So pleased I had the opportunity to read this book as it’s a gripping, page turning thriller and the conclusion sets it apart from other novels in this genre. I was engrossed from the beginning.

The story opens with Tasha and her husband Aaron swapping lives with Tasha’s older sister Alice and her husband Kyle. While Tasha and Aaron are in Venice, a tragic incident occurs at their house. There’s a lot going on in this novel which leads to an intriguing read with plenty of red herrings. Just when I thought I’d worked out what had happened, I was proved wrong. I love this kind of unsettling, twisty book and it held my attention throughout. The West Country village setting worked well and was the perfect backdrop to this compelling mystery. I could never have anticipated the ending! Very clever!

Just when I thought I may have been falling out of love with thrillers #TheWrongSister came along. #ClaireDouglas has restored my faith in this genre as I was thinking that they were just all too samey and predictable. The twist on this book were perfect and I literally guessed the final big twist literally pages before the big reveal which I love as it makes me feel nice and smug yet it's great to keep me guessing for so long. My only criticism would be that I didn't feel that the Venice storyline was really used or really concluded to be honest. Other than that, all I can say is to anyone feeling a bit jaded with the same old storyline, just give this a try, hopefully you'll be pleasantly surprised like I was. Many thanks for the advance copy #NetGalley

The Wrong Sister is set in a small village and it feels a bit one dimensional. There is a lot going on in the book but it doesn’t seem to flow as well as some of Claire’s other books.

The theme piqued my interest and kept me going back for more, it was an easy read but not as good as I hoped.

Thanks to NetGalley for my advanced reading copy.

I always know I'm going to love anything Claire writes, but this book absolutely blew me away!

The story begins with Tasha and her husband, Aaron, about to leave for a much needed week in Venice, staying at Tasha's sister Alice and Kyle's luxury apartment, while her sister and her husband stay in their home and look after their 2 tiny twin girls. However, while in Venice, one night, Tasha and Aaron are pursued by a menacing stranger and then they receive terrible news from home that Alice and Kyle have met with a terrible accident after an intruder broke in. What connects these terrifying incidents and was Tasha the real target?

I was immediately sucked into this menacing, sinister story and literally couldn't put it down. The characters, the descriptions of Venice, all amazingly captured and all added to the tense, unnerving atmosphere. I was rooting for Tasha throughout, although all the characters seemed real, you honestly cared about them, especially Alice's immense grief and Tasha's palpable fear.

You might think you can guess the ending, I thought I did, I was wrong! A stunning read, as always, I cannot wait for Claire's next book.

Huge thanks to author Claire Douglas, publishers Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5

Tasha has a very different life with her husband Aaron to her sister Alice and her husband Kyle and so when Alice offers to swap lives so they can holiday in their luxury Venetian apartment, Tasha jumps at the chance. Tasha feels inadequate next to highflyer Alice and is apprehensive about leaving her young twin daughters in Alice’s care, though this is less to do with Alice and more to do with their shared family history. Initially, Venice is exactly what Tasha and Aaron need, but there are a couple of incidents, one of which could’ve ended very badly. Shortly after, they receive the news that Alison and Kyle have been attacked in Tasha’s home and tragically Kyle has died. They rush home to their daughters and to support Alice, and then an anonymous note is pushed through their door, which says “It should have been you …. “. The story is told from the perspectives of Tasha, Alice and their mother Jeanette.

The novel starts well with an ominous tone, scary incidents and the obvious shocking ones. The scenes in Venice are especially good as the little alleyways off the main tourist sections creates exactly the right atmosphere of creepiness. The pace is quite quick at this point and there’s lots going on to keep you immersed in the storyline. The pace rise and fall due to the changing perspectives, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing as it feels realistic.

It becomes clear the further you progress through the book that more than one character is keeping secrets and they’re big ones which is intriguing. There’s a good backstory in the sister’s family that is compelling and has you reading on. The author does a good job at misdirecting the reader to keep you guessing, and trying to figure out the truth. There’s some tension sprinkled throughout and some twists with the final one being a surprise, though I find it somewhat far-fetched, although not necessarily beyond the realms of possibility.

It’s easy to read, the plot is full of incidents and the alternating points of view are a good contrast to each other. I especially like Jeanette’s perspective as that seems to have greater depth and I’m less keen on Tasha as she gets on my nerves!!

However, at times, I think the writing is a bit clunky and there are superfluous details. The author is matter-of-fact on occasions when she should be scaring the living daylights out of us. There are some characters I can’t see the point of as they add little to the overall plot. There’s one thing that occurs in Venice which is left unresolved. What is all that about?

Overall though, it’s an easy read and a perfect one for taking to the beach on those forthcoming summer days.

With thanks to NetGalley, and especially to Michael Joseph for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this story and it kept me interested throughout and with a final twist that I never saw coming at all.

Well written and paced, believable characters and now need to gomand find more of this author's books.

What a great thriller, I loved it from beginning to end, so many red herrings - I fell for every one of them. This was the first book I have read by Claire Douglas - it will not be my last.

The Wrong Sister by Claire Douglas ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What a book to start off 2024 and Claire Douglas doesn’t disappoint with this story full of suspense and twists and turns throughout.

Tasha and her husband are finally getting away for some time alone in Venice whilst Tasha’s Sister Alice and husband Kyle look after their twins.
All seems to be going well until Tasha gets the sense they are being followed and then the phone call to say that there has been an incident at home, Kyle has been attacked and died and Alice in intensive care, but the twins are fine and unharmed.

Once Tasha and Aaron arrive home it’s only just the start of the mystery’s of what happened on that night, a full police investigation is on the way and then the note arrives addressed to Tasha. IT SHOULD Have BEEN YOU.

Family secrets that none of them ever imagined start to unfold which have you hooked at every turn of the page.
Claire Douglas never fails is disappoint with her chilling reads and complete surprises throughout with the twists and turns that no one is expecting, even up to the very last pages.

I was lucky enough to read this ahead of Publication with thanks to Penquin Random House, Micheal Joseph and netgalley.co.uk
But you can get the chance to read this from 14th March 2024, so get preordering now, you won’t be disappointed.

The Wrong Sister by Claire Douglas ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I loved this book & need to read more from this author.
Sisters, Tasha & Alice have very different lives, when they swap lives for a holiday a tale unwinds, with lots of twists & turns. Highly recommend

Once again another enthralling captivating read by Claire Douglas.
The story of sisters Alice and Tasha whom as adults have very different lifestyles.
Alice the globe trotting career driven financially well off woman and Tasha the mum of twins girls married to her childhood love.
Alice gives her sister the gift of a break away to her home in Venice as a break for Tasha and her husband Aaron whilst Alice and husband Kyle look after the town girls, Elsie and Flossie,
For Tasha and Aaron it’s the kind of break away they could never have afford and once over the guilt of having left the twins behind they start to get romantic and enjoy the break away.
Alice and Kyle never wanted children so enjoy the chance of looking after the twins for the week but realise it’s a harder task then thought!!
The story takes a turn in Venice and thinks won’t be the same again.
Excellent story kept me gripped all the way to the end and would recommend to lovers of this genre

The perfect thriller with so many twists and turns - I was gripped from the beginning and devoured this book within 36 hours! I just couldn’t put it down. Such a good flow of the storyline with some flashbacks and references to the past. It was emotional, shocking, twisty, dramatic and just such a page turner. The multiple POV was also great and when the story starting piecing together, I think this was quite impactful. Overall, a great easy thriller - 4.5stars for me! I’m looking forward to picking more up from this author!

When Tasha’s sister and brother in law are attacked whilst housesitting for her, Tasha is devastated. Her guilt and distress are only compounded when she receives the note “it should have been you“.

The presence of additional familial DNA at the crime scene throws them into further chaos. Could their third sister, abducted as a baby, be involved?

Full of red herrings and misdirects, you’ll only guess the twists if you stay right on your toes (and Google a few terms).

I prefer to have a greater chance of working out the ending! However, you have to respect the clever and complex stories that this author always comes up with.

Another interesting thriller by Claire Douglas.

I really enjoyed this book, it had a great story line with a good amount of suspension which left you wanting to read the next chapter to find out what is going to happen next. On top of this I saw none of the twist coming which is really important. The only thing I thought could be improved is I think the book finished rather abruptly at the end.

This story follows a family torn apart by tragedy, both in the past but also in the present. Sisters living completly different lifes, approaching things in a different way and with their mother fleeing for another country to try an outrun grief. The title says it all really - not in the way you'd expect and in more than one way.

Overall this story asks how safe you think your marriage is, can you trust your friends and family? Are there any secrets you wont keep to support that blood will always be thicker than water. What lies do we tell ourselves to make things okay, to sleep at night even though we know they re hurting someone else.

This isnt a happy, pick me up story really. Its a gritty step into the real life working of a family. The challenges they face, internally and externally.

Of all the characters I think I liked Tasha the most. We spend the most time with her but she just feels like a genuninely good person that would be someone you'd happily meet down your local for a glas of wine, or two.

If creepy, twisty, family based thrillers are your genre of choice you'll love this, and even if they're not you'll still be turning the pages thanking me for suggesting it!

I LOVED The Woman Who Lied by Claire Douglas so when I got the chance to read this I jumped at it.
It certainly didn’t disappoint and I really enjoyed it.
Plenty of twists, turns & cliffhangers at the end of chapters to keep you wanting to read on.

I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to Netgalley, Michael Joseph & Penguin Random House for an advanced reading copy.

What a great thriller. There are multiple stories to try and solve which kept you guessing right the way through. I thought this was really well done and made you questions what you would do in a similar situation as the characters were so relatable.

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read #TheWrongSister by Claire Douglas. This is my first Claire Douglas book and what a five star read it is. From the first page I was gripped. The story just flows and the characters are great. You think you have worked things out but then more twists happen. Highly recommend would give it more than 5 stars if I could

Claire Douglas is much admired for her gripping psychological thrillers and ‘The Wrong Sister’ is likely to be another popular read. Set in the fictitious Chew Norton in the West Country, the story is told mostly from the point of view of Tasha, middle daughter in the family. Having married local boy, Aaron, and now mother of three year old twin daughters, she and her husband are offered the treat of a romantic week in Venice, courtesy of her successful older sister, Alice, and her equally prosperous husband, Kyle. Meanwhile, Alice and Kyle will look after the twins.
However, this brush with luxury doesn’t last long. After a couple of days they are called home – someone has broken into their house, killed Kyle and injured Alice. Who could it possibly be? Early in the narrative, the writer introduces more questions. What did happen to Tasha and Alice’s baby sister, abducted 30 years ago? Why is Aaron so friendly with work mate, Zoe? How has Kyle made so much money? These hooks keep the reader interested and, as expected, over the second half of the novel the truth about the various crimes emerges.
‘The Wrong Sister’ certainly leads us through a veritable maze of paths. Tasha is a plausible central character and her life in the usually sleepy village of Chew Norton adds to Douglas’ realistic picture of an ‘Everywoman’. Nevertheless, it was difficult to accept some of Alice’s more extreme traits at face value, perhaps because we see this character mainly through the eyes of her sister. Ultimately, this led to a rather implausible denouement.
My thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

A chilling, tense psychological thriller which I could not put down. From the first to last page this is an intense read. There are twists and turns that captivate the reader, secrets and lies buried within what appears to be a normal family. The characters are believable, each having their own dark past.
Claire Douglas is proving to be a great author who writes amazing page turners. When you think you know what is going to happen the story takes a different turn and the reader is totally thrown off course. Definitely one for our book club.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.

Tasha and her husband are having a rough time of it. They have twin young daughters and the pressures of day to day life add up. Tasha’s sister leads a glamorous life, with a well paid job and rich husband. When they ‘swap lives’ for a weekend-a visit to Italy versus babysitting, something bad happens.

This was an exciting story that had me gripped throughout. It’s written from the point of view of Tasha but also has a few chapters form her mum Jeanette. Later there are chapters form Bonnie too. This allowed for a couple of side stories to run alongside the main story. Whatever happened to Tasha’s baby sister? Why does Zoe hate Tasha so much.

I loved it. I did figure out the ending but I had to keep reading to get to the bottom of how it would work. The science was awesome!

A great read!