The Better Sister: A Novel

by Alafair Burke

Genres: Thriller

Kindle Edition

Published April 16, 2019

About the author

Alafair Burke is the New York Times, Edgar-nominated author of fourteen crime novels, including The Ex, The Wife, The Better Sister, and the forthcoming Find Me. She is also the co-author of several novels with Mary Higgins Clark. A graduate of Stanford Law School and a former Deputy District Attorney in Portland, Oregon, Alafair is now a Professor of Law at Hofstra Law School, where she teaches criminal law and procedure.

Reviews

[Cathy White · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is so much better than the show. Highly recommend the audiobook.

[Sharna Farr · Rating 5 out of 5]

★★★★★ Five Stars

The Better Sister is a gripping psychological thriller that kept me engaged from the first chapter to the last. As a college student constantly balancing coursework, I appreciated how fast-paced and tightly written the novel is—there is no wasted space. Alafair Burke does an excellent job exploring complicated family dynamics, particularly sisterhood, guilt, and long-buried resentment. The alternating perspectives add depth and steadily raise the tension without becoming confusing. The legal elements feel authentic and grounded, which adds credibility to the plot. Overall, this is a smart, emotionally layered novel that is both entertaining and thought-provoking, and it easily earns a five-star rating.

[Euba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sibling rivalry

Sisters Chloe and Nicky have a estranged relationship even more after Chloe marries Nicky's ex husband and baby daddy, Adam. Chloe helps raise Ethan and falls for Adam's lies. After Adam is killed and Ethan is charged, the sisters learn more about each other and determine they are their sister's keeper.

[Megan Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect, no notes.

[hoosiergirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the book even though I had watched the series awhile back. The book was captivating. Recommend!

[savanna geis-ordway · Rating 3 out of 5]

nice little sibling rivalry thriller. i’m excited to see how the the tv series compares to this book.

[Taylor Knote · Rating 4 out of 5]

liked everything until the end

Enjoyed reading the book the entire time, the end felt thrown together and I was less engaged. Overall good and easy read

[Kim Purcell · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.2

[Brittany Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Family dynamics, murder, and a successful woman in power navigating the trolls of the internet and the media. This book has it all! I loved how the book was formatted and the story played out. It kept me guessing until the very end.

[Amy Greenwaldt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would actually give this a 4.5. The reason I didn’t give it a five is because she could have maybe done a little bit more with the ending. It felt kind of abrupt. I thought there would be this big explanation of the business dealings & corruption that went on, but it was kind of a let down. I felt like she worked us up for something bigger with that part of the storyline. That said, loved that the book held my interest from start to finish, and wasn’t predictable. It was an easy read. Overall I really liked it. Can’t wait to watch the Netflix version.