The Lost Sister

Picking up where Sisters of Misery left off, Hall's sequel finds half-sisters Maddie and Cordelia coming into their psychic powers. With the night of torturous hazing by the Sisters of Misery behind her, Cordelia runs away to Maine with the intention of murdering their philandering father, though her plans change when she discovers his young son ("She couldn't take away this little boy's father. But that didn't mean she couldn't stick around long enough to make Malcolm Crane wish he was dead"). Meanwhile, Cordelia's mother has been committed to Ravenswood Asylum following a suicide attempt, and Maddie's mother is diagnosed with cancer. When a mysterious fire is ignited in the asylum and one of the Sisters of Misery is murdered, Cordelia returns, working with Maddie to find the killer and rescue their loved ones. This suspenseful saga sits between fairy tale and thriller, though readers need not be a diehard fan of either genre in order to appreciate Hall's intricate story of family history, witchcraft, teenage romance and sisterhood. Ages 12%E2%80%94up. (Aug.)