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The Bad Sister
One rotten apple can spoil the bunch
The Keane sisters grew up together at Raven House, a luxurious riverside home that their mother inherited. On the day of a party at the house, tension fills the air as Jess, Natalie and Teresa all fear the exposure of things they’re desperate to hide. The beautiful evening is marred by tragedy, and a celebration turns into a nightmare when a young life is lost. It is a haunting reminder of a shocking event five years earlier. As guests eye their companions with suspicion, it’s the family who have the most to hide. They turn on one another, with breathtaking malice and irrevocable consequences.
Years later, the sisters are barely hanging on to the scraps of their relationship. As another family celebration looms, long-held secrets come rushing to the surface. But someone is determined that the past will stay dead and buried, and will stop at nothing to prevent their mistakes being uncovered.
Which sister has the most to hide? A secret that they would kill to keep…
A compelling thriller about the secrets families keep that you won’t be able to put down. Perfect for fans of Shari Lapena, Gillian McAllister and B. A. Paris.
The Keane sisters grew up together at Raven House, a luxurious riverside home that their mother inherited. On the day of a party at the house, tension fills the air as Jess, Natalie and Teresa all fear the exposure of things they’re desperate to hide. The beautiful evening is marred by tragedy, and a celebration turns into a nightmare when a young life is lost. It is a haunting reminder of a shocking event five years earlier. As guests eye their companions with suspicion, it’s the family who have the most to hide. They turn on one another, with breathtaking malice and irrevocable consequences.
Years later, the sisters are barely hanging on to the scraps of their relationship. As another family celebration looms, long-held secrets come rushing to the surface. But someone is determined that the past will stay dead and buried, and will stop at nothing to prevent their mistakes being uncovered.
Which sister has the most to hide? A secret that they would kill to keep…
A compelling thriller about the secrets families keep that you won’t be able to put down. Perfect for fans of Shari Lapena, Gillian McAllister and B. A. Paris.
362 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 21, 2022
103 people are currently reading
2445 people want to read
About the author
J.A. Corrigan
5 books110 followersJA Corrigan's new title, THE BAD SISTER is publishing 21st April 2022.
Her other works include, THE NURSE (2021) and FALLING SUNS (2016)
JA Corrigan studied in London, completing a BA Humanities degree, majoring in Modern History and English Literature.
JA also writes modern historical fiction under the pseudonym, Jules Hayes.
Her other works include, THE NURSE (2021) and FALLING SUNS (2016)
JA Corrigan studied in London, completing a BA Humanities degree, majoring in Modern History and English Literature.
JA also writes modern historical fiction under the pseudonym, Jules Hayes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
June 13, 2022
4.5 stars— I picked up “The Bad Sister” at the local library knowing nothing about the book or the author but was intrigued by the book summary. From the beginning I was very impressed with both the author’s writing style and the plot. “The Bad Sister” begins with the tragic death of Hope after her fall from a tree on a private island, leaving her three sisters Jess, Teresa, and Natalie to deal with the aftermath. The events leading up to her death as well as major events in the lives of each of the remaining sisters are then interwoven into a wonderfully written, very entertaining novel that keeps its mysteries close to the vest until the end. The author does an unbelievable job of juggling several storylines throughout the book without revealing key details that make you want to keep reading to get to the end. Each of the three sisters who share the narrative has a distinct voice that makes their arguments and interactions with one another believable. After reading so many poorly written books, it was a joy to read a book that uses language and plot twists so well. I loved the book from beginning to end and am definitely interested in reading more from this author.
May 20, 2022
3.5*
So who is the bad sister?
Three sisters, Teresa, Natalie and Jess have all been estranged. since the day their childhood friend Juno was found dead during a family party.
All three ended up traveling separate paths. Now years later Natalie’s daughter is trying her best to bring the family back together. But what’s the ultimate cost? Shocking skeletons? Lives potentially ruined? The lies are so deep and raw, getting past them seems impossible.
Told in two timelines and multiple perspectives, I found it to be confusing at times.
My favorite quote was when the eldest sister, Teresa said “it’s all so complicated isn’t it”? I burst out laughing! That is the perfect description of this book!🤣
On the other hand, it strangely addictive and I was driven to see it through to the end. And yes, I was treated to a somewhat surprising twist.
Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways.
So who is the bad sister?
Three sisters, Teresa, Natalie and Jess have all been estranged. since the day their childhood friend Juno was found dead during a family party.
All three ended up traveling separate paths. Now years later Natalie’s daughter is trying her best to bring the family back together. But what’s the ultimate cost? Shocking skeletons? Lives potentially ruined? The lies are so deep and raw, getting past them seems impossible.
Told in two timelines and multiple perspectives, I found it to be confusing at times.
My favorite quote was when the eldest sister, Teresa said “it’s all so complicated isn’t it”? I burst out laughing! That is the perfect description of this book!🤣
On the other hand, it strangely addictive and I was driven to see it through to the end. And yes, I was treated to a somewhat surprising twist.
Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways.
May 18, 2022
The Bad Sister by J.A. Corrigan starts off slow and builds as the reader gets to know the three main characters. Jess, Natalie and Teresa are sisters from a dysfunctional household that never really dealt with a tragedy earlier in life. The family members develop their own coping mechanisms to avoid dealing with the tragedy, secrets and lies. Their mother turns to alcohol and drugs which leaves the girls isolated from her support and their questions remain unanswered.
There are so many secrets that are slowly revealed with this book that at times it is hard to keep up with who knows what. Everything is wrapped up nicely by the end of the book which is good because I was already invested in the sisters and their stories. Flipping between multiple narratives and between past and present really adds to the story! This book was fast paced after the first few chapters and kept my attention. The sisters are characters that are easy to connect to and the plot- whew, hold your breath because it will be a bumpy, sometimes dark ride to get to the ending!
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway with no obligation to read or review. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.
There are so many secrets that are slowly revealed with this book that at times it is hard to keep up with who knows what. Everything is wrapped up nicely by the end of the book which is good because I was already invested in the sisters and their stories. Flipping between multiple narratives and between past and present really adds to the story! This book was fast paced after the first few chapters and kept my attention. The sisters are characters that are easy to connect to and the plot- whew, hold your breath because it will be a bumpy, sometimes dark ride to get to the ending!
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway with no obligation to read or review. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.
April 3, 2022
The Keane sisters grew up together at Raven House, a luxurious riverside home that they're mother inherited. On the day of a party at the house, tension fills the air as Jess, Natalie and Teresa all fear the exposure of things they're desperate to hide. The beautiful evening is marred by tragedy and a celebration turns into a nightmare when a young life is lost. It's a haunting reminder of a shocking event five years earlier. As guests eye their companions with suspicion, it's the family who have the most to hide. They turn on one another, with breath taking malice and consequences.
It did take me a little while to get into this story as it was a bit confusing. The second half of the book was much better than the first half. The pace was slow. We get flashbacks telling us what had occurred five years ago. The lies that have been told drove a wedge between the sisters. There's twists and some dark revelations. If you can cope with the slow pace and confusion at the beginning, the ending is worth sticking around for.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #Canelo and the author #JACorrigan for my ARC of #TheBadSister in exchange for an honest review.
It did take me a little while to get into this story as it was a bit confusing. The second half of the book was much better than the first half. The pace was slow. We get flashbacks telling us what had occurred five years ago. The lies that have been told drove a wedge between the sisters. There's twists and some dark revelations. If you can cope with the slow pace and confusion at the beginning, the ending is worth sticking around for.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #Canelo and the author #JACorrigan for my ARC of #TheBadSister in exchange for an honest review.
March 21, 2022
Eat Or Get Out Of Pooh's Honey Pot! 😯😳🤯😯
Wooow. Wooooooow. Wwwooooooowww!! This book was freakin' great! My goodness I couldn't get enough. I love the dynamic of the sisters, of the backstory and present day, and the slow unraveling of it all. It was a great mix of family drama, thriller & mystery suspense!
Raven House is a grand riverside home that belongs to the Keane family. But also where trauma & trouble have happened. In the summer of 1991, the oldest sister Teresa comes back to have a graduation and engagement party her mother, Eva organizes. That is where the joy ends, when a tragedy ends the celebration later that night. Very similar to a past tragedy five years before to the family. Fast forward to decades later and the sisters; Teresa, Natalie & Jess, are barely holding on to their relationships together with each one holding deep secrets. Now another family celebration is to bring them together and force them to acknowledge the past that is coming with a vengeance to be unfolded.
The absolute depth of what not only each sister is dealing with but how broken their relationship is, gives you such pause and empathy. Some of these revelations are such shockers to the extreme. Jaw dropping moments and how you like and dislike each character at different moments. A thriller with so much more!
Thank you to NetGalley & Canelo for this DARC.
Release Date: April 21, 2022
I give this a strong 4 / 5 Bouquets! 💐
Wooow. Wooooooow. Wwwooooooowww!! This book was freakin' great! My goodness I couldn't get enough. I love the dynamic of the sisters, of the backstory and present day, and the slow unraveling of it all. It was a great mix of family drama, thriller & mystery suspense!
Raven House is a grand riverside home that belongs to the Keane family. But also where trauma & trouble have happened. In the summer of 1991, the oldest sister Teresa comes back to have a graduation and engagement party her mother, Eva organizes. That is where the joy ends, when a tragedy ends the celebration later that night. Very similar to a past tragedy five years before to the family. Fast forward to decades later and the sisters; Teresa, Natalie & Jess, are barely holding on to their relationships together with each one holding deep secrets. Now another family celebration is to bring them together and force them to acknowledge the past that is coming with a vengeance to be unfolded.
The absolute depth of what not only each sister is dealing with but how broken their relationship is, gives you such pause and empathy. Some of these revelations are such shockers to the extreme. Jaw dropping moments and how you like and dislike each character at different moments. A thriller with so much more!
Thank you to NetGalley & Canelo for this DARC.
Release Date: April 21, 2022
I give this a strong 4 / 5 Bouquets! 💐
April 20, 2022
OK, so I'm in the minority here in that I really couldn't get into this book. I wanted to...I liked the premise and I really wanted to find out what the mysterious secrets were surrounding the sisters...but not enough to keep reading a book I was quite simply bored with. THE BAD SISTER began with an intriguing premise and so therefore, it had promise. But that's where it ended...because the story took so long to build any kind of picture that I simply lost interest.
In a nutshell, I hate slow burns. They take too long to build the story and the tension that I could be on an adrenaline-fueled ride with another thriller that has captured my interest from the first page. I have, on occasion, enjoyed a slow burn but it has to be done in a way that keeps me engaged otherwise I'll go looking for something sparkling and shiny elsewhere. Because honestly, I found the entire tale dull. Admittedly, I only got as far as about 25% before I pulled the plug...and to be honest, that is well and truly enough time to have built any kind of tension and drawn the reader in and keep them there.
What I did glean from the story is that we have three sisters - Teresa, the oldest; Natalie, the middle sister; and Jessica, the youngest and most fragile of the three sisters. There is also a mother who perish the thought you would actually call "mum". Instead she had her daughters call her by her given name, Eva. And then there was Dom, the girls' stepfather. This dysfunctional family, because they really are, lived in a a beautiful luxurious riverside mansion called Raven House. Eva is a habitual drug user and I suspect Dom is too, either that or he simply facilitates Eva's drug use. The woman is the worst kind of mother blaming her daughters for the death of Teresa's twin, Hope, five years before on the now embargoed Raven Island. Never mind the fact that the sisters all feel the loss of their other sister. And so as soon as each girl reaches university age, they escape the prison that is their home with Teresa being the first to leave. When she comes home to visit she brings along her new boyfriend Luke, despite warning him about her very strange and eccentric family. Nobody gets along, it's a wonder they even bothered.
Then Natalie's best friend Juno is murdered and Jessica's convinced she knows who did it. But could they be wrong? But could she be wrong?
Fast forward to the present day and each of the sisters are married but none of them have much at all to do with each other. Teresa is estranged from both her sisters whilst Natalie would rather not speak to her eldest sister at all, if not for her own daughter Hope (named after their lost sister). Jessica still seems to be a walking and, at least now talking, mess. She married a man fifteen years her senior and I'm not sure why because they don't even seem to like each other. Ironically she is a psychiatrist and she has so many issues she is in need of a therapist...which she does in fact have but stops the session whenever it gets too uncomfortable. A bit hypocritical when that's the whole point of therapy. Teresa is a successful barrister and I don't know what Natalie is, besides a mother.
Honestly, I stuck it out for as long as I could before I gave up and tossed it aside. I wanted to know what happened and why they were all a dysfunctional mess but not enough to force myself to read it. For me, the book is slow and boring and uneventful.
I'm sorry to leave a negative review but I honestly couldn't get into this story at all. I liked none of the characters and didn't much care what happened to them. I'd rather someone tell me what happened rather than me having to drag myself through 360 pages. Why leave all the thrilling parts of the story for the last half or last quarter even? That is just too long and too slooooow to drag it out. And that is my biggest issue here...it is far too slooooow. If by 20% nothing is happening, I ditch it. Life is too short for books we don't enjoy.
I would like to thank #JACorrigan, #Netgalley, #Canelo for an ARC of #TheBadSister in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
In a nutshell, I hate slow burns. They take too long to build the story and the tension that I could be on an adrenaline-fueled ride with another thriller that has captured my interest from the first page. I have, on occasion, enjoyed a slow burn but it has to be done in a way that keeps me engaged otherwise I'll go looking for something sparkling and shiny elsewhere. Because honestly, I found the entire tale dull. Admittedly, I only got as far as about 25% before I pulled the plug...and to be honest, that is well and truly enough time to have built any kind of tension and drawn the reader in and keep them there.
What I did glean from the story is that we have three sisters - Teresa, the oldest; Natalie, the middle sister; and Jessica, the youngest and most fragile of the three sisters. There is also a mother who perish the thought you would actually call "mum". Instead she had her daughters call her by her given name, Eva. And then there was Dom, the girls' stepfather. This dysfunctional family, because they really are, lived in a a beautiful luxurious riverside mansion called Raven House. Eva is a habitual drug user and I suspect Dom is too, either that or he simply facilitates Eva's drug use. The woman is the worst kind of mother blaming her daughters for the death of Teresa's twin, Hope, five years before on the now embargoed Raven Island. Never mind the fact that the sisters all feel the loss of their other sister. And so as soon as each girl reaches university age, they escape the prison that is their home with Teresa being the first to leave. When she comes home to visit she brings along her new boyfriend Luke, despite warning him about her very strange and eccentric family. Nobody gets along, it's a wonder they even bothered.
Then Natalie's best friend Juno is murdered and Jessica's convinced she knows who did it. But could they be wrong? But could she be wrong?
Fast forward to the present day and each of the sisters are married but none of them have much at all to do with each other. Teresa is estranged from both her sisters whilst Natalie would rather not speak to her eldest sister at all, if not for her own daughter Hope (named after their lost sister). Jessica still seems to be a walking and, at least now talking, mess. She married a man fifteen years her senior and I'm not sure why because they don't even seem to like each other. Ironically she is a psychiatrist and she has so many issues she is in need of a therapist...which she does in fact have but stops the session whenever it gets too uncomfortable. A bit hypocritical when that's the whole point of therapy. Teresa is a successful barrister and I don't know what Natalie is, besides a mother.
Honestly, I stuck it out for as long as I could before I gave up and tossed it aside. I wanted to know what happened and why they were all a dysfunctional mess but not enough to force myself to read it. For me, the book is slow and boring and uneventful.
I'm sorry to leave a negative review but I honestly couldn't get into this story at all. I liked none of the characters and didn't much care what happened to them. I'd rather someone tell me what happened rather than me having to drag myself through 360 pages. Why leave all the thrilling parts of the story for the last half or last quarter even? That is just too long and too slooooow to drag it out. And that is my biggest issue here...it is far too slooooow. If by 20% nothing is happening, I ditch it. Life is too short for books we don't enjoy.
I would like to thank #JACorrigan, #Netgalley, #Canelo for an ARC of #TheBadSister in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
April 18, 2022
I received a gifted advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via Lovebookstours as part of the book tour.
The Bad Sister is a slow burn thriller with mystery and family drama intermixed within the story.
This was a fabulous read that kept me reading through the night!
Raven House is where the three Keane sisters Natalie, Teresa and Jess grew up after being inherited by their mother. During a family celebration at the house, tragedy occurs and throws the family back into the throws of another shocking event that occurred five years earlier. As tension mounts and suspicions are cast their way, the family turn on each other in the worst possible way. The sisters are already holding on busy a threat to each other and this event blows secrets, lies and hurt out there with no going back.
I loved how well written each character was - I felt compassion and empathy towards each character at some point in the book as well as liking and unliking each character in turn over the course of the story. This book has so much depth to it and I enjoyed the gothic atmosphere and tension throughout the book!
The Bad Sister is a slow burn thriller with mystery and family drama intermixed within the story.
This was a fabulous read that kept me reading through the night!
Raven House is where the three Keane sisters Natalie, Teresa and Jess grew up after being inherited by their mother. During a family celebration at the house, tragedy occurs and throws the family back into the throws of another shocking event that occurred five years earlier. As tension mounts and suspicions are cast their way, the family turn on each other in the worst possible way. The sisters are already holding on busy a threat to each other and this event blows secrets, lies and hurt out there with no going back.
I loved how well written each character was - I felt compassion and empathy towards each character at some point in the book as well as liking and unliking each character in turn over the course of the story. This book has so much depth to it and I enjoyed the gothic atmosphere and tension throughout the book!
April 13, 2022
Read this book if you like: Multiple POV mysterious pasts, slow burns, complicated families
This story follows the Keane sisters. We are following the POV of all three sisters. We go back and forth with the timeline, when the girls were younger and now. They grew up together at Raven House, a luxurious riverside home that their mother inherited. On the day of a party at the house, tension fills the air as the sisters, Jess, Natalie and Teresa all fear the exposure of things they’re desperate to hide. The beautiful evening is ruined by tragedy, and a celebration turns into a nightmare when a young life is lost... again. It is a haunting reminder of a shocking event five years earlier. As guests eye their companions with suspicion, it’s the family who have the most to hide. They turn on one another.
Years later, the sisters are barely hanging on to the scraps of their relationship. As another family celebration is coming up, long-held secrets come rushing to the surface. Someone is determined that the past will stay dead and buried, and will stop at nothing to prevent their mistakes from being uncovered. One sister has a secret she would kill to keep.
Wow. This book was emotional, gripping, and so insane. I was immediately pulled in and it didn't let me go. The characters were done perfectly. The family feels like a realistic hot mess. A lot has happened in their lives over the years. Their family is/was extremely dysfunctional. This book is full of twists, turns, backstabbing, secrets, lies, and so much more. I felt like I was in the dark most of the book but engaged then it all came together. Highly recommend picking up this one! It comes out April 21st. *Check the triggers*
Thank you to NetGalley, the author J.A. Corrigan, and the publisher Canelo for the ARC!
This story follows the Keane sisters. We are following the POV of all three sisters. We go back and forth with the timeline, when the girls were younger and now. They grew up together at Raven House, a luxurious riverside home that their mother inherited. On the day of a party at the house, tension fills the air as the sisters, Jess, Natalie and Teresa all fear the exposure of things they’re desperate to hide. The beautiful evening is ruined by tragedy, and a celebration turns into a nightmare when a young life is lost... again. It is a haunting reminder of a shocking event five years earlier. As guests eye their companions with suspicion, it’s the family who have the most to hide. They turn on one another.
Years later, the sisters are barely hanging on to the scraps of their relationship. As another family celebration is coming up, long-held secrets come rushing to the surface. Someone is determined that the past will stay dead and buried, and will stop at nothing to prevent their mistakes from being uncovered. One sister has a secret she would kill to keep.
Wow. This book was emotional, gripping, and so insane. I was immediately pulled in and it didn't let me go. The characters were done perfectly. The family feels like a realistic hot mess. A lot has happened in their lives over the years. Their family is/was extremely dysfunctional. This book is full of twists, turns, backstabbing, secrets, lies, and so much more. I felt like I was in the dark most of the book but engaged then it all came together. Highly recommend picking up this one! It comes out April 21st. *Check the triggers*
Thank you to NetGalley, the author J.A. Corrigan, and the publisher Canelo for the ARC!
February 20, 2024
I felt like every element of The Bad Sister had a flip side to it; for every good thing, there was something disappointing. Let’s start with the characters. None of the sisters were particularly likeable. Contrary to how that may sound, this was a good thing. I enjoy a good love-to-hate character; they really spice a story up. Each of the sisters were their own unique character, yet it was easy to see how they fit together as a family. What let me down with the characters is that they didn’t evolve over time; how they were as teenagers were mostly how they were as adults. Besides, perhaps, Jessica, who did have a minor development curve.
The storyline was interesting and had some good twists. Some of the twists I didn’t see coming but, when they did, I wasn’t excited. This is what I can’t put my finger on regarding The Bad Sister: why didn’t any of the big reveals get my heart racing. A few weeks after finishing the book, I still don’t know if it was the writing style or maybe I just wasn’t pumped about this book.
The book touches on a variety of deep topics: mental health, abuse, eating disorders, addiction. I would have liked them to go deeper into the topics, maybe sacrificing one or two to give room for more depth.
One thing I really liked without question: the final chapter.
The storyline was interesting and had some good twists. Some of the twists I didn’t see coming but, when they did, I wasn’t excited. This is what I can’t put my finger on regarding The Bad Sister: why didn’t any of the big reveals get my heart racing. A few weeks after finishing the book, I still don’t know if it was the writing style or maybe I just wasn’t pumped about this book.
The book touches on a variety of deep topics: mental health, abuse, eating disorders, addiction. I would have liked them to go deeper into the topics, maybe sacrificing one or two to give room for more depth.
One thing I really liked without question: the final chapter.
July 28, 2022
The Bad Sister is a dark, suspenseful, twisty, but also highly emotional read, steeped in atmosphere with an intricate plotline skillfully woven together through the past and present narratives of the three main characters – Teresa, Natalie and Jessica - three troubled sisters brought up in a highly dysfunctional family and haunted by a past tragedy that has serious and far-reaching repercussions not just for them but for others. I don’t want to say too much about the plot because it’s one of those stories where the reader has to discover every last detail for themselves as they turn the pages to have the full effect, but safe as to say as the tension ramped up and past misdeeds were revealed I found myself open-mouthed, and that final twist totally blew me away. This is my first book by Julie-Ann Corrigan, but safe as to say, I’ll be off to buy The Nurse as this had everything I look for in a psychological thriller, including compelling, well-rounded, relateable characters who I found myself invested in. Read it now, you won’t be disappointed in this five star read!
April 20, 2022
Sisters Natalie, Teresa and Jess grew up in Raven House a salubrious riverside property that their mum, Eva inherited. The Bad Sister is a tale of sibling relationships, family, drama and forgiveness, lies, suspicion and secrets. So engrossing, I was flipping through the pages at a rapid rate of knots as I was desperate to find out what was going to occur next. Suspense levels were optimised by J. A. Corrigan and the characters varied between likeable and loathsome. This story was engaging right to the last and I enjoyed the surprising and rewarding ending.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Canelo via NetGalley, and this review is my own unbiased opinion.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Canelo via NetGalley, and this review is my own unbiased opinion.
April 7, 2022
I’m a big fan of J.A. Corrigan-I love the darkness she brings to her books as she explores family relationships and domestic issues. Her characters are always very relatable, often unlikeable but also incredibly realistic. You never know what goes on behind closed doors but I always feel that by taking myself into J.A Corrigan’s books, I actually have a very good idea of what does go on and it’s a pretty scary thought!
The Bad Sister covers sibling relationships in a family where there are no boundaries setting examples for the children and the horrors that this invites into their family home have far reaching consequences. The first half of the narrative was a bit of a slow burner but the second half had a faster pace as things started to come together. I did get a little confused to begin with as there were obviously things the author couldn’t reveal too early so characters aren’t named which did lead me to make some rather incorrect assumptions! But once everything becomes clear to the reader and the full distressing story is revealed, I appreciated being kept from discovering the truth about the situation too early.
A gripping chiller with a gothic feel to the storyline, The Bad Sister made me feel uncomfortable at times but desperate for revenge upon those who contributed towards these destructive relationships. Very dark and disturbing but I couldn’t put it down.
The Bad Sister covers sibling relationships in a family where there are no boundaries setting examples for the children and the horrors that this invites into their family home have far reaching consequences. The first half of the narrative was a bit of a slow burner but the second half had a faster pace as things started to come together. I did get a little confused to begin with as there were obviously things the author couldn’t reveal too early so characters aren’t named which did lead me to make some rather incorrect assumptions! But once everything becomes clear to the reader and the full distressing story is revealed, I appreciated being kept from discovering the truth about the situation too early.
A gripping chiller with a gothic feel to the storyline, The Bad Sister made me feel uncomfortable at times but desperate for revenge upon those who contributed towards these destructive relationships. Very dark and disturbing but I couldn’t put it down.
March 2, 2023
A book full of twists and turns which had me guessing for the most part. I liked how the story went from past to present, giving you a good backstory. Just when you think you’ve got it, then there’s another twist to send you off the scent!
May 15, 2022
The author of this story has to have a severe case of OCD. I base this on her tendency to explain things to such an extent that the word Overexplaining does not quite cover what she actually does here to the detriment of the story and the entire reading experience. I'll get to that in the third paragraph.
The plot itself is very interesting and got me sucked in pretty quickly. I felt bad for the three main chatacters. Three sister who have grown up in a dysfunctional family that gives new meaning to how bad a dysfunctional family can be. The family has it all. Horrible communication, no communication, drugs, and abuse. This is just what I came up with off the top of my head that I remembered. As bad as my family was growing up, compared to the family in this story my family was The Walton's.
As great as the story is, it is bogged down with the author's need to know that her Readership is understanding every iota that is going on. She does not want to leave even the most minuscule detail to chance, in terms of the reader's understanding of it. It's like someone explaining to someone in a three-page, single-spaced, information brochure how to unwrap a piece of bubble gum. For starters, it's an insult to the reader. I think that most people who are avid readers are relatively intelligent and are capable of discerning the nuances of a plot without a paint-by-numbers explanation of what is happening. This level of forced illumination is insulting and makes it feel as if the author is forcing feeding the reader much more of herself than is necessary. For God's sake, let us read the book ourselves and stop acting like a Helicopter Mom.
By the middle of the book I already had a good idea who the Bad Guy was. I turned out to be right, but the way the author fleshed out the character they were pretty much invisible. Throughout the most important time of the story, we know he exists, but he exists more like a two-dimensional, magazine picture. We just know that he is a close friend of somebody, who does get a lot of speaking parts in the story. The actual Bad Guy plays second fiddle and we know little to nothing about him when he should have been elevated in importance to his close friend in the story so that the reader could see how that would make sense later on that he was the Person of Interest. Instead, I found myself going back to previous chapters in the book in order to flesh him out a bit. But, there wasn't any material on him because he was so underdeveloped. Why would an author create such an elaborate story, yet undermine it by doing something like this? I tried to view it from different angles, but it all came out the same. It was non-sensical and made the "coming out" of the character almost anti-climatic. We don't care about him one way or another, because we don't know anything about him.
Yet, once we know how things are playing out, all of a sudden this character comes out of the woodwork and almost single-handedly takes over the story. They become the center from which everything else revolves. It's too bad that the author didn't find a middle ground for this character as it would have balanced out the story.
About three quarters in we find out, for those discerning individuals like myself, lol, who the Bad Guy is. Everything starts falling into place in terms of what really happened and who was to blame. Who the bad actors were. The miscommunication. It comes together quite organically. Even a reader who isn't that astute at figuring things out would have seen it.
But instead of leaving it at that, the police are brought in. With one particular detective who takes a particular interest in the case. One of the sisters explains, in excruciating detail, the entire plot of the story back to this police detective. Just about every single detail is retold - again. So, not only have we read it ourselves and come to some solid conclusions that are helping us tie up the main pillars of the story and all the loose ends. We now have to have two of the book's characters do the exact same thing! It's one of the most annoying things I have ever had to wade through. Rereading the synopsis of an entire plotline after already reading the book and coming up with obviously the same conclusions. It was such a waste of time, words and paper to do this and did absolutely nothing to propel the story. If anything, it bogged down the story to the point the book itself was ready to fall asleep.
In retrospect, I have to say that there are many things that are repeated throughout the entire book. It's like a teacher explaining a Dr. Seuss book to an adult who a double Master's Degree in Reading and Literature. Most of what was explained, and re-explained didn't need to be. I believe that most readers caught it at the first pass.
Although this was my main gripe with the story, another thing that I found most annoying was the author's tendency to fall on the same verbs when describing what state of mind a character was in when they were saying something. Although there are literally hundreds of ways to say how something said something. i.e. said, yelled, screamed, whispered et al, the author seems to be particularly enamored with the word "quietly." No matter what kind of conversation is taking place one of the characters also says something quietly. It got to the point that I found myself counting how any times this particular word was used. I think I stopped counting after seven or eight. Where was the editor? Anytime something is over-repeated, a figure of speech or anything else, that word or phrase becomes a blocking point for the reader. It throws them out of the story. It makes me realize that I'm reading a story, when I'm trying to stay in the moment and enjoy the story. To lose myself in it. It amazes me that a published author makes these kind of rookie mistakes, but I also have to wag my finger at the editor's, proofreaders, and anybody else who has a say in the creation of the book, why they would let something like that slide? It might seem like I'm nitpicking, but I'm not. If something is getting in the way of my reading experience, and I'm sure other people as well found this irritating then it should be corrected. The process needs to be tightened up. It's always all in the details.
If anybody feels I'm being overly harsh, I won't apologize for this review. I never write anything unless I actually have felt that it's truthful and needs to be said. This was a great story, but as indicated it was over thought out, over-processed, overdone, to the detriment of the story.
The plot itself is very interesting and got me sucked in pretty quickly. I felt bad for the three main chatacters. Three sister who have grown up in a dysfunctional family that gives new meaning to how bad a dysfunctional family can be. The family has it all. Horrible communication, no communication, drugs, and abuse. This is just what I came up with off the top of my head that I remembered. As bad as my family was growing up, compared to the family in this story my family was The Walton's.
As great as the story is, it is bogged down with the author's need to know that her Readership is understanding every iota that is going on. She does not want to leave even the most minuscule detail to chance, in terms of the reader's understanding of it. It's like someone explaining to someone in a three-page, single-spaced, information brochure how to unwrap a piece of bubble gum. For starters, it's an insult to the reader. I think that most people who are avid readers are relatively intelligent and are capable of discerning the nuances of a plot without a paint-by-numbers explanation of what is happening. This level of forced illumination is insulting and makes it feel as if the author is forcing feeding the reader much more of herself than is necessary. For God's sake, let us read the book ourselves and stop acting like a Helicopter Mom.
By the middle of the book I already had a good idea who the Bad Guy was. I turned out to be right, but the way the author fleshed out the character they were pretty much invisible. Throughout the most important time of the story, we know he exists, but he exists more like a two-dimensional, magazine picture. We just know that he is a close friend of somebody, who does get a lot of speaking parts in the story. The actual Bad Guy plays second fiddle and we know little to nothing about him when he should have been elevated in importance to his close friend in the story so that the reader could see how that would make sense later on that he was the Person of Interest. Instead, I found myself going back to previous chapters in the book in order to flesh him out a bit. But, there wasn't any material on him because he was so underdeveloped. Why would an author create such an elaborate story, yet undermine it by doing something like this? I tried to view it from different angles, but it all came out the same. It was non-sensical and made the "coming out" of the character almost anti-climatic. We don't care about him one way or another, because we don't know anything about him.
Yet, once we know how things are playing out, all of a sudden this character comes out of the woodwork and almost single-handedly takes over the story. They become the center from which everything else revolves. It's too bad that the author didn't find a middle ground for this character as it would have balanced out the story.
About three quarters in we find out, for those discerning individuals like myself, lol, who the Bad Guy is. Everything starts falling into place in terms of what really happened and who was to blame. Who the bad actors were. The miscommunication. It comes together quite organically. Even a reader who isn't that astute at figuring things out would have seen it.
But instead of leaving it at that, the police are brought in. With one particular detective who takes a particular interest in the case. One of the sisters explains, in excruciating detail, the entire plot of the story back to this police detective. Just about every single detail is retold - again. So, not only have we read it ourselves and come to some solid conclusions that are helping us tie up the main pillars of the story and all the loose ends. We now have to have two of the book's characters do the exact same thing! It's one of the most annoying things I have ever had to wade through. Rereading the synopsis of an entire plotline after already reading the book and coming up with obviously the same conclusions. It was such a waste of time, words and paper to do this and did absolutely nothing to propel the story. If anything, it bogged down the story to the point the book itself was ready to fall asleep.
In retrospect, I have to say that there are many things that are repeated throughout the entire book. It's like a teacher explaining a Dr. Seuss book to an adult who a double Master's Degree in Reading and Literature. Most of what was explained, and re-explained didn't need to be. I believe that most readers caught it at the first pass.
Although this was my main gripe with the story, another thing that I found most annoying was the author's tendency to fall on the same verbs when describing what state of mind a character was in when they were saying something. Although there are literally hundreds of ways to say how something said something. i.e. said, yelled, screamed, whispered et al, the author seems to be particularly enamored with the word "quietly." No matter what kind of conversation is taking place one of the characters also says something quietly. It got to the point that I found myself counting how any times this particular word was used. I think I stopped counting after seven or eight. Where was the editor? Anytime something is over-repeated, a figure of speech or anything else, that word or phrase becomes a blocking point for the reader. It throws them out of the story. It makes me realize that I'm reading a story, when I'm trying to stay in the moment and enjoy the story. To lose myself in it. It amazes me that a published author makes these kind of rookie mistakes, but I also have to wag my finger at the editor's, proofreaders, and anybody else who has a say in the creation of the book, why they would let something like that slide? It might seem like I'm nitpicking, but I'm not. If something is getting in the way of my reading experience, and I'm sure other people as well found this irritating then it should be corrected. The process needs to be tightened up. It's always all in the details.
If anybody feels I'm being overly harsh, I won't apologize for this review. I never write anything unless I actually have felt that it's truthful and needs to be said. This was a great story, but as indicated it was over thought out, over-processed, overdone, to the detriment of the story.
March 14, 2022
Which sister has the most to hide?
The Bad Sister features an gothic-like mystery set in a riverside home in the South.
Jess, Natalie and Teresa Keane grew up at Raven House. Their mother inherited the house, and with it many secrets, at least one ending in death. As the sisters attempt to maintain contact with each other despite their very different personalities, they are slowly drawn back to the house where history repeats itself again.
Someone is trying to hide the biggest secret of all, and they will stop at nothing to keep it hidden. If you like family relationships gone wrong, bad moms and gothic backdrops, the #TheBadSister is for you!
#CANELO #NetGalley
The Bad Sister features an gothic-like mystery set in a riverside home in the South.
Jess, Natalie and Teresa Keane grew up at Raven House. Their mother inherited the house, and with it many secrets, at least one ending in death. As the sisters attempt to maintain contact with each other despite their very different personalities, they are slowly drawn back to the house where history repeats itself again.
Someone is trying to hide the biggest secret of all, and they will stop at nothing to keep it hidden. If you like family relationships gone wrong, bad moms and gothic backdrops, the #TheBadSister is for you!
#CANELO #NetGalley
August 8, 2023
2.5 stars.
I'm in the minority of people who didn't like this book. It was such a slow burn start that I was really bored. Not only was I bored, but I was very confused. The timelines switching between present, past, and more distant past between the three sisters was a lot to wrap the head around at first. There were a lot of questions that I didn't really get answered.
Some questions got answered in the faster paced second half of the book, and I did find myself to be more engaged and want to know what happens... but it still didn't hit me in any way. I still wasn't drawn in, wanting to turn page after page. My biggest question left unanswered... so, who is the bad sister?
I'm in the minority of people who didn't like this book. It was such a slow burn start that I was really bored. Not only was I bored, but I was very confused. The timelines switching between present, past, and more distant past between the three sisters was a lot to wrap the head around at first. There were a lot of questions that I didn't really get answered.
Some questions got answered in the faster paced second half of the book, and I did find myself to be more engaged and want to know what happens... but it still didn't hit me in any way. I still wasn't drawn in, wanting to turn page after page. My biggest question left unanswered... so, who is the bad sister?
April 4, 2022
This was a good suspense/mystery read. I wasn't quite sure how things were going to turn out; which means it wasn't a predictable read. I had not read anything by this author before, but I am now tempted to go back and read her other book. I enjoyed the writing style and getting to know each of the sister's well. Being able to read about the same event from each of their viewpoints made the story more interesting and helped you understand their character even more. The characters showed a lot of growth and were fun to read about.
May 28, 2022
Admittedly, this book did take me a minute to get into and to recognize the main characters, but once it started rolling, I was hooked!
The Keane sisters all have secrets - some shared, some unique to each individual sister. While the beginning was more about figuring out who was who and trying to process prior events, the second half takes hold of you and keeps you on a wild ride until the final page!
Perfect for readers who enjoy solid character development and a slow burn!
Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review!
The Keane sisters all have secrets - some shared, some unique to each individual sister. While the beginning was more about figuring out who was who and trying to process prior events, the second half takes hold of you and keeps you on a wild ride until the final page!
Perfect for readers who enjoy solid character development and a slow burn!
Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review!
October 19, 2022
Read this in one plane journey and was engrossed from start to finish! Really well done. It was sometimes a hard topic to read about hence not 5 stars.
June 29, 2023
i really liked this book. it was so lisa jewell coded i really enjoyed. multi pov multi time line. very fast paced and very gripping and tense storyline. i did have a couple questions still at the end but i do usually need things spelling out for me to understand fully. but i really liked and was super surprised since i just found it in the hotel
March 28, 2022
The Keane sisters grew up together at Raven House, a luxurious riverside home that their mother inherited. On the day of a party at the house, tension fills the air as Jess, Natalie and Teresa all fear the exposure of things they’re desperate to hide. The beautiful evening is marred by tragedy, and a celebration turns into a nightmare when a young life is lost. It is a haunting reminder of a shocking event five years earlier. As guests eye their companions with suspicion, it’s the family who have the most to hide. They turn on one another, with breathtaking malice and irrevocable consequences.
Words can hardly say how much I enjoyed this book, it is one of the best that I have recently read. My whole Saturday afternoon was taken from me as I could not put this down. The book is full of suspence, the author slowly providing small pieces of information to the reader who is, if like me, asking all these questions as to what has happened and where is the story taking me.
Very much a family drama with thriller moments threaded through, totally captivating you as these dark family secrets are slowly unfolding. Wonderful characters who do the book justice, I really became totally invested in their lives and found myself being quite emotional in regard to the individual circumstances.
Loved the way the story concluded, all my questions were answered and after I finished I just sat there for a little while digesting it all, fabulous. I really cannot recommend this book highly enough. I have now purchased two more of this authors books, I really hope I am going to enjoy them as much as The Bad Sister.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Words can hardly say how much I enjoyed this book, it is one of the best that I have recently read. My whole Saturday afternoon was taken from me as I could not put this down. The book is full of suspence, the author slowly providing small pieces of information to the reader who is, if like me, asking all these questions as to what has happened and where is the story taking me.
Very much a family drama with thriller moments threaded through, totally captivating you as these dark family secrets are slowly unfolding. Wonderful characters who do the book justice, I really became totally invested in their lives and found myself being quite emotional in regard to the individual circumstances.
Loved the way the story concluded, all my questions were answered and after I finished I just sat there for a little while digesting it all, fabulous. I really cannot recommend this book highly enough. I have now purchased two more of this authors books, I really hope I am going to enjoy them as much as The Bad Sister.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
December 12, 2024
This story is mostly set around Raven House, the luxurious family home of the Keane family. A party is marred by tragedy which reminds the family of another shocking event which happened five years earlier. Suspicions run rampant and the family viciously turns on each other to level blame which leads to devastating consequences.
It's a gripping and intriguing story of lies, deceit and the far reaching and damaging effects on family relationships and dynamics that comes from keeping secrets hidden, secrets that will ultimately fracture the family irrevocably.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have absolutely no hesitation in recommending it - it's highly addictive to read and will keep you guessing right the way from the incredible prologue all the way through to the explosive epilogue.
My sincere thanks to the author J A Corrigan and to Canelo for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.
It's a gripping and intriguing story of lies, deceit and the far reaching and damaging effects on family relationships and dynamics that comes from keeping secrets hidden, secrets that will ultimately fracture the family irrevocably.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have absolutely no hesitation in recommending it - it's highly addictive to read and will keep you guessing right the way from the incredible prologue all the way through to the explosive epilogue.
My sincere thanks to the author J A Corrigan and to Canelo for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.
October 1, 2022
Another fab read from this author. This story is told both in the past and present, and from the view point of three sisters.
Following the death of her daughter, Hope, Eve finds it very difficult to interact with her 3 remains daughters and prefers instead to drown out her life through heavy drug.
Hope died after falling out of a tree on raven Island, a very short boat ride from the family home. She was found by youngest sister Jess who since that time will now only speak monosyllabic.
In later years, during a large family party, Juno best friend to sister Natalue is also found dead on the island. Is there a connection between these deaths and are the right people being held to justice.
This is a fast paced book with plenty of twists and red herrings. It tells of family betrayals, misunderstandings, destructive lies but the pulling together of a group of sisters.
Highly recommend a read.
Following the death of her daughter, Hope, Eve finds it very difficult to interact with her 3 remains daughters and prefers instead to drown out her life through heavy drug.
Hope died after falling out of a tree on raven Island, a very short boat ride from the family home. She was found by youngest sister Jess who since that time will now only speak monosyllabic.
In later years, during a large family party, Juno best friend to sister Natalue is also found dead on the island. Is there a connection between these deaths and are the right people being held to justice.
This is a fast paced book with plenty of twists and red herrings. It tells of family betrayals, misunderstandings, destructive lies but the pulling together of a group of sisters.
Highly recommend a read.
April 14, 2022
An interweaving web of family secrets, lies and deceit! How long can the secrets stay buried? Set in an idyllic location by the river, with Raven Island only a short boat journey away, childhood should have been made of precious memories for the three Keane sisters. A family celebration soon turns sinister when a body is found, but who is to blame and who is lying? The writing is compelling and changes between the then and now, as well as between characters, meaning I was left trying to fit the jigsaw pieces together throughout and was compelled to continue reading. The characters were relatable and obviously had good intentions which actually resulted in catastrophic consequences! A psychological thriller with a difference.
October 13, 2022
Did not finish.
May 23, 2022
The Keane sisters grew up together at Raven House, a luxurious riverside home that their mother inherited. On the day of a party at the house, tension fills the air as Jess, Natalie and Teresa all fear the exposure of things they’re desperate to hide. The beautiful evening is marred by tragedy, and a celebration turns into a nightmare when a young life is lost. It is a haunting reminder of a shocking event five years earlier.As guests eye their companions with suspicion, it’s the family who have the most to hide. They turn on one another, with breathtaking malice and irrevocable consequences. Years later, the sisters are barely hanging on to the scraps of their relationship. As another family celebration looms, long-held secrets come rushing to the surface. But someone is determined that the past will stay dead and buried, and will stop at nothing to prevent their mistakes being uncovered.
'The Bad Sister' was a book of two halves for me. In the first half, there was a lot going on, and a lot of characters introduced, and Corrigan did not take the time to explain connections. I was extremely confused and lost as to what was going on. This also flits between different times and it is not always made clear if we are in the present or the past, again, unnecessary confusion. However, in the second half, it all became a lot clearer. Suddenly I understood who was who a bit more and was invested in what happened. The second half is a lot more intense and dangerous as well and made for gripping reading.
Character wise, I think it is clear I am going to say they were not developed enough. I did enjoy the individual characters and learning about them and secrets was enjoyable. However, more time needed to be given to introducing them at the beginning as I could not grasp who was who, especially when it came to the sisters.
Stick with this read, it does get a lot better in the second half and transforms into a slick, exhilarating thriller.
Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for an advance copy.
'The Bad Sister' was a book of two halves for me. In the first half, there was a lot going on, and a lot of characters introduced, and Corrigan did not take the time to explain connections. I was extremely confused and lost as to what was going on. This also flits between different times and it is not always made clear if we are in the present or the past, again, unnecessary confusion. However, in the second half, it all became a lot clearer. Suddenly I understood who was who a bit more and was invested in what happened. The second half is a lot more intense and dangerous as well and made for gripping reading.
Character wise, I think it is clear I am going to say they were not developed enough. I did enjoy the individual characters and learning about them and secrets was enjoyable. However, more time needed to be given to introducing them at the beginning as I could not grasp who was who, especially when it came to the sisters.
Stick with this read, it does get a lot better in the second half and transforms into a slick, exhilarating thriller.
Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for an advance copy.
April 14, 2022
Teresa, Natalie and Jess, the Keane sisters, are desperate to hide their secrets. When a party is held at Raven House, a beautiful home near the water, tragedy strikes when a body is found on the island. This isn’t the first time, unfortunately, and the events only bring to the present events from the past, events and secrets that everyone involved is desperate to hide, and some are willing to do anything to keep these things buried. Many years later the sisters are all adults, leading their own, separate lives, but an upcoming celebration not only has the potential to bring the estranged sisters back together again, but it threatens to bring their secrets to light, secrets that some will do anything to keep hidden.
The Bad Sister is a novel that I could not put down; I simply needed to know what the secrets were and what would happen. The story is not only told through the eyes of the sisters, allowing the reader to immerse themselves in the lives of the sisters, it is also a nonlinear timeline, allowing Corrigan to draw the reader in right from the first page. That being said, at the beginning it was a little difficult to understand the timeline of events; it jumps around a bit but once I got into the story more it was easier to follow. The Bad Sister is like an onion, with one layer removed at a time until the truth is finally revealed. I liked the characters in the novel, not only because there are many strong females, but because they are honest characters.
The Bad Sister is an intense, gripping novel that I highly recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for gifting to me an electronic copy of The Bad Sister by J.A. Corrigan, given in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own.
The Bad Sister is a novel that I could not put down; I simply needed to know what the secrets were and what would happen. The story is not only told through the eyes of the sisters, allowing the reader to immerse themselves in the lives of the sisters, it is also a nonlinear timeline, allowing Corrigan to draw the reader in right from the first page. That being said, at the beginning it was a little difficult to understand the timeline of events; it jumps around a bit but once I got into the story more it was easier to follow. The Bad Sister is like an onion, with one layer removed at a time until the truth is finally revealed. I liked the characters in the novel, not only because there are many strong females, but because they are honest characters.
The Bad Sister is an intense, gripping novel that I highly recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for gifting to me an electronic copy of The Bad Sister by J.A. Corrigan, given in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own.
April 19, 2022
This was quite a dark psychological family drama revolving around three sister’s, Teresa, Natalie and Jessica. For me this was a book of two halves; the first half I found slow and at times quite confusing but I knew I needed to keep reading! The second half, by contrast, was easy to follow, fast paced and full of shocking revelations. A compelling read.
Briefly, the Keane sisters were four, but the eldest sister Hope committed suicide when she was 17. Five year’s later, at a party at the house, a young guest goes missing and she is found dead near where Hope died. Years later Natalie’s daughter, named Hope after her Aunt, has asked for a family party to celebrate her degree results. But the sisters are estranged and bringing them back together is the catalyst for revealing long hidden secrets.
The simmering resentments amongst the siblings is based on varies events from the past, all of which are gradually revealed showing just how damaged and disturbing the family they were raised in was. It’s a wonder any of them have been able to have to have a semblance of a normal life after leaving the family home. There are so many twists and turns, deep hidden secrets and dreadful events some of which I had an inkling of but some that were a total shock. If you can get past the slower sections this really is a very good read. I’m very glad I carried on reading it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Briefly, the Keane sisters were four, but the eldest sister Hope committed suicide when she was 17. Five year’s later, at a party at the house, a young guest goes missing and she is found dead near where Hope died. Years later Natalie’s daughter, named Hope after her Aunt, has asked for a family party to celebrate her degree results. But the sisters are estranged and bringing them back together is the catalyst for revealing long hidden secrets.
The simmering resentments amongst the siblings is based on varies events from the past, all of which are gradually revealed showing just how damaged and disturbing the family they were raised in was. It’s a wonder any of them have been able to have to have a semblance of a normal life after leaving the family home. There are so many twists and turns, deep hidden secrets and dreadful events some of which I had an inkling of but some that were a total shock. If you can get past the slower sections this really is a very good read. I’m very glad I carried on reading it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
March 17, 2022
Thank you Netgalley, J.A. Corrigan, and Canelo for my gifted copy!
Synopsis:
Since that one horrible night, the Keane sisters, Jess, Natalie, and Teresa, have been estranged. Because when Natalie's best friend was murdered, she and Jess were convinced they saw Teresa's fiancé doing it. But what they didn't tell: They could have been wrong. And what happened to their other sister, Hope, all those years ago? All grown up, it's time for the sisters to meet again - and to confront their past. And each other...
My thoughts:
Honestly, I loved this book! I really felt for all of the sisters and could understand them, while they annoyed me at the same time - in a good way, because you never knew who to trust. I loved the tension and suspense in this book - the sinister feeling that something was wrong. And, especially, I loved all the dark twists, turns and revelations. But, even though the chapters were titled by the time they took place in, I got really confused about the timelines sometimes, and I even had to start the book anew after the first six chapters because I had to untangle what was going on when.
Parts of this book reminded me of:
- Death In The Family by Tessa Wegert
- Her Dark Lies by J.T. Ellison
- After All I've Done by Mina Hardy
- Tell Me The Truth by Kiersten Modglin
Synopsis:
Since that one horrible night, the Keane sisters, Jess, Natalie, and Teresa, have been estranged. Because when Natalie's best friend was murdered, she and Jess were convinced they saw Teresa's fiancé doing it. But what they didn't tell: They could have been wrong. And what happened to their other sister, Hope, all those years ago? All grown up, it's time for the sisters to meet again - and to confront their past. And each other...
My thoughts:
Honestly, I loved this book! I really felt for all of the sisters and could understand them, while they annoyed me at the same time - in a good way, because you never knew who to trust. I loved the tension and suspense in this book - the sinister feeling that something was wrong. And, especially, I loved all the dark twists, turns and revelations. But, even though the chapters were titled by the time they took place in, I got really confused about the timelines sometimes, and I even had to start the book anew after the first six chapters because I had to untangle what was going on when.
Parts of this book reminded me of:
- Death In The Family by Tessa Wegert
- Her Dark Lies by J.T. Ellison
- After All I've Done by Mina Hardy
- Tell Me The Truth by Kiersten Modglin
July 1, 2022
This is a dark and twisty thriller that will have you turning the pages to find out what really happened.
It took me a little bit longer to get into this thriller than it usually does due to the back and forth between different timelines and characters, but once I did I couldn't wait out to find out what had really happened. The twists in this is good and a lot of unexpected things happen as things began to unravel.
There are trigger warnings for this book so check those out before reading it anything triggers you.
Synopsis 📖
One rotten apple can spoil the bunch
The Keane sisters grew up together at Raven House. On the day of a party at the house, tension fills the air as Jess, Natalie and Teresa all fear the exposure of things they’re desperate to hide. The beautiful evening is marred by tragedy, and a celebration turns into a nightmare when a young life is lost. It is a haunting reminder of a shocking event five years earlier.
Years later, the sisters are barely hanging on to the scraps of their relationship. As another family celebration looms, long-held secrets come rushing to the surface. But someone is determined that the past will stay dead and buried, and will stop at nothing to prevent their mistakes being uncovered.
Thank you to Netgalley and Canelo for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
It took me a little bit longer to get into this thriller than it usually does due to the back and forth between different timelines and characters, but once I did I couldn't wait out to find out what had really happened. The twists in this is good and a lot of unexpected things happen as things began to unravel.
There are trigger warnings for this book so check those out before reading it anything triggers you.
Synopsis 📖
One rotten apple can spoil the bunch
The Keane sisters grew up together at Raven House. On the day of a party at the house, tension fills the air as Jess, Natalie and Teresa all fear the exposure of things they’re desperate to hide. The beautiful evening is marred by tragedy, and a celebration turns into a nightmare when a young life is lost. It is a haunting reminder of a shocking event five years earlier.
Years later, the sisters are barely hanging on to the scraps of their relationship. As another family celebration looms, long-held secrets come rushing to the surface. But someone is determined that the past will stay dead and buried, and will stop at nothing to prevent their mistakes being uncovered.
Thank you to Netgalley and Canelo for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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