The Good Sister was a little different than what I was expecting, but I ended up falling in love with Fern and Waldo. Their story and relationship was really the strength of the book for me. The Good Sister definitely had some twists and turns. And I often did not know where the book was taking me, but I enjoyed the ride. I would categorize this one more as a domestic drama than a thriller.

There's only been one time that Rose couldn't stop me from doing the wrong thing and that was a mistake that will haunt me for the rest of my life.

Fern Castle works in her local library. She has dinner with her twin sister Rose three nights a week. And she avoids crowds, bright lights and loud noises as much as possible. Fern has a carefully structured life and disrupting her routine can be...dangerous.

When Rose discovers that she cannot get pregnant, Fern sees her chance to pay her sister back for everything Rose has done for her. Fern can have a baby for Rose. She just needs to find a father. Simple.

Fern's mission will shake the foundations of the life she has carefully built for herself and stir up dark secrets from the past, in this quirky, rich and shocking story of what families keep hidden.

This was a very interesting read and kept me captivated the entire time. This was very much a domestic thriller. I find there aren't many authors that can write ones that are as enthralling as this one. Makes you wonder what'd you do for a sibling and when too much is too much.

Wow! This book took me on a thrilling suspenseful fun ride that I didn't want to get off of! It's a story of family drama, lies between sisters, rivalry and so much more! This was one of those books that I had to drag myself away from when I had to do adulting. It's was one of those "just one more page please!!" books. When I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it. I cannot wait to read more by Sally Hepworth.

The Good Sister was one of my favorite reads of 2021. I love delving into the relationships of sisters, and Hepworth took us for a ride that kept me guessing from the start.

Fern and Rose are twins, not identical, as different as two people can be. Fern is fair, slender, and tall while Rose was a shorter, plump child, with darker hair. Eventually Rose was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes while Fern struggles with sensory processing disorder. Rose had been the more outgoing child while Fern had and still does shrink from noises, light, smells and all the things that bombard her senses. Rose is Fern's protector and this protection continues into their late twenties, even as Rose marries and Fern lives in a small apartment near Rose.

Rose is an interior designer and Fern is a librarian, a job that Fern loves as much as she loves her never changing routine. I'm so fond of Fern, with her colorful clothes, shoes, skirts, and overalls. She is great with both children and the elderly, at the library, but DO NOT ask her to help you with the printer or photocopiers because she'll pretend she didn't hear you or pretend she hears someone calling her in another part of the library. And Fern will discard your food if it's too stinky...I think I might have a bit of Fern in me.

Rose's diary tells us that Rose and Fern had a painful upbringing, by a cruel, mood changing mother, a mother who always favored Fern over Rose. When Rose and Fern were twelve, Fern did something very, very bad and Rose helped make up a story so that what Fern did wouldn't be discovered. This bad thing is what reminds Fern that she can never really be on her own, that she'll always need Rose to look after her and fix her mistakes. Still, Fern is very good at her job and she is well liked by her co-workers and the library patrons.

Rose and Fern are so very close, Fern needs Rose to survive, it's as if they can't tell where one really begins and the other ends. But things in the past might not be as they seemed and things in the present might not be as they seem. One of these women wants something so badly that she'll do anything to get it.


Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book, I highly recommend this book.

I love Sally Hepworth and this book was, as expected, such a great read! The build up and suspense was great in this psychological thriller. I could not put it down and am excited for her next novel!

I've read and enjoyed Hepworth's work in the past, and will continue to check out her other books, but this title was a DNF for me. I'm clearly in the minority as lots of people enjoyed it. While Hepworth writes a good story, I found this one to have such weighty matter and such painful descriptions of the sisters' (mostly emotional) abuse, it was too triggering for this HSP.

Thanks for Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to review.

Hepworth weaves a tremendous story featuring adult twins, Rose and Fern. Told in first person, alternating chapters, the reader gets a glimpse into their lives and how they think. Without realizing it, a mystery of sorts is taking place, only to be revealed in the last few chapters. This review is brief, because I’m afraid of giving anything away! There is drama, intrigue, romance, and a satisfying ending. Highly recommend.

New to me author but definitely won't be last. Thoroughly enjoyed this story. Thanks Netgalley and to the publisher for letting me read this advance copy.

Wow! What a roller coaster! The character development, as well as the storyline, were spot on. The pace of the story kept me engaged.

A great read with an unexpected ending. Hepworth is a go to author that I am never disappointed with. I loved this book!

Wow - this book is a character driven wild ride. Emotional, gripping, and captivating, it took me on a journey that I could not stop thinking about until I got to the end.

Loved the development of the characters - Very original thriller, especially since it is more focused on the characters than the plot, though the plot still plays a significant role.

This was ok. Not my favorite but I did like the writing and think I will try more from this author.

This domestic thriller was a page turner for sure! The story is told from multiple POVs of twins Rose and Fern. We don’t know who is the good sister! There was a nice twist too! Can’t beat that in a thriller. I love Sally Hepworth’s previous books and this one didn’t disappoint. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC.

A good domestic suspense book about twin sisters Rose and Fern who have always looked out for each other... or so they thought! Entertaining, working well being told by the different viewpoints and twists make it a good read

The Good Sister is delightfully twisty domestic thriller about fraternal twins that also manages to pull at your heartstrings.
What I loved: Not knowing who the good sister is throughout the story, having an unreliable narrator (which will be a turn off for some), all the secrets, lies, and deceit. The short, journal type chapters help keep you guessing and make it feel very fast paced. I especially enjoyed the exceptionally well written characters. One of the sisters has a sensory disorder and Hepworth nailed it. As someone with a sensory disorder, it never felt cringy at all, it felt like she has a true understanding of what it feels like. I hope reader’s will get a better understanding of just how difficult it can be under everyday circumstances.
The only thing I didn’t care for was the ending. It was satisfactory, but it just didn’t live up to the rest of the story.

Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys domestic thrillers with unreliable narrators, alternating timelines, and POVs.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for digital galley

4 stars
This was a very entertaining book from start till the end.
Fern & Rose are fraternal twins – Fern is dependent on Rose for some parts of her life, but she also senses that there are 2 Roses – the Rose she can rely on and the other Rose. When Fern notices that her sister is trying to have a baby with some medical help she decides that she can have a baby and Rose can be the mother. Fern thinks she is not fit to be a good mom, because of what happened when she was a kid – Fern did something terrible when she was a kid.
Fern works in a library and meets Wally aka Rocco, she starts dating him. She likes having him around, he understands her better than others. The story is told from two points of view – one from Fern in the present and then there’s some bits of past and some extracts from Rose’s journal.

I was so excited to see a new Sally Hepworth novel, and this one did not disappoint! The questions about the dynamic sibling relationship between Fern and Rose made the plot enthralling, and there was a fantastic twist at the end. Would make a great book club pick!

The author, Sally Hepworth, has done it again! She never fails to deliver a story with twists and turns that pack a punch and leaves you stunned. You will start turning the pages as you are sucked into the story and believe things as they are presented … especially through Rose’s diary. However, are the facts being manipulated? As you travel through the story, you will begin to have doubts as to who it telling the truth. I fell in love with Fern and was cheering her on as she lives life from the view of someone who is on the spectrum with Asperger’s Syndrome. And when Rocco becomes a part of her life, you can’t help but be entertained by their interactions. I love books that take you on a trip that has you gasping in shock at each twisted revelation. Amazing book!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

3.5⭐

I was fortunate to receive a copy of this ARC from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley.

I found this book quite slow to get going. Being Autistic myself, I connected with Fern and a lot of how she felt and behaved.

The book had a good ending and good twist.

My favourite quote:
"It is most strange, seeing my second chair hosting a guest. Normally, it is simply a storage space for my unread books."