The Sister Wife’s Daughter

Gray West Mystery #4

by Anya Mora

I was told my daughter Esther died days after she was born, fourteen years ago.

Now I know she is alive.

And she’s been charged with murder.

Esther has been living in foster care all her life, not knowing her mother ached for her. Was willing to fight for her.

Now is my chance to make up for lost time.

I will do anything to get my daughter back. Her father tried to take her from me once, but now nothing will get in my way.

I just have to prove her innocence. Trouble is, she’s run away.

Before I can I fight for her freedom, I have to find my daughter.

And I will do anything to make that happen. Anything.

I haven’t clawed my way out of a cult only to lose my child once more.

Genres: Romance, Audiobook

168 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 6, 2022

About the author

Anya Mora relies on her experience as a wife and mother to form her creative expression. Her novels, while leaning toward the dark, ultimately reflect light, courage, and her innate belief that love rewards the brave.

You can discover more about the author at https://anyamora.com

Reviews

[Shirley Torrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished the Gray West Series

[Brenda Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fourth book in the Gray West series. I really enjoyed this sister wife’s series. Hated to see it end.

[Caroline 'relaxing with my rescue dogs' · Rating 4 out of 5]

In retrospect I really did need to have read the other books in the series as there was so much especially at the start which depended on it It was an easy read and I enjoyed it. I finished it quickly. I will probably go back and read the others in the series as it was entertaining.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jenn McEvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished the Gray West series and I really enjoyed it!!

I listened to the audiobooks for this series and FLEW through them. They are short, binge worthy, and addicting!

Gray was one of my favorite characters! If Gray was a real person, I would definitely be friends with her. She was such a strong woman and I admired her a lot.

Highly recommend this series if you enjoy mystery/thriller books.

[Cath · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book four of the Gray West Mystery series and takes place just after Gray finds out that her second child, Esther, did not in fact die just days after she was born like her husband, the prophet, Jeremiah told her. Esther had taken a DNA test and due to Ruthie being kidnapped recently, the family’s DNA was taken and put in the system. Her long lost daughter is alive, but has been stuck in the foster system for fourteen years and they haven’t been happy ones. All Gray remembers of her baby, was that she would scream non-stop, but that she also looked like Micah, Jeremiah’s right hand man, that he made her sleep with because it was the will of God. It seems like having a baby that resembled this other man was too much for Jeremiah and he dumped the baby outside a fire station, whilst telling Gray he was taking her to the hospital. The only problem getting in the way of Gray going to her daughter, is the fact she is wanted for murder after her foster dad was shot and she is on the run! That doesn’t matter to Gray, who in fact killed a man she was being forced to marry in the cult, when she was the same age. She lived in the cult after her parents were killed in an accident and her only relatives moved in with the cult and followed the self-proclaimed prophets every wish, including marrying her off to an elder before she was even fourteen.
Gray just needs to find her desperately and doesn’t believe she is guilty of the murder, no matter what the foster mother Kara said to the police. There must have been a reason for someone so young to shoot the person who should have been keeping them safe. The news of her being alive was a shock, but she shares the news with her son Abel (16) and daughters Olive (12) and Ruthie (8), as she promised she would keep nothing secret from them after she took the girls and ran from the cult when Jeremiah started talking of Olive being ready to be married to one of the elders in the cult. She wants to know if they will accept a sister into the family as easily as she wants to, as it will a major upheaval not knowing how Esther will take to them. Boone is still a large art of her life and he has told her he loves her, but he lives an hour out of town, so she doesn’t get to see him as much as she would like. He and Charlie, a fellow cop who changes career shortly after the story starts, break the news to her and Charlie is interested in word of the cult reforming in Oregon under Micah’s leadership. Abel’s girlfriend Bethany recently lost their baby and is staying three hours away, but may soon be re-joining the cult with her family! She wants Abel to go with her, whilst Gray is adamant he stays in high school and has a normal teenage life. None of her children have had a normal life, being brainwashed and home schooled in the cult, having none of normal children’s pleasures or activities to take part in.
Gray goes searching for Esther in a nearby town, after Charlie manages to get Esther’s records for her from Child Services, off the record as she is no longer a cop. But Boone has to turn a blind eye to all of that and just hope Gray knows what she is doing and is not putting herself into danger. He is the one who helped her when Ruthie was kidnapped and he knows most of what she has gone through with the cult and since and is still willing to be by her side and support her, which she loves him for. She just doesn’t want to be a burden upon him. Finding Esther is the fairly easy part, having her in her house means Boone cannot be around and she misses him dearly, but working out the truth of what happened in the foster home is more difficult, as Esther is not telling her the truth and runs away when pushed. Right into the arms of local cops who have been looking for her. Boone tells his sister Cassie, a lawyer, to be ready for Gray’s call, even though he can’t tell her himself. The truth will come out eventually and Gray’s insistence on proving Esther’s innocence will prevail. Gray will do anything for her children, even running away from a cult and having to leave her son initially, and even more for a child she long thought dead and who she has been separated from cruelly for fourteen years! Gray is an incredibly strong woman, who didn’t want what happened to her, happen to her daughters and will fight for their rights with everything she has. She managed to take down a whole cult and stop a mass suicide her husband tried to orchestrate. Nothing is too much for her when it comes to her children and she often refuses to believe how strong and brave she is for the actions she has taken. A fantastic rounding off of Gray’s time as a sister wife and her strength in rescuing her children from the cult and making a life for them, starting with nothing and building her way up in a world she was completely unfamiliar with. She has even found love with a man who has suffered his own loss and finds comfort in her strength and determination to keep her family safe. The whole series has been a joy to read. It covers dark and disturbing scenarios, but is done brilliantly and pulls you in, leaving you hoping for Gray to succeed and get her kids away from the cult and with a chance for a normal life. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.

[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this wee trilogy of Anya Mora's books. Following the story of Gray, her kids, and Boone really was lovely, despite everything that went on during the story lines. There is nothing mind blowing in them, but they were easy, enjoyable reads.

[Marinda Wise · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dumb. Kept my attention but very unbelievable

[Poonguzhali A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anya Mora's The Sister Wife's series had always stayed in my mind because of the unique premise of the characters previously belonging to a cult. She did a fairly good job of getting into the mind-set of such people and working it into a story in an engaging way.

The last book in the series ended on a suspenseful cliffhanger and I was eagerly waiting for the next book. Though the wait was longer, it was totally worth it. The story in this book was much more engaging and wonderfully intriguing than the books of the series. It was a fast-paced, thriller with some good suspense.

The main character Gray is the character I loved the most in the series. The author has done a great job in showing a great arc for the character all the while making us sympathies with her plight and all the hardships she has gone through. The various stages her mind and thoughts go through have been drafted excellently by the author and it's clear she has done her research. Overall, this book was the most entertaining of the lot and I enjoyed it the most.

However, I should also mention that the author has got a uniquely abrupt writing style and I feel she doesn't give the characters enough time to go through the arc they have, in a way it is believable to the reader. I still gave all the books in the series 5 stars, particularly because, however written, I enjoyed the short and crisp thriller stories of all the books in this series.

The series is an enjoyable read for anyone who likes to read short, fast- paced thrillers with a unique premise.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Andra Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sister Wife's Daughter is the fourth book in the Gray West Mystery series. Picking up after The Sister Wife's Husband, Gray struggles to carve out a normal life for her children and herself. Steady by her side is Boone, the man who literally took a bullet for her in the last book. As Gray processes the fact that her daughter Esther is not dead and is now charged with murder, she is determined to find her daughter and help her.

With much suspense, drama, lower action than the last books, a few surprising twists, and mystery, The Sister Wife's Daughter is another hit for Anya Mora. The book is an easy-to-read page-turner, and the characters continue to be endearing and wholly relatable. When you read these stories, you think this could happen and probably is somewhere closer to us than we want to believe.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[dreamlightwolfsbane · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the last in a four book series about a woman that escaped a cult with her two daughters but had to leave behind her son. The four books have four distinct stories though they each run into the next one, minute into minute. This was the weakest of the four, it introduced a long lost daughter and the MC’s fight to bring her home. The story, like the others, held my attention and the stories were all set with the backdrop of this cult that she escaped. I enjoy learning about cults and have read some non-fiction on the subject but I also enjoy fiction books that are either directly about a cult or where the cult is like another character in the story like this one. I’m glad I read the whole series. I just wish I could have liked the long lost daughter’s character in the way I enjoyed the others. Each book was very short and I devoured the series in what felt like one sitting!

[Lindatugby81 · Rating 5 out of 5]

My husband told me our daughter died just days after she was born.
He lied .

Esther was born premature , she wasn’t very strong. My husband took her to hospital , but when he came back , there was no baby in his arms.

She didn’t make it , he said . At that moment my world fell apart. And I knew I would never be whole again without her.

Now, fourteen years later, I get a call . Esther didn’t die . My husband abandoned her at the fire station. The reason why is beyond terrible. He lied to me. He lied to everyone at Garden Temple.

My little girl is alive .She’s been living in foster care all these years . I have to see her . I have to find her and bring her back home to her family.But the cops are saying I can’t .

‘Esther has run away, there’s a warrant out for her arrest . And she’s being charged with murder .’

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gray fought hard to break herself and her children out of the Garden Temple once her husband Jeremiah decided their daughter Olive, then twelve, should be made to marry a grown man.

A missing piece of their family is discovered.

Can Gray count on Boone and her friends to help this time?

what dangers loom for all of them? Jeremiah is dead, but his best friend Micah is working to rebuild the cult in Southern Oregon

sometimes love and a mother's worries are not enough to keep their world from falling apart again

resilient family and friends loves shared

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gray has been through a lot and finding out a daughter she thought died at birth is alive and in trouble puts Gray into mommy mode and she will do whatever it takes to find her and bring her home safely. I have read all four books in this series and I loved them all. This author has given us a captivating read with mystery, suspense, danger, family drama, love, and angst. This page turning story had me on the edge of my seat wondering how it would end. I definitely recommend this book, this series, and this author to everyone looking for a great book to read. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anya Mora's Her Baby picks up right where the previous one left off, and boy was I glad! I love that the books in this series do that.

However, there are some noticeable sentence structure and continuity errors that should have been caught during the editing process.

The romance aspect spans all four books and started so cute but overall feels like it missed its full potential, not quite hitting the mark. Additionally, the ending seemed rushed, as if it was hastily trying to tie everything together.

While it was a great read and I loved having these characters a bit longer, it didn't capture the same excitement as the first two in the series.

[Deb Le · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is pure gold dust. It is so thought provoking. The choices that Gray has to make are heart wrenching, and always very much in the grey zone. How can you decide to help one of your children, when it is not guaranteed safe to your other children, who do you privilege? I love Anya More's take on motherhood and the way that no path is black or white, and basically you have to rely on gut feeling to navigate the best course for eveyone and living in doubt. Beautiful character work and writing.

[Billie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fourth and final book in the Grey West series. I loved the author's take on the struggles Grey had to overcome after choosing to take her daughters and flee from the only life she's known, a cult called The Garden. This whole series is very well researched and fast paced that I read it in no time!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sukaina Majeed · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of a mother,a protector an engaging read!

Story of a mother and her endless love for her children. The book was intense, light and really enjoyable in the thriller section. loved the way the comparison and the realisation hits Gray about running which she herself did once upon a time. story of a protector,a story about strong female characters in it to save the other girls. Makes you emotionally invested in the narrative.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sister Wife's Daughter is book 4 in the Gray West Mystery series. Unfortunately, I did not note this fact when I downloaded this book. It is a concise, well written mystery about a woman and children who have escaped from a cult. I plan to read read the first three books to get to the beginning of this saga.

[Sherelyn Wade · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't stop reading...

I read this series straight through.. Had to..couldn't stop! At the end of one I would think "what else can this woman go through" and sure enough here came another situation! What a strong lady ! I enjoyed this series immensely!

[Courtney Lane · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be fair this is probably closer to a 3.75 it just wasn’t as good as the other 3 in my opinion. It seemed a little rushed. I did like the ending but would have loved to have had an epilogue or something for the last book.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars - maybe the least favorite of the 4 book series for me.. not sure why? I didn't have the same connection this time around. Will there be another book? Will we see what happens with Boone and Gray? I hope so!

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her Baby - Anya Mora

Fourth book in a series and it’s a quick, easy, and enjoyable read. I love how it wasn’t dragged out and there wasn’t a bunch of fluff to stretch it out. Perfect!

[Tricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read!

This the 4th and final book in the series and I was not disappointed in the least. Gray is a mother that loves her children, and when she finds out she has another child that is alive, but previously presumed to be dead...she is on a mission to find them.

[celene irwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful story

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The author has a lovely soft temperament and creates the character as a real family woman that has been through a lot of hard times. Thank you to the author for sharing

[LORRIE · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was amazing. It was scary, heart wrenching, and sad. There were also tears, fears and lots of love

[Lisa Seidel · Rating 3 out of 5]

good

Maybe the weakest in the series, but worth a read. Tied up some loose ends. Worth reading the series overall. Some obvious typos, but good.

[Jacqueline Lachut · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started off interesting, but got boring in the middle. I flipped to the end, just to find out the ending.

[Ann Roman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audio book

[Megan McSherry · Rating 2 out of 5]

my least favorite out of the four books. just seems so unrealistic on so many levels