Alison James is a new author to me and I selected it to read on the off chance.  I was not disappointed, I wasn't initially sure about the timelines to start with and then got into the flow.  When I thought I knew what was happening it twisted again. 

Don't want to say too much as it is better to go in with an open mind and just let yourself be engrossed with the story. 

Will definitely be investigating more books by this author. 

I was given an advance copy by netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review which I have done so.

Her Sister's Child by Alison James is a fast-paced, gripping read that had me hooked from the very start, and I devoured it in a single afternoon.  

Told from multiple perspectives, and over varying timelines, this is a cleverly constructed narrative that will have you frantically trying to make frustratingly elusive connections.  Lizzie is an addict and asks her sister to help keep her pregnancy a secret, even from her own family.  Tom and Marian are desperate for a child of their own, but learn that they are infertile.  Charlie gives birth to a child at seventeen against the wishes of her parents who beg her to give the child up and continue her education.  

This is a twisty and convoluted ride that will have you scrambling for answers.  Recommended.  4.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

This book was suspenseful, gripping, mysterious and had some great twists.

My Sisters Child is told from 3 different POV’s (my favourite thing): Paula Charlie and Marian and they all play a very important part in how this story unravels. The book is also split into 3 different parts, skipping from present, past and back to present which I thought allowed me to connect the characters a lot more as it gave me the information I needed to understand their past lives.

Paula is so devoted to her late sister to find the truth out about what happened to her sisters baby after she passed away due to alcohol related issues. After a one night stand. Charlie finds herself pregnant and thinks that a future with Jake is all she needs, but what is that going to cost her? And Marian wants nothing more than to have a family of her own.

This was a fantastic psychological thriller that had me gripped from the very first page. It has portrayed just how far (maybe too far) some people will go in the hope to get a loving family of their own.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Alison James for the ARC of this book. I can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next!

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for letting me read this book in advance of its publication in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me gripped from the start and was a real page turner.  Perfect for fans of Blood Orange or The Couple next Door.

This is the first book I've read by Alison James and it certainly won't be my last. The plot centres  around Marian who is desperate to have a baby at any cost and the lengths she will go to, to achieve this. 

The suspense begins when we learn of a baby being snatched from their sleeping mother and a case of who done it and why.  The author takes you on a journey of learning about the lives of Paula, Charlie and Marian and how their lives are entwined.

Overall I found this book to be a good psychological thriller.

Sixteen years ago, alcoholic Lizzie woke to find her newborn baby gone. Just days later, Lizzie was dead. Her younger sister, Paula, wants desperately to find the child, but no one else seems interested. When an old friend shows up and promises to help, Paula works to find the truth before another family is ripped apart. 

This was a quick, fun read if at times a little too unbelievable. I enjoyed how Her Sister’s Child skipped from POV and times, but it could also be a little confusing figuring out what is happening. 

My Sister’s Child is a domestic thriller with a few twists and turns. I felt like a few of my questions were left unfinished, but it was an entertaining read. 

Trigger warning- failed IVF cycle & infant death. 

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This one will be published November 26, 2020.

I thought this novel was incredible. The years-old disappearance mystery of a baby is what sets in motion a trail of destruction in this mystery novel. The relationship between the sisters is another strong motif. Highly recommended!

Her Sisters Child is a dark thrilling story full of action! 

Very surprised that this is a debut. I thought it was written brilliantly! I really liked that the twists kept coming and weren’t all at the end, now that’s good writing. Despite some of the characters actions not being morally right I really felt for some of them.

This story will hook you, I highly recommend reading this one! 4.5/5

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

This is the first book written by Allison James that I have read and I am excited to read more.
Her Sister's Child grabbed me from the very first page, actually from the book summary. I was hooked from the very first page to the end. 
The book starts with a woman waking up to find her baby gone. But this is not the typical story of a mother searching for her baby. 
Her Sister's Child switches between three different points of view- Paula, Charlotte and Marian. A grieving sister in search of answers, a pregnant teen looking forward to her baby and a divorcee. The three women's lives are connected but how? What will happen when their lives connect?

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for letting me read this book prior to its publication. My opinion is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own.

The premise for this novel was quite interesting, and that’s why I was interested in reading this novel. Other books I have read where some sort of baby kidnapping or disappearance was involved have been quite good, so I really wanted to read this one too.

I liked reading the story from different points of view, but by the blurb I thought that Paula would be the main character of the story. When she started to disappear in the background to leave room for Charlie first and then for the crazy ramblings of Marian, I was a bit disappointed.

I have to say that the character of Marian is a proper nutcase, but most of the things that happened to her seemed to me a little too convenient. And the ending was rushed and I was expecting more.

The incredible plot twist that was announced on the book cover, well, it was okay, but it wasn’t that surprising. I know, I’m very picky. But I read quite a lot of thrillers every month so I started to find patterns and predictability in the books I read, even if I try not to do so. But the twist in this book was fine; I didn’t predict it, so that’s good.

Overall, a good story that will keep you reading. Perfect for a rainy weekend with a steamy cuppa.

I usually enjoy Alison James’s books., but found this one a bit slow and predictable with unlikeable characters.

WOW!! This book grabs you in from the first chapter and just doesn't let go. I stayed up until 2am just to finish it, it was that good. Five stars - a must read!!

I suspect that were you to give some of the plot points a closer look, they'd seem impossibly far-fetched. However, despite some of the wilder twists, this was an enjoyable, fast-paced read.

This was an interesting concept and the book itself is a quick read, but there were some questions left unanswered.  The basis of the story is that alcoholic Lizzie may or may not have had a baby before she tragically passed away.  The book alternates between the POVs of Lizzie's sister, Paula, teenager Charlie, and social worker, Marian, and bounces back and forth between 16 years ago and current time.

I liked the different voices and the fact that the chapters alternated between them, but the timelines were a bit confusing- maybe just because it was an ARC, but I would have loved to see each chapter call out the timeframe when it takes place, instead of me having to read a few lines and orient myself around when it took place.  

I thought the characters were built out for the most part, but I had unresolved questions about why they made some of the decisions they made, and wish I could have gotten more of a backstory that would have made those decisions make sense.

The ending was a little rushed for me, but I did find it interesting and it tied at least the main pieces of the story together.

Overall, if you are looking for a fast-paced read with a bit of mystery, I'd recommend the book, but know that it doesn't get really deep into the motives of some of the characters, so you might walk away with some questions.  Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! It has been a while since I've read a book in one sitting, but Alison James has accomplished that for me with Her Sister's Child. The suspense of the story was established from the very first page, and I found myself reading into the early hours of the following morning to see what the outcome of the story became. The story is told from multiple viewpoints across a few different timelines of the story. It begins with Lizzie who just recently had a baby, or did she? The baby was lying right there, but now it is gone. Before any of it can make sense, Lizzie passes away with a lot of unanswered questions. The story then shifts to her younger sister, Paula who wasn't around for the birth but also finds the same scenario when she tries to see the baby. All of the things are missing that the baby would need, diapers, etc. The baby is gone, but her sister is lying there asleep. What has happened? As the story unravels with marriage and divorce amongst several characters in the story, infertility issues and pregnancies, unforeseeable tragedy and heartache abound in this novel that will grip you from start to finish!

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.  I am really enjoying reading this author's books lately and did enjoy this one too. A novel full full of suspense, emotion and twists that kept me engaged. Told from multiple perspectives it gave insights to the characters and though I related to some more than others , it was a well rounded book I would recommend.

This book had such a good concept, but sadly kind of lacked a good execution.
In the first half of the book, Charlie's and Paula's stories still worked well together. I liked Charlie as a character and although her story seemed disconnected at first, you quickly understood the connection. I actually enjoyed part two more because Marian came in, but at the same time Paula, who according to the synopsis should have been the main character, was forgotten. I feel like the author should have either focused on Paula as a protagonist or on Marian's and Charlie's parts, but not both.
The jumps into the past were also kind of confusing and out of nowhere, and I was never really sure what the timeline was supposed to be. The ending felt really rushed and everything was suddenly too easy, and too many things just seemed very convenient for Marian. There was never really any mystery or suspense because everything was either obvious or explained to the reader, and although I enjoyed the story itself it didn't exactly feel very thrilling.
I still liked the concept and the characters a lot, and if the structure of the book had been different this could have been a great read.

i always enjoy this authors books you know its going to be a good 1 from when you 1st start page 1 .. Paula never gave up on her big sister Lizzie her parents turned her back on her as she was a drug user and alcoholic . Paula goes to see her after school and her sister tells her a secret she is pregnant .then the unthinkable happens Lizzie is found died in her flat but no baby as the years go on Paula has children of her own and she wants to find what did happen she bumps in to  Johnny and a relationship begins and he helps her to find out the truth its just a brilliant read .i cried

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for letting me read this book early in exchange for an honest review. I felt like this book really held my attention in the beginning but as the story went on, I lost interest. This book had such a creative theme and it’s obvious that the author put a lot of time and effort into writing this. However, I found the book to be mostly predictable. I will say that there was one twist that I did not see coming.

An enjoyable read told through multiple stories, this was well written and I was unable to guess what had really happened. The author does a good job of keeping the reader engaged through good plot twists and character development. I would recommend.

So the premise and overall plot was great. There were definitely many twists and OMG moments. However, it was predictable!! I had high hopes this was going to be one of the better thrillers I read this year, instead is is somewhere in the middle with the mediocre thrillers. Just my opinion and I really do not like to say anything bad about a book, ever.

Still a recommended read and loved the cover.

Thanks to Netgalley, Alison James and Bookouture for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 11/26/20