Wowza! What a brilliant read and that ending!!! My jaw hit the floor!

In hindsight, the George Bernard Shaw quote takes on a much more sinister meaning:

"If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton, you may as well make it dance. "

And this skeleton dances like you wouldn't believe!

Eleanor's life changes for good with 1 sentence she overheard

"Eleanor is not your daughter "

She is obsessed to find out who her real father is and maybe in the process, she will find a new family where she will be excepted and loved.......or will she.......

The choices we make in life can sometimes come back and bite us in the backside and this is what happens in this brilliant book!



I loved and hated the ending! It left me feeling frustrated and wanting more! Can we pretty please have a follow up where revenge is the main theme!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

Loved this book so many twists and turns one of the best I've read in a long time. Great ending. Totally unexpected. Brilliant.

Secrets, lies, shocks, surprises and one hell of an ending! A very addictive read!

This book is really quite different to other thrillers, I just didn’t know what to expect the whole time I was reading it but I love the path it took and I was left completely gobsmacked by the end!

Eleanor is having a terrible time of it. Her father is dying of cancer and just before he passes away, she finds out that she is not his real daughter! Then to top it all off, she gets mugged on the way home from the hospice! Talk about bad luck or what?

Eleanor soon learns that her father had repeated a name to the nurse upon his death bed. Sure that this must be the name of her real father, Eleanor decides to look him up. If she was hoping to be welcomed with open arms, she was truly mistaken. Rejected by him and unloved by her real mother Eleanor feels a mixture of sadness and anger. Realising her real father has another daughter, only increases that anger, especially because her half-sister looks perfect, appears to have the perfect husband and lifestyle and was clearly born with a silver spoon in her mouth!

Not happy with the hand she’s been dealt in life, Eleanor finds a way of getting to know her sister and then things really do get interesting from here!

This book hooks you in straight away and the cleverly written plot keeps your interest throughout. My loyalties to certain characters were up and down along the way, but nothing prepared me for the deliciously dark and shocking twists. An enthralling read, I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Thank you to Hannah Mary McKinnon, Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for my ARC of this book.

A wonderfully written book that truly captivates you from beginning to end. As a fan of thrillers, I thought I had the plot all figured out.... but I was so off the mark on this one!. I loved the unexpected twists and turns that this story took, and the way in which the author portrayed the characters really brought them to life. Everything you could possibly want from a thriller!

A fantastic read that has you thinking you've got the plot all figured out, only for Hannah to completely knock you off of your feet by the end. It was gripping from start to finish and the character development from Eleanor was an absolute delight. Eleanor starts off as quite an unlikeable characters, always making the most rash of decisions to the point where you want to shout WHY DID YOU JUST DO THAT, however, as the book goes on, she grows so much and the sympathy towards her really does kick in, especially that ending! The book finishes with so many incredible, dark and twisted plot lines coming together as one and it is mind-blowing. Hannah really did double cross us with this one and it was pretty genius. I also love how the ending could possibly mean we see more from Eleanor in the future - at least I hope so. I would love a time jump to see what she is up to now and how she is going to end what should have ended the first time round.

Really enjoyed reading this book, couldn't put it down, must admit its one that I would happily pick up again and read,
Overall I would recommend to anyone to read it, can't wait to get it on my page and let my followers know what I think about it!

Sister Dear

Oh wow.

Oh WOW.

<I>OH WOW.</I>

That ending was…

Was…

Was…

Okay, c’mon, deep breaths Adi, let’s frame coherent sentences for this review.

<I>And while I could accept money couldn’t buy happiness, it sure as hell had to make life a lot easier.</I>

Sister Dear by Hannah Mary McKinnon has a simple enough premise — Eleanor overhears her parents arguing and learns that her terminally ill dad is not in fact her biological dad, and that she is actually the product of an affair her mom had with someone else. Eleanor’s dad (whom she’s closer to than her mother) soon passes away, and feeling untethered, Eleanor decides to seek out her bio-dad, who’s a wealthy business man. He leads a picture perfect life, and his other daughter, Eleanor’s half-sister, too leads a life of wealth, class, and privilege. Eleanor soon gets obsessed with the idyllic life her sister lives, and before long, is entrenched in a disturbing life of jealousy, insecurities, lies, and absolute craziness.

For the most part, this book read as women’s fiction. Throughout the narration, I couldn’t help but empathise with our MC Eleanor. I know that she made some terrible choices, but with a mom who’s gaslit her and verbally/emotionally abused her throughout her life, it’s not difficult to feel bad for her when she spirals at the death of the only parent she’s ever been close to.

And though Eleanor is unhealthily obsessed with her half-sister’s, to the point where she makes contact and insinuates herself into the latter’s everyday life, one can still see that Eleanor is a fundamentally good person. While the blurb markets her to be obsessed because she’s beautiful and well-off, to me, it seemed as though Eleanor’s obsession came from the loss of the only true family member she’s had, her adopted dad.

Honestly, it’s only at the 75-80% mark that this book begins to show the tell-tale signs of a thriller. It’s easy to know when you’re reading one, because there’s a checklist of signs:
— Your breathing is shallow, erratic.
— You’re biting your fingers/nails, or have your whole fist shoved into your mouth.
— You’re reading really quickly, and yet you’re impatient to know what’s going to happen.
— You take a break for one second to try to get back to real life, but the anxiety reels you back in.

If this were a checklist, this book scores 100% on this list — the last segments made me lose it, I was so caught up in the story, I managed to bite off my fingernails (a habit which I thought I’d broken out of). The thing is, you never see the thriller aspect sneaking up on you.

When I started this book, it seemed a thriller, because Eleanor is captivated by her half-sister’s online persona, and tries different to meet up with her. It’s a train wreck in motion, and you just can’t look away. But then, that aspect peters out, and what you get is two sisters bonding well (though one doesn’t know the other is related to her), Eleanor taking some positive strides when it comes to enhancing her career, and finally gaining some self-confidence (I will touch upon this later). All this comes off as standard women’s fiction, and McKinnon’s engaging writing style kept me hooked. For most of this book, I wasn’t sure it was a thriller, but the fast paced narration had me moving through the book swiftly.

And then, EVERYTHING CHANGED.

It turns out, the almost-train-wreck was something of a distraction, and we should have been looking at the neighbouring hill where an avalanche begins. The rumbling of the rocks becoming loose catches your attention, and now you’re glued to the landslide. As the book reaches its climax, the rocks start slipping down faster and faster, and bam! They collide into that train you’d taken your eye off for a hot minute.

Essentially, this book deceived me in a way I completely approve of, and I’m now an instant fan of McKinnon’s writing. I pretty much binge-read this book, squeezing it in between work-meetings and household chores, addicted to every word of the story.

I did like the ending, but it also left me with one burning question — will there be a sequel? The book is complete as it is, but the ending sort of, maybe, implies there’ll be another book where Eleanor’s story will continue. And honestly, I wouldn’t be averse to that. If McKinnon wants a cheering squad to motivate her to write a sequel, you can count me in!

I just have one last thing to note — Eleanor has severe body image issues, and her thoughts and her shame-spiral about her body felt like someone had penned down my own thoughts about my body back when I myself had such issues. This mentality sets in where you equate being fat with being ugly, and your failures/difficulties in life with the fact that your fat and ugly, and that if you were somehow prettier, or maybe at least thinner, you life would be better as well. It’s a dangerous correlation to make, because it damages your perspective of things. Even minor things which shouldn’t upset you.

<I>I was nothing. Nobody. Pathetic. Useless. Fat. Ugly. Stupid. </I>

As a result, Eleanor also struggles with an eating disorder. She binge-eats when she’s emotionally upset, and follows it by long periods of starvation out of guilt. And when those jeans are loose on her waist, she feels good about herself. As someone who has done the exact same thing in the past, I found it a very candid and real portrayal. It might be triggering for some, but for me, it made me introspect my past actions, and reflect on how much I’ve grown since then with the right help.

McKinnon states in her author’s note that she too suffers from very similar issues, and that it was a cathartic writing experience for her. I appreciate that she didn’t try to sugar coat Eleanor’s struggle, or preach about it in any way. It made the book heavier, but in a good way.

I want to thank Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for going me a chance to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. It was a great read.

The hardcover edition of Sister Dear by Hannah Mary McKinnon comes out on October 15th, 2020.

TW: body image issues, eating disorder, gaslighting, death of a parent, mention of miscarriage.

A really good read and a new author. A psychological thriller which I found very hard to put down and kept me reading late into the night. Constantly holding my breath, more twists and turns than a twisty corkscrew. Definitely not what I was expecting. Almost five stars.
Thanks to Hodder and Stoughton and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review

Gripping from start to finish. The character development was incredible. This is the first book I've read by Hannah Mary McKinnon but I'll be on the hunt for more if this is anything to go by. Eleanor is the most wonderful character, i really felt myself bonding with her. Highly recommend if you're after an emotional rollercoaster

Sister Dear is a brilliant read .It is very dark and full of twists and turns .It begins as Eleanor's world is turned upside down when she overhears the devastating news that her beloved dying Father is not her biological Dad.Elanor then sets in motion the path to devastation when she tries to find out who her real Dad is ,whilst still dealing with the loss of the man she called Dad .The book is full of brilliant characters some lovable some not ! There is greed, anger, betrayal and an absolutely great ending which I didn't see coming ,just fabulous .Many thanks to the Publisher the Author and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review .

I read Sister Dear over a couple of days. When Eleanor’s father dies her world is turned upside down. Not only is she estranged from her mum and sister, she also finds out her dad isn’t her biological dad. Her real dad is still alive and is living his life with his wife and daughter Victoria, Eleanor’s half sister. Victoria seems to have everything Eleanor doesn’t. I found the way the plot progressed drew you in and you wanted to know what would happen. There’s some great twists that add to it and I found it hard to put down. Thank you to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and the author for the chance to review.

Sister Dear is a twisty, slow-burn thriller about the deep jealousy one girl feels for her newly discovered half-sister after she learns her recently deceased father wasn’t actually her biological father. The writing is outstanding as McKinnon evokes the grief the main character feels for her father perfectly and somehow displays the jealousy she feels for her sister even better. The second half of the novel really ramps up the pace. The characters are unlikable and fascinating. There are plenty of twists and unexpected turns throughout. If you’re looking for an entertaining and shocking thriller, this is an excellent one to check out.

This book felt like a normal thriller, it was easy to read and was quite exciting, I was enjoying it and wanted to know what happened. Then that ending 😱 It was a total surprise but at the same time, when I thought back, it all made sense!! But total shock....such a great storyline, full of emotion and upset but it was not depressing. I loved Eleanor, even if she was a little naive most of the time....!! I felt so bad for her being in the position she was in, poor thing. It was quick and easy to read with lots of twists, well worth a read guys 😊

Thanks to Hodder and Stoughton and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Absorbing and engrossing with some killer twists. Admittedly, this book is a little bit of a slow burner BUT the more you read the more you want to keep turning the pages of McKinnon’s expertly plotted thriller. The scene is set: our main protagonist, Eleanor, is stunned to learn that the man she called ‘Dad’ her entire life is not her biological father. The loss of the only father she has ever known, parent, even, given the cold detachment of her mother, means a lonely Eleanor is desperately in need of some form of human connection. Learning the identity of her biological father... well, you can guess what happens next. Sadly, for Eleanor, her biological father would prefer the past to remain the past, including the illegitimate daughter that was the product of a brief affair. But, Eleanor earns of a new-found half-sister, and this is point where the real fun and games begin. Desperately trying to shake off a past characterised by alienation and marginalisation, Eleanor strives to become someone new, someone different. This metamorphosis is not without consequence and provides the foundation for the dark turn in McKinnon’s suspenseful narrative. Prepare yourself for a few surprises. Absolutely thrilling stuff. I loved it.

This is my second read by Hannah Mary McKinnon and once again it was brilliant. A twisty dark tale - the ending actually was a surprise and I didn't see the characters for what they really were at any point. This is the mark of a good thriller. I gave this book 4 stars only because it was quite slow to get going, nothing exciting happened for the first half of the story, but then everything kicked off at once! This isn't necessarily a bad thing as all the build up really set the scene for what was to come.

I will continue to look forward to new releases by this author and would recommend to friends and family. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When Eleanor's father dies she's devastated, and then again to discover that he wasn't her biological father and she's been lied to her whole life. She's delighted to discover that she has a half sister and imagines all kinds of happy family scenarios all the while feeling wildly jealous of her sister's beauty, wealth and business. Will they become best of friends or will it take a different path?
The story flows well and draws you in chapter to chapter with a couple of twists along the way.

Wow this was a great book! Finished it and it felt like I needed to sit back and take a breath. This book has Everything a good crime/psychological fiction book should have, great characters that you love and hate, plenty of twists and turns to keep you reading and a fantastic ending. Thank you for allowing me to read this book.

Eleanor, who seemed to have a rather tenuous grip on her life at the best of times, is watching everything spiral out of control. When her beloved Dad dies, she is left in turmoil when she discovers he was not her real father. With no relationship with her Mum, or the sister she grew up, it’s hardly surprising that Eleanor turns her attention to her biological father and the half-sister she’s never met.

What follows is a story following Eleanor’s attempts to come to terms with all that has happened, and in a way make peace with who she is, whilst trying to forge a relationship with a new family. The problem is, she does it covertly, not telling Victoria who she really is.

This is a struggle for me to review, as I really can’t decide how I feel about it all.

Eleanor is a very endearing character; she clearly has a lot of issues, all of which are understandable when you meet her Mum. With her low self-esteem, eating disorder and grief bundled together it is, frankly, a miracle she’s holding anything together. Whilst the woe-is-me act did get a bit tedious, it was at least relatable, and did make perfect sense under the circumstances.

However, in the blink of an eye Eleanor seems to transform herself in to this woman who is happy to do whatever it takes to get what she wants. Fundamentally ignoring everything about her personality and her history. Suddenly she has a make-over, is best friends with the woman she’d never normally say boo to, has a hunk of a boyfriend (why are they never average, normal guys?), her financial worries are taken care of and she has a handle on her eating disorder.

It just doesn’t work like that, no matter how positively you want to think.

That’s where it started to unravel for me – it just made no sense. And I am all for suspending belief to make fiction work – you need to, but I felt as though the character was betrayed in favour of getting the story done.
Throughout I struggled to understand why this was being pitched as a mystery/thriller – it is clearly women’s fiction. However, the last perhaps 10% started tipping more towards the marketed genre, and whilst it was pacey, a little twisty etc it wasn’t enough to actually save the day, genre wise. It’s fiction with a mild sting in the tail.

The Stars
This was an alright read, but nothing special and for the largest part, quite misleading. A middle of the road three stars.

Sister Dear by Hannah Mary McKinnon is a slow burn of a novel - with the real action happening in the back third of the story. When Eleanor Hardwicke discovers that her beloved dad is not her biological father on his deathbed, the devises a plot to embed herself in her half-sister Victoria's life so that she can start to claim the life that she should have been hers.

This book leaves a door open for a sequel, which I would definitely read.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

Oh this was good ! Very cleverly done, this story will engross you and keep you guessing right until the end. A very clever twist - most enjoyable!