The Wrong Sister

Best for:
Do you like a mystery? Do like stories told from a few perspectives? Do you like family intrigue?

In a nutshell:
Tasha and her husband Aaron do a home swap with Tasha’s sister Alice and her husband Kyle. Tasha and Aaron head to Kyle’s vacation home in Venice; Alice and Kyle stay to take care of Tasha and Aaron’s twin girls. Two nights later, Kyle is dead and Alice is in the hospital.

Worth quoting:
N/A

Why I chose it:
I had a credit on Audible and I have enjoyed Douglas’s other books.

Review:
Ah, another good one. Very interesting and, once again, there’s a twist, but perhaps it either isn’t the one the reader is expecting, or it is, but it’s far to early for everything to be resolved.

The book is told primarily from the show more perspectives of Tasha and her mother Jeanette though Alice and another character Bonnie share their perspectives a few times. We don’t get any chapters from the perspectives of the men in this book, and once again it does seem like the author is more interested in telling the stories of women.

As it is a mystery, I can’t give too much away, but I do appreciate how the author weaves in the roles individuals - especially children - get put into at a young age, and how those roles influence their lives as they age. Some of us with siblings probably can relate at least one characteristic that they’ve been told by their parents that they have, but their sibling doesn’t, or vice versa, and whether that ends up holding true in adulthood, it still influences how they act within their family. The smart one, the fashionable one, the family-oriented one.

I also appreciate that, once again, the author is telling a story about how people may not really know who their family member is and what they are capable of doing. Some people might seem incredibly close, but perhaps there’s a whole side they never share. The author isn’t saying that everyone is keeping secrets and no one can be trusted; it’s more that everyone has a lot going on and they aren’t always forthcoming with what that is, and that can have some serious consequences. And at the same time, family ties are strong, and some folks will do anything for their family.

What’s next for this book:
N/A (audio book) show less

Tasha was excited to be switching places with her sister for a Venice vacation while her sister was going to be taking care of Tasha’s twin girls.

Who got the better deal?

I don’t think either of them did. Switching places caused the unthinkable to happen.

Tasha and her husband were enjoying Venice until they got a phone call saying that her sister had been attacked and her sister's husband was murdered in their home.

Were the twins OK? Did they hear anything? Will they be traumatized?

Tasha and Aaron also had an encounter with a man with a knife in Venice and thankfully escaped.

Were these two attacks related, but how could they be?

We follow the sisters, their mother, and the story about their baby sister being kidnapped 30 years ago show more along with these horrific events.

Is the kidnapping related to what’s happening now after all these years?

Claire Douglas KNOWS how to set the stage for tension, what if, surprises, and the guessing game of who did it and what is really going on.

You know you are in for a stay-up-late reading with her books. 5/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own. show less

The Wrong Sister by Claire Douglas is a highly recommended mystery/domestic drama that begs the question: How well do you really know your sister?

Tasha and her husband Aaron lives in Chew Norton, where they grew up, and have three-year-old twin daughters. When her successful older sister, Alice, and her wealthy husband Kyle, suggest the two stay at their vacation home in Venice while they babysit the girls, Tasha and Aaron are thrilled. They have a strange man following them in Venice, which is unsettling, and then they receive a phone call. Someone broke into their home. Kyle is dead and Alice is hospitalized. The two immediately return home to their daughters while the police investigate. Then Tasha receives a note saying, "It was show more supposed to be you."

This is an even paced novel full of secrets that will definitely hold your attention. There are two mysteries in the plot. First, is the who and why concerning Kyle's murder and the question if the target was supposed to be Tasha. Then there is the missing third daughter, Holly, who was abducted as a baby and greatly impacted their lives. There are several red herrings, numerous secrets, and multiple revelations along the way.

The complex plot is mainly told through Tasha's point-of-view, with additional chapters narrated by Jeanette, Alice and Tasha's mother, and a few chapters by a woman named Bonnie. Suspicions run high and there is misdirection as secrets and suspects are revealed. The final denouement provides a satisfying conclusion.

The Wrong Sister is a good choice for those who enjoy domestic dramas full of secrets. Thanks to Harper Perennial for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2025/07/the-wrong-sister.html show less

This was a twisty mystery from Claire Douglas. Claire kept me guessing up to the end and I loved all of the intersecting stories.

The alternating points of view created suspense and kept the story moving at a quick pace, probably because I wanted to get to the next part of that characters story.

Now to find more Claire Douglas books to add to my TBR!

Eleanor Tomlinson did a great job narrating this story and I look forward to listening to more of their work in the future.

Woohoo! A new book from Claire Douglas - The Wrong Sister.

I adore domestic suspense novels. There are so many ways that a story can unfurl. A stranger trying to get into a family, or someone try to get out. Or both?...

Another must 'haves' are twists and turns! I really enjoy being surprised! Is it a clue, truth or lies?

There's one of every kind of personality populating the pages of The Wrong Sister. Tasha is the one I was drawn to. Douglas does a great job with creating other players. And a hard to crack whodunnit!

Another great read from Claire Douglas! I'm looking for her next book.

Complex plot involving two very different sisters, one, Alice, a high-flying biochemist in London, the other, Nathasha, a mother of twins and dental secretary in Bristol. Alice's husband is a tech entrepreneur and Natasha's husband a car mechanic. When Natasha and her husband go to Venice and stay in Alice's holiday flat whilst Alice stays at Natasha's and looks after the twins, their lives unravel. An interesting cast of characters and twists in the plot.