Sister: A Novel
"Lupton enters the highly charged ring where the best psychological detective writers spar... Like Kate Atkinson, Patricia Highsmith and Ruth Rendell… Both tear-jerking and spine-tingling, Sister provides an adrenaline rush that could cause a chill on the sunniest afternoon." —The New York Times Book Review
When her mom calls to tell her that Tess, her younger sister, is missing, Bee returns home to London on the first flight. She expects to find Tess and give her the usual lecture, the bossy big sister scolding her flighty baby sister for taking off without letting anyone know her plans. Tess has always been a free spirit, an artist who takes risks, while conservative Bee couldn’t be more different. Bee is used to watching out for her wayward sibling and is fiercely protective of Tess (and has always been a little stern about her antics). But then Tess is found dead, apparently by her own hand.
Bee is certain that Tess didn’t commit suicide. Their family and the police accept the sad reality, but Bee feels sure that Tess has been murdered. Single-minded in her search for a killer, Bee moves into Tess's apartment and throws herself headlong into her sister's life--and all its secrets.
Though her family and the police see a grieving sister in denial, unwilling to accept the facts, Bee uncovers the affair Tess was having with a married man and the pregnancy that resulted, and her difficultly with a stalker who may have crossed the line when Tess refused his advances. Tess was also participating in an experimental medical trial that might have gone very wrong. As a determined Bee gives her statement to the lead investigator, her story reveals a predator who got away with murder--and an obsession that may cost Bee her own life.
A thrilling story of fierce love between siblings, Sister is a suspenseful and accomplished debut with a stunning twist.
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Community Reviews
another reviewer asked how can a story keep you so intrigued but piss you off at the end? paraphrased, of course. I kept having the feeling that I didn't care for this book, out any of the characters, but I was curious enough to keep reading. the ending made me wish I hadn't been so curious. made the entire book unsatisfying and it felt like a waste
This is a very clever, very well written and original book. I found a couple of twists, the writing of which is really clever. My only criticism of the book is that it felt it took such a long time to get anywhere, there was a period of time in the middle to last third of the book where things felt a little repetitive and weren’t getting anywhere. I’m a fast reader so was able to keep going and see what happened but it could put some people off finishing. Still a very good book and I would read from this author again.
This epistolary novel was fascinating. The story of a British woman who returns to her homeland when her younger sister has gone missing quickly progresses to the shocking discovery that the sister was dead. From there, all bets are off, customary writing formats abandoned, as the older sister clings to her stubborn belief that her sister was murdered. Accusations fly, family context is described, characters are developed and mourning breaks through old patterns of behavior, all told as a story within a story. Once Beatrice begins investigating Tess's death, the story format changes to a letter within a letter. It is as though Bea was writing Tess a letter about testifying to prosecute the murderer, so there are segments of the story in which Bea is relating her efforts to find the killer to an attorney, and they asides to her sister that she wouldn't tell a stranger. Fascinating premise. Well written, I laughed and wept and rejoiced.