I have always been a fan of Alison James. I have read her books from the start and her latest offering doesn’t disappoint.
Lizzie Armitage is pregnant and is also an alcoholic and a drug user. Her family has all but given up on her except for her sister Paula. So, when Lizzie is found dead and her baby is gone. Paula contacts the police, but the police do not think much of Paula’s cries.
16 Years later when Paula is grown and has a family of her own. There is a body of a baby is found and Paula knows that it has something to do with Lizzie. She goes on the hunt to find out what really happened to Lizzie’s baby.
This is another cleverly written story, written in several points of view that come together at the end. It is also a heartfelt story of one person who goes to the extreme to become a mother and a sad story of another losing her child. I really enjoyed this story about motherhood. I was engaged from the start right through to the end. Five stars from me.

3.75*
Thanks to Netgalley for a chance to read this arc. A new Author to me.
The Story is told from several points of view Paula, Charlie, Marian. It moves between present day and 15 years previously. It would help to have the time frame at the beginning of the chapters. initially we don’t know how they are interlinked, but all is revealed throughout the book.
Lizzie has a baby in secret with only her younger sister knowing about the pregnancy. Lizzie wakes one day to find her baby missing and she is found dead a few days later.
When Paula meets up with an old friend many years later they decide to delve into the case as there was no record of a baby.
An easy entertaining read. It’s a good fast paced read. I found Paulas character engaging. 2 decent twists in the plot.
I still don’t know what Johnny’s motivation was to help, and to spend quite a bit of money on the investigation. I can’t help but be suspicious of his motives.
#netgalley. #hersisterschild

Alison James is a new author to me and I selected it to read on the off chance. I was not disappointed, I wasn't initially sure about the timelines to start with and then got into the flow. When I thought I knew what was happening it twisted again.

Don't want to say too much as it is better to go in with an open mind and just let yourself be engrossed with the story.

Will definitely be investigating more books by this author.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review which I have done so.

Her Sister's Child by Alison James is a fast-paced, gripping read that had me hooked from the very start, and I devoured it in a single afternoon.

Told from multiple perspectives, and over varying timelines, this is a cleverly constructed narrative that will have you frantically trying to make frustratingly elusive connections. Lizzie is an addict and asks her sister to help keep her pregnancy a secret, even from her own family. Tom and Marian are desperate for a child of their own, but learn that they are infertile. Charlie gives birth to a child at seventeen against the wishes of her parents who beg her to give the child up and continue her education.

This is a twisty and convoluted ride that will have you scrambling for answers. Recommended. 4.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

This book was suspenseful, gripping, mysterious and had some great twists.

My Sisters Child is told from 3 different POV’s (my favourite thing): Paula Charlie and Marian and they all play a very important part in how this story unravels. The book is also split into 3 different parts, skipping from present, past and back to present which I thought allowed me to connect the characters a lot more as it gave me the information I needed to understand their past lives.

Paula is so devoted to her late sister to find the truth out about what happened to her sisters baby after she passed away due to alcohol related issues. After a one night stand. Charlie finds herself pregnant and thinks that a future with Jake is all she needs, but what is that going to cost her? And Marian wants nothing more than to have a family of her own.

This was a fantastic psychological thriller that had me gripped from the very first page. It has portrayed just how far (maybe too far) some people will go in the hope to get a loving family of their own.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Alison James for the ARC of this book. I can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next!

Sixteen years ago, alcoholic Lizzie woke to find her newborn baby gone. Just days later, Lizzie was dead. Her younger sister, Paula, wants desperately to find the child, but no one else seems interested. When an old friend shows up and promises to help, Paula works to find the truth before another family is ripped apart.

This was a quick, fun read if at times a little too unbelievable. I enjoyed how Her Sister’s Child skipped from POV and times, but it could also be a little confusing figuring out what is happening.

My Sister’s Child is a domestic thriller with a few twists and turns. I felt like a few of my questions were left unfinished, but it was an entertaining read.

Trigger warning- failed IVF cycle & infant death.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This one will be published November 26, 2020.

I thought this novel was incredible. The years-old disappearance mystery of a baby is what sets in motion a trail of destruction in this mystery novel. The relationship between the sisters is another strong motif. Highly recommended!

Her Sisters Child is a dark thrilling story full of action!

Very surprised that this is a debut. I thought it was written brilliantly! I really liked that the twists kept coming and weren’t all at the end, now that’s good writing. Despite some of the characters actions not being morally right I really felt for some of them.

This story will hook you, I highly recommend reading this one! 4.5/5

I usually enjoy Alison James’s books., but found this one a bit slow and predictable with unlikeable characters.

WOW!! This book grabs you in from the first chapter and just doesn't let go. I stayed up until 2am just to finish it, it was that good. Five stars - a must read!!

I suspect that were you to give some of the plot points a closer look, they'd seem impossibly far-fetched. However, despite some of the wilder twists, this was an enjoyable, fast-paced read.

This was an interesting concept and the book itself is a quick read, but there were some questions left unanswered. The basis of the story is that alcoholic Lizzie may or may not have had a baby before she tragically passed away. The book alternates between the POVs of Lizzie's sister, Paula, teenager Charlie, and social worker, Marian, and bounces back and forth between 16 years ago and current time.

I liked the different voices and the fact that the chapters alternated between them, but the timelines were a bit confusing- maybe just because it was an ARC, but I would have loved to see each chapter call out the timeframe when it takes place, instead of me having to read a few lines and orient myself around when it took place.

I thought the characters were built out for the most part, but I had unresolved questions about why they made some of the decisions they made, and wish I could have gotten more of a backstory that would have made those decisions make sense.

The ending was a little rushed for me, but I did find it interesting and it tied at least the main pieces of the story together.

Overall, if you are looking for a fast-paced read with a bit of mystery, I'd recommend the book, but know that it doesn't get really deep into the motives of some of the characters, so you might walk away with some questions. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! It has been a while since I've read a book in one sitting, but Alison James has accomplished that for me with Her Sister's Child. The suspense of the story was established from the very first page, and I found myself reading into the early hours of the following morning to see what the outcome of the story became. The story is told from multiple viewpoints across a few different timelines of the story. It begins with Lizzie who just recently had a baby, or did she? The baby was lying right there, but now it is gone. Before any of it can make sense, Lizzie passes away with a lot of unanswered questions. The story then shifts to her younger sister, Paula who wasn't around for the birth but also finds the same scenario when she tries to see the baby. All of the things are missing that the baby would need, diapers, etc. The baby is gone, but her sister is lying there asleep. What has happened? As the story unravels with marriage and divorce amongst several characters in the story, infertility issues and pregnancies, unforeseeable tragedy and heartache abound in this novel that will grip you from start to finish!

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I am really enjoying reading this author's books lately and did enjoy this one too. A novel full full of suspense, emotion and twists that kept me engaged. Told from multiple perspectives it gave insights to the characters and though I related to some more than others , it was a well rounded book I would recommend.

This book had such a good concept, but sadly kind of lacked a good execution.
In the first half of the book, Charlie's and Paula's stories still worked well together. I liked Charlie as a character and although her story seemed disconnected at first, you quickly understood the connection. I actually enjoyed part two more because Marian came in, but at the same time Paula, who according to the synopsis should have been the main character, was forgotten. I feel like the author should have either focused on Paula as a protagonist or on Marian's and Charlie's parts, but not both.
The jumps into the past were also kind of confusing and out of nowhere, and I was never really sure what the timeline was supposed to be. The ending felt really rushed and everything was suddenly too easy, and too many things just seemed very convenient for Marian. There was never really any mystery or suspense because everything was either obvious or explained to the reader, and although I enjoyed the story itself it didn't exactly feel very thrilling.
I still liked the concept and the characters a lot, and if the structure of the book had been different this could have been a great read.

i always enjoy this authors books you know its going to be a good 1 from when you 1st start page 1 .. Paula never gave up on her big sister Lizzie her parents turned her back on her as she was a drug user and alcoholic . Paula goes to see her after school and her sister tells her a secret she is pregnant .then the unthinkable happens Lizzie is found died in her flat but no baby as the years go on Paula has children of her own and she wants to find what did happen she bumps in to Johnny and a relationship begins and he helps her to find out the truth its just a brilliant read .i cried

An enjoyable read told through multiple stories, this was well written and I was unable to guess what had really happened. The author does a good job of keeping the reader engaged through good plot twists and character development. I would recommend.

So the premise and overall plot was great. There were definitely many twists and OMG moments. However, it was predictable!! I had high hopes this was going to be one of the better thrillers I read this year, instead is is somewhere in the middle with the mediocre thrillers. Just my opinion and I really do not like to say anything bad about a book, ever.

Still a recommended read and loved the cover.

Thanks to Netgalley, Alison James and Bookouture for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 11/26/20

My Sisters Child is told over three parts, part one told from Paula and Charlie...
Paula, On what would have been Elizabeth Armitage's 40th birthday, her sister Paula vows to search for the child, few people knew her sister had, not long before her sisters death.
Charlie, still at school after a one not stand with Jake Palmer who she is obsessed with, the popular boy in school, finds out she's pregnant. Charlie desperately doing everything she can to be with Jake, but at what cost?

Part two, takes us back to when Lizzie was still alive. Told from Marian and Paula's perspective...
Marian is a social worker who also desperately wants a family of her own, struggling to conceive naturally. With troubles with her husband Tom, very much a part of her life, that she tries to turn a blind eye to in the hope that things will all work out .
Paula who is school age, doing everything she can to help her sister Lizzie, who is both pregnant and has a problem with alcohol. The only family member left who is actively trying her best to help Lizzie, until that fateful day with a knock at the door.

Part three, brings us back to the present, told from Paula, Charlie and Marion. Yet another family drama, told at times before the event, mainly after.

A great psychological drama, with a few twists. Captured how desperately some people who struggle to get that perfect family unit, what lengths they'll go to try and get this. The only thing missing for me, I would've liked just that little bit more at the end... can't say anymore without risking a spoiler. A definite should read, look forward to reading more from this author.

I wanted to like this book but it was so far fetched. As someone who knows a little about children’s social care, the information was wildly inaccurate and the idea of the evil social worker a terribly dangerous and outdated cliche.
I also disliked the childless mad woman narrative.

I appreciate the effort that it must have taken to write the book though and the main character Paula was fairly likeable. It also flowed well as a story and was easy to read and follow.