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Secret Sister
From the global #1 best-selling author of
We Play Games
comes the next Audible Original from the queen of domestic noir, Sarah A. Denzil, narrated by Jessica Gunning (
Baby Reindeer
) and Joanne Froggatt (
Sherwood
).
On the Yorkshire moors, celebrated author Faye Mathis is coming to terms with her early-onset dementia. She has begun writing her memoir, committing her past to paper before her memory betrays her. But her family history is full of gaps, bloodlines cut short, family ties all ending in knots…
When a picture of Faye – dirty and dishevelled, stumbling alone on the moors – goes viral, her life is thrown into chaos. Faye is convinced she is not that person in the photograph. But how can she be sure?
Faye sets out to find the true identity of the woman in the photograph. But the more questions she asks, the more confounding the truth becomes. As her darkest suspicions begin to bear true, Faye is forced to question all that she knows and everything she doesn’t.
Because every family has secrets, and there’s always someone who wants them to remain that way.
On the Yorkshire moors, celebrated author Faye Mathis is coming to terms with her early-onset dementia. She has begun writing her memoir, committing her past to paper before her memory betrays her. But her family history is full of gaps, bloodlines cut short, family ties all ending in knots…
When a picture of Faye – dirty and dishevelled, stumbling alone on the moors – goes viral, her life is thrown into chaos. Faye is convinced she is not that person in the photograph. But how can she be sure?
Faye sets out to find the true identity of the woman in the photograph. But the more questions she asks, the more confounding the truth becomes. As her darkest suspicions begin to bear true, Faye is forced to question all that she knows and everything she doesn’t.
Because every family has secrets, and there’s always someone who wants them to remain that way.
Audible Audio
Published April 7, 2025
108 people are currently reading
395 people want to read
About the author
Sarah A. Denzil
47 books2,554 followersSarah A. Denzil is a Wall Street Journal bestselling suspense writer. She is also known as young adult author Sarah Dalton.
Sarah lives in Yorkshire with her partner, enjoying the scenic countryside and rather unpredictable weather.
She is the author of international bestselling psychological thriller SILENT CHILD, which topped the bestseller lists on Amazon in the US, UK and Australia.
You can read now read AIDEN'S STORY, a short story and sequel to SILENT CHILD. It's completely free here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/n7lb74chp3
Find out more at: http://www.sarahdenzil.com/
Join the newsletter for updates: http://eepurl.com/cwAmZD
Follow her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahadenzil
Check out her Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/sarahadenzil/
Email: sarah@sarahdenzil.com
Sarah lives in Yorkshire with her partner, enjoying the scenic countryside and rather unpredictable weather.
She is the author of international bestselling psychological thriller SILENT CHILD, which topped the bestseller lists on Amazon in the US, UK and Australia.
You can read now read AIDEN'S STORY, a short story and sequel to SILENT CHILD. It's completely free here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/n7lb74chp3
Find out more at: http://www.sarahdenzil.com/
Join the newsletter for updates: http://eepurl.com/cwAmZD
Follow her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahadenzil
Check out her Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/sarahadenzil/
Email: sarah@sarahdenzil.com
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 221 reviews
July 8, 2025
2 stars.
This was a freebie on Audible so I'm glad not to have spent a credit or any cash on it. Very strange transitions between chapters / points of view, music, and sound effects on the audio had me losing patience with it repeatedly. Not very likeable characters or realistic plot. I finished it though! I don't know why!
This was a freebie on Audible so I'm glad not to have spent a credit or any cash on it. Very strange transitions between chapters / points of view, music, and sound effects on the audio had me losing patience with it repeatedly. Not very likeable characters or realistic plot. I finished it though! I don't know why!
May 27, 2025
3.5/5 – A good thriller overall, but with several loose ends. The police characters are especially frustrating — arguably the most useless in the entire book. Also, the sound effects feel random and out of place; if you're going to use them, at least be consistent throughout the chapters.
October 20, 2025
2.5 🌟
3 stars for the story which was good if a little bit loose.
2 🌟 for the full cast of narrators
1🌟 for the childlike sound effects. These were really unnecessary and too sporadic to actually add anything.
3 stars for the story which was good if a little bit loose.
2 🌟 for the full cast of narrators
1🌟 for the childlike sound effects. These were really unnecessary and too sporadic to actually add anything.
April 30, 2025
If I could, I’d rated this 2 1/2 out of five stars. Cheap sound effects annoying music and parts of the book made you simply want to scream and not in a good way. If it’s not clear, I read the audiobook version of this. narrators were professional and proficient, but in my opinion not one of Sarah Denzel‘s best works.
Read
November 13, 2025'Secret Sister' (2025) is an Audible Original, written by Sarah A. Denzil ('Silent Child', 'The Housemaid', 'The Woman In Coach D') and narrated by Jessica Gunning, Sacha Dhawan, Joanne Froggatt, Nathaniel Curtis, Hopi Grace.
This is a project Audible have put money into. The production standards are high. It's a powerful audiobook.
It opens with a man digging a grave in the dark of the night on a Yorkshire moor for a woman who is not yet dead. Things do not go to plan. Then it shifts to our heroine, Faye Mathis, who is living alone in her house on the moors. Faye is a fifty-year-old, divorced, best-selling author of children's books about a pair of sleuthing teenage twins. She's recently been diagnosed with dementia and believes she will soon no longer be able to function.
It's a great set-up that gets even more intense when it becomes clear that there are some secrets associated with Faye's adoption that may now pose a threat to her.
The story is well-told and well-narrated. It gets more and more intense. There's a rich suspect pool of people who may be ready to betray Faye, possibly even kill her. Faye is struggling to understand how much of what's going on is real and how much is a side effect of her dementia-produced paranoia.
At the start of the book, I was pulled along by my curiosity about Faye and her situation. By the time I was halfway through the book, I'd grown to like Faye and to understand how vulnerable she was and how much malice was heading her way. I realised two things. Firstly, the rest of the book was likely to be about very unpleasant things happening to a vulnerable woman. She might survive it all, but she'd go through hell first. Secondly, I had no desire to wade through that, no matter how well done it was. It was too real and too upsetting.
I like my thrillers to be thrilling. The thrill should be believable enough to keep me engaged, but not so real that thrill turns to upset. This started to feel like I was inflicting trauma on myself in the name of entertainment.
This is a project Audible have put money into. The production standards are high. It's a powerful audiobook.
It opens with a man digging a grave in the dark of the night on a Yorkshire moor for a woman who is not yet dead. Things do not go to plan. Then it shifts to our heroine, Faye Mathis, who is living alone in her house on the moors. Faye is a fifty-year-old, divorced, best-selling author of children's books about a pair of sleuthing teenage twins. She's recently been diagnosed with dementia and believes she will soon no longer be able to function.
It's a great set-up that gets even more intense when it becomes clear that there are some secrets associated with Faye's adoption that may now pose a threat to her.
The story is well-told and well-narrated. It gets more and more intense. There's a rich suspect pool of people who may be ready to betray Faye, possibly even kill her. Faye is struggling to understand how much of what's going on is real and how much is a side effect of her dementia-produced paranoia.
At the start of the book, I was pulled along by my curiosity about Faye and her situation. By the time I was halfway through the book, I'd grown to like Faye and to understand how vulnerable she was and how much malice was heading her way. I realised two things. Firstly, the rest of the book was likely to be about very unpleasant things happening to a vulnerable woman. She might survive it all, but she'd go through hell first. Secondly, I had no desire to wade through that, no matter how well done it was. It was too real and too upsetting.
I like my thrillers to be thrilling. The thrill should be believable enough to keep me engaged, but not so real that thrill turns to upset. This started to feel like I was inflicting trauma on myself in the name of entertainment.
April 16, 2025
Honestly, this one just didn’t do it for me. The premise had potential, family secrets, drama, a mysterious sister? I was intrigued. But the execution fell flat. The pacing was all over the place, and I struggled to connect with the characters. Some of the plot twists felt forced or way too convenient, and the emotional beats didn’t quite land for me. Not the worst thing I’ve ever read, but definitely not something I’d pick up again.
June 28, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook. The suspenseful vibe was easily achieved. I was coaxed along into different speculations of what was actually happening. The narrators brought the characters to life, or death, in engaging portrayals. It was an extremely well done production. So, I'm not sure who gets the most credit, the author or the narrators. I say, both. Well done!
April 18, 2025
Annoying music between chapters and sound effects while listening to Creepy storyline.
January 26, 2026
A convoluted story with too many similarities to make it reasonable. A famous author that has been diagnosed with early stage of dementia is photographed disheveled one morning. She has no recollection and starts to believe she has a twin sister. She knows she’s adopted but never wanted to learn about her biological family.
Eventually we find out that she does have a twin sister and both of them have evil stepsons. The story abuses the notion of dementia. Sometimes she’s fairly lucid and others she’s completely lost in her thoughts. Anyway, there are other illogical factors that complicate the plot.
The ending is as absurd as most of the narrative but not awful, so three stars seems fair.
Eventually we find out that she does have a twin sister and both of them have evil stepsons. The story abuses the notion of dementia. Sometimes she’s fairly lucid and others she’s completely lost in her thoughts. Anyway, there are other illogical factors that complicate the plot.
The ending is as absurd as most of the narrative but not awful, so three stars seems fair.
April 23, 2025
I listened to the audiobook and the music between chapters was so annoying. I know that sounds picky, and I don’t MIND music, but it just didn’t match the vibe of the book AT ALL. Like, the chapter would end on something super serious and scary and then UPBEAT ACOUSTIC GUITAR 🎶. 😑
May 12, 2025
It was too long.
also, hate the background noises and effects for the audible originals.
also, hate the background noises and effects for the audible originals.
August 5, 2025
Story 5/5
Narration 5/5
Musical Interludes 1/5
Loved, loved, loved the story and characters. The story had me on edge quite a few times. All of the characters were fully developed, even those introduced later in the story.
My ONLY complaint is the music. I still don’t understand why it was used before certain chapters and not others. Either use it before all (I’d rather you didn’t) or none. Plus it was not always the same piece of music. I’m so confused 😐 😂
Am I glad I read it? Wholeheartedly!
Would I recommend it? I would highly recommended reading the book vs listening to the audiobook because the music really ruined the experience for me.
Narration 5/5
Musical Interludes 1/5
Loved, loved, loved the story and characters. The story had me on edge quite a few times. All of the characters were fully developed, even those introduced later in the story.
My ONLY complaint is the music. I still don’t understand why it was used before certain chapters and not others. Either use it before all (I’d rather you didn’t) or none. Plus it was not always the same piece of music. I’m so confused 😐 😂
Am I glad I read it? Wholeheartedly!
Would I recommend it? I would highly recommended reading the book vs listening to the audiobook because the music really ruined the experience for me.
June 23, 2025
This was an interesting read. I’ll look forward to book 2.
May 16, 2025
Listened to this on Audible. Great twist. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Nice quick listen.
May 14, 2025
Loved this book from start to finish!! Some made comments about the sound effects but they were brilliant.
December 21, 2025
dnf
I have no idea what I was just reading. I gave up.
premise: one storyline is about a writer getting dementia. another storyline is about that writer researching her adoption.
we also have a mysterious, evil sister? no clue why.
we also have someone called a grave digger. no clue why.
i think the mystery/suspense involves the sister and the grave digger but I'm well into the book and have no idea what/ why/ how.
I have no idea what I was just reading. I gave up.
premise: one storyline is about a writer getting dementia. another storyline is about that writer researching her adoption.
we also have a mysterious, evil sister? no clue why.
we also have someone called a grave digger. no clue why.
i think the mystery/suspense involves the sister and the grave digger but I'm well into the book and have no idea what/ why/ how.
August 18, 2025
Audio book was ok. The added theatre sounds like doors shutting, typing sounds, etc to illustrate what was happening in the book were ANNOYING!! I’m trying to read (listen) to a book, not watch a movie. Story was confusing, but enjoyable.
December 21, 2025
Audiobook. Decent thriller, great start, goes slack about 2.5 hours from the end, but rather nice roundoff. The highlight was the narrations: all great and Jessica Gunning the cherry on top.
I travel a lot for work, so this was an entertaining road companion.
I travel a lot for work, so this was an entertaining road companion.
May 26, 2025
I saw that Joanne Froggatt narrated this, and that is why I chose it. I loved her in Downton Abbey. This was twisty with lots of surprises, and I enjoyed it. I don’t want to give anything away.
June 13, 2025
A great read, A bit confusing with so much character changes but still good, very disappointing last chapter though which is why it hit 4 and not 5 stars
June 16, 2025
I really enjoyed this thriller! We find out enough about each character as the book goes on that it kept me interested, rather than waiting until the end in one big reveal. Obviously it’s very unrealistic but enjoyable all the same
August 7, 2025
I really enjoyed the story but was not a fan of the sound affects and male narrator.
August 28, 2025
Wow!! This one definitely had the twists, If you thought your family has issued smh nope this one is up there. Nice little Audible thriller.
November 25, 2025
great story, loved the twists
April 23, 2025
The story started on a promising note about a mysterious adoption story. But it continued messing up the storylines and the plot, making it extremely predictable. Also, the fact that characters are not put off by murdering other people is surprising.
May 13, 2025
This book started off as a great story, but as it went on, it dragged. I had to listen to the ending several times to catch on to the story because the characters I think were under developed. As Faye was dealing with her early dementia she decided that she wanted to find out her family history because she was adopted. After a picture of her was discovered in the newspaper, disheveled and dirty; she started to think that maybe she was a twin; because even with the dementia she was sure it was not her. After finding her mother who is in a nursing home and suffering from dementia, she starts to feel that she is getting the answers she needs. Once she finds her mother, she discovered she has a sister, but this sister is not her twin with her mother having dementia; she doesn’t know if her mother had two babies that she gave away for adoption. Of course, with many thrillers, we find out there is a twin. And, of course it can’t just end there. There must be some deep family secret, there’s always a good adoption and a bad adoption story. And this story had both good and bad adoptions.
I’m not quite sure if this would make a good book club read because I listened to it on Audible; and sometimes bookclubs only like to read books in readable form.
I’m not quite sure if this would make a good book club read because I listened to it on Audible; and sometimes bookclubs only like to read books in readable form.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2025
*mild spoilers*
I think it was better than many of the reviews are giving it credit for, but I agree the execution falls flat, both in plot and production. The sound effects and chapter music are very annoying and easily pull me out of the story, but I finished it anyway.
The premise is extremely unlikely and out there for a non-fantasy thriller, but it still had potential and the way the author broke it out to give it twists and turns was sometimes well done, just not always. If you're willing to embrace the absolutely bonkers premise, which has sort of been done before (meaning the long lost twin thing), then it's a fun enough ride for a free Audible listen. 1.2x speed helps.
I think it was better than many of the reviews are giving it credit for, but I agree the execution falls flat, both in plot and production. The sound effects and chapter music are very annoying and easily pull me out of the story, but I finished it anyway.
The premise is extremely unlikely and out there for a non-fantasy thriller, but it still had potential and the way the author broke it out to give it twists and turns was sometimes well done, just not always. If you're willing to embrace the absolutely bonkers premise, which has sort of been done before (meaning the long lost twin thing), then it's a fun enough ride for a free Audible listen. 1.2x speed helps.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2025
I did not really like this book. It felt like it dragged and I just wanted to get it finished. Also, while I felt the author did a decent job with some of the twists others felt predictable. Also I felt like it wasn’t believable in some parts. For example, you are a famous author who has a twin sister you never knew about but you’re famous enough to be in the tabloids? Surely someone would have mistaken your twin for you previously.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2025
I wasn't bad, but I read better by the author.
Faye is a popular children's mystery author, but she also has early on-set dementia despite being only in her fifties. She some pictures with a woman who looks just like her, but is certain is not her. She gets suspicious, thinking maybe she has a twin, and when she asks her mother, she learns that she was adopted and her biological mother did have two girls.
She finds her biological mother, who also has demetia. She cannot find her twin sister just yet, but learns that she has yet another sister, Dinah.
SPOILERS AHEAD
However, as we figure out later, Faye's biological mother Rachel abused Dinah as a kid, and Dinah was jealous of Faye and her twin, because they were given up for adoption, and they were rescued from Rachel's abuse.
Faye's twin sister had a step son, Magnus. Magnus met Faye daughter, and they got engaged. Just like that Magnus was close to Faye, enough to hurt her. Magnus was mad at Faye's twin sister, actually, because his father left her everything to her when he died. Magnus wanted it all back, since he believed he deserved all the money in the first place. He made a plan to use Faye to get what he wanted, and he and Dinah abducted Faye's daughter, but Faye's twin came to help her and they killed Magnus together and saved Faye's girl.
The big twist in the end, by the way, was that Magnus' murder wasn't Faye's twin's first murder, because she was the one who killed her own husband, Magnus's father, too.
The little sound effects were random and the plot wasn't my favorite, because I read much better books by Sarah Denzil. That said, I still enjoyed the story fine enough.
Faye is a popular children's mystery author, but she also has early on-set dementia despite being only in her fifties. She some pictures with a woman who looks just like her, but is certain is not her. She gets suspicious, thinking maybe she has a twin, and when she asks her mother, she learns that she was adopted and her biological mother did have two girls.
She finds her biological mother, who also has demetia. She cannot find her twin sister just yet, but learns that she has yet another sister, Dinah.
SPOILERS AHEAD
However, as we figure out later, Faye's biological mother Rachel abused Dinah as a kid, and Dinah was jealous of Faye and her twin, because they were given up for adoption, and they were rescued from Rachel's abuse.
Faye's twin sister had a step son, Magnus. Magnus met Faye daughter, and they got engaged. Just like that Magnus was close to Faye, enough to hurt her. Magnus was mad at Faye's twin sister, actually, because his father left her everything to her when he died. Magnus wanted it all back, since he believed he deserved all the money in the first place. He made a plan to use Faye to get what he wanted, and he and Dinah abducted Faye's daughter, but Faye's twin came to help her and they killed Magnus together and saved Faye's girl.
The big twist in the end, by the way, was that Magnus' murder wasn't Faye's twin's first murder, because she was the one who killed her own husband, Magnus's father, too.
The little sound effects were random and the plot wasn't my favorite, because I read much better books by Sarah Denzil. That said, I still enjoyed the story fine enough.
May 30, 2025
Mystery at its best: Unraveling family secrets
I was thoroughly impressed with “Secret Sister” by the brilliant Sarah A. Denzil. Expertly narrated by a talented cast including Jessicca Gunning, Sacha Dhawan, Joanne Frogatt, Nathaniel Curtis and Hopi Grace, this gripping mystery is packed with unexpected twists and turns that had me completely absorbed. I stumbled upon this gem in the Audible Plus section and was thrilled to enjoy it at no extra cost – it's been a winning streak with these free books lately. The plot is one of the most unique I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing, and I highly recommend grabbing this thriller. We follow celebrated author Faye Mathis, who’s struggling to come to terms with her early-onset dementia. As she writes her memoir, she uncovers gaps in her family history and becomes determined to uncover the truth that is increasingly complex. Faye is confronted with her darkest suspicions and questions everything; a captivating tale of family secrets and the devastating consequences of revealing them. For those who are fans of intricate British mysteries, “Secret Sister” is a must-have. Never a dull of a lull! Add all this to the fact that it was an Audible Plus selection, I wanted to scream it from the rooftop, Epic, I say! EPIC! EPIC! EPIC! Well worth a cherished credit and highly recommended.
💥✍️👏🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟👏✍️💥
I was thoroughly impressed with “Secret Sister” by the brilliant Sarah A. Denzil. Expertly narrated by a talented cast including Jessicca Gunning, Sacha Dhawan, Joanne Frogatt, Nathaniel Curtis and Hopi Grace, this gripping mystery is packed with unexpected twists and turns that had me completely absorbed. I stumbled upon this gem in the Audible Plus section and was thrilled to enjoy it at no extra cost – it's been a winning streak with these free books lately. The plot is one of the most unique I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing, and I highly recommend grabbing this thriller. We follow celebrated author Faye Mathis, who’s struggling to come to terms with her early-onset dementia. As she writes her memoir, she uncovers gaps in her family history and becomes determined to uncover the truth that is increasingly complex. Faye is confronted with her darkest suspicions and questions everything; a captivating tale of family secrets and the devastating consequences of revealing them. For those who are fans of intricate British mysteries, “Secret Sister” is a must-have. Never a dull of a lull! Add all this to the fact that it was an Audible Plus selection, I wanted to scream it from the rooftop, Epic, I say! EPIC! EPIC! EPIC! Well worth a cherished credit and highly recommended.
💥✍️👏🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟👏✍️💥
Displaying 1 - 30 of 221 reviews