ISBN: 077830955X
Publisher: MIRA
Publication Date: 05/26/20
Format: Kindle
My Rating: 5 Stars ++ Top Books of 2020 Interview Q&A with Hannah Beauty. Wealth. Success. She’s got it all. And it all should’ve been mine. When Eleanor Hardwicke’s beloved father dies, her world is further shattered by a gut-wrenching secret: the man she’s grieving isn’t really her dad. Eleanor was the product of an affair and her biological father is still out there, living blissfully with the family he chose. With her personal life spiraling, a desperate Eleanor seeks him out, leading her to uncover another branch on her family tree—an infuriatingly enviable half sister. Perfectly perfect Victoria has everything Eleanor could ever dream of. Loving childhood, luxury home, devoted husband. All of it stolen from Eleanor, who plans to take it back. After all, good sisters are supposed to share. And quiet little Eleanor has been waiting far too long for her turn to play.
My Review
"SISTER DEAR is a highly impressive diabolically plotted psychological thriller of betrayal, obsession, and greed. A dark, edgy devious game of cat-and-mouse manipulation. Trust me, you will NOT see this jaw-dropping twist coming. Top Books of 2020 and a glowing 5 Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟."
I have been a massive fan of author Hannah Mary McKinnon and her previous work; however, SISTER DEAR is like no other. "Freaking Awesome!"
Addictive, shocking, wicked, and deliciously entertaining. I read around 200-300 thrillers a year, and SISTER DEAR is "stand-out" and at the top of the list. A brilliantly crafted "unputdownable" heart-pounding thriller that will keep you guessing to the very end. Your loyalties are assured to switch a few times while reading.
Eleanor has not had an easy life. She and her mom and sister Amy do not get along. However, she has always loved her dad. They are very close. He has pancreatic cancer, and his time is near and in hospice.
As the book opens, Eleanor overhears a shocking conversation between her mom and dad. Her dad is not really her dad? How could this be? Why didn't someone tell her? The one-man she has loved and respected?
She leaves in a rush, upset, and walks home without her purse or phone. She attacked, and her hot upstairs neighbor, Lewis, rescues her. In the meantime, she is in the hospital, and her dad has passed. She never got to say her goodbyes.
But a nurse has a message from her dad before he passed. A man's name. Could it be her real dad? She is curious and looks him up online, and he is successful and wealthy and has a picture-perfect wife and daughter.
A daughter, Victoria which is close to her age. She is beautiful, sophisticated, and glamorous. Everything she is not. Eleanor has an eating disorder and low self-esteem due to her mom's and sister's verbal abuse her entire life.
She has a half-sister she wants to get to know. Eleanor becomes obsessed with being part of this family. She wants what she should have had. She must figure out a way to get it.
After all, she is a web designer, photographer, and artist. Stalking social media, following the family, she figures out a way to approach her about doing a website for her half-sister's new interior design business.
It starts with a wedding ring she finds in a restaurant bathroom. She is getting closer. Does she want revenge, Victoria's life, or does she want to be her sister and be a part of a real family?
Soon Eleanor thinks she may just have it all. But what if Victoria discovers who she is? She begins to develop some confidence, a website design business, a new friend, a sister (even though she keeps that to herself), and a new hot boyfriend, Lewis, who owns a gym.
Too good to be true?
However, she lets her guard down. She thinks she knows what she is doing. What she would give to be a part of this glamorous and successful family. However, things are not as they seem, and the grass is not always "greener."
Trust NO one!
Razor-sharp writing, believable and relatable characters, and ones you will root for. When I reached 92% WTH, I was literally blown away. I knew something HUGE was coming but had no clue how this would turn out. Brilliant!
I loved Eleanor's character and Lewis. She grew so much during the book and think readers will root for her.
For some reason, I am strongly reminded of The Affair (favorite) TV series (as to why I am thinking a series all the way to the next generation). I see future books for past character's history: Sylvia, Bruce, Stan, Madeleine, and future Eleanor, Gemme, Victoria, and Lewis— I see a juicy "revenge" story in the making. I was reading SISTER DEAR at home and listening to The Wife Staker by Liv Constantine, while in the car. Talk about stalkers and 360 head-turning twists, it was a double high adrenaline heart-pounding reading experience. Thriller fans, this is a "must-read!"
Hannah is at the "top" of her game with SISTER DEAR. A powerhouse to watch. Fans of Jennifer Hillier, Mary Kubica, Heather Gudenkauf, and Kimberly Belle will devour this gem! (all favorites)
A special thank you to MIRA and NetGalley for an advance reading copy.
An Elevator Q&A Ride with the Author,
Praise
“A stunning achievement! Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, Hannah Mary McKinnon proved me wrong. Beautifully plotted story with characters that left a mark.” — Samantha Downing, author of #1 International Bestseller, My Lovely Wife
“Loss, love, revenge, buried secrets and greed add up to make Sister Dear an electrifying read. If you think you know where this story is headed, watch out. Hannah Mary McKinnon has a few tricks up her sleeve. A must read!” —Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Girl and The Other Mrs.
“A brilliant, breathless thriller that crackles with suspense and heart-thumping twists. I finished this absorbing, creepy and downright sinister novel in the wee hours of the night. And the ending…perfection! Sister Dear is McKinnon’s best book yet.” —Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author of The Weight of Silence and Before She Was Found
“Sister Dear drew me in, had me hooked and I was never really sure what to expect (in a good way)! or who to trust. I thought it was dark, twisty, compelling and also heartbreaking. I really felt for Eleanor and didn’t see the ending coming at all! Unputdownable and I truly enjoyed reading it to see how the intertwined lives would unfold. Highly recommended!” —Karen Hamilton, international bestselling author of The Perfect Girlfriend
“A grieving daughter, a jealous sister—nothing is as it seems in Hannah Mary McKinnon’s latest slow-burn suspense, Sister Dear. This one creeps up the back of your neck then explodes into an ending that I guarantee you won’t soon forget…and will leave you begging for a sequel. Smart, addictive, and genuinely surprising.” —Kimberly Belle, internationally bestselling author of The Marriage Lie and Dear Wife
“Sister Dear is fabulous, with a bombshell twist you won’t see coming. I devoured it.” —Kaira Rouda, internationally bestselling author of The Favorite Daughter
"Stunningly layered and brilliantly written, Hannah Mary McKinnon's Sister Dear captures the essence of twisted sisters. A slow-burn domestic suspense, with complex, remarkable characters, that hurtles to a shocking, fiery climax you won't see coming.” —Samantha M. Bailey, author of Woman on the Edge
“A taut psychological suspense novel with a finely wrought protagonist, Sister Dear will have us all wondering how well we really know each other.” —Wendy Heard, author of Hunting Annabelle and The Kill Club
“Hannah Mary McKinnon keeps getting better! Her latest domestic suspense ratchets up the tension as one sister stalks another. Jealousy and betrayal go hand in hand as readers try to guess, in this family, who is predator and who is prey.” —Mindy Mejia, internationally acclaimed author of Leave No Trace
“In Sister Dear, Hannah Mary McKinnon takes the notion of sisterhood and twists it into something far darker and more dangerous. A thrill-ride through a family mired in secrets, with a satisfyingly villainous ending!” —Roz Nay, internationally bestselling author of Our Little Secret
“When Eleanor Hardwicke learns that her late father wasn’t her biological father, she embarks on a quest to discover the truth about her family. Hannah Mary McKinnon weaves a tale so twisted and masterful, you’ll be dizzy with exhilaration by the end. Sister Dear is a rip-roaring, page-turning, hold-your-breath thriller where there’s only thing you can be certain of: trust no one.” —Jennifer Hillier, award-winning author of Jar of Hearts and Little Secrets
“Sister Dear is as unexpected as it is thought provoking. It’s a story about the meaning of family, the corruption of wealth, and the needs inside us that sneak up and take over our lives. The twisty ending was well paved and clever, but also a testament to McKinnon’s uncanny insight into family relationships. This is domestic noir that should be at the top of your list!" —Wendy Walker, bestselling author of The Night Before
"Fast-paced, twisty, insidious...I could not put it down." —K.A. Tucker, internationally bestselling author
“Emotionally wrought and turbo-driven domestic drama." —Booklist
"A sinister adventure into a labyrinth of family secrets and lies." —Amy Impellizzeri, award-winning author of Why We Lie and I Know How This Ends
“Sinister, simmering, cinematic—and absolutely riveting. The oh-so-talented Hannah Mary McKinnon skillfully and cleverly twists and turns this unstoppable story of envy and obsession—and powers it to a gasp-worthy conclusion. Wow—standing ovation!” —Hank Phillippi Ryan, nationally bestselling author of The Murder List
“These are some of the most wicked characters I’ve read in a long time, where deception is the standard and nothing is as it seems. If you think you know what will happen, guess again, because the final outcome is so profoundly shocking, the twist so unexpected, I didn't see it coming. A wickedly dark and addictive read.” —Christina McDonald, USA Today bestselling author of The Night Olivia Fell
About the Author
I was born in Manchester, UK to British & Swiss parents. A year later they moved my older sister and me to Switzerland. Rather unsurprisingly I love mountains, chocolate and cheese…or mountains of chocolate and cheese, and my sister, of course.
After completing commercial studies in Geneva, I worked as a PA for DuPont. A year later I moved to Neuchâtel and became the Purchasing Manager for a high-tech company that made motors for industrial and space applications. While working, I returned to university, studying part-time for a Bachelor of Science. And then a friend of a friend introduced me to another friend who’d started up an IT recruitment business. I joined the company late 1995, and over the next fifteen years rose through the ranks to become CEO.
Things outside of work were hardly boring, either. A chance encounter back in the dark ages of the Internet in 1999 led me down the aisle with Rob, my Canadian rock, five months later. Actually it was exactly ten weeks after we met face-to-face at the Saint John airport in New Brunswick, Canada – and we’re still married. True story. Our first son was born in 2003, followed by identical twin boys just sixteen months later, so I’m heavily outnumbered (and at 5ft 8 officially the shortest of the family).
My writing career began after we moved to Oakville in Ontario, Canada in 2010. Maybe it was the failed attempt at a start-up company, or an early mid-life crisis, but one morning I decided to follow my oldest passion, started writing, and never wanted to look back. My first book was a rom-com, but then I switched to the dark side of suspense (say it with me: muahahaha).
While I may never have enough time to get all of the ideas out of my head and on paper, I’ll be darned if I won’t have fun trying! Read More
