AAAAHHHHHH! OMG! This book! Wow, just finished it and I know my husband is very happy that I will now speak to him after spending most of the day reading it! Just an amazing story. I love Fern and I love “Wally”. I was so hoping that things would work out for them. A good description of a life affected by limitations of sensory, touch, etc... Quite the twist with who you think the good sister really is. Talk about a page turner! Fantastic.

I really enjoyed this book! I was expecting a straightforward thriller, but of course, Sally Hepworth always offers *so* much more than that. I loved the main character, Fern, and I loved the representation of a non-neurotypical main character. Her relationship with Wally was so sweet and tender, and the twists and turns with Fern's familial relationships kept me totally hooked until the end.

Siblings, perhaps the most complicated relationship there is. Rose and Fern are twins with a dark past that includes a tragic death and a toxic mother. Fern, has always relied on Rose for companionship, guidance, and comfort. However, when Fern decides to carry a child for her sister, we realize everything may not be as it seems. I loved the alternating stories and the second half definitely had me turning the page.

I just loved this book! I fell in love with Fern for her little quirks and brutal simpleness, something we could all learn from, and was able to relate to her sensory sensitivity since I have a family member on the spectrum. With all the twist and turns throughout this book I felt protective over fern and was wanting to reach out take over. This story really sucked me in and was such an original. I fell in love with Wally and how much he cared for Fern. The twist at the end made this boom a bit of a thriller for me and I loved it n

The story of fraternal twins Fern and Rose. Fern is on the autism spectrum and has sensory challenges. She works in the public library and avoids social gatherings. Rose is married, a Type 1 diabetic, infertile, and fiercely protective of her sister.

The sisters were raised by a single mom who was a substance abuser and homeless for a period of time. While homeless, the small family would sleep in their car and spend the day in the library. The library became their living room and substitute for school.

The sisters recall events from their childhood very differently. Who is the unreliable narrator? The reader discovers pieces of the puzzle bit by bit as the story unfolds and suspense builds.

At first, I found Fern to be irritating, but she grew on me. Readers who liked “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine” will enjoy this book. I especially appreciated the role that the library played in the lives of the sisters – both during their unstable childhood and later as Fern’s employer. The book is a celebration of all that a library can be within a community.

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.