Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for allowing me the privilege to read The Sisters of Glass Ferry by Kim Michele Richardson. The following review contains thoughts and opinions that are entirely my own.

Sisters of Glass Ferry by Kim Michele Richardson is impressive from its Kentucky-laced accent writing to the richly drawn characters that come to life in its pages. Richardson draws the reader in with a suspenseful way of revealing the story, as well as the reasons for what they do. This is one of those rare works of fiction that makes you care about a family and its heartbreak, wanting to return to savor each chapter to learn why.

Most striking is the lyrical way the prose reads in a slow and sweet Kentucky drawl, and as masterful is the story built within. It evokes the feeling of being there standing among the characters. The story fit beautifully with the time period, and is true to the behaviors of the time as well.

With so much written about the Kentucky Appalachia region, it’s a refreshing shift for the setting to be elsewhere, but yet embrace Kentucky’s rich bourbon-making history. This part of the story is told from an art-and-science perspective through the eyes of a generation-trained distiller for making the fine charred-oak, barrel-aged whiskey that is aged to perfect the precise flavor. You can almost taste it as you read, and the taxation aspect is along for ride too.

In reading this engrossing book, you find yourself becoming invested in the lives and the secrets of the folks of Glass Ferry. Can the truth be told, and who pays the price? One thing is for sure, in life most truths don’t come easy.

I got an advanced copy of this story to read. To me, there was a lot of movement in the book between present day, and flashbacks to teenage years (and even sometimes flashbacks within flashbacks). It was distracting to me until I got used to it. This story has a good mystery to it and some twists and turns that I didn't expect.

Glass Ferry, Kentucky is home to twins Flannery and Patsy and their family’s whiskey business. Because Patsy is older (only by seconds) she gets the best of everything, including the heirloom family pearls, setting up a fierce jealousy between the girls. When the night of the prom arrives, Patsy goes with her date, the son of the local sheriff, while Flannery takes over Patty’s job for the evening. But then Patsy and her beau never come home. Their disappearance is a mystery, rumors and speculation run rife. Every year the girls’ mother bakes a special cake for Patsy on her birthday, praying that her beloved child comes safely home. What really happened that night and what part did a bitter sibling rivalry play in the disappearance of two young people. This is a starkly beautiful story of prejudice, secrets, and lies. I want to read more from Richardson