What a fantastically, gripping story. I have been immersed for the last 2 days! The scenes were set perfectly, the characters true to life and the story is so relevant - coercive control. So many people are abused this way without them realizing, we need more understanding of it and the effects of can have.

Enjoyed all of Haskells past novels and looked forward to reading the new psychological thriller. After a fast start, Eva discovers that her early years were different from her recollections and what she had been told by her father and the woman who raised her. How? Her unknown sister is in the hospital and needs a family member to stay with her. Eva doesn’t have a sister but immediately drives to Wales to meet Nancy and find out her history. I wished Eva was more assertive and I’m getting frustrated with our protagonists anxiously thinking ‘I won’t ask about this til later’ in order to keep the plot moving. Overall, a three star review.

Raised as an only child, Eva grew up with her father and stepmother. They’re not a perfect family, but they’ve always loved each other. That’s why Eva didn’t hesitate to give up her career and move back home to help take care of her father who suffers from dementia. She’s happy to be there to help her mom and enjoy time with her dad while she can.

But one day the phone rings and changes everything. Eva’s told she has an older sister Nancy who nobody ever mentioned. Nancy is in the hospital and needs her care. Stinging from the realization that her parents lied to her, she rushes to her sister’s side. Nancy seems open to bonding with Eva and telling her the truth about her parents’ secret past. But as they settle into Nancy’s farmhouse, Eva senses danger looming. Is the danger coming from someone outside, or is Nancy hiding some dark secrets of her own?

Hands down one of the best thrillers I’ve read so far this year, “The Missing Sister” by Rona Halsall will have your heart racing, your palms sweaty, and your breath stuck in your throat. The suspense gets that overwhelming. Wear a neck brace when you read this one! Ominous and dark, it’s a twisty roller coaster ride through a house of horrors. Just when you think the story is going in one direction, another sudden, unexpected twist jerks it in another.

Well written, but also perfectly framed by the setting, “The Missing Sister” mainly takes place in an old, outdated farmhouse set so far in the middle of nowhere that getting cell phone service is nearly impossible. It’s creepy from the start, especially when shadows seem to haunt the farm and things start to go missing. Eva wants to run home, but she’s determined to care for her sister until she returns to health and learn the reasons her parents lied to her all of her life.

However, as Eva soon finds out, discovering an unknown or long lost relative can be like opening Pandora’s box. While you hope to bond and begin a close relationship, the person is still a stranger. You know nothing about them or who they really are. What they tell you might not be the truth. Eva needs to watch her back while staying with her sister, and you need to read this book before taking a DNA test to search for unknown relatives. There’s more than one dangerous secret lurking around Nancy’s farm.

Told from either Nancy or Eva’s point of view depending on what’s being revealed, “The Missing Sister” is as frightening as it is addictive. It’s everything I always hope a psychological thriller will be with plenty of darkness, tension, and suspense. But where most psych thrillers fall down for me, this one stands up. The ending is brilliant! It’s not all tied up with a pretty pink bow like so many are. Instead, it leaves at least a few raised hairs on the back of your neck from the last bombshell twist.

Some books claim to be unputdownable. “The Missing Sister” truly is!

Lots of plot twists kept me entertained and on my toes. Couldn’t stop reading once I started. Just the kind of thriller needed for a dreary stay inside type of day .

Thank you NetGalley for this arc

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I have read all of Rona Halsall's books, and they never disappoint. I can say the same about this one. I really enjoyed it. It starts off with a bang and the ride never stops. With multiple plot twists and turns, especially one I didn't see coming, you won't want to out this one down! Can't wait to read the next one.

Eva thought she knew, what life had in store for her.Suddenly, a surprising phone call from the hospital, asking her to come help on behalf of a sister she never knew she had throws her into a tailspin. She feels sure that her mother must have lied to her if she is related to this stranger. Secrets in the horizon slow enlighten her to a life she never thought she was a part of.

This was totally my kind of a physiological thriller, Wowzers!!

I really enjoyed this from Rona, Eva has a sister Nancy who disappeared 24 years ago.

What a rollercoaster this was, just when you think you had worked it out bang Rona pulls out another twist.

I loved the way it was set out in the parts and POVs.

Gripping all the way to the end and so far my book of the year.

A massive ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me.

It’s 4AM where I am and I had ti tell you how much I loved this one. I stayed up all night when I only intended to read one chapter. Do yourself a favor get this page turner full of twists, secrets, surprises. You have no idea what to expect next. Just when you think you know — you have no clue.

I love Rona Halsall’s books and despite having preordered this , once i saw it was available on Netgalley, i requested it straight away and like the rest, once I started to read it, found it difficult to leave down, it all starts with a strange phone call and everything that Eva knew changes suddenly and the story has it’s usual twists which finishes with an interesting ending. I got this as an arc and would like to thank the publishers and Netgalley for letting me have the book to read.

This was my first Rona Halsall book and I was quite excited by the premise but unfortunately I am not exactly a fan of this book. While the blurb was interesting, the writing style was not to my taste. The pace was too slow, the characters were inconsistent and all of them were made to sound awful. The suspense build-up became repetitive and annoying.

The story/plot itself was awesome. But the writing was not impressive. There was a lot of unwanted information that added no value to the book or the character. Judy's gaslighting and manipulation in Nancy's POV was scary (which was the point, I believe) but it was so long drawn out that it shifted from scary to boring.

At about 70% of the book, it started to get interesting; I was keen to know how the sisters would escape their predicament. But it went downhill from there. The ending was a mess. I really did not enjoy reading this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this Arc.
I have read Rona Halsalls books and thoroughly enjoyed them. The Missing Sister didn't disappoint. Although I found it slow going in the beginning it didn't take long to take off. Full of twists and turns right up to the end. Fully deserved five stars.

Well, this was a pleasant surprise.

In the beginning of the book, I thought I had it all figured out. I was wrong.

While I got one thing right far before the reveal, the rest of what happened was definitely unexpected! I ended up really loving certain characters far more than I expected to and found myself really involved with them…and really worried about one or two!

The author throws in some deft surprises and the book ends with a satisfying punch!

Nicely done!

*ARC via Net Galley

Oh I struggled a lot with this book.

Nancy was a very weak character, incredibly naive and just did not stand up for her self. Eva as well was stupid enough to have me sigh with irritation.

I have read several of Rona Halsall's books before, but this is the weakest one by far.

I absolutely love Rona Halsall! Her books are brilliant, intense and wonderful to dive into! And The Missing Sister is just that amazing! Very enjoyable quick easy read!

First of all, a big thank you to Bookouture for the ARC of The Missing Sister.

Wow! Rona Halsall exceeded my expectations with this one! What an intriguing and twisty book this turned out to be.

Eva, an only child, has taken a break from her two jobs to help her mom, Linda, take care of her father, Mike. Suffering from dementia he is quickly becoming a shadow of the man he once was.

Eva's entire life is turned upside down when Linda receives a call from a hospital stating that Nancy, Eva's sister has been in an accident. She has acquired a head injury and needs someone to pick her up from the hospital and take her home.

Wait.. what?!

Eva has spent her entire life believing she was an only child and is horrified that her parents have been deceiving her all of these years. Linda informs her that Nancy ran away when she was sixteen and it was presumed she was dead.
Determined to get some answers, Eva decides that she will go to the hospital and spend some time with Nancy.

Upon meeting Nancy it is very clear from the get-go that Nancy has no interest or desire to dreg up the past and is not the sister Eva had hoped for. Back at the farm where Nancy lives, something feels off-kilter. Eva is certain Nancy is hiding something. As the story progresses it is clear things are not as they appear. Eva has the feeling that something sinister is going on. Nancy is very hostile at times and her moods are all over the place. That's just her head injury, right?

I felt such empathy for Eva. She had spent her entire life longing for a sister. Once she found out that she did have one, she had so many preconceived ideas on what their relationship would be like. Nancy was nothing like Eva had imagined and her disappointment was palpable. She was a likeable character and her emotions were conveyed well.

The first half of this story was told from Eva's point of view, the second being told from Nancy's. The plot became more complex at this point and we discover the truth.

Let's just say I was pleasantly surprised by The Missing Sister. At first, it seemed like a fairly straight-forward story. However, it is soon made apparent it is anything but. It was full of surprises and twists that I did not see coming. As the truth came to light I was struck with a wide range of emotions; disbelief, anger, and empathy for the main characters. The writing was clear and engaging and held my interest. Everything made sense in the end and I was satisfied with the conclusion.

The Missing Sister has it all: suspense, mystery, and family drama. I would highly recommend this book. Rona Halsall is a talented author and I look forward to reading more of her work.

Rona Halsall is turning out to be one of my favourite authors. Not only are her books heartfelt and honest but also quiet dark and creepy which I love. In her latest novel we meet Eva who’s world is one day turned upside down when her mother receives a phone call from a sister she doesn’t know exists. When she volunteers to go and help her sister recover it sets off a chain of events she had never expected and as secrets and lies spill out about her childhood could the truth be even darker than she realises.

Eva is absolutely shocked when her step-mother Linda gets a phone call saying that Eva's older sister Nancy is in hospital... because Eva didn't even know she had a sister, and her family thought Nancy had killed herself when Eva was just a baby. Eva wonders what else her father and step-mother have kept from her. She travels to Wales to meet her sister and try to find out the truth. She finds that her sister has been living in a remote farmhouse, a house that Eva finds quite creepy. Nancy claims that she had an accident but Eva wonders if her sister could have been attacked by someone... and if they could still be there... What follows is a dark, tense and thrilling tale of secrets and deception.

Another brilliant book by Rona Halsall, full of twists and shocks. I couldn't stop turning the pages until I reached the ending. A really well written plot and variety of interesting characters. Very much recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback.

Wow, there were so many twists in this! I thought it dragged a little at the start, but then things just didn't add up with Nancy, and the story took off. I found this was a quick read, and thought it was well-written. There's so many secrets & manipulations that when you think you know everything, another surprise is waiting for you! This was my first Rona Halsall book, but it won't be my last.

Quick paced and what a physiological thrillers this was. So many twists it has your head reeling.
Couldn't put this one down until I knew all that was going to happen.
Another top notch book from this author.


Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

#TheMissingSister #NetGalley
I raced through it. Another masterpiece from Rona.
Everyone trusts their family. But what would you do if you realise that they're hiding something from you? A secret about a sister.
Eva's stepmom told her that she had a sister whom they thought were dead but she just turned up alive. Strange.
A woman named Nancy is admitted to a hospital and she's saying that she's Eva's older sister. Is she telling the truth? If Yes then why she left their house? And why's she back now? What she wants? Why her mom didn't tell anything about Nancy in the past?
Is Nancy hiding something or her parents?
You would think that you know what's going to happen next. I thought too.
But I was proved wrong. Everytime.
I loved Nancy's character more than Eva's.
Narration of the story was really good. I felt deep connection with the characters. I would never forget Nancy. I was completely wrong about everything.
Highly recommended to every psychological thriller lover.
I'm doing more promotion on its release date among my fellow Authors Bloggers Family Friends and followers.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me an advanced copy of this awesome psychological thriller.