I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Sisters by Michelle Frances is a riveting domestic thriller that explores the 'what if?' moments that shape our lives, and the complex web of sibling rivalry, secrets, and long-standing resentments. The story centers on Ellie and Abby, two sisters whose lives have diverged dramatically. Abby lives a glamorous, high-flying life, complete with a stunning villa in Italy, while Ellie, once burdened by illness and a favorite of their mother Susanna, lives more modestly as a broke school assistant. This setup creates a potent backdrop for the tension between the sisters, particularly as Abby harbors resentment towards Ellie, seeing her as the perpetual favorite despite her lack of outward success.

The story takes a sharp turn during a planned family retreat to Abby’s villa, where the three women come together, hoping to mend the rift between them. Here, Frances introduces a major twist—a popular trope in thrillers—that propels the plot in an unexpected and chilling direction. This twist kept me on edge, especially as Frances masterfully maintains a sense of ambiguity, making it hard to know who to trust until the very end. Her writing style is gripping, and I was completely engrossed as the story took me through each twist and turn.

Frances's prose is clean, intense, and well-suited for the psychological depth of her characters, who are flawed, secretive, and often at odds with each other. The alternating perspectives of Ellie, Abby, and Susanna add layers to the narrative, revealing the envy, deceit, and unresolved trauma that keep the characters on edge. The story races forward, balancing suspense and emotion, leading up to a powerful climax that underscores the dangers lurking within even the closest relationships.

Sisters is an excellent, fast-paced read, full of complex familial dynamics, intrigue, and surprise. Frances brilliantly captures the toxicity that can arise in family bonds, reminding us that sometimes those closest to us can hurt us the most. I highly recommend it for fans of thrillers who enjoy character-driven, suspenseful stories. Michelle Frances doesn’t disappoint—this book is yet another testament to her skill in crafting memorable, gripping thrillers.

The setting of this book is great.
The suspense builds from the first chapter. There are plot twists.
A great thriller

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

First of all a big thank you to Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book to read and review.

I loved the twists and turns in this one. I also loved that you didn’t know who to believe as everyone’s stories contradicted the other.

This was a really quick and easy read and has gotten me back into my love of thrillers.

I enjoyed the character dynamic in this one and loved the two sisters.

This is a brilliantly written thriller with dark family secrets at its heart.

Abbie and Ellie. the sisters of the books title have never on.

When Abbie invites Ellie to stay with her, in an attempt to put their past behind them, Ellie reluctantly agrees.

It’s obvious that things are still tense and strained between them, but then something happens that means they have little choice but get closer to each other.

I found it an easy read. I just found it to be quite far fetched and hard to believe at times. It was however an easy read and the characters are very relatable. Reasonable overall.

A gripping, thrilling read. It didn't really slow down much at all as the sisters continued to run from the law. Some interesting twists at the end.

i really enjoyed this book, gripped me from the start and didn't let go. felt like i was holding my breath the whole time waiting for the next twist! simply wonderful!

This was an entertaining read about the relationship between sisters, their father and their mother. Throw in some love, romance and money, and you have an exploding thriller. Recommended.

This is a good book about a very dark family secret. Abbie and Ellie are sisters, they have never got along and Ellie was the obvious favourite child growing up, now they are adults and Abbie invites Ellie to stay at her home abroad but when an accident happens things spiral out of control and the two sisters have no choice but to become close. A tense thriller that had me second guessing everything.

First book by this author and I couldn’t put it down. Really enjoyed it and would recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

Great book. Just love, love this Author so much. This book was unputdownable! Highly recommend. You will love it.

I have absolutely no idea who to believe throughout this which just added to my enjoyment of the book.

It is amazing how different two sisters in the same family can be treated by their mum, although it perhaps to a lesser extent than depicted did strike me as being rather realistic.

What can I say about Abby, Ellie and their mother Susanna without giving away either the plot, or the outcome, well to be honest not much, other than I was hooked on trying to figure out the truth of the matter, and still not entirely sure I believe it.

There is a race against time, a big question of who you can trust, there are insights into the sisters childhood which are believable from both sides of a story, which makes both possible truths rather viable. There are complicated family dynamics in play and the whole book is set against a stunning backdrop, which adds another dimension to the book.

I even found I was laughing in a few places, but most of all I was admiring Michelle Frances writing ability for wrapping me to quickly and easily into her cleverly crafted web of deceit.

Thank you to Pan and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily,

I enjoyed this book you don’t really find out the villain until the end

It’s. very Thelma and Louise

A nice easy read from Michelle Frances

Sisters

This book was very easy reading but unfortunately did not have much depth to it.

I found the actions of everyone implausible and still do not understand why they decided to do anything they did.

It was all building up to a fantastic twist and climax that never came...so I was really disappointed by the ending.

I wish I could have understood a single action of any of the people involved but it all seemed very far reached and almost bordering on absurb.

I did enjoy the beautiful scenery and the touching on all these gorgeous places but unfortunately I enjoyed that more than the story or characters.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oooff I enjoyed this book so much.

If I’m honest, I was expecting a fairly average run of the mill domestic thriller, but I picked it up because it promised a Thelma and Louise style run through western Europe and I was not disappointed.

I was waiting to see what would happen in the end and while all of my questions weren’t answered, I finished it feeling satisfied with the outcome.

The best part of the book was having no clue who to trust, who to believe and who to worry about.

I think the story could have benefitted from a little bit more about their journey across Europe but the deep dive into the characters’ lives and back stories was a brilliant part of the book.

Well worth a read and highly recommended.

Is blood really thicker than water?
Abby and Ellie were never close as children. Now in their thirties, they each harbour deep-rooted resentment for the other - Abby for her sister's looks and her status as their mother's favourite. Ellie meanwhile is envious of Abby's perfect husband and picturesque home, a villa on the sun-soaked Italian island of Elba. Unfortunately Susanna their Mother arrives -its almost as though she doesn't want her daughters to talk and sort their differences out.......
The sisters are complete opposites and their past is littered with jealousy and resentments caused mainly by their relationship with Susanna.
A secret is revealed and leads to a shocking series of events. I honestly didn't know what to believe and i really enjoyed Michelles' style of storytelling. A great Summer beach read.
Thank you to Netgalley, Pan Macmillan and Michelle Frances for the opportunity to read this advance copy of Sisters. I will now buy Michelles other books. Love it when a new author comes into my world.

Sisters by Michelle Frances was a great easy read. Two sisters Abby and Ellie, who have never really got on and are living very different lives who spend some time together over the summer with some consequences. A great book with twists and turns throughout.

A fun, drama-filled read about complicated family relationships

Sisters Abby and Ellie were never close as children and still don’t really get along as adults in their thirties. Successful but frugal businesswoman Abby has always been jealous of Ellie for her looks and for being their mother’s favourite, whilst penniless but attractive Ellie envies Abby for her money and a high-powered job. When Abby invites Ellie to visit her luxurious villa in Elba for a holiday, any chance of making amends is shattered when their mother Susanna invites herself along too. When a shocking event occurs, the sisters find themselves on the run with no one to trust but each other and will soon have to rely on their family ties to keep them safe and uncover the truth about their childhood.

This was a fun summer read with plenty of drama, some likeable and realistic characters, and enough twists to keep you turning pages. The major mystery of the book is kept open for the entire story, keeping the reader guessing about the ‘true’ version of events from the girls’ childhood until the very end. The locations are gorgeously described, with the story transporting the reader to the idyllic sun-soaked coastlines of Italy, France and Spain. The tension and initially difficult relationship between the two sisters was also very well written, as were the awkward interactions they both have with their mother. The author does an excellent job of building up a picture of the family dynamic by switching the storytelling between the past (where the initial grievances between Abby and Emily are explained) and the present day, where their relationship gradually begins to change due to their unusual circumstances. The pace is also fairly steady, with some good action and high-stakes scenes, interjected with some interesting surprises along the way.

Whilst this was an entertaining read overall, I did, unfortunately, find the start a bit clunky and oddly paced, and the immediate reaction of the characters to the dramatic event was a bit unrealistic and over-the-top. It almost felt as if the author knew where she wanted her characters to be, but hadn’t quite worked out the right way to get them there. I also found the personalities of both sisters slightly irritating. Particularly in their attitude to money - Abby was so unbelievably tight that it really grated on me, whilst Ellie was ridiculously frivolous to the point where I couldn’t feel sympathy for her money problems. As with many books of this nature, the plot was also quite unrealistic, particularly the ending.


In conclusion, this was an enjoyable and relatively easy read which provides light amusement without being overly shocking or ground-breaking. I do enjoy the author’s writing style and would not be averse to reading more of her stories.

Daenerys

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of this book to review.

Sisters is a story centred around Abby and Ellie two Sisters who have never got along. Baby was the clever child and has a successful career where as Ellie was the ill child who got all the love and attention from their mother Susan. As adults the rivalry between them continues but as a tragic accident takes place with all three in Spain thr Sisters are forced to rely on one another.

This book is so well written a crime drama which still at the heart is focused around the complexity of relationships. We get to jump back to when the girls were younger throughout the story and experience each of their worlds. Susanna has a lot to answer for playing clear favourites between the siblings. He character is unlikeable from the start.

Abby seems to be very lonely, in her mid 30s she's gotten married, retired and moved to Spain yet knows there's something missing which is why she invites Ellie for a visit, which susanna invites herself along to. Ellie holds resentment that her sister gets to have all her money, as Ellie is a TA with little qualifications. But both women seem to be missing the point.

A family secret is revealed on this holiday and this leads to the events that follow. Its interesting to see how both women are able to influence the other in a positive manner. Its also heartbreaking to see the damage that exists in their relationship.

There are so many ups and downs in this book it really kept me wanting more. The author has managed to word things so cleverly that us as readers are brought into each characters reality. We are left guessing throughout the book and I found whenever I felt I was certain about my decision that the seed of doubt would be planted again, this happened so many times throughout the book. It was great to find out I was correct eventually.

Honestly if you love a crime book this is for you. You are taken on such a journey throughout. There was even a bit in the middle that throw mr for six so random and out the blue I couldn't help but continue to turn the pages. I happily and easily give this book 4 stars.

I would like to thank netgalley, the author and publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my fair and honest review.