It was at a family Sunday lunch when the sisters first heard the news. They were at their mother’s house, the home where they had grown up. Older sister Lauren was there with her three young kids and husband Simon. Kate was there alone, her husband Matt having to work. She understands, as she’s a journalist too and knows that their stories don’t always follow a convenient timeline. And their mother Rose is there, alone, as their father had died the year before.
That was when she showed up for the first time. A woman younger than Kate, saying that her name is Jess and asking for their father. After being prodded about why she was there, she finally answers. She’s Lauren and Kate’s half-sister.
Jess had come to meet her father for the first time, not realizing that he had passed away, and not realizing that her news would turn the family upside down as each woman scrambled to process the news.
Lauren believed Jess. Lauren and her father didn’t get along, and she was the one who had uploaded her DNA to the website in the first place, hoping to find a distant relative. Although a half-sister certainly wasn’t what she was looking for, Lauren is happy to welcome Jess to the family.
Kate, however, had a very strong bond with their father and can’t for a second believe that he might do something like this. She isn’t willing to allow for the possibility that he could have fathered a child outside of his marriage, and she decides to use all her journalistic skill and contacts to find out the truth, no matter what.
But as Lauren continues to befriend Jess, and Kate continues to investigate her, neither sister can imagine the potential destruction of their family they themselves are helping to bring down. As secrets come to light and accusations start to fly, Kate and Lauren do everything they can to keep their family together. But will it be enough, or was it too late as soon as they first opened that door to their half-sister?
Author Sandie Jones is back with The Half-Sister, a family thriller filled with lies and secrets that will keep you turning pages until the very end. This twisted story of challenging family relationships will have you questioning all of the characters, all of the facts, until almost the very last page. And even then, you’ll be shaking your head, trying to understand what you just read.
I enjoyed The Half-Sister, but I found the suddenness of the ending a little jarring. I’m someone who likes to wind down with the story slowly, letting go of the characters little by little to ease back into reality. And this book ends quickly and suddenly, with no time to wind down. But it’s still a good story, an enjoyable journey, and I’m glad I got the chance to read it.
Galleys for The Half-Sister were provided by St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley, with many thanks.