Claire Kendal's debut novel The Book of You was quite rightly such a huge hit that I was massively looking forward to her next novel from the moment I put it down. But as soon as the kind people at Harper Collins and NetGalley put it up for advanced review my excitement became a little tinged with trepidation - could The Second Sister ever live up to my expectation? Well, it didn't disappoint that's for sure!

From the almost poetical first paragraph to the thrilling ending I was hooked on every word; willing Ella to discover the truth behind her sister Miranda's disappearance. In search for the truth Ella realises she must face the man suspected of her sister's disappearance; the convicted killer Jason Thorne. Now I know that murderers aren't necessarily the nicest of people, but Jason Thorne bore more than a passing resemblance to Hannibal Lecter in his interaction with Ella in my mind. Managing to be almost affectionately protective of her, whilst also being an obvious psychopath. He really did manage to get under my skin, and I found him itchingly creepy.

Like Ella I also found myself suspecting pretty much everyone too. I liked how the vulnerability she felt manifested itself in distrust, and also provided the drive for her to help other families who found themselves in the unenviable situation of missing loved ones, as well as making her literally a kick-ass character. The way she still communicated and connected with Miranda felt achingly realistic and provided the spark for everything that happened.

The supporting characters each fulfilled their roles just as well - from the sweetheart nephew who just wanted to know the truth about his mum, to the childhood friend who was as threatening and toxic as Ella had been warned. What was clear was just how destructive the mystery of a disappearance had been on each of their lives, and how hard it must be to deal with that not-knowing every day.

There are enough twists and turns to keep you guessing, and whilst I did find it hard to get my head round one particular plotline, nothing ever seemed so implausible to bother me. Certainly there are more than a few occasions where that page just won't be turning quick enough for you.

I found The Second Sister totally, thoroughly enjoyable - a smashing read.

Wow, this book is a serious tale with plenty of twists. Follow the story of Ella whose sister Miranda went missing without a trace ten years as she tries to find out what really happened to her. Ella promises her sisters you son that she will try and find out what really happened to her and find out she does.

From the very beginning I was drawn into this dark tale of secrets as nearly every character was a suspect. From the ex-boyfriend to the old school friend who turns on her. Ella’s strong will and desire to find the truth persists in this tense thriller. I even had to put the book down at some incredibly tense moments and compose myself before jumping back in, it had me that worked up!

Overall I found this book a page turning pleasure to read and the ending really didn't let me down, it stayed strong to the end. Praise to Claire Kendal for this well written novel to discover the truth no matter how dangerous the path that leads you there is.

I was surprised at how much I was drawn into this book, becoming hooked almost immediately into its chilling search for a long-missing person through the eyes of her determined younger sister. I particularly enjoyed the fact that Ella, the central character, although unable to move on with her life until the mystery has been solved, has gained strength and resolve through the disappearance in readiness for the time she will need such qualities to pursue her investigations and uncover the often unpalatable truths that emerge. The pace is brisk and engaging and carries us through several twists and turns with a sense of urgency towards the thrilling climax. A thoroughly entertaining and gripping read!

Back in 2015 I read a fantastic debut called 'The Book of You'. Nearly 2 years later I am left reeling by Claire Kendal's 'The Second Sister'. I have just emerged from a 3 hour book binge where I read the second half in one sitting!

This book overflows with emotional tension and took me on a journey where I found myself racing to the conclusion but not wanting it to end. Ella's narration is largely directed at her missing sister and her sense of loss and grief resonated strongly and breathed life into her character. Slow building but ultimately fast paced in its final pages this is not a book to be missed.

Thank you to the Publisher and to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Highly recommended.

Two sisters with a strong bond, who lives take the same path for a while inadvertently. A mystery and a strong main character makes for a super read. In this book I was pleasantly surprised by the last couple of chapters.

A slow burner this one - genuinely creepy and a serial killer who was on the level with Hannibal. The missing sister, the mystery another good thread, and the poor child missing her mum for all those years....I just found it tricky to enjoy the three threads all woven together as there was something which didn't gel for me. I do think that the lack of any sense of place added to the confusion for me as normally this seems to add to the story with a vagueness but it confused me slightly and I think it would have really added to the disappearance. There was a lot of creepiness to this but for me a little too vague.

A slow building story that was brilliantly suspenseful, managing to keep me guessing. A good storyline that draws you in and has you holding on, not wanting to stop until you find the answers that the protagonist is looking for.

Once I got into this was a quick read with genuinely creepy elements.

3.5 stars

Thank you to the publishers Harper Collins UK and Netgalley for a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

The one thing that I adored about this book was also the thing that prevented me enjoying it more. The book is written almost as though the narrator is dreaming, in a strange, almost mystical way. The eerie atmosphere that this evokes is reiterated in the foggy weather, the woods near Ella's home and even the clinical corridors of the institute where she visits the serial killer Thorne.
The downside to this, is that I felt as though I were always viewing everything through a smoky glass, and all the characters felt blurry around the edges and not properly formed. This meant I wasn't as completely invested in the mystery of Miranda's disappearance and found it harder to suspend disbelief when I needed to.
There were red herrings a plenty and sufficient intrigue to keep me reading into the small hours.

I look forward to reading more from this author and seeing how her style develops.

I will not review outwith Netgalley. The book is well written however it is not sufficiently different from others I have read to make it stand out from the crowd.

I have some serious mixed feelings about this book. It is about two sisters Miranda and Melanie who have 10 year difference but are quite close. Until Melanie disappears aged 30 after having given birth to a boy called Luke. 10 years later Melanie (also called Ella) wants to find out what happened to her sister and try to find clues the police has missed or ignored.

I was intrigued in parts, at least I wanted to know what happened to Miranda. But the book was very unrealistic and could not get really that involved on a personal level. Furthermore there were too many psychopaths in this thriller, it was hard to keep track. To be fair there is a twist which is an interesting development but everything is so out of this world that left me a bit confused.
One of the main appeals of many modern thrillers is that awful things happen or might happen to very ordinary people, normally the girl or woman next door while doing very ordinary things. That is what keeps me reading. Melanie/Ella sounded at times as someone who came out from a TV series, appealing to some but not the usual modern thriller character.
There was little sense of place too, so many times I was convinced the book was set somewhere in the States but I had to remind myself that it was set in England, but it did not feel like England. At the end of the book I read that the author is actually American but living in England, I don't know if that is the reason. I don't know if it was deliberate to create a book that does not seem to happen anywhere in particular with people who seem to come out of your TV set.
Not unpleasant at all and I read it to the end but I have not gone WOW at the end.
Review on Amazon will follow after the book is published.

I found quite slow to get into, and at times I just wanted it to hurry along but totally unexpected ending, I didn't know who it was! Would give another book by the same author ago

Absolutely fantastic read. Easily the best book I've read all year. I was completely caught up in the story and although it wasn't a twist, was completely surprised by the reveal at the end. Fantastic

This is not an easy book to get into. I found the characters hard to establish. There is an almost ghost-like mystical quality to the writing. Eventually things begin to fall into place.

In places Ella tells her story through conversations with Miranda, her long-lost sister.
So many questions, clues or ?

The box of stuff.
The address book.
The doll's house.
Miranda and her Mum confuse the young Ella with their code for names.

There are some haunting scenes in this complex psychological thriller.
Plenty of twists and turns before the real culprit is identified.

My thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for a copy in exchange for this review.

Couldn't put this book down, finished it within a few days. I found it gripping and captivating and the description of the characters made it came to life. I felt empathy with the family, espially Ella, who had lived for "10 years not knowing what had happened to Miranda, Ella's sister, when she had gone missing.. The clever plot covers Ella's journey on finding this out. The book is filled with lots of unexpected twists and turns, which culminates in an action ending which I did not expect. Would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers.

Sister, The Sister, The Sisters, Sister Sister; this is the latest in the Sister psycho-thriller genre. It is a fairly well-written example of the type and I did not guess the ending (although I may have missed some clues). The main character, Ella, is trying to find out what happened to her sister who disappeared 10 years ago. She is not the best judge of character and puts herself in danger several times. She and other characters react physically to things - blood rushes to their heads and rushes out again, stomachs clench and contract, they squint at each other and they touch people and brush things lightly. At the beginning when the back story is unfolding, Ella has flashbacks in headlines. These things are distracting and annoying. Other characters have inconsistencies. Sadie is truly awful for no great reason, the mother is supportive and then not, Ted is a bit unnecessary and the fact that he got married adds nothing. Thorne is a beast to rival Hannibal Lecter, and the missing sister's strange life is not explored sufficiently. However, it is a compelling, if forgettable, read!
Thanks NetGalley for the free copy.

The second sister by Claire Kendal is a 4 star read.
Ella has been searching for her missing sister for 10 years,now at the same age she was when her sister went missing she ups her search hoping to finally find out something new. Ella is getting the feeling that she's being watched and she starts to worry that the it might be the same person involved in her sisters disappearance.
This story was slow to start with but once you got into it it really got interesting,there's so many twists and turns that you never see the ending coming. I haven't previously read anything by this author but I am looking forward to seeing what else she has written.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book through Netgalley.

I enjoyed this book and thought it flowed reasonably well. I would recommend this book if you like mystery plots . Just thought it could have been paced better thus the 4 stars and not 5

This was an OK read but I just found it difficult to get into I'm afraid. There just weren't enough twists for me or enough to keep me gripped. I really enjoyed The Book of You by this author but this just wasn't for me.

An intriguing book with many twists and turns, telling the story of one sister looking for a missing sister. Not as shocking as Kendal's debut novel, but still fast-paced and thrilling.