I would like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Silent Sister’ written by Shalini Boland in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Lizzy Beresford finds tucked between the floorboards in her house a letter saying “Dearest Lizzy, you’re my only obsession”. Following further letters and a message left in the changing room of Georgio’s, an upmarket fashion shop that Lizzy manages, she contacts the police. The police officer takes away the letters but is unable to discover who’s sending them. Lizzy suspects several people, including boyfriend Joe and her sister Emma who she fell out with five years ago, and she’s scared to go out alone as she feels her life is at risk.
‘The Silent Sister’ is a gripping psychological thriller that had me captivated from page one. The plot was fast-paced, with several dubious suspects any one of whom could be the perpetrator, surprising twists and turns, and an ending so astonishing I was left open-mouthed with shock. An enjoyable unmissable novel!

Shalini Boland is a new (to me!) writer whose novel, The Child Next Door, captivated me and kept me in its clutches until the last page. So naturally, I MUST read The Silent Sister! When the cover describes it as a psychological thriller, then I know I have to get my little hands on it!

This has all of the ingredients for an A+ thrill ride. Check it out:

When Lizzy Beresford discovers a threatening letter addressed to her, the words on the old, tattered paper chill her to the bone. But who sent it? Living in pretty cottage in a quiet country village, Lizzy’s never made any enemies in her life…

Except her sister.

Lizzy hasn’t spoken to Emma in years. Not since the argument which tore their relationship apart. Would her sister really want to cause her harm after all this time?

As Lizzy receives more disturbing messages, she begins to doubt those closest to her – her boyfriend, her best friend, her neighbours.

Because the mystery sender seems to know everything about her. And after a series of malicious incidents, it’s clear they won’t stop until they’ve destroyed her life.

Lizzy knows she must confront her sister. But can she trust her? And will she realise the shocking truth, before it’s too late?

Shalini Boland has fast become one of my all time favourite authors. And her latest book did not leave me disappointed! As always a real roller coaster ride of a book that keeps you guessing throughout. Already looking forward to the next book!

Not a bad book just a bit predictable, I didn’t enjoy this as much as her previous books. I couldn’t really get into the characters but maybe I’m just a bit hard to please now having read thousands of books

*Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.* Shalini Boland has crafted a book that is deliciously creepy. Set in the lovely British town of Malmsbury, all is not as it seems. Lizzy Beresford lives a happy existence, as a manager at a boutique in town and living with her boyfriend Joe and adorable cat, Frank. However, she starts receiving letters. Creepy letters, that appear in places where they should not be. Who could possibly be sending these? One-by-one, Lizzy's suspicions are turned on all of the men in her life. For fear of spoilers, I shall comment no more on the plot. As with Boland's previous books, there are a number of twists right near the end of the book. I powered through this book in just over a day, keen to know the outcome. A thoroughly engaging and enjoyable read.

I'll be honest - I didn't connect with this book at first. It started out very brusque and abrupt, and I was a bit turned off. But then, around 20-25% of the way through, magic happened. I was drawn in, to the point where I stayed up until almost 1 AM to finish this book in one shot. And that epilogue?! WOAH!! DID NOT see that coming!! I'm giving it 4.5 stars - a half point taken away for the disconnect in the beginning, but rounded up to 5 thanks to that epilogue. I can't wait to read more by this author!

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC to review.

This book was so exciting in parts but the middle was dragging a bit. The ending was Great! Not what I was expecting at all and very exciting. Makes me happy I’m an only child!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows a young woman named Lizzy Beresford. She lives in a small cottage with her boyfriend Joe and their cat Frank. One morning Lizzy finds a letter in an envelope sticking out from underneath the floorboards. After finally retrieving it with much effort, the envelope appears to be old as if it has been there for quite a long time – years even. But the letter is addressed to Lizzy and has the current date on it. How can this be? Who would write a letter to Lizzy and leave it under the floorboards?

After reading the letter, Lizzy discovers someone is threatening her. But who would want to do that? She seems to get along with everyone and has never made an enemy in her life. Who would want to scare her like this? The only person Lizzy can think of is her sister Emma. They were very close growing up but have had a falling out a few years ago, and haven’t talked at all since. But surely her sister wouldn’t go to this length to threaten, scare and taunt her? Surely her sister wouldn’t do that!

Confused as to who would do this to her, Lizzy continues on with her life. However, strange and threatening things continue to happen to her. Things she cannot explain. She finds notes and messages addressed to her at her work, after she has closed up the store for the night, and other incidents happen that she cannot explain. It is very clear that someone is out to scare her. Or worse!

Lizzy begins to suspect everyone. She is not sure who she can trust. Could it be her sister Emma? Her boyfriend Joe? Her boss even? What about her neighbour? Lizzy finds she is looking over her shoulder everywhere she goes, and is not sure who to turn to for help. She is scared to walk to work, or drive in her community.

I loved this book and how it was written. The book draws you in from the very first chapter and has a lot of twists and shocks throughout to keep you sitting on the edge of your seat. I found the pages were turning themselves as I was curious to find out just who would do such a thing to Lizzy and threaten her like this.

A lot of thrills and chills, this book didn’t disappoint. I loved how there were several shocks throughout, even to the very end. Lies, betrayal and thrills. This book was fantastic and I highly recommend it!

I was so excited to receive a copy of this book from Netgalley....the reviews were fantastic.!
It started out good....but I just found it to be “ok”
I was surprised at the ending..however I just didn’t love the book or the writing style...I have read all of Shalini Bolands books before so I do enjoy this author, just didn’t love this book.

**I have received an ARC from Netgalley for an honest review**

How come i did not know come across this author before??
May i say wow!! Excellent plot of the book and very clever book overall!!
Beautifully written, this book had me hooked from the very beginning, until the end!! It is literally unputdownable, i read it in 2 days!!

Definitely recommend this author!! Better check this and her other books and include them in your summer reading list! :)

Being a sister I always enjoy books about sister relationships - who is bad, who is good, right, wrong etc. This book continued to reflect the standard that I have read previously by this author and therefore was very enjoyable. Good level of suspense, twists, red herrings etc. Would recommend.

**Thank you to Netgalley and Bookoture for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an unbiased review.**

I’ve read a few more books by Shalini Boland and enjoyed them a lot more. This book was strictly ok. It didn’t have the ‘edge of your seat’ tension. It dragged in a few places. It was interesting enough that you wanted to keep reading but it lacked the punch that Shalini’s other books have had. The epilogue was a good twist but it doesn’t add much to the story. The ending was a little weak. I had higher expectations on this one given the other books by this author. The title does give away some of the plot, again not something to be expected from Shalini Boland. Her other books have been thrilling, this one- not so much. There is enough suspense to keep you engaged but that tension just ain’t there. The story is told from a single point of view for the most part which is a good. There is a lot of focus on some characters and barely any on the others. Lizzy and Joe’s relationship brings up a few red flags but that hasn’t been addressed very well either. All in all this is not a book that I would use to get someone hooked to Shalini Boland.

Put your seatbelts on and be prepared for lots of twists and turns on this rollercoaster thrill ride!! Great characters, interesting storylines and surprises up until the end!! Definitely recommend this one!!

Just meh.

Psychological thriller about a woman being stalked.

When Lizzy begins receiving creepy letters from an apparent stalker, her world is turned upside down. She becomes suspicious of everyone she knows, including her boyfriend, her friends, her neighbors, and her estranged sister. As notes from her stalker intensify, Lizzy begins to fear for her life. Will she discover who has been tormenting her before it’s too late?

While many people have loved this, I had some issues with it. The bulk of the story dragged and it was quite repetitive. Lizzy was too wishy-washy for me--I don’t mind having a character who second guesses themselves, but having her go out for a drink with someone immediately after they threatened her was a bit too much. Also, her relationship with Joe made me cringe.

On the other hand, this was an easy read and I loved the epilogue, which added a nice twist. I wasn’t sure who was stalking Lizzy and didn’t figure out who the culprit was until I was about 80% in; I missed some pretty obvious signs. Lizzy is the sole POV for the majority of the book, and it was nice to read something that did not have multiple POVs. But there was way too much telling vs seeing and this aspect took me out of the story.

Overall, I just found to be an underwhelming read. The more and more thrillers I read, the pickier I get. I've heard such great things about Shalini Boland and was very excited to finally read one of her books, but I was expecting more.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review.

This was my fifth book by Shalini Boland, and I will be happy to read whatever she writes next as well. The Silent Sister has the clever, twisty plot of her other books and the characters I can connect to, without making it feel that she is following a simple, tried and true mold, I find some other writers of this genre sometimes slip into (not necessary a bad thing, if it's not broke . . . ) This book introduces Lizzie, a twenty-something woman who lives with her boyfriend, Joe, in a small town near Bristol. She lives a content life until a mysterious series of vaguely threatening, definitely creepy letters arrives for her, leading her (and me as the reader) to suspect everyone in her life. Lizzie's estrangement with her sister, Emma, even has her wondering whether she could be behind the threats, or is it Joe, or her friend and colleague, Pippa, their boss . . . The Silent Sister offers plenty of red herrings and twists and turns, and though the person I suspected was proven the villain, I didn't mind having guessed the reveal beforehand. Now for a tiny niggle - I felt, having two sisters myself, that Lizzie was a little too quick to suspect Emma. Just because they were estranged, I thought it was a stretch to suspect her of something quite so awful. That being said, the book is called The Silent Sister. I won't say more about the plot, because I really don't want to spoil this one for anybody. I will just say, I enjoyed it and it was perfect holiday reading. Boland has a style of writing that makes me feel instantly engaged and characters who intrigue me, they feel very real and not like strange caricatures, which can happen all too often in psychological thrillers. If you are looking for a clever, engaging read this summer, I can definitely recommend this book and this author!

Excerpt: Intrigued, I tug it out with my fingers, dislodging a cloud of dust. The paper is thick and brittle with age. I realize it’s actually a small envelope. From the looks of it, it seems years old. I brush away some of the dust and see that the envelope is unopened. Still sealed. My curiosity piqued, I wonder what’s inside. I turn it over and blink at the name written on the front in blue cursive script: Lizzy Beresford

That is the first note that Lizzy receives, and she cannot figure out WHO could have left it or WHY.

As the notes become more and more menacing, everyone becomes a suspect...her boyfriend, her best friend, her neighbors...and her estranged sister, Emma.

As the threats escalate, the tension builds.

Lizzy is a likable character, despite a few rash conclusions that she makes about who might be targeting her.!!

Okay, amateur detectives..get out your sleuthing 🕵️‍♀️ caps!

This is the first book that I have read by Shalini Boland, so I am not sure if she always does this, but I felt that if you really paid attention, you could solve the case of WHO is leaving notes to our protagonist, Lizzy. And, that is NOT a bad thing. That CAN be fun...And, that does not mean that you won’t change your mind a few times before you do...you will...there are enough red herrings to throw you off the track. (The police could not seem to solve the case!!!)

BUT, if you read a LOT of thrillers, you may prefer to be surprised. So, the book ends with an epilogue written just for you. I did NOT see it coming. But, I also did NOT like it.

3.5 stars from me.

Not a story (except the ending) that really surprised me, but an engaging writing style that kept me turning pages...

I would like to thank Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my candid review! This title will be available on July 16, 2018 !!

The story was pretty good, a total page turner. And I liked the suspense it created! But I did NOT like any of the characters except SEBS (he seems cute and darling enough). Apart from him, the person I liked the most turned out to be the greatest f*** up of them all!! (Like seriously?!! wtf with the epilogue!!! take it back!!!!)

Despite of all of them the book was a total hit!! A great thriller!! Perfect for the rainy days sporting here (where I live) with a cup of hot coffee...

My rating for this book is actually 3.5 stars...

The story revolves around Elizabeth, aka Lizzy, Beresford. She receives an anonymous letter, addressed to her and they start becoming frequent. Faced with an unknown stalker, she is petrified and doesn’t know whom to trust. Every man becomes a suspect in her eyes and she’s on the verge of a breakdown.
Lizzy lives with her boyfriend, Joe. To add to her already existing woes, Joe’s dominating and claustrophobic attitude starts to irk her as well. The letters turn up the weirdest of places, giving an impression that it’s someone who knows Lizzy and her whereabouts really well. Perhaps, someone closer than can be imagined.
Lizzy turns to the police for help, but they are equally clueless as the stalker is very clever, making sure that no clues are left behind.
The threats seem to be pointing Lizzy to her sister, Emma, but the two have been estranged for years. And would Emma really resort to such means?
To top it all up, she also has to deal with work-related woes and a potential theft at the shop she works in.

Fast-paced and quite well written, this book will leave you guessing till the end.
Can you ever really know someone?
Can your past ever come back to haunt you, when you least expected it?
Do actions of others justify how your life is shaped?

I felt that this book was disappointing. I had high expectations of it since i love the previous book she wrote.

To me, the story did not flow naturally and the characters seemed forced and unbelievable.
Even the final conclusion was an anti climax and I did not care for it at all.

A shame since I really enjoyed her other work.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in return for my honest opinion.

This was a pretty good book. I liked Litzy right off the top and tried along with her to solve the mystery of these letters. There were quite a few suspects and I was surprised at who it was in the end, there were a few times when I was taken aback by the turn of the storyline and the very end I was shocked at what we learned. I will definitely read more books by this author.