Her Sister's Child by Alison James is a tense psychological thriller that certainly lives up to it's genre! It centres on the worst thing that could happen to any parent ever. Sixteen years previously Paula Armitage's older, alcholic, sister Lizzie swears Paula to secrecy over the fact that she is pregnant. Paula last saw her sister when she was in labour, since then nothing. Days later she discovers Lizzie is dead, but there is nothing about a baby. Paula realises she is the only one who knew this key information. She decides to tell her mum, but, sadly, her mum waves the information away, convinced Paula is just in the mad throes of grieving. In the present day, Paula still carries the guilt and goes to visit Lizzie's grave on her 40th birthday. She makes the decision to attempt to trace the child with Johnny, her friend.
We learn of Charlie, pregnant due to a slip up, her boyfriend has only stuck around because she has plenty of money that he can spend. Their relationship unsurprisingly falls apart and after talking it through with her parents, Charlie moves back home. The day she moves back in, someone kidnaps her baby.
 Told in multiple perspectives, these two stories are linked together and it all plays out as the story unfolds. I was really turning those pages to see what curveball was coming next! The twists were brilliant and the characters so fleshed out. Another fantastic thriller that holds you all the way to the final page.
 Thank you to Bookouture, Alison James and NetGalley for my copy of the book to give you my thoughts today.

Told in multiple perspectives Her Sister’s Child is page-turner that will grip you from the very beginning and keep you gripped to the very end.
Lizzie Armitage is Paula’s older sister, unfortunately, is an addict and pregnant, she asks Paula not to tell anyone and Paula last saw her when she was in labour. A few days later Lizzie is dead and there is no sign of a baby. Paula tries to convince her mother there was a baby but because she was a young teen at the time no one believed her.
16 years later, after Paula has visited Lizzie’s grave on the day which would have been her 40th birthday she decides that she needs to look into where this baby is, she is certain Lizzie was pregnant and even though there was no baby found with the body she is convinced it was born.
 She starts digging along with the help of her teen heartthrob Johnny and they start putting together the pieces of the mystery.
We also have Charlie, a young girl who had a slip-up and falls pregnant, her boyfriend stays with her because she has money but he is a pig, Spending HER money of flash cars, holidays, treating her like crap and disappearing. When the relationship breaks down and the baby is born, after a heart to heart with her parents she decides to move back in with her parents. The day of the move someone kidnaps her baby.  
These two people and stories are interlinks with each other and told in several perspectives and in different timelines too.
I just could not put this book down, it was so intense, there were a lot of twists and turns along the way and I was completely engrossed in it until the very end.
The characters were so believable and it was true to life, the areas in the book were well described and just how you would probably see those areas on the TV. 

Alison James wrote a fantastic book that will have you hooked from the very first page and it will stay with you. I would love to see either a film or a TV drama about it. I am sure a lot of people would like it.

This is one cleverly constructed book, told from the perspectives of Paula, Charlie a teenage student and Marian a social worker. It starts with a mother waking up to find her baby is missing and then we are with Paula as she visits her sister’s grave before going home to her own family. Paula’s estranged sister Lizzie had been an addict and alcoholic and she had sworn her sister to secrecy over her pregnancy after Paula realised the truth.

Sixteen years ago Lizzie was found dead but there was no trace of any baby. Had she been pregnant? Had she given birth? So when Paula meets an old friend and decides to search for her sister’s child. Will she get answers as the connections become clear?

The back and forth between past and present kept the pace up as did the different viewpoints. I really want to say what I loved the most but it would spill the beans and I never give away spoilers. But let’s just say one of the characters got under my skin and was the absolute driving force for me behind this domestic suspense.

So if you like playing armchair detective to see the wood from the trees then give this character driven tale covering some pretty dark topics a read.

Well this was a rather twisty tale that's for sure. Her Sister's Child follows Paula who, in childhood helped her sister hide her pregnancy. Her sister Lizzie was a troubled alcoholic and drug addict who died not long after giving birth and the baby vanished. The disappearance of her niece has always tormented Paula and when a surprise encounter leads her to realise that the secret pregnancy wasn't as secret as she thought, she is even more determined to find out what happened once and for all.

I really enjoyed this book and read the whole thing in day. The plot is full of twists and is highly enjoyable. We get to read from multiple points of view which keeps the story moving along at a good place. I can't say many of the characters are particularly likeable - they are all flawed in different ways but it adds to the story instead of detracting from it.

My only real criticism is that the encounter with an old acquaintance that kicks off the investigation just felt a little convenient and wasn't the strongest event but after the story gets going this matters less. There is a sort of romance that was completely unnecessary to the book but not harmful either.

Overall a really good book and I would highly recommend!

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Alison James fantastic twisted thriller HER SISTER'S CHILD.

"She rolls over and reaches for her instinctively: her baby. Her hand hits air and flaps redundantly. She stumbles out of bed and switches on the light. But this only confirms it. The baby is gone. Someone has taken her."

The story opens with a woman, which we soon discover is Lizzie Armitage, waking from another drunken stupor to find that her newborn baby is gone. And then just a few short days later Lizzie is found dead in her flat. But became of her baby? Did she even have a baby? No one, not her parents nor her social worker or anyone knew if Lizzie was even pregnant. All except Paula, Lizzie's younger sister.

Despite being banned from having any contact with her alcoholic older sister, Paula Armitage snuck out as often as she could and made her way to the council flat in which Lizzie was living. One day upon arrival, she was shocked to discover the exposed stomach protruding on Lizzie's thin frame. Lizzie was pregnant. And by the looks of it, she was a fair way along. As soon as she realised Paula had seen the bulge, Lizzie begged her little sister not to tell anyone. Not a soul. If anyone discovered she was pregnant they would only take the baby from her and Lizzie wanted her child, vowing the baby would sober her up.

So Paula scavenged together her savings and went out to purchase babygros, nappies and a Moses basket, packing them into a drawer in Lizzie's wardrobe ready for the baby's arrival. When she left, she promised Lizzie she would be back again in a few days. But then her mother reminded her they were going away for the week, as they always do, to her aunt's in Liverpool. So Paula made a mental note to check in on Lizzie as soon as she returned from their holiday. As it turned out, it rained for most of the time so her mother decided that they should return home to London but before Paula could make her way over to Lizzie's, there was a knock on the door. It was the police. Lizzie had been found dead in her flat.

Paula was devastated, and shocked. Without thinking she asked "What about the baby?" Her mother and the police looked at her and said "What baby?"

Now sixteen years later, Paula is divorced with two teenage children of her own. She visits Lizzie's grave on what would have been her sister's 40th birthday and, still feeling guilty at having kept the pregnancy a secret, promises her that she will find out what happened to her baby. But over the course of time, Paula has found no evidence that a baby had ever existed. All the baby clothes, the nappies and even the Moses basket she was sure she had bought were all gone. Everyone who knew them denies there ever being a baby. Was Lizzie really ever pregnant? Or was it all a dream?

Then one day Paula bumps into an old friend, Johnny Shepherd, who, during reminiscing about Lizzie, asks "So what happened to her baby?" Paula knew then that she hadn't been dreaming. It was real. Lizzie HAD been pregnant. And yet her baby had disappeared. With Johnny's help, Paula is determined to find out what really happened to her sister's baby and uncover the truth behind what happened sixteen years ago.

Alongside Paula's story we also meet Charlie, a teenage girl who finds herself pregnant and, despite her parents cajoling, decides to keep the baby. Against her parents' wishes, she finds the bank account that was set up for her as a baby by her grandmother and sets out to convince the baby's father that they should set up home together. Jake is all for it once he discovers how much money is involved, convincing Charlie on leasing an Audi, despite needing the funds to live on until Jake gets a job. But Jake has no intention of getting a job...not with tens of thousands of pounds ready for the taking.

Charlie thought that the prospect of fatherhood would prompt Jake to take some responsibility but all he seems to be doing is milking her of her savings. Flat screen TV, games console, an Audi sports car which isn't child friendly...and yet he has never attended any of her scans or even acknowledged the existence of the baby, except to make known he only wants a boy. So when Charlie arrives home one day, heavily pregnant, to discover everything of any worth has gone along with Jake she realises she has been a fool.

And then her waters break...

Addictive and compelling from the start, HER SISTER'S CHILD is fast paced and suspenseful throughout as Paula searches to uncover the truth about what really happened to Lizzie's baby. Did the baby live or die? Was it a boy or a girl? Paula didn't even know. I enjoyed her quest for the truth as her and Johnny teamed up, despite wondering if Johnny had some ulterior motive (I kind of hoped he didn't), and watching it unfold.

Throughout the story we meet Paula as both an adult and a teenager in chapters from the past (which really should have been labelled as such). She is an endearing young woman who obviously cares deeply for her older sister, despite being forbidden to have anything to do with her. Lizzie is a seasoned alcoholic who ended up stealing from her family to fund her habit in alcohol and marijuana. Her's was a sorry tale of a life which ended at just 24 from an aortic aneurysm, perpetuated by her drinking.

Despite her resourcefulness, Charlie is a sweet, yet naive, young girl who I found myself yelling at much of the time. I could see the situations she was creating for herself and how they would end up, even if she couldn't. Her parents clearly wanted what was best for her and a child at 16 was not it. The money set up for her in the account she used to set up house with Jake was meant for her university education. But needs must and Charlie could not end the life of an innocent child just because it was inconvenient. Her chapters are somewhat depressing as the reader can clearly see how it will all turn out, even if Charlie couldn't.

By the time we reach Part Two and introduced to Marian, it is soon clear how Paula, Charlie and Marian are connected. These chapters are told "in the past" between Marian and a teenage Paula. My biggest gripe with the entire book is that there was no definition between the past and the present in the chapters. When Part Two begins, it should be titled as "2003" so the reader is aware that the following chapters take place in the past. It was a little confusing at first when I was reading with Lizzie being still alive and Paula returning home from school. This is when I realised the story had moved to sixteen years before. Then when we move into Part Three, we have "before" and "now" chapters although both take place in the present day. For clarity's sake, each "Part" should be clearly titled with their actual timeline.

Part One - Present Day
Part Two - 2003
Part Three - Present Day

And to make matters even more confusing, between Parts One and Two, there is something called "Untitled" with chapters one through to four. Well, it was in the pre-released ARC I received prior to publication. I can only hope that this is shifted into the end of the first part as there didn't seem to be any reason for it to stand alone "untitled". But with that aside, HER SISTER'S CHILD is a gripping read from beginning to end.

Told from the three narratives, the main character throughout is always Paula with Charlie and Marian's stories slowly emerging as the plot progresses. As the three women's stories collide, the result is shocking yet brilliant in a way that makes the story even better...if that were possible. Some twists were unexpected and some were predictable but on the whole, HER SISTER'S CHILD is a brilliant twisty thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat throughout.

I have read three of Alison James' thrillers to date and while I wasn't as struck on "The School Friend" , I LOVED "The Man I Married" and now HER SISTER'S CHILD. It is a fantastic psychological and domestic thriller that had me almost reading it in its entitrety in one sitting...but I had to sleep.

In all, HER SISTER'S CHILD is a definite read for fans of domestic thrillers and dramas. Thoroughly recommended.

I would like to thank #AlisonJames, #NetGalley, #Bookouture for an ARC of #HerSistersChild in exchange for an honest review.

Young Lizzie gives birth at home. Shortly after, she reaches for her babies only to find they are gone!  As a struggling addict and alcoholic, that was the push over the edge of the cliff. When Lizzie’s sister Paula finds out her sister is gone she wonders what happened to the baby.  After contacting police, a search brings up nothing. Paula wonders for 16 years before she sets things in motion to find the truth. 

This was a great psychological thriller. It was a quick and easy read. I loved all of the different narrators and how it finally all came together. The author built up each of the main characters to a point you felt you knew them. The only one I struggle with was Johnny. He plays a big part in the search for Lizzies babies but I can’t quite understand why he was so interested in doing so. I wanted him to end up being the father to Lizzie’s babies, but he really didn’t have any connection!  

I think the cover of this book is great! I think the author should have chosen different blurbs to put on the title though. “She wanted a perfect family” really gives away who took the babies. Overall, this is a great read. If you like physiological thrillers, you should snatch this book! 4 out of 5 stars for me. Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Years after her sister's death, Paula sets out to find answers behind her sister's missing child. What she discovers are secrets and a mind twisting discovery. Her Sister's Child has a very intriguing concept, however at times we found it difficult to follow, with the multiple moving parts, POVs, and timelines. Though the villain was anticipated, readers are given a glimpse to how the individual unravelled. With a climax that concluded quickly, it left us feeling slightly incomplete.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am so pleased that I was given the opportunity to read Her Sister's Child as it was a truly tremendous psychological thriller!

I loved the exciting plotline and the pacing moved along at a fair rate of knots. Full of thrills and totally addictive, it held my attention from the very first chapter, but I could never have imagined what the explosive ending would reveal. I thought the characterisation really befitted this story, with relatable and believable characters including both the good and the bad. This brilliant story was a domestic-based mystery-thriller that told the tale of three very different women at varying stages of life, whose lives intertwine in unexpected ways. It was masterfully executed by the author, Alison James whose vivid and suspenseful writing style continued to wow me.

I shall be looking out for more by Alison James who has great talent and I intend to read her 'Detective Rachel Prince' series. I recommend Her Sister's Child as a hugely worthwhile and an excellent read.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Alison James has put together a tale that is intense, suspenseful and one that will keep you on the edge of your seat as you try and piece together the puzzle of the mystery. It invokes a range of emotions within you and added to that some twist and turns, makes for a very entertaining read. The writing is story, the narrative sharp and overall has been well executed.

I enjoyed the way the book is structured and how it plays out from multiple points of view over different time periods. Each character is complex and brings their own personality to life through the pages and gives the reader an in-depth view to each of them, the events that have occurred and how they all form together in the present.

The first half of Her Sister’s Child does move along at a slightly slower pace to begin with as the foundation is laid, but at no time did I want to stop reading the book. Once it gets going though, it does so at high speed making for more of a thrilling second half. I also felt that the ending was a little bit rushed, but was still satisfying in its outcome.

Her Sister’s Child is a gripping tale that really pulls on the heartstrings. It is thrilling, emotive and will have you completely invested in it from start to finish. It is a great psychological thriller to lose yourself in and I look forward to seeing what Alison James comes up with for her readers next.

Thank you to Alison James, Bookouture and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Her Sister’s Child, which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

"But the baby is gone. Someone has taken her."

Her Sister's Child is a domestic thriller told from the point of view of three women - Paula, Charlie and Marian. Moving between timelines, it tells the story of a tragic death and the search to find out the truth about a baby who went missing sixteen years ago. 

A quick and easy read, I flew through this book in just a few hours. Though there were some issues with the novel - it felt a little predictable and confusing at times as it shifted between characters and timelines - it captured my attention for the first page and held some surprising twists along the way. 

The characters are well written and each of the protagonists are   flawed and complex. There were times they'd pull on my heartstrings and others I'd want to shake some sense into them. Their connection  might seem obvious, but the full picture of how these women are linked is more intricate than it first appears and there are plenty of shocking revelations as the full picture is slowly unveiled. 

A moving, compelling and twisty thriller, this is a great read for anyone who enjoys this genre.

She rolls over and reaches for her instinctively: her baby. Her hand hits air and flaps redundantly. She stumbles out of bed and switches on the light. But this only confirms it. The baby is gone. Someone has taken her.

The story opens with Lizzie waking up to find that her new baby has gone, just a few days later Lizzie Armitage is found dead in her flat, but what became of her baby? Her younger sister Paula vows to do everything she can to find out, she feels guilty for keeping her sister's pregnancy a secret, if she had just told someone about it maybe they would both still be here, but every way she turns she hits a brick wall, was Lizzie ever pregnant or was it all a dream? Everyone close to the sisters denies there ever being a baby, that is until Paula bumps into an old friend who also knew about her sister's child, Paula is determined to find out what happened and where Lizzie's baby went, but will she uncover the truth before others get hurt?

This is an intriguing family drama, told from three perspectives and various timelines, it's an emotional read, highlighting how far a desperate person will go, to get the one thing that they crave and the immense fallout their actions cause. I thought the characters were well portrayed and the plot well crafted, I loved the short, sharp chapters and the drama that evolved throughout. If you like a fast paced edge of your seat read, then this is for you. This is the first I've read by this author but I've now added her other two standalones to my Amazon list. 

I'd like to thank Bookouture and Netgalley for the auto approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day

Simply astounding. This was a new author for me so I had very little insight as to how I would find her writing. I was captured instantly. Wonderfully written, great characters and an amazing story line. I stayed up way to late to finish this book and found myself reflecting on it the next day as well. You know it’s well done when you just have to know what happens next and how it ends so you keep turning pages. I loved the twists and turns and the ending was phenomenal. I am so glad I was given the opportunity to read this!

This is a gripping family drama. 
The story is told from three different perspectives - Paula, Charlie and Marian and they all play a very important part in how this story unravels. The book is also split into three parts - present, past and then back to the present. 
Lizzie was found dead but there was no sign of a baby, so Paula is determined to find the child, as she knows they exist. As Paula is only 17 years old, the police don’t take too much notice of her so she eventually gives up. Years later, she runs into an old school friend and after discussing it with him, they start to look into things again. 
So there’s a grieving sister in search of answers, a pregnant teen looking forward to her baby and a social worker - the three women's lives are connected but how? 
I won’t say anymore as I don’t want to spoil it, but I can say this is a great read and I really enjoyed it. 
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Thank you to Net Galley and Alison James for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Her Sister’s Child comes out November 26, 2020 – be sure to grab yourself a copy.

This book is told from the point of view of multiple characters, in different timelines. Paula is a divorced mother of two, filled with the guilt of never knowing that happened to her dead sister’s baby. Charlie is a new teen mom who’s trying to find her way. Marian is an older woman who has always wanted a baby of her own. Though each woman is at a different stage of life, their paths cross in the most unexpected ways.

This book was a great read and I was hooked really early on. The author did a good job of making each character just as entertaining as the next, I never felt like I wanted to rush through one characters story line to get back to another story line. Seeing as there were multiple points of view I wish each chapter was labeled with a date so that I could have a clearer idea at the start of the chapter. There was an excellent twist that completely threw me for a loop and as I started to uncover it was quite pleased with how unexpected it was! Overall, I really enjoyed this one and would recommend it for your next read!

EXCERPT: She rolls over and reaches out into the space where she was placed. Reaches for her instinctively: her baby.

Her hand hits air, and flaps redundantly.

She sits up in bed and looks around her, head jerking wildly in first one direction, then the other. Perhaps someone lifted the baby off the bed and put her in the moses basket. She squints over at the corner of the room, but where the moses basket sat before, there's just a patch of grimy carpet.

ABOUT 'HER SISTER'S CHILD': She rolls over and reaches for her instinctively: her baby. Her hand hits air and flaps redundantly. She stumbles out of bed and switches on the light. But this only confirms it. The baby is gone. Someone has taken her.

Sixteen years ago, Lizzie Armitage woke to find her newborn baby gone. Just days later, Lizzie was dead.

Her sister Paula swore she would do everything she could to find the child. If she hadn’t promised to keep Lizzie's pregnancy secret, maybe the baby wouldn’t have disappeared. And maybe Lizzie would still be alive. But, in nearly a decade, Paula’s never found any trace. Until now…

When Paula bumps into an old friend from the past, she realises she wasn’t the only one who knew about her sister’s child. Someone knows what happened that day. Someone knows where Lizzie’s baby went.

But can Paula find out the truth before another family is ripped apart?

MY THOUGHTS: I failed to become invested in Her Sister's Child at all. I wanted to like it. I enjoyed the previous two books that I have read by this author. But this just didn't work for me beyond being merely an okay read.

It is, in the beginning, a confusing read. The author is telling two stories over two timelines, but these aren't clearly delineated, so you don't actually realise that this is what is happening until some way through the book. Once this became apparent I knew. And I really only read on, skimming, to confirm that I was right. I was. It was really all a bit too obvious. Or maybe I just read too many of this type of book.

An average read from an author I expect better of.

⭐⭐.5

#HerSistersChild #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: I was born in the Cotswolds but spent most of my formative years abroad. I studied languages at Oxford, then became a journalist and author, returning to university after my two children to take a law degree. After a three-year stint as a criminal paralegal, I worked as a commercial copywriter and then a TV storyliner, before coming full circle to write fiction again.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Her Sister's Child by Alison James for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

Just wow. I'd give it more stars if I could. This was a fantastic, clever thriller. I was immediately drawn in by the prologue, Lizzie wakes to find her newborn baby gone, just days later she is dead. From then on alternating between differing perspectives. I was intrigued. The structure is complicated but it makes it all the more gripping, i had to know what was going on. I just kept saying one more chapter. Worth the lack of sleep to finish. Now i need to go and read her other books. Highly recommend. 

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

Published 26th November 2020

Thank You Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC! This review is strictly based on my honest opinion.

Paula Armitage along with Johnny finds that her sister's child has been missing and they both try to find the child. Meanwhile, a girl named Charlie was pregnant and wants to keep the baby though her parents want her to abort the baby.

To me, I do like the plot line. The plot was really intriguing and gripping and has you guessed till the end. However, at some points, I was confused in some of the pages. The story is told from Paula, Charlie and a woman named Marian's perspectives and there's a change in the time line from 2003 to the Present. There were also too many characters in the book so I was left confused about the characters. However, the good thing is, it was a good thriller, quiet fast paced and is intriguing--worth four stars!

To sum it up, this is an extremely great read. The story was very engaging and easy to follow despite the dual time line.  Full of mystery and intrigue, it kept me turning the pages looking for answers well into the night.
I will certainly be recommending this book to fellow readers and friends alike. I will also be looking into more by this author.

Lizzie Armitage woke to find her newborn baby gone. Just days later, Lizzie was dead.

Her sister Paula swore she would do everything she could to find the child. If she hadn’t promised to keep Lizzie's pregnancy secret, maybe the baby wouldn’t have disappeared. And maybe Lizzie would still be alive. But Paula never found any trace.

Sixteen years later, when Paula bumps into an old friend from the past, she realises she wasn’t the only one who knew about her sister’s child. Someone knows what happened that day. Can Paula find out the truth before another family is ripped apart?

It was a very interesting premise, something that was new to me and I couldn’t wait to get into the book and find out what happens.

The plot in itself was well written with quite a lot of twists, some of which were quite predictable. All the characters were good. While some of their back stories were well defined, I felt that till the end I couldn’t quite find out or understand much about Johnny’s involvement and his reasons and desire to help Paula.

A slight disappointment for me was that while the entire book was fast paced and filled with suspense, I felt that the ending was kind of rushed and hence, kind of felt flat.

Overall, a good read if not for the rushed end.

Thank You to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

Add this to the list of books that sets my mama heart on FIRE! This book grabbed me from the first chapter b/c a baby goes missing and I cannot abide that. I was SO surprised when the twist came and I love that. Most things don't surprise me anymore. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the characters and the way it was all woven together.