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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Tense, twisting and constantly surprising, this psychological thriller will appeal to readers who love books that keep them guessing. Switching between past and present and between the three sisters’ different accounts, this is the story of the abduction of three girls. On the anniversary of the abduction the family are still struggling with the psychological aftermath of events and there are still secrets to be revealed. I have no doubt this will be a very popular read with fans of psychological thrillers. I enjoyed the read, however I had a few reservations. Motivation in a thriller is a significant factor in reader satisfaction, but it’s impossible to discuss in detail in a review without revealing the plot. For me, the motivation in this novel was unconvincing. I’m sure that bookclubs will enjoy debating this. The book frequently uses foreshadowing as a device and I felt it was used too frequently and was on occasion unsubtle. Again, I suspect other readers will disagree and enjoy the way this device is used to build up tension. With thanks to Netgalley and HQ for a digital copy of this book.
The Sinclairs are three sisters and they each have their own personal problems as a result of what happened them twenty years ago. This story is divided into now and then with each sister telling their own side of the story in each chapter.
Oh my word I cannot even begin to say how much I loved this book. It’s a deep and dark psychological thriller. At times I nearly couldn’t breathe with all the suspense and tension in this book. From the start this book had me gripped and the fast pace of this book meant I didn’t want to put it down.
Oh my word I cannot even begin to say how much I loved this book. It’s a deep and dark psychological thriller. At times I nearly couldn’t breathe with all the suspense and tension in this book. From the start this book had me gripped and the fast pace of this book meant I didn’t want to put it down.
I was totally engrossed in the psychological thriller from page one, it’s jam packed with twists and betrayals from the very beginning until the very end. It had the flipping between characters and timelines which I always enjoy. It’s a non stop read with lots happening and never gets slow.
WOW, what a book!
There wasn't a single thing I did not like about this book. From the first line to the emotional ending I was totally enthralled with the plot and felt so much empathy for the Sinclair sisters.
We know right from the beginning that the three girls are abducted but survive the ordeal to return home. Carly is older and half-sister to twins Marie and Leah but what is clear is that these children have a bond and a love connecting them which helps them to be brave and resourceful in a way that left me breathless.
In fact you will probably find yourself holding your breath throughout the book as there are so many menacing, shocking, heart-breaking and incredible twists that ensure you do nothing but turn the pages feverishly.
What is amazing about this psychological thriller is the depth of emotion conveyed, the sensitive portrayal of three very different girls/women and the angle taken, that of survivors who suffer endlessly as the result of one decision and a few horrific days in captivity. The sense that life stopped for the girls the day they were abducted is painful and very real. Each one of them has a different way of enduring and yet each way is full of self-blame, guilt, fear and isolation. This makes the reader feel so close to the girls, when they were much younger but also as we follow their lives as adults. The majority of the book is about life after the abduction and the trauma experienced as relationships skew, faith is lost and love suddenly is not enough.
Switching between time frames, when the girls were taken and their subsequent attempts at escape, with the present day as adults, Louis Jensen expertly reveals information drip by relentless drip, providing light and shade to their personalities. Leah is the one we hear the most from but as a reader I felt equally connected to all three women. By the time I had finished the book I did not want to leave them behind and I have awarded five stars to the fictional characters for their courage, bravery, resilience, resourcefulness and love as much as the five stars being for the well written book crafted by Louise Jensen!
It is rare to find a psychological thriller that is so adept at portraying such a wide range of emotional responses, in the characters as well as the reader. The book has the requisite red herrings, the suspicion and doubt as well as the shock reveals that keep you hanging on, desperate for more and more and more, but it also left me wanting to scoop up Carly, Marie and Leah and erase the past, creating safer, happier future lives for them.
The ending was very fitting. Beautifully written and almost made me cry. It was tender but realistic with a lot left unresolved, and with just the right amount of hope.
Even with books I love at the time of reading, sadly the majority sink into the murky depths of my memory, rarely resurfacing, but The Stolen Sisters will stay with me, buoyant and enduring. The Stolen Sisters is entertaining (and disturbing) but also emotionally intelligent and a book I cannot recommend enough times to enough people. Superb!
There wasn't a single thing I did not like about this book. From the first line to the emotional ending I was totally enthralled with the plot and felt so much empathy for the Sinclair sisters.
We know right from the beginning that the three girls are abducted but survive the ordeal to return home. Carly is older and half-sister to twins Marie and Leah but what is clear is that these children have a bond and a love connecting them which helps them to be brave and resourceful in a way that left me breathless.
In fact you will probably find yourself holding your breath throughout the book as there are so many menacing, shocking, heart-breaking and incredible twists that ensure you do nothing but turn the pages feverishly.
What is amazing about this psychological thriller is the depth of emotion conveyed, the sensitive portrayal of three very different girls/women and the angle taken, that of survivors who suffer endlessly as the result of one decision and a few horrific days in captivity. The sense that life stopped for the girls the day they were abducted is painful and very real. Each one of them has a different way of enduring and yet each way is full of self-blame, guilt, fear and isolation. This makes the reader feel so close to the girls, when they were much younger but also as we follow their lives as adults. The majority of the book is about life after the abduction and the trauma experienced as relationships skew, faith is lost and love suddenly is not enough.
Switching between time frames, when the girls were taken and their subsequent attempts at escape, with the present day as adults, Louis Jensen expertly reveals information drip by relentless drip, providing light and shade to their personalities. Leah is the one we hear the most from but as a reader I felt equally connected to all three women. By the time I had finished the book I did not want to leave them behind and I have awarded five stars to the fictional characters for their courage, bravery, resilience, resourcefulness and love as much as the five stars being for the well written book crafted by Louise Jensen!
It is rare to find a psychological thriller that is so adept at portraying such a wide range of emotional responses, in the characters as well as the reader. The book has the requisite red herrings, the suspicion and doubt as well as the shock reveals that keep you hanging on, desperate for more and more and more, but it also left me wanting to scoop up Carly, Marie and Leah and erase the past, creating safer, happier future lives for them.
The ending was very fitting. Beautifully written and almost made me cry. It was tender but realistic with a lot left unresolved, and with just the right amount of hope.
Even with books I love at the time of reading, sadly the majority sink into the murky depths of my memory, rarely resurfacing, but The Stolen Sisters will stay with me, buoyant and enduring. The Stolen Sisters is entertaining (and disturbing) but also emotionally intelligent and a book I cannot recommend enough times to enough people. Superb!
A story that flicks from past to present with the present chapters mainly told from the point of view of Leah.
The one thing that I was envious of with these characters is the bond between the sisters when they were younger. Carly the older sister is half sister to the twins Marie and Leah. Even though a typical teen, it’s obvious how much she cares for her sisters. Even more so when they are abducted. She will do whatever to protect them.
In the present, it was sad to see how much this previous incident has affected their lives. As much as I had every empathy for Leah especially, I couldn’t help but feel for her husband George when he has had years of her dealing with different mental health issues. These worsen when it gets nearer to the anniversary of their abduction with the press still hounding them for new information.
This author is a wonderful storyteller. I was gripped from the first page, desperate to know what had happened to the girls in the past as well as the strange things happening in the present. Whilst this is every bit a story of psychological suspense, it went deeper than that. These girls/women stole a piece of my heart and I felt bereft when it came to the end knowing I wouldn’t be reading about them anymore.
The Stolen Sisters was so many things for me. It had me fully engaged and the mystery and suspense thrilled me. There are some jaw dropping twists and turns which bowled me over at what I was reading. I was so certain about some aspects only to be well and truly wrong. As thrilling and exciting as it was, it was also quite emotional and heart-breaking in places. Louise Jensen is a writer who knows how to get under your skin with her characters. It heightens the whole reading experience and this is another outstanding read from her.
The one thing that I was envious of with these characters is the bond between the sisters when they were younger. Carly the older sister is half sister to the twins Marie and Leah. Even though a typical teen, it’s obvious how much she cares for her sisters. Even more so when they are abducted. She will do whatever to protect them.
In the present, it was sad to see how much this previous incident has affected their lives. As much as I had every empathy for Leah especially, I couldn’t help but feel for her husband George when he has had years of her dealing with different mental health issues. These worsen when it gets nearer to the anniversary of their abduction with the press still hounding them for new information.
This author is a wonderful storyteller. I was gripped from the first page, desperate to know what had happened to the girls in the past as well as the strange things happening in the present. Whilst this is every bit a story of psychological suspense, it went deeper than that. These girls/women stole a piece of my heart and I felt bereft when it came to the end knowing I wouldn’t be reading about them anymore.
The Stolen Sisters was so many things for me. It had me fully engaged and the mystery and suspense thrilled me. There are some jaw dropping twists and turns which bowled me over at what I was reading. I was so certain about some aspects only to be well and truly wrong. As thrilling and exciting as it was, it was also quite emotional and heart-breaking in places. Louise Jensen is a writer who knows how to get under your skin with her characters. It heightens the whole reading experience and this is another outstanding read from her.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really good story, lots of twists that gripped me throughout. Great thriller.
Leah and twins Carly & Marie make up the Sinclair sisters. Snatched from their family home as children and nicknamed in the press as ‘The Stolen Sisters’. The trio, as adults, are approaching the twentieth anniversary of the incident which is naturally bringing to the surface all their feelings, both old and new. Twenty years of trauma, issues and secrets are coming to a head, how will the family get past these revelations?
The novel is written in a ‘then’ and ‘now’ format, which I felt worked really well. Revealing bits and pieces as and when and building suspense in a timely manner.
The story is told from multiple perspectives; Leah, Marie & Carly plus Leah’s husband George. Gaining an insight into each characters thoughts and feelings is always nice as it makes them feel a little more three-dimensional.
As a whole, I felt the idea behind the novel had great potential but I just didn’t resonate with the execution. There were a few elements that didn’t seem to resolve themselves and bits that just felt too far-fetched. I also felt that the kidnapping element itself resolved too easily.
There are lots of glowing reviews for this one and I seem to be in the minority, so please check it out if psychological thrillers are your cup of tea!
Thank you to NetGalley & HQ for the advance copy in return for an honest review.
The novel is written in a ‘then’ and ‘now’ format, which I felt worked really well. Revealing bits and pieces as and when and building suspense in a timely manner.
The story is told from multiple perspectives; Leah, Marie & Carly plus Leah’s husband George. Gaining an insight into each characters thoughts and feelings is always nice as it makes them feel a little more three-dimensional.
As a whole, I felt the idea behind the novel had great potential but I just didn’t resonate with the execution. There were a few elements that didn’t seem to resolve themselves and bits that just felt too far-fetched. I also felt that the kidnapping element itself resolved too easily.
There are lots of glowing reviews for this one and I seem to be in the minority, so please check it out if psychological thrillers are your cup of tea!
Thank you to NetGalley & HQ for the advance copy in return for an honest review.