Finished in 2 sittings! I loved this book and was so intrigued with Rose and Fern - the fraternal twins!
Fern has sensory processing disorder which makes her life and world challenging. With a difficult mother, Rose became a protector for Fern and as they grew older that role took on all new meanings for Rose.
Enter a budding romance with "Wally", a pregnancy, deception and just layers and layers of drama and tension and you have a 5 star mystery thriller that is so so good!
I loved this book and could not put it down - I was happy with the ending - and the characters were so well done.
Five solid stars. Thankful for this ARC!

Sally Hepworth delivers a compelling read about sisters, their bond and relationship.
Rose and Fern appear to be the closest of twin sisters. Rose is Fern's caretaker and is very protective as Fern has sensory issues and special needs. Fern is a librarian who avoids people and social interaction. She relies on Rose to help her all the time and is devoted to her.
That's because Rose helped Fern overcome something terrible years ago. So, when Fern learns that Rose is unable to have a child, she knows just how to repay her--by having a baby for her. As luck would have it, Fern meets a not-so-homeless man, Wally, who is more than he appears.
But everything in this read is not as it appears. Soon, Fern begins to come into her own and to develop a level of independence and confidence in herself that was nice to see unfold. Fern will come to certain revelations that will have you rooting for her.
What I loved about this read is how the author took her time to let the story unfold, layer by layer until you get to the creepy truth. This is not a rushed tale but it is one that carries you on a journey that is both compelling and crazy at the same time.
She takes you into the mind of a woman whose twisted truth had me shaking my head in disbelief. This is my first Sally Hepworth read and all I can say is, that I can't wait to read more from her.
This is the read for a rainy day where you put your foot up and savor each page as you descend into mind of a ruthless character. It was creepy good.
#Netgalley thank you.

This book was so good. Rose and Fern are twins.
Fern has sensory processing disorder but has made a life for herself as a librarian.

Rose is very protective of her sister.... Maybe too protective. They grew up with a terrible, terrible mother or so Rose says.

Fern becomes pregnant and Rose convinces Fern to give her baby to get better Fern couldn't POSSIBLY raise a baby with her "condition" .

Rose was a terrible person. We get to see the extent of her manipulations through journal entries.

If you love Sally's past books, pick this up! It's just as good.

I love Sally Hepworth! However, this was a slow slow burn. It was enjoyable, but some what anticlimactic.

Rose and Fern are twins. Fern has sensory issues, and relies heavily on Rose. She will also do anything to please Rose. Even helping her accomplish her one goal.. to become a mother. Rose however has many secrets of her own. Even if it means sacrificing her own happiness.

This is a quick read, that will throw you off with the ending.

Ooooh I really liked this. I really felt for Fern, so much that my stomach hurt a little as I was reading, because I was so worried about what might happen to her. I don't usually feel for characters that strongly! Nicely done.

Twins Fern and Rose were always close, but they clearly had their differences, with Rose being the responsible one and Fern the one who needed looking out for, as she struggled with social interaction and sensitivity to stimulation or touch (think autism spectrum), and as their mother seemed to be a neglectful sociopath. But readers also learn that Rose's protection of Fern is partly because of a protecting a secret: something very bad that Fern did when they were young. Now, as adults, Fern is managing living on her own and working as a librarian, but still with a lot of involvement and help from Rose, but the dynamics start to shift a bit when Fern gains a bit of independence and starts to realize that Rose might have some secrets too. The marketing tagline refers to the "lies that bind" the twins, which encapsulates pretty well the twistiness of the relationship here. The twins seem to be able to read each other and share their own language in the way the stereotype about twins goes, but as the storytelling alternates between Fern's perspective on what's currently happening and Rose's diary entries with her take on their childhood, you start to sense an imbalance in the relationship dynamics, but just can't quite place where it's coming from... Despite the billing as a "thriller" (it's a very slow-burning one) this book reminded me a lot more of Eleanor Oliphant or When We Were Vikings (especially that one, down to the main character working in a library and everything!), where the main character has some kind of interpersonal difficulties, an emotionally traumatic past, a current sticky navigating of a romantic situation, and ultimately a character you will really grow to love as will her colleagues and friends in the story (despite their struggle to get along/understand each other at first). Compared to the other two titles mentioned, though, this one had such a feel of impending doom for so long that it was hard for me to stomach at times. It felt almost wrong to be inside this unsuspecting character's head, and for the author to even be developing a naive, socially inexpert character that could potentially get taken advantage of like this... but I did get super hooked in the end, as eventually I really grew to love Fern, and as the pages practically turned themselves with how psychologically crazy some characters turned out to be.

3/5 stars, received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review; releases in April, and you should keep it on your radar if you're into family/domestic suspense novels; meanwhile, I really liked this author's The Mother-in-Law

I am a big Sally Hepworth fan. Though I initially had trouble getting into this book, I’m so glad I persevered! The story is told from the viewpoints of twin sisters, Fern and Rose, in alternating chapters. Though it was clear something was “different” about Fern, I wanted the author to spell it out. As I continued reading it became abundantly clear why Hepworth had used this framework to develop Fern’s character. The book became engrossing and finally I couldn’t put it down (a rare occurrence for me). The plot twists had me guessing until the very end. In addition to being an excellent psychological thriller, Hepworth does an great job of describing the life through the eyes of a neurodiverse character. For me the best aspect was how Hepworth focused on not only the challenges Fern faced but more importantly the strengths she brought to her job and relationships. This is my favorite of Hepworth’s books. I highly recommend it.

Sally Hepworth does it again you guys!!! I'm a huge fan and have read all of her books ... she never disappoints!

The Good Sister is the type of book that makes you want to scream. It frustrates you so horribly that you want to throw it across the room. It will have you shaking your head and saying wtf multiple times .... but, you're going to love it!

There isn't much else I can say about this book that isn't already in the synopsis or without giving anything away. If you enjoy domestic suspense add this to your list ....

Huge thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for my review copy!

The Good Sister
A Novel
by Sally Hepworth
St. Martin's Press
You Like Them
Women's Fiction
Pub Date 13 Apr 2021 | Archive Date 27 Apr 2021

Great book! Well written. Loved it! Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC.


5 star

The Good Sister is the latest book from Sally Hepworth. I've previously read two of her more current releases, and when this one became available via NetGalley, even though it's almost a year before publication, I had to grab a copy. Sometimes books just line up at the right time, as I had a few free days between reads... then this popped up. Hepworth's novels have made it to the top of my must-read, newly published list of authors... although, I still need to get copies of her earlier novels so I'm fully caught up. A solid 4.5 stars for this one.

This was a rely good thriller. I had never read anything by Sally Hepworth before and this won't be the last. It moved at a good pace and kept me guessing til the end.

I received this ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

The Good Sister is told from the perspectives of twin sisters Fern and Rose. They were raised by their self-absorbed, divorced mother. It was a very unstable childhood that set the tone for their future. As often happens in families, the siblings have different recollections of the same events and I was constantly wondering which was closer to the truth. I have to say I was on Team Fern - she was such a lovable, sympathetic character. And her boyfriend Wally (not his actual name but Fern thought he resembled Waldo when they first met - so the name stuck) was so unique and wonderful. Thank goodness he walked into her library the day they met! 

The Good Sister is the fourth of Sally Hepworth's books I've had the pleasure to read. Fans of novels about sibling conflict, manipulation and deceit will find that for sure. It was a quick read only because I had to find out what happened next - didn't want to put it down.

An absolutely stunning novel by the inimitable Sally Hepworth. I have become a go-to Sally Hepworth addict. Her amazing and vividly descriptive story line and intense characters are a thrilling and intense intrigue into the world of two sisters with a complex relationship. Fabulous story, amazing characters and an awe inspiring story. A must read for psychological thriller fans loving a twisted and complex story. I loved it! 5 blazing stars.

I received this copy for free for my honest review. WOW. I feel like this book started a little slow for me but I couldn’t put it down once it started rolling. I love an unreliable narrator and this book had exactly that. The bond of twins, a sensory disorder, and a baby in the picture. This book had mystery and intrigue and I was second guessing everything I was thinking. I loved Sally Hepworth’s previous book and I can now say after reading two of them, I am an absolute fan and will read anything she writes!

I received an ARC of The Good Sister in exchange for an honest review. I have read several of Sally Hepworth's books and this one did not disappoint. Fern and Rose are twin sisters, who didn't have the easiest upbringing. Fern is on the spectrum and Rose has always looked out for her. Fern is grateful to Rose for all her care and wants to do something to repay her. The plan she comes up with is to have a baby for her. This is a very good story, with a little bit of suspense. Unfortunately, the suspense plays out just about how you expect it to. For that reason I gave the book 4 stars instead of 5.

I remember when I read my first Sally Hepworth book, [book:The Secrets of Midwives|21853678]. I thought the writing was extraordinary and knew then that I would read every single thing that she ever wrote.

This book was exceptional. Written in a unique and interesting format, the fact that it revolved around two sisters both intrigued and scared me, as my sister is my best friend.

What I love about Sally Hepworth's books are that they aren't the same thing you read every day. They're easy to read, you get involved right away, but it won't remind you of something else you've read, which is truly unique for me, as I read quite a bit.

I highly recommend this, but I'm not sure I'll recommend it to my sister. :)

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

WOW! What a fantastic new book by Sally Hepworth. It was one of those books that made the outside world go away for a few hours -- there was no cooking or cleaning, I ignored the phone and social media and even lost a few hours of sleep but it was totally worth it!

Fern and Rose are fraternal twins but they are different in every way. Rose is married and trying to have a baby with her husband, Owen. Fern is a loner who lives by herself and works at a library. She has a sensory processing disorder which limits her life in many ways because she has to stay away from situations that might affect her disorder. Because of the way that the twins were raised by a sociopathic mother, they became very close growing up so that they could protect each other from their mother. As adults, they still protect each other. Rose is always there to help Fern and is the person that Fern always turns to first. Rose is the strong twin while Fern appears to be odd and needy.

The novel is told in alternating chapters by each of the twins. Reading Rose's chapters make you see her as the brave protector of her sister who is also helping keep a terrible secret from years earlier. But then when you read Fern's chapter, you can't help but admire her for the way she is approaching her life to keep her disorder from affecting her day to day. The more you read the alternating view of each sister, the more you begin to question the stories that they are telling about their lives. Is it all real or are there other and worse secrets being kept quiet? When Fern meets a man and finds out that she is able to love someone, she also begins to question some of Rose's attitudes toward her.

I can't say any more about the plot at risk of telling more than I should. What I can say is that this is my favorite Sally Hepworth novel. It's a book that will keep you guessing until the end. You will change your mind several times about the real motives of each twin versus the perceptions that they want believed. The novel is compelling and totally unpredictable. The Good Sister is about the ties that bind sisters together...and about the madness that lurks where you least expect it.

This book was a trip. You know there’s a bad sister from the title of the book so you are immediately on the defense on who it can be. You slowly learn the past experiences that took place throughout the book. A pair of twins. One has sensory and social issues. She decides she wants to have a baby to support her sister who cannot. So she does it. But then starts to remember things about her past. And meets someone new. Will she keep the child? Give it to her sister? Had me flipping until the end! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I need a vacation to recover from Sally’s newest (soon-to-be) hit book 🤯

S.H. takes sanity, sisterhood, and co-dependency to a new new Level in “The Good Sister”. I think this is her best book yet, I can’t wait to re-read it to see everything I missed the first go-around. I am SO grateful to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book 7 months prior to its release - I’m only sorry my friends have to wait to read it!

So friends, if you’re reading this add this to you’re TBR list and pre-order it NOW and in the meantime read all of Sally’s other books because I’m pretty sure she’s a wordsmith wizard 🤩

Described as both a suspenseful, psychological thriller and domestic fiction, <i>The Good Sister</i> was a fine read that kept me turning pages right through til the end. The story is multi-layered and unfolds at a slow but steady pace which fit a plot that kept evolving and changing.

At the core of the story are the family relationships – two sisters, actually fraternal twins, but quite different in a variety of ways. Rose is short and diabetic. Fern is tall and is hypersensitive to sound, light, touch – a sensory processing disorder. Each tells their family history from their own perspective particularly as it comes to their mother. Although in some regards it is the story of typical mother-daughter and sibling relationships, Hepworth takes the story in several new directions.

I particularly enjoyed Hepworth’s <i>The Mother-in-Law</i> but somehow this one didn’t quite measure up. Perhaps it was because I figured out where it was going just a bit too soon so, for me, it lost the edginess of suspense. Otherwise, a worthy read!




FYI - I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.