You’ve known her all your life. Or have you?
Tasha and her older sister Alice may look alike, but they couldn’t be more different. Tasha’s married with two children and still lives in their hometown near Bristol. Alice is a high-flying scientist who travels the world with her equally successful husband.
Yet each sister would trust the other with her life.
When Tasha and her husband Aaron need a break and Alice offers to stay in their home with the kids, Tasha knows her family is in safe hands.
She couldn’t be more wrong.
The call from home is devastating. Alice and her husband Kyle have been attacked, leaving Alice in intensive care and Kyle dead. Rushing to the hospital, Tasha finds the police trying to piece events together. She can’t think why anyone would attack her sister.
Then the note arrives, addressed to Tasha:
It was supposed to be you.
The Wrong Sister is a domestic psychological thriller with elements of family drama, buried secrets, and a whodunit murder mystery.
The story follows two sisters: Tasha, a stay-at-home mom of twins, and Alice, a globe-trotting, high-achieving scientist. In an attempt to give Tasha a break, they agree to swap lives for a week—Alice and her husband look after Tasha’s twins in Bristol, while Tasha and her husband spend time in Alice’s Venice apartment. But when Alice is brutally attacked and hospitalized and her husband, Kyle, is murdered, Tasha rushes home to find a chilling note: “It was supposed to be you…”
The writing is classic Claire Douglas: sharp, richly detailed, twisty, and multilayered. The story is mostly told from the POVs of Tasha, Alice, and their mother, Jeanette, allowing readers to delve into the very different mindsets of all three women. Through Tasha, the author presents some major themes of motherhood, sibling resentment, and the notion of being stuck in an ordinary, exhausting life—making her relatable and compelling. The chapters are short and addictive, with many ending in mini-cliffhangers that will keep readers furiously turning the pages—and there’s really no stopping until you reach the conclusion!
The story has a slow-burn start, as readers get acquainted with the sisters, the backstory of their missing sister, Holly, from 1989, and their mother, Jeanette’s, grief that has plagued her for decades and caused her husband to leave her and her to move to France. After Alice and her husband are attacked, the pacing improves, and the story remains fast-paced until the end.
When Bonnie, a mysterious new POV, is introduced, the story becomes more complex and unpredictable. From there the author plants many clues, red herrings, and detours. Readers will have to suspend their disbelief at some of the major plot reveals and the notion of so much happening to one family! The final twist is somewhat predictable and feels a bit contrived—but it still remains thought-provoking and will linger afterwards.
Overall, The Wrong Sister is a highly engaging, multilayered domestic thriller—perfect for fans of authors like Lisa Jewell, B.A. Paris, or Ruth Ware. With the fast-paced narrative, all the layers, and the “interesting” ending, this book is a great option for a buddy read or a book club. Readers who enjoy unreliable perspectives, where POV shifts keep the story unpredictable until the very end, should grab a copy of this one ASAP!
Narrator Performance
The audiobook of The Wrong Sister is an immersive, addictive listen narrated by British actress Eleanor Tomlinson.
Tomlinson does a good job bringing all the different characters to life with distinct voices, individualized pacing, and unique emotional intensity. She uses an anxious, emotional voice to portray Tasha, perfectly capturing the self-deprecating character who’s unsatisfied with her life. Her contrasting performance of Alice, using a more sly, confident voice, emphasizes the opposite personalities of the sisters. Tomlinson’s portrayal of their mother, Jeanette, may be the most authentic and compelling portrayal of the audiobook—she uses her impressive acting skills to convey the mother’s guilt and grief over losing her daughter—and listeners will find Jeanette the easiest to empathize with.
Tomlinson also does a great job pacing the story, adding tension and hostility during the most suspenseful scenes and cliffhanger chapters. All the POV shifts are smooth and easy to follow, making the listening experience very addictive and immersive. Overall, Tomlinson elevates this compelling story with a gripping performance, making the audiobook the recommended reading format for anyone looking for a suspenseful and highly entertaining binge-listen!
Narrator Performance
The audiobook of The Wrong Sister is an immersive, addictive listen narrated by British actress Eleanor Tomlinson.
Tomlinson does a good job bringing all the different characters to life with distinct voices, individualized pacing, and unique emotional intensity. She uses an anxious, emotional voice to portray Tasha, perfectly capturing the self-deprecating character who’s unsatisfied with her life. Her contrasting performance of Alice, using a more sly, confident voice, emphasizes the opposite personalities of the sisters. Tomlinson’s portrayal of their mother, Jeanette, may be the most authentic and compelling portrayal of the audiobook—she uses her impressive acting skills to convey the mother’s guilt and grief over losing her daughter—and listeners will find Jeanette the easiest to empathize with.
Tomlinson also does a great job pacing the story, adding tension and hostility during the most suspenseful scenes and cliffhanger chapters. All the POV shifts are smooth and easy to follow, making the listening experience very addictive and immersive. Overall, Tomlinson elevates this compelling story with a gripping performance, making the audiobook the recommended reading format for anyone looking for a suspenseful and highly entertaining binge-listen!
The audiobook of The Wrong Sister is an immersive, addictive listen narrated by British actress Eleanor Tomlinson.
Tomlinson does a good job bringing all the different characters to life with distinct voices, individualized pacing, and unique emotional intensity. She uses an anxious, emotional voice to portray Tasha, perfectly capturing the self-deprecating character who’s unsatisfied with her life. Her contrasting performance of Alice, using a more sly, confident voice, emphasizes the opposite personalities of the sisters. Tomlinson’s portrayal of their mother, Jeanette, may be the most authentic and compelling portrayal of the audiobook—she uses her impressive acting skills to convey the mother’s guilt and grief over losing her daughter—and listeners will find Jeanette the easiest to empathize with.
Tomlinson also does a great job pacing the story, adding tension and hostility during the most suspenseful scenes and cliffhanger chapters. All the POV shifts are smooth and easy to follow, making the listening experience very addictive and immersive. Overall, Tomlinson elevates this compelling story with a gripping performance, making the audiobook the recommended reading format for anyone looking for a suspenseful and highly entertaining binge-listen!
