Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Better Sister by Alafair Burke Narrator: Sophie Amoss, Samantha Desz, Mike Chamberlain
Published by HarperAudio on April 16, 2019
Genres: Mystery
Length: 9 hours, 24 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble
From Alafair Burke - New York Times best-selling author of the runaway hit The Wife - comes another twisty tale of domestic noir. When a prominent Manhattan lawyer is murdered, two estranged sisters - one the dead man’s widow, the other his ex - must set aside mistrust and old resentments...but can they escape their past?
Though Chloe was the younger of the two Taylor sisters, she always seemed to be in charge. She was the honor-roll student with big dreams and an even bigger work ethic. Nicky was always restless...and more than a little reckless - the opposite of her ambitious little sister. She floated from job to job and man to man and stayed close to home in Cleveland.
For a while, it seemed like both sisters had found happiness. Chloe earned a scholarship to an Ivy League school and moved to New York City, where she landed a coveted publishing job. Nicky married promising young attorney Adam Macintosh and gave birth to a baby boy they named Ethan. The Taylor sisters became virtual strangers.
Now, more than 15 years later, their lives are drastically different - and Chloe is married to Adam. When he’s murdered by an intruder at the couple’s East Hampton beach house, Chloe reluctantly allows her teenaged stepson’s biological mother - her estranged sister, Nicky - back into her life. But when the police begin to treat Ethan as a suspect in his father’s death, the two sisters are forced to unite...and to confront the truth behind family secrets they have tried to bury in the past.
I saw someone else review The Better Sister and had to have it. The author apparently has two successful series I need to read, but this is a standalone. The genre is one I really love. The plot twists and turns blew my mind.
The story is primarily told from Chloe’s point of view, so I was sympathetic to her. It was easy to think right away yes, she is the better sister. Later, we do get some viewpoints from Nicky and Ethan. I enjoyed those to have more perspective. The world and characters are slowly built like with each blow widening my eyes in surprise.
The aspects of business, law, publishing and family dynamics are all nicely layered details making an intriguing tale. Everyone has their flaws, their petty emotions and they are all human and imperfect. While there were many shocks, and unexpected turns, I loved the progression and the ending.
Narration:
These narrators were new to me. I felt they were all comfortable in the voices for me and their performances improved my experience. Each point of view had more stream of thoughts than dialogue so the other voices were somewhat limited. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip:
About Alafair Burke
Alafair Burke is the New York Times bestselling author of “two power house series” (Sun-Sentinel) that have earned her a reputation for creating strong, believable, and eminently likable female characters, such as NYPD Detective Ellie Hatcher and Portland Deputy District Attorney Samantha Kincaid. Alafair’s novels grow out of her experience as a prosecutor in America’s police precincts and criminal courtrooms, and have been featured by The Today Show, People Magazine, The New York Times, MSNBC, The Washington Post, USA Today, and The Chicago Sun-Times. According to Entertainment Weekly, Alafair “is a terrific web spinner” who “knows when and how to drop clues to keep readers at her mercy.”
A graduate of Stanford Law School and a former Deputy District Attorney in Portland, Oregon, Alafair is now a Professor of Law at Hofstra Law School, where she teaches criminal law and procedure. Her books have been translated into 12 languages.
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I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2019 Audiobooks
- 2019 Releases
blew your mind huh. sounds like one for me.
It was great. I really recommend it.
Oh it looks good and I confess that I didn’t know about this one so I’m curious!
Well it is a standalone but I am reading more standalones which are mystery/thriller. With UF and romance there are more series. It’s worth reading.
A strong recommendation for this one! I can’t imagine wanting to marry my sister’s ex-husband, or her mine (if I had one). In-law relationships are tough enough already!
Yes it was a mind blowup. I really liked it though.
Sounds good and twisty. I like that! And what a killer cover. It does intrigue:)
Nothing goes exactly as expected and nobody is exactly who you think they are. Just wild.
Oh, sisters…. and twists I like. I am curious about the author and will investigate.
I hadn’t heard of this author but now I really want to read more of her work.
I’m a fan of the author and highly recommend The Wife if you can get your hands on it. I have this one coming up and looking forward to it. I just listened to a book with the narrator, Sophie Amoss, and she was so good in that one. Great review, Anne!
Thank you! I thought this one was very good. I will have to look at others with this author.