The Silent Sister

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This is the first book that I have read by Shalini Boland, so I am not sure if she always does this but I felt that if you really pay attention, you could solve the case of WHO is leaving notes to our protagonist, Lizzy. And, that is NOT a bad thing...that CAN be fun! Riley MacPherson has spent her entire life believing that her older sister Lisa committed suicide as a teenager. It was a belief that helped shape her own childhood and that of her brother. It shaped her view of her family and their dynamics. It influenced her entire life. Now, more than twenty years later, her father has passed away and she's in New Bern, North Carolina, cleaning out his house when she finds evidence that what she has always believed is not the truth. Lisa is alive. Alive and living under a new identity. But why, exactly, was she on the run all those years ago? What secrets are being kept now, and what will happen if those secrets are revealed? 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. Told with Diane Chamberlain's powerful prose and illumination into the human heart and soul, The Silent Sister is an evocative novel of love, loss, and the bonds among siblings. All day long, people stopped along the path that ran through the woods by the Potomac River. Bundled in their parkas and wool scarves, they stood close to one another for warmth and clutched the mittened hands of their children or the leashes of their dogs as they stared at the one splash of color in the winter gray landscape. The yellow kayak sat in the middle of the river, surrounded by ice. The water had been rough the night before, buffeted by snowy winds, rising into swirling whitecaps as the temperature plummeted, and the waves froze in jagged crests, trapping the kayak many yards from shore. I was peacefully happy enough being 'read to'.....while soaking in the pool, walking, cooking, or resting in the sauna. Every time I listened to this audiobook-- it felt like I had a little friend with me 'chatting-away'. ...., telling me a story! Duh! lol I WAS being told a story. Everything was breezy engaging-- nice brain teaser relaxer....( both). Let's face it.... it's a different type of listening to then "Truman" or "The "Destiny of the Republic". I still have a LONG way to go with Truman -- but one more long walk - and I'm almost done with "Destiny of the Republic"... One part was soooo exciting - I scream to the trees and cheered! - Imagine everything you've been told about you, your family, and your long lost sister are all lies? Well, in Diane Chamberlain's The Silent Sister Riley MacPherson finds that the stories she's been told of her sister, believed to have committed suicide as a teenager, just may in fact be alive. How's that for a huge family secret?

Riley MacPherson Series by Diane Chamberlain - Goodreads Riley MacPherson Series by Diane Chamberlain - Goodreads

After surviving this long, Danny kills Lisa during their reunion in Riley's hospital room. I could totally visualize him doing this. He is just that angry. I was totally immersed in the story, and am glad I took a time out from my review schedule to fit this one in.We didn't get to know any of the characters in any real depth. It was all quite superficial. Lizzie irritated me no end. Spineless and mercurial are two words that come to mind. Selfish and immature are two more. No, I didn't like Lizzie. Or Joe. But that doesn't impact on my enjoyment of the book. I have detested the characters in some of the books I have liked the most.

The Silent Sister by Shalini Boland | Goodreads The Silent Sister by Shalini Boland | Goodreads

She is also the author of two bestselling Young Adult series as well as a children's WWII novel with a time-travel twist. I found this to be an interesting story with an underlying message about the cost of withholding secrets from family for their sake. The toll it took on Riley's self perception and her damaged brother, Danny, was immeasurable. I thought it was an apt illustration of good intentions gone awry. The first thing I needed to do was stop at this post office, ten miles outside of New Bern. I'd get that out of the way and cross one thing off my list. Digging the flimsy white postcard from my purse, I went inside the building. I was the only customer, and my tennis shoes squeaked on the floor as I walked up to the counter where a clerk waited for me. With her dark skin and perfect cornrows, she reminded me of Sherise, so I liked her instantly.Overall, this is an outstanding novel. Highly recommended. If you enjoy psychological thrillers you'll have a hard time putting this one down! This novel was a real pleasant surprise for me. I usually read thrillers, but I entered the Giveaway contest for this book as the plot looked interesting. It wasn't long before I was pulled into the story and was totally engrossed thereafter. I read the book in 4 days which is really fast for me. I will not re-summarize the plot, only to say that the author does an excellent job in depicting the potentially devastating consequences when family members are not honest with each other. This book was one that I had not heard of. A friend gave it to me. She thought it would be my kind of book and it was. I could have carried on with my pathetic life as though nothing had changed. But that wouldn't have been right. Because everything has changed.

The Silent Sister - Diane Chamberlain

Lizzy was likeable in some ways, didn't like her boyfriend Joe, I felt she could do better than him. On the whole, she was not a strong main character. Joe was a horrible boyfriend, controlling and suspicious. She spent 5 years or so with him, how? He even went to prison for violence. Why would any self-respecting, independent woman stay with such a man? The rest of the characters played their part, some of them were mere props. Growing up in a household where something is terribly wrong, you feel the weight of that mysterious something even though it's unspoken. It eats at you. Confuses you. It leaves you wondering if your view of the world will ever make sense.” The core of the novel is promising: Riley (our protagonist) is cleaning out the home of her late father and 'discovers evidence' that her sister, who everyone thinks committed suicide, might be alive. She embarks on a journey to discover her family's past. Not a story (except for THAT ending) that really surprised me, but an engaging writing style that I did enjoy!!For one, how did the perpetrator enter the shop and arrange the magnetic letters in so short a time without anyone seeing him/her? The Silent Sister by Shalini Boland is a psychological thriller about a woman who finds herself with a stalker and doesn't know who to trust. Having read several of Shalini Boland's books already I knew I would be in for a good read before going into this one.

Silent sisters - A Wiki of Ice and Fire Silent sisters - A Wiki of Ice and Fire

Absolutely addictive and brilliant with an end I didn't see coming. This is one book you have to read and it gets 5 huge stars from me!!!!’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 starsMy mother died shortly after I graduated from high school, so although I would never stop missing her, I was used to her being gone. It was strange to be in the house without Daddy, though. As I put my clothes in my dresser, I kept expecting him to walk into the room and I had trouble accepting the fact that it was impossible. I missed our weekly phone calls and knowing he was only a few hours away. He’d been so easy to talk to and I’d always felt his unconditional love. It was a terrible feeling to know that there wasn’t a soul in the world now who loved me that deeply. In each of the books I have read by Bolind, she masterfully grabs you and pulls you in to the story. Once you're in her grasp there's no hope of sleep until dawn. Don't fight it, it's no use! On the other hand, this was an easy read and I loved the epilogue, which added a nice twist. I wasn’t sure who was stalking Lizzy and didn’t figure out who the culprit was until I was about 80% in; I missed some pretty obvious signs. Lizzy is the sole POV for the majority of the book, and it was nice to read something that did not have multiple POVs. But there was way too much telling vs seeing and this aspect took me out of the story. This is the type of book that is enjoyable even when you have an idea what is going to happen. You feel invested enough in the story to actually watch it play out even if it is predictable.