Tuesday 30 October 2018

The Stepsister

The Stepsister

                                                                                          


When a stranger leaves step-sisters, Victoria and Ness, a half-share in a house in Holland, they think it must be a mistake.

But there's no mistake when Ness goes missing. 
Desperate for the truth, Victoria heads to Holland to find out what happened to her. Has she, as her texts show, embarked on a whirlwind romance? Has someone abducted her or even worse?

But there’s someone watching, and that person wants her dead. 

Can Victoria find out the truth before it’s too late? 



Author Bio – 


Jenny O'Brien was born in Ireland and, after a brief sojourn in Wales, now resides in Guernsey.
She's an avid reader and book reviewer for NetGalley in addition to being a RoNA judge.
She writes for both children and adults with a new book coming out every six months or so. She's also an avid collector of cats, broken laptops, dust and happy endings - two of which you'll always find in her books.

In her spare time she can be found frowning at her wonky cakes and even wonkier breads. You'll be pleased to note she won't be entering Bake-Off.

Readers can find out more about Jenny from her blog: 
https://jennyobrienwriter.wordpress.com


Giveaway  - 1st Prize Win an e copy of The Stepsister and crystal, tulip slider necklace , 2 x 2nd Prize – an e-copy of The Stepsister (Open Internationally)
*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.



My Review
The story has a sense of creepiness which is all-pervading and very cleverly told.  There is also a wonderfully evocative portrayal of the merchants' houses typical of parts of Holland - I really could see the story taking place in front of my eyes.  However, from the middle onwards as the plot begins to unfold, I did find myself getting confused and at times the storyline seemed somewhat implausible. It was all neatly unravelled by the end but not in the way I had imagined. There is a lot of sadness and poignancy in the relationships, especially between Victoria, Vanessa and the stepmother. I didn't feel that this is a happy read but felt that there was closure and a sense of hope at the end. It's a book which has stayed with me long after I finished it.

No comments:

Post a Comment