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2010 Crime Richard and Judy Book Club

Sister – Rosamund Lupton

 Richard and Judy 2010 Winter Read

Sister is a fast paced mystery in which Beatrice tries to discover why her younger sister Tess has disappeared. The police think they’ve discovered what happened to Tess, but Beatrice knows her sister too well to believe their solution and sets out on her own dangerous hunt for the truth.

The majority of the book is written in the form of a letter from Beatrice to Tess. I found this writing style to be quite annoying – it didn’t flow very well in places and the continual ‘you’ and ‘your’ references felt odd, distancing me from the story.

I got into your bed. The polythene was flapping in the icy wind, the irregular inhuman noise as disturbing as the cold. Under your pillow were your pyjamas. They had the same smell as your dress. I hugged them, too cold and anxious to sleep. Somehow I must have done.

The pacing was very good and I was compelled to read on, but as the book progressed the plot became increasingly unrealistic. I don’t want to spoil the book for anyone, but the scientist in me didn’t like it.

I think that the book tried to combine too many elements (court case, police procedures, sibling psychology, scientific research, hospital procedures and a complex structure) and it didn’t quite work. As so many elements didn’t ring true the book as a whole was unsatisfying to read.

The structure of the book and the numerous talking points make this great for a book club discussion, but I think more people will be talking about the bits that irritated them than the parts they love.

Others seem to have enjoyed it more than I did:

The story is emotional, clever and extremely absorbing.  Bookstove

I really loved this book, and would urge anyone to read it. Petrona
 
Lupton hooks you by creating a creepy and unsettling atmosphere. Katie’s Book Blog

18 replies on “Sister – Rosamund Lupton”

Coffee and a Book Chick, I wouldn’t really describe it as epistolary novel as the letters don’t go both ways – just one long letter to the missing sister. I do agree they are tricky to pull off though – I have found many disappointing epistolary books 🙁

Kathleen, I often struggle with epistolary novels, but I don’t think that is the main reason for me having trouble with this book. It just wasn’t realistic enough for me 🙁

I’ve seen this one in bookshops and have ummed and ahhed about buying it. I don’t think the perspective that the book is written in would worry me so much but having worked in the Coronial and law systems some of the technical bits might annoy me if they are unrealistic (the reason I can’t watch CSI any more!!).

I bought this a while back but haven’t had chance to read it yet, since buying it though I have read some reviews similar to yours so maybe I will leave it on the TBR pile for a little longer!

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