Title: The Sister-In-Law
Author: Joanne Ryan
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Pub Date: January 27, 2025
My Rating: 4.3 Stars
Pages: 275

Story starts on a dark and rainy night and a car and traveling much too fast for these conditions. It appears there is struggle over the steering wheel and the next thing the car plunges into the storm swollen river. Another driver comes near and sees what has happened and calls an ambulance.
Next we find Megan alive in the hospital but doesn’t remember what happened until she is told her husband Rick didn’t make it.
Megan lost her mom two years ago to the day she is attending her husband’s funeral. Elaine and her (her controlling) husband Keith took charge of making arrangements for her mother’s funeral and proceed to do the same for Rick’s. At the funeral, Megan she sees a young obviously pregnant girl walk towards her with a tears in her eyes. She walks toward Megan and states - I’m sorry we have to meet like this. I’m Emily, Ricky’s sister.” She then explains she has been searching for her brother for years, but – now it is too late.

Megan was very close to mother and other than mother’s best friend, Elaine; Megan has no friends or acquaintances.
Emily and Megan exchange phone numbers and a few days later. Emily asks if she can be of any help. Megan states he will be stating Rick closed to the Charity Shop and also needs to pick pf his aches. Emily. Of course volunteers to help. Megan tells him she will pick her up at the hotel where she is staying.
Once we hear Emily’s story we learn what we suspected. Emily is not the long lost sister but ‘the other woman’. Rick did have a sister he hasn’t seen in years. So there really is an Emily Fordham but she is Shelley Beech a local hair dress and has a flat the other side of town and isn’t staying at the hotel. She tells Megan she has to find a place to stay as her ex is abusive and has threatened to kill her. She has a restraining order but doubts it will make a difference.

Megan feels sorry for her and decides since she has plenty of room why not let Emily stay until she gets things settled.
Hymm. . . .

This is my third and I totally loved the other two I read.
The blurb states ~ A completely jaw-dropping psychological thriller, perfect for fans of K.L. Slater, Lisa Jewell and Sue Watson.
I believe Freida McFadden should be added – she is one of my favorite Psychological Thriller writers. She is so very clever and this story is similar to what she would write!

Quick wow read!
Yep already looking forward to the next : Joanne Ryan thriller!

Want to than NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 27, 2025.

Absolutely brilliant book!
I am a big fan of this author and love the writing style!
I cant wait to read more!

When Megan's husband Rick dies tragically she feels like her world has fallen apart. At his funeral his sister Emily turn up out of the blue, they haven't spoken in years and she claims she has been searching for him for years. Megan feels sorry for her and takes her into her home, she is heavily pregnant and is due soon. But is Emily all that she seems.
A good read that I read in one sitting. Total rating 3 1/2 stars

Unfortunately this one wasn’t for me. At the 60% point nothing had really happened and I just couldn’t get the investment I like in a book. The pacing was slow and a bit disjointed in the story.

It started at a good pace but I wasn’t able to keep my interest.

I appreciate the opportunity to review the ARC.

Megan's husband, Rick, dies in a car accident. His estranged sister, Emily, shows up pregnant and devastated that her brother died before they could reconcile. As Emily opens up to Megan about her situation, Megan invites her to stay with her for awhile. Also playing a role in this book is Megan's mom's best friend and her husband. They all seem to be hiding things; some are even slimy. Who is the bad person in this book? Great suspense! Her best book yet. Loved it.

The premise of The Sister in Law intrigued me, and I approached the book with the anticipation of an engaging thriller. One of its most compelling aspects was the use of multiple points of view. The narrative was told from the perspectives of different characters, creating a sense that the truth resided somewhere between these viewpoints. This approach added a distinctive layer to the story that I'm not sure I have experienced before, and I really enjoyed that. Additionally, several plot twists were executed effectively, adding to the book’s appeal.

However, I found the writing style to be somewhat juvenile and at times overly simplistic. Some chapters were weighed down with excessive detail, including long passages describing Megan's wealth or Emily's thoughts on Megan and Ricky's relationship. While I understand that these repetitive elements may convey the characters' obsessive thoughts, the execution felt repetitive to the point of distraction. Furthermore, certain significant plotlines were left unresolved by the conclusion—not in a thought-provoking way, but in a way that felt more like an oversight. These loose ends left the story feeling somewhat incomplete, and I found myself wishing for a more thorough ending.

In terms of overall expectations, I found the book lacking in certain areas. Fans of Colleen Hoover and Freida McFadden may appreciate the story, but the writing style and certain narrative choices did not resonate with me.

I received an advanced reader copy of The Sister in Law in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing the ARC!

The Sister-in-Law was a thrilling page turner that went in a totally different direction than I had anticipated. The premise was unique and interesting. I was so intrigued from the start and couldn't stop turning the pages.

Meg and Rick have been married for a short time. One stormy night there's an accident and Meg is able to save herself but Rick doesn't make it. Days later at the funeral, Rick's pregnant, estranged sister Emily shows up, distraught that they weren't able to put aside their differences. Meg graciously invites Emily to stay with her after Emily feeds her a sob story about an abusive partner. The first twist comes quickly and it ramps up from there. Turns out Emily, Rick and Magan are all harboring many secrets.

This was very well written and flowed seamlessly. All the characters were quite unlikeable and that is the sign of good writing. Told through several POV'S, you can really get into the characters heads and enjoy the ups and downs of this awesome ride. The ending was absolutely perfect and rounded out the story in perfect fashion. I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the advanced copy

I couldn't put this down! There were so many twists from start to finish, every time I thought I had a part of the story or a character figured out, I was proven wrong and I love when a book keeps you guessing! Every character was so well thoight out and I liked reading from each of their POVs. Absolutely loved this, and will be looking for more of Joanne Ryan's books to read now.

I devoured this one in three days! It took me a few chapters to get into it but then kept getting better and better! The twists throughout really built tension, and the last 100 (or so) pages had some fantastic twists that I really didn’t expect! Highly recommend.

This narrative presents a profoundly intense thriller characterized by numerous unforeseen twists and turns. The characters are crafted in such a way that they evoke a complex blend of admiration and disdain.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of The Sister In Law by Joanne Ryan due to be published January 27, 2025.
When Megan loses her beloved husband, Rick, in a tragic car accident, she feels like it’s her own life that has ended. At his funeral, a very pregnant woman introduces herself as Rick’s sister, Emily. Emily weans herself into Megan’s house and life. Is Emily really who she says she is or a stranger?
This one was a real page turner! I couldn’t wait to see if Emily was “real” or not and what happened between Emily and Megan. You won’t want to miss this one!
Also recommended by Joanne Ryan – Alone in the Dark and Don’t Let Her In.
#NetGalley #JoannRyan #BoldwoodBooks #TheSisterInLaw

Her best book yet!! Megan loses her husband in a car accident and his estranged sister shows up for the funeral. But Emily is not really his sister. She is his pregnant lover out to get all she is owed from Megan. Everyone has secrets in this book. Lots of good suspense . I could not put this book down!

A very deep dark thriller. Full of twists and turns that are so unexpected. The characters are definitely ones you'll love to hate.

Wow, if you are in the mood for a twisty turny thriller. The Sister in Law is the book for you! What a great book!

This was a great read, with some solid twists and plenty of tension. I'm not sure I'd welcome a stranger into my life following my husband's funeral, but, suspending belief, I did enjoy this novel. A great thriller that was easy to read.

At the funeral of her husband Rick, Megan meets Emily.

Emily says she is Rick's sister and Megan makes a friend... Or so she thinks.

This is an amazing read and for me,a book that I cannot stop talking about.

It has a brilliant twist but before the reveal the drama and the intrigue builds beautifully,.

It is so well told I couldn't put it down and had to read from page 1 to the end in one sitting..

Thank you Boldwood Books and NetGalley for an early copy of The Sister-in-Law. What a PLOT!!!! Amazing, who would have thought of it! Unfortunately the characters were sleazy (Keith and Emily) and their conversations were unrealistic but WOW I NEVER saw the ending coming. FANTASTIC LIKE HOLD ON FOR THIS THRILL OF A RIDE!!! Very fast reading and lots of WHAT moments towards the end.

Joanne Ryan keeps writing these wonderful thrillers ,I really enjoyed this book about a sister in law who isnt a sister in law but a lover of the husband who got killed in a car crash .Full of surprises along the way ,you will love it !!

This one was not for me. The storyline didn’t flow well and I could not connect with the characters.
****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

4 stars. I really like Joanne Ryan and have read quite a few of her books. Megan and Rick are married. They are in a car accident and only Megan survives. She lost her mom a couple years ago and Megan was very close to her. Aside from her mothers best friend, Elaine, Megan has no friends or acquaintances. At the funeral, an unfamiliar face shows up. It is Emily, Rick's estranged sister who happens to be very pregnant. This is where the book takes off. The writing is excellent and is told from the POV of Emily, Megan and Elaine. None of the characters end up to be very likable. I flew through this book. It was suspenseful and the twists were very well done. I'm not sure why but I was expecting a bit more from the ending but I think I had it in my mind what I wanted to happen.

Thank you to Nergalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC. I greatly appreciate it and highly recommend this book.