Cover Image: The Sister-in-Law

The Sister-in-Law

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Member Reviews

This book is strange. I feel as though the synopsis is very different to what the book is. It is an ok thriller

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I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

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Shes done it again! A brilliant psychological thriller! Who doesn't have an issue with an 'in law' one way or another it just in what capacity....

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I didn’t find this book as suspenseful as I had hoped and I don’t think it was helped by my dislike of the main characters. All of them are significantly flawed and I was frustrated by the squabbling between Harper and Candace.

These two belong in the school playground! Living with each other, there is definitely no love lost between them. The petty comments and behaviour made the two women appear rather infantile and I just wished they would grow up, for the sake of Harper’s children. Harper barely knows Candace and takes an instant dislike with her; despite them apparently trying to build bridges, this just resulted in them being burned and even more spiteful towards each other.

The novel opens with the death of Harper’s husband. Rather than phoning the police or ambulance when she discovers Ben’s body, she phones her brother, Lane, and the two of them manipulate the scene so that it no longer looks like a suicide, but a murder – all for the sake of the life insurance pay out. However, the police are never fooled and they continue to circulate around Harper and her family, especially when a witness steps forward.

On the other hand, Candace herself is not all innocent either. Crane makes it clear early on that she has a shady past and the story gradually reveals her secrets. To be honest, none of the revelations were particularly surprising and I guessed most of the plot development a long time before they were shown. This made the novel more of a hard slog than a nail-biting thriller, especially as I thought the story a little too predictable.

I really appreciated the cyclical nature of the story and liked how some elements were repeated from the beginning. I thought this made the plot more interesting and I liked drawing comparisons between the two. Other than that, I just could not connect with any of the characters and even found minor personalities like Harper’s brother and her mother, to be just as irritating.

Personally, I think there are far more gripping narratives than this one. A slow-burner, I don’t think the story ever really gets going and stays at the same pace all throughout. I did not get a sense of any danger or tension, but instead wanted the female characters to get a grip and stop squabbling.

With thanks to Avon books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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This was a fast paced thriller which was very well written, it was dark and chilling in places and had a great level of drama and intrigue

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Dark thriller that had you hooked from the off. The book was very well written. Great plot. Very exciting. Fast paced to get your heart racing. Loved this book

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This did exactly what it said on the tin in the best possible way. I couldn't put it down and was enthralled through out. Would highly recommend if you like this genre of book.

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The Sister in Law is a domestic thriller that made me so grateful that I have an amazing Sister in Law and that (to the best of my knowledge) she isn’t a psycho!
 
As soon as I read the synopsis of this book I knew I had to read it, and would enjoy it, as family drama is such a great trope!  And my goodness did this Family bring the drama!
 
What I liked the most about this story was that there were so many twists, you never really knew where it was going. 
 
The story is told from Harper, Candace and Lane’s perspectives and between them they are all unreliable narrators.  I feel that the writing really manipulates the reader into believing a totally different theory so the end was not what I expected at all.

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The title sounded very familiar at first, but I still enjoyed it. It is told by multiple characters . It did start off ok but fell down for me which influenced my rating. I just didnt have that feeling of not wanting to put it down.

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The Sister-in-Law by Pamela Crane follows the perspective of two very different women. Harper is a widow with two children and Candace is a young, free spirited newlywed. The two have nothing in common except they both love, Lane, who happens to be Harper's brother and Candace's new husband. When Harper and her two children move in with Lane and Candace after her husband's mysterious death, the two women take an instant dislike to each other. Candace thinks Harper is too possessive over Lane and is taking advantage of his kindness. Meanwhile, Harper thinks Candace is a gold digger and not who she says she is. As they continue to butt heads, it becomes clear that Lane is going to have to choose: his wife or his sister.

This book is a mix between a psychological thriller and a family drama. I enjoyed it. The cattiness between Harper and Candace was certainly entertaining and while both women are not the most likable characters, I couldn't help but sympathize with them at times over what they had been through. But throughout the story, you're definitely left wondering who is the ultimate bad guy? Is it Candace or Harper? does Candace have an ulterior motive behind marrying Lane? How did Harper's husband really die? And who is behind all the strange events occurring now? With both women plotting against each other, it becomes clear that only one of them can have a happy ending.
Plenty of twists and turns, family secrets, and murder make this a solid thriller that kept me on my toes. The twist wasn't earth shattering but still very clever and it took me a while to figure out what was really going on.
Like I said, a solid thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Where to start with this book. I got to about half way through feeling frustrated with Harper and Candice and wanted to give them both a good talking to!!

Harper had lost so much in her life and although she annoyed me by trying to interfere into her brother, Lane’s, life I kept reminding myself why she was probably like the way she was.

Candice, wow, she is something else. I won’t go into too much detail but what a complex character she is who has also been through things no one should have to deal with.

This book had lots of twists and turns and was so well written I absolutely loved it. I loved the writing style of Pamela Crane and will definitely be reading more of her books.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for the opportunity to read an advance copy in return for my honest review.

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What a amazing read.

Thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish and could not get enough of.

This is a must read for anyone who enjoys a good book!!
Absolutely loved the characters, the plot, the tension -  impossible to put it down.
Certainly recommended!

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This is a compelling story of a dysfunctional family. It’s a decent read and kept me engaged throughout. However, I didn’t want to binge read it and for that reason, it’s 3 star overall.

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I love this author's books. This was all about a dysfunctional family with one man in the center of it. the story moved at a fast pace, leaving me no time to think. I liked how suspense played up on me and the author brought it to a great finish. A fun read, loved the audio version too.

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An enjoyable read that I will go on to recommend. I found the characters interesting and the plot line engaging. Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

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From the first chapters this book reeled me in hook, line and sinker. I didn’t want to do anything g else only read this fantastic book.

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I’d like to say the reason it took me so long to finish this one was because I read it at night before bed on the kindle and sometimes I was just too tired to read. But that wouldn’t be true. It just fell flat for me. I didn’t want to binge read it.

I found Harper and Candace incredibly annoying. It felt like there was too much going on. And then the last few chapters felt as though the author wanted to wrap things up so suddenly awww have a bunch of chapters from one view point all of a sudden when it’s been alternating throughout, which just felt rushed.

Important note: Let’s quote using the term ‘committed suicide’ as well. It’s offensive and outdated. We need to be reducing the stigma not adding to it.

It was good but a flat 3 for me.

Thank you so much for my gifted copy. I appreciated it 🙏🏼

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I enjoyed reading this novel and discovering the relationships between Harper, her brother Lane and Lane’s significant other Candace. There are so many mysterious questions that you want answered, such as what truly happened to Harper’s husband? There are so many secrets and lies, and throw into that mix family dynamics. Torn between his wife and his sister, Lane is caught in the middle. He wants to support his wife but he also wants to support his sister. What is he to do? Is blood thicker than water?

I enjoyed the chapters in this novel and reading as the story evolved. There are plenty of shocking twists and turns, and revelations that will keep you interested until the end. Why is Harper so jealous? Why can’t they all just get along and be a happy family? You’ll have to read this book to find out.

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A fantastic read by a new author for me. I am converted as a fan and absolutely cannot wait to read more. This is unique and original. I have been pulled in and unable to put this one down.
I cannot say anything negative about this gorgeous book. it has been a fantastic read.

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Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley.

This is a fast paced action packed unpredictable psychological thriller.

Families , we all have them and some aren’t so easy to navigate , a bit like the secrets we want to keep buried .

Complex, flawed and real characters .

Are people who they say they are and who is being honest ?

Filled with twists and turns this keeps the reader on it’s toes.

Published 15th April

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