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The Missing Sister
The call comes on an ordinary Sunday afternoon to say your sister has been admitted to hospital with a serious head injury. But you don’t have a sister… do you?
You’ve never doubted your parents. You’ve loved them without question your whole life. But your stepmother is uncharacteristically speechless, and your father isn’t well enough to understand.
So you get in your car.
Turn the key in the ignition.
Knowing everything behind you is a lie.
Not knowing what lies ahead: the truth… or something far darker?
A deliciously dark and twisty tale of deception, secrets and family ties, The Liar’s Daughter is perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train, The Woman in the Window and The Family Upstairs.
You’ve never doubted your parents. You’ve loved them without question your whole life. But your stepmother is uncharacteristically speechless, and your father isn’t well enough to understand.
So you get in your car.
Turn the key in the ignition.
Knowing everything behind you is a lie.
Not knowing what lies ahead: the truth… or something far darker?
A deliciously dark and twisty tale of deception, secrets and family ties, The Liar’s Daughter is perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train, The Woman in the Window and The Family Upstairs.
284 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 26, 2021
596 people are currently reading
905 people want to read
About the author
Rona Halsall
20 books532 followersRona is the #1 best selling author of twisty psychological thrillers and loves to create mayhem in her characters' lives to keep her readers guessing. She lives halfway up a mountain in Snowdonia, North Wales with her three dogs - Maid, Evie and Sandy who are the writing support team.
She is an outdoorsy person, who loves nothing better than stomping up a mountain, and wandering round forests and woodlands while she's plotting her next book. Outside is where the ideas are!
The peak of her writing career was being short-listed for the International Thriller Writers Awards 2024, for THE BIGAMIST. The translation was also shortlisted for an award in Holland.
For the latest news and information on all her books you can check out her website: https://ronahalsall.org/
You can also sign up to her newsletter here:
https://bit.ly/RonaHalsallNews
Also...If you follow her Author page on Amazon, you'll get notifications when a new book is out. You can have a look here:
UK - https://tinyurl.com/yfk4ydyt
US - https://tinyurl.com/26cwfkc7
Go on... hit that Follow button!
She is an outdoorsy person, who loves nothing better than stomping up a mountain, and wandering round forests and woodlands while she's plotting her next book. Outside is where the ideas are!
The peak of her writing career was being short-listed for the International Thriller Writers Awards 2024, for THE BIGAMIST. The translation was also shortlisted for an award in Holland.
For the latest news and information on all her books you can check out her website: https://ronahalsall.org/
You can also sign up to her newsletter here:
https://bit.ly/RonaHalsallNews
Also...If you follow her Author page on Amazon, you'll get notifications when a new book is out. You can have a look here:
UK - https://tinyurl.com/yfk4ydyt
US - https://tinyurl.com/26cwfkc7
Go on... hit that Follow button!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
April 2, 2021
Eva returns home to care for her sick father, who has Dementia. She feels guilty that her stepmom has been the only one home with him. One day, a shocking call reveals something Eva never knew...she has a sister, one she’s never known about in her 24 years of life. Her name is Nancy, and she’s in the hospital and needs someone to come get her.
After a brief and unsatisfying explanation from her stepmom as to why she never knew of Nancy’s existence, Eva decides she will drive the few hours and pick Nancy up from the hospital...and stay with her until she’s better. Eva is excited to get to know the sister she never knew about.
What could go wrong staying in a remote farmhouse with someone you literally don’t know?
This is definitely one where it is best to go in blind. I’ll be honest. Part 1 of this book barely held my attention. I found the characters annoying and unbelievable, and my mind was wandering. Then, we get to the Part 2, and BAM!!! I was hooked! The only problem is that part 2 doesn’t start until 46% of the way into the book.
After that, this is a compelling and suspenseful tale with quite a few surprises in store. I love when a book goes in an unexpected direction, and that is what it did here. I found the second half to be tense, fast-paced, and gripping. I would’ve been more appreciative of Part 1 if it came after Part 2, but then there wouldn’t have been twists. 🤷♂️
I recommend this book to those who don’t mind a slow start...knowing that the payoff may be worth it.
3.5 stars.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on: 4/26/21.
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com
After a brief and unsatisfying explanation from her stepmom as to why she never knew of Nancy’s existence, Eva decides she will drive the few hours and pick Nancy up from the hospital...and stay with her until she’s better. Eva is excited to get to know the sister she never knew about.
What could go wrong staying in a remote farmhouse with someone you literally don’t know?
This is definitely one where it is best to go in blind. I’ll be honest. Part 1 of this book barely held my attention. I found the characters annoying and unbelievable, and my mind was wandering. Then, we get to the Part 2, and BAM!!! I was hooked! The only problem is that part 2 doesn’t start until 46% of the way into the book.
After that, this is a compelling and suspenseful tale with quite a few surprises in store. I love when a book goes in an unexpected direction, and that is what it did here. I found the second half to be tense, fast-paced, and gripping. I would’ve been more appreciative of Part 1 if it came after Part 2, but then there wouldn’t have been twists. 🤷♂️
I recommend this book to those who don’t mind a slow start...knowing that the payoff may be worth it.
3.5 stars.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on: 4/26/21.
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com
April 5, 2021
The Missing Sister - Rona Halsall
I’ve read a few Rona Halsall books and enjoyed them all. This was no exception. Eva’s dad has dementia and 24 year old Eva has taken a break from work to help her step mother, Linda, care for him. Eva’s mother died when she was born so Linda is the only mother she has known. The phone rings, Linda answers and the colour drains from her face. The call is from a hospital in Wales. Eva’s 40 year old sister, Nancy, has had an accident, a head injury, and is now being discharged but she needs someone to care for her for a few days. What the? Eva never knew she had a sister and her dad and Linda thought she was dead. Clearly that is not the case.
Eva is furious that she was never told she had a sister. The rationale was that she was dead anyway. After the mother died, a 16 year old Nancy (who hated Linda) ran away from home and faked her suicide. Since the family had never heard from her they finally assumed she really was dead. Eva decides to go and pick her up, Linda tries to stop her but that only reinforces Eva’s determination. Now, if you think this is going to be a happy family reunion - think again!
Nancy seems decidedly strange and stand offish. There is evidence in the farmhouse that Nancy lives in that other people had, or still do, live there but Nancy insists she lives alone. Very strange! There are also things that go bump in the night and other things that go missing. All in all, Eva is a little freaked out and not so sure she wants to stay any longer - but, can she actually leave?
While the first half of the book is a little slow the second half is wonderfully fraught with tension. I actually enjoyed the start as well, thinking there were many interesting ways the plot could develop from there. And the way author chose to do so was inspired. You never quite knew how things were going to end so I was madly reading, very keen to see how it ended. I think one of the takeaways from this book is that most people are not all “good” or all “bad”. Most of us have the capacity for both good and bad behaviour and it is often the circumstances we find ourselves in that determine how we will act.
Rona Halsall has a talent for putting human behaviour under the microscope and playing with our emotions. I very much enjoyed this story and will be looking for more from this author. My thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and Rona Halsall for providing a copy to review. My opinions are my own.
I’ve read a few Rona Halsall books and enjoyed them all. This was no exception. Eva’s dad has dementia and 24 year old Eva has taken a break from work to help her step mother, Linda, care for him. Eva’s mother died when she was born so Linda is the only mother she has known. The phone rings, Linda answers and the colour drains from her face. The call is from a hospital in Wales. Eva’s 40 year old sister, Nancy, has had an accident, a head injury, and is now being discharged but she needs someone to care for her for a few days. What the? Eva never knew she had a sister and her dad and Linda thought she was dead. Clearly that is not the case.
Eva is furious that she was never told she had a sister. The rationale was that she was dead anyway. After the mother died, a 16 year old Nancy (who hated Linda) ran away from home and faked her suicide. Since the family had never heard from her they finally assumed she really was dead. Eva decides to go and pick her up, Linda tries to stop her but that only reinforces Eva’s determination. Now, if you think this is going to be a happy family reunion - think again!
Nancy seems decidedly strange and stand offish. There is evidence in the farmhouse that Nancy lives in that other people had, or still do, live there but Nancy insists she lives alone. Very strange! There are also things that go bump in the night and other things that go missing. All in all, Eva is a little freaked out and not so sure she wants to stay any longer - but, can she actually leave?
While the first half of the book is a little slow the second half is wonderfully fraught with tension. I actually enjoyed the start as well, thinking there were many interesting ways the plot could develop from there. And the way author chose to do so was inspired. You never quite knew how things were going to end so I was madly reading, very keen to see how it ended. I think one of the takeaways from this book is that most people are not all “good” or all “bad”. Most of us have the capacity for both good and bad behaviour and it is often the circumstances we find ourselves in that determine how we will act.
Rona Halsall has a talent for putting human behaviour under the microscope and playing with our emotions. I very much enjoyed this story and will be looking for more from this author. My thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and Rona Halsall for providing a copy to review. My opinions are my own.
April 22, 2021
Eva is taking care of her father who has dementia when she finds out she has an older sister, Nancy. The family thinks that Nancy is dead, but looks like she is not dead after all. How many lies the family told her? Great thriller, fast pacing.
April 7, 2021
I had earlier read Rona Halsall’s ‘The Ex-Boyfriend’ and expected a light & easy read. While I was right in general, there was quite a lot which was different about this book, and I found it to be much better as well.
Eva is 24 years old and is now helping her stepmother Linda take care of her dad who has dementia, and his health has deteriorated considerably. Eva lost her biological mother the day she was born, and Linda has raised her right since her infancy. One day Linda receives a call from a hospital and informs Eva that she has a sister Nancy who is in hospital with a head injury. Nancy ran away from home right away Eva was born and was presumed dead, and Eva was never told about her. Eva is shocked but volunteers to go to the hospital and check on what Nancy needs.
The book starts off very slowly and just about crawls till about half-way. The second half, however, packs very good pace, twists and ties up the story very well. As I got past halfway, I loved how the story progressed and though I feel such a slow first half was not necessary, the build-up in the later part was imaginative, interesting, and made me sit up. As the author states in the afterword, this book tackles concepts of entrapment leading to a kind of modern-day slavery very well.
Overall, an interesting read.
My rating: 3.75 / 5.
Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for a free electronic review copy.
Eva is 24 years old and is now helping her stepmother Linda take care of her dad who has dementia, and his health has deteriorated considerably. Eva lost her biological mother the day she was born, and Linda has raised her right since her infancy. One day Linda receives a call from a hospital and informs Eva that she has a sister Nancy who is in hospital with a head injury. Nancy ran away from home right away Eva was born and was presumed dead, and Eva was never told about her. Eva is shocked but volunteers to go to the hospital and check on what Nancy needs.
The book starts off very slowly and just about crawls till about half-way. The second half, however, packs very good pace, twists and ties up the story very well. As I got past halfway, I loved how the story progressed and though I feel such a slow first half was not necessary, the build-up in the later part was imaginative, interesting, and made me sit up. As the author states in the afterword, this book tackles concepts of entrapment leading to a kind of modern-day slavery very well.
Overall, an interesting read.
My rating: 3.75 / 5.
Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for a free electronic review copy.
April 23, 2021
The call comes out of the blue one Sunday afternoon to say your older sister has been admitted yo hospital with a serious head injury. But you don't have a sister.... do you? You've never doubted your parents. But your stepmother is uncharacteristically speechless, and your father isn't well enough to understand.
Eva never knew she had an older sister until she received the phone call from the hospital. Eva drives to Wales to meet and help her sister Nancy. Nancy lives on a remote farm in Snowdonia. In my opinion, the second part of the book is the best part. The pace is slow to begin with but it soon picks up and the twists keep coming. It's also quite a dark domestic thriller with lots of secrets. Once I got into the story, I couldn't put it down.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #Bookouture and the author #RonaHalsall for my ARC of #TheLiarsDaughter in exchange for an honest review.
Eva never knew she had an older sister until she received the phone call from the hospital. Eva drives to Wales to meet and help her sister Nancy. Nancy lives on a remote farm in Snowdonia. In my opinion, the second part of the book is the best part. The pace is slow to begin with but it soon picks up and the twists keep coming. It's also quite a dark domestic thriller with lots of secrets. Once I got into the story, I couldn't put it down.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #Bookouture and the author #RonaHalsall for my ARC of #TheLiarsDaughter in exchange for an honest review.
March 16, 2021
Imagine having a call from a hospital saying your Sister has been admitted as a patient there but not knowing you ever had a Sister,Eva gets this call,intrigued,nervous,anxious and a bit excited she goes to collect ‘Nancy’ and their lives will never be the same again
Where has Nancy been? Who has had her and why has her Step Mum never explained what happened?
Eva is determined to find out but once she starts she is opening a pandora’s box, a dark version that wont be easy to close
Rona Halsall writes gripping psychological thrillers,this is the same...and more,full of secrets,lies and resentments it was difficult to stop reading once started as I needed to find out who Nancy was and like Eva the more I learnt the more shocking it became
I love books that feature a call or letter or conversation that change everything,a mundane/ordinary life thrown into chaos by something unpredictable
A perfect read
10/10
5 Stars
Where has Nancy been? Who has had her and why has her Step Mum never explained what happened?
Eva is determined to find out but once she starts she is opening a pandora’s box, a dark version that wont be easy to close
Rona Halsall writes gripping psychological thrillers,this is the same...and more,full of secrets,lies and resentments it was difficult to stop reading once started as I needed to find out who Nancy was and like Eva the more I learnt the more shocking it became
I love books that feature a call or letter or conversation that change everything,a mundane/ordinary life thrown into chaos by something unpredictable
A perfect read
10/10
5 Stars
April 14, 2021
Well holy moly was this a ride and a half. The Liar’s Daughter was as I expected, swift and nerve splitting. Rona Halsall’s novels always get my heart racing, and her new release undoubtedly would be no different. A prologue that had me sweating bullets and asking questions without coming up for air. Paramedics arrive at a remote farm in North Wales, the women they attend to has had a severe knock to the head and is only just conscious. Its an injury that they doubt she has done to herself but she’s insistent. The only thing is, why can they hear someone else in the house?
The title and the cover had me intrigued…the darkness, the intensity of it all. It’s a story that must be devoured. Its fodder for the imagination. Imagine your stepmother receiving a phone call to tell you that your sister has been involved in accident, the point where you discover you have a sister no-one told you about. The emotions running through you would be confusing, right? The shock, the disbelief and the disappointment at years lost. This is exactly Eva’s reality in The Liar’s Daughter. A story that careens to an explosive finish.
Eva has wanted a sister her entire life. She begged and prodded her parents to give her sister, but it just never happened. She’s a graduate in Wildlife Conversation but has had to put her career on hold to help her stepmother care for her father who has been diagnosed with Dementia. He’s in sharp decline and care must be split between them, a harsh reality for someone so young. After receiving the phone call regarding the news of her long-lost sister, Nancy, Eva takes it upon herself to go and look after her until she has recovered from a serious head injury. The vast range of emotions and fears are laid bare and Halsall injected butterflies in MY stomach.
The Liar’s Daughter at its core is a story about family ties, betrayal and trauma. The author has done an exquisite job in her portrayal of mental health and gas lighting…executed with class and dignity. The story is told in dual POV’s, between Nancy and Eva. The atmosphere had me instantly, I could imagine the rolling hills of Wales and could almost feel the wind blowing through my hair. I was there and the immersion of the story was at a completely different level.
There’s a lot to this story – so many layers to pull back and examine. You are given snippets of people’s lives. Halsall has written something that is so naturally flowing, the characterization isn’t forced, everything is just so organic.
The Liar’s Daughter is superb. The pace is liable to give you whiplash if you aren’t careful. The feeling of powerlessness builds to a crescendo. Another belter from Rona Halsall.
The title and the cover had me intrigued…the darkness, the intensity of it all. It’s a story that must be devoured. Its fodder for the imagination. Imagine your stepmother receiving a phone call to tell you that your sister has been involved in accident, the point where you discover you have a sister no-one told you about. The emotions running through you would be confusing, right? The shock, the disbelief and the disappointment at years lost. This is exactly Eva’s reality in The Liar’s Daughter. A story that careens to an explosive finish.
Eva has wanted a sister her entire life. She begged and prodded her parents to give her sister, but it just never happened. She’s a graduate in Wildlife Conversation but has had to put her career on hold to help her stepmother care for her father who has been diagnosed with Dementia. He’s in sharp decline and care must be split between them, a harsh reality for someone so young. After receiving the phone call regarding the news of her long-lost sister, Nancy, Eva takes it upon herself to go and look after her until she has recovered from a serious head injury. The vast range of emotions and fears are laid bare and Halsall injected butterflies in MY stomach.
The Liar’s Daughter at its core is a story about family ties, betrayal and trauma. The author has done an exquisite job in her portrayal of mental health and gas lighting…executed with class and dignity. The story is told in dual POV’s, between Nancy and Eva. The atmosphere had me instantly, I could imagine the rolling hills of Wales and could almost feel the wind blowing through my hair. I was there and the immersion of the story was at a completely different level.
There’s a lot to this story – so many layers to pull back and examine. You are given snippets of people’s lives. Halsall has written something that is so naturally flowing, the characterization isn’t forced, everything is just so organic.
The Liar’s Daughter is superb. The pace is liable to give you whiplash if you aren’t careful. The feeling of powerlessness builds to a crescendo. Another belter from Rona Halsall.
April 30, 2021
Eva and her stepmum Linda are active carers for Eva's father due to the fact that he has dementia. Eva would do anything in order to be there for her father. One day Linda gets a phone call that ends up shaking Eva's world. The phone call prompted Linda to tell her that she has a sister. Eva has an older sister. How? She has never heard of this. Linda begins to tell the story...
If this was kept from Eva then what else could have been hidden from her? Not happy with the explanation she received from Linda Eva finds herself bound and determined to unearth any facts, even more lies, that have been hidden from her. The first thing Evan learns is that her sister is named Nancy. What is more is that Nancy has been hurt and needs help.
Nancy lives in a remote area and Eva reluctantly agrees to stay there with her until Nancy recovers. Hopefully during this time Eva can find out how this secret was kept from her. The first truth revealed is Nancy's age, 40, sixteen years older than Eva. What is more is that something happened in Nancy's life when she was sixteen that in part became the reason for Eva being completely unaware of her existence.
Trying to be there for Nancy while she recovers is not easy for Eva, especially when it proves that Nancy has a mean side. In fact, some of the things Eva learns are shocking. That shock passes right on to the reader. In my case I simply could not put this book down as I just had to fit the pieces of this story together.
Alternate timelines and points of view are delivered at a rapid pace with twists and turns and rabbit trails that ensue in this thrilling story. Nothing is as it seems and I loved watching things come together. Although the story did have a slow start the tension definitely picked up and grabbed my attention like a vice. The Liar's Daughter is another exciting book that I have had the pleasure of reading by Rona Halsall.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
If this was kept from Eva then what else could have been hidden from her? Not happy with the explanation she received from Linda Eva finds herself bound and determined to unearth any facts, even more lies, that have been hidden from her. The first thing Evan learns is that her sister is named Nancy. What is more is that Nancy has been hurt and needs help.
Nancy lives in a remote area and Eva reluctantly agrees to stay there with her until Nancy recovers. Hopefully during this time Eva can find out how this secret was kept from her. The first truth revealed is Nancy's age, 40, sixteen years older than Eva. What is more is that something happened in Nancy's life when she was sixteen that in part became the reason for Eva being completely unaware of her existence.
Trying to be there for Nancy while she recovers is not easy for Eva, especially when it proves that Nancy has a mean side. In fact, some of the things Eva learns are shocking. That shock passes right on to the reader. In my case I simply could not put this book down as I just had to fit the pieces of this story together.
Alternate timelines and points of view are delivered at a rapid pace with twists and turns and rabbit trails that ensue in this thrilling story. Nothing is as it seems and I loved watching things come together. Although the story did have a slow start the tension definitely picked up and grabbed my attention like a vice. The Liar's Daughter is another exciting book that I have had the pleasure of reading by Rona Halsall.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
November 23, 2021
Another fast paced, addictive psychological thriller from author Rona Halsall.
Eva’s natural mother died when she was born and her father is suffering from late stage dementia so life is tough for her at the moment. Her stepmother Linda is struggling to care for her husband and she is the only mother Eva has ever known. Late one night Linda receives a phone call from someone claiming to be Nancy, a sister Eva had no knowledge of and was told she was going to be discharged from hospital. A shocked Eva volunteers to travel across country to look after Nancy to take care of her at Nancy’s house while she convalesces. Eva is keen to meet the sister she never knew existed but is it really a good idea. Nancy lives in a remote farmhouse in Snowdonia and has no prior knowledge of her.
This is a page turner that is full of twists and builds the suspense up to a thrilling climax. Interesting characters in an addictive plot making the novel a fascinating read.
Eva’s natural mother died when she was born and her father is suffering from late stage dementia so life is tough for her at the moment. Her stepmother Linda is struggling to care for her husband and she is the only mother Eva has ever known. Late one night Linda receives a phone call from someone claiming to be Nancy, a sister Eva had no knowledge of and was told she was going to be discharged from hospital. A shocked Eva volunteers to travel across country to look after Nancy to take care of her at Nancy’s house while she convalesces. Eva is keen to meet the sister she never knew existed but is it really a good idea. Nancy lives in a remote farmhouse in Snowdonia and has no prior knowledge of her.
This is a page turner that is full of twists and builds the suspense up to a thrilling climax. Interesting characters in an addictive plot making the novel a fascinating read.
April 2, 2021
I have read all Rona Halsall’s books and The missing sister, her 7th book doesn’t disappoint.
Eva’s mother Linda gets a phone call from a hospital that her sister Nancy has been admitted with a head injury. Linda is shocked because she thought Nancy committed suicide and Eva didn’t even know that she had a sister. The hospital also said that Nancy would be soon discharged but can’t stay on her own in her desolate cottage in the hills of Snowdonia. Eva is curious and excited to know her sister she didn’t know she had so she decides to go and stay with her while she recuperates, against the wished of her mother.
But after a few days, Eva realises that some things don’t add up with what Nancy has told her and her mother Linda. After 24 years is this really Nancy and why has she been lost for 24 years and not contacted the family sooner?
This is another great novel from Rona Halsall. This is a good page turner with and original storyline with lots of twists and turns, and secrets and lies. Also, how one person can manipulate someone to do their bidding for such a long time. Four stars from me.
Eva’s mother Linda gets a phone call from a hospital that her sister Nancy has been admitted with a head injury. Linda is shocked because she thought Nancy committed suicide and Eva didn’t even know that she had a sister. The hospital also said that Nancy would be soon discharged but can’t stay on her own in her desolate cottage in the hills of Snowdonia. Eva is curious and excited to know her sister she didn’t know she had so she decides to go and stay with her while she recuperates, against the wished of her mother.
But after a few days, Eva realises that some things don’t add up with what Nancy has told her and her mother Linda. After 24 years is this really Nancy and why has she been lost for 24 years and not contacted the family sooner?
This is another great novel from Rona Halsall. This is a good page turner with and original storyline with lots of twists and turns, and secrets and lies. Also, how one person can manipulate someone to do their bidding for such a long time. Four stars from me.
April 22, 2021
Raised as an only child, Eva grew up with her father and stepmother. They’re not a perfect family, but they’ve always loved each other. That’s why Eva didn’t hesitate to give up her career and move back home to help take care of her father who suffers from dementia. She’s happy to be there to help her mom and enjoy time with her dad while she can.
But one day the phone rings and changes everything. Eva’s told she has an older sister Nancy who nobody ever mentioned. Nancy is in the hospital and needs her care. Stinging from the realization that her parents lied to her, she rushes to her sister’s side. Nancy seems open to bonding with Eva and telling her the truth about her parents’ secret past. But as they settle into Nancy’s farmhouse, Eva senses danger looming. Is the danger coming from someone outside, or is Nancy hiding some dark secrets of her own?
Hands down one of the best thrillers I’ve read so far this year, “The Liar’s Daughter” by Rona Halsall will have your heart racing, your palms sweaty, and your breath stuck in your throat. The suspense gets that overwhelming. Wear a neck brace when you read this one! Ominous and dark, it’s a twisty roller coaster ride through a house of horrors. Just when you think the story is going in one direction, another sudden, unexpected twist jerks it in another.
Well written, but also perfectly framed by the setting, “The Liar’s Daughter ” mainly takes place in an old, outdated farmhouse set so far in the middle of nowhere that getting cell phone service is nearly impossible. It’s creepy from the start, especially when shadows seem to haunt the farm and things start to go missing. Eva wants to run home, but she’s determined to care for her sister until she returns to health.
However, as Eva soon finds out, discovering an unknown or long lost relative can be like opening Pandora’s box. While you hope to bond and begin a close relationship, the person is still a stranger. You know nothing about them or who they really are. What they tell you might not be the truth. Eva needs to watch her back while staying with her sister, and you need to read this book before taking a DNA test to search for unknown relatives. There’s more than one dangerous secret lurking around Nancy’s farm.
Told from either Nancy or Eva’s point of view depending on what’s being revealed, “The Liar’s Daughter” is as frightening as it is addictive. It’s everything I always hope a psychological thriller will be with plenty of darkness, tension, and suspense. But where most psych thrillers fall down for me, this one stands up. The ending is brilliant! It’s not all tied up with a pretty pink bow like so many are. Instead, it leaves at least a few raised hairs on the back of your neck from the last bombshell twist.
Some books claim to be unputdownable. “The Liar’s Daughter” truly is!
Thank you to Bookouture and author Rona Halsall for the gifted eARC of this book.
But one day the phone rings and changes everything. Eva’s told she has an older sister Nancy who nobody ever mentioned. Nancy is in the hospital and needs her care. Stinging from the realization that her parents lied to her, she rushes to her sister’s side. Nancy seems open to bonding with Eva and telling her the truth about her parents’ secret past. But as they settle into Nancy’s farmhouse, Eva senses danger looming. Is the danger coming from someone outside, or is Nancy hiding some dark secrets of her own?
Hands down one of the best thrillers I’ve read so far this year, “The Liar’s Daughter” by Rona Halsall will have your heart racing, your palms sweaty, and your breath stuck in your throat. The suspense gets that overwhelming. Wear a neck brace when you read this one! Ominous and dark, it’s a twisty roller coaster ride through a house of horrors. Just when you think the story is going in one direction, another sudden, unexpected twist jerks it in another.
Well written, but also perfectly framed by the setting, “The Liar’s Daughter ” mainly takes place in an old, outdated farmhouse set so far in the middle of nowhere that getting cell phone service is nearly impossible. It’s creepy from the start, especially when shadows seem to haunt the farm and things start to go missing. Eva wants to run home, but she’s determined to care for her sister until she returns to health.
However, as Eva soon finds out, discovering an unknown or long lost relative can be like opening Pandora’s box. While you hope to bond and begin a close relationship, the person is still a stranger. You know nothing about them or who they really are. What they tell you might not be the truth. Eva needs to watch her back while staying with her sister, and you need to read this book before taking a DNA test to search for unknown relatives. There’s more than one dangerous secret lurking around Nancy’s farm.
Told from either Nancy or Eva’s point of view depending on what’s being revealed, “The Liar’s Daughter” is as frightening as it is addictive. It’s everything I always hope a psychological thriller will be with plenty of darkness, tension, and suspense. But where most psych thrillers fall down for me, this one stands up. The ending is brilliant! It’s not all tied up with a pretty pink bow like so many are. Instead, it leaves at least a few raised hairs on the back of your neck from the last bombshell twist.
Some books claim to be unputdownable. “The Liar’s Daughter” truly is!
Thank you to Bookouture and author Rona Halsall for the gifted eARC of this book.
June 7, 2021
She receives a phone call from an out of town hospital. They tell her that her sister had been admitted wtih a serious head injury. She's been treated and needs a ride home.
But she doesn't have a sister .... does she?
Has her entire life been a lie? What is her father and step-mother keeping from her?
Told in two timelines, one in the present by Eva; the other from the past told by Nancy. But someone is lying ... and will do whatever it takes to keep the secrets from seeing the light of day.
This psychological thriller seems to have it all. The complex plot is well planned, showcasing the many secrets and lies with twists and turns that move your eyes from one to the other of the deftly drawn characters. It's a fast-paced page turner. This is not the first I've read of this author's .. and it won't be the last.
Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
April 20, 2021
Ever since I read
"The Honeymoon"
, I have picked up each of Rona's books with an expectation of something exciting to come. But none of them quite lived up to the thrillride I got from that first book...until now. A deliciously dark tale of deception and family secrets, THE LIAR'S DAUGHTER is twisted, it's creepy and addictive from start to finish. And it did not disappoint!
Eva has put her life on hold to help her stepmother care for her ailing father who is suffering dementia. Until the day her life is thrown into turmoil with a phone call saying that her sister is in hospital with head injuries.
But...Eva doesn't have a sister.
Sitting down with Linda, the only mother she has ever known, Eva soon learns that she did indeed have a sister called Nancy who, at sixteen and just after the death of their mother after giving birth to baby Eva, disappeared leaving nothing but the words "I hate my life" scrawled on her mirror in lipstick and a pile of clothes with a note underneath the pier where they had lived in Blackpool. It was thought that, distraught by her mother's death, Nancy had taken her own life.
Eva is shocked by this revelation. Why would they not tell her that she had a sister? Even if she was dead, why would they keep that from her? Though her mother had died when she was born and Linda moved in to help her father raise her, there had never been any mention of a sister. Now she wonders what else her parents have kept from her.
Energised by this new information, Eva decides to head to Snowdonia in North Wales to help care for her sister who wants to be discharged but needs someone to care for her while she recovers from her head injury. Linda is mortified and tries persuading Eva not to go, telling her she doesn't know Nancy or how difficult she could be. But Eva is adamant. Nancy needs her help while she recuperates...and she is excited about the prospect of getting to know the sister she never knew she had.
Driving hundreds of miles to pick up her sister from hospital, Eva then drives them home where she will care for her sister until she recovers. But home is a remote farmhouse nestled on a Snowdonia hillside with not another person or house in sight for miles. The atmosphere is decidedly creepy and Eva soon finds herself jumping at shadows or the merest sound. And yet the prospect of staying on a farm stirs up the wildlife conservationist in her that she can't help feeling somewhat charged by this new challenge ahead.
But after a few days, Eva realises that all is not as it seems. That Nancy is not all that she seems. There is a hardness to her stare that is there one minute and then gone the next as her face radiates in a smile, gushing platitudes of gratefulness for Eva's loving care. Questions also arise after Nancy reveals the truth behind her departure and what their father was really like. But what Eva really wants to know was what happened to her sister in the time she left home twenty four years ago? Why did she not try and contact them over the years? And there is Nancy's sudden snappiness and hostility that seemingly comes from out of nowhere with her moods all over the place. But that's just her head injury...right? She cannot claim to have known what she was like beforehand but surely she couldn't have changed too much...could she? And then there is the "accident" that lead to her head injury. Nancy claims it was just a farm accident but Eva wonders if her sister had been attacked and is now in danger? If they are both in danger?
And when food she knows she bought starts going missing, Eva begins to think that the sisters could be in trouble. Whoever attacked Nancy could still be out there...watching...and waiting...
Set mostly on a remote hill farm in Snowdonia, THE LIAR'S DAUGHTER is an absorbing, atmospheric and somewhat unconventional thriller. So completely different to what I have come to expect from Rona but I was pleasantly surprised by this dark and tense tale of secrets and deception.
The story unfolds through the eyes of Eva and Nancy in parts one and two respectively, followed by part three that combines the two perspectives to complete the narrative as the truth, and all its secrets, is slowly revealed. And while some of it may be predictable, there are a few twists that are bound to shock.
THE LIAR'S DAUGHTER is distinctly creepy and the setting of the remote hill farm in Snowdonia only added to the sinister atmosphere and was perfect for this thriller. The story is eerily disquieting as family secrets and deception are laid bare but most chilling of all is the ease with which the questioning perceptions the characters have that seemingly dissipate into the silence of the hills in which they find themselves. There is a feeling of powerlessness that echoes and builds as the truth finally comes to light.
Well-written and by far one of Rona's best thrillers yet, THE LIAR'S DAUGHTER is a chilling tale that has it all: suspense, mystery, family drama, secrets, lies, deception and gas-lighting. It is deliciously dark, tense and chilling, and will have you locking your doors and flipping pages right to the very end.
A fast paced read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
I would like to thank #RonaHalsall, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheLiarsDaughter in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
Eva has put her life on hold to help her stepmother care for her ailing father who is suffering dementia. Until the day her life is thrown into turmoil with a phone call saying that her sister is in hospital with head injuries.
But...Eva doesn't have a sister.
Sitting down with Linda, the only mother she has ever known, Eva soon learns that she did indeed have a sister called Nancy who, at sixteen and just after the death of their mother after giving birth to baby Eva, disappeared leaving nothing but the words "I hate my life" scrawled on her mirror in lipstick and a pile of clothes with a note underneath the pier where they had lived in Blackpool. It was thought that, distraught by her mother's death, Nancy had taken her own life.
Eva is shocked by this revelation. Why would they not tell her that she had a sister? Even if she was dead, why would they keep that from her? Though her mother had died when she was born and Linda moved in to help her father raise her, there had never been any mention of a sister. Now she wonders what else her parents have kept from her.
Energised by this new information, Eva decides to head to Snowdonia in North Wales to help care for her sister who wants to be discharged but needs someone to care for her while she recovers from her head injury. Linda is mortified and tries persuading Eva not to go, telling her she doesn't know Nancy or how difficult she could be. But Eva is adamant. Nancy needs her help while she recuperates...and she is excited about the prospect of getting to know the sister she never knew she had.
Driving hundreds of miles to pick up her sister from hospital, Eva then drives them home where she will care for her sister until she recovers. But home is a remote farmhouse nestled on a Snowdonia hillside with not another person or house in sight for miles. The atmosphere is decidedly creepy and Eva soon finds herself jumping at shadows or the merest sound. And yet the prospect of staying on a farm stirs up the wildlife conservationist in her that she can't help feeling somewhat charged by this new challenge ahead.
But after a few days, Eva realises that all is not as it seems. That Nancy is not all that she seems. There is a hardness to her stare that is there one minute and then gone the next as her face radiates in a smile, gushing platitudes of gratefulness for Eva's loving care. Questions also arise after Nancy reveals the truth behind her departure and what their father was really like. But what Eva really wants to know was what happened to her sister in the time she left home twenty four years ago? Why did she not try and contact them over the years? And there is Nancy's sudden snappiness and hostility that seemingly comes from out of nowhere with her moods all over the place. But that's just her head injury...right? She cannot claim to have known what she was like beforehand but surely she couldn't have changed too much...could she? And then there is the "accident" that lead to her head injury. Nancy claims it was just a farm accident but Eva wonders if her sister had been attacked and is now in danger? If they are both in danger?
And when food she knows she bought starts going missing, Eva begins to think that the sisters could be in trouble. Whoever attacked Nancy could still be out there...watching...and waiting...
Set mostly on a remote hill farm in Snowdonia, THE LIAR'S DAUGHTER is an absorbing, atmospheric and somewhat unconventional thriller. So completely different to what I have come to expect from Rona but I was pleasantly surprised by this dark and tense tale of secrets and deception.
The story unfolds through the eyes of Eva and Nancy in parts one and two respectively, followed by part three that combines the two perspectives to complete the narrative as the truth, and all its secrets, is slowly revealed. And while some of it may be predictable, there are a few twists that are bound to shock.
THE LIAR'S DAUGHTER is distinctly creepy and the setting of the remote hill farm in Snowdonia only added to the sinister atmosphere and was perfect for this thriller. The story is eerily disquieting as family secrets and deception are laid bare but most chilling of all is the ease with which the questioning perceptions the characters have that seemingly dissipate into the silence of the hills in which they find themselves. There is a feeling of powerlessness that echoes and builds as the truth finally comes to light.
Well-written and by far one of Rona's best thrillers yet, THE LIAR'S DAUGHTER is a chilling tale that has it all: suspense, mystery, family drama, secrets, lies, deception and gas-lighting. It is deliciously dark, tense and chilling, and will have you locking your doors and flipping pages right to the very end.
A fast paced read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
I would like to thank #RonaHalsall, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheLiarsDaughter in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
November 12, 2025
Omg WOW 😳 this book was a wild ride. The premise hooked me instantly — I was like, “okayyyy this is gonna be good 👀” — and then… everything just spiraled. The trauma, the lies, the secrets — all of it blew up in the most deliciously chaotic way.
And omg, we live for an original plotline, so ABSOLUTELY yes to this one!! 🙌
I read the whole thing in ONE DAY and will have undoubtedly regret my choices in the am since i should be asleep.. because I had to know how messy it would get 😅 Fast, juicy, dramatic, and totally unhinged — exactly the kind of chaos I live for 💅🔥
And omg, we live for an original plotline, so ABSOLUTELY yes to this one!! 🙌
I read the whole thing in ONE DAY and will have undoubtedly regret my choices in the am since i should be asleep.. because I had to know how messy it would get 😅 Fast, juicy, dramatic, and totally unhinged — exactly the kind of chaos I live for 💅🔥
April 24, 2021
Another great read from Rona Halsall.
Eva is looking after her Dad alongside Linda, her stepmother. He’s suffering with dementia and it’s taking it’s toll on both Eva and Linda.
They receive a call to say Nancy needs someone to look after her as she’s recovering from a head injury, but Eva can’t believe it as when she asks Linda who Nancy is, she tells her it’s her sister.
Eva never knew she had a sister so wants to go and help her but Linda tries to persuade her not to.
Eva sticks to her guns and drives to Wales to pick up Nancy and is surprised how ill she is.
They drive back to Nancy’s farm and Eva tells her she will stay for a few days until she can manage on her own.
Things start out okay but soon there is tension between the two women and Eva just wants to leave. Nancy turns nasty and things go from bad to worse for Eva.
The book is full of twists and there are a few shocks in store as the lies come to light.
I really enjoyed this book and loved how the story was told.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
Eva is looking after her Dad alongside Linda, her stepmother. He’s suffering with dementia and it’s taking it’s toll on both Eva and Linda.
They receive a call to say Nancy needs someone to look after her as she’s recovering from a head injury, but Eva can’t believe it as when she asks Linda who Nancy is, she tells her it’s her sister.
Eva never knew she had a sister so wants to go and help her but Linda tries to persuade her not to.
Eva sticks to her guns and drives to Wales to pick up Nancy and is surprised how ill she is.
They drive back to Nancy’s farm and Eva tells her she will stay for a few days until she can manage on her own.
Things start out okay but soon there is tension between the two women and Eva just wants to leave. Nancy turns nasty and things go from bad to worse for Eva.
The book is full of twists and there are a few shocks in store as the lies come to light.
I really enjoyed this book and loved how the story was told.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
April 4, 2021
Whenever I pick up one of Rona’s books I know that I’m going to get a gripping tale that will keep me turning the pages and this one didn’t disappoint. An unputdownable family drama with dark secrets, complicated characters and plenty of twists and turns, also an original take on coercive control and the depths some people go to manipulate someone to do what they want. The story starts with Eva’s mother getting a phone call to say that her older sister has been injured. But Eva didn’t know she had an older sister, and her mother’s explanation as to why she wasn’t told makes her curious enough to drive the few hundred miles to pick up her sister from hospital and look after her when she is better. Her home turns out to be in a very remote farmhouse and the story gets creepier and creepier. Told from different viewpoints this book held my attention right to the unexpected punch at the end.
April 27, 2021
Just brilliant. This author never disappoints. Heart thuddingly tense and thrilling. I raced through this book in one breathless gulp. Very suspenseful. Packed with twists. Loved it.
April 27, 2021
It is early early hours of the morning and I have just finished THIS book! Holy Moly! Rona strikes again! This is not the usual craziness I know, love and expect from Rona. This is something more. This is a darker story than I am used to with Rona to be completely honest, I LOVED it!
The Liar’s Daughter does not relent! There are just SO many secrets that made my head spin. Some I saw coming and some I had no idea were even possible. I was tricked, kept in the dark and that rug was firmly pulled from my feet with this shocking tale.
So much darkness in one book! So much fear, tense and unsettling times. At one point, when Eva was in the kitchen and it was pitch black outside, the descriptive writing had me thinking Rona was descending into the horror genre, she definitely got the hairs raised on my neck!
I loved how the book is told in 3 sections, a now, a then and an explosive current now! It does make sense when you read the book what I mean. Eva has a lot to get her head around, as we do, revelations just do not stop coming and my heart went out to her. Nancy, I struggled with at first, she is not the Nancy we expected. Then the unidentified third person, well that was a nice little twist. Gah! Read it!
This is a book that so easily falls into the only the more chapter trap. It is a book that will sink its claws into you. It made me question everything and I am still worried about 2 people wandering the woods!
I always look forward to a book with Rona Halsall’s name on the cover that I don’t even bother to read the blurb, I already know I am going to love it. It is no different here. It was an interesting and refreshing dark look at the situation that is laid out in front of us. There are enough twists to keep your head spinning as if you have been on the Waltzers!! It grabbed me from the first page, a slow start to suck you into the mystery with a shocking second and third part!
The Liar’s Daughter does not relent! There are just SO many secrets that made my head spin. Some I saw coming and some I had no idea were even possible. I was tricked, kept in the dark and that rug was firmly pulled from my feet with this shocking tale.
So much darkness in one book! So much fear, tense and unsettling times. At one point, when Eva was in the kitchen and it was pitch black outside, the descriptive writing had me thinking Rona was descending into the horror genre, she definitely got the hairs raised on my neck!
I loved how the book is told in 3 sections, a now, a then and an explosive current now! It does make sense when you read the book what I mean. Eva has a lot to get her head around, as we do, revelations just do not stop coming and my heart went out to her. Nancy, I struggled with at first, she is not the Nancy we expected. Then the unidentified third person, well that was a nice little twist. Gah! Read it!
This is a book that so easily falls into the only the more chapter trap. It is a book that will sink its claws into you. It made me question everything and I am still worried about 2 people wandering the woods!
I always look forward to a book with Rona Halsall’s name on the cover that I don’t even bother to read the blurb, I already know I am going to love it. It is no different here. It was an interesting and refreshing dark look at the situation that is laid out in front of us. There are enough twists to keep your head spinning as if you have been on the Waltzers!! It grabbed me from the first page, a slow start to suck you into the mystery with a shocking second and third part!
April 20, 2021
The main problem I had with this book was the fact that it's starting getting interesting after more or less half of it.
If it wasn't a review copy I would have DNFed it somewhere around 25%. Unfortunately first half is extremely slow and quite frankly boring.
The second half is way more interesting and fast paced. The twists aren't as surprising as I would have hoped, but the reading experience is way better here. The writing is also better, as in the forst hald it felt clunky and cringe at times.
Eve is an absolute doormat of a protagonist and I hate it in books that I read. She's very naive and timid. If I were her, the second I started to suspect that something's wrongwith Nancy I would have run and you'd never see me again. Eve? Not so much> She felt like running but then thought "well, my wallet and my phone are left at the house, better go back to a woman that might be a murderer". Girl, NO.
I enjoyed the second part, the most, when we learn Nancy's story. I enjoyed the way how gaslighting, intimidation and manipulation were shon - starting small, until a complete incapacitation.
After that second part, thist felt a bit flat, but it was still enjoyable.
Final twist did not shock me at all.
Random note: when I requested this book its title was "The Missing Sister" and had a different cover which made me curious about this book and made me want to read it. Unfortunately I think this change of title was quite unfortunate, as it's not the best nor it represents the story better. The cover is also pretty meh. If I were to request it now, I wouldn't.
I received this book from the Publisher in an exchange for an honest review
If it wasn't a review copy I would have DNFed it somewhere around 25%. Unfortunately first half is extremely slow and quite frankly boring.
The second half is way more interesting and fast paced. The twists aren't as surprising as I would have hoped, but the reading experience is way better here. The writing is also better, as in the forst hald it felt clunky and cringe at times.
Eve is an absolute doormat of a protagonist and I hate it in books that I read. She's very naive and timid. If I were her, the second I started to suspect that something's wrongwith Nancy I would have run and you'd never see me again. Eve? Not so much> She felt like running but then thought "well, my wallet and my phone are left at the house, better go back to a woman that might be a murderer". Girl, NO.
I enjoyed the second part, the most, when we learn Nancy's story. I enjoyed the way how gaslighting, intimidation and manipulation were shon - starting small, until a complete incapacitation.
After that second part, thist felt a bit flat, but it was still enjoyable.
Final twist did not shock me at all.
Random note: when I requested this book its title was "The Missing Sister" and had a different cover which made me curious about this book and made me want to read it. Unfortunately I think this change of title was quite unfortunate, as it's not the best nor it represents the story better. The cover is also pretty meh. If I were to request it now, I wouldn't.
I received this book from the Publisher in an exchange for an honest review
May 2, 2021
First, I want to thank Rona Halsall, Bookouture, and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.
OMG!! Psychological Thriller fans don’t walk but run and go pick up Rona Halsall’s The Liar’s Daughter today!!! The Liar’s Daughter is my absolute favorite book that Rona has written!! This book has the most intriguing, fascinating, thrilling, twisted, gripping, shocking, mind blowing, tragic and heartbreaking storylines ever. Infact, Rona should submit this story to Netflix! It would be a smash hit as a series!!
The book fairies at Bookouture made a good call when they revamped the cover and the title. I thought this cover graphic was a little bit more creepier and fit with the theme a little bit more. The title The Liar’s Daughter ohh was right on the money for this book!
With Covid I have learned that family is everything! However what if your family wasn’t who you really thought they were?! What if they were keeping secrets that would alter your life forever?! Rona explores these and more in this fantastic book!
I loved how Rona incorporated country living and a farmhouse into the setting of her book. I am a huge fan of that lifestyle of living. Not to mention a huge fan of Farmhouse Fixer on HGTV.
Rona addresses some important issues and brings awareness to them.
The Liar’s daughter was packed with a lot of raw emotions with the reunion of the two sisters. That was the storyline that tugged hard on my heartstrings. What a crazy good storyline that was!
It boggles the mind what earth shattering revelations were made by some of the characters! I myself was livid when the truth came out!
After reading 82 books this year this is on my top 5 list!! Do yourself a favor and add this to your TBR list as it is a 5 star must read!!
OMG!! Psychological Thriller fans don’t walk but run and go pick up Rona Halsall’s The Liar’s Daughter today!!! The Liar’s Daughter is my absolute favorite book that Rona has written!! This book has the most intriguing, fascinating, thrilling, twisted, gripping, shocking, mind blowing, tragic and heartbreaking storylines ever. Infact, Rona should submit this story to Netflix! It would be a smash hit as a series!!
The book fairies at Bookouture made a good call when they revamped the cover and the title. I thought this cover graphic was a little bit more creepier and fit with the theme a little bit more. The title The Liar’s Daughter ohh was right on the money for this book!
With Covid I have learned that family is everything! However what if your family wasn’t who you really thought they were?! What if they were keeping secrets that would alter your life forever?! Rona explores these and more in this fantastic book!
I loved how Rona incorporated country living and a farmhouse into the setting of her book. I am a huge fan of that lifestyle of living. Not to mention a huge fan of Farmhouse Fixer on HGTV.
Rona addresses some important issues and brings awareness to them.
The Liar’s daughter was packed with a lot of raw emotions with the reunion of the two sisters. That was the storyline that tugged hard on my heartstrings. What a crazy good storyline that was!
It boggles the mind what earth shattering revelations were made by some of the characters! I myself was livid when the truth came out!
After reading 82 books this year this is on my top 5 list!! Do yourself a favor and add this to your TBR list as it is a 5 star must read!!
April 27, 2021
This book is a fast-paced psychological thriller. It has two timelines, one in the present told from Eva’s point of view and the other from the past from Eva’s sister Nancy’s point of view. In the present, Eva’s life is turned upside-down when her stepmother receives a phone call from an out-of-town hospital, and Eva finds out she has an older sister she never knew about. In spite of her stepmom’s misgivings, Eva travels from England to North Wales to nurse her sister, Nancy, back to health. The first portion of the book ends with a bombshell before the timeline switches to the past, focusing on Nancy’s life years earlier. Eva and Nancy both experience some unexpected events in this twisty thriller with a very clever plot.
I enjoyed the first part of the book much better than the first. It was hard to see Nancy so thoroughly manipulated in the second part. This part was very downbeat and was harder for me to get through, but I still really enjoyed the book overall as well as the more hopeful ending. This is the only book I’ve read by this author, but I would definitely read others.
I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Bookouture. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.
I enjoyed the first part of the book much better than the first. It was hard to see Nancy so thoroughly manipulated in the second part. This part was very downbeat and was harder for me to get through, but I still really enjoyed the book overall as well as the more hopeful ending. This is the only book I’ve read by this author, but I would definitely read others.
I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Bookouture. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.
March 22, 2021
Well, this was a pleasant surprise.
In the beginning of the book, I thought I had it all figured out. I was wrong.
While I got one thing right far before the reveal, the rest of what happened was definitely unexpected! I ended up really loving certain characters far more than I expected to and found myself really involved with them…and really worried about one or two!
The author throws in some deft surprises and the book ends with a satisfying punch!
Nicely done!
*ARC via Net Galley
In the beginning of the book, I thought I had it all figured out. I was wrong.
While I got one thing right far before the reveal, the rest of what happened was definitely unexpected! I ended up really loving certain characters far more than I expected to and found myself really involved with them…and really worried about one or two!
The author throws in some deft surprises and the book ends with a satisfying punch!
Nicely done!
*ARC via Net Galley
August 4, 2021
Great book, good storyline, kept me interested throughout.
April 21, 2021
First of all, a big thank you to Bookouture for the ARC of The Liar's Daughter.
Wow! Rona Halsall exceeded my expectations with this one! What an intriguing and twisty book this turned out to be.
Eva, an only child, has taken a break from her two jobs to help her mom, Linda, take care of her father, Mike. Suffering from dementia he is quickly becoming a shadow of the man he once was.
Eva's entire life is turned upside down when Linda receives a call from a hospital stating that Nancy, Eva's sister has been in an accident. She has acquired a head injury and needs someone to pick her up from the hospital and take her home.
Wait.. what?!
Eva has spent her entire life believing she was an only child and is horrified that her parents have been deceiving her all of these years. Linda informs her that Nancy ran away when she was sixteen and it was presumed she was dead.
Determined to get some answers, Eva decides that she will go to the hospital and spend some time with Nancy.
Upon meeting Nancy it is very clear from the get-go that Nancy has no interest or desire to dreg up the past and is not the sister Eva had hoped for. Back at the farm where Nancy lives, something feels off-kilter. Eva is certain Nancy is hiding something. As the story progresses it is clear things are not as they appear. Eva has the feeling that something sinister is going on. Nancy is very hostile at times and her moods are all over the place. That's just her head injury, right?
I felt such empathy for Eva. She had spent her entire life longing for a sister. Once she found out that she did have one, she had so many preconceived ideas on what their relationship would be like. Nancy was nothing like Eva had imagined and her disappointment was palpable. She was a likeable character and her emotions were conveyed well.
The first half of this story was told from Eva's point of view, the second being told from Nancy's. The plot became more complex at this point and we discover the truth.
Let's just say I was pleasantly surprised by The Liar's Daughter. At first, it seemed like a fairly straight-forward story. However, it is soon made apparent it is anything but. It was full of surprises and twists that I did not see coming. As the truth came to light I was struck with a wide range of emotions; disbelief, anger, and empathy for the main characters. The writing was clear and engaging and held my interest. Everything made sense in the end and I was satisfied with the conclusion.
The Liar's Daughter has it all: suspense, mystery, and family drama. I would highly recommend this book. Rona Halsall is a talented author and I look forward to reading more of her work.
Wow! Rona Halsall exceeded my expectations with this one! What an intriguing and twisty book this turned out to be.
Eva, an only child, has taken a break from her two jobs to help her mom, Linda, take care of her father, Mike. Suffering from dementia he is quickly becoming a shadow of the man he once was.
Eva's entire life is turned upside down when Linda receives a call from a hospital stating that Nancy, Eva's sister has been in an accident. She has acquired a head injury and needs someone to pick her up from the hospital and take her home.
Wait.. what?!
Eva has spent her entire life believing she was an only child and is horrified that her parents have been deceiving her all of these years. Linda informs her that Nancy ran away when she was sixteen and it was presumed she was dead.
Determined to get some answers, Eva decides that she will go to the hospital and spend some time with Nancy.
Upon meeting Nancy it is very clear from the get-go that Nancy has no interest or desire to dreg up the past and is not the sister Eva had hoped for. Back at the farm where Nancy lives, something feels off-kilter. Eva is certain Nancy is hiding something. As the story progresses it is clear things are not as they appear. Eva has the feeling that something sinister is going on. Nancy is very hostile at times and her moods are all over the place. That's just her head injury, right?
I felt such empathy for Eva. She had spent her entire life longing for a sister. Once she found out that she did have one, she had so many preconceived ideas on what their relationship would be like. Nancy was nothing like Eva had imagined and her disappointment was palpable. She was a likeable character and her emotions were conveyed well.
The first half of this story was told from Eva's point of view, the second being told from Nancy's. The plot became more complex at this point and we discover the truth.
Let's just say I was pleasantly surprised by The Liar's Daughter. At first, it seemed like a fairly straight-forward story. However, it is soon made apparent it is anything but. It was full of surprises and twists that I did not see coming. As the truth came to light I was struck with a wide range of emotions; disbelief, anger, and empathy for the main characters. The writing was clear and engaging and held my interest. Everything made sense in the end and I was satisfied with the conclusion.
The Liar's Daughter has it all: suspense, mystery, and family drama. I would highly recommend this book. Rona Halsall is a talented author and I look forward to reading more of her work.
March 17, 2021
When Eva’s stepmum, Linda, takes a phone call, it’s not long before Eva’s world turns upside down. Eva’s mum died soon after giving birth to her, Linda and Eva’s dad brought her up together. Linda reveals that the call was from a hospital to say that Eva’s sister, Nancy is in hospital with a head wound. Eva didn’t know she had an older sister!
This is a fantastic psychological thriller with a clever plot. The twists in this book were fantastic and threw me completely off the scent! The characters are believable and I felt really sorry for Eva, I found that I could identify with her. Beautiful descriptive writing of Wales, I could picture it all so clearly in my head.
I would highly recommend this book.
My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my copy of the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This is a fantastic psychological thriller with a clever plot. The twists in this book were fantastic and threw me completely off the scent! The characters are believable and I felt really sorry for Eva, I found that I could identify with her. Beautiful descriptive writing of Wales, I could picture it all so clearly in my head.
I would highly recommend this book.
My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my copy of the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
June 16, 2021
24-year-old Eva has returned home to help her stepmother care for her father who is suffering with dementia. Then the phone rings and Eva’s world is turned upside down. She has a sister, who she never knew about, and her parents presumed dead.
This was an intriguing, absorbing mystery that had me guessing. It started off a little slow, but it soon picked up and I was finding myself turning the pages to find out what happened next. I thought I’d guessed part of the ending/revelations, however I was beyond wrong and I was definitely there for it! The mystery about why Nancy left all those years ago was interesting. Not too hard to follow, but complex enough to not be boring. I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to give it away but it was an excellent representation of manipulative relationships, how vulnerable people are easier to manipulative, making them think there are no other options.
Nancy was an intriguing character. Mysterious and like she had a million secrets just lingering beneath the surface. You could never tell if she was lying or telling the truth and that’s what made her a brilliant, well-rounded character. I loved how the story shifted to reading about what happened after she left home. I loved been able to see and read about what happened through her own eyes rather than just been told.
The farmhouse was a fantastic setting. It had all the elements; creepy, isolated, strange. It was almost like it had its own personality. It drew me into the story.
Overall, a fantastic, well-developed story full of intrigue, complex characters and a brilliant ending. Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author, for a chance to read this book for an honest review.
This was an intriguing, absorbing mystery that had me guessing. It started off a little slow, but it soon picked up and I was finding myself turning the pages to find out what happened next. I thought I’d guessed part of the ending/revelations, however I was beyond wrong and I was definitely there for it! The mystery about why Nancy left all those years ago was interesting. Not too hard to follow, but complex enough to not be boring. I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to give it away but it was an excellent representation of manipulative relationships, how vulnerable people are easier to manipulative, making them think there are no other options.
Nancy was an intriguing character. Mysterious and like she had a million secrets just lingering beneath the surface. You could never tell if she was lying or telling the truth and that’s what made her a brilliant, well-rounded character. I loved how the story shifted to reading about what happened after she left home. I loved been able to see and read about what happened through her own eyes rather than just been told.
The farmhouse was a fantastic setting. It had all the elements; creepy, isolated, strange. It was almost like it had its own personality. It drew me into the story.
Overall, a fantastic, well-developed story full of intrigue, complex characters and a brilliant ending. Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author, for a chance to read this book for an honest review.
April 19, 2021
The Liars Daughter is one hell of a book.
When Eva discovers she has a sister after a phone call from the hospital saying she has a nasty head injury and can’t be discharged home alone, she feels compelled to meet her and take care of her in her hour of need, even though her mum is dead set against it.
Nancy left home before Eva was born, aged 16, after the death of their mum when Eva was born. She had left her clothes under the pier and they had assumed she had taken her own life.
Eva is furious with her step mum and dad, but her dad has dementia so she has no way of getting any answers from him and her step mum isn’t too keen on telling the truth in favour of keeping the peace. She decides if she wants answers she has to get to know Nancy and find out what happened.
The story and characters are so well written, it’s fast paced and totally gripping. I just couldn’t bare to put it down!!
When Eva discovers she has a sister after a phone call from the hospital saying she has a nasty head injury and can’t be discharged home alone, she feels compelled to meet her and take care of her in her hour of need, even though her mum is dead set against it.
Nancy left home before Eva was born, aged 16, after the death of their mum when Eva was born. She had left her clothes under the pier and they had assumed she had taken her own life.
Eva is furious with her step mum and dad, but her dad has dementia so she has no way of getting any answers from him and her step mum isn’t too keen on telling the truth in favour of keeping the peace. She decides if she wants answers she has to get to know Nancy and find out what happened.
The story and characters are so well written, it’s fast paced and totally gripping. I just couldn’t bare to put it down!!
March 31, 2021
This had a super cool premise-Eva’s mom gets a call from the hospital saying that her daughter has been brought in and needs someone to come to the hospital before they can discharge her-the only problem is, she thought her daughter committed suicide over 20 years ago. Eva decides to go to the hospital and see what’s going on, with the hopes that it really is her sister and get some answers as to where she’s been all this time. However, once Eva starts uncovering some of the layers to her “sister” she realizes that there’s a whole lot of secrets in her family, and her sister isn’t the only one keeping them.
This was a dark family/domestic thriller and I liked that there were so many secrets revealed and just when you think that there’s no more, there’s more! Some of them I saw coming, but others I didn’t. Definitely a page turner.
This was a dark family/domestic thriller and I liked that there were so many secrets revealed and just when you think that there’s no more, there’s more! Some of them I saw coming, but others I didn’t. Definitely a page turner.
April 7, 2021
Aged 24 and struggling to accept her father's dementia, Eva finds out she has a sister 16 years older than her. And that's not the only secret she's going to unearth.
The Missing Sister is a family related psychological thriller, with a lot of twists and turns to keep you engaged till the very end.
I have to say that this is a very slow burn, I found the first part hard to get into honestly, but then the second one starts and BAM it hits you and becomes a real page turner, definitely unputdownable!
Highly recommended if you don't mind a slow burn.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Missing Sister is a family related psychological thriller, with a lot of twists and turns to keep you engaged till the very end.
I have to say that this is a very slow burn, I found the first part hard to get into honestly, but then the second one starts and BAM it hits you and becomes a real page turner, definitely unputdownable!
Highly recommended if you don't mind a slow burn.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 8, 2021
I was so looking forward to reading this book and I was not disappointed, I loved the fast pacing of the story, the roller coaster of what was going on as well as the roller coaster of emotions that you could sense through the characters, I was guessing a bit as the storyline had a few things thrown in that I never though off and in some places my mind was screaming out, I really loved this book and look for forward to reading more from Rona
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