I find it difficult to give this book 3 stars, as there are moments of brilliance and certain sections that absolutely terrified me, and a main character I adored. But those were just moments, and for the most part it was difficult to keep my attention on the book.

I loved Fern, the sister who has Asperger's and some sensory issues, and I was interested in her life but... not enough happened in her life to be interesting for the first 50% of the book. I go into books blind, so I didn't know this was supposed to be a thriller, and there was no hint of it anywhere in the first half of the book. The only weird thing was that one of the sisters had to be lying about their past, but one sister was so sweet and forthright that it made it easy to guess who the liar was, we just don't know why. And the side story of Owen made such little sense that it was easy to guess the truth so that the reveal was just... "Yeah, we all knew that, right?"

Once we understand what is going on with the sisters, the book becomes terrifying and moves incredibly fast. It took me almost 3 months to get through the first half and I read the second half in an afternoon. There is also a Gone Girl element here that, since we've all read Gone Girl, didn't serve as any credible misdirection at a certain point and was therefore a waste.

I think if the first half had moved along more quickly, or any sort of real time suspense had built up through it, the entire book would have been greatly elevated. But even though I loved Fern, very little happened and I don't think the second half makes up for it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, who always has fantastic books, for the ARC. I did not hate it, it just couldn't keep my interest for the first half and I can't give it more than 3 stars in that case.

Fern and Rose are twins. Fern, works in a library, and due sensory processing disorder, relies on her sister Rose for a lot of things. They have a painful upbringing, with their past told in journal entries from Rose. Something terrible happened when they were 12, and Rose helped cover it up and continues to protect Fern all these years. Fern realizes she can give Rose what she desires most - a baby - and decides to get pregnant to provide her a child. She just needs to find a father. What could go wrong?

I loved this book. One of my favorites of 2021. I enjoyed the alternating voices told by Fern and then through Rose’s journal.

A huge thank you to @Netgalley and @stmartinspress for the free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book I’ve read by Sally Hepworth and it was so much better than I expected.  I went into this book thinking it was going to be another generic domestic thriller but I couldn't have been farther off. This book is part mystery, part family drama, while diving into the depths of sisterly bonds and how those with autism live their daily lives. I read this book in two sittings and easily could have finished it in one day.
Twenty-eight-year-old twin sisters Rose and Fern couldn't be more polar opposites. Although the book never says it straight out, we can assume Fern is somewhere on the high functioning autism spectrum. She struggles with sensory processing- lights, sounds, smells, crowds and touching all affect her. Fern is a unique individual who enjoys keeping to herself and loves her job at the library. Rose is the older sister who is married and who acts as Fern's protector.

The story is told through two points of view. Fern in present day, as well as through Rose's diary entries. We find out that the sisters had a painful upbringing with their mental ill mother and that their childhood was filled with terrible events. Fern believes that she needs Rose, since she has been protecting her all her life. Fern slowly starts deciding to live her life how she wants and Rose isn't okay with this new dynamic between them.

Without giving too much more away, this story dives into this family's past and how dysfunctional a family can be. Those you love best have a way of manipulating you into doing things that would best suit them. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a great twist and family mystery.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53137974-the-good-sister
Top notch thriller--better than most in the genre. Highly recommend if suspense is what you're in the mood to read suspense.

Sally Hepworth's The Mother In Law was such a fun read and I was eagerly awaiting her next one. However, I feel like marketing these as thrillers do her books a disservice because they are a much slower burn with fewer twists. This one was no different, and just as enjoyable if you go in knowing what to expect. Hepworth creates fascinating, complicated, yet relatable characters who make questionable (or downright bad) decisions that readers still somehow understand.

I started this book twice before I finished it. The first third of the book was so slow moving for me that it was almost painful. I was hoping for a good thriller and for me it was anything but. I also figured out very early who the good sister was and I was pretty sure what the outcome was going to be. I know I'm in the minority about this book but I was pretty let down.

I love every single thing Sally Hepworth writes. The way she fleshes out characters makes them so unbelievably lovable. I think she also has such a unique way of writing about relationship dynamics- this time, sisters. Fern and Rose speak in alternating view points through alternating chapters. One sister's infertility and another sister's devotion makes for a book I didn't want to put down.

I enjoy Sally Hepworth’s writing, so I was excited to get her latest novel The Good Sister from Net Galley. I enjoyed the story, which has some twists to it. To be honest, even if it wasn’t a mystery and just a straightforward story, I would have enjoyed it as I loved the character of Fern – a neurodiverse librarian who meets a young man as unique as she is and falls in love. For me, Fern’s story was enough for an entire novel – suspense wasn’t needed!

This was yet another book that I couldn’t put down and read straight through!

This book has quickly become one of my favorites! The descriptions of a person on the spectrum with sensory issues is very accurate! Also anyone with a sister will.understand the delicate balance of the relationship, Let alone with twins! I will recommend this book to all my friends and often! I work with students with sensory issues and it can be used to better help people understand the difficulties experienced by these individuals.

Love love love this book! It was definitely a thriller to kick off the spring/summer season. Cannot wait for the author's next book!

Thank you for the advanced reader copy of this book. This book tells the story of 2 twin girls and how her mother treats them different. Enter a maniacal sister. The ending had my jaw drop!

I really had super high hopes for this book and it started out good but it just did not grab me like I had hoped.

Twin sisters Rose and Fern have been inseparable since birth. Due to Fern's disabilities and traumatic home life, Rose has always looked after Fern and became her caretaker. However, Fern doesn't remember her home life as Rose did but maybe that is because Rose has always protected her. So who had the best recollection?

This was such a captivating read. Fluid throughout, which is why I just had to keep turning the pages. Even though, I figured it out, I still needed to find out more details and how it all ended.

I enthusiastically recommend this book especially if you enjoy psychological thrillers and family dynamics.

Posted to GR: 07/02/21 Post to blog: 07/09/21

This was an outstanding book, a complicated family drama. As I got towards the end, I realized that the characters I thought I knew weren’t that way at all. Great plotting and writing completely fooled me!
I definitely recommend this book! 5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rose Castle has always watched over her twin sister Fern after their mother left them. Fern has always been the odd twin. She doesn't enjoy big crowds or loud noises. She's too easily taken advantage of and Rose helps to protect her from the world. On the surface, Rose seems like the good sister. But she might not be the good sister Fern thinks she is.

The Good Sister keeps readers on their toes. The novel alternates between Fern's present day and Rose's journal. The deeper you get, the harder it is to tell which sister is really the good sister.

I don’t read a lot of thrillers (although I do read a lot of mysteries!), but when I do, I really enjoy the twists and turns in the story. And The Good Sister has plenty of twists and turns! I believe the concept is called an “unreliable narrator”. Which twin sister is the good one, Fern or Rose, Rose or Fern? The book alternates chapters from the point of view of each sister. Fern has “issues”, including being very literal, not being able to read people’s nonverbal cues, not being able to handle loud noises and crowds, and so forth. She works at a library and there are some pretty funny scenes along the way, given her sensory processing issues and her literalness. I enjoyed many of her coworkers. Rose works as some kind of commercial interior designer and has always acted as Fern’s protector, starting with their chaotic childhood. There’s a terrible event from when they were about 12 years old that haunts the story. The central conflict concerns Rose’s inability to become pregnant and Fern’s idea to get pregnant on Rose’s behalf.

The Good Sister kept me quite engrossed on a long plane ride! Recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This is one of those where you go in to it knowing who the ‘bad guy’ is. Typically this style isn’t for me as I find these types of novels can get boring without the guessing game aspect. I will say I did enjoy this one more than most though. I think the innocence of Fern really drove this for me. It’s likely she is in the spectrum which makes he oblivion more believable.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This review is my voluntary and unbiased opinion.


A complex story about two sisters who essentially raised themselves since their mother was negligent and homeless relying on the kindness of others for food and shelter. The girl have a few rare pleasant memories when her mother had a boyfriend. They found Gary kind before her mother moved on to Daniel who had a young son, Billy.

The book begins describing a tragedy that occurred one day while Rose and Fern were swimming with Billy. The story alternates between perspectives of Rose, told through her diary, and Fern. They practically grew up in the library because it was a safe place to go as homeless. They felt the maternal instincts from Mrs Delahunty, the librarian, who sensed they were neglected.

As adults, it’s no surprise that Fern becomes a librarian. At 28 yers old she is one of the youngest librarians at the library. She has difficulty making and maintaining friendships due her being on the autism spectrum. She is efficient and capable but still feels dependent on Rose who has always been there for her.

Rose gets married to Owen and desperately wants to have a baby. She is overly obsessed with this desire so much so that her husband goes away on business. He hopes that time alone and therapy will help her cope with her fertility issues. She continues to be a strong influence on Fern who trusts her sister to always look out for her. Their relationship becomes strained when Fern develops a relationship with Rocco Ryan, a man she meets at the library, but calls “Wally”.

Both girls have different memories of what happened all those years ago at the lake when Billy drowned. Fern always carried the guilt of having accidentally killed him. They rarely discuss it but often reflect on their childhood especially given their mother is in a nursing home.

It’s a story of family, loyalty, betrayal, new beginnings.

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth
I really enjoyed this book from page one. It kept me guessing, held my interest and kept me flicking the pages to see what exactly was going on with Rose and Fern. I enjoyed how it went from Ferns pov to Rose's diary entries, her pov and back...thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this book and letting me leave my opinion.

Interesting thriller about a woman and her relationship with her sister. I really enjoyed this amazing book and the turns that the characters take. The different personalities make the characters so interesting and personable make the book a page turner for sure.