Name: The Sister's Curse
Rating: 4.5 (52 reviews)
Author: Nicola Solvinic

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Book Summary

There's something in the water in Bayern County…

When mysterious drownings plague her small town, a detective haunted by her serial killer father must uncover whether revenge, ancient legends, or something darker lurks beneath the surface.

Lieutenant Anna Koray thought she'd finally found solid ground and escaped her past as the daughter of a notorious serial killer. A loving boyfriend, a loyal dog, a life that almost feels normal—except darkness has a way of seeping in. When she saves a boy from drowning, the strange marks on his body tell a disturbing story: something in the depths tried to drag him under.

Days later, another victim surfaces with identical marks and Anna's instincts scream that these are no accidents. Both victims are connected to the Kings of Warsaw Creek—men of the town's wealthiest and most influential families. And they have enemies.

Others whisper that there are witches in Bayern County, seeking revenge for a long-ago murder. Perhaps it's the work of Vivian Carson, the enigmatic bartender who's rumored to cast hexes on those who wrong her. Or maybe it's a secret coven who's been leaving serpentine symbols and skulls behind at the scenes of the drownings.

But Anna's investigation reveals an even more sinister truth: something is stirring in the water, and it wants the Kings to pay.

With time running out and more victims appearing, Anna must separate superstition from truth. But in Bayern County, where legends and curses run deep as the water itself, one wrong step could drag her into the depths—this time for good.

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BookBrowsers ask Nicola Solvinic, author of The Sister's Curse and The Hunter's Daughter
Thanks very much for popping in, Nicola, it was really great hearing about you and your works. We look forward to reading whatever you come up with next! Best of luck to you.
-kim.kovacs

Nicola Solvinic is in the house!
Please join us for a Q & A with Nicola Solvinic , author of the BookBrowse First Impression selection https://www.bookbrowse.com/bb_briefs/detail/index.cfm/ezine_preview_number/22292/the-sisters-curse The Sister's Curse and https://www.bookbrowse.com/bb_briefs/detail/index.cfm/ezine_preview_numbe...
-kim.kovacs

Ask the Author mug winners
Congrats to @Gary_R , our latest BookBrowse mug winner! He was chosen at random from the members who very kindly stopped by the Q & A area to ask our visiting author, Annelise Ryan, questions about her work. Thank you very much to all who participated, it's very much appreciated. If you didn't ge...
-kim.kovacs

What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (3/12/2026)
Last week I finished up Yesteryear for review here at BookBrowse. It was good, not great. It probably didn't help my opinion of the novel that I was expecting something different - more time travelly/historical fiction, like Connie Willis' Doomsday Book or Octavia Butler's Kindred. Yesteryear tur...
-kim.kovacs

What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (3/5/2026)
I started the week with Annelise Ryan's Working Stiff. She's the author of the Monster Hunter series (we discussed her https://www.bookbrowse.com/bb_briefs/detail/index.cfm/ezine_preview_number/19780/beast-of-the-north-woods Beast of the North Woods not that long ago). Working Stiff is the first ...
-kim.kovacs

What did you think of the ending? Anna's journey isn't over—what do you think is next for her?
I know, because I read the second book "Sister's Curse"! :slightly_smiling_face:
-Sherie_W

Overall, what did you think of The Hunter’s Daughter? (No spoilers in this thread, please!)
I thought the books was extremely good, a much different premise than other thrillers I have read. The next book The Sister's Curse is also very good!
-Sherie_W

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Media Reviews

"Not every fan of the previous novel will stick with this installment as Solvinic plunges Anna headlong into the supernatural, but the author's gifts for atmospheric scene-setting and nail-biting suspense are undiminished. It's likely to be polarizing, but adventurous readers should check it out." —Publishers Weekly

"Fans of Simone St. James' The Book of Cold Cases (2022) and Michael Bennett's Return to Blood (2024) will find they cannot put down this sinister mystery with supernatural undertones." —Booklist

This information about The Sister's Curse was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

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Reader Reviews

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vaniaazhraa

The relationship between legends, curses, and real events
The relationship between legends, curses, and real events

The main character is a police lieutenant named Anna Koray who is trying to live a "normal" life after her dark past as the son of a serial killer.

When he rescues a boy from drowning, scars are found on the boy's body that indicate something is dragging him out of the water — and then there is another victim with the same mark.

This case turns out to be related to a rich and powerful family in the small town of "Bayern County", as well as rumors about witches and old curses that may be involved.

Anna must distinguish between myths/legends and reality while investigating the dark forces that may be behind all those events.

HannahT

A book with lots of twists!
This book is for someone who likes a bit of drama and lots of twists! The book is a quick read and easy to get into. I didn't read The Hunter's Daughter before reading this and had no problem getting into it because the author provides just enough context of what happened in the prior book. A great read for this fall if you are looking for a thriller.

nick

A Supernatural Thriller
I wasn't sure I would enjoy this book, but it ended up being a really fun read. If you're not into reading books about the supernatural / paranormal I could see this book being less enjoyable. The story tries to offer a non-supernatural explanation but it was less convincing. While it is a sequel, I didn't feel out of the loop in reading this one first, but it did make me want to read The Hunter's Daughter. I think it would make a great movie!

Kevin H. (Littleton, CO)

A Great Cross-Genre Thriller
The Sister's Curse is a great story that is hard to immediately categorize. Definitely a thriller, containing some hints of witchcraft and occult, and to some extent some Gothicism. This book will appeal to all fans of modern thrillers, but it does contain refreshing differences from the standard thriller formula.

Anna Koray is a police officer in Bayern County (specifically non-specific as to which state) with lots of baggage in her life. She balances the ethics of her position with the ghosts of her past. All contribute to the very unique story presented on these pages.

The story goes through many twists and turns, some quite unexpected, but wraps up very nicely at the end. Well-paced, the narrative kept me guessing and coming back for more. I found Anna to be a very complex and sympathetic.

Kristen_H

Superstition or Not
I enjoyed the book. I might have had a better understanding of if I read the first book The Hunter's Daughter. The author writes very well, which fortunately kept me interested.
I will most likely read the first book and re read the Sisters curse. I would recommend reading it as it reads well.

Sherie_W

Must read
Very good! I hadn't realized it was a sequel when I requested the novel. So I read The Hunter's Daughter first, which was really good. Reading The Sister's Curse was even better. The spirits of the forest and the water, the investigation of a 25 year old murder, and the life of Elena/Anna were are amazingly written. I look forward to reading more Nicola Solvinic novels.

...20 more reader reviews

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Author Information

Biography
Books by this Author

Nicola Solvinic Author Biography

She's the author of two crime thrillers: The Hunter's Daughter and its sequel, The Sister's Curse, both of which feature Lieutenant Anna Koray. Nicola has a master's degree in criminology and has worked in and around criminal justice for more than a decade. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and cats, where she is surrounded by a secret garden full of beehives.

Author Interview

Other books by Nicola Solvinic at BookBrowse

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