I read this new suspenseful psychological thriller by Sally Hepworth in just two sittings. Yup, it was that good. The story centres around family dysfunction and successfully completes the suspense read hat trick: secrets, manipulation, and tension! Oh MY!

The story focuses on fraternal twins, Fern and Rose. Fern is highly intelligent (and a librarian t’boot) who speaks her mind and appears to be a high functioning person on the autism spectrum with sensory sensitivities. Yay for including neurodiverse characters! Fern’s twin Rose is outgoing, married and a successful interior designer and since childhood, she has taken on the role as Fern’s protector – a role that has continued into their adult lives.

The story is told using two points of view – one from Fern and the other from Rose’s diary entries which reveal situations from their childhood to current day. As the tension ramps up, I found some scenes quite emotionally charged and even hard to read at times – particularly as the truth comes to light. And while I may have figured out one of the big twists, Hepworth still managed to surprise me in the end.

I don’t want to give away too much of the plot, so I’ll just say this – You need to read this book. It is a tension-filled story with an interesting array of characters that is part psychological thriller, part family drama and a bit of romance thrown in for good measure. Make sure you put hold on this recently published book today at wpl.ca!

— Laurie P.