The Perfect Sister

Book excerpt: ‘You don’t know me, but I’m your sister.’ Claire is shocked when she receives a message out of the blue from Sophie, a beautiful young woman who tells Claire that she’s their father’s secret child. Having spent years nursing her sweet little daughter Ella through a life-threatening illness whilst dealing with the emotional fall-out of a devastating marriage breakdown, Claire feels tentatively excited to meet Sophie. Perhaps she might finally have someone in the family to lean on… As Claire welcomes her sister into her life, she’s delighted to see just how much Ella loves her new Aunt Sophie. But as the pair spend more time together, Claire begins to wonder where exactly her perfect new sister came from and what kind of person she really is. With their elderly father’s mind rapidly deteriorating, is it possible that he’s hiding something from Claire about Sophie’s sudden appearance in their lives? When Sophie suggests a family day at the seaside, little Ella is beyond excited. But as Claire takes an important phone call from her demanding ex-husband, leaving Sophie in charge of Ella, something unthinkable happens. And as Claire rushes into the ice-cold sea towards the small, limp figure of her daughter, she realises that Sophie was watching the whole time. But why would Sophie want to hurt Claire’s precious daughter? Was trusting her new sister with Ella the biggest mistake of Claire’s life? If you enjoyed The Girl on the Train, My Lovely Wife and Lucinda Berry’s The Perfect Child, you’ll love this heart-stopping psychological thriller from bestselling author Sheryl Browne. What readers are saying about The Family Secret: ‘A wonderful, tense domestic psychological thriller that hits ALL the buttons… A great read, enjoyable, taut and exciting.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘Another fantastic hit from this wonderful author! Unputdownable. So many twists, it has your head reeling in that wonderful, mind-blowing way. Don’t pass this one by, it’s worth every second of your time.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘Wow… Another sure-fire winner from Sheryl Browne. Dark and twisted, full of revenge it’s a fast-paced thriller that certainly keeps you reading… It has some excellent characters and keeps you on your toes as the twists keep coming… A book I thoroughly enjoyed and can recommend.’ Goodreads reviewer ‘The Family Secret is billed as being absolutely unputdownable and I totally agree. I was captivated from the very first page and the tension slowly builds throughout the book. There’s twists and turns along the way to keep you entertained… Brilliantly written.’ NetGalley reviewer ‘This is one of my favourite authors, she never disappoints her readers… The twist and turns in this book are brilliant. Once you start you can’t stop until the last page.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘A fascinating novel.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘I was drawn in from the first page to this chilling, tense thriller… A true page-turner.’ NetGalley reviewer ‘This one had me racing to the end, and kept me fully engaged throughout with lots of twist and gasps thrown in along the way… This is a character driven domestic drama that ticks all of the boxes. I was gripped from the beginning to the end and now consider Sheryl Browne to be a must-read author.’ Goodreads reviewer ‘This book has so many twists, you can’t put it down! No, literally, I consumed this book in one sitting!... The Family Secret is a book to watch in 2020.’ Goodreads reviewer What readers are saying about Sheryl Browne: ‘Oh my goodness I can finally breathe!! What an amazing, addictive, totally gripping read this was… you will not be able to put it down!!!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! What a rollercoaster of a ride that story was, bloody brilliant!... If you enjoyed The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl then this story is for you!’ Between The Pages Book Club, 5 stars ‘Phew... Goosebumps, shivers down my spine and the hairs on the back of my neck were standing on end, that’s how good this book is.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘Stunning… Gripping, tense and suspenseful… a heart in mouth and pulse-racing realistic thriller… I loved it.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘I'm speechless... it is just that amazing.’ Rachel’s Random Reads, 5 stars