20190126_133557.jpgHappy Tuesday!  Today I have a review of The Winter Sister by Megan Collins publishing on February 5, 2019 via Touchstone/Atria Books!

My Thoughts:

As teens, Sylvie’s sister, Persephone, was on a date with a forbidden boyfriend when she never returned home and was later found murdered. The murder is still unsolved, over sixteen years later. 

Sylvie and her mother, Annie, have not been in a good place since Persephone’s death; however, when Annie is set to undergo cancer treatment, Sylvie goes home to care for her. 

Ben, the once bad news boyfriend of Persephone, is now a nurse at the cancer center where Sylvie must take Annie, and Sylvie has always thought he was guilty. 

But why does Sylvie feel responsible for what happened that night? What secrets is she carrying within herself?

The Winter Sister is much more than a domestic thriller. It’s a study of the complex relationships between sisters and mothers and daughters. I found the ending completely shocking in a fantastic way, and I enjoyed the emotionally dark tone of the book. It always seemed like there was something sinister looming in the background thanks to the well-drawn tension. 

Overall, I found The Winter Sister to be an emotionally complex and thrilling domestic drama, and I’m excited for Megan Collins’ next book! 

Thank s to the publisher for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own. 

Synopsis:

In this spellbinding and suspenseful debut, a young woman haunted by the past returns home to care for her ailing mother and begins to dig deeper into her sister’s unsolved murder.

Sixteen years ago, Sylvie’s sister Persephone never came home. Out too late with the boyfriend she was forbidden to see, Persephone was missing for three days before her body was found—and years later, her murder remains unsolved.

In the present day, Sylvie returns home to care for her estranged mother, Annie, as she undergoes treatment for cancer. Prone to unexplained “Dark Days” even before Persephone’s death, Annie’s once-close bond with Sylvie dissolved in the weeks after their loss, making for an uncomfortable reunion all these years later. Worse, Persephone’s former boyfriend, Ben, is now a nurse at the cancer center where Annie is being treated. Sylvie’s always believed Ben was responsible for the murder—but she carries her own guilt about that night, guilt that traps her in the past while the world goes on around her.

As she navigates the complicated relationship with her mother, Sylvie begins to uncover the secrets that fill their house—and what really happened the night Persephone died. As it turns out, the truth really will set you free, once you can bear to look at it.

The Winter Sister is a mesmerizing portrayal of the complex bond between sisters, between mothers and daughters alike, and forces us to ask ourselves—how well do we really know the people we love most?

Have you read The Winter Sister, or is it on your TBR? Happy Reading! ~ Jennifer THR