This was a strong read, unpredictable and twisty-turny. Great dialogue and good suspense but maybe dropped a bit of pace towards the end. Still very highly recommended.

Leah’s perfect marriage isn’t what it seems but the biggest lie of all is that she’s learned to live with what happened all those years ago. Marie drinks a bit too much to help her forget. And Carly has never forgiven herself for not keeping them safe. Twenty years ago The Sinclair Sisters were taken. But what came after their return was far worse. Can a family ever recover, especially when not everyone is telling the truth?

This is a very dark and absorbing read, although it is obvious. Jensen has packed this with plot twists but some are unfortunately very obvious. They were right for the plot but Jensen really hyped them up so it was a disappointment. Aside from this, I found the read very engaging and I was hooked into this dark world Jensen has created.

This is written in the present day and the past as well as different character perspectives. All of it comes together to add more intensity to the read and fear. The chapters set in the past are quite harrowing and Jensen does a fantastic job of setting the scene and showing the consequences of past events. Jensen's characters are good, likeable and yet flawed from their experiences. Leah is a very strong character and absolutely carries the read. This would not have been anywhere near as good without her presence.

'The Stolen Sisters' is very harrowing and a book that leaves its mark on the reader. The plot twists are disappointingly obvious but the horror of the read makes up for this.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for an advance copy.

Thanks to Net Galley and HQ for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
Carly was 12, her twin sisters, Marie & Leah are 8, they have been stolen after stepping outside the gate of their garden, snatched in broad day light. They are terrified. Carly feels she needs to be strong and brave for her sisters.
20 years later, the impact of their shared trauma has hunted them and defined their lives, Marie is an alcoholic , Leah struggles with OCD, obsessive rituals and panic attacks, Carly lives alone, trusts no one,. Over the years the sisters have by hounded by the press and this year tensions run high at the 20th anniversary.
As the story unfolds, told by the sisters in both the past and the present, there are many secrets, lies and twists revealed, they survived their childhood trauma but all three woman our broken, The ending is a rollercoaster of emotions, tension and shocking revelations.

This is a thought-provoking and emotional story of 3 sisters who were abducted 20 years ago and how that traumatic event has impacted on them as they have grown into adults.

I haven't read anything by Louise Jensen before and although I am unable to absolutely rave about this book, I will say that it's a well-crafted story that will appeal to many, many readers.

Why am I not raving about this? To be honest, it's hard to explain exactly why and I don't really understand it myself! It started off brilliantly and I was definitely hooked but it just seemed to take too long to get anywhere and although there were surprises, they just didn't hit the spot for me and I didn't get that feeling of excitement and anticipation unfortunately. I don't think this is a fault of the author rather than of me as a reader who is used to reading rollercoaster-of-a-ride books which I don't think this is; I feel it's more of a family drama type story with mystery and tension thrown in.

The story is told in the then and now and from a variety of viewpoints; this isn't as confusing as it sounds and I actually found this worked well for the most part however, I felt that the "then" parts worked better for me and were more engrossing than the "now".

The characters are an interesting bunch, not all of them particularly likeable but all the main ones are well fleshed out.

What I thought shone throughout was the strong relationship between the sisters and the way their horrific experience impacted on their lives and their mental health; this was expertly done with sensitivity and I have no shame in admitting that there were parts that made me a bit emotional - I am the youngest of 3 sisters and I did wonder how we would have turned out if this had happened to us but I quickly stopped that because it is too horrific to contemplate.

Like I said at the beginning, I am unable to say this has been one of my best reads of 2020 but I will certainly read more by this author in the future.

Thank you to HQ (an imprint of HarperCollins UK) via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

Thank you to #NetGalley and HQ for giving me an ARC of #TheStolenSisters by #LouiseJenson in exchanged for my honest review.

2 stars - 🌟🌟

Twenty years ago Carly, Leah and Marie were stolen and taken to an abandoned army camp where they fought for their lives to escape. The three girls are now haunted by their experience and all suffer with guilt that they were each to blame for their abduction.

As the anniversary creeps closer Carly becomes more withdrawn fighting the internal battle that she should have done more to protect her sisters. Leah starts to see their attacker in everyone that she meets and is struggling to hold her marriage together whilst imagining that her son is going to be abducted just like her. Marie finds that alcohol just doesn’t cut it any longer and seeks solace in illegal drugs. Can the sisters fight their inner demons and come out of this in one piece, together?

I really wanted to love this book but unfortunately, I didn’t. The concept is really good for a thriller, but I found that I didn’t especially like any of the characters. I must admit that I didn’t guess who was the brains behind the kidnapping and the concept of the book is really good. I think I would have preferred this book if I liked Leah’s character but I just found her very bland.

I read this for a blog tour.

I thought this was really interesting, focusing not on the investigation into the missing sisters but on their survival and lives twenty years on.

Leah has crippling OCD, anxiety and other mental health issues, Marie has a drinking problem and a habit of disappearing, Carly can barely leave the house and can't trust anyone.

As the build up to the anniversary counts down more details start to come to life around the kidnapping and why the three women are so damaged by it.

The ending was absolutely shocking, as the sisters return to abandoned army base where they were held, and it all comes out.

It's the nightmare every parent hopes they never experience - their child going missing. When three little girls from the same family go missing at the same time, everyone is glad it isn't their family. A tragedy, an unbearable nightmare.

The sisters learn to protect and rely on each other, even after everything they have experienced together and the losses they suffered. Each one of them has their own scars to carry and damage to control. It makes having relationships difficult and sometimes the memories have to be drowned in the bottom of a bottle.

Leah in particular has very specific demons to battle, which are enhanced by the need to keep her own child safe. Her marriage is suffering because of her inability to leave the past behind her, but then some people are determined to keep the past alive.

Jensen lets the reader decide where to lay blame and guilt, if indeed they decide to do so. There isn't really a way to discern the true measure of pain, betrayal and a lifelong sense of fear - no way to measure the times it interferes with their lives and the way each sister conducts or interacts with the outside world. So, no I'm not sure there is a real way of distributing the blame, despite the fact the sisters do it quite well themselves, albeit often in an unbalanced way.

The author takes a horror scenario and fills it with a shocking twist that changes the narrative, and yet the bond between the characters remains strong. The feeling of gratefulness overshadows the events and even the anger towards the guilty, at least to a certain extent.

It's a domestic psychological thriller, which probably won't read or go the way you expect it to. A typical riveting Jensen read.

A gripping page-turner, I stayed up well into the night to finish this book!

There were plenty of twists and turns, which kept me intrigued from start to end.

What a gripping, page-turning, breath taking rollercoaster this is! I should NOT have started ready this at 8pm last night - I couldn’t put it down and finished the book in the wee hours of the morning.

The way the narrative flips between past and present and the different characters is tantalisingly frustrating in its brilliance. The only characters perspective I felt jarred a little was George’s, but I can see how it contributes to the plot.

I did not expect the twist at the end!!

What a cracking read!

I read this ARC in exchange for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

A new author to me, I shall be looking out for more
Loved this.
Dark and full of twists and turns

I was totally engrossed and was sorry when the ride was over !!

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher's HQ for this review copy. This is my unbiased review of the author's work and style.
If you want plot lines and spoilers, please see the publisher's blurb and other reviewers' reports.
Well! I have just put this book down and now I feel I can breathe again.
This is my first read of Louise Jensen's work, but it will not be my last. This story uses a then and now chapter heading technique which a very suited to the plot and, if you're like me wanting to see ahead and guess where I am being led, it exercises the memory so you have to keep two threads running and try not to muddle them.
Rarely does a book have me metaphorically on the edge of my seat and cause me to be late for meals, but this one did.
Being in the mind of someone else is inevitably stifling but as I inferred previously this one stopped gave me feelings of claustrophobia.
A brilliant tale please read.
Five stars all the way.

This story alternates between THEN (when three sisters; Carly, Leah and Marie are kidnapped) to NOW, 20 years later. Equally, the POV changes, mainly told from Leah’s perspective, but occasionally from her sisters, and her husband George’s.

On paper, the method of telling this particular tale could seem confusing; however, it undoubtedly works, and is a great way to ensure you want to read “just one more chapter” before bed. It lends itself to a quick-paced book, which obviously works wells for the genre. In that sense, it is a very easy read.

The chapters detailing the past are wonderfully written, and make you feel equally hooked and horrified. Obviously, as readers, we know the three sisters make it out alive, but we don’t know the details. Did they escape? Were they rescued? Were they released? Who took them? Why? Are they still out there? There are so many questions, and the author does a really good job of playing on those throughout the story.

However, there were a lot of wrong paths and red herrings that I felt didn’t need to be in there. Ultimately, I found that more frustrating than entertaining, and for me, let the story down. What was a wonderful premise, and on so many levels executed so well, just felt gimmicky to me and a little disappointing.

In the end, there were a few things that felt rushed, and too many elements that were too far-fetched even for my over-active imagination. It didn’t entirely work for me.

The Stars
Another strong 3 stars for this author, who was a wonderful way of creating a scene, and hooking you in. If you like psychological thrillers, and are already a fan of Louise Jensen’s work, then I definitely recommend this; personally, I do think it’s her best yet.

She's done it again! Louise Jensen's sixth psychological thriller and it'll have you hooked like each of those that have gone before!

The Stolen Sisters shares the misfortunes of eldest sister Carly and twins Marie and Leah, who are snatched outside their home and held captive in an abandoned military base for reasons unknown. Many years later the sisters each carry their own residual traumas from the event and as the 20th anniversary of their kidnap approaches, Leah in particular seems to be hovering precariously at the brink of a breakdown, sightings of one of their former captors only adding to her fear. With Marie pushing for a 'new angle' television interview to mark the anniversary, will the sisters ever be free of the notoriety that being one of the Sinclair Sisters brings?

Rule number one with reading anything written by Louise Jensen (an auto-buy author for me) is to assume nothing, the web of her stories being so intricately woven that it is impossible to ever be smug in the certainty that you know the lay of the land. Whilst its clear from the outset that the children did not incur any physical harm during their capture, this does not break the spell of tension which immediately draws the reader in, intensifying towards a crescendo in the final pages. My heart raced as I experienced the sisters' attempts at escape and bore witness to the unsettling aftereffects which plague their adult lives. The relief from tension occasionally offered by late nineties nostalgia was welcomed, to the point of me wanting to throw on a checked shirt and put my dancing skills to the test with a bit of 5, 6, 7, 8 (if you know, you know!).

Grapevines aside, The Stolen Sisters is a top notch addition to the TBRs of any thriller lovers, my only disappointment being that now that I have finished reading it, I have to be patient in my wait for the next instalment of Louise's psychological thriller catalogue. 5 sparkling stars from me and I hope that you love it too!

Thank you to HQ Stories, Louise Jensen & Netgalley for the advanced reader copy.

I was really disappointed with this book, i enjoyed the "then" part but founf the "now" characters hard to warm to and very frustrating.

My first read by Louise Jenson and it certainly won't be my last- I really enjoyed every moment of this dark twisted thriller. It is deeply full of gripping lies, traumas, family anguish and many unexpected twists and turns. A real tale of how childhood events and trauma never leave you and how guilt can consume you. Would very much recommend to anyone who enjoys a pacy psychological thriller - would give it a 4.5 stars if I could!

The Stolen Sisters by Louise Jensen
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was sent an eArc of this via Netgalley for an honest review.

The Sinclair sisters were victims of a kidnapping twenty years before, as the anniversary looms the sisters lives start to fracture and there are things about that time they have not yet faced.

I loved this thriller, it ticked the boxes I needed - constantly kept me guessing, didn’t fall into the expected outcomes and a fantastic bunch of characters.

Stories about sisters are always quite fascinating to me, there is something about that connection. Probably because I am a sister and you can’t help put yourself in their roles.

The clever way Jensen uses time and point of view, builds the drama and slowly reveals the truth. I was a big fan of this.

There are darker topics explored too, the physiological and psychological effects of trauma, how different people respond to the same event. Leah has a large number of conditions due to the trauma of the kidnapping and though I can’t say from any experience I feel that this was explored in depth and handled with knowledge. Carly as the older sister has enormous guilt and identity issues and Marie is an addict.

I will definitely be on the look for more of Jensen’s work as I might be on to a new favourite thriller writer.

If you are looking for a fast paced, character driven thriller then I would highly recommend this.

I could not put this book down!

The story begins with how the Sinclair sisters were abducted which is told from the point of view of Carly. From then on each chapter is told from a different sisters perspective, alternating between then (when they were abducted) and now (living with the aftermath) the majority being from Leah’s point of view.

The abduction left me feeling terrified. I felt their fear and I had a continuous knot in my stomach. The book does detail what happens during their time in captivity but the book actually focuses on what happened after they had escaped. I thought this was brilliant and very different.

The trauma that each of the girls have to now live with is heartbreaking and dealt with beautifully by the author, from OCD behaviour, not trusting anyone and alcoholism to drug use. This book explores how one single life event can affect you forever and all in different ways.

Every single chapter ended with a cliffhanger which meant I couldn’t put the book down. It’s absolutely full of twists and turns and I’m happy to say I didn’t guess any of them which is another reason why I adored this book.

Honestly this had everything! So many twists that will have you questioning everyone and everything, but not just that, it also takes a look at how rebuilding your life isn’t always that easy. Beautifully written with a satisfactory ending – definitely worth a read!

If you are after a twisty psychological thriller with a bit of everything, then this is the book for you.

The stolen sisters, Carly and her younger twin half-sisters, Marie & Leah, were kidnapped when they were just 13 and 8 years old. Twenty years later they are all still struggling, in their own ways, to come to terms with what happened.

The sisters are all battling their own demons, including addiction, ocd, paranoia and so much more. As the twenty year anniversary looms Leah is convinced that their kidnapper is following her and ready to get his revenge for his imprisonment. Marie is finding it harder and harder to battle her alcohol and drug addiction and Carly is trying her best to keep everyone together and safe but will she succeed ?

The story is told in the past and the present day so we not only get to see how the sisters are coping now but also what they went through all them years ago. We are also told about events via each of the sisters and get to see how differently they saw events. If you are after a book that will have you in the edge of your seat, questioning everyone and everything then this is definitely the book for you.

Thank you to HQ and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

This was well written and kept you engrossed in the story, great charecters that just worked so well with what was going on. I really liked this and it surprised me at times another great book by Louise.

One word - WOW! It's been a while since I've immersed myself in a Louise Jensen thriller and I wasn't disappointed. It's taken me a couple of hours to assemble my thoughts after finishing THE STOLEN SISTERS and I'm still not even sure where to begin my review because I doubt my words could do it justice and illustrate just how bloody brilliant it was!

Meet the Sinclair sisters. Carly was 13 when she and her 8 year old twin sisters Leah and Marie were abducted. For twenty years she has blamed herself - for being too preoccupied waiting for a text from a boy at school, for snapping at her younger sisters, for not taking better care of them. Now she hides herself away in her flat, too afraid to come out, raiding charity shops for bargains and selling them on eBay for a profit. Her issues with trust keep her from forming relationships or having children...though she dotes on Leah's son Archie.

Leah blames herself for not closing the gate properly - with a firm three goes to latch it - from which the family dog Bruno had escaped leading the sisters to go in search of him. Now living with chronic contamination OCD, Leah cannot do anything without wearing cotton gloves to protect her from germs and bacteria, nor completing the "three time" ritual with everything she does. When she discovered she was pregnant she was horrified at the thought of giving birth in a germ-infested hospital, not to mention having another loved one that she must constantly look out for and protect.

But it's Marie that has the biggest regret of them all. Now she drinks to forget whilst waiting for the next acting job to come along. At least when she's playing a part she can pretend she's someone else in another life and she can forget. But it's not just alcohol that has become Marie's demon...and now she finds herself in debt to her dealer.

So when she approaches her sisters about going on live TV for the twentieth anniversary of their abduction, part of it is for the money they will be paid for it but mostly Marie feels that it is time for the truth. Truth? What truth? Her sisters both feel "the truth" means revealing their portion of the blame that each have shouldered alone. What other truth could Marie mean?

When the sisters were taken, there didn't appear to be any rhyme or reason for their abduction. And what followed was several fear-filled days of terror, waiting for what was to come next. From the moment they were bundled into the van, blindfolded and tied up, the sisters huddled together drawing strength from each other. Thrown into a dark abandoned room with bars on the only window and a smelly mattress, they were supplied with an insufficient amount of junk food snacks and cherry Cola - not enough to keep them fed or hydrated. But...why were they here? What did the men Carly nicknamed "Doc" and "Moustache" want with them?

Carly cleverly found an escape as the girls followed their older sister around the rabbit warren of corridors and buildings in an attempt to find their way out. When at last they did, they flagged down a passing car and were recognised instantly as "the missing Sinclair sisters". They were taken to the police station, gave their statements and reunited with their distraught parents. But the nightmare was far from over...what was to come would be even worse than the ordeal they had just survived.

How will they ever move?

Twenty years later and their nightmare has never gone away. All three sisters are a mess and are shadows of the young innocent girls they used to be. Their family has fallen apart; their parents divorced; the sisters are estranged from them but have remained close to each other. And now the person responsible has just been released from prison. So when Leah begins to find hand delivered notes on her doormat each morning counting down to the anniversary date, she begins to fear he is coming after them again. And this time, he will silence them.

WOW! What an emotional rollercoaster THE STOLEN SISTERS is! Louise Jensen has captured all the emotions from guilt, betrayal, sorrow, fear and an inability to trust like a raging storm ready to burst. As the reader is drip-fed information from the past and the present, the story slowly unfolds building a picture of the abduction, imprisonment and the aftermath through the eyes of Carly, Leah and Marie. There is also an underlying plot through the narrative of Leah's husband George in the present day. Each tendril of the story is cleverly woven together to create a tangled web of secrets, lies, betrayal, guilt and fear.

All the sisters are damaged from their childhood experienced and its aftermath so it is easy to empathise with all of them. They were just children. Children who should have been protected at all costs...not used as pawns in a grubby and unforgiving world. While it is Carly who shoulders the blame of responsibility, it is Leah whom the present day story primarily revolves around with the focus highlighting her struggles with her mental health and contamination OCD. It is clear her fixation on germs, bacteria and the like stem from their time imprisoned in the grubby room. And now it has become a necessity to maintain an element of control. It is because of this that it is Leah I particularly empathise with. She knows it is illogical but she still feels the need to go through her rituals before she can leave the house, drive the car even bathe her son Archie. The portrayal of OCD and mental illness is done sensitively with care.

A twisted emotional psychological thriller, THE STOLEN SISTERS is not your usual child abduction tale with a happily ever after. The story is unique, it is original and it is different. A dark and disturbing tale that will have you going through a range of emotions throughout, I was literally in tears by the final chapters. It really is a sad, sad tale that delivered such ingenuity with a satisfying end.

A gripping read that slowly builds with a palpable tension, THE STOLEN SISTERS becomes a fast paced ride to the end that will leave you breathless.

Perfect for fans of psychological thrillers.

I would like to thank #LouiseJensen, #NetGalley and #HQDigital for an ARC of #TheStolenSisters in exchange for an honest review.