Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Every family has secrets. Some more deadly than others.”

I don’t really think I need to introduce Claire Douglas to all the thriller fans – of course her latest book is just as gripping and as perfectly written as you would expect! It completely blew my mind and I didn’t see the main twist coming at all. I just loved it! I wish I could buy copies for all of you guys so you can gush over it as much as I did. SO happy to be sharing my review for The Wrong Sister!

About the book:

Tasha has always felt in the shadow of her older sister, Alice. Their lifestyles couldn’t be more different; Alice is married to wealthy entrepreneur Kyle and has a high-flying career, Tasha is married to her childhood sweetheart and lives in a Bristol suburb with their four-year-old twins.

When Alice realises that Tasha is struggling – with money, the kids, losing her identity – she suggests they do a lifeswap for a week. Alice and Kyle will come to stay at Tasha’s terraced house to look after the twins, while Tasha and Harry spend the week in Alice and Kyle’s Venice apartment.

But a few days in, it all goes terribly wrong. Tasha receives a phone call to say Alice is in hospital and Kyle is dead after an intruder broke into their house. They think it must have been a burglary gone wrong.

Until a note arrives through the letterbox saying ‘It was supposed to be you.‘

Who was there that night, and why? Is it really Tasha they are targeting? And can these two sisters find the answers they need, or are they about to stumble upon something more sinister?

The beginning

I can’t put into words how exciting it was to pick up another Claire Douglas book, and the opening to this one was just as brilliant as I’d hoped! Claire’s characters instantly formed in my mind after only a chapter or two, and I was so keen to learn more about the lives they lived. Tasha, Aaron and their twins live in the village of Chew Norton, with Tasha’s sister (Alice) and her relatively new husband (Kyle) living a luxury lifestyle between their place in London and their holiday apartment in Venice. The idea of a life swap was super exciting to me, but as I read, I wasn’t quite ready for the horror that would unfold. A mysterious mark outside the house, an unnerving stranger in Venice, a phone call from home that no one ever wants to receive… The chapters (even from the very start) were constantly building up to something, tasty little cliff hangers and impressive little twists paving the way for what was to come. Perfect!

“His voice sounds strained, serious and when I read it, I understand why. It’s just six words, written in block capitals. IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE YOU.”

While the family grieves after a terrifying incident, certain details come to light that just adds to the panic. In true Claire Douglas style, the suspense is absolutely deeeelish. Learning that she might have been the intended target of an attack, Tasha has the stressful, overwhelming task of ensuring herself and her family are safe and wondering who on earth wants her dead. I always love going through the characters we’ve met in a book like this to try and work out who the guilty one could be. Her husband is obviously keeping some details from her, but I wasn’t convinced he had anything to do with it. They seemed a good couple, but then again, it’s usually linked to the husband, right?! I was so looking forward to exploring these characters further, finding out more about the disappearance of Tasha and Alice’s sister, Holly, when she was a baby, and just why Jeanette, their mother, is keeping her distance. An incredibly strong start, as expected!

The middle

I love the depth and the thorough descriptions in Claire’s writing. Her characters are so full of life and colour and in certain cases, full of deceit and lies. There are so many different and interesting relationships between family, partners, former partners and friends, and I loved how each conversation gave us something to think about, to help us create a bigger picture. There was definitely more to some of these characters than meets the eye and we explore so much of this and discover surprising details that always kept me reading. Extra, significant characters are brought in over time (and at the most perfect times) to enhance what we know and make us question what we don’t. It’s clear some people are not being entirely truthful and I was here for it. Give me all the shady characters! Bonnie was a character introduced later on that really piqued my interest. Who exactly was she and why was she so significant to this story?

“Aaron’s face has drained of all colour. In the distance we hear the wail of sirens. I turn to see Alice and my mum huddled by the back gate, still in their dressing gowns, horrified expressions on their faces as I hurry towards them.”

There are so many completely brilliant scenes that had my head spinning. From unexpected deaths to twists involving the most unlikely characters, Claire continues to surprise you at every turn. The ending of every chapter felt so important and perfectly leads into the next with a sense of urgency, and there was just no way I could stop reading most of the time. We uncover so much juicy information and I loved how dark things became regarding Tasha and Alice’s lost sister. I was dying to know whether she was alive, out there somewhere looking for her family. Whether she had anything to do with these unfortunate deaths. Whether there was something even darker at the heart of all this. It was flawlessly organised and executed so meticulously. Everything felt so tense, so unnerving, and thoroughly exciting. Of course, I had some theories, but this author is so well known for the twists. Anything could happen at this point and I couldn’t wait for that reveal!

The end

The twists towards the end were absolutely fantastic. The jaw-dropping, eye-widening kind that you just can’t stop thinking about! And the best part was that they just kept coming. It was so suspenseful and tense, and I got to the point where I told myself just to expect the unexpected. There was actually an underlying sadness for certain characters throughout all this which the author has expertly slotted in to make things even more powerful, even more unforgettable. The way everything and everyone connected and interlinked was immensely satisfying, and I’ll be forever thinking about how Claire has pulled it off. I was thinking about it all during every waking moment and I loved how that fireball of excitement in my belly wouldn’t leave. I don’t often get this sort of feeling with reading, but I just know Claire’s books will always have me feeling like this.

“We’d do anything for the ones we love, I’m beginning to realise that now more than ever. I’m faced with an impossible decision.”

Right up until those last moments, I was so engrossed and I soaked up every last glorious second of suspense. The final chapters completely blew my mind and the flawless misdirection for the most part made the ending reveal all the more impactful. Everything seemed to come together with ease, the explanation of everything from all these characters, their motives, their actions, was so so satisfying. Each of them had such an important part in the story, and I found each character’s perspective to be invaluable to the plot. Just perfect. I don’t think I can add anything else other than you NEED to read this. It will certainly make it into my top reads of the year! I think this will be the year I complete my Claire Douglas collection. After the last two books, I’m convinced I’d love anything this author writes and can’t wait to work my way through them!

Overall thoughts

The Wrong Sister is as addictive and as compelling as you’d expect from a shiny new Claire Douglas book! She really is an absolute queen when it comes to twisty plots, complex and intriguing characters and, of course, those red herrings I love so much. The secrets swirl around and eventually get out of hand for certain characters, and the suspense always kept me on my toes. The author creates such an unnerving atmosphere with so much to question, and I admired Tasha’s character so much. The determination to get to the bottom of something so horrific while also protecting her family had me thinking about everything for days. I already know this will be one of my favourite books of the year. Completely and utterly perfect in every way – please pick it up!

Huge thanks to the author, Claire Douglas, and the incredible team at Michael Joseph for my beautiful proof copy! You can grab a copy of The Wrong Sister right now from Amazon or wherever you buy your books. Make sure you’re following Claire on Instagram and Twitter/X for more updates!

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