kingmichaelj's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
siobhanr's review
5.0
Wish I could give this book 100 starts. Loved it and did not want it to end. Such a great story although I kind of had an idea of how the story was going to end I was not disappointed at all. Def on the look out for her books in the future.
mandylovestoread's review
4.0
I absolutely loved Elle. Croft's Guilty Wife so when I had the chance to read The Other Sister I jumped at the chance. I certainly was not disappointed. I spent the afternoon finishing this one, I had no idea how this one was going to end which is a good thing, it kept me guessing right til the end. It is twisted story that jumps between 1996 and present day for Gina and her family.. slowly piecing the story together for the reader.
Gina Mills is desperate to be a newsreader., but she is stuck being a PA at Channel 8. On her walk home from work one evening she comes across a body, a woman was been murdered. After calling the police she decides to report the murder live online... a decision that divides her friends, family and the nation. The threats start and she feels that her life is in danger. Is there a connection to her childhood?
This is a book that will suck you in and leave you wanting more. Thanks to Orion Publishing and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased
Gina Mills is desperate to be a newsreader., but she is stuck being a PA at Channel 8. On her walk home from work one evening she comes across a body, a woman was been murdered. After calling the police she decides to report the murder live online... a decision that divides her friends, family and the nation. The threats start and she feels that her life is in danger. Is there a connection to her childhood?
This is a book that will suck you in and leave you wanting more. Thanks to Orion Publishing and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased
zooloo1983's review
4.0
I can safely say when reading this taut thriller I had questions all the way through the book! This author kept me guessing all the way through, I had questions and questions and guess what MORE questions!
We are shown the story through different points of view.
We have Gina, walking home one night and discovers something horrifying! A dead body in an alleyway and once she called the police, she streams it live on the Channel 8 Facebook page. The backlash that follows spirals as she loses her friends, comes under vicious cyber attacks, as well as scary photos of her and rocks through the window at home! Terrifying! But hang on a second….her story does not quite add up. One thing to the police, another thing to someone else, what is going on here???
Then another body shows up with the same MO………
Ryan, Gina’s brother, adjusting to life since Gina came back into her life six months ago! But he has his own secrets and what happened to Cassie, their younger sister all those years ago? Why is she haunting him in every face he sees?
Detective Adam Adebayo, on the team to solve the murder, he is enamoured with Gina one minute and angry the next. Trying to understand what is going on! I loved his point of view, he was not the lead in the case, but one of the “bods” and it was quite refreshing, to see a crime being solved this way working with their team.
Lastly, back in time, 1996 to be precise, Sharon the mother of Ryan, Gina and the mysterious Cassie, this is told in the third person. And it is not a nice recount of the past, made me sad in places and angry at times, as you unravel what has made her disown her daughter. Why the hatred?
The short chapters from each character, leave you with intrigue. You will see everything unravel slowly, teasing and encouraging you to “one more page” not relenting as it sticks with you making you carry on. This is so twisty and dark it keeps you hooked, I am so glad I got the chance to read it.
Man, it was such a thrilling read, I feel like I can unwind a bit now, been through the ringer and at least I can say I come up smelling of roses. Not everyone else did. I can safely put my hands up and admit, I did not have a clue how this would end, it is unpredictable and I got frustrated I could not read it quick enough. The writing is so fluid and mesmerising, that it was not an effort to read at all, and I enjoyed every second of this journey!
Elle’s other book The Guilty Wife is now calling loudly to me!
We are shown the story through different points of view.
We have Gina, walking home one night and discovers something horrifying! A dead body in an alleyway and once she called the police, she streams it live on the Channel 8 Facebook page. The backlash that follows spirals as she loses her friends, comes under vicious cyber attacks, as well as scary photos of her and rocks through the window at home! Terrifying! But hang on a second….her story does not quite add up. One thing to the police, another thing to someone else, what is going on here???
Then another body shows up with the same MO………
Ryan, Gina’s brother, adjusting to life since Gina came back into her life six months ago! But he has his own secrets and what happened to Cassie, their younger sister all those years ago? Why is she haunting him in every face he sees?
Detective Adam Adebayo, on the team to solve the murder, he is enamoured with Gina one minute and angry the next. Trying to understand what is going on! I loved his point of view, he was not the lead in the case, but one of the “bods” and it was quite refreshing, to see a crime being solved this way working with their team.
Lastly, back in time, 1996 to be precise, Sharon the mother of Ryan, Gina and the mysterious Cassie, this is told in the third person. And it is not a nice recount of the past, made me sad in places and angry at times, as you unravel what has made her disown her daughter. Why the hatred?
The short chapters from each character, leave you with intrigue. You will see everything unravel slowly, teasing and encouraging you to “one more page” not relenting as it sticks with you making you carry on. This is so twisty and dark it keeps you hooked, I am so glad I got the chance to read it.
Man, it was such a thrilling read, I feel like I can unwind a bit now, been through the ringer and at least I can say I come up smelling of roses. Not everyone else did. I can safely put my hands up and admit, I did not have a clue how this would end, it is unpredictable and I got frustrated I could not read it quick enough. The writing is so fluid and mesmerising, that it was not an effort to read at all, and I enjoyed every second of this journey!
Elle’s other book The Guilty Wife is now calling loudly to me!
nietzschesghost's review
5.0
Well, all I can say is thank the lord this book arrived via Kindle when it did! Having just read a total bummer of a thriller with more issues than a magazine, I was ready to get back on my horse and truly enjoy the thrill ride once more. Courtesy of Elle Croft, I was back into my reading stride quicker than you could say "Reading slump...what reading slump?".
Gina Mills longs to be a newsreader but is currently working as a personal assistant (PA) to director of Channel Eight television, Jacqueline Davis. One night Gina is walking home and comes across a body. Going against her better judgement she decides to broadcast the discovery live on Facebook. This is swiftly followed by plenty of time in the limelight, and both good and bad attention comes from her fifteen minutes of fame. Trolls start to attack her moral compass due to the broadcast, and she received threats against her life. The police begin to look at her a little more closely after that. She then discovers another body, and starts to become concerned. Is someone specifically targeting her? Or is this merely conincidental?
Having enjoyed Ms Croft's debut domestic thriller 'The Guilty Wife' I was apprehensive about this one, especially right after reading a book that made me want to leave the genre alone for the time being. I took the first tentative pages of 'The Other Sister' slowly but soon I was hurtling 100 miles per hour towards the conclusion, not realising how engrossed I had become. I simply cannot thank the author enough, I didn't think it was possible, but I loved this even more than her incredibly accomplished debut. This is an immersive, gripping and edge-of-your-seat ride, with perfect pace and a storyline that had me hooked very early on, albeit without knowing it. With so many done to death twists and surprises in this genre, Croft has some highly original about-turns that had my jaw on the floor, none moreso than the explosive conclusion! Make no mistake, this is a super-dark story, I find that the darker the story the more I love it, and this was no exception. I know that some people abandoned reading it as it was too dark and gritty for them so proceed with caution!
The timeline jumps between 1996 and the present day and is told from a variety of different perspectives, namely Gina, Ryan, Gina's brother, and investigator Detective Adam Adebayo. There are also small interjections from Gina's mother, Sharon, throughout the book. The method of murder is one I haven't come across in all of my time reading crime fiction, which is quite a feat! I imagine that it could provide some great discussion should it be read by a book club. Each of the characters are meticulously developed, and as with a lot of thrillers most of them are deeply flawed individuals with no real redeeming features. The prose is effortlessly readable and flows beautifully chapter-to-chapter. The author appears adept at layering up her story and slowly unfurling it one step at a time - we receive just enough information to keep us immersed, but not enough that it is possible to guess the killer accurately. A refreshingly different take on the thriller which captivated me with its highly unique storyline. I cannot wait to see what is next for Elle Croft, whatever it is I know I will be making a big effort to grab a copy!
Many thanks to Orion for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
Gina Mills longs to be a newsreader but is currently working as a personal assistant (PA) to director of Channel Eight television, Jacqueline Davis. One night Gina is walking home and comes across a body. Going against her better judgement she decides to broadcast the discovery live on Facebook. This is swiftly followed by plenty of time in the limelight, and both good and bad attention comes from her fifteen minutes of fame. Trolls start to attack her moral compass due to the broadcast, and she received threats against her life. The police begin to look at her a little more closely after that. She then discovers another body, and starts to become concerned. Is someone specifically targeting her? Or is this merely conincidental?
Having enjoyed Ms Croft's debut domestic thriller 'The Guilty Wife' I was apprehensive about this one, especially right after reading a book that made me want to leave the genre alone for the time being. I took the first tentative pages of 'The Other Sister' slowly but soon I was hurtling 100 miles per hour towards the conclusion, not realising how engrossed I had become. I simply cannot thank the author enough, I didn't think it was possible, but I loved this even more than her incredibly accomplished debut. This is an immersive, gripping and edge-of-your-seat ride, with perfect pace and a storyline that had me hooked very early on, albeit without knowing it. With so many done to death twists and surprises in this genre, Croft has some highly original about-turns that had my jaw on the floor, none moreso than the explosive conclusion! Make no mistake, this is a super-dark story, I find that the darker the story the more I love it, and this was no exception. I know that some people abandoned reading it as it was too dark and gritty for them so proceed with caution!
The timeline jumps between 1996 and the present day and is told from a variety of different perspectives, namely Gina, Ryan, Gina's brother, and investigator Detective Adam Adebayo. There are also small interjections from Gina's mother, Sharon, throughout the book. The method of murder is one I haven't come across in all of my time reading crime fiction, which is quite a feat! I imagine that it could provide some great discussion should it be read by a book club. Each of the characters are meticulously developed, and as with a lot of thrillers most of them are deeply flawed individuals with no real redeeming features. The prose is effortlessly readable and flows beautifully chapter-to-chapter. The author appears adept at layering up her story and slowly unfurling it one step at a time - we receive just enough information to keep us immersed, but not enough that it is possible to guess the killer accurately. A refreshingly different take on the thriller which captivated me with its highly unique storyline. I cannot wait to see what is next for Elle Croft, whatever it is I know I will be making a big effort to grab a copy!
Many thanks to Orion for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
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