Why would you pretend your life is a dream when you’re living a nightmare?
I thought my sister was happy. I thought what we all thought: that Annie and Dom led perfect lives in a lovely cottage in a quiet village by the sea, with flowers at the front gate and an apple tree in the garden. Everyone knew them: generous, loving Dom, creative, joyful Annie.
But I never saw Annie as she sat waiting for Dom well into the night. I didn’t see her smiling through her tears. I didn’t know what the perfect couple were hiding.
So when sirens break the silence of the night and flames rise against the dark sky, and I get the call I never expected, I’m left with a simple burning question: who was to blame?
A brilliantly twisty tale of family secrets and the darkness that can lie behind closed doors, Her Sister’s Secret will keep you turning the pages till the final devastating revelation. Fans of Lisa Jewell, Gillian Flynn and Louise Candlish will love it.
Book Information: Print Length: 299 pages. Publisher: Bookouture. Publication Date: 21 July 2021
About the Author:
S.E. Lynes is the Amazon #1 best selling author of THE HOUSEWARMING, VALENTINA, MOTHER, THE PACT, THE PROPOSAL, THE WOMEN, THE LIES WE HIDE and CAN YOU SEE HER? Her latest novel, HER SISTER’s SECRET is out NOW.
A former BBC Producer, she has lived in France, Spain, Scotland and Italy and is now settled in Greater London. After completing her MA, S E Lynes taught creative writing at Richmond Adult Community College for ten years. She now combines writing, mentoring and lecturing in Richmond Borough.
Lynes has also published three children’s books in Italy: IL LEOPARDO LAMPO, LA COCCODRILLA INGAMBA, and the bilingual LA SCIMMIA SPIRITOSA/THE FUNNY MONKEY, all available at Amazon.it
My Review:
Having read and loved all of SE Lynes’ previous books I knew that I wouldn’t be disappointed in her latest book Her Sister’s Secret published by Bookouture on 21 July 2021.
Her Sister’s Secret introduces the reader to Isla, who is single, living in London, working for Habitat and enjoying her life when she receives a call in the middle of the night from her nephew Cal, to tell her that her beloved and adored older sister Annie and her husband are both dead.
Annie and her family located from Scotland to Cornwall years ago living what appears to be the perfect life, a booming business, a successful artist, a loving family, except when Isla arrives from London it appears everything she thought she knew about Annie is a lie. When her nephew is arrested for the murders, Isla needs to try to work out the truth about Annie whilst dealing with her grief and disbelief.
The story is dual narrated by both Isla in the present and Annie in the past, leading up to her death, and each chapter reveals more secrets to the reader.
With themes of abuse and domestic violence Her Sister’s Secret is not an easy read at times. Whilst the backdrop of both Loch Fyne in Scotland and the Dorset coastline add an additional layer of depth to the feel of the story, it’s the relationship between the two sisters which really kept me enthralled.
It wasn’t until the last couple of chapters that I began to think “hang on, has the author inserted a crafty little twist here” and obviously I’m not going to tell you if she did or not, but I will say that yet again Ms Lynes has created a thoroughly addictive, compelling, clever, twisty tale full of dark family secrets.
