The Good Sister was part of my Hepworth binge I mentioned in The Mother-in-Law post and I liked it even better than I did The Mother-in-Law! A favorite of September. This is another mystery thriller and I can usually figure those out pretty quickly but I was shocked (although some would say the title gave away some hints that I missed).

I loved the way the character’s were developed and the way the reader received the backstory. Hepworth used the diary of Rose, the twin sister of Fern to tell us how twisted the girls childhood was and how their relationship came to be what it was. Fern has a sensory processing issue and struggles to cope in the world of the average person but her sister Rose is her closest companion and helps her navigate, sometimes by overstepping and stifling Fern. Fern trust that Rose is honestly the only person that truly knows her, partly because Rose and Fern have a secret that Rose holds over her sister anytime Fern tries to exercise her freedoms. This relationship forms a bond and trust between the twins so deep that they would do almost anything for each other, even alter their own lives and maybe others.

Fern works in a library and does her job well, although a little quirky. One day a gentleman, called Wally by Fern, walks in to use the showers that the library allows the public to use. Fern sees an opportunity in Wally to help her sister accomplish a dream she has taken on. Over time Fern and Wally form a relationship and Fern begins to feel like she’s making some life choices on her own and trusting herself. Rose doesn’t approve of their relationship and starts to intervene causing Fern to question Rose’s sincerity and take a look back at their childhood realizing they may not have remembered it the same way or had the same experiences.

I give The Good Sister 5 stars!! The plot line was unique and the character introductions caused me as a reader to trust the wrong people, which is a pillar attribute of a good mystery right? I’m excited to continue my Hepworth binge and recommend you all jump on this train if you haven’t already, go now.

Thank you Netgalley, Sally Hepworth and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. I really enjoyed Fern and Rocco's characters. This book is quick paced. It will leave you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out what happened from the very first page. The writing style is great. It is set in England. It is in stores for $27.99 (USD). I am going to read more by this author in the near future. I highly highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone has it is very twisty a good thriller needs to be.

Wow! What an absolute twisty page turner! I raced through The Good Sister and loved every page! Sally Hepworth has a fabulous imagination!

I tried so hard to like this book. I read The Younger Wife and LOVED it so with all the 5 star reviews for this book, I thought I’d love it too. Unfortunately not the case. I tried 10 times to pick it up and read a chapter or two but I just couldn’t do it. DNF at 20%. Thank you to #netgally, #StMartinsPress, and #SallyHepworth for an arc in exchange for an honest review

An absolutely accessional read. Twisted and creepy with family secrets that should just stay buried, yet there is a warmhearted mix of fun too. The characters are written brilliantly. The perfect psychological thriller. Loved it.

I love this author’s style of writing and she keeps the reader on the edge of their seat until the very end of each book. Every novel she writes is a must read for me and goes on my list. Her books allow the reader to try to guess the the outcome in each chapter and then eliminate characters. She keeps you guessing in each chapter and makes you wonder. Bravo 👏 Sally and I look forward to her next thriller book and the thrills she delivers in her novels.📚👍👏💐

Fern and Rose, fraternal twin sisters alternate the telling of this tale that gets creepier with every chapter. Rose, short and plump, tells her side through diary entries. Fern is tall and fair - and has sensory issues. When the book opens, pretty quickly the reader realizes there has been an incident, which resulted in a young boys death when the sisters were young and that their home life was not great. The girls have always had each other, and Rose has always understood Fern's issues with lights and noise and inability to interpret social cues and facial expressions. Rose has always been Fern's advocate and protector. When Fern meets a man at the library where she works, she begins to question her relationship with Rose and their childhood. There are more and more questions about the increasingly divergent memories of incidents from their childhood and whether the girl's relationship is really as it seems. Any book that features a librarian peaks my interest, Fern is a refreshing character, there aren't many books that feature a main character on the spectrum. The rest of the library staff, is wonderfully written as are the two male characters. Definitely a page turner, with perfect pacing and characters to fall in love with.

Another fabulous thriller by Sally Hepworth. I couldn’t put it down! Thanks to Net Galley for the AR copy.

Sally Hepworth is another author that is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Her stories are thought provoking and keep me going for that fabled "five more minutes" or "just one more chapter".

Fern fanatically sticks to her routine. Even one thing being out of place can throw her off kilter and that can't happen. When Fern isn't in control bad things seem to happen. Bad things that she can't seem to keep under control.

Rose tries hard to help make her sister's life easier. She tries to keep everything in balance, knowing how important it is to Fern. Sometimes life isn't always as accommodating though. Sometimes little wrenches are thrown in to derail us and cause unknown harm.

A definite thought provoking and powerful story about sisterly bonds and what we'll do to protect those we love.

I really enjoyed. I enjoyed The Mother in Law as well, but thought this book took it up a notch. There was a lot going on and it was a thought provoking read. I really found the sisters interactions and their ups and downs compelling.

Sally Hepworth writes a twist like no other! I loved the dual perspectives of this book because it just added to the twist. I read this as well as did the audio and really enjoyed both formats!

This was my first Sally Hepworth novel and it will absolutely not be my last! I LOVED this book! The way Hepworth writes made me feel every twist, every moment of doubt and suspense in such a powerful way. This plot and these characters were so well crafted and I found myself with chills at the very last page.

Sisterly love knows no boundaries for fraternal twins Fern and Rose. Growing up in an unstable home they have learned to depend on each other. As adults Rose continues to look out for Fern who has sensory issues. When Fern realizes Rose can't have a baby she decides to repay her for all she has done for her and give her a baby.

While a bit of The Good Sister was predictable it didn't take away from my enjoyment of this page turner of a story. Did I mention I absolutely loved quirky Fern and found her quite amusing too!

This was a great read, quick paced and pleasantly surprised me with how engaging it was. Part family drama, part mystery, part exploration of how people with disability live in our society. Lots of twists and turns and kept me guessing until the end. Very well written narrative.

A twisted family suspense novel that centers around twin sisters. When Fern finds out that her sister can't have children, she sets out to have a child for her sister. On this quest to have a baby for her sister, she digs up dark family secrets that may change the way she sees her sister.

This is another novel from Sally about family. It’s about two close sisters and their relationship and that with their mother. There’s a part of the story that’s comforting and steady. And there’s a part that feels chilling. I loved Fern’s life at the library and her relationships with the people there. I loved Wally!

This was my first Sally Hepworth and it took me completely by surprise in the best way - I loved it! It’s definitely not your traditional thriller - it’s a psychological thriller where you catch on way before the main character does. There are twists and turns but most of them I guessed in advance. The suspense comes from waiting for the main character to figure out what’s going on before it’s too late - and it worked perfectly!! I absolutely loved the MC. She’s an Eleanor Oliphant type character with sensory sensitivity and social difficulties. I don’t want to say anything else for fear of spoilers, but I highly recommend this book. I can’t wait to read more by Sally Hepworth - I own The Mother-in-Law and have her next book, The Younger Wife, from NetGalley (coming April 5, 2022!).

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth is a fantastic thrill ride of a domestic suspense.
This story was based on the characters who were well written.
The story was somewhat predictable, but definitely a well written characters driven story.

Finally got around to reading this one! The Good Sister brings you twins, Rose and Fern, both with their own issues. Rose has abandonment issues after a tough childhood. Fern is very sensitive to sensory situations and has always relied heavily on her twin to help her get through life.

This one was a little slow for me. You knew that twists were coming but when they did I wasn't the shocked or awed by them. It was an entertaining read but probably not one I'll remember in a few weeks.

I'm sensitive to things happening to small babies and pregnant people so that may be why I didn't connect with this story.

For fans of stories with unreliable narrators or looking for something to read quickly in a day.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The author created a masterpiece of how silent and destructive emotional abuse is, I was caught up in the story line and did not realize the manipulations that were taking place until later in the book. Once you understand it, it will shock you. Kudos to the author on a well-written book.