Sister Dear by Laura McNeill Review

About the book:

Sister Dear (Thomas Nelson, April 2016)

All Allie Marshall wants is a fresh start. But when dark secrets refuse to stay buried, will her chance at a new life be shattered forever?

Convicted of a crime she didn’t commit, Allie watched a decade of her life vanish — time that can never be recovered. Now, out on parole, Allie is determined to clear her name, rebuild her life, and reconnect with the daughter she barely knows.

But Allie’s return home shatters the quaint, coastal community of Brunswick, Georgia. Even her own daughter Caroline, now a teenager, bristles at Allie’s claims of innocence. Refusing defeat, a stronger, smarter Allie launches a battle for the truth, digging deeply into the past even if it threatens her parole status, personal safety, and the already-fragile bond with family.

As her commitment to finding the truth intensifies, what Allie ultimately uncovers is far worse than she imagined. Her own sister has been hiding a dark secret—one that holds the key to Allie’s freedom.

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/24TOGXK

About the author:

 

 

Laura McNeill is a writer, web geek, travel enthusiast, and coffee drinker. In her former life, she was a television news anchor for CBS News affiliates in New York and Alabama. Laura holds a master’s degree in journalism from The Ohio State University and is completing a graduate program in interactive technology at the University of Alabama. When she’s not writing and doing homework, she enjoys running, yoga, and spending time at the beach. She lives in Mobile, AL with her family.

 

My Thoughts: I went into this book with a lot of excitement, as psychological thrillers with twists and turns are my favorite kinds of books. Because I love them so much, I tend to read a lot of thrillers and the downside to that is that they can sometimes blend together and become predictable to me. Few thrillers that I read earn a 5 star rating from me…they have to knock my socks off and surprise me in some way to garner 5 stars.

Unfortunately, this book did not stand out to me. The plot was a bit weak and I was able to pick up on the twist early on. The story started out strong but got a bit slow in the beginning, with a fairly interesting ending.

This may have been a case of “it’s not you, it’s me” with this book…I read such a large quantity of thrillers so it didn’t feel special or new. I think someone who only dabbles in thrillers or someone who is a more casual reader would enjoy this book much more than I did.

The characters were the best part of the story, in my opinion. I enjoyed following Allie through her journey after prison. I gained a lot of insight into how difficult it is for people to transition back into society after being in prison.

This book is published by Thomas Nelson, a Christian publishing company, but I wouldn’t consider this a Christian book. Readers should be cautioned that this is more edgy than typical Christian fiction. Because it’s not extremely “preachy”, this book could be enjoyed by anyone who likes thrillers.

Overall, this was a good book. I liked it but didn’t love it. I’m happy to have read it and would definitely recommend it.

My Rating:

I received this book from the publisher and Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange of an honest review.