The Day I Lost You by Fionnuala Kearney

The Day I Lost You
By Fionnuala Kearney
Published by Harper (22 September 2016)
ISBN: 978-0007593996

Publisher's description

THE DAY I LOST YOU WAS THE DAY I DISCOVERED I NEVER REALLY KNEW YOU

When Jess’s daughter, Anna, is reported lost in an avalanche, everything changes.

Jess’s first instinct is to protect Rose, Anna’s five-year-old daughter. But then she starts to uncover Anna’s other life - unearthing a secret that alters their whole world irrevocably . . .

THE DAY I LOST YOU WAS THE DAY YOU TORE OUR FAMILY APART

My verdict
The Day I Lost You is a well-written, moving and emotional story of loss, family secrets and heartbreak - definitely a book to be read with tissues close at hand.

When Anna goes missing after an avalanche, her mother Jess struggles to control her grief, believing Anna will be found. Jess puts her efforts into looking after her grand-daughter Rose, keeping her safe until Anna comes home. But as Jess begins to delve into her daughter's life, she realises her daughter had secrets - what was Anna keeping from her family, and why?

The Day I Lost You is perfect cold weather reading, snuggled under a blanket. It has a whole host of believable characters, an intriguing story and provides an emotional rollercoaster read.

I received an Advance Reader Copy.

The Sisters by Claire Douglas

The Sisters
By Claire Douglas
Published by Harper (13 August 2015)
ISBN: 978-0007594412

Publisher's description

One lied. One died.

When one sister dies, the other must go to desperate lengths to survive

After a tragic accident, still haunted by her twin sister’s death, Abi is making a fresh start in Bath. But when she meets siblings Bea and Ben, she is quickly drawn into their privileged and unsettling circle.

When one sister lies, she must protect her secret at all costs

As Abi tries to keep up with the demands of her fickle friends, strange things start to happen – precious letters go missing and threatening messages are left in her room. Is this the work of the beautiful and capricious Bea? Or is Abi willing to go to any lengths to get attention?

When the truth outs, will either sister survive?

My verdict
The Sisters is a fantastic psychological thriller. I admit that I wasn't sure about it at first, as it had a slow start. But gradually the layers unfolded and I couldn't put it down. By the end, I realised that the slow start actually builds the atmosphere and leads you into a false sense of security.

This book seriously plays with your mind and messes with your head in true psychological thriller-style. It's cleverly plotted, very dark and intriguing - everyone seems so normal on the surface, but there are some highly menacing undertones.

The chapters switch between the thoughts of Abi and Bea. Characters you thought you had sussed out are not necessarily what they seem. You switch between trusting one, then the other, then the first one again. But then the cycle continues.

There are so many twists and turns, right up until the final page. This gave me a serious book hangover.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.