Books Read: My Sister's Lies by S.D. Robertson

For a decade, Hannah’s life has been pretty close to perfect – she has a great job, she’s married to Mark, and her child-free existence means she’s free as a bird. The only sadness in her life is a fall-out with her sister Diane, who hasn’t spoken to her in over ten years. But now Diane is on her doorstep – and this time, she’s got her teenage daughter Mia in tow.

When Diane asks if Mia can stay with Hannah and Mark for a few days, Hannah is glad of the chance to get to know her niece. But as the days turn into weeks and Diane doesn’t return, Hannah begins to worry. Why hasn’t her sister been in touch?

Diane is carrying a devastating secret that will destroy Hannah’s carefully constructed life. But how much is she willing to reveal – and when will she pick her moment?

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I'd like to thank Sabah at Avon Books for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour and for my copy of My Sister's Lies to review.

From the moment I finished reading the prologue my heart was literally in mouth and I had so many questions running around my head, wondering who it was narrating but the most important of all was why they had decided to take that most final and decisive action from which there is no point of return.  But of course none of the answers come quickly or easily as otherwise there wouldn't be a story to tell, you just have to be patient and read everything that follows and slowly but surely the pieces begin to slot together.

To the outside world Hannah and Mark have the perfect life, a loving marriage even if a sacrifice or two has had to be made over the years to achieve this, good careers and financial stability that they could enjoy a luxury holiday or eat out at a fancy restaurant whenever they want to.  But appearances are deceiving and underneath the surface we discover that things haven't always been so great, that a major falling out with her sister Diane ten years ago has had a deep and emotional effect on Hannah.

So maybe a surprise visit from Diane and her teenage daughter Mia might finally be able to heal old wounds but the reality is that for Hannah, Mark and Mia their whole world is about to be turned upside down.  For Mia has no memories of her aunt and uncle who she has been estranged from since she was taken away as a toddler, and Mark has never wanted to be a father, a decision that Hannah had to agree to if she wanted their relationship to continue, let alone look after someone else's child.

From the moment Diane turned up on her doorstep painful memories that she'd tried so hard to block out came flooding back for Hannah, especially in connection with that final fateful day that led to Diane disappearing with Mia never to be heard from again until now.  But it's also a time for Hannah to bond with her niece, especially when she discovers they have common interests and ambitions, and experience a part of what it is like to be responsible for someone other than yourself.  But at the back of her mind she's wondering what is going on with Diane and when she'll be back. Can bygones be bygones and they rebuild a new relationship?

My Sister's Lies is very much a character driven story, one of family dynamics, secrets and lies and how they affect everyone around them.  I know only too well how relationships, no matter how strong you think they are, can become strained under stress and duress and before you know it days, months and years have passed since you last spoke to or saw that person.  The raw pain and emotion that the characters felt was so heartbreaking and even though I didn't particular warm to either Hannah or Diane I couldn't help but feel for them.

Overall I found this to be a compelling read which featured some serious themes that sadly are all too prevalent in today's society and have affected many of us or others are still dealing with the effects of actions taken by loved ones.