The Sister

Grief’s lingering residue and the need to keep connections with the deceased make an emotional and gripping foundation for British author Jensen’s first novel. Four months after the death of Grace Matthews’s best friend from childhood, Charlotte “Charlie” Fisher, the inconsolable Grace is sleepwalking through her job (as a classroom assistant at a preschool in her English village) and her relationship with her live-in boyfriend, Dan. Charlie always wanted to know who her father was, information that her alcoholic mother refused to divulge, and Grace resolves to find out. Acting as amateur sleuths, Dan and Grace track down his name—Paul Lawson—and their search results in a call from Anna Lawson, who says she was also Paul’s daughter. Grace and Anna instantly bond, and Anna soon moves into their spare bedroom. Then Grace’s email is hacked, she suffers a nut allergy attack, she loses her job, and her school is vandalized—incidents that suggest that someone is out to get her. Surprising twists, strong characters, and a fresh look at gaslighting elevate this psychological thriller. [em](June) [/em]