Another cracking psychological thriller from Susie Lynes who never disappoints. A story about sisters, secrets and lies and how we don’t always know what is really happening to those closest to us. Full of the expected twists and turns and although I did guess the final one it didn't spoil the ending for me.

I read this because I enjoyed Susies last book The Housewarming..and this was another cracker! Lies,secrets,at the heart of the perfect family....no one really knows what goes on behind anyones doors right? This was dramatic and thrilling. With thanks to the author and Netgalley for the ARC. Recommended read!

Her Sister’s Secret by S.E. Lynes

Dark twisted tale that had me reading to find out what would happen.

What I liked:
* Isla: younger sister of Annie, the good sister, educated, good job, godmother to her nephew, and yet this is not her story…she is a watcher of events unfolding in the aftermath.
* Annie: older sister of Isla, the one who had trouble in HS, unwed mother, looking for escape, trapped before leaving home and again after making the hopeful leap to freedom.
* Cal: Annie’s son, artistic, capable, educated, loving, loves his mother, has dreams, accused of murder, must stand trial.
* Daisy: a good friend, works at the school, interesting, there for her friends, may have her love returned eventually.
* Jan: older woman, friend of Annie’s, observant, stands by her friends.
* Patrick: a friend of Isla’s – not a lover – was glad she had him as a friend.
* The way the story was told – letting bits out here and there with plenty of surprises, twists and turns.
* Though I don’t usually enjoy moving between past and present, it worked well in this book.
* The full story as it was revealed…character development, backstories, and all the rest
* The way everything was resolved and the potential future for those left at the end of the book.

What I didn’t like:
* Dom: manipulative, womanizer, user, abuser, someone nobody should have in their life.
* The murder trial – wondering if Cal was going to be found guilty or not – really didn’t like the prosecutor.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

Thank you to the publisher, S.E. Lynes, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Previously published at https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/her-sisters-secret/


“Sisters function as safety nets in a chaotic world simply by being there for each other.”

― Carol Saline

Annie Andrews and her sister Isla are the best of friends, but two very different souls. They are raised in the Scottish Highlands by their very conservative parents. Annie is a wild child while Isla is sensitive and responsible. When Isla is 10, Annie wakes her up to tell her she is pregnant. Their parents set Annie and her newborn son Callum in a flat above the gift shop they own, telling her she must face her consequences and raise her child on her own. For 11 years, Annie and Callum happily live in Inverary, above the gift shop, until one girl’s weekend, Annie meets the diminutive Dom and falls in love almost instantly. Dom is there with his friends Gavin and Tom. While they live far apart, they continue to correspond with letters. Isla, being the more sensible, warns Annie that they are moving too fast, but Annie is swayed by his charm and is swept away. Within two years, Dom and Annie marry, and she has moved with Callum to their charming new home in Dorset, where Dom runs his family business.

Over a decade later, Isla receives a frantic call from her nephew Callum, now 20. Annie and Dom are dead, murdered, and then Annie’s beloved studio set on fire. Isla leaves at once so she can support Callum and find out what happened. But when she arrives, she realizes the Dorset police only have one suspect, her beloved nephew. As Isla navigates what has happened, she learns of all the secrets Annie kept from her, including Dom’s abuse, cheating and his treatment of Callum. She must now face that Annie was not who she thought her sister was and reconcile that she did not know her as well as she thought she did.

S.E. Lynes does a spectacular job portraying a marriage entrenched in abuse and secrets. Dom, with his Napoleon syndrome, is a spoiled bully. Annie, so certain she has found her happily ever after, exhausts herself trying to hide the abuse she is suffering, while carving out a life for herself in the small town. All the promises Dom has made to her turn to dust, and he becomes so cruel that your heart will break for Annie as her dreams also turn to dust. But who is really to blame? What happened that night in Annie’s art studio that burned to the ground?

When Callum is arrested for the murder of his mother, Isla is convinced he is innocent and will do anything to prove it. She knows he would not have killed Annie, as there was no one he was closer to. Over the next few months, as Callum awaits his trial, Isla makes a life for herself in the small town, with the help of Annie’s best friends and Annie’s former lover, Ross.

From the beginning of Her Sister’s Secret to the shocking twist revealed in the final chapters, we find Isla to be a reliable and careful narrator. The story alternates between Annie’s voice to Isla in the present day, often with flashbacks to conversations and experiences they had together. This is one enjoyable story, with just the right amount of tension.

3 for neutral, for some reason this book did not download, even checked old title name. Will update once I purchase and read.

Why would you pretend your life is perfect when actually it is a complete nightmare. I thought my sister was happy, well we all did. Annie and Dom led perfect lives a lovely cottage near the sea. However Annie was not the joyful person we once thought her to be.

Such an easy read and some twists along the way. I thought I guessed the ending but I was wrong. Didn’t see it coming. Great read Thankyou

A decent enough story told generally in an interesting way by swapping times and two narrators but sometimes all that narrative slowed the story down too much. There were a couple of holes in the plot but it’s an easy read that will be very popular. It just didn’t set me on fire

S. E. Lynes is one of my favourite Bookouture authors and this been a book that I have been eager to get stuck into.

I absolutely adore the cover of this one. It catches the eye and is eery making you want more as a reader. As always with this author, I haven’t been disappointed. I have been pulled in and completely unable and unwilling to put this down. This is a book I have devoured in one sitting with no regrets. I just wish I could experience reading this for the first time all over again.

The author has real skill and talent, this is a plot which unravels backwards, but makes perfect sense. The novel is compelling from the very beginning and moves at a pace to keep you completely wanting more.

This is definitely filled with twists and completely unpredictable right up to the very end. I love the characters in this one, they are strong with well developed personalities.

The more I read this author, the more I crave. I am already eagerly anticipating more from this lovely lady. A definite recommended read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Isla and Annie are sisters and have a strong bond - or so Isla thought!
Isla receives a call from her nephew to tell her Annie and her husband Dom have died in a fire. Heartbroken Isla rushes to be with her nephew and quickly realises that her sister was hiding things from her. Annie was in an unhappy marriage and had many secrets she kept from her.
The book tells the story from the past, “then” where Annie is still alive and “now” when she isn’t.
Unusually for books by this author this story was very close paced until two thirds of the way in to the story. I kept waiting for a twist I hadn’t seen coming which never came.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a big fan of S E Lynes and have purchased all of her previous titles so was thrilled to be able to review this book for NetGalley.
It’s amazing to see into the lives of such different sisters. How much love a son can have for his mother and how far he is willing to go to protect her.
I normally like to guess ahead but I was so far off the mark with this story! It had more dips, twists and turns than the Big Dipper!
Wonderful descriptions of settings, you can almost imagine yourself right alongside the characters.

Isla and her Sister Annie have a close relationship, or so Isla thought until that one fateful night when her sister Annie and her husband Dominic die in a home fire. What Isla finds out after is heartbreaking and angering. There were a few times when I just wanted to throw my tablet across the room. This has nothing to do with the writing skills of Her Sister's Secret author S.E. Lynes. She has topped her game even over her last wonderful book, The Homewarming.

I didn't see where Her Sister's Secret was going when it ended. S.E, Lynes does a wonderful job of building her characters, their personalities, the background for the main stars and fills it all in with a beautiful country that juxtaposes the evil that happens in Annie and Callum's life.

All I can say is WOW, just wow. You need to read Her Sister's Secret. This book was released July 13, 2021, and is a great summer read you can find at your favorite indie bookstore. Don't forget to add this to your summer reading pile. you won't regret it.

Her Sister's Secret (previous title : The One to Blame) is another thrilling and chilling read by S.E. Lynes.
Isla's nephew, Callum, rings her with the news that her sister, Annie, has died. Isla goes straight to her sister's home to support her nephew and to find out the truth about what happened to her sister. Suspicion quickly falls on everyone in the little Dorset village, including Callum. Isla doubts everyone's version of events, even her nephew's as she learns that her sister's marriage to Dom was far from perfect and that Annie has been living a lie for years.
S.E. Lynes effortlessly weaves together a dual setting – Dorset and Inveraray – and a dual timeline and rounds off this atmospheric psychological thriller with a twist that winded me.

Her Sister’s Secret is the latest gripping psychological thriller by the always wonderful S.E. Lynes. As a huge fan of this author’s previous work I couldn’t wait to get my hands on her new novel and I must say it did not disappoint! Well paced and gripping, Her Sister’s Secret is a dark thriller about family secrets and the lies people tell to hide the truth from the community around them and those they love. Full of twists and turns that will keep you reading long into the night, this is a thrilling page turner of a read that had me enthralled from beginning to end.

Isla arrives home one night a bit worse for wear when she receives a telephone call from her distressed nephew telling her that there’s been an accident and her sister is dead. Suffering from shock and in complete disbelief Isla drops everything at once and goes to be by Callum’s side, as the investigation into the fire and Annie and Dom’s deaths begins. But is everything as cut and dried as at first seems? Or were the apparently idyllic lives of the perfect couple masking a dark secret that Annie was desperate to keep hidden?

Told in alternate chapters by both Isla and Annie, Her Sister’s Secret moves backwards and forwards in time, slowly building a picture of their lives leading up to what happened on that fateful night. The end, when it comes, is as devastating as it is shocking, as the secrets Annie was hiding are finally revealed.

To say much more would give too much away, so all I will say is that Her Sister’s Secret is a brilliantly plotted, dark and gripping psychological thriller that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend. S.E. Lynes has written yet another strong and character driven story that I thoroughly enjoyed and I can’t wait to read whatever she comes up with next!

I love all of SE Lynes' books--she has a terrific mix of suspense and emotional drama that I love, and this book is no different. Going back and time following the lives of two sisters, with one sister having died in the present day. The secrets are unveiled one by one, showing the complexity of the sisters' relationship through the years. Definitely recommended!

Annie and Isla are sisters and have been very close to each other since they were little. Annie got pregnant at 15 with a man she didn't know much. After a few years, she meets Dominic, and she quickly falls hard for his promises of a new life in Dorset. She left her parents and sister, Isla, in Scotland for Dom. Little that she knows about Dom until one night Isla's nephew, Callum called Isla to inform her that Annie and Dom have died in a terrible fire in the studio. Isla then arrives at Annie's cottage to discover that her sister was not living the perfect life she seems to be. Isla also then finds out some secrets Annie kept away from her for years.

This is definitely another good #psychologicalthriller that worth to read. The beginning was a little slow. It's about 65% , then it starts to pick up really fast and I can't stop turning the page then. There are quite a few twists towards the end, which was brilliant, suspenseful and I have no clue where it was going to go. I am surprised by the ending and yeah, overall I do enjoyed it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thanks so much @netgalley @bookouture for this advance digital copy.

This is a must read thriller!
I loved this book from the beginning to the last shocking twist.
I had a feeling that I knew what’s to come early in the story but that last one was very unexpected and haven’t seen it coming at all.
There are many topics included in here that many people will probably have different views but I found them interesting and may I even say , necessary for the story to take shape the way it did.
Loved it so much.

Sisters Annie and Isla live completely different lives at a distance, but they adore each other, chat regularly and keep tabs on one another. Isla loves that they are so close. But, are they?

Isla receives a late-night call from her panicked nephew, Callum. Rushing to her sister’s home in Inveraray, she faces a grisly nightmare. Annie and her husband, Dom, died in a fire in Annie’s painting cottage and Callum is the prime suspect of foul play.

Devastated, Isla tries to qualm her misgivings and make sense of Callum’s sketchy recounting of the dreadful night. When Callum is arrested, Isla remains by his side convinced of his innocence. Was she blinded by familial faithfulness? As the investigation unravels, Isla discovers her sister had many different sides to her and that perhaps, she really didn’t know Annie, after all.

Reviewing beyond that means giving away spoilers and I’m not about to do that.

Her Sister’s Secret is positively first-rate. The story propels you forward, cleverly building its burn until your curiosity is teeming. As an S. E. Lynes fan, I knew there was a monster curve coming and I was sitting shotgun, flooring towards it. I could not stop if I wanted to. The story propels you forward, cleverly building its burn until your curiosity is teeming, and then, pow!

Kudos to the brilliant S. E. Lynes for the must-read, Her Sister’s Secret.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the read of S.E. Lynes’, Her Sister’s Secret.

Opinions expressed are my own.

A twisty psychological thriller that will have you hooked from the very first page.

Isla receives a phone call from her nephew, Cal. His mother, Isla’s sister Annie, is dead and so is Dom, Annie’s husband. Cal is not making much sense on the phone so Isla travels to her sisters home, half expecting Annie to be there, wondering what all the fuss is about. But Annie and Dom are dead and Isla must keep it together for her nephew.

Determined to find out exactly what happened to her sister, Isla suddenly realises that maybe she didn’t really know her sister as well as she thought. The more she uncovers about Annie’s life the more she wishes she had spent more time with her when she was alive. Can she put things right by being there for her nephew, but suddenly she is concerned that Cal is hiding something, but what ?

The book is written in the present and the past. We get to find out what really happened the night of the death of Dom and Annie, as well as how their lives ended up the way they did. Although the book jumps around from past and present it is in no way confusing and I loved the way we gradually got to know Annie and Isla, and their relationships. This is a great twisty thriller with some great characters.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this new book by S.E. Lynes.
As always with this author, it’s really well written with some fabulous characters and, although I had guessed what was happening early on, I was still hooked and desperately wanted to see if my suspicions were right.
A great suspenseful story that had me turning the pages as fast as I could.

Quite a mature piece of writing where Isla rushed to her sister’s home when she got a call from her nephew about Annie perishing in the fire. But all was not as it seemed. Truths were found in the ashes of a life that had been burning long before the fire.

Having read nearly all of S. E. Lynes books, I would say I liked how the story pulled its surprises right till the last page. The writing kept the feeling, that I was not being told the truth, alive right through. It pulled me into the book further.

The characters were complex and had lived many lifetimes in that single life. Isla was the one I was most connected to as she was pulled and pushed by others, seen and unseen. Though I didn’t like her as a sister. She was just not good enough a support.

Some parts had too much of narration with repetitive thoughts and time jumps. But the book got interesting when the court case started and continued on to become explosive right up to the end.

A slow burn suspense that would pluck the strings of the curiosity till the final page.