My Sister’s Husband was an enjoyable thriller, but you really have to suspend your disbelief for most of the story to work and especially for the ending.
Brooke and Freya are sisters, but Freya is exceedingly jealous of her older sister. Their relationship mirrors the one that their Aunt Alice had with their own mother. who died in a freak accident (along with their father) while they were both babies. They also have a cousin who is just a bit older than them, Lizzie, who returns to her childhood home after completing school. Brooke hasn’t seen or spoken to any of them in ten years, when she left town after her boyfriend jumped off the cliffs behind her home killing himself, but now Brooke is back to celebrate her sister’s upcoming wedding to a man Brooke seems to recognize. And since Brooke’s been gone, their Aunt Alice has developed early onset dementia and Freya, who is now a nurse, keeps her locked in an upstairs bedroom to “keep her safe.”
The premise is interesting. Sister hating sister and continuing that through the generations. But neither Freya nor Alice are all that likeable. We hear part of the story from past Alice, which means that we don’t really feel as sorry for present day Alice as I think we’re supposed to. Her being locked away in a closet when there’s obviously something else going on seems pretty fair, honestly. And Freya is just obnoxious all the way through. She complains all the time about her “perfect” sister, Brooke, but the way it’s written, Brooke is a pretty normal person who the reader feels for, and the rest of the characters are just off. For the whole book.
The big twist is definitely a big twist, which I didn’t see coming. And I really liked the big twist, although I’m not giving it away here.. It was big enough to not make me regret reading this one all the way through. I just wish the good-bad elements/characters weren’t quite so clear cut. A bit of gray area here and there might have made for a more interesting read.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Bookouture in exchange for my honest review. It has not influenced my opinion.