This is a perfect read for fans of Dexter, you, serial killers and true crime.

Three sisters, one killer. And a an additional perspective, from a character, where you have to work out who it is.

This book is dark, gory, suspenseful.

Wow--can I say how much I enjoyed this book? I am always down for a thriller or murder mystery, and this is a great combination of both. KD Aldyn does an amazing job of weaving together the narratives of three sisters, touched by tragedy and viewed through the lens of coping with their traumas. The story vacillates between the perspective of each of the three sisters, as well as through the scope of the murderer--because though the novel begins with one murder, it doesn't end until the killer believes their work is done. This book had me guessing until the very end, and I enjoyed the ride!

Trigger/content warnings under spoiler tag:
<spoiler>Please note that there are themes and discussions of the sexual abuse of a child by a relative, as well as graphic depictions of sex and murder. There are also discussions of trauma processing and trauma recovery (including addiction and addiction recovery) which may be triggering to some readers who are sensitive to such discussions. Please mind the tags and read at your own discretion.</spoiler>

Thank you, Poisoned Pen Press and KD Aldyn for sharing an advanced reader copy!

I definitely wanted to love this book more than I did and I am so gutted😩
The book follows 3 sisters, Kate, Aurora and Peggy and you have chapters about all 3 and an extra POV of the killer and you are trying to work out which of the sister's the killer could be. Some of the killer POVs were very dark and descriptive👀
For me, I felt it started pretty slowly then picked up halfway through the book, slowed down a bit and then boom last 2 pages you find out who the killer is, I did like this book but I never found myself reaching for it, until the end when I just wanted to know who the killer was so I could finish this book!

Wow!!! Sister, Butcher, Sister is a dark and gripping thriller that really dives into the complicated ties between sisters, trauma, and revenge. K.D. Adalyn pulled me in from the very start with a story that’s equal parts intense and emotional. The way the story jumps between timelines and perspectives keeps things interesting and slowly uncovers some pretty heavy secrets. The sisters feel really real (flawed and raw) and their complicated relationship is both unsettling and heartbreaking. Some parts of the plot felt a little over the top, but the emotional depth made up for it. Overall, it’s a bold debut that sticks with you.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Sister, Butcher, Sister by K.D. Aldyn is a chilling psychological thriller that haunted me long after the

My Rating- 4.5

This story is about murder, so it feels sort of wrong to describe it as fun, but that really is the best word I can find for it. Sister, Butcher, Sister is a FUN thriller in which you meet three sisters, and you know that one of them is a murderer, but you are left wondering which one. I felt like the premise here was fairly unique, and that this was a refreshing take on the thriller genre. You're left guessing until the very end, and in a way, it almost felt like I was playing a game with the author. Thrillers have been a hit-or-miss genre for me for the past year or so, and at times I find myself wondering if I'm falling out of love with the genre as a whole. But then a story like this comes along and reignites my love for thrillers and mysteries by doing something bold and unique. And honestly, that's all I can say about this book. If you're interested in reading it, I encourage you to go into it blindly. Trust me, it's better that way.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was really drawn to the premise of Sister, Butcher, Sister. Two sisters return to their childhood home after their mother’s death, and something dark is bubbling under the surface. It had all the right ingredients for something tense and unsettling. I liked the eerie atmosphere and the shifting perspectives, especially in the first half.

As the story went on, though, it started to lose momentum. The second half felt a bit repetitive, and the sisters’ voices weren’t distinct enough to keep me fully engaged. I kept wanting more definition between them. I think the audiobook could bring that clarity and help the narrative land better.

Not a favourite, but I’m glad I read it and I’d be curious to see what K.D. Aldyn writes next.

The Rowling sisters live an ordinary life. But when Kate, the eldest, bought their late grandfather’s home, each sister's dark secret started to rise to the surface…

And then there’s SHE, who had a mission to hunt and kill every beast in the world. SHE is willing to do everything to make them disappear. SHE is not cruel; she is just gracefully evil.

Sister Bucther Sister is a mystery thriller with a lot of suspense. This book has a very unique writing style that I have never seen in a mystery book thriller before. There is a mysterious POV that is very mysteriously captivating, and I couldn't think who the murderer would be.

Every time I think a character is a suspect, another character also has the same clue, like a twin piece of puzzle combined with a board game and, in the end, the plot twist? Oh my gosh… I’m shocked!!!

It is not the end, there is a plot twist inside the plot twist! Even though the violence is pretty harsh, I really like this book. It’s like a dark, twisted, wicked crime quiz in a Squid Game level. If you want to read a book which makes you never stop gasping and awe, this book is really perfect for you!

i read the majority of this on a flight and it was honestly the perfect trip/vacation read. i really enjoyed the multiple POVs of the three sisters and all their individual storylines. i kept going back and forth on which sister was the killer so i was intrigued enough to keep reading to find out. it was a fast paced thriller/suspense that kept me guessing until the big reveal.

Sister, Butcher, Sister was full of suspense, mystery, drama, secrets, lies, and betrayal.

I was drawn in quickly and read it in one sitting.
Kate, Aurora, and Peggy weren't very likable, so it was hard to relate to them.
The storyline was clever, but I found myself getting bored in parts.

I did enjoy reading from the different perspectives, though. The killers perspective was the most interesting, but it was hard to read sometimes, as it got quite gory. Also, most of the victims didn't really deserve their messy deaths. It does tie together in the end, and I understood why she did it.

There weren't really any surprises or twists, as I knew it was one of the sisters.
Sister, Butcher, Sister was still an entertaining read overall.

3.5 stars from me.

Thanks to Netgalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and K.D. Aldyn, for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow this book was such a wild ride, I couldn't put it down & pretty much read it in one sitting! Definitely recommend!!!

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for the ARC!

This one was painful. The serial killer edge and the trying to guess which sister was powerful and cool, but honestly, even without that, I would've read the story for the sisters. The tragedy, pain, and horror that those sisters went through, their fractured relationship, the trying to move forward? It was painful to read. I had to stop reading at parts to cry because it was just so real and beautiful.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had been somewhat anticipating this book for a while - the premise was so intriguing to me. However, there were so many things that fell flat, when this had so much potential.

I'll start with what I really enjoyed - because honestly, this book could have been AMAZING. I loved the premise of three sisters, one is a serial killer, and we don't know who. Chapters would switch among the sisters, following their struggles and essentially setting them all up to be the potential killer. There were also chapters written from the serial killer's POV, which were graphic, dark and brutal. Until the last few chapters I truly was going back and forth with my thoughts of who actually was the killer - all of the sisters had motive and potential. I thought this was extremely well-done. I also appreciated the messiness of the lives of all of the sisters - each were different from one another and unique, and yet you could still see each of them as a killer. Again, they were well-written.

Several parts of this awesome potential really fell flat for me - first of all was the pacing. The writing took a while for me to get into, and even then, with how interesting the lives were for these sisters, I found myself extremely bored with their chapters. Not sure if it was just too much fluff and not a lot of events or points to progress the plot, but it felt stagnant. Because of this, the chapters with from the unknown serial killer's POV felt really out of place. There were these brutal murders happening, but then these women were just vaguely aware of it in the background? It just didn't really stick together for me while I was reading. Along this train of thought, I felt like the chapters with the detective were also just extra fluff. He wasn't as developed of a character, and it felt like more added fluff. His chapters actually took me more out of the story because I just didn't see the point of having his POV be included. The last part that really irritated me was the random, surprise pregnancy thrown in. I guess I understand how that could play into the plot, but at the same time, I am just sick and tired of books using this for shock value. It's always the same: a woman who doesn't want a child at the time shockingly falls pregnant. Also, the outcome is always the same - they keep the baby they didn't want in the first place. All of this, to me as someone who is childfree, feels like subtle propaganda to push the narrative that women should be having children, and it's their purpose in life. Whether or not the author actually believes this doesn't matter, the fact this always is added into books where it's not really needed, and the outcome is always the same, it just feels slightly judgmental. If you like this trope, that's fine. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But I just wish there was more books for the audience of people who either don't want kids, or are having trouble conceiving.

Overall, I thought this book was just ok. It actually had a ton of potential, but for me I felt like it just dragged at parts and needed more of the fluff cut out. If you think this is worth a shot, be aware there is a level of child SA and incest included, so it's pretty dark.

I enjoyed the POVs from each sister and the killer which kept the story layered and engaging. The mystery of which one was “SHE” was well done, and the tension built in a way that made it feel like it could have been any of them. While I wasn’t totally surprised by the reveal, I still liked the execution and the darker tone of the book overall. I recommend for readers who enjoy the darker side of fiction and stories about fractured families unraveling under pressure.

Thank you NetGalley & Poisoned Pen Press for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This is a dark, gripping thriller that was nearly impossible to put down.

The story follows Kate, Aurora, and Peggy, three sisters who are each dealing with their own secrets and painful past. When Kate decides to return to their grandfather’s old coastal home, she starts remembering things that twist the entire family narrative inside out. Add in a brutal serial killer who’s stalking men in the community, and the fact that one of the sisters might actually be the killer, and you get a story that kept me second-guessing every chapter.

What I loved most is how the author plays with unreliable narration. I was constantly rethinking what’s real, what’s trauma, and what’s delusion. The writing is vivid and unsettling, and some scenes are genuinely hard to stomach. But despite how dark it gets, it’s a total page-turner. I found it really hard to put down.

If you're a Karin Slaughter fan, you would probably vibe with this. It's dark, twisty, and haunting and will stick with me for a while.

Thank you to KD Aldyn, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I wanted to like this one, but unfortunately, it was a letdown. There were parts where the story felt too jumbled together. At times, it was hard to keep track of not only characters and what was happening, but also the timeline.

Now let's get to the end, where the pacing sped up. The writing felt rushed. I feel like there was stuff missing.

Phew. This is a rough, brutal, visceral wild ride. I honestly am not quite sure how to review this because it's so unlike anything I've read! What I can and will say... is that if you are not squeamish, and if you don't have many TWs, and you're in the mood for something different and graphic and violent and gory and sad and twisted... this may just be the book for you!

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

K.D. Aldyn’s Sister, Butcher, Sister is a moody, atmospheric debut that blends gothic horror with psychological suspense, offering readers a complex meditation on grief, sisterhood, and inherited trauma. Though the novel brims with potential and showcases Aldyn’s talent for unsettling imagery, uneven pacing and underdeveloped characters ultimately prevent it from fully realizing its ambitions.

The novel follows estranged sisters Kate, Aurora, and Peggy, reunited after Kate having bought their grandfather’s home—a home they spent most of their time at as children. The sisters return to their decaying ancestral home—only to uncover disturbing family secrets, cryptic journal entries, and a sinister legacy tied to their bloodline. As the boundaries between memory, myth, and reality blur, Kate, Aurora, and Peggy must confront both external horrors and the festering resentments between them. All the while a serial killer, SHE, is targeting bad men.

Aldyn excels at crafting an oppressive, eerie atmosphere. The house itself feels like a character—alive with creaks, shadows, and unsettling whispers. The imagery is vivid, with decaying walls, blood-soaked family history, and flashes of folkloric horror that evoke both Shirley Jackson and Silvia Moreno-Garcia. There are moments of genuine tension and disturbing beauty, especially in the novel’s more surreal, dreamlike sequences. This book had me guessing to whom the serial killer was all the way until the end.

However, the novel’s strengths in mood and setting are undermined by a sluggish plot that takes too long to build momentum. The first half of the book is heavy on cryptic conversations and internal monologues, but light on actual narrative progression. When the story does escalate into full horror, it feels somewhat rushed, especially the ending, with key revelations delivered hastily and emotional payoffs that feel unearned.

Character development is also a mixed bag. While the sister’s fraught relationships offer glimpses of emotional depth, their personalities feel frustratingly opaque. Aldyn gestures toward themes of generational trauma and the ways in which women inherit silence and violence, but these ideas never fully coalesce. Secondary characters, meanwhile, feel thinly sketched, existing primarily to nudge the plot along or deliver exposition. I will say however that the gore is quite metal and I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it.

In terms of style, Aldyn’s prose is lyrical and evocative, though at times it veers into overwrought territory. The frequent use of fragmented sentences and abstract imagery can create mood, but also occasionally muddles clarity and dilutes the emotional impact.

Ultimately, Sister, Butcher, Sister is a solid but flawed debut. It will likely appeal to readers who enjoy slow-burn horror, gothic settings, and explorations of familial dysfunction. While it doesn’t quite deliver the narrative punch its premise promises, Aldyn’s voice and atmospheric world-building suggest she’s an author to watch. For those willing to overlook pacing issues and uneven character work, this eerie tale of sisterhood and secrets offers just enough to satisfy.

Recommended for: Fans of gothic horror, Shirley Jackson, and dark family dramas with a slow-burn structure.

I didn't know too much about this story when I started it. This story did not start off action-packed, its a real build of characters. We are getting to know these sisters and through their points of view, getting to know SHE. One of them is a killer.

I enjoyed the character development, they were relatable while also so wild because we know one is a killer. I really love having a POV from the view of the killer, that is exciting and questioning. I want to say it was more gruesome than I expected but that is part of the story!

As someone who really loves fast paced thrillers this was out of my comfort zone.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an eARC of Sister, Butcher, Sister in exchange for my honest review!

This is a solidly suspenseful mystery-thriller that has the guts to dive into some grisly and weighty material. The chapters that focus on the POV of She, who's presumably one of the three Rowling sisters, are especially engrossing thanks to their gruesome atmosphere that digs up plenty of flesh and blood for us readers to wade through. These are the parts of the book that do the best job at pulling me deep into the narrative's psychological landscape—a landscape that exposes me to the killer's brutally bloodthirsty and vengeful heart. But I don't feel this as strongly while exploring Kate, Aurora, and Peggy's chapters—something that I wonder if it's an issue because of how this novel deploys its nonlinear storytelling. I can't quite get a clear sense of the timeline on some occasions, which can make the journey less smooth to process. Once this reaches its conclusion, though, I'm pretty satisfied with what it does to lay out the truth and wrap things up.

Overall, I'm officially rating Sister, Butcher, Sister 3.5 out of 5 stars, which I'm rounding down to 3 stars. While I wish I could love this more powerfully, it's still a decent time that's able to sensitively handle its heavy subject matter. I'll keep an eye out for more of K.D. Aldyn's work.