A middle of the road mystery/psychological suspense novel. The book stars with the main character, Sylvie, as a 14 year old, when her older sister Persephone goes missing and is then found dead, and the case is never solved. The book then skips forward to when Sylvie, at age 30, returns home to care for her sick mother and tries to unravel what happened to her sister. (And yes, weirdly I have read other books that have the same basic plot outline of a grown up woman returning home to solve the long ago mystery of their dead/disappeared sister.) For a mystery (and a relatively short book) this book moved pretty slow. The characters and their actions did not feel real or believable for the most part, though the main character was sympathetic. It did keep me reading though.

This book was good, but not great. That, to me, is the hardest type of book to review. It's hard to strike a balance between "this book was awesome!" and "this book was horrible!", but yet,. here we are.

This book centers around Sylvie, her family, and especially her sister Persephone's murder twenty-ish years ago (sorry, I don't remember the actual number). The book was tragic really, because this family (like any other, I'm sure) had collapsed under the weight of grief afterwards, and they had no closure because the murder was never solved. Now Sylvie and a very unexpected "partner" set out to solve the murder.

The book flowed well and was readable, but didn't quite gel for me and I'm not sure why. It was definitely okay though. So my verdict is 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

The Winter Sister is a gripping and emotional thriller that will keep you on edge until the very end. Sixteen years after her older sister was murdered, Sylvie returns to her hometown to help care for her mother who is battling cancer. Sylvie has always blamed her sister's boyfriend for her death, but being back home will bring up long buried family secrets. I thought I had the answers figured out multiple times, but the twists kept coming until the surprising ending.

I would not have guessed that this was Megan Collin's debut novel, and I look forward to reading more from her. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sister returns to her hometown to take care of her mother and is revisiting her sister's murder from 16 years ago. While she tries to rebuild her relationship with her mother, secrets come to rise that makes everything she thought she knew blow up in her face.

This is a hard one for me to review. I loved the flow of the story. It's definitely a page turner for such a somber read. As an avid thriller reader, this is nothing really new to my repertoire of reads. Dysfunctional family, a murder unsolved, misunderstood characters and a plethora of clues pointing to the somewhat obvious conclusion. And I didn't really connect with the story or the characters.
Don't get me wrong, the pacing and addictiveness in the writing made this an easy book to fly through, which I always love. As a debut, fantastically written.

I think anyone new to the genre will absolutely love this book while those who read a ton of thrillers may feel like they've seen this storyline time and time again. I did like the characterization and the well written feel that is sometimes missed in debuts.

I have no doubt Collins will only be on the upswing as this debut is on the high end of lighter thrillers. I'm certainly going to be picking up her work again.

Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “The Winter Sister” by Megan Collins, Touchstone, February 5, 2019

Megan Collins, Author of “The Winter Sister” has written an intense, dramatic, and suspenseful novel. The Genres for this book are Fiction, and Mystery. The timeline for this story is set in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the events or characters in the story. Megan Collins describes her characters as dysfunctional, complex and complicated.

Sylvie is back at home to help take care of her difficult mother Annie, who has cancer. Sylvie’s sister Persephone was murdered 16 years before. Sylvie has tremendous guilt and secrets, and Annie also has deep dark secrets. Most of the characters in this story seem to be capable of being a suspect in this tragedy. This is a story of complicated relationships, between sisters, mother and daughters, and boyfriends.

There is a very deep dark depressing voice to this story. I received an ARC of this story from NetGalley for my honest review.

3.5 stars!! This book drew me in right away!!

This is a story of two sisters. One is the all loved good girl and the other is the rebel. One is murdered and the other is left to pick up the pieces.

This book hooked me in the first couple chapters!! I wanted to know it all. Each page turn I was excited for more. I loved all the past tidbits and learning more about Persephone. The farther you get in this story the more twists and turns you find!!

Though I enjoyed the plot of this books and the writing was beautiful and flowing. I have to mention this book started to drag. And then the build up lead to this great reveal and I was kind of let down. I came to the conclusion chapters before of what happened. I feel like it may have fizzled out after that. BUT I enjoyed this authors writing and I will be on the look out for her next book.

This book may have been a little predictable but I think it still is a pretty darn good read!!

**I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and in return gave my honest review**

I absolutely loved this book. It was a psychological thriller but it also came across as women's fiction because of the theme of the sisters.

Unraveling what happened to Persephone made this book such a large turner.

This was truly a gem. I love that it kept my mind interested because of the mystery, but it tickled my heart as well.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. It was well received and an honor to read.

A story of family dynamics, murder and guilt

After having been away for 16 years, Sylvie returns to her hometown after her aunt pressures her to return to take care of her alcoholic mother Annie who is dying of cancer. Sylvie had left home because of the guilt surrounding the disappearance and murder of her 18-yr-old sister Persephone years before. Her mother had fallen into an alcoholic daze and was unable to care for her younger daughter.

Now that she is back Sylvie recalls the events that had lead to her leaving her home. Her sister Persephone had disappeared one winter night and her body was found three days later. She had been murdered. Unbeknownst to her mother, Persephone had been dating the mayor's son Ben.

Sylvie is carrying her own burden of guilt. Persephone had an arrangement with Sylvie that she would leave the window in their bedroom unlocked and raised so that Persephone could climb in upon her return without disturbing their mother. On the night that Persephone disappeared Sylvie, in spite, had locked the window in an attempt to get her sister in trouble with their mother. Persephone tried to get in but couldn't succeed and eventually quit and wandered off into the night. Three days later her body was found. She had been murdered. Hence, Sylvie's burden of guilt.

Ben becomes the initial murder suspect. But after a brief investigation the police let him go, claiming that he had an alibi. Sylvie continued to believe that Ben had murdered her sister. Upon her return she presses for a re-opening of the investigation. When that doesn't occur Sylvie decides to conduct her own investigation. At first stymied, she identifies another possible suspect but that doesn't pan out. So she digs deeper. It turns out that their mother Annie had deep secrets of her own.

When the identity of the murderer is uncovered it comes as a shock to Sylvie and the reader.

This is an engrossing tale of twisted family dynamics, small town secrets, and the damage inflicted by years of guilt.

I was provided with an ARC by the publisher via Net Galley.

4.5 stars rounded up. This novel is comprised of a lot of little mysteries that have to be revealed to uncover the main mystery: Who killed 18-year-old Persephone 16 years ago, when her sister, Sylvie, was just 14 years old?

After the death of her oldest daughter, Annie fell into self-medicating with alcohol. Sylvie leaves town as soon as she graduates high school—it’s never easy being a poor kid in a rich community, but it’s really not easy when you’re the sister of a murdered girl and the daughter of an alcoholic mother. She can move geographically, but she can’t escape her own feelings of how she played a part in her sister’s death. Sylvie returns home only when her mother is dying of cancer and has no one else. Between the day-to-day caring for a woman she has a tense relationship with, Sylvie is compelled to unravel the mysteries she’s uncovering now that she’s back in town. That’s the enjoyable part of the book—watching the little clues revealed one by one.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

I loved the mix of two genres in this book. It's part thriller, part family drama. The thriller part feels familiar, but the twist was solid and wasn't a twist just to have one - it made sense in the context of the story.

The family drama really shined through. It's a great exploration of the breakdown of the mother/daughter relationship and it felt raw and real. 3.5 stars.

The Winter Sister is a well written, spellbinding novel. It is a story of how the inescapable past impacts on the present in profound and often tragic ways. The characters are interesting and unique, and the plot has a number of unexpected, suspenseful twists, which keep the reader guessing. I was engrossed from the start and could not put this exciting book down. Thanks to Touchstone, Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

I knew within a few chapters of starting The Winter Sister that this wasn’t a book I wasn’t going to finish. I struggled to the end, but I wish I had stopped sooner. It was ok but not for me and I should have trusted my instincts.

The Winter Sister is about two sisters. Sylvie’s sister Persephone disappeared sixteen years ago after sneaking out to meet a boyfriend she wasn’t supposed to have. Her murder remains unsolved.

In the present day, Sylvia returns to her home town to look after her estranged mother whilst she is receiving treatment for cancer at a centre where Persephone’s former boyfriend now works.

Whilst she is home Sylvie decides to look again at the mystery of her sister’s disappearance.

The big twist reminded me of the twist in Last Time I Lied and I had an inkling whilst reading it that this might be the case.

The reason I struggled with this may just be that I have read too many other books that were written along a similar line so if you are fairly new to the genre you will probably enjoy this book.

One thing I did like about The Winter Sister was the dysfunctional relationship between mother and daughter. Neither character was likeable, but I did enjoy the description of their bond.

The Winter Sister by Megan Collins is a mystery novel.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Atria Books (and particularly Isabel DaSilva for the personal request to review), and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My Synopsis:
When Sylvie was 14, her 18 year old sister Persephone went missing. Sylvie’s mom locked herself in her room and didn’t come out, wouldn’t talk to anyone, not even her remaining daughter. After Persephone’s strangled body was found in a snow bank, Sylvie’s mom’s behavior deteriorated into alcoholism. Eventually Sylvie went to live with her Aunt Jill.

On Sylvie’s 30th birthday, Aunt Jill called to tell her that her mom had cancer. A few months later, she called again, saying Sylvie had to come home to look after her mother. The welcome home was strained on both sides. But when she takes her mother to her first chemo appointment, Sylvie recognizes one of the nurses. Ben had been Persephone’s boyfriend, and had been with her the night she died. Sylvie still believes Ben killed her sister.

While trying to traverse the rocky relationship with her mother, Sylvie starts to uncover the secrets that have surrounded her life since childhood. She learns more about her sister, about Ben, about her mother, and about herself. They’ve all kept their own secrets, and wallowed in their own guilt – some earned, and some not.

 
My Opinions:.
This debut novel introduces us to an inspiring new author.

This book is about love, hate, secrets, lies, guilt and betrayal, as well as the repercussions these behaviors have on others. But it is mainly about family, albeit very dysfunctional families. It begs the question, how well do we truly know our siblings, parents, or children.

Although the ending was predictable, and the murderer fairly evident, the journey the reader took was captivating. The characters grew in depth as their stories were revealed, often through memories. The writing was good, and the storyline very entertaining. I found it to be a fast read.

I’m looking forward to more from this new author.

The Winter Sister is the first novel from author Megan Collins, but nothing about it felt like a début. It's one of those books that feels so incredibly well-done in every conceivable way that I found myself myself constantly wondering how it could possibly  be someone's first novel.

It's been sixteen years since Sylvie's older sister Persephone went missing, sixteen years since Sylvie's life was changed in unimaginable ways. Before Persephone's disappearance, Sylvie lived a pretty average life. She and her mother had an extremely close relationship, and even though Persephone could be volatile at times, Sylvie still loved her fiercely. But when Persephone's body was found three days after Sylvie reported her missing, Sylvie's mother retreated into a haze of drugs and alcohol, leaving her remaining daughter to cope with the devastating loss alone. Fortunately, Sylvie took refuge in her art, and soon left her home town for art school, and she hasn't been home since.

Now though, Sylvie's mother has been diagnosed with cancer, and Sylvie is called home to care for her. No one is thrilled with this idea, but there's no one else to step in, so Sylvie reluctantly moves back into her childhood home and does her best to mend fences with her mother. As you might imagine, this is much easier said than done, especially since the person responsible for Persephone's death was never caught, leaving Sylvie with tons of unanswered questions.

Then, to make matters much, much worse, Sylvie runs into Ben, Persephone's former boyfriend, and the person Sylvie has always blamed for her sister's death. Despite the fact that Sylvie shared her suspicions with the police, they were unable to find evidence to tie Ben to Persephone's murder, and now Ben is working as a nurse at the center where Sylvie's mother is receiving treatment. Ben has always professed his innocence, but Sylvie doesn't believe a word of it; she knows he physically assaulted Persephone back when they were dating, and that's all the proof she needs. But as she and Ben begin to share their memories of Persephone's last days, Sylvie begins to wonder if things really are as clear-cut as she used to believe. Is it possible that Ben really isn't to blame? And if that's true, then the real killer is still at large.

From reading my description, you might think this is just another in a long string of thrillers about missing girls, but The Winter Sister is so much more than that. The mystery is definitely compelling, but equally fascinating is Sylvie's inner struggle to find personal healing in the midst of unbearable loss. Ms. Collins has managed to create a story that will appeal to those readers who love spine-tingling thrillers as well as those who are drawn to the resilient heroines and complex relationships most often found in women's fiction.

I love it when authors allow their characters to inhabit that moral gray area instead of being totally good or completely bad. It gives the story a much more authentic feel, and Ms. Collins definitely excels at that here. Everyone from our heroine to the villain feels like a three-dimensional person you could easily come into contact with in your daily life. She has developed well thought-out backstories for her characters, and their motivations never feel overdone or cartoonish. I didn't like or relate to every person in the story, but I felt I knew what caused each of them to behave the way they did.

The identity of Persephone's killer really surprised me. There were a few times I was pretty sure I'd figured out who was responsible, but none of my guesses were correct. I always enjoy it when an author is able to keep me guessing the way Ms. Collins did. She threw in some red herrings, and I definitely fell for a couple of them.

If you're looking for a compulsively readable story to curl up with this winter, do yourself a favor and give The Winter Sister a try. It's a rich and enjoyable read that will transport you out of your real life and into the lives of its characters - and who doesn't love a story that can do that?

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Talk about secrets. Everyone seems to have them. Though I did figure things out pretty early, this book was still enjoyable. This book shows you how each person deals with a tragedy and the guilt they hold with them. It was fun to be in my home state while reading this book, though the town in fictional.



*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.*

Megan Collins brings us a story of trials and tribulations, eerie coincidences and hidden family ties. There are a bit more tantrums and wilting flowers that I find appealing. I prefer my protagonists to be brave and stalwart women. That said, this is an interesting look at how we look at and to our parents in childhood, and the fact that we often assume that our siblings see the parent from the same aspect that we do.

A sad tale, this, but an intriguing puzzle. Megan Collins has a good imagination. I will watch for her next story.

I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Megan Collins, and Touchstone Atria Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

THE WINTER SISTER BY MEGAN COLLINS BOOK REVIEW
Estranged family members, a cold case murder & a main character racked with guilt make up this domestic thriller from Megan Collins.

RETURNING HOME WITH PLENTY OF BAGGAGE
The set-up of this story is fantastic. Immediately Megan Collins throws readers headfirst into a tumultuous home environment. Sylvie’s older sister, Persephone, is not making the best choices. She’s sneaking out, lying to her family & covering up secrets. The truth is, Persephone has no choice. Their mom, Annie, is a total mess. Annie is passive aggressive, overbearing & an alcoholic. After Persephone is found dead, Annie spins out of control & their family is torn apart.

Years later, Sylvie is pulled back into her mother’s web. Consumed with guilt, she’s back home to take care of her ill mother. Megan does a great job here balancing the strained mother-daughter relationship with the added caregiver role played by Sylvie. Both women have secrets, anger & resentment but yet, here they are muddling through the mess together.

DEBUT DRAMATIC SUSPENSE
This is not a twisty type of thriller, but rather procedural in nature. Readers come along as Sylvie digs up clues from the past. She is determined to find out exactly what happened that night. As she becomes close to the truth, the story builds nicely. This is where Megan Collins really shines.

THE VERDICT
I am Into This book. At the heart of the story for me is love, healing & forgiveness. While The Winter Sister deals with some heavy subject matter, Megan’s writing style carries the narrative well. Read this if you’re in the mood for a lighter psychological thriller that wraps up nicely at the end.

There is one huge part of this book that reminds me of The Winters by Lisa Gabriele. Have you read it?

Special thanks to Megan Collins, Touchstone & NetGalley for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

This was a book I felt ambiguous about. I wasn’t blown away by the story. It was too predictable for my liking, and yet I didn’t really dislike it enough not to enjoy the overall story, even though I basically knew exactly where it was going. It was well written for a debut, but it just didn’t have the suspense factor needed to keep me captivated.

Ms. Collins’ tale of family dysfunction and murder hooked me from the start. The web of family secrets ensnares both victim and reader. While the basic premise of this story might be tried-and-true in the mystery/thriller genre, the author gives the story a little something extra in the form of an interesting and unexpected twist as well as highly empathetic characters.

After hiding her sister’s secret boyfriend, clandestine “dates”, and bruises, Sylvie has lived with guilt since the day her sister’s body was found by the side of the road. Sixteen years of sadness and guilt later, she is going through the expected motions of life, but she merely existing. When circumstances force her to return to her childhood home, she must confront her sister’s cold-case murder, her estranged mother, and her late sister’s last boyfriend, whom the family has long thought to be responsible for Persephone’s death.

The story tension is taught from start to finish. The tone is morose and resigned as a result of each character’s respective guilt over their part in Persephone’s demise. Readers can’t help but deeply feel the loss of Persephone and how it has utterly destroyed her survivors. Sylvie’s desire to find the responsible party reflects her need for absolution.

Ms. Collins’ beautiful writing draws her readers into the chilling New England setting, the odd and unsettling family relationships, and Persephone’s highly questionable and disturbing relationships. I loved the symbolism within the story. The constellation painted on the family room wall starts as a representation of Sylvie’s idolization of her older sister, but it becomes a reminder of Annie and Sylvie’s role in Persephone’s end as well as a reminder of their personal stagnation.

Ms. Collins includes some interesting red herrings and creepy secondary characters that help to keep her audience guessing. Even if readers do guess all or part of the outcome, the journey is quite satisfying. Equally satisfying is the ultimate outcome of the story. Along the way, there are a few things that didn’t work for me, but overall, I was completely engrossed in this story. The Winter Sister is a well-written page-turner!

First, the cover. Caught my attention from the beginning so did the first few pages and was that way until the last page. What an amazing, suspenseful, intriguing, engaging debut novel. Kept me guessing until the end. I've come to love that about thrillers.

The Winter Sister has all what I always look for on this genre, believable characters and quite a few unexpected twists along the way. I enjoyed it a lot. It was very interesting to get to know these characters, and how their family dynamics changes after Persephone, Sylvie's sister was found dead. How Sylvie and her mom's daughter-mother relationship breaks apart not only because of Persephone's death but also because the mom takes on alcohol as a way of coping with the pain and suffer. How 16 years later Sylvie has to go back to her old town, her mom's house and to a mom on the way to die of cancer while having to face again, after all these years, the one person she strongly believes killed her sister, Persephone's old boyfriend, Ben.

I loved The Winter Sister. I devoured it in a week. A wonderful debut thriller. The writing is so unique for this genre, almost magical. Totally recommend it.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for the advanced free copy in exchange for an honest review.