I don’t like writing negative reviews, but I have to give my honest opinion. I love the cover of this one and the premise sounded intriguing, but I did not vibe with this story. I just did not have a fun time reading this book and I probably should’ve DNFed this one.

I was not a fan of the writing style and the story was confusing at times. The main character and her sister were just odd, and not in a good way. There are chapters that switch from the sisters’ POVs to the detectives’ POVs, but there are no chapter headers to distinguish the different perspectives. This drove me crazy!

There were parts in the story that I liked, mainly the supernatural elements and the gothic atmosphere. If you’re into nonfiction, the main character shares A LOT about the history of Chicago. There were interesting facts about Chicago that I never knew, so that was cool, but there were some facts that seemed unnecessary and took me out of the main story.

Overall, this was a disappointing read. I don’t know if I will read anything else by this author.

This book was not for me but I think others will enjoy it. I couldn't get into the fantasy and dream aspect of it. It was too confusing for me. I did enjoy the crime and investigative parts.

This is my third or fourth book I've read by the author, and I love the way she writes these sort of fever dream, fairy tale-esque stories so much! Her love of Chicago is a common theme throughout her books, and enjoyed the tidbits of info we learn about the city here as much as I did in CHILDREN OF CHICAGO - it gives the city a sort of life of its own, turning it into more of a character than a location in certain ways, which I think is super cool.

The story of the two sisters here, Jennie and Anna, is a very emotional one. It's a little bit of a slow burn, but the ending wraps things up quickly and nicely, tying loose ends and bringing things full circle. We get multiple perspectives, from the sisters to podcast bits to the detectives investigating a string of murders along the river, and I liked that things jumped around a bit - it kept me on my toes, unable to find solid footing (which I think really lent itself well to the dreamlike nature of the story).

I’m not even sure where to start with this one.

The prologue grabbed me immediately with nice descriptive language and imagery and I was excited to dive in. Once past the prologue it was a bit of a slow burn. Nothing really started happening until about 30% in and once things did start moving (still slowly) the story kind of just went off the rails and I got very confused, and stayed confused, for most of the book. I had no idea where the story was going or what was happening.

Were they dealing with actual hauntings? Was it ghosts? Mermaids? Mental illness? Paranormal killers? Flesh and blood killers? It was a lot and there didn’t seem to be a clear vision on where the story was going or how the various threads were going to come together in the end.

Based on what the author tells us the story takes place over the course of several weeks, maybe even months. Anna and Peter meet and fall in love, the level of spookiness in the house escalates, and Jennie’s condition continues to deteriorate, but we don’t get to experience that though the story. The author just tells us these things, which made it hard to feel invested in what was happening.

The scenes with the two detectives were entertaining and I would have liked to see more of them. The city of Chicago was its own character, playing a big role in the book, and I enjoyed learning more about its history. With her language and her use of magical realism Pelayo also does do a good job creating an ominous and spooky backdrop for the story. There were a couple of creepy moments that really got me.

The concept for this book was intriguing and there was a lot of potential there but ultimately it just fell flat for me.

Thanks NetGally and Thomas & Mercer for this advanced copy.

FORGOTTEN SISTERS is another solid read from Cynthia Pelayo. Eerie and atmospheric, it is part haunted house/ghost story, and part noir detective/history lesson. At times, early on, I felt caught in a loop with the storyline, which, to me, felt repetitive. That may have been on me as I only spent short clips with the story. The author created a great sense of place and space in the telling of FORGOTTEN SISTERS. The sisters, Anna and Jennie, have their mysteries and their quirks. Their dynamic is a sad one of family responsibility and multi-layered heartache. The two detectives were a special treat—infrequent as their POV was, but the story was not really theirs. That said, I wanted more of them. I’m probably a weirdo, but I think my favorite part was the history of Chicago and its river. There are loads of breadcrumbs hidden in this book that could be easily overlooked, and yet, that ending!

I just finished it yesterday! I’m still trying to process on how I feel about this book. For those that loved Pelayo’s poetry books, I think you will love this book. It really felt like reading a beautiful and brutal dream about the sisters I love her poetry books so I really love this style of writing.

I also loved that it was inspired by The Little Mermaid but it’s still as dark as the real story by Hans Christian Andersen not the Disney version.

But what always stands out in Cynthia Pelayo’s novels is her love for Chicago! The Chicago River is at the heart of this story. I feel like I learned so much from it.

I did get a bit lost in the middle. A lot of descriptive words and lots of info dumps but overall it was a good book!!!

3.5/5 stars rounding up to 4

A crime mystery tale with a horror aspect, Forgotten Sisters (2024) by Cynthia Pelayo is based on the children’s fairytale of The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen. Two sisters, Anna and Jennie Arbor live in a historic house overlooking the Chicago River. Anna cares for her ailing sister and makes a podcast called Chicago Vault, that recounts tales of the city’s horror history. The centuries-old home is noisy and the sisters can hear a tap dripping but find no leak. There are also cups rattling, doors opening and the sound of voices speaking. Meantime, daily news reports update the details of young men’s bodies found in the Chicago river. As Detectives Kowalski and Rodriguez investigate, they discover a blue symbol near each body and wonder if they are somehow connected. A riveting narrative with building tension, spooky occurrences and an eerily satisfying mix of police procedural and family-haunted home. Whilst not usually a horror buff, I must admit that this sophisticated mix of astute psychological and believable strange events makes for a four and a half star rating. With thanks to Thomas & Mercer and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without inducement.

Grief stories always get me, and 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 definitely reeled me in. It’s beautifully written, very dark, kind of magical, and just so sad. I loved the main character, I loved the haunted home, the mystery of who is killing these men and how it kept me thinking I knew what was going on, while still not quite knowing. I love feeling like I’m in a fever dream, so this one really worked for me. I liked the end twist and the modern take on a favorite childhood fairy tale. 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 will be published 3/19. Thanks to Kaye Publicity and Thomas and Mercer for sending me an ARC. 🖤

**3.5 stars**

I loved Ms Pelayo’s creepy and dark Children of Chicago and was hoping The Forgotten Sisters would be just as creepy. It was good but not as good as the Children of Chicago.

I like how when you read her books you also get a history lesson. While reading I looked up Sears houses, the Ravenswood neighborhood of Chicago, the Chicago River, and the boat accident. I love that her love and interest in her city comes across so clearly in her work. I also appreciated her dark fairy tale reimagining of The Little Mermaid, very unusual and unique.

I did not care for the tedious repetition of how much our main character Anna loves their house, the multiple descriptions of her cleaning the house, and the repetitiveness of how they can never leave the house. That got old for me.

While this book is not nearly as creepy and dark as The Children of Chicago I did like it overall.

**Thanks to the author and publisher for the e-arc I received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Before my NetGalley request had been approved I had preordered a Kindle copy which I am keeping.**

I received a free arc copy of forgotten sisters via NetGalley for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the book Forgotten Sisters. I really liked the way the author melded a mystery/thriller novel, with a retailing of the little mermaid set in Chicago. I loved the incorporation of some of the dark history of Chicago and the history of the Chicago river in general. The murder mystery aspect of this novel was very hard to predict, and the big reveal at the end was absolutely mind blowing.

The characters were extremely well developed and interesting, as well as the clearly toxic relationship between the two sisters, who were the main protagonist of the novel. I like the way that the information about the city was introduced through one of the sisters who had a podcast. I thought that was a very unique and water and spin to the novel. I also enjoyed the relationship between the main sister and her boyfriend throughout the novel.

The only criticism I have is that sometimes the history part of the novel could get a little bogged down and drag on a little long. But overall it was still very welcome within the novel.

That being said, I will absolutely be reading more by this author. I felt her writing was very lyrical, concise, and gave a great atmosphere to the story.

Forgotten Sisters is a beautifully written, genre crossing story set in Chicago. I suggest going in blind and avoiding spoilers to get the full impact of this story. A great ready for horror fans who enjoy crime noir and fairy tales. While Forgotten Sisters is lyrical in its prose, this was not a great fit for my reading taste but I definitely think I will be in the minority on that.

Thank you to that Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for this ARC.

Forgotten Sisters by Cynthia Pelayo
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Part mystery, part fantasy, part fairy tale ~ all set in Chicago on the river.

What I liked:
•the Chicago setting that I feel pretty familiar with having lived in Illinois my entire life.
•Chicago River history sprinkled in throughout the book, some of which I was familiar and some I knew nothing about (like the shipwreck SS Eastland)
•the mystery surrounding the sisters and the men’s lives lost in the river. The two detectives investigating the case. I actually would have liked more of this reality based perspective.
•the Little Mermaid fairy tale references but I’m not as familiar with the traditional telling, but of the Disney version.

What I didn’t like:
•just not knowing what was “real” and what wasn’t, and the sisters fantastical language. Fantasy isn’t my genre ~ but if it’s yours, you might love this aspect!
•I’m not sure I understand the ending…I might need to discuss with others!

Book 13 of 2024
Read March 1-8

Thank you to @netgalley and @cynthiapelayoauthor for this digital ARC It will be published March 19!

A genre-bending novel of twists, fairy tale, and crime, "Forgotten Sisters" divulges the mystery of the sudden disappearances of men near the Chicago River and the inexplicable bond between two sisters, Anna and Jennie. We follow Anna and Detective Kowalski's perspectives, and through their eyes a rich history of Chicago along with a retelling of The Little Mermaid.

Anna and Jennie's identities revolve around the house they've lived in their entire lives, it's the one thing that bonds them after their parents' accident and demise. Jennie in particular seems obsessed with it and too attached: "The house aches, as if it's got an open wound, and I will do anything to heal it. I will do anything for this house." With Anna drifting away from the house's grip and wanting to go on ventures with her new boyfriend Peter, Jennie feels like she's losing her sister, and therefore also herself. Jennie grows more erratic and in turn, the house seems to match that energy too — do the house and Jennie complement each other like puzzle pieces, or is Jennie simply trying to lead Anna to the "correct" path? Through Anna's podcast and her past with her family, the importance of the Little Mermaid and their parallels become even more conspicuous: "Running water has long been venerated, and the flowing water offers a protective boundary."

This book almost feels like it has a tinge of historical fiction with Chicago's impact and lore on Anna and the entire plot, and it's clear that the author has a deep love and appreciation for it. I do love the intertwining of elements that usually don't mesh together, such as the hardline police procedural aspect with the vaguely supernatural. It's relatively slow-paced, but once the twist and climax arrive there's quite a bit of information to process. With the podcast that's inserted into the narrative, it does sometimes come across as too much unnecessary info-dumping; that's probably the main gripe I have that bogs the pacing down a notch, and maybe a few of Jennie's diatribes could have been edited down as well.

But overall, it's a thoughtful and wonderful novel that kept me guessing constantly and engaged. Would recommend for those who love a good gothic mystery with a twist.

Forgotten Sisters is an excellent example of how a writer can set a mood. The history of Chicago, the fairy tales, the way the old house was such a presence in the story - it all made this feel melancholy and dark. The story itself and the mystery is compelling. My one complaint would be that the different POV characters all had the same voice, which made it difficult to really separate them. In this case, that is fairly minor because the rest of the story was done so well.

Note: arc provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for honest review

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this novel!

Unfortunately, the writing in this is not working for me, so I had to DNF at 12%. The writing is stilted and awkward. I also don't love police procedurals and there is a POV from a detective in this I didn't care for. A case of it's not you, it's me.

before i give a review, i would like to thank netgalley and the publisher thomas and mercer for the early galley.
i'm sorry in advance for starting the review that i usually do when i read an arc from an author that's new to me (aside from books i've heard of from them) but where has cynthia pelayo's work been all of my life!? this was amazing! i loved the sibling dynamic between anna and jeanie. i can relate to anna a little too much though

A huge thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC!

Palpably dripping with sorrow, mystery, and an atmosphere of malevolent confusion, Cynthia Pelayo’s latest novel, Forgotten Sisters, reimagines the classic tales of our childhood. Heavily relying on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid, this tale of mourning sisters living in Chicago is beautifully laced with a poignancy that is rather striking. Jennie and Anna live in a historic family home along the Chicago River following an unspoken incident that’s left them both in a state of seclusion and grief. Of course, the outside world is calling Anna towards a life beyond the confines of this strange, seemingly haunted home despite the ever-growing number of murdered men found in the river. This escalation of unease within the city of Chicago and Anna and Jennie’s home leads to a daunting, mysterious horror story, one that reckons the past with the present.

With Forgotten Sisters being the first work of Pelayo’s that I’ve had the pleasure of reading, I quickly understood why she is so highly regarded in the world of dark, crime fiction. The combination of horror and crime may seem like a natural convergence, but in truth, I have found the literal, concise nature of investigative narratives to (at times) take away from the haunting atmosphere of a true horror story. This is not something that Forgotten Sisters suffers from, and rather, this novel stands out for its effortless style of gritty, intentional storytelling, showcasing elusive killers and perplexing entities.

Another strength of this story is the ability for multiple settings to operate as characters themselves, namely Chicago as a whole, Anna and Jennie’s home, and the Chicago River. The histories of each and every one of these locations are more than rich, something Pelayo explores extensively, breathing life into the plot and adding a new dimension to this mystery. The detectives investigating the rising number of dead men being found in the river approach things from a logical, grounded perspective (as they should). However, we know from Anna’s perspective that otherworldly things can occur leaving the possibilities endless for who or what may be committing these heinous crimes.

Forgotten Sisters is a novel that thrives on the overall “feel” of the story. Pelayo writes with a sense of unnamed tragedy that creates an atmosphere of discernable unease. The odd occurrences around the house seem unnerving at first but then graduate to downright frightful when matched with Jennie’s strange behavior and dialogue. The closest comparison for this air of unnerving confusion instituted on both a micro and macro scale is Ian Reid’s novel, I’m Thinking of Ending Things. The great city of Chicago is plagued with violence at the hands of an unknown individual just as Anna’s perception of her home becomes murky and unclear just as she begins to yearn for a life outside of the one she currently lives. Through this disorientation, Pelayo’s prose is nothing short of tragically gorgeous as we are taken on a downward spiral rooted in grief, loss, and terror.

Equal parts haunting horror story and riveting detective mystery, Forgotten Sisters functions on numerous levels of literal, real-world investigation compounded by disorienting, haunting circumstances. Cynthia Pelayo crafts some of the most evocative, spell-binding prose to create a unique atmosphere of unsteadiness for each character matched with scenes of utter terror. Traces of childhood tales aid in creating the forces at play behind Jennie and Anna’s home that function in a way that is truly unmistakable. It succeeds on these levels of horror and investigation but also speaks to the poignancy of the past and the irreparable outcomes it delivers to the present. As vital as the river is to the city of Chicago, Cynthia Pelayo’s writing and unique voice is a clear fixture in the horror community, one that needs to be read.

Mystery, the paranormal and mental health combine in this novel about sisters and Chicago. While it wasn't for me, I know others will appreciate it.

Forgotten Sisters blends horror/mystery and fairy tale elements seamlessly.
The book follows sisters Anna and Jennie who live in a historic home along the Chicago River. One of the most stand-out details of this book is how wonderfully detailed and alive the house itself feels. In addition to the house feeling like its own character, Pelayo pulls this off with the Chicago River itself. The entire ecosystem surrounding the river and how important it is to the history of Chicago is weaved into the story very well. The book is rich with a haunted history.

There is a compelling mystery at the center of this book, and you may think you have the twist figured out, but you'll certainly be taken for a loop.

The writing itself is beautiful and haunting - there's almost a tinge of melancholy in the writing which works really well with the mood of the main characters. Highly recommend.

This is my first Pelayo book and, I had a blast with this one! The haunted atmosphere and historic aspects of this story kept me hooked! If you enjoy historic supernatural stories with a bit of a fairytale touch definitely check this one out!

Thank you, netgalley for this arc!