Emma's Review: The Missing Sister by Lucinda Riley

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

They’ll search the world to find her.

The six D’Aplièse sisters have each been on their own incredible journey to discover their heritage, but they still have one question left unanswered: who and where is the seventh sister?

They only have one clue – an image of a star-shaped emerald ring. The search to find the missing sister will take them across the globe – from New Zealand to Canada, England, France and Ireland – uniting them all in their mission to complete their family at last.

In doing so, they will slowly unearth a story of love, strength and sacrifice that began almost one hundred years ago, as other brave young women risk everything to change the world around them.

Book Links: Kindle or Hardcover

Many thanks to ED PR for my copy of The Missing Sister to review and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.

Lucinda Riley has been my absolute favourite author ever since I read her book Hothouse Flower (with only one other author in close contention for that title) and since that time I have read and devoured everything she has published and none more so than the Seven Sisters series. Just before publication of what long-term readers presumed to be the last story in the series The Missing Sister, which would give readers all the answers they had craved since book one, Lucinda made a special announcement that there would be one last book tying everything together and telling the true story of Pa Salt.

I must admit when I first watched the announcement online, I had an initial sense of disappointment when everyone else seemed to be so thrilled that there was more to come. I think I felt this way because I had been so sure that this book would tell us everything and all the clues and hints that readers have been piecing together would either be proven right or wrong. Then to find out there is a wait of year, well yes, I was annoyed but that annoyance quickly soon turned to pleasure because after finishing what was once again just an amazing, brilliant book I am nowhere ready to leave this cast of characters with the most superb of plots behind.

The Missing Sister is a book where you really can’t say too much at all about the actual plot because one careless statement made could give everything away and no one wants to spoil the wonderful reading experience for those who have yet to get their hands on what was an outstanding, accomplished, exceptional, carefully constructed and brilliantly plotted story with a wide range of settings that included every sister. Usually one would say, yes this could be read as a standalone novel but really who am I kidding. To truly appreciate the genius of Lucinda Riley at work you need to go back and start with book one, The Seven Sisters, which is where it all began. 

I think if I was coming to this new book not having read the others I wouldn’t truly appreciate and understand just what an incredible story that has been built up over the last several years. I would have missed out on things that perhaps at the time of reading made no sense at all whereas now I was seeing things and making connections that I hadn’t made before. For those who have not read any of these books, I really envy you because now you can literally read them one after the other and trust me you will want to. They are such page turners that are impossible to leave out of your hands. There is a reason this series is loved by so many and that’s simply because the overall story told over several volumes is just a complete masterpiece. In years to come we will still be talking about these books and re-reading them as much as possible. I have no doubt they are destined to be classics and it’s brilliant to know that a TV series of all the books is in the works. The calibre of the story being woven through each book just rises and rises and Lucinda takes you by the hand and leads you on a journey that you really wish would never end.

Admittedly some readers may be put off by the length of this book but really don’t be at all, just savour every moment of it. At just about 800 pages, this is a whopper of a read and at first it was quite heavy to hold. But honestly I think I would have read double that length if it meant I could have had more time immersed and enthralled by the missing sister's story. I found that I barely looked up, or drew breath whilst reading this and 100 pages or more would just fly by in the blink of an eye. In fact, I started to ration my reading of this. I could have just sat and read it one sitting but I needed to eek this out as long as possible because I knew the ultimate answers are still way out there over a year a way. But towards the end that rationing of pages went firmly by the wayside and the words were almost a blur to my eyes as we edged ever closer to the trip the sisters had planned for so long. In my mind there were just barely enough answers or explanations given to a select few strands of the story but really who am I kidding I just want more, more ,more and Lucinda has guaranteed that lots of readers will return for the conclusion.

As for the actual story of The Missing Sister, we are taken on a journey from New Zealand, which just sounded so beautiful especially that little tiny island, to several other countries and to where I live – Ireland. I was delighted to see the history of Ireland brought this story to life and topics and events that I had studied were brought to life in an easy and understandable way. For those not familiar with the history of the country, I think Lucinda did a brilliant job of explaining things in a clear concise way so much so that I learned lots of new facts. The war of independence, the civil war, the fight for freedom to become a republic separate from the British who had ruled for hundreds of years all feature not to mention the troubles in the North which until only a few years ago featured daily on the news. 

I did at some points think hmmm how does this tie in with the search for the missing sister and in fact Pa Salt’s himself? But my worries needn’t have materialised because with this author you are in very capable hands and biding your time and waiting to see how things pan out is more than worth it. After all the connections can’t all be made in the first couple of hundred pages given the length of the book no matter how much you want that to be the case. The love Lucinda has for Ireland, and the particular area where the missing sister is predominantly set, really shines through from every page and it makes you want to go and visit these places and given current restrictions and international travel not possible maybe this is the summer for me to do so. 

The beginning of the story did take its time to get going, I hate saying this but I found it a bit repetitive as the each sister accepts the challenge, to try and locate the missing sister, which their lawyer Georg Hoffmann believes he has finally found conclusive evidence of after much searching. It was like a game of cat and mouse with evasion being the key word but once the book found its rhythm and we first delve back into the past I forgot about this minor little issue I had and just went with the flow and thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this riveting read soaking up every word, trying to decipher just what was relevant and what was not in the search. 

Maia, Ally, Tiggy, Star, Cece and Electra all have their roles to play and it was great to get a little further insight into how they had been dealing with the fall out of each woman discovering their true heritage since we last left them behind when they had shared their own stories. As the book progressed, the balance between the sisters and the missing sister became just perfect as one woman in particular goes on an odyssey into her past having to confront what she has ran from for so long. She really has to let herself give in and be released from the shackles that have entwined themselves around her but is she ready for what is to be revealed? For once things are out in the open it will be difficult to return to the life they once led.

I found with this book that you are reading along and think the stories set in the past have absolutely no relevance at all to the search in the present day. That they go off on long winded tangents leaving you questioning how on earth can they connect back to the overall concept of the entire series? But that’s Lucinda Riley for you. It all works and in such a sublime, breath-taking and riveting way. She knows what she is doing and she leads the reader on an incredible and, for the most part, deeply satisfying journey. I say this because yes it’s natural to feel a little put out that not all the answers are forthcoming in this book. How she keeps track of everything considering the length and breadth of the series I will never know. What a remarkable, intelligent mind she has to pull all the strands, characters, settings and overarching themes and connections together.

As for that jaw dropping ending, you can’t say she doesn’t pull out all the stops and has you literally glued to the book until literally the very last page. The ending only raises even more and more questions than I had had before and you want the answers immediately. You’d feel like throwing the book down in disgust that we are to be left waiting until autumn 2022 as it seems such a long, long way away. But to do that would do this utterly brilliant book a huge disservice. It’s just my initial reaction that we were left on such a cliff-hanger when everything set in place since book one is finally coming together. I feel like the characters are left there in suspension. Just waiting and waiting until the reader can return to discover how everything will come together. I really do appreciate the incredible amount of research that has gone into each of these books so wait is just what I will have to do. 

I think we are fortunate to have another book to complete the series considering seven were initially planned for. Atlas, the story of Pa Salt, will be on so many people’s reading lists for next year. No doubt it will be a hugely anticipated publication even more so than The Missing Sister I suspect. No pressure then Lucinda, but I know she will not let us down as the Seven Sisters has been utter perfection from the start right up until this moment. It showcases an author at the height of her craft and loving every minute of writing a journey that so many readers have fallen in love with, are devoted to and have become insanely gripped by.