My rating: 4 stars

This story is told from the alternating perspectives of fraternal twins Rose and Fern. From the outside it appears as if beautiful, petite Rose has the perfect life: married to her kind and handsome husband, Owen; thriving in her career, and trying to start a family. Meanwhile, Fern - who is on the autism spectrum and has sensory processing disorder - lives a very different life. She works as a librarian and lives a very orderly life with a strict routine and little disruption. Having had a difficult life, growing up in foster care following their mother’s overdose when they were 12, the sisters have always been extraordinarily close, with Rose acting as Fern’s surrogate mom. When Fern meets Rocco Ryan, a tech millionaire who shares some of her autistic traits, it disrupts her perfectly structured routine and her relationship with her sister, revealing the truth behind some long-held secrets between the girls.

That is the basic plot intro for this novel and all I can say without giving anything away. While this is classified as a domestic thriller, I don’t think that genre is quite accurate. I would classify this as high family drama. There are certainly some “mysterious” events, and thrillery bits and pieces, but it is all quite predictable. It was fairly easy to see where the story was going to go pretty early on. What keeps the story interesting is how events affect the sisters’ relationship and exactly what extent Rose will go to to keep Fern beholden to her.

I really enjoyed this book. While it was very easy to figure out exactly what would happen long before anything was revealed, the writing was engaging and the plot was fast-paced. The way the relationship between Fern and Rocco played out was quite enjoyable to read about and I found myself rooting for them. Overall this was a fun read and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick, interesting story with some drama but nothing too over-the-top.

This is the story of Fern and Rose, fraternal twins. Rose has been taking care of Fern all of her life because she has sensory issues. Rose wants to have a baby and Fern hatches a plan to help her sister out. But things go wrong when something from their past comes out. A pretty good read by Hepworth.

Realized I never gave feedback on this book.
It was a great read! I didn’t see coming the final dynamic of the two sisters. I loved Rose! You can always count on Sally Hepworth for a fantastic book?

Sally Hepworth has mastered the unreliable narrator and slow burn thriller. I enjoyed this tale of two sisters who had wildly different perceptions of their upbringing, which is affected them in adulthood. This novel explores themes such as family, loyalty, perspective, and special needs. I enjoy it the storyline and felt like it was paced well with plot twists throughout. I'm officially a fan!

I have put this one off for quite a while and am now going through my older books and trying to get them done!
I went to see what other reviewers thought of this one and wondered why I didn't read it sooner.

It gives you psychological thriller vibes but once you get into it, it's more of a domestic drama with a sprinkle of crazy. It's about a set of fraternal twins who are opposite on every level. Fern is on the spectrum and Rose is her care giver whether she needs it or not. If you read and loved Eleanor Oliphant, you will love Fern. She is what keeps you wanting to turn the pages. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

It starteda little slow for me, but I ended up really enjoying Fern and Wally and their relationship. Definitely a slow burn type of book. I was screaming at Rose. And truthfully, Fern at times. Hated that the ended wasn't tied up like I wanted to be. But maybe there's more to this one...?

Sooo good! One of my faves to read! Definitely would recommend picking this one up if you see it in the store.

Sally Hepworth always writes such a good thriller. This book was a perfect blend of fun, but also troubled family drama.
This is one of those books where you think you know what is going on the entire time, and then the author flips you on your head and shocks you. A very interesting read and this author is always on a must buy list for me. Will definitely recommend this one to others and friends.

I listened to the audio and read along with the book and I feel it made me enjoy this so much more. The characters seemed to come to life as I was taken deeper into the story of these twin sisters, their present and past lives, and once I reached the end I could have popped myself when I realized what was going on because I felt I should have seen it but didn't. Anyhow it was a race to the ending about middle ways in. I just had to find out what happened! An emotional and heartwarming story.

Very suspenseful with a great plot twist. the characters are intriguing and well written. The story itself is quite gripping and keeps your interest. Will surely be recommending this book to patrons at the public library where I work!

I’m late to the game with Sally Hepworth books, but I’m sure glad I’m playing now. Love the suspense, the wondering who to trust, and how quickly I lost myself in The Good Sister. If you need a weekend book or something to pull you out of a reading slump, grab The Good Sister.

What a wild ride this was! This is one of Hepworth's darker books but still so good. The characters draw you in and you can't stop reading until all the pieces come together!

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!!!