My Sister’s Child

by Karen Clarke

I promised her I'd protect him… and I'll do anything to keep him safe.

Five years ago, my sister Rachel left her baby boy on my doorstep. A little bundle wrapped in blankets.

I loved him. I cared for him. I called him Noah and raised him as my own.

Rachel was full of secrets, and the truth about Noah was one we shared. A secret just between sisters.

Now, my sister is dead. The police say it was an accident… But I’m convinced that’s a lie.

I owe it to Rachel to uncover the truth… Even if I risk losing the family I’ve fought so hard for.

Dark family secrets rise to the surface in this utterly gripping and emotional page-turner! My Sister’s Child will keep you reading long into the night and is perfect for fans of Nicole Trope and Claire Amarti!

Genres: Thriller, Audiobook, Psychological, Mystery Thriller

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 8, 2021

About the author

I live in Buckinghamshire with my husband and three grown-up children where I write psychological thrillers for HQDigital/HarperCollins and romantic comedy novels published by Bookouture.

Over the years I've been a secretary/bookkeeper, a wedding photographer, a pub manager, I've worked in a supermarket, a newsagent's and as a librarian - all good for story ideas.

I now write full-time and when I'm not writing, I read a lot, enjoy walking - which is good for plot-wrangling and ideas - photography, watching Netflix, baking and eating cakes. And then more walking to work off the cakes.

Reviews

[Gabriel · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. There is something about the synopsis of this book that caught my attention. I love reading mystery novels I don't want to sound creepy, but I always find it entertaining when someone dies the killer is among the people who are close to them. The investigation throughout the book reveals everyone's dark secrets. All of the suspects are then narrowed down and the facts point out to a single person as the culprit.
This could have been a five star book for me, but it wasn't the case because I was able to guess the secret of the husband's secret and that is, he is the biological father of Rachel his sister in law's son and the reason she decided to give her baby to Jess was to pay for sins. Cheating is the common formula that makes the majority of T.V shows, movies and books it has become redundant that it's no longer interesting because I feel like they are romanticizing adultery which is not okay.
With being said, I really love the author's writing style and I will definitely try other books by this author and would recommend this book to those who are looking a quick to read or for those who are interested in trying mystery genre but doesn't have the slightest idea of where to start.

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Five years ago, my sister Rachel left her baby boy on my doorstep. A little bundle wrapped in blankets. I loved him. I cared for him. I called him Noah and raised him as my own. Rachel was full of secrets, and the truth about Noah was one we shared. A secret just between sisters. Now, my sister is dead. The police say it was an accident.... But I'm convinced that was a lie. I owe it to Rachel to uncover the truth....

This story will keep you guessing throughout. With character you will automatically presume are guilty, you will be wrong every time. It's quite an emotional book to read. The police think Rachel drowned. Believing it was murder, Jess starts her own investigation. With secrets and lies, the truth must be told. The pace is steady throughout. The ending was perfect.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HQDidital and the author #KarenClarke for my ARC of #MySistersChild in exchange for an honest review.

[Dana-Adriana B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a strange story. Can be that simple what Rachel did, giving her unborn baby to her sister, like a parcel? And Jess is living in a constant fear that Rachel or the biological father will take Noah away.
But now Rachel. is found dead and Jess thinks she was murdered. Things are complicated.
Thanks to NetGalley for this nice book.

[Sue Gerhardt Griffiths · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Ooh, this was a good one! Family secrets and lies are overflowing to bursting in this psychological suspense, and trying to solve the story was impossible, it truly kept me guessing until the last chapter, and oh, those twists were relentless.

A child

Two sisters - one reliable, one reckless

Two good men

A few that can’t be trusted

Menacing characters

Lots of tension

Brilliant!

BorrowBox
Published by: HQ Digital
Duration: 9 hours, 38 minutes - 1.50x Speed
Read by Rose Robinson, Philip Bretherton

[Nicola “Shortbookthyme” · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a story full of twists and turns. There is just a bit TOO much going on within the story. Talk about everyone having secrets. Literally…..everyone.
Overall, a ok read for me.
I liked the authors writing style and would like to read more books by her.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

[Georgina Abbotts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five years ago my sister Rachel left her baby boy on my doorstep.a little buddle wrapped in blankets . I named him Noah I loved him,cared for him and raised him as my own.Jess and her dad get the deverstating news that Rachel's body has been found in the canal.at the funeral service a guy called will goes to chat with Jessica.but when Jessica's dad comes over will leaves.Will was the boss at the gallery Rachel worked in he had some concerns and worries that it wasn't accidental death.Will helps Jess uncover the truth it seems the people she should be able to trust her husband and dad. Have been keeping secrets and lies which hurt Jess.i loved this it was my first ever read by this author I can't wait to see what. Other books she has wrote. I highly recommend this book is full of twists,lies betrayal,Grief and love

[nabilahhh · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5/5⭐️
Bagian awal2nya seru dan bikin kepo. Ada 2 twist, twist pertamanya udah ketebak banget tapi twist keduanya agak gak disangka. Ada juga part yg bikin sedikit emosional tentang kehidupan si Jess dan keluarganya.

[Laurie Golota · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put it down!!

[NewsomeThings · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of a 3.5 for me

[Adele Shea · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning of this book felt very slow to me but just before I got half way through I couldn’t read it quick enough. I kept thinking I had it all figured out and I didn’t.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Sophie Sheppard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rachel left her baby boy on her sister Jess’ doorstep for her to raise as her own. Jess has looked after Noah with her husband Adam for the last five years and for Jess they have been the best of her life she has wanted to be a mother for a long time but sadly it hasn’t happened for her now thanks to Rachel she has the chance that she has always wanted.

Now Rachel is dead, the police say it was an accident but Jess and Rachel’s old boss Will aren’t so sure and now Jess is receiving anonymous messages from someone claiming to know that Noah isn’t really her son and is ready to do all they can to fight for Noah. Out of her mind with worry Jess confides in Adam who seems worried however he isn’t anywhere near as concerned as she is.

Determined to get to the bottom of this Jess launches her own personal investigation trying to get to the bottom of whether or not Rachel’s death was indeed an accident or if it was murder as well as trying to find out who is behind the threatening messages regarding her son.

This book kept me interested all the way through and had me hooked right from the start. I can honestly not remember reading a book with so much suspense right from the start until the very end. There were so many questions I had all the way through and I just wanted to read on and discover the answers to all the secrets. Plus I loved the ending I had no idea that was coming and I would never have guessed the outcome in a million years.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I honestly cannot recommend this book enough and I certainly think I’ll be looking to read more books by Karen Clarke!

[Hazel · Rating 5 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher HQ for the ARC.

This is a really cleverly-written psychological thriller with a complex, absorbing story with lots of tension, which builds from individual droplets of fear and worry into a full-blown torrent of exposed secrets, betrayal and lies. Wow!

The story begins with the death of 27yr-old Rachel - estranged sister to 35yr-old Jess. The death is ruled to be an accident where Rachel, being drunk, had fallen into the canal at Camden. Following her return to the Lake District Jess starts to receive anonymous notes about her 5yr-old son Noah and his true parentage. Yes, it's true that 6 years previously Rachel became pregnant and, the father being out of the picture, offered her sister Jess the baby (Jess and husband Adam had been trying unsuccessfully for years). They couldn't have been happier for the last 5+ years, only now they're worried that the real father wants Noah back and Jess thinks she knows who that is - or alternatively, someone knows their secret and they'll be blackmailed.

Rachel's boss at a London gallery contacts Jess and seeds the idea that he thinks Jess could in fact have been murdered and they loosely work together on their own investigation. Meanwhile, Jess asks family friend Denny (an ex-policeman turned investigator) to keep an eye on Noah for her.

Intermittently the narrative provides us with a series of un-sent emails from Rachel to Jess which result in explosive revelations.

Now, as much as I'd like to tell you more, I daren't for fear of spoilers. Don't be fooled by the seemingly innocuous and, perhaps, slow beginning, this is definitely one to stick to. It's a tense and emotional read, with well-drawn, menacing and intriguing, characters.

What can I say? Thoroughly recommended.

[Hannah Symonds · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think Karen writes a brilliant psychological thriller, her stories are always packed full of intrigued and twists and turns. There are some great characters with believable and relatable lives, the plot is paced well, it captivates you so you want to keep reading on. I liked the sound of the plot too. Karen's writing gives you that level of intrigue that you just want to read a bit more. You wonder what is going to happen but the twists that happen in the book will leave you on the edge of your seat, when the first big twist came, I didn't really know what the outcome was going to be. But it was very good, and kept me engaged till the end. I look forward to Karen's next book. They are just brilliant.

[Denise Forrest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jess and Adam can’t have children, so when Jess’ estranged sister Rachel falls pregnant and doesn’t want to keep the baby, what better solution than to give him to Jess and Adam? All is well until shortly before Noah’s sixth birthday when Rachel dies in mysterious circumstances and then an anonymous note arrives, instructing Jess to tell Noah who his father is.

Jess starts asking questions. Who knows about Noah’s parentage? Was Rachel murdered? Is the life they’ve built for themselves about to come crashing down?

The story is full of red herrings, lies, secrets, twists and turns. I was gripped from the very beginning and found it hard to put down. I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[»»ᅳAmmie ᅳ► · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jess's sister rachel leaves her baby boy at the door for jess to bring up as her own love him as her own.Everything is great, but the worry that Rachel could come back to collect noah at any time hangs over jess. Until Rachel was found dead and ruled as an accident, which seems believable until jess gets a text one day .What really happened to Rachel? And why did it happened , what other secrets can be unravelled ? Jess's partner & father want her to leave it alone and move on, but jess is set out to unravel the truth once and for all even meeting new friends and suspects on the way .With the greatest twist/shock, Jess's world falls apart in a matter of seconds . Can she forgive the people who she once trusted, or will she set out for a new beginning .

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Sister's Child is a story of many secrets in a family. Rachel is pregnant and doesn't want to keep the baby. Jess who has been unable to get pregnant decides that she will raise the baby as her own. She promised Jess she would protect and keep him safe.

Rachel has drowned and the police think it was an accident. Jess believes it was murder and she investigates her sister and those around her.

This family has so many secrets it's amazing they could keep them a secret for so long. The truth comes out and as always there is great fallout within the family as they each deal with the truth.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for an unbiased review.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jess has raised Noah, her sister Rachel's child, as her own since he was left on her doorstop five years ago. She loves this little boy more than she could have imagined. But now, tragedy has struck- Rachel has drowned. Jess's search for the truth about what happened to her might mean the end to her happy life (albeit one which has always had a shadow). It's important to know even if old secrets and big lies must come out. It's hard to review without spoilers but know that it's plausible scenario in a genre where they sometimes are not. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Clarke does an especially nice job with the tension- it's a good read.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Sister’s Child by Karen Clarke was a cleverly written psychological thriller with a complex, emotional issues. This book has lots of betrayal, lies and secrets with lots of twists and turns, that built this story into a great book!

Wow! I loved it especially as it was my first book by Karen Clarke. I will be looking to read more of her books in the future!

I highly recommend this book. 5 Stars from me.

Big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review

[Bookstarreviews_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

This was a brilliant, and at times, an emotional read!

This was a lovely read and I loved Jess’ character. She was real, headstrong, and cared so much for Noah. There were times during the read I wanted to be with Jess to help her figure things out or make her aware of the red flags. However, Jess was able to work things out and the twists that were involved in this were cleverly written.

This was a fast paced page turner and Karen Clarke definitely impressed with this read. I look forward to reading more of their work! 🔥📚

[Hannah Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! Both me and my friend bought copies and so we read through it at the same time!

I loved how I was always questioning people's part in how things were going. And flip flopping between wondering who the biological father was, or wether it was really an accident that Rachel had died, but never in a million years did I expect that outcome for the killer!

I loved piecing everything together, and it was even better bouncing ideas off my friend too 🤣

I would definitely recommend giving this book a read if it's the type of genre you love!!

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book grabbed me from the very first page. The story was exciting and well written with a very shocking ending. I can usually guess who the culprit is but this had me stumped. Very clever, but left me feeling quite sad at times. Interesting characters and lots of red herrings to keep readers guessing – a great read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me the ARC in return for an honest review.

[Simonne Lambert · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Sister’s Child by Karen Clarke is a well written suspenseful novel that kept me reading long into the night. I did guess the first big reveal but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment. The characters are well developed and relatable. The tension rises throughout the story until all is revealed….which was a surprise to me. A good thriller. The story takes place in the Lake District which is a place I hold close to my heart. Recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

[Anne Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am struggling to write this response to the book. In many ways, it was quite well-written with plenty of suspenseful moments and mystery. But, all in all, I found the plot a bit much. So many reveals, in fact too many. It all began to irritate me by the time I reached the end.

I thought that this book would be worth four stars, but when I eventually finished it felt more like a three star: OK, with good parts, but overall not really satisfying to read.

[Aki J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rachel gave Jess her son to raise and disappeared into the night. Now Rachel is dead from apparent suicide, but Jess becomes convinced it's murder.

"My Sister's Child" is is based on a lie, and keeps that energy the whole way through and is full of twists and turns. All families have secrets but it seems every single character in Jess's life (except the one you suspect the whole way through) has something to hide. Perhaps this book had a few too many twists for me...

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

How desperate must one be to leave their baby? At least the baby is left with the sister. The sister lovingly cares for the baby boy. Throughout the story, there is concern that one day the "real" mom will return and claim her child. The author weaves a story around this and the suspected death of the baby's birth mom. I am sure the author meant to develop the story in a way in which situation would make sense to the reader, but I became bogged down while reading the book.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

📚My Sister’s Child
✍️Karen Clarke
🎧Audiobook
5⭐️

Another brilliant domestic thriller from Karen Clarke! Jess has been raising her sister Rachel’s child for five years when Rachel dies in unsuspicious circumstances. Jess is convinced otherwise however and is determined to prove it. In the course of this informal investigation, Jess learns secrets about her parents and her husband, which cause her life to unravel.

Perfectly plotted and paced, with revelations that fit and flowed.

[Ashlie Putnam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jess and Adam tried for years to desperately have a baby. When Rachel, Jess’ wayward sister emails her saying she’s pregnant and it’s hers if she wants it. Having struggled with alcohol addiction, she tells Jess if she doesn’t take him she’ll find a different family. Jess and Adam know their prayers have been answered, until 6 years later when Rachel ends up drowned in a canal with a death Jess can’t seem to let go.

[STEVEN GRAY · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. Listened to the audiobook. I’m surprised this book seems to be flying under the radar, I absolutely loved it. Just the right amount of potential protagonists, you’re constantly reassessing who the guilty parties might be. But not in a mind-bending overly complicated way like some books. Felt engaged with the characters from the start. The ending felt a little drawn out but you have to get the word count up, don’t you? Recommended.

[Amanda Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've loved all of Karen Clarke's books, and My Sister's Child is no exception. Beautifully written, with characters that leap off the page, and feel so real, you can't help but race through the pages to see what will happen next.

My Sister's Child keeps you guessing, combines suspense and emotional depth to perfection, and has an ending that will shock you. An excellent read.