The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain. 5*. review. Riley MacPherson doesn't know what to believe or who she can trust but this book will keep you guessing.
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The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain

The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain

I received this book for free from Purchased for review consideration, opinions expressed are 100% my own. This post contains affiliate links as indicated by an asterisk. Purchases from these links provides a small commission to me at no extra cost to you.

The Silent Sister Publication Date: Oct. 7, 2014
Setting: USA-North Carolina
Pages: 352
Format: Hardcover
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Goodreads
five-stars

Synopsis from Goodreads:

“In The Silent Sister, Riley MacPherson has spent her entire life believing that her older sister Lisa committed suicide as a teenager. Now, over twenty years later, her father has passed away and she’s in New Bern, North Carolina cleaning out his house when she finds evidence to the contrary. Lisa is alive. Alive and living under a new identity. But why exactly was she on the run all those years ago, and what secrets are being kept now? As Riley works to uncover the truth, her discoveries will put into question everything she thought she knew about her family. Riley must decide what the past means for her present, and what she will do with her newfound reality, in this engrossing mystery from international bestselling author Diane Chamberlain.”

 

My Thoughts:

I had the privilege of seeing Diane Chamberlain speak on October 7th, the release date of this book. She said that this was both one of her hardest books to write and one of the hardest to talk about. Since it is more of a mystery than her other novels, it was hard for her to tell us about it without giving too much away. Now that I’ve read it, I completely agree! I’m not sure what I can tell you about this book without revealing spoilers but I’ll try.

 

Characters

We meet the main character, Riley MacPherson, as she has the grim and overwhelming task of cleaning out her father’s house after his death. In her young 25 years, Riley has had her share of tragedy. She lost her mother to cancer, her father unexpectedly and her older sister, Lisa, when Riley was just two years old to an apparent suicide. At least “suicide” is what Lisa and Riley’s older brother, Danny, are taught to believe.

Riley is a naive character and the secondary characters in the book tend to try and take advantage of her and force her to do what they want her to. Everyone seems to be keeping a secret regarding what really happened to her sister, Lisa. They are conniving and I never really knew whether Riley could trust them and felt like screaming “don’t fall for it!” I definitely felt my motherly protective instincts kicking in with Riley.

The story is told through Riley and Lisa’s alternating points of view and both in the past and present. I tend to like this style of narration because it really allows me to understand the character and the motives behind their actions. In particular, Diane develops her characters exceptionally well. I may not agree with the characters’ decisions, but I can empathize with them and what motivates them.


Plot:

Oh, the plot! Well this will be a short, sweet paragraph….”holy wow!” was honestly the first thought when I finished this book. Not normally two words I would ever put together but man, the plot was fast paced with the usual twists and turns I don’t see coming. It is more of a mystery and less of a love story than in her other novels I have read. I can’t really give you much more than the synopsis has without giving away something good.


Setting:

Since Guiltless Reader’s bookmap tutorial during our Travel the World in Books Readathon, I have been trying to map the geographic location where all the books I read are set. Most of the story takes place in New Bern, NC, a coastal town, the birthplace of Pepsi and one of the towns I worked in as a newbie auditor a lifetime ago, ya know before I had kids.

 

What books have had you on the edge of your seat or completely surprised you? What authors develop their characters well? I love hearing from you so don’t be afraid to leave me a comment and tell me what you think!

 

About Diane Chamberlain

From Goodreads: “I’m the author of 22 novels published in more than eleven languages. I like to write complex stories about relationships between men and women, parents and children, brothers and sisters, and friends. Although the thematic focus of my books often revolves around family, love, compassion and forgiveness, my stories usually feature a combination of suspense, mystery and intrigue.

I live in North Carolina with my significant other, photographer John Pagliuca, and my shelties, Keeper and Cole–the only non-reading members of the household!

Please visit my website and blog. I look forward to seeing you there!”

9 Comments

  1. I always want to make time to read for fun more than school OR Facebook posts. I used to read a lot when I was younger but haven’t picked the habit again since having kids and reading with them. I am very curious to see why her sister went away, I won’t promise to check it out but I will keep it in mind!

  2. This book sounds right up my alley 🙂 I’ll definitely be checking it out. I appreciate your style of review, and your not wanting to give away any spoilers. Adding this to my library list ASAP!

    1. Thank TiaMaria, it’s really hard not to give away spoilers. It’s on my to do list to start a spoiler page for some of these books so we can discuss the endings and twists and turns in my favorite books without spoiling it for those who haven’t read them.

    1. Great to meet you too Donna, I had not met another local book blogger yet. There are a few about an hour/two away I have yet to meet but would like to!

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