to a pompous ass named Simon who belittles her but they have three children together. Kate has always been a Daddy's girl; Lauren, Mommy's girl. But every Sunday they make it a point to go over to their Mom's house after their Dad's passing. One day, a girl named Jess knocks on the door and everyone is surprised as she says that she is Harry's (the girls' father) daughter and she is looking for him. As the mystery of who Jess is tears apart the members of the family, clues get unraveled one by one until the reader thinks there is an aha moment. I know I did. But alas, Ms. Jones does a fabulous job of detouring and then bringing you right back to where you started from in terms of guessing what really happened. The ending actually made me gasp. So, so satisfying.

This is a fantastically written story that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Thank you to Netgalley, Sandie Jones, and St. Martin's Press for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good domestic suspense story. It felt particularly relevant because of contemporary issues including DNA genetic testing. This will especially appeal to readers who like to peel away layers of misunderstandings and conflicts between adult family members. There are multiple secrets that the family members have kept that are slowly revealed.

I liked the style of the alternating chapter viewpoints between two sisters. I also enjoyed the English setting. Although there were times when I found the storyline dragged a bit, this kept me entertained overall.

I loved having the opportunity to read and review an ARC. This is an author whose previous books I have also enjoyed, and I am looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next.

The Half Sister is a psychological thriller that will have hooked until the end!

Sisters Kate and Lauren have a complicated relationship. Eight months after their father passes away, a young woman named Jess shows up saying she is their half-sister. Lauren believes Jess but Kate is skeptical. Will Jess bring their family closer together after their loss or will she threaten to tear their family apart? Who is telling the truth? What secrets are buried in their past?

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good thriller. Sandie Jones delivers again with her latest suspense novel.

I absolutely loved The Other Woman and The First Mistake by Sandie Jones, so when I received an ARC of The Half Sister, thrilled is an understatement. We first meet Kate, a successful journalist, who is still grieving from the sudden death of her father ten months ago. Kate has an older sister, Lauren, a married mother of three, but they are not the closest of sisters. Kate was always the apple of her father's eye, while Lauren was closer with their mother, Rose. Every Sunday, Kate and Lauren, and their respective families, gather at Rose's home for Sunday lunch. Despite the palpable tension, Kate and Lauren keep up pretenses for their mother's sake. But on Sunday, a girl named Jess shows up at the house claiming to be their long lost half sister. Kate simply refuses to believe it, while Lauren gives the girl a chance to explain herself -- and what starts as a normal Sunday lunch will upend the entire family.

What I love most about Sandie Jones books it the way she writes her characters. I felt like I was able to truly connect to them and relate on a personal level. The Half Sister had the perfect amount of family drama, mystery and suspense. A great, great read for 2020!

I don’t know why I keep reading books by Sandie Jones. I was disappointed in her first two books, but hoped this one would be better. Unfortunately, my expectations were too high.

The plot was slow, boring, and way too detailed, plus, the science was wacky. There was no suspense buildup, and the twists didn’t feel surprising at all. I was not a fan of this book, but I could see it being an entertaining movie, despite the implausible plot and flawed science.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

In “The Half Sister”, two very different sisters, Kate and Lauren, are envious of one another’s life. Kate appears to be a strong-willed career woman, but has been struggling with failed IVF treatments as she and her husband Matt pursue a family. Lauren appears to have a perfect life with her husband, Simon, and three children, but she is extremely unhappy and fed up with the emotional abuse she endures from her husband. When a woman named Jess shows up claiming to be the daughter of women’s late father, the women begin to wonder who is lying or concealing information as they try to put the pieces together of this puzzling mystery.

The description of “The Half Sister” reminded me of a novel I read a few years ago, where a young women shows up claiming to be the long-lost daughter of a mother whose daughter was abducted as a baby. I was intrigued by the concept, and curious the direction the novel would go with this concept. The novel is told from the alternating points of view of sisters Kate and Lauren. I did not particularly connect to either of these characters, but I did enjoy the two separate points of views. The book is full of family drama, but I also felt some parts were slow and unnecessary to the story. Overall, the novel was average and a fairly quick read with a somewhat satisfying ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

First, a giant thank you so much to Minotaur/St. Martin's Press, NetGalley, and Sandie Jones for this ARC!

Holy Cow! I don't even know where to start with the praise for this book. I knew as soon as I saw that Ms. Jones had a new story coming out that I would be a fan, but this one solidified it! I don't want to give too much away but right out of the gate, I immediately bonded with Kate. As a professional woman who dealt with infertility and IVF myself, her struggles hit home 100%. I wasn't sure how the author was going to tie this in throughout the plot, but it added so much to the story and the relationships within. The best part of books in this genre is that I constantly find myself trying to figure out the ending. There were so many plausible twists in this book that you never really knew what the exact outcome would be.

Basically, if you've read either of Sandie Jones' other books, this one needs to be added to your reading list. It doesn't disappoint! It will be a great poolside, Summer read! Highly recommend.

I have read all of Sandie Jones’ books. They are all quick reads with a mystery. This book was no different. A quick read that kept me interested until the end. The book took many twists and turns and for me had a very unexpected ending.

A fast paced psychological thriller that kept me guessing back and forth on what was the truth. Different stories kept throwing me off. I always enjoy Sandie Jones books. Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC

It took me a minute to get into, but I’m happy I stuck with it. At first I didn’t know what to think of the sisters and hated Jess, but as it went on, with the way things kept twisting and turning, I grew to like her. I had a feeling the ending was heading in that direction, though I was surprised at some of it. I won’t give spoilers, but I will say that Ms. Jones never disappoints, I’m a fan from the first and will continue to keep her on my must read list.

HOLY COW. This book is WILD from start to finish.

Things I loved:

• Is Jess a psycho and a liar? When we’re led to believe that she’s on an overnight trip with Matt any sympathy I had for her totally diminished.

• The POV shifts between Lauren and Kate were so well done - I left each woman’s section feeling something about her sister (be it scorn, anger, envy) and then as soon as the POV flipped, I found my opinion changing. It was super well written and felt very much how life often feels.

• Simon sucks, but Lauren effectively cheating and rekindling her romance with Justin also sucks. I felt really sad though about finding out the truth surrounding Lauren and Justin’s breakup, so that helped with setting them up for a good ending.

• Rose - WHERE TO BEGIN! I loved so much about this character’s story. I also thought it was absolutely insane to find out she was the murderer and Harry knew and helped cover it up - how do you stay with a partner after they murder someone?! Insanity.

This book moves fast and doesn’t let go from the first page. Will definitely be recommending!

Dual narrator story in which sisters Lauren and Kate both somewhat envy what the other has, without ever talking to each other about it, leading to a festering resentment between the two of them. Their relationship is ripe for out and out near hatred when a young woman shows up claiming to be their unknown half sister. Kate is having a lot of trouble accepting this as her father was a near mythical figure of ethical proportions whereas Lauren is completely ready and able to accept that he may have actually had feet of clay. Fast paced, twisty, and fun to read this was a great mystery!

I appreciate the opportunity to read and review The Half Sister. While I was really excited about the premise - overall the story just felt flat. The I never really felt a closeness to any of the characters and some of the side story lines just felt distracting. The end of the book was probably the most exciting, although I wouldn’t really call it much of a thriller.

Sandie Jones doesn’t disappoint. The half sister keeps you guessing till the end. Lauren and Kate’s point of view go back and forth which add to the suspense. When you read this plan on not doing anything else.

Wow! Another great book by Sandie Jones - I’ve read them all! A little slow in the beginning, but once the book pulls you in, clear your calendar....one thing I really enjoyed about the book (in addition to the twists and turns), was the dialogue between the sisters - so good, and really how 2 sisters would talk!

Thanks to netgalley fir the ARC.

I enjoyed this book, once I got into it. A little slow at the beginning. Once you get past that, it's a nice easy read. I don't really think it falls into thriller category, but all in all, pretty good.

I loved The Other Woman by Sandie Jones, so I was excited to see another title from her. Overall, a quick paced and interesting family drama.

I felt every emotion in this book! I cannot imagine what it felt like to have your life turned upside down and everything you thought was one way, another. I felt guilty, frustrated, heartbroken, and more. The writing was a good pace, the characters were believable, and it kept my attention. It was a quick read!

Kate and Lauren are sisters, but Jess comes into their lives, claiming to be their father's daughter and wanting to know who her mother is. Kate cannot believe ill of her late father, but Lauren didn't have the best relationship with him. It seems their mother Rose is hiding her own secrets, and Jess doesn't seem as innocent as she claims to be.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Truth, lies, and the unforgivable. The Half sister is full of all three. This is the third novel by Sandie Jones that I have read and it didn’t disappoint.
Thank you St.Martin’s Press, Netgalley, and Sandie Jones for the ARC.

The Half Sister was a twisted family drama with lots of different angles. Thank you so much to Netgalley, Sandie Jones, and St. Martin’s Press for the chance to read an ARC of this book. It is billed as a domestic suspense novel, but there isn’t any suspense in this book. It’s more of a family drama, focusing on the lives of two sisters.

The beginning and middle of this book were slow, only picking up after the halfway mark. The story was about a family who had a half sister show up that they never knew existed. Kate and Lauren, the two sisters, start looking into their family’s past to try to discover who this woman is and what she wants. There weren’t any suspenseful moments or anything chilling to make you jump. It was more of a story about a normal family who has experienced the death of one of their members and the reappearance of another.

Something I liked about the book was the ending, but it was a long way to get there. I found it hard to get through most of the rest of the book because it was a string of details that didn’t amount to much. There was somewhat of a mystery here, but it was more of just explaining things until the end. I did enjoy the DNA element of the book, and found that to be an interesting component. I hope that I will enjoy Sandie Jones’ other books more, because this one was 2-stars for me.

Thanks to NetGalley I got a sneak peek of this awesome thriller (set to hit shelves on June 16 via Minotaur Books), and I loved it! 

Lauren and Kate are sisters. Their dad just recently passed away, and they are still close with their mother. And one day Jess shows up - claiming to be their half-sister. 

OH, the unravelling after this reveal! So many twists and turns, and so many rabbit holes of trying to figure out the tangled truth - and I loved every minute of this well-written ride!

You'll absolutely want to add this to your summer reading list! 

#NetGalley #TheHalfSister #SandieJones