Poignant mystery in unusual style
This story is a letter to a beloved sister. The narrator, Bea, describes her search for the truth behind her sister's disappearance, which becomes linked with a pregnancy and apparent suicide. The immediacy of the telling is subtly layered, focusing on the history of the sisters' bond to understand present events, which are relayed in three close time periods: the first, Bea's observation of the investigation; the second, her retelling of events to a lawyer; and the third, the drafting of the letter. Sister is a suspenseful mystery touching on devotion, betrayal, self-absorption, madness, and above all, grief.
Rated of 5
by Rebecca J. (Knoxville, TN)
Sister by Lupton
I looked forward to reading this book as I am a big fan of psychological thrillers. This is the story of Beatrice who cannot believe her sister Tess has committed suicide even though that is the police finding. Beatrice decides to investigate. The story kept you guessing "who done it" until the end and was well written, if a bit unbelievable in spots. I would definitely read another book by this author.
Rated of 5
by Meera (Ma)
a moving thriller
When I started this book, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it. The book is written in the perspective of the main character talking directly to her missing sister and brings up a lot of anecdotes from the past while still in the present. I found it hard to keep track of what is happening. However, once I became accustomed to the unique narrative style, I was drawn into the story. I had to know what happened to the missing sister. They mystery was attention grabbing and was not easy to figure out. I found the main character to be deeply faceted. This book would appeal to readers who like mysteries and/or thrillers. I think the author did a fine job with her first novel. I could not give this the highest rating because I think her writing needed some polishing, especially in the beginning of the novel. But I would definitely read her next novel.
Rated of 5
by Kimberly B. (Atlanta, GA)
Unbroken Bonds Make Great Stories!
Rosamund Lupton is a brilliant author who uses vivid imagery and emphasis on human emotion to lure the reader! Through the main character Beatrice, Lupton displays impenetrable bonds of blood and love and their powerful affects on the human mind in terms of sanity. This is a suspenseful story of the persistent unshakeable love of a sister that can't be daunted even by the bonds of death. Plain and simple, this book is a good read! Perfect for book clubs!
Rated of 5
by Lisa E. (Cincinnati, OH)
More about Families than Crime
This novel is a meditation on families more than a murder mystery. Unobtrusively written sort of in the second person, as a letter addressed to the narrator's murdered sister, the novel explores the dynamics among a family that had been shattered years ago by the death of a brother and now is facing the murder of a sister. The murder mystery itself is a little far-fetched but well within belief. The novel is well-written and compelling.
Rated of 5
by C. T. (Aurora, CO)
Sister by Rosamund Lupton
This book is a mystery/thriller. Two sisters, Beatrice and Tess, have always been close after living through the trauma of losing their brother to cystic fibrosis when they were young and then their father walking out on the family soon after. As the story begins, a very pregnant Tess is missing, and Bea flies from the U.S. to London to help look for her. When Tess's body is found in a filthy park bathroom, the police believe she committed suicide, but Bea refuses to go along with that theory and continues with her own investigation right up to the shocking conclusion. I did find this book somewhat difficult to read. The narrator jumped back and forth between time periods, and I couldn't always tell immediately which time period she was speaking of. Also, even considering that her sister has just died, Beatrice has some fairly abrupt personality changes that didn't ring true. The author did do an excellent job of setting the scene and describing the surroundings for a real "you are there" feel to the book.
Rated of 5
by Krista (Grayslake, IL)
Sisters - a bit disappointed
I was looking forward to this book, as I am very close to my sisters and thought the premise of one sister seeking justice for her murdered sister would be a compelling read. The book started strongly, and really kept my interest, but about half-way thru, it started slowing down and lost me. Some of the characters just didn't seem believable, I didn't totally finish the book, but skimmed the end to see Who Done It, and was disappointed in the ending. I did find the subject matter to be interesting, just sort of lost steam along the way.
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