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An ambitious district attorney. An enemy she can’t see. A daughter at risk. From the author of...
Domestic Murder Psychological Thriller
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated The Half Sister in Books
Oct 5, 2020
I am so happy to have the opportunity to be part of the blog tour for The Half Sister by Sandie Jones. Thank you to the team at Pan Macmillan, for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
About The Author:
I have heard a lot about Sandie Jones, but I haven’t read any books by her prior to The Half Sister. Sandie Jones has worked as a freelance journalist for over twenty years, and has written for publications including the Sunday Times, Woman’s Weekly and the Daily Mail. She lives in London with her husband and three children. The Other Woman is her debut novel.
Synopsis:
I need to mention that the original synopsis of the book may be a bit misleading. Lauren and Kate are two sisters, but they don’t get along too well and their relationship is complicated.
Kate is a reporter, married to lovely Mark, and going through many rounds of IVF treatment, hoping to start a family. Kate had a very close relationship with her father until the day he died, but was never too close to her sister Lauren and their mother, Rose.
Lauren, on the other hand, is a full time mom of three, with a demanding and overprotective husband. She is very close to her mum, and had a complicated relationship with her father, never forgiving him for understanding her in the past.
One day, while Kate, Lauren and their mum are having their usual Sunday roast, a woman knocks on their door and drops a bombshell. Jess claims to be their half-sister.
This allegation is met with denial - how could she be a secret daughter of their father. Their mother is devastated, Lauren is not surprised, and Kate doesn’t believe Jess at all. But as more secrets start to unravel, no one can know who to trust anymore…
My Thoughts:
I loved the idea of this book, even though I am not too big of a fan of domestic mysteries and drama. My impressions were that this would’ve been more psychological thriller, but I was in the wrong. However, despite this, the book is really surprisingly well-written and kept me on my toes until the very end.
The lives of Lauren and Kate in particular were very well written. I can imagine people being able to easily relate to their struggles. The difference between the two sisters is like night and day. I loved the fact that this book was not sugar coating this, and it didn’t end it with a “happily ever after”. Instead, it ended with “we know we are different, and we are working to fix our relationship in its natural course”.
The story about how Jess comes into their lives, and the whole DNA situation was extremely not believable. As well as the fact that doing another DNA test at the beginning of the novel would have solved all assumptions, rather than people believing hearsay and creating more drama. However, I am also aware that drama was needed to keep the story going, so I can’t hold a grudge.
The ending was predictable half-way through the book. Some scenes are completely unnecessary and make the story more complicated. There are many triggering moments in this book. Cheating, domestic violence and abuse, both physical and emotional and abortion. This book may also trigger people that have had difficult relationships with their parents and/or siblings.<br/><br/>Even though not a favorite thriller, I enjoyed this book and recommend it to everyone that loves domestic thrillers. It is a fast-paced read, and the plot twists are juicy.
About The Author:
I have heard a lot about Sandie Jones, but I haven’t read any books by her prior to The Half Sister. Sandie Jones has worked as a freelance journalist for over twenty years, and has written for publications including the Sunday Times, Woman’s Weekly and the Daily Mail. She lives in London with her husband and three children. The Other Woman is her debut novel.
Synopsis:
I need to mention that the original synopsis of the book may be a bit misleading. Lauren and Kate are two sisters, but they don’t get along too well and their relationship is complicated.
Kate is a reporter, married to lovely Mark, and going through many rounds of IVF treatment, hoping to start a family. Kate had a very close relationship with her father until the day he died, but was never too close to her sister Lauren and their mother, Rose.
Lauren, on the other hand, is a full time mom of three, with a demanding and overprotective husband. She is very close to her mum, and had a complicated relationship with her father, never forgiving him for understanding her in the past.
One day, while Kate, Lauren and their mum are having their usual Sunday roast, a woman knocks on their door and drops a bombshell. Jess claims to be their half-sister.
This allegation is met with denial - how could she be a secret daughter of their father. Their mother is devastated, Lauren is not surprised, and Kate doesn’t believe Jess at all. But as more secrets start to unravel, no one can know who to trust anymore…
My Thoughts:
I loved the idea of this book, even though I am not too big of a fan of domestic mysteries and drama. My impressions were that this would’ve been more psychological thriller, but I was in the wrong. However, despite this, the book is really surprisingly well-written and kept me on my toes until the very end.
The lives of Lauren and Kate in particular were very well written. I can imagine people being able to easily relate to their struggles. The difference between the two sisters is like night and day. I loved the fact that this book was not sugar coating this, and it didn’t end it with a “happily ever after”. Instead, it ended with “we know we are different, and we are working to fix our relationship in its natural course”.
The story about how Jess comes into their lives, and the whole DNA situation was extremely not believable. As well as the fact that doing another DNA test at the beginning of the novel would have solved all assumptions, rather than people believing hearsay and creating more drama. However, I am also aware that drama was needed to keep the story going, so I can’t hold a grudge.
The ending was predictable half-way through the book. Some scenes are completely unnecessary and make the story more complicated. There are many triggering moments in this book. Cheating, domestic violence and abuse, both physical and emotional and abortion. This book may also trigger people that have had difficult relationships with their parents and/or siblings.<br/><br/>Even though not a favorite thriller, I enjoyed this book and recommend it to everyone that loves domestic thrillers. It is a fast-paced read, and the plot twists are juicy.
Isabel Smith (34 KP) rated The House Swap in Books
Jun 26, 2018
Tension, tension, so much tension!
From start to finish The House Swap is a taut and edgy examination of the rocky marriage between a young English couple, Caroline and Francis. When the opportunity arises for them to swap their city flat in Leeds with someone else’s suburban home in Chiswick they eagerly plan a week-long getaway for two so they can focus on repairing their relationship. Caroline soon starts finding signs that the owner of the suburban home she and Francis are currently occupying may very well be the person she’s tried so desperately to put behind her: her ex-lover, Carl. Francis, who knows about Caroline’s past affair, begins to notice that his wife is acting strange and inattentive; it’s putting him on edge, which is no place for a former pill-popper like himself to be. With both of their past obsessions threatening to burst back into their lives, Caroline and Francis brace themselves for the ultimate test in their marriage.
This psychological thriller definitely delivers on nail-biting suspense, calculated misdirection, and hair-raising shocks. There were more than a couple of well-placed red herrings which made the plot twists all the more juicy and exciting. Some of the content was a bit difficult to stomach, but it added to the domestic noir feel of the novel. Overall, The House Swap is a solid option for anyone looking for a fast-paced and multilayered novel that goes behind closed doors.
This psychological thriller definitely delivers on nail-biting suspense, calculated misdirection, and hair-raising shocks. There were more than a couple of well-placed red herrings which made the plot twists all the more juicy and exciting. Some of the content was a bit difficult to stomach, but it added to the domestic noir feel of the novel. Overall, The House Swap is a solid option for anyone looking for a fast-paced and multilayered novel that goes behind closed doors.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Girl in the Spider's Web (2018) in Movies
Dec 4, 2018
Another attempt at converting Stieg Larssen's very-popular-about-ten-years-ago characters into viable English-language multiplex fare. Film opens with implied child abuse followed by implied domestic violence (there's a lot of implication, in order to avoid the 18 certificate that scuppered the box office of the Daniel Craig/Rooney Mara movie), but this is mainly to set an authentically grim tone - the plot could fairly easily be retooled for one of the Bourne movies, as evil secret organisation tries to get its hands on apocalyptic McGuffin, hero gets framed for doing nasty things, and so on.
Not sure about Foy's 'Allo Sven, I got a Volvo' accent, but on the whole this is a decent, watchable thriller even if it does look a bit like an Ikea advert with extra gore. But the thing is that it is terribly generic. If the only way to bring these books and characters to the screen is to basically fillet out everything that makes them distinctive and memorable, one wonders why anyone should bother. (The producers of the film may be able to name 31 million reasons (at the time of writing), but this still hardly qualifies as a hit movie.)
(And I know it's a bit ungallant to say this, but Foy is 34 - at what point does she become *The Woman* with (for example) the Dragon Tattoo? The point seems pertinent.)
Not sure about Foy's 'Allo Sven, I got a Volvo' accent, but on the whole this is a decent, watchable thriller even if it does look a bit like an Ikea advert with extra gore. But the thing is that it is terribly generic. If the only way to bring these books and characters to the screen is to basically fillet out everything that makes them distinctive and memorable, one wonders why anyone should bother. (The producers of the film may be able to name 31 million reasons (at the time of writing), but this still hardly qualifies as a hit movie.)
(And I know it's a bit ungallant to say this, but Foy is 34 - at what point does she become *The Woman* with (for example) the Dragon Tattoo? The point seems pertinent.)
They Stay (They Stay #1)
8.0
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For fans of Stranger Things comes a suspenseful YA mystery about a missing kid, a girl who can see...
Supernatural Mystery Young Adult Thriller
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Every Little Secret [Audiobook] in Books
May 8, 2022
![Every Little Secret [Audiobook]](/uploads/profile_image/63b/400e4863-8715-4769-bf80-5a66a9f6763b.jpg?m=1652023568)
Three things cannot long stay hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth." Buddha
From the outside, Grace, Marcus and their daughter Kaia appear to be a happy family who have it all but, below the surface, secrets lie which threaten to tear their lives apart.
This was a good book to listen to; it started strong, had a few chapters that dragged on a bit but then finished strong. The story is told from 3 timelines and from multiple points of view but whilst I did get lost a few times, this was probably because I was dipping in and out of the audiobook rather than listening to it in big chunks but I soon got back on track.
The characters are strong and well developed and whilst they might not be the most likeable people in the world, I didn't think it mattered too much to me in this particular instance.
The story and plot were interesting and it was a real puzzle trying to work out who was telling the truth and how it was all going to end which I really enjoyed. There are a number of twists and the ending was great.
Overall, a good domestic, family thriller which the narrator did a good job of distinguishing between the characters and keeping you engaged.
Thank you to HarperCollins UK Audio via NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to listen to this book and share my thoughts.
From the outside, Grace, Marcus and their daughter Kaia appear to be a happy family who have it all but, below the surface, secrets lie which threaten to tear their lives apart.
This was a good book to listen to; it started strong, had a few chapters that dragged on a bit but then finished strong. The story is told from 3 timelines and from multiple points of view but whilst I did get lost a few times, this was probably because I was dipping in and out of the audiobook rather than listening to it in big chunks but I soon got back on track.
The characters are strong and well developed and whilst they might not be the most likeable people in the world, I didn't think it mattered too much to me in this particular instance.
The story and plot were interesting and it was a real puzzle trying to work out who was telling the truth and how it was all going to end which I really enjoyed. There are a number of twists and the ending was great.
Overall, a good domestic, family thriller which the narrator did a good job of distinguishing between the characters and keeping you engaged.
Thank you to HarperCollins UK Audio via NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to listen to this book and share my thoughts.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Silent Patient in Books
Sep 2, 2023
118 of 235
Book
The Silent Patient
By Alex Michaelides
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband—and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive.
Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.
Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.
Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations—a search for the truth that threatens to consume him....
This was so so good!! It kept you completely sucked and and that ending was a WTF moment for me I did not see that coming at all! Brilliant!
Book
The Silent Patient
By Alex Michaelides
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband—and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive.
Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.
Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.
Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations—a search for the truth that threatens to consume him....
This was so so good!! It kept you completely sucked and and that ending was a WTF moment for me I did not see that coming at all! Brilliant!
Sarah (7799 KP) rated Gatecrash (2021) in Movies
Feb 19, 2021
Enjoyably strange
Gatecrash is a 2021 psychological thriller from Lawrence Gough, based on a play by Terry Hughes. It opens with a rather beautiful and picturesque shot of the English countryside at dusk, when a speeding car disturbs the peace and alongside a prominent score, promises us a rather tense and thrilling start to the film.
And in this aspect it doesn’t disappoint. Gatecrash disposes with any preamble and pitches us straight into the action. A couple return to a rather maze-like and futuristically styled home in the middle of an argument, but what at first seems like a domestic argument is in fact much more serious: the husband, Steve (Ben Cura), has just committed a hit and run. He’s drunk, abusive and wants his wife, Nicole (Olivia Bonamy), to take the blame. And it wasn’t just an innocent accident as Steve not only knocked someone over, he drove over them again in his rush to flee.
The first 15 minutes follows this argument and then as it ends as Nicole and Steve separate inside the house; him to clean up any evidence from the accident and her to discretely take a pregnancy test. This soon begins to drag, and fortunately we’re saved by a sinister phone call from the landline, that appears to be coming from Steve’s mobile, that he hasn’t seen since the hit and run. This soon escalates into something verging on horror territory as we follow Nicole around their now claustrophobic house.
It’s this middle act that I enjoyed the most as Gatecrash turns into a tense and almost terrifying thriller, as Nicole and Steve have to face off against a mysterious and menacing police officer (Samuel West) who arrives on their doorstep. West is possibly my favourite part of this film, his character is completely over the top and ridiculous yet still portrays this strange, ominous air. It’s strange to find a character who is immensely fun to watch yet still manages to terrify you. He’s further helped by his character’s unexplained and questionable motives that give this thriller an intriguing air of mystery.
Following on from the aftermath of the hit and run, the film jumps to a later time after Nicole has had her baby and again the couple are visited by another mysterious stranger, this one called Sid (Anton Lesser). At first Sid seems like a kind, lovely old man but his unusual air and conversation soon unveil yet more hidden and sinister motives that culminate in a tense finale.
It’s this final act that I was least keen on. At first the dialogue between Sid, Nicole and Steve is gripping but it seems to drag on and keep going round in circles before it finally gets to some dramatic piece of action. This dragging dialogue is definitely Gatecrash’s biggest flaw, and this is in no doubt down to it’s theatre origins. On the stage I can see dialogue like this working well, but as a film it needs a lot more oomph to keep our attention. The cast do well to keep us entertained though, Olivia Bonamy puts in a very understated performance as Nicole and Ben Cura was delightful to watch as Steve purely because the character is a rather despicable excuse for a man. And fortunately Gough’s cinematography works well with the few action scenes to try and make up for the slumps in the dialogue heavy earlier scenes.
Overall Gatecrash is a fairly enjoyable thriller and is worth watching purely for its general air of mystery and the tense and exciting second act.
And in this aspect it doesn’t disappoint. Gatecrash disposes with any preamble and pitches us straight into the action. A couple return to a rather maze-like and futuristically styled home in the middle of an argument, but what at first seems like a domestic argument is in fact much more serious: the husband, Steve (Ben Cura), has just committed a hit and run. He’s drunk, abusive and wants his wife, Nicole (Olivia Bonamy), to take the blame. And it wasn’t just an innocent accident as Steve not only knocked someone over, he drove over them again in his rush to flee.
The first 15 minutes follows this argument and then as it ends as Nicole and Steve separate inside the house; him to clean up any evidence from the accident and her to discretely take a pregnancy test. This soon begins to drag, and fortunately we’re saved by a sinister phone call from the landline, that appears to be coming from Steve’s mobile, that he hasn’t seen since the hit and run. This soon escalates into something verging on horror territory as we follow Nicole around their now claustrophobic house.
It’s this middle act that I enjoyed the most as Gatecrash turns into a tense and almost terrifying thriller, as Nicole and Steve have to face off against a mysterious and menacing police officer (Samuel West) who arrives on their doorstep. West is possibly my favourite part of this film, his character is completely over the top and ridiculous yet still portrays this strange, ominous air. It’s strange to find a character who is immensely fun to watch yet still manages to terrify you. He’s further helped by his character’s unexplained and questionable motives that give this thriller an intriguing air of mystery.
Following on from the aftermath of the hit and run, the film jumps to a later time after Nicole has had her baby and again the couple are visited by another mysterious stranger, this one called Sid (Anton Lesser). At first Sid seems like a kind, lovely old man but his unusual air and conversation soon unveil yet more hidden and sinister motives that culminate in a tense finale.
It’s this final act that I was least keen on. At first the dialogue between Sid, Nicole and Steve is gripping but it seems to drag on and keep going round in circles before it finally gets to some dramatic piece of action. This dragging dialogue is definitely Gatecrash’s biggest flaw, and this is in no doubt down to it’s theatre origins. On the stage I can see dialogue like this working well, but as a film it needs a lot more oomph to keep our attention. The cast do well to keep us entertained though, Olivia Bonamy puts in a very understated performance as Nicole and Ben Cura was delightful to watch as Steve purely because the character is a rather despicable excuse for a man. And fortunately Gough’s cinematography works well with the few action scenes to try and make up for the slumps in the dialogue heavy earlier scenes.
Overall Gatecrash is a fairly enjoyable thriller and is worth watching purely for its general air of mystery and the tense and exciting second act.
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated The Dark Path in Books
Mar 15, 2019
Merry, Sam and their baby, Connor. A perfect little family in the perfect little setting.
Sam who has the perfect little wife, Merry bakes blueberry pies, cooks well, cleans and sees to the garden.
The Mother who loves and adores her baby. Sam who wanted nothing else but to have a homely wife and a child of his own in the most idyllic of settings.
They have it all.
But is Merry all that she appears to be?
Then along comes Frank, she is a long standing friend of Merry's from her past. They used to be like sisters.
This was previously published under the name You Were Made for This.
This is a wonderful dark and twisted tale told from several different POV's.
This a dark and disturbing story which i very addictive. It digs into the relationship of the 3 main characters and all the emotions that come with this.
I found the pace to be just right for this novel and love the way the story is brought out to us.
This is a psychological domestic thriller which reminds us all that all is not what it appears to be and who can you really trust?
This maybe too dark for some to read but I think you should give this one a chance as I was totally hooked and gripped with the story.
A haunting ending to a superb well written story.
**********Many many thank to NetGalley and the publisher as well for making the ARC of this book available online.******
Sam who has the perfect little wife, Merry bakes blueberry pies, cooks well, cleans and sees to the garden.
The Mother who loves and adores her baby. Sam who wanted nothing else but to have a homely wife and a child of his own in the most idyllic of settings.
They have it all.
But is Merry all that she appears to be?
Then along comes Frank, she is a long standing friend of Merry's from her past. They used to be like sisters.
This was previously published under the name You Were Made for This.
This is a wonderful dark and twisted tale told from several different POV's.
This a dark and disturbing story which i very addictive. It digs into the relationship of the 3 main characters and all the emotions that come with this.
I found the pace to be just right for this novel and love the way the story is brought out to us.
This is a psychological domestic thriller which reminds us all that all is not what it appears to be and who can you really trust?
This maybe too dark for some to read but I think you should give this one a chance as I was totally hooked and gripped with the story.
A haunting ending to a superb well written story.
**********Many many thank to NetGalley and the publisher as well for making the ARC of this book available online.******
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Sticks and Stones in Books
Nov 24, 2018
This is the debut novel for this author and, I think, a pretty accomplished one at that; a little unbelievable at times I admit but quite a satisfying read. Dealing with the difficult subject matter of domestic violence, this book is more about the subtleties of this abhorrent crime rather than the "in your face" violence although there is some violence.
The books starts with the funeral of a decorated Police Officer but thoroughly unpleasant man - Phillip - and "mourning" his death are 3 women; Ruby, Imogen and Naomi.
Ruby is the first wife who has never moved on and remains under Phillip's spell.
Imogen is the current but estranged wife and mother of their son.
Naomi is the girlfriend and soon to be third wife.
Phillip is an absolute a**hole; a master at manipulation and control, a bully and downright despicable person however, the tables are turned when Imogen manages to lock him in the cellar and so begins the story of the developing relationship between the three women, their growing strength and confidence and their common goal of getting revenge on the man that has caused them so much pain and heartache ... but, how did he die?
Well written with a good pace and well developed characters, this is a great debut psychological thriller and Jo Jakeman is certainly an author I will watch out for.
My thanks go to the publisher, Random House UK Vintage, via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.
The books starts with the funeral of a decorated Police Officer but thoroughly unpleasant man - Phillip - and "mourning" his death are 3 women; Ruby, Imogen and Naomi.
Ruby is the first wife who has never moved on and remains under Phillip's spell.
Imogen is the current but estranged wife and mother of their son.
Naomi is the girlfriend and soon to be third wife.
Phillip is an absolute a**hole; a master at manipulation and control, a bully and downright despicable person however, the tables are turned when Imogen manages to lock him in the cellar and so begins the story of the developing relationship between the three women, their growing strength and confidence and their common goal of getting revenge on the man that has caused them so much pain and heartache ... but, how did he die?
Well written with a good pace and well developed characters, this is a great debut psychological thriller and Jo Jakeman is certainly an author I will watch out for.
My thanks go to the publisher, Random House UK Vintage, via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.