Book Review: Sister by Rosamund Lupton

Thanks for all the great warm weather running tips on my last post! I’m feeling a lot more confident now. The good news is that I am in Arizona for my next long run this weekend, which promises to provide ample opportunity to test everything out!

More on why I’m here in my next post. It’s a pretty fantastic reason. 🙂

Today I want to discuss the latest read from our sister-in-law book club. Appropriately, the novel is called Sister by Rosamund Lupton. Susan was the one who chose it after hearing good reviews.

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In Short

This book is an interesting mix of spine-tingling suspense and tear-jerking devotion to family. It’s about how far the bond of sisterhood goes, even in the midst of a mysterious tragedy. When Beatrice (Bee) finds out her younger sister Tess is dead, she is convinced of foul play. The book is about her journey to prove that there was more to the story than the police – who rule Tess’ death a suicide – have discovered. Of course, going on a solo journey to find a murderer brings with it many dangers that will keep you on the edge of your seat and will have you promising yourself, “just one more chapter,” even though it’s well past midnight. Read this book if you enjoy the occasional thriller and mystery. I can guarantee that unless you are a young Sherlock Holmes or Nancy Drew in the making, this novel will have plenty of surprises and keep you guessing all the way through.

The Details

The story is primarily set in London, and Rosamund Lupton did a wonderful job of bringing the city to life. Her imagery – especially the weather, which is subtly described throughout – really helps put the reader in the mood and mindset of the main character, Beatrice. When Beatrice finds out that Tess is missing, she boards the first plane home from New York (where she currently lives with her fiancé). As she is debriefed on the details surrounding Tess’ disappearance, she quickly realizes that even though her and Tess are extremely close, there is a lot she didn’t know about what was happening in her sister’s life. Still, she knows there is more to the story than Tess disappearing on her own, though no one else believes her – not the police, not the medical experts…not even her fiancé or mother. And so Beatrice is forced to go on the journey to discover the truth alone.

One of the interesting twists to this story is that it is written as a letter from Beatrice to Tess. As a result, Beatrice often addresses the reader as “you,” though she is of course speaking to Tess. It makes the entire ordeal feel a lot more intimate because you are experiencing not only the events that happen to Beatrice, but also her emotional turmoil as the bond between her and her sister is tried time and time again. Everyone is trying to convince her that she didn’t know Tess as well as she thought, that their closeness was merely on the surface level. Yet Beatrice refuses to believe it, and as the reader we are able to see why because she is addressing her feelings directly to Tess.

I don’t read a lot of murder mystery books – though I confess I used to be a huge fan of Mary Higgins Clark – but I really enjoyed this book. There were parts that were hard to read and very emotional, but Rosamund Lupton is a beautiful writer and made the book about more than just the crime. There is a bigger picture plot (I won’t name it here) that takes the book to greater heights. These details, combined with the strong family storyline, makes for a poignant and powerful read.

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Great choice, Susan! Looking forward to our next book club adventure. In the meantime, I recommend everyone who is intrigued by the premise of this book to pick up a copy!

Have you read Sister? If so, what did you think?

Abrazos,