Sister Lost

by Brenda Lyne

Inspired by a true story, Sister Lost follows Minneapolis single mother Lexie Novak as she and her four-year-old daughter, Ava, build their new life after living under the thumb of Lexie's manipulative and emotionally distant mother.

As soon as Lexie and Ava move in to their new house on Washburn Avenue, the strange phenomena begin. Ava, normally a bright and happy girl, sleepwalks and throws violent tantrums. Lexie suffers from terrible nightmares, raging heartburn and debilitating headaches. And more than once she catches herself thinking of ways to kill the little brat.

With the help of neighbor Ryan Laughlin, Lexie and Ava must race to uncover the house's tragic history and find the source of the strange phenomena before they become its next victims. Can they figure out who's haunting the House on Washburn Avenue and reunite a dying man with his long-lost twin sister before it's too late?

320 pages, Paperback

Published September 14, 2021

About the author

Hello! I'm an indie author based in Minnesota, specializing in gripping cold case mysteries. Explore my unputdownable titles: Charlie's Mirror and Sister Lost, the full Raegan O'Rourke Mysteries series (The Thirteenth Cabin, Angel Baby, & Fool's Gold), and my newest release, Ripple Effect. If you need a nail-biting mystery with a supernatural twist, you've found your next read!

Reviews

[Madison Canizales · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting haunted house story! I loved the Minneapolis references and I enjoyed the getting to know the people who lived in the house and how it affected them. Some parts of the story were a little unrealistic for me. I didn’t like the dynamic with her mean mom and her weight and I thought the romance was rushed. I really enjoyed the ending and how the story wrapped up! Very unique and heart-breaking! Although would have loved to know what happened to everyone afterwards.

[Kenzie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am writing this review as I progress through the book.
First off, so far, the story is ok, I like that I know the various places mentioned in the book, being a native Minnesotan. The thing that is making it hard to progress is the writing style is not my cup of tea. The overuse of pet names is bothering me a lot. I do not know if its just a writers quirk, but no one here talks like that. Second, the overuse of descriptive words is prominent. I personally find it easier to understand a scene when fewer words are used and the rest is left to the reader's imagination. It's an interesting story so far, definitely not scary or creepy to me, though. Albeit, I am a seasoned horror fan, so it takes a lot to scare me. Also, the random romance/sex thrown in there seems very out of place. It was also hard to sympathize with the main character. She made a stupid mistake with someone and then expects that person to deal with it even when it was clear they did not.
The way POC characters were written is also very stereotypical. I'm extremely disappointed in that.
Now that I have finished the book, I will say that the ending was predictable. A nice way to close out a decent story. There were a lot of unanswered questions for me, but I am satisfied with the end. I do think that the romantic relationship between the characters was horribly rushed and poorly written. I will say that the ending satisfied me, though.

[Betsy]

One of the things I really loved about this book was the role the setting of Minneapolis played in the book. Also a lot of my other favorite things were included in this story: strong female protagonists, haunted houses, family drama complimenting supernatural terror and delving into the history of a place. Discovering this book was like discovering a rare gem, especially as this author is local to me. I definitely am eager to read more of her work!

A more personalized review is on my blog at:

http://glamorousbookgal.blogspot.com/...

[sandy D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this was a great book. I read Charlie’s Mirror which was the first book for this author and was excited for Sister Lost. Didn’t disappoint! From the start of the book I was very engaged with the characters and the storyline which held my excitement right to the last page. I love it when I am excited to get back to the book I am reading. Bravo Brenda Lyne for a fantastic second book. Now the hard part, waiting for the next book to come out!

[Michael Mosher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked it, I liked it as a whole and it was nice reading it. There are a few things I learned about mothers, more about the mother-child relationship. Thanks, I enjoyed the tips for those most family oriented times. And the book is a good time, it is going to be a good time. Thanks, Brenda Lyne! 5 out of 5 stars for Sister Lost, based in Minneapolis.

[Britny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good plot. Story kept my attention, but I hated the writing. Author relied on dialogue as a means to describe the setting a lot - instead of just describing the setting... Also, some conversations between characters werent very believable. Those things took me out of the story, unfortunately - which is why I gave 3 stars.

[Gretchen Seifert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting that it is a true story. Would have liked to understand how the others that lived in the house were notified of the outcome.

[Cheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This starts as a horror novel but evolves into a mystery. Ms Lyne did a wonderful job of telling this spooky story

[Connie Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was interesting to read about the location of North Mpls where I grew up. The streets that were mentioned and the weird house that occupied so many on Washburn avenue.

[Penny Watten · Rating 3 out of 5]

B- it's a good story, starts out with a bang and keeps the pace. It was also nice to read all the previous owner stories. I did think the ending would go more awry, but a good ending nonetheless.

[Gerri · Rating 5 out of 5]

HOLY MOLY!! This book was such a page turner! The story and characters pulled me so far in it left me wanting more!!!

[Rena Lehman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book held my interest from start to finish. Some areas gave me the chills. One of my favorite of her books. Great read.