I'm a huge fan of Shalini Boland's psychological thrillers, so of course I was superexcited when I first heard about The Silent Sister. It might just have been that I had sky high expectations, or it might have been it was the wrong story at the wrong time, but somehow I didn't react in the way I thought I was going to when I started reading it. Oh yes, I'm really surprised by my initial reaction to The Silent Sister, because normally I find myself hooked from the very first page. Before I continue a little note: I seem to be in the minority so far, since most people seem to absolutely love this story, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. Ok, with that out of the way, let me try explaining why I somehow didn't love this story as much as her other psychological thrillers. Apart from the reasons I already mentioned above, I think the main problem I had was with the main characters. There was just something about them that irked me, and as a result it took me a long time to warm up to the story. Also, the beginning of the story wasn't as suspenseful and absorbing as I've come to expect, but I do have to say things improved a lot as the story continued and the second half definitely has a lot more twists and turns. I'm happy to say that I despite some reservations I was still able to enjoy the story in general and the second half is without doubt very strong! Especially regarding the plot twists and the creation of suspense. I did have an idea of what was happening, but I wasn't able to guess the full truth at all. And that is always a good sign in a psychological thriller. In short, while not my favorite, I can still recommend The Silent Sister to fans of the genre.

Like I said before, I'm still surprised by my reaction to this story, but The Silent Sister turned out to be a slowburner for me. It took me a long time to warm up to the story, both because of the slower pace in the beginning and my lack of connection to the characters. I enjoyed the second half of the story considerably better though, and The Silent Sister will have some surprises and unexpected twists for you in store.

Wow! What a read! My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for a delightful suspense story.

The story begins with Lizzy finding a note from an unknown source: "You're my only obsession." Her live-in boyfriend, Joe, is quite worried and fiercely protective. Her co-worker, Pippa, is, too. Lizzy's initial thought is that the author of the note is her estranged sister, Emma. Another letter: "Dearest Lizzy, I love to watch you." Now the police become involved.
Joe is also quite jealous, so he believes that it is someone Lizzy is friendly with. Her cat, Frank, goes missing. Lizzy wavers with her convictions as the police have little evidence to go on. After a marble ashtray is thrown through the window where Lizzy works, things begin to heat up. It gets to the point where she receives a letter in her SISTER's name. It simply says "sister". As soon as Lizzy gets this, she goes to call Emma. But Emma has called her! She received the same letter addressed to Lizzy! Emma: "Listen to me. Know anything about the letters?" Lizzy: "So YOU are getting them?" They agree to meet. They become friendly, again - they have a common enemy.

Without spoiling the superb twists, this book is a MUST read. The entire story has you guessing and in suspense. I have read a number of her books - this one will not disappoint. Great conclusion!

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for letting me read The Silent Sister by Shalini Boland for an honest review. All opinions are my own!

My first time reading Shalini Boland and I am not disappointed! I will read more! Happy to see she has many books!

Lizzy receives a creepy note, who sent it, who delivered it? Who knows! And that's only the beginning as more letters follow, and not the kind you enjoy receiving! Someone seems to know where she lives, works, everything about her!
You can't put it down because you just want to find out!

The Silent Sister is a good psychological thriller, you won't get bored! Well written, good suspense...

Review shared online on NetGalley, Twitter, Goodreads, Amazon when published.

Shalini boland has done it again in delivering an outstanding book full of twists, unexpected turns and leaving you wanting more and a tale of secrets and betrayal , I've read all of Shalini's books and I was thrilled when netgalley kindly added a copy of Shalini's latest book to my shelf, I eagerly got stuck in and was immediately hooked as always with Shalini's books. We meet Lizzi who lives in a cosy cottage in a small town in England with her boyfriend Joe and their cat frank, Lizzi is happy and enjoying life, she is the manager for an up market clothing boutique and loves her job, however her world is shattered when one morning she receives a strange letter that is sitting in her kitchen, it understandably leaves her uneasy who left her this creepy note and why?? Soon she starts receiving more creepy letters and things take a disturbing turn leaving Lizzi in a constant state of fear and anxiety , who would want to send Lizzi these letters and cause her harm? It becomes a game of cat and mouse as Lizzi becomes more desperate to find out who the culprit is. I really enjoyed the quirky characters in this story, I was left hanging in my seat desperate to find out who the perpetrator is, I agree with another readers review that you think to yourself just one more chapter and it turns into more chapters- the sure sign of a fantastic book! I can't wait to read Shalini's next release and thank you to netgalley for my copy of this book I loved reading it.

Wow, what can I say other than I just love Shalini's books, she gets you involved in the very first page and I just love her style of writing.

This is a fast paced psychological thriller with twists and turns around every corner and I cannot fault the skill of this author.

I don't want to say anything else about this in case I give any spoilers away other than what a fantastic ending, I never guessed, well done Shalini I don't know how you think of them and I look forward to your next masterpiece.

I love Shalini Boland books but I felt a little deflated after reading this one. The plot seemed a little weak to me and it dragged in a lot of places. The tension that I am used to in Shalini's books never appeared until the end and even then it felt rushed.
It wasn't great, and it wasn't poor, just ok. Sorry.

What a beaut ! Absolutely loved this , Shalini's best yet in my opinion . So many twists , suspects and red herrings kept me turning the pages . Lizzy is home alone when she receives a suspect letter , she is really scared and unnerved and as the notes keep coming so do the suspects , I changed my mind often , and its only near the end when I though I knew who it was sending the notes , wasn't sure why though .. And then POW another twist . Fantastic read . Thank you

Could not put this down lots going on with story taking many paths. Really enjoyed the twists and turns and the final twist really surprised me as l am normally good at guessing endings in fact there was me thinking that although it was a great book the ending felt a little weak then -WHAM!

My thoughts...

Lizzy lives a pretty low key lifestyle. She lives with her longtime boyfriend Joe and manages a high end shop that sells gifts and clothes. Life is pretty uneventful for Lizzy, that is until she acquires a stalker. Suddenly, random notes appear in places that are not readily accessible to the average person. The stalker appears to know her every move and has access to her schedule, her home, car and work. Each note escalates with a more sinister tone, until Lizzy ultimately experiences physical harm.

Every time Lizzy lets her guard down another note appears. The police now know her address by heart. Understandably this shakes Lizzy to the core. She has to struggle to keep her lifestyle normal, but lack of sleep and anxiety are overwhelming her and taking a toll.

Lizzy finds herself suspicious of everyone. Why would anyone want to stalk and harm Lizzy? Everyone appears to love her bubbly personality. Is it a scorned admirer? A jealous past high school classmate? Her landlord and manager that has access to her home and work? Her jealous boyfriend that accuses her of being a flirt? A coworker's brother that is too friendly? A neighbor that wants to get to know her? Her estranged sister? It could be anyone.....and that is the problem. It really could be anyone.

I found this to be a very well paced book. It held my attention from the start. There was never a period where I felt that the book dragged. The stalker made sure of that. It held my interest because I kept wondering what on earth was going to happen to poor Lizzy next. There were so many possible suspects that it kept you wondering.

As for the ending, there is no way you are going to be able to guess how this ends unless you have psychic abilities! This one has a couple really big twists at the end that I highly doubt you are going to see coming. I couldn't wait to find out who the stalker was. I had no idea there was another twist thrown in there too! This was my first book by Shalini Boland and it definitely will not be my last!

5 stars from me!!! Happy reading!!

I recently discovered the work of Shalini Boland when I was introduced to her novel 'The Child next door' which was a pleasant surprise. I found this psychological thriller also a page turner that keeps you guessing right to the very end.
Lizzy Beresford is living a happy life with her boyfriend Joe until she starts receiving disturbing letters from an anonymous person. The slightly threatening letters leave Lizzy scared for her safety and not trusting anyone fearing they may be the perpetrator. There are a number of possibilities and Lizzy starts to doubt everyone's involvement.
This is a novel that will encourage you to keep reading to learn more and discover the truth and in my case I kept thinking I will read one more chapter before I put the book down and another.
On finishing this novel I immediately purchased another novel by Shalini Boland and was pleased to see there are quite a few more for me to read in the near future.
A book for full of red herrings and tension, great holiday read.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This is my second book by Shalini Boland and I just absolutely loved the first book and this one is no different, loved it, I literally could not put it down, I started it at lunchtime yesterday and finished in less than 24 hours, it draws you in from the very first chapter where Lizzy finds a letter addressed to her sticking up from the floorboards of her house which reads “You’re my only obsession”. How did someone get into her house to leave the letter? It really spooks Lizzy and when more letters arrive, she becomes more scared and paranoid along with it. Does she have a stalker and if so, who is it? That’s the question that played on my mind and had me not wanting to put the book down, who would want to do this? I had a couple of ooooh could it be him but nope with all the twists and turns you will not fathom a guess and when it comes out, WOW did not see that coming whatsoever!!! And just when you think that’s it, book is over with only two chapters to go, BAM…. I’ll say no more. I can’t wait for another book by Shalini Boland, she has jumped up to the top of my list as regards favourite authors.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

An unsettling novel. A well thought out and well-written book to engage your interest with an excellent escalation of suspense. There is a sinister thread running through it which had my nerves stretched to breaking point at times. It's a chilling stalker theme mainly directly towards Lizzy Beresford. I thought she was a little careless with her safety in her volatile situation. I couldn't guess who was making her life a misery despite all the red herrings. During the most nerve-wracking part of the book, I was tense and the dog suddenly jumped on the bed and he scared the living daylights out of me. Trust issues were an important part of the theme. How extraordinary that hate, resentment, and revenge can grow like cancer for many years until it flares up out of all proportion. An interesting glimpse of mental illness. I thought it ended on a precipice. It's wasn't over. I was left wondering if there could ever be genuine forgiveness amongst the sisters. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

I have read and loved all of Shalini Boland's books to date. She has a way of writing that keeps you hooked the whole way through and lots of twists to keep you hooked so I was dying to read her latest book. Lizzy lives with her jealous and possessive boyfriend Joe and one morning she finds a letter literally stuck between the floorboards of her kitchen floor where her cat Frank is pawing at it to try to get it out. The envelope looks very old but very worryingly it is dated with the day's date and inside is a sinister letter which turns out to be the first of many! How did someone get into her house all the doors are locked and the only person other than herself and Joe that have keys is George the landlord who is also her employer but would he do such a thing???? Thus begins the trail of sinister letters and poor Lizzy becomes more scared and paranoid with every letter that arrives! I honestly just gave up trying to figure out who did it it was so well written that I didn't have a clue which just made this book all the more brilliant! Shalini did it again, this was an excellent read that kept me hooked the whole way through and I couldn't put it down!

Thank you very much to NetGalley, Bookouture and Shalini Boland for the advanced copy of "The Silent Sister" in return for my honest and unbiased review.

Talk about a twisty, addictive read! Lizzy is quite happy with her life, even if she hasn’t talked to her sister in years. She has a great boyfriend and a job she likes, managing a boutique store where she works with her good friend. One day, she starts getting creepy letters and it is soon clear that she’s being stalked. The police take her seriously but there’s not much they can do so things start quickly unravelling. Now we readers can quickly see how Lizzy’s life is not so perfect because it is soon clear that her boyfriend Joe is not that great. He is controlling, jealous, judgmental and an all-around jerk, but love is blind and so is she. I kept yelling at her to dump him but she wouldn’t listen. There are other men who seem nice and are clearly interested in her, but maybe one of them is the stalker. Lizzy can’t trust anyone and I couldn’t help her there… I had no idea who it was and the twists kept surprising me over and over. As good as the plot is my favorite thing about this novel is Lizzy herself. She may be curvy but she has no body issues. Her Mom may be on her case about everything, but Lizzy won’t let that take her down. And she may be the target of a stalker but she will not be a victim. The way she grows in the course of the story is remarkable. The fact that she has an awesome cat only adds to the value of her story. A very intense page-turner that deserves five stars.

‘The Silent Siste’ by Shalini Boland published by Bookouture on July 16th

This is my 3rd book of Shalini Bolands I have reviewed since I started reviewing, I have been reviewing less than a year so its fair to say she is a prolific writer and when I see their is a new one up to review by her I know its going to be a good solid psychological thriller and enjoyable, and this ( I am relieved to report) is no different
As always the story STARTS from the first page, there is no reams of pre amble or ( sometimes ) unnecessary scene setting but you are straight ‘into’ the story and within a few chapters immersed into the chatacters, places of work and homes etc, the author has a great way of introducing all this quickly so you know where you are and there is no confusion or having to keep thinking ‘now, who is that’ or ‘mmm what relation are they’....you are ‘there’ quickly and become rapidly involved......
The story follows Lizzy as she out of the blue receives letters saying she is being watched and it soon becomes apparent she is being seriously stalked...without giving any plot away her estranged Sister Emma becomes involved as does Lizzy’s bf and a host of ‘could it be’s’ , male and female, and you are left guessing who it could be right until the stalker makes themsleves known....I was pleased with the conclusion and happy to have enjoyed a good read and then there is this ending that I didnt see coming, at all, very clever and a very different ending to what you will imagine ( phew, I managed to explain it without saying twist!!!!)
A very satisfying psychological thriller that I read quickly and I would imagine perfect for lounging in the sun with on holiday etc
I look forward to Shalini Bolands next book 😃
10//10 5 stars

Another fabulous book by this Author who is fast becoming a favorite. Elizabeth (Lizzy) lives with her boyfriend Joe and cat Frank. She manages an upscale boutique. She is estranged from her sister Emma. Strange, threatening letters are delivered to Lizzy and she is pushed in front of a car. The police do investigate but cannot determine who is doing these things to her. Fast forward a few weeks and it comes to light that Emma is also receiving strange, threatening letters and is knocked down. There are a few suspects but nothing definitive. I was blown away by the ending. I did not see it coming. Thank you NetGalley, Bookoutre and the Author for allowing me to read and review this book.

Lizzy is loved up with her boyfriend Joe, living in a quaint cottage she rents from the man who she manages a shop for. Her life isn't perfect as she hasn't spoken to her sister for quite a few years but otherwise it's good until she starts receiving disturbing letters.

This is one of those stories that apart from Lizzy, I didn't trust anyone. I was desperately trying to work out who could be behind the letters and I was so certain I had it sussed, only to realise I'd been wrong along.

This was a quick read that I flew through as the tension mounts and things for Lizzy get more disturbing. The author really has you caring for the main character so you worry about them making everything that is happening affect you even more.

The Silent Sister is a suspenseful and thrilling read that had me hooked and turning those pages. A deliciously dark and twisted read. Shalini Boland is without a doubt the queen of twists and she never disappoints. Another great read.

It starts with a letter addressed to Lizzie ... a strange creepy note. But there is no one around..so who delivered it?

And then there's another letter ...and yet another. Someone breaks into the store where she works and leaves another message there. Whoever the culprit is ... they know where she lives, they know where she works , they seem to know everything about her.

So who would want to hurt her this way? She lives with Joe, who has become more controlling over time .. is is him? Her best friend is somewhat envious of her ... is it her? She had a falling out with her sister years ago ... would she be this mean and cruel? Her friend's brother has a crush on her .... is this his way of getting attention? And the man who keeps asking her out .... is he upset at her refusals?

Surrounded by secrets and lies, Lizzy doesn't know who she can trust ..

This is a well written who-dun-it surrounded by characters who may or may not be who you think they are. Just a tad predictable, I was still surprised by the ending... never saw this one coming.

Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of this psychological thriller. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.