Now, it did take a while to get into this one, as at the start in particular it seemed more of a drama than a thriller, and the beginning 15-20% was a bit slow. But after that it really took off, and I was completely gripped, to the point where I stayed up reading into the night to finish it! There's a lot of tiny twists and turns throughout which was perfect as it kept you guessing and questioning everything. Then there's also this amazing scene at the end with a huge monologue recapping everything that happened, but it's done it such a good way that all those tiny details you forgot about suddenly become relevant and you realise just how damn clever McKinnon really is!

Overall, I loved it. I was so impressed with how unique the plot was, and how the many twists and turns remained surprising as the book progressed. It's definitely got mass market appeal, and I can honestly see this becoming one of the hits of 2020. Definitely an author I'd recommend, and one I'd eagerly read again.

Disclaimer - I was provided with an advance reading copy of this book by NetGalley. This has not affected my review in any way, and all opinions are my own.

Sister Dear - tells the story of Eleanor Hardwicke - living on her own , and having very little relationship with either her mother or sister - she feels secluded - her Father is sadly dying - as he passes away he leaves a message with the nurses for Eleanor - he tells her he is not her biological father. Eleanor's life as she knows it is rocked to the core. She cannot comprehend why this secret has been kept from her all her life. Whilst she is grieving she is also desperate to find out the truth about her real father and his family. Her mother and sister will do nothing to help out her so she sets out on her own to find the truth. This is where the story really starts - though i feel like it missed some important parts - more about Eleanors grief, her relationship with the neighbour upstairs. It was quite faced paced in the end and i didnt get the ending at all.

This book did not work for me. The premise sounded great. And the start is promising. But soon it got very unrealistic and a bit boring. The end left me asking myself what the heck I’ve just read.

Eleanor has zero self-esteem. Her mother did not care for her much and always told her she was ugly, fat and a waste of space and preferred her sister Amy. But her father loved her and they had a great relationship. When he gets terminally ill she hears him speaking to her mother about the fact that he is not Eleanor’s biological father. At first Eleanor is devastated by the news but soon she begins to investigate who her biological father is. Turns out he is rich but wants nothing to do with her. He has another daughter with his wife, Victoria. She is almost the same age than Eleanor. Eleanor contacted her and offers her business help. Of course without telling her that they are siblings. She is a web designer and Victoria is about to get her own business. They soon become close friends. But of course this could not come to a good end. Or could it?

I really did not like Eleanor. At first she is a whiny character and acts more like a moody teenager than a thirty year old woman. I get it she has problems with herself, mostly because of her weight and appearance. But as soon as she got a new haircut and loses weight everything gets better. In the middle of the book she suddenly goes from this passive, mousey person to full villain mode. This was a bit unrealistic. Eleanor, who praises herself as a good person, suddenly turns out to be full of envy for her unknown sister. But after she befriended her she gets back to be the best and caring friend. But is all based on a lie. And that is the problem. I hope really nobody would act like Eleanor does. And I hope nobody acts like her mother does. And I hope there are no people at all like the ones in the book.

It would all be not so bad if the book would be more gripping. It rather is kind of boring. I did not see the end coming until the last chapters. But it is also very unrealistic.

I cannot say that I enjoyed this book very much. It took me days to finish it. It was just not my cup of tea.

Loved this book and couldn’t put it down. I was hooked. I haven’t read anything by this author before but I am really excited to think that there may be sequel to the story of Eleanor.
The book is very well written and full of twists and turns that kept me reading well into the night.
A must read for psychological thriller lovers!

WOW! Sister Dear is a novel that sets you off on a journey with a perceived destination and within a moment, without even realising, you are heading to the other side of the universe! In fact, you start off in a car and before you know it you’re in a plane! Hannah Mary McKinnon has written a highly engaging, entertaining, twisted thriller that will keep you guessing until you reach the final page...

When Eleanor overhears her mother and father arguing about revealing he isn’t her biological Dad upon his deathbed, this long buried secret sets of a chain of events that will change Eleanor’s life forever. When her biological father categorically refuses to acknowledge her, Eleanor decides she’ll do all she can to infiltrate his family. As she begins to follow her half sister Victoria around, she eventually finds an opportunity to initiate a meeting. Concealing their true relationship, Eleanor ingratiates herself into Victoria’s life. As their relationship blossoms Eleanor has to decide whether she’s out for revenge or in for gaining a half sister...

Sister Dear is an extremely clever and compelling thriller that is laced with complex, multi-faceted characters that are full of surprises. Written from the viewpoint of Eleanor, within the first few chapters of this novel it seems like she will become a dark and twisted villain. I found myself unsure whether I liked her - she makes some very questionable decisions and her self-loathing borders on the irritating - but as events progressed I found myself liking her more and more. The emotional fluctuations she has build tension and drama. She’s unpredictable, flawed and damaged. There’s a vulnerability to her that is simultaneously mildly pathetic and completely justified. Her relationship with the man she has believed is her father is painted as idyllic, whilst her mother and sister are quite clearly sociopathic monsters, who treat Eleanor appallingly. McKinnon very shrewdly builds a complex character that garners both sympathy and dislike, which very cleverly lays the foundations for a plot that spirals and corkscrews in many directions. It’s a powerful skill for a writer to have and I genuinely couldn’t predict how events would unfold and I didn’t see the conclusion coming at all! It’s very refreshing to read a thriller that is entirely shocking and original.

From first impressions, Sister Dear feels like it will be an entertaining domestic drama/thriller. However, as the narrative peels away layer by layer, a shocking and devilishly delicious thriller with prominent film noir undertones is revealed. To say that I was blown away by how the plot and characters developed is not an understatement. Sister Dear very quickly turned into one of the best thrillers I’ve read in 2020, because it continually surprised me chapter after chapter, page after page. McKinnon has written an excellent novel here and I am definitely going to seek out more of her work.

If you enjoy page turners that will keep you guessing, don’t miss Sister Dear!

One word - Brilliant!
Oh, what a storyline.  Gripping from the beginning, Eleanor's character really draws you in and keeps you hooked throughout.  I loved her emotional rollercoaster as she discovered hidden secrets within her family, and how it changed her perspective on life.
The other characters are also very well devised. and you really think you get them, until BOOM, Hannah Mary McKinnon delivers an intense twist and you realise you actually didn't have a clue to where the characters were going.  
The ending was definitely unexpected and left an opening for perhaps a sequel if there was to be one, and I really hope there is as you're kind of left on a bit of a cliffhanger.

I loved every minute of Sister Dear, and it really makes you think 'Be Careful What You Wish For'.

Thankyou to Hodder & Stoughton for inviting me to read Sister Dear in exchange for an honest review.

A clever premise for this story and I enjoyed it. There were a couple of excellent characters woven into the story. Thanks Netgalley.

Wow, evil really does exist! Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of Sister Dear by Hannah Mary McKinnon.
Eleanor Hardwicke is a self-conscious but smart web designer. She is struggling personally and financially, when she hears a devastating piece of news. She finds out that the man she thought was her father is actually not her biological father, and she also finds out that she has a sister, Victoria.
Victoria is everything that Eleanor is not, and Eleanor makes a plan to befriend Victoria. But, Eleanor doesn’t tell Victoria that she is her half-sister, and that proves to be a big mistake..
I will be reading more from this author! , While I knew something was coming, I didn’t realize the extent of someone’s manipulation, and was a bit surprised at how long the plan had been in action.
This novel is a study in manipulation and deep seated hatred, revenge, and entitlement. Masterfully done

#SisterDear #HannahMaryMcKinnon #NetGalley

This is the first book I have read by this author. I really enjoyed it, although the pace was a little slow for me at the beginning. However, towards the end the pace speeded up and things got twisted.

Eleanor is a lovely character, although she needed a kick sometimes to get her going. Her self esteem was in the toilet, helped along by her dreadful mother and sister who both treated her really badly. She had a brilliant relationship with her father, who always stuck up for her and took her side against her mother and sister. She didn’t deserve to lose her best relationship when her father died of cancer. However, towards the end of his life she overhears her mother and father talking when she finds out he isn’t her birth father. She has a tantrum and leaves, never to speak to him again as he dies that night.

Her father has told the nurse the name of her father, however, so naturally she looks him up, only to find he is a successful businessman with a gorgeous wife and a daughter her age. Obviously he wants nothing to do with her, which leaves her thinking of the unfairness of her life. Her father is rich, successful and her half sister is gorgeous, well dressed and socially popular. She determines to get in touch with her sister and try to get a little if what she has. She is fed up of being alone, chubby, poor and socially awkward.

So how does poor Eleanor end up in prison?
We know she is there from the beginning of the book.
How have things gone so wrong?

Only by reading this great book can you find out. It is twisty and it is shocking. It’s a great read. If you feel sorry for Eleanor as I did, you need to read the circumstances of her demise.

Y’all... this one was definitely a quick read for me because it was that good!! The characters were amazing and the writing was outstanding.

A secret no daughter ever wants to hear!!!!!
When Eleanor father dies, her world is shattered by a dark secret, the man she’s grieving over isn’t her father. Eleanor was the product of an affair and her biological father is still out there, living his best life with the family he chose. And not with her! With her life taking a turn, a desperate Eleanor seeks him out, Thats when she discovers another member of her family..... her beautiful, smart half sister. The perfect Victoria has everything Eleanor could ever dream of. Loving childhood, luxury home, devoted husband. All of it stolen from Eleanor, And she plans to take it all back. good sisters are supposed to share right?. And Eleanor has waited far too long to get what she has always wanted!

This was a great book! It started out slow for me! More of a slow-burn for me. But as read more and more. It got really crazy! I was like what in the world is going on here! And I love those types of books.
The novel is well written, and the plot is good with the right pace.
I would recommend this read.

Thank You NetGalley and Hannah Mary McKinnon for this ARC!
I apperiacte it and it was an honor!

This is a tough one. I thoroughly enjoyed the way the author told the story, and the story started really well. But it didn't hold me, it wasn't gripping, and I found it all a bit silly. The characters seem to be a little bit lacking in just that: character. "Sister Dear" feels like a book written to please the masses at the beach. A real shame.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advance copy to review. This review is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

What a little gem. From the dysfunctional and vain mother to the equally vapid wannabe actress baby sister Amy we get the opposite Eleanor, ridiculed and down trodden she is known as "Nellie" her inner anguish is visible in her constant battle with food and self image. But when the one stable person in her life, her dad is dying she overhear's that he is not her father.

Ellie is devastated when he dies. She tracks down her biological family and is rejected all over again. With pain in her heart and a pit of anger in her belly she sets in motion actions she cannot stop, actions she may live to regret. Hold on tight readers you are in for a ride!!.

With thanks to #NetGalley and #Hodder and Staunton for the ARC

Really enjoyed this book which had quite a few twists in the plot and the story did not go as id anticipated which made it more interesting. It had some very interesting characters in it too. Well written and kept me hooked. Will definitely be reading more by this author.

A very good thriller that kept me guessing. Towards the end I figured out part of what was going to happen but not all! Very good plot twists and believable characters.
Just before Eleanor's father dies in a hospice, she overhears a conversation between him and her mother, his ex wife. It transpires that the man she has idolised is not her real dad. She tracks down her real father and just wants to be part of a family as she is all but estranged from her own mother and sister.
She also has a lot of self confidence issues leading her to binge eat and hate her appearance. As she undertakes her journey of realisation, she is drawn into a tangled web of lies and deceit.

Wow what a story, this is enjoyable all the way through with some epic twists coming in at different points and leaving you wanting so much more by the end

'Sister Dear' was a sinister and unnerving read. At the beginning and towards the middle, I felt a lot of sympathy for Eleanor - the death of her father and getting violently mugged on the same day is rough to say the least. Upon discovering a shocking family secret, Eleanor's behaviour becomes increasingly erratic and impulsive, yet somehow still calculated (a dangerous combination). I started to feel uneasy, and eventually fully creeped out by her thoughts and actions. I loved how she managed to justify her actions despite also being aware that they were wrong.

The book was quite slow and tense, which I loved, but the last few chapters had me on the edge of my seat! I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. What a dark and twisted read!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Eleanor's father dies who she thinks the world of, as she doesn't get on with her mum or sister Amy. Eleanor is heartbroken but even more heartbroken after learning that he isn't actually her biological father. When searching for her real father, she learns alot of things she wish she hadn't, apart from the fact she has a half sister Victoria.

First of all, I really enjoyed this book & found it fast paced and easy to get through. I liked Eleanor, especially when she became 'friends' with Lewis. I loved how all her faults seemed to disappear when she was with him. She had alot of struggles and never felt happy within herself so it was nice to see her changing over time.

The reason I didn't rate it more stars was simply because I forgot it was a Thriller. While I was reading I forgot it was, and was just waiting for the family drama etc to happy. Then without any spoilers, the ending just threw me. It was a good twist but I just wish all the book would've had that aspect. However it was still a really good read!

The night her dad dies, Eleanor finds out he isn't her biological father. She is bereft. For some reason her mother has never liked her and her sister ignores her, not even coming to their dad's funeral. She discovers who her biological father is and goes to meet him but he too rejects her. So when she discovers she has a half sister she contacts her but doesn't tell her the truth. This leads to devastating consequences for her.

I found it hard to relate to any of the characters in this book. Eleanor should have been a sympathetic character but is so whiny, negative and self pitying that it is hard to find anything likeable about her. Her mother is horrible as is her biological father and as for the newly discovered half sister! There are likeable characters but they have a very small part to play. In the end I found that I didn't care about Eleanor even though what happens to her is very unjust.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

An enjoyable read with the requisite twists and turns of the genre, but for some reason - maybe the characters weren't quite believable enough - it didn't really grab my attention, and I skimmed some of the middle part.