What a ride! Sister, Butcher, Sister is a fast-paced psychological thriller that absolutely took my breath away. The story itself is intriguing, but it’s the twists and turns that really make it unforgettable. This has to be the must-read suspense novel of the summer!

The plot is captivating—constantly making you question who you can trust—and I genuinely didn’t want to put the book down for a second. The characters? Chef’s kiss. And the writing? Flawless. Very, very well done!

Just a heads-up: the story does touch on some sensitive topics, so it might be worth checking the content warnings before diving in.

⚠️ Trigger warning for graphic violence, sexual assault, and other trauma-related content. ⚠️

Three sisters. One killer. And way too many secrets.

When Kate moves into her grandfather’s old house, it brings her closer to her sisters—and dangerously close to buried memories. As a serial killer targets men in brutal, gory ways, we get chilling POVs from all three sisters… and the killer.

This book surprised me in all the best (and bloodiest) ways. I wasn’t expecting the level of gore, but I’m not complaining—it added to the intensity and psychological unease that builds throughout. While the pacing started off a little slow, it quickly hooked me. The tension builds beautifully, and the psychological twists had me constantly second-guessing everything. I suspected each sister at some point.

This is a dark, bloody, and deeply psychological read that I won’t be forgetting anytime soon.

Thank you to the author K.D. Aldyn, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was not what I was expected and had quite the twists!! If you want a psychological thriller that will have you questioning everything, this is the one!

A taut psychological thriller laced with gothic overtones and a simmering sense of dread, Sister Butcher Sister by K.D. Aldyn is a dark and captivating examination of sisterhood, trauma, and the monsters we both become and inherit.

At the center of the storm are the Rowling sisters—Kate, Aurora, and Peggy—each scarred in their own way, each guarding secrets they can’t fully admit, even to themselves. When Kate returns to their coastal hometown to reclaim their late grandfather’s home, her presence reopens old wounds and reawakens something far more dangerous: buried truths, fractured memories, and a series of brutal murders that may be connected to one of them. Or all of them.

Aldyn masterfully shifts perspective between the sisters, unraveling a complex web of family dysfunction, mental illness, and long-standing guilt. What makes the novel so compelling is its refusal to give easy answers. The narration often feels unreliable, as memory, trauma, and possible supernatural elements (or is it psychosis?) bleed together. Is Kate haunted or hallucinating? Is Aurora cracking under pressure or something worse? Is Peggy clean, or just hiding her addiction behind a new façade? And then there’s SHE—the chilling, almost mythic presence that looms over the story, anonymous yet deeply intimate.

The novel is more than a whodunit—it’s a whydunit, deeply invested in character psychology and the way buried pain can morph into something monstrous. Aldyn’s writing is visceral and lyrical, shifting effortlessly between grounded domestic realism and eerie, almost dreamlike sequences. The pacing is tight, the reveals are shocking but earned, and the emotional weight lands hard.

While the narrative occasionally leans heavily on ambiguity, especially toward the climax, this choice serves the story’s themes. Sister Butcher Sister is less about solving a crime and more about confronting the ways women are shaped—and broken—by violence, expectations, and silence.

Thank you to NetGalley, KD Aldyn, and Poisoned Pen Press for the eARC. This fast-paced thriller pulls you into a dark and tragic story from the very first page. The plot unravels with intensity, exploring trauma, survival, and the weight of secrets. It’s a gripping, emotional ride—but definitely check the trigger warnings first, as this story doesn’t shy away from difficult themes. Powerful and unforgettable.

Chilling and deeply unsettling!

The Rowling sisters are someone’s neighbor, friend, or coworker. They are average women living ordinary lives. But all three sisters have dark secrets, forgotten trauma buried deep inside. When one sister buys her late grandfather’s house, all that normalcy begins to crumble. Because as the sisters spend more time in their childhood home, the sinister memories come back to the surface, remembered, and threaten the unassuming lives they all have curated. For one sister, that means murder. But which one is SHE?

This story is told in multiple POVs and alternating timelines. I found this to be a slow burn and a solid debut. Please check trigger warnings as this novel is DARK with graphic and disturbing scenes. Readers who are looking for their next female serial killer thriller may enjoy this one.

Thank you Netgalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. Publication date is June 10,2025

Let’s be clear: with a title like Sister, Butcher, Sister, I expected blood, betrayal, and possibly a chainsaw wielded with sibling precision. What I got instead? Feelings. So many feelings. And not nearly enough felonies.

KD Aldyn serves up a simmering family drama with just enough murder to whet your appetite, but not enough to satisfy your cravings. It's like being promised a carnivore's feast and being handed a sad charcuterie board with one lonely salami rose.

Sure, there are twists. Sure, there’s tension. And yes, people do get stabbed. But the real casualties are pacing and plot priorities. This book had the potential to be a murder-soaked symphony, but instead we detour into emotional flashbacks, unresolved childhood trauma, and more brooding than a Twilight convention.

I came for the butcher. I stayed for the sisterly angst. I left wishing someone had been dismembered with more narrative enthusiasm. Worth a read if you like your murder with a side of melodrama.

I hadn’t read any of KD Alden’s books before, but after reading Sister, Butcher, Sister, I sought them out, only to learn this is her debut. It is an excellent debut. I will be looking forward to her next book. This dark thriller had me guessing until the very end.
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Three apparently normal sisters, all who forged different paths in life, share a childhood spent often at their grandfather’s house. Forgotten trauma starts resurfacing when the oldest sister buys the house and a serial killer is on the prowl. The brutal killer could be any one of the sisters, or someone else. The author did an amazing job throwing clues in each sister’s story, then made my suspicions hop from each one and back again.
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Kate, Aurora, and Peggy are the sisters. SHE is a cold blooded killer, butchering her victims and thirsting for more. It became quite gruesome to read sometimes. Yet this book drew me in and compelled me to keep reading. I just had to know who the killer was.

The premise of this book is instantly engaging! POV alternates between 3 adult sisters who clearly experienced Some Shit in their childhoods, and then there's an unnamed fourth POV from a serial killer who is one of the aforementioned sisters. Intriguing, right? Right!

I was hooked from the get-go and ate this book up. I had so many hypotheses about who was the killer and what was going on. And then...? It just kind of fizzled out. I was absolutely astonished and pissed when the book ended. As many others have stated, this ending was rushed and could have been so much better. I still very much enjoying reading the book; I just hate the way it ended. The format worked for me, and the anonymous-until-the-end fourth narrator was definitely my favorite.

Despite my annoyance with this book's ending, I'm totally willing to pick up whatever K.D. Aldyn comes out with next.

Full review on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7608779237

This book kept me guessing. What an interesting plot idea. The characters were well-written and the pace was great. Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc.

4 POV's, 3 sisters, 1 killer - who is it?

Let me start by saying this book is extremely dark. It's not what I am usually use to when reading thrillers, but I still enjoyed this overall. We are told a story from 4 POV's - 3 sisters, Peggy, Kate, and Aurora - and 1 of them is the "butcher" - that POV is told throughout the story in a way that keeps you guessing of which sister it is. I really enjoyed that overall aspect of the writing, and it kept me engaged and turning the pages. I was 100% off with my suspicions, btw.

This is a story of past traumas that follow you through your life. We get glimpses of the past, childhood and jump back into present day adulthood.

It was twisty, it was dark at times, and gruesome. But totally a wild ride, and I enjoyed this overall.

a huge thank you to poisoned press for an early e-arc of this in exchange for my honest review!

When the Rowling sisters reunite after years apart, long-buried secrets start clawing their way back to the surface. In the meantime, one of them is a serial killer. Told in multiple POV, including the killer’s, this dark psychological thriller will mess with your head in the best way.
Twisted, dark, and unputdownable. Sister, Butcher, Sister by KD Aldyn is a slow-burn suspense with gritty family trauma, unreliable narrators, and a killer so sick you can't believe it has to be one of the sisters.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen press via Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Three sisters, all leading very different lives, one a recovering addict and single mother, another a lawyer, & the last a musician married with children. One is a serial killer, killing men brutally. Which one is it?

I liked this book, however it had some slow moments or moments I wish I had more clarity. I really wanted to love this book. I had a feeling I guessed the ending, but I wanted more. I understood the past traumas and reasoning behind the murders, but I think I wanted to understand more from the other sister POV. I found the timeline needed more definition from past and present. I didn’t mind the different POVs they were well written and easily distinguishable.

Overall it was a great thriller and for others it may be a better read. It reminded me of criminal minds from a serial killer perspective so if you are into the show and some description of bodily harm this is a book for you. Definitely check the trigger warnings before reading.

What did I actually read? There should definitely be trigger warnings with this book because you will definitely be in for a ride!

This book revolves around 3 sisters: older sister Kate, a successfully lawyer that can't stay in one place too long; levelheaded middle sister Aurora has everything in order in her life; and finally, baby sister and former addict Peggy.
The book speaks from the POV each sister, and then there's HER, the unknown assailant. This is where there should be a trigger warning because these chapters are very graphic in nature.
The book also goes back and forth from the past, to understand what may have happened that has caused one of these sisters to act out in this way.

I had a feeling who HER was, but it continuously switched between 2 of the sisters. If you really read between the lines you'll be able to figure it out fairly quickly.
I did appreciate how this was written, and the mystery aspect of it. I am not one that is very squeamish (when it comes to books!!) but some of these chapters had me like whoa.
There is also talk about adolescent SA & grooming so if you are a sensitive reader I do not recommend this one.

I was so bored reading this. This first few chapters didn't spark any interest in the story and I sadly DNF'd the book. I may give it another try in a bit, I may just not have been in a Thriller mood when I picked this on up.

KD Aldyn devoured me whole with this debut psychological crime thriller — and I’m still reeling. This isn’t just a murder mystery; it’s a wickedly smart, emotionally complex, and viciously addictive game of “which sister is the butcher?” and let me tell you… I LOST.

Meet Kate, Aurora, and Peggy — sisters with messy pasts, buried trauma, and a childhood that’s more fog than memory. When Kate returns to their late grandfather’s house, it triggers a domino of haunting recollections, family friction, and… murder. Because someone is out there, hunting bad men with surgical precision. And she’s not sorry.

We get POVs from all three sisters and from SHE — our resident serial killer whose rage is poetic, terrifying, and disturbingly… logical? I caught myself rooting for her. Send help.

The vibes?
🌿 Family drama meets true-crime terror.
🔪 Cozy moments… then WHAM! entrails and red herrings.
🧠 Twisted mind games, emotional landmines, and a psychological maze with no exit until the final page.

I swore I knew who SHE was. I even fist-pumped in certainty around 80%. And then… NOPE. Every theory I had turned to mush. 😭👏

This book is the literary version of hiding a marble under three cups and spinning them so fast you start to question reality itself. Tension? CHECK. Atmospheric prose? YES. Feminist rage and generational trauma? HELLO. Killer POV that reads like a manifesto and chills you to the bone? Absolutely.

📚 This is my top thriller of 2025 so far, and I dare any other to top it.
💥 Fast-paced, immersive, and layered with nuance — this book doesn’t pull punches.
💀 It slices.

Read it. Fear it. Obsess over it. Then message me so we can scream about it together.

This book kept me guessing until the very end, leaving me on tenterhooks as I couldn't trust anyone. The twisted family dynamics and suspense made for a truly thrilling read.

Three sisters. One of them is a killer. But which one?

This story unfolds with an eerie slow burn that is tension filled. The chapters shift perspectives in a way that keeps you guessing. While I had my suspensions, the ending reveal still hit hard.
If you like your thrillers dark, brutal and family trauma, this one needs to be on your radar!

Three Sisters. One Killer. Which one is SHE?

Sister, Butcher, Sister by K.D Aldyn is a dark and twisted psychological thriller debut. Full of family secrets, atmospheric tension, and suspense, this is perfect for fans of complex thrillers with a side of unhinged brutality.

The Rowling sisters have all had their share of trauma in their lives. Now older, Kate, Aurora, and Peggy are trying to overcome their individual secrets and memories. When Kate manages to purchase their grandfather's house where the sisters all spent most of their childhood, years of dark secrets come rushing to the surface. Kate is having blackouts, Aurora, wife and mother, always the good girl is acting out and had an affair, and then there's Peggy. In recovery from alcohol, she now has to face the most shameful of secrets and try to move on from the memories that have haunted her.

This book does deal with some dark and disturbing topics including: addiction, CSA trauma, SA, mental health issues, and scenes of graphic violence. For a debut thriller this was a bold introduction to what K.D Aldyn has to offer. The narrative is incredibly vivid and unsettling in a good way. The tension creeps beneath your skin and the horror and gore elements are well executed. With the narrative told in multiple POVs you are constantly wondering which one of these unreliable narrators is actually the butcher. This is not a typical sister/family drama, it will sink its teeth into you and not let go. I would definitely recommend for readers who are not afraid of a little gore with their thrillers!!

Thank you to NetGalley, K.D Aldyn, and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC!! Publication date is June 3rd 2025.

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The Rowling sisters Kate, Aurora, and Peggy have had a tough childhood. Each remembers it differently, but one in particular remembers the sexual abuse that she encountered, and when she asked for help within her family, no one did a thing. So, she now kills bad men. They are easy to lure, sleep with, and then dispose of.

The 4 POV's give you an insight into each sister, how they remember their past, and how they view their present. With families, partners, children, and a community that surround them, each sister will slowly delve into the past and show how that past has shaped them in the present.

Thank you, Netgalley, and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC. All opinions are entirely my own.