Sister, A Masterful Debut

Intriguing, smart, suspenseful

Early on Beatrice gets a phone call that her little sister is missing; she knows her sister and feels an immediate gut-wrenching fear. Beatrice catches the next flight to London in order to get information about her sister’s disappearance. The only true thing that Beatrice knows at this point is that she knows Tess; there is no way that her sister left on her own volition.

This story is smartly told from Beatrice’s perspective as she immerses herself into her sister’s life, living in her sisters flat, and working with investigators to determine what could have happened to her sister. Beatrice tries to tell the story from the beginning, as she tells it to the Criminal Prosecution Service lawyer.

 The first bombshell occurs in Beatrice’s initial police interview when she asks if they have checked the hospitals as her sister may have gone into labor. Neither Tess’ Mom nor the Detective knew that the missing Tess was pregnant. The surprised Detective reveals that he has talked to the baby’s father, Tess’ Art Professor; however, the Professor acknowledged Tess only as a student, nothing more. Additionally, Beatrice reveals that Tess' baby had been diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis.

Beatrice’s obsession with what has happened to her sister is overwhelming and almost debilitating. Soon Beatrice has lost her job in America, stubbornly refusing to leave London. Beatrice will live in her sister's flat, work at a bar and investigate her sister’s disappearance in her free time, which ultimately makes her a target.

Suspects emerge early in Beatrice’s investigation. First there is the fellow student Simon, a stalker that has based his thesis on photos of Tess, many taken without her knowledge. Next is the baby’s father, Tess’ Professor who didn’t tell the police about his relationship with Tess because he is married with a family. Lastly, there is Chrome-Med the suspect genetics company that gave Tess the Cystic Fibrosis trial drugs.

So what happened to Tess? The reader will eventually learn the whole story behind Tess’ disappearance; it builds up from little glimpses throughout the suspenseful storyline.

If your book club needs a punch of adrenaline, something less dull and more intense, give this page-turning thriller a try.

Sister was written by Rosamund Lupton and is available in Trade Paperback now.