Review: The Winter Sister by Megan Collins

Title: The Winter Sister

Author: Megan Collins

Published: February 2019, Touchstone

Format: ARC E-copy, 336 pages

Source: Netgalley via Publisher

Summary: 

In this spellbinding
and suspenseful debut, a young woman haunted by the past returns home to
care for her ailing mother and begins to dig deeper into her sister’s
unsolved murder.

Sixteen years ago, Sylvie’s sister
Persephone never came home. Out too late with the boyfriend she was
forbidden to see, Persephone was missing for three days before her body
was found—and years later, her murder remains unsolved.

In the
present day, Sylvie returns home to care for her estranged mother,
Annie, as she undergoes treatment for cancer. Prone to unexplained “Dark
Days” even before Persephone’s death, Annie’s once-close bond with
Sylvie dissolved in the weeks after their loss, making for an
uncomfortable reunion all these years later. Worse, Persephone’s former
boyfriend, Ben, is now a nurse at the cancer center where Annie is being
treated. Sylvie’s always believed Ben was responsible for the
murder—but she carries her own guilt about that night, guilt that traps
her in the past while the world goes on around her.

As she
navigates the complicated relationship with her mother, Sylvie begins to
uncover the secrets that fill their house—and what really happened the
night Persephone died. As it turns out, the truth really will set you
free, once you can bear to look at it.

The Winter Sister
is a mesmerizing portrayal of the complex bond between sisters, between
mothers and daughters alike, and forces us to ask ourselves—how well do
we really know the people we love most?

My thoughts: I love when I discover debut authors…no matter how they come to my attention. I had been seeing this book and this author’s name around Instagram and was quite intrigued…plus that cover – it’s just so eye-catching with the pop of red. I knew it was a book I wanted to read and was thrilled when the publisher reached out to me…it was definitely a great read!

A book about family secrets, lies and betrayals is always something I am eager to get my hands on and this one completely lived up to those expectations. It’s a character-driven story that I felt just pulled me in right from the start. Almost right away you find out this family is dysfunctional and then when tragedy strikes, you really see just how bad it is. And you also are already privy to the fact that this family does a really good job of keeping things from each other. We don’t necessarily learn what is being kept secret, but we know there are secrets.

This book walks the line between just a family learning to overcome their guilt and grief and that of a story about obsession and revenge. There are some moments that become quite tense as the secrets start spilling out and there are also some tender family moments that get a bit emotional at times. The story becomes quite addicting as you become just as eager as Sylvie to find out what happened to her sister. You might not necessarily like or connect with any of the characters – and I certainly did not – but you can’t help but become consumed with this book. The characters are complicated and become more so as the story moves forward.

This is one of those books where the content and the atmosphere really kept me glued to the pages. It’s a dark story that does touch on abuse, though that is certainly not the focus of the story.  I found myself completely invested in the story and wanted to see how it all played out. I know I will definitely be keeping an eye out for this author’s future books – as a debut novel, this one was pretty darn good!