This was a very good book. Written well. It was slightly hard to follow along with at first, but I pushed through and it got so much better.

Absolutely loved this one! Fantastic characters and a great plot! I can’t remember the last time I devoured a book this fast!

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth

324 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Release Date: April 13, 2021

Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Autism, Mental Health Issues, Family Dynamics

Fern and Rose were sisters growing up with their non-participating mother. She had many boyfriends while they were growing up, but the girls were really on their own. Her last boyfriend, Daniel, had a son, Billy, around the girls age. On a camping trip something terrible happened that would change the course of their lives.

Fern, is a sensitive person. She needs order and doesn’t like loud noises or bright lights. She has a job at the local library. Rose takes a vacation to England to try and patch things up with her last boyfriend. She really wants a baby and that pushed him away. Fern wants to help Rose and decides she will get pregnant for Rose since Rose takes care of her so much of the time. She meets a man that looks like the guy from “Where’s Wally (Waldo in the United States).” He lives in a van and uses the shower facilities at the library. Fern becomes very interested in him because he is sensitive like she is. When she begins spending time with him, Rose becomes upset thinking he is trying to take advantage of Fern.

The book has a good pace, the characters are well developed, and the book is in the first person point of view from two different perspectives. I love Fern. She has no filter and says what she means. Rose is strong but is she really a caring person. This book left me speechless. I never expected the turn of events. I have read other books by this author and this one is as good as all the others. If you like books about family dynamics with a twist here and a turn there, you will enjoy this book.

I loved this book! It was suspenseful without being scary and the twist at the end was so unexpected! Sally has done it again and I can't wait to read her next book!

The Good Sister is a creepy and highly suspenseful domestic thriller that I simply could not put down. The story follows the twisted, manipulative relationship between two sisters. While I was rooting for Fern overall, as she is an interesting character, both main characters had flaws that made them captivating to read about. Overall, the book held my attention and had me questioning characters and motives so much that I could not put it down.

The Good Sister Sally Hepworth
Now this is my kind of book! Dark and twisty and kept me up late reading it. I absolutely loved Fern and her character is so well built I felt I knew her so well. I love books like this, and love it when everything you think you know is turned on its head

Loved it loved it loved it.

Sally Hepworth can do no wrong. This is only my second book by Hepworth but I adored it. Fern is a top tier character that I wish I could be friends with in real life. The mystery and intrigue kept me going, and I enjoyed wondering about the journal entries from Rose until the very end. I really enjoyed that Fern being a woman on the autism spectrum with numerous sensory issues was the main character and felt that she was done really well. It did feel as though the ending was a bit rushed or not as well paced as the first three quarters of the book, so I can say I did not love the entirety of the ending. However, I will be recommending this book and this author to anyone who would like a fresh, distinctive type of mystery.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

Sally Hepworth does not disappoint with The Good Sister! I absolutely loved Fern and Wally and their sweet yet dry dynamic. It was such a special touch to include Fern’s job at the library (nothing better than weaving books / reading / writing / libraries into a plot line). And Rose… hello evil twin. Right from the beginning, I knew something was off. The character development was phenomenal. I have read all of SH’s books so far (ARC of The Soul Mate excluded) and this may be my favorite so far.

Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! 5 stars!!!

This was one of my favourite, unexpected suspense novels of the year! Fern is a unique character who works in a library and has dinner with her sister three nights a week. When she finds out her sister Rose cannot get pregnant, she decides that it is an area she can help out with! She has always felt that she owed Rose after a dark incident in her past.

This is a very surprising, engaging read! I loved Fern's character and how she tackled life everyday. It is brilliant and very fun!

The Good Sister is about fraternal twins, Rose and Fern, and gauging from the book's title, I figured one of them was the Not-So-Good Sister.

While it's never explicitly mentioned, Fern is neurodivergent and during the day, works as a librarian. She's the main narrator and I found her to be quite charming, with a great sense of humor.

Rose's point-of-view is narrated via her diary. She's the sister who seems to have her life together. Rose is happily married, lives in a nice home, and has a lucrative career but she constantly worries about Fern, and is very protective of her. I found her to be relatable because I too, am a constant worrier.

This is only my second Sally Hepworth novel and I loved it. I figured out the twist early on but it didn't detract from my enjoyment at all. I wanted to see how it would all be revealed and the ending did not disappoint. While it can be categorized as a psychological thriller, I found it to lean more towards a domestic suspense and its also a slower burn than most thrillers.

Another great family drama thriller! I loved the dynamic between these sisters and the ending was excellent! Highly recommend

Wow, why did it take me so long to read this? I guess because it started out a little slow for me and I could not understand how the journal fit in. Once I realized that something was off, I could not put the book down. The book centers around fraternal twins, Rose and Fern. Something seems to be off with Fern (I thought she was on the Spectrum) lucky she has Rose to guide her. In an effort to help give Rose a baby, Fern begins to look for someone to have a baby with. About half way in, I got the sense that something was off with Rose. Brilliantly written, with a great set of supporting characters. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a free copy to read and review. Highly recommend.

I absolutely loved this book. It was fast-paced and while it was ultimately a mystery with a lot of dark happenings, the humor allowed the book to flow and made it more accessible. My only complaint was that it was predictable at times, and I feel like the very last chapter was unnecessary.

Ooh time goes by and if i don't write the review right away...sigh. I'm trying to be better. The best i can do right now is give a star count...

I love Hepworth writing style and quickly devour her books, but this one was so captivating I couldn’t put it down. I read the entire book in less than 24 hours, I picked it up last night and it kept me awake until about 2 am when I knew I had to put it down or I would regret it in the morning. The next morning, I picked it back up and didn’t stop reading until I finished. Yes, it is that well written. Rose and Fern are fraternal twins who had a tumultuous childhood. They continue to be very close as adults. Rose appears to have her life put together. She lives in a nice home, has a husband who is away on work, and is wanting to start her own family. Fern is a librarian and the library is her safe place. Fern is neurodivergent with a sensory processing disorder. She has autism like characteristics. Rose is a doting sister and helps ensure Fern remains safe and regulated in her routine life. The book is told from both Fern and Rose’s perspectives as well as Rose’s diary. Fern meets a man and a relationship ensues. Rose is not a fan of this relationship and starts to cling to Fern even more. Fern’s boyfriend expresses his concerns about her sister. Is Rose really the caring, devoted sister she seems to be?

I really enjoy Sally Hepworth’s books, but this one missed the mark for me. It was slow paced and the story line never grabbed my attention. I will definitely try her next book! Thank you for the advanced copy.

This was slow paced and predictable for me. Thank you to netagally and publsiher for an advanced digital copy.

The Good SIster is the first book I’ve read from Sally Hepworth and it won’t be the last. I devoured this story of twin sisters, Rose and Fern. Rose has her life figured out and in many ways is Fern’s keeper. Fern seems more fragile. She has sensory processing issues. She needs rules and routine and Rose helps to keep Fern sheltered from the chaos of the world.
The story is told in alternating perspectives from Rose and Fern. Rose’s storyline is told from her journal entries.
We get flashbacks of the twin’s lives. How they were connected and watched out for each other early on. But something horrible happened that they have kept secret all these years. As Fern becomes more independent and opens her circle up more, it threatens the bond the twins have and allows the truth come to light.
I was pleasantly surprised how quickly I was drawn into this story. I liked the characters and the character development. Having both sister’s perspectives was brilliant. Even though I figured it out early on, I was still interested in following through with the story and seeing how it played out.

It’s so good - but totally made me cringe. Love Sally Hepworth’s style - her writing is accessible and draws the reader in. The plot twists abound - and Sally has you in for it the whole way - and while you want to look away from just how awful people can be.

Sally Hepworth has become an automatic read for me. Her books always have a twist and you end up rooting for more characters by the end. Another great read!