Sibling bonds. Family secrets. A glamorous Hamptons setting. The Perfect Sister delivers on all of these fronts with a twisty, slow-burning mystery that had me hooked—even if the execution wasn’t quite as sharp as I hoped.

Alex and Maddie are the kind of sisters who were once inseparable… until grief and distance got in the way. When Maddie fails to show up for Alex’s birthday—a total red flag in their relationship—Alex can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong. So she heads to the last place Maddie was seen: the Hamptons, where she’d been staying with the enigmatic and wealthy Blackwell family. As Alex is pulled into their orbit, she starts to suspect that these picture-perfect elites might be hiding more than just socialite drama.

The premise really had me—missing sister, suspicious rich family, secrets beneath the surface—it’s the kind of setup I love. And there are multiple POVs, which added some extra depth and kept the story moving. A few twists genuinely caught me off guard, and I never felt bored. But… the structure and pacing felt a bit messy at times. Some transitions between timelines or perspectives were jarring, and I occasionally found myself needing to backtrack to keep everything straight.

Still, if you're into stories with complicated sibling dynamics, secret-keeping families, and those classic something's not right here vibes, you’ll probably enjoy this one. It's not perfect, but it's definitely intriguing.

Maddie and Alex are sisters whose father left when they were young and their mother just recently passed away; they are now all that each other has left. When Maddie suddenly cancels plans to celebrate Alex’s birthday with her, Alex starts to worry. Calls are going to voicemail and Alex KNOWS that something is wrong. Alex starts to get worried and decides to sort of investigate on her own; this leads her to a seaside resort called the Hamptons; the family that owns it has let Maddie stay in their pool house. The family is saying Maddie left and went back to New York City but Alex isn't believing it. Where is her sister?!

Thank you netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC>

The Perfect Sister by Stephanie DeCarolis is a haunting mystery. I loved this book because just when you think you’ve figured it out, you find out you haven’t! It’s a fascinating book. Parts can feel a little slower but don’t give up—the ending is well worth it. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely own my own.

This was a pretty middle of the road book for me. I started, stopped ,and went back to it a few times before hitting a point where I felt compelled to finish. I was able to get a copy of the audiobook which helped me along when I felt in a bit of a slog. I felt there were too many point of views and some parts of the story could have been edited down or just not included. It wasn’t bad by any means (three stars is a good ol’ average book in my opinion), but I don’t think it’ll stick in my memory long term.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I DID want to find out what happened to Maddie, but despite my curiosity I DIDN’T find this to be an “edge of your seat” type of thriller.

The pace was slowed by the background information from the sister’s childhood, and the present day narrative went in a direction I didn’t care for, making the story lose plausibility.

Maddie’s reason for choosing to go to The Hamptons was lost in the noise, and Alex’s relationship with Ben felt underdeveloped. I would have liked to have more focus on these two plot points.

Still, I rated the author’s debut novel, “The Guilty Husband” 5 stars, so although THIS story wasn’t a favorite, I will be eager to read what she pens next.

I enjoyed the premise of this book. It's a bit therapeutic for me when books bring up negative childhood experiences.
I like how the author tird everything together.
Will definitely look for other books of this authors.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC

This book grabs you from the start and keeps you hooked. It is an emotional thriller filled with family secrets and surprises. The story has lots of suspense, making it exciting and hard to put down. Many twists keep you on the edge of your seat.

I read this book quickly and found it interesting. It gives viewpoints of people who were treated differently. An interesting read.

a tense, suspenseful novel about family, secrets, and the lengths we go to protect those we love. Alex Walker has always lived in the shadow of her perfect older sister, Maddie, whose seemingly flawless life contrasts sharply with Alex’s own struggles. When Maddie suddenly breaks their long-standing tradition of spending a week together every summer and then disappears without a trace, Alex becomes determined to uncover the truth.

The story follows Alex as she tracks Maddie to the Hamptons, where she encounters the enigmatic Blackwell family—the last to see Maddie alive. The Blackwells’ perfect exterior quickly unravels, and Alex finds herself navigating a web of deceit, betrayal, and dark secrets. The contrast between Alex’s down-to-earth background and the Blackwells’ wealth and privilege creates an interesting dynamic, one that heightens the tension as Alex digs deeper into Maddie’s mysterious disappearance.

While the novel explores themes of sibling bonds and family loyalty, it also delves into the darker side of privilege and the hidden costs of a seemingly perfect life. The pacing is solid, with a slow build of suspense that keeps readers hooked, even if some twists are a bit predictable. Alex is a relatable, determined protagonist, and the unraveling mystery surrounding Maddie’s disappearance keeps the stakes high throughout.

I felt like I was at summer in the Hamptons, with the beautiful coastline and vivid settings. Especially that beach house—I could picture myself there. Thankfully my own sister is not missing, though! The beachy vibes served up a perfect vacation read with the right amount of mystery and drama.

Alex and Maddie Walker could almost be twins—sisters separated by only one year. Alex reflects on their relationship a lot. The sisters used to spend all of their time together, but over the years Alex could feel Maddie drifting away from her. Never the less, each summer, the sisters spend one week together (at least). Until this year, when Maddie cancels their trip unexpectedly. Unable to reach Maddie, Alex arrives in the Hamptons to find what happened to her sister.

The main setting of the book is the stunning and sprawling mansion owned by the Blackwells. The Hamptons home is the last place Maddie was allegedly staying before she cut contact with Alex. Everyone Alex speaks with assures her that Maddie left, but Alex keeps finding small signs that suggest that might not be the full story.

I liked the use of multiple perspectives in this book. We hear from both Alex and Maddie, as well as some of the other characters. I was completely puzzled through the whole first part about what was going on. I couldn’t tell if I missed something about why Maddie was staying with the Blackwells, but it just took a bit of time for that story to unfold.

The book has a grand reveal, as it should. I definitely didn’t guess what was really going on, so I enjoyed the twist! The sisters could have had a bit more depth of character development for my tastes. It read well as a beach-y read, but I wanted to understand them more. This is a consequence of books told from multiple perspectives though! Maddie and Alex themselves have very distinct personalities.

A perfect vacation read!

This was a lovely read and happened to be the first one I’ve read by this author. The characters were interesting and the book was hard to put down--which is what I am always looking for.

A gripping psychological thriller that delves deep into the complexities of family dynamics, secrets, and the lengths one will go to protect loved ones This is a great summer read because it is fast paced - has some twists and turns and a great ending.

Multiple POV which was a little confusing at times, but all come together in the end. Loved the setting of the small beach town and loved the way the sister's relationship is at the heart of the story!

Thank you, Net Galley and Bantam Books, for this ARC in exchange for my honest review

Alex and her sister Maddie have always had issues. But as they grew up Alex was not as successful and she ended up leaving her home town. Even though they had different paths they would meet for one week a summer and go on a trip together. Except now Maddie isn’t answering her phone and has cancelled the trip.
Alex become suspicious and starts to search for answers about her sister but what she finds out might cost everything.

This book was a good book and one that I enjoyed. I thought it was interesting enough to get me entertained so that is a plus. Personally I felt connected to Alex and Maddie as I resemble Maddie in some ways but my younger brother resembles Alex. The fact that I could somewhat see where they were going through I think helped as well.

I absolutely loved loved loved this book, I was literally on the edge of my seat the whole time. I literally couldn’t wait to find out what happened to the sister, and with everything else that was uncovered just made it a GREAT read!

Ues this domestic thriller was fantastic. Great read for Summer vacation. Thank you Netgalley for this copy.

Another book where rich people are hiding things....shocker. The cover of the book is beautiful. the plot was decent. the plot twists were also well thought out. i did not guess where this was going. some of the aspects of the book were predictable though & that was a little frustrating.

Maddie is off to the Hampton for the summer and uncovers some dark secrets before she disappears. Her sister Alex comes looking for her sister and the truth about what,is really going on. There are several twists and turns that keep the reader guessing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

2.75 stars

Alex is searching for her missing sister in the beautiful Hampton's. Maddie was staying in the pool house behind the Blackwell family mansion, but no one in the Blackwell family has heard from Maddie in a few days. Neither has Alex. So she decides to head there and ask some questions hoping to track her sister down.

The Perfect Sister is told in many alternating POVs and timelines. There were SO MANY! When there are this many different points of view it makes it hard to focus and connect to the story. I did enjoy the present timeline more so than the past timeline. I felt like maybe it wasn't that integral to the story. I did enjoy the mystery, but felt like there wasn't as much suspense as I was expecting or that I like from my suspense novels.

Overall this was a pretty good mystery with many great reviews. I encourage any reader to at least try it!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

🏖Book Review:
Title: The Perfect Sister
Author: Stephanie DeCarolis
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/3 stars

This book really grabbed me and pulled me in, and I couldn't stop reading it until about midway through, and it just seemed to fall apart. I think it had so much potential to be an incredible psychological thriller, but the suspense just wasn't there in the end. Bummer!

When Maddie cancels her plans to celebrate her sister, Alex's, birthday, alarm bells are raised. This isn't typically something Maddie would do because of how close her and Alex are. Then Maddie stops answering her phone. Alex travels to the Hamptons, the last known location that Maddie was staying.

Enter the Blackwell family. This family is wealthy and influential and seems to have it all, including the guest house that Maddie was lodging in. They are the last people to see her before she seemingly disappears. So what can they share, and what secrets will they keep hidden?

Published: July 16th, 2024

Thank you, @netgalley and #ballantinebooks, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What would you do for your sister? How far would you go?

I must admit that the cover of this book is what initially drew me in and it seemed like it would be a perfect summer read.. but alas I read it in the dead of winter lol. However, I still thoroughly enjoyed the book. It was a quick, easy read. I love a good who done it especially when written well. There was a lot of POV's that sometimes took away from the suspense but I never felt like I got confused or was out of touch with the characters.