A review by hannahmariebrankley
The Wrong Sister by Claire Douglas

emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

Two sisters with very different lifestyles.

Older sister Alice is married to Kyle and lives for her career. Tasha married her childhood sweetheart, Aaron, and had twin daughters. She is now living in the suburbs.

Alice suggests a life swap, so Tasha and Aaron can have time away at Alice and Kyle’s Venice apartment while she and Kyle stay home to look after the twins.

But a few days in, Tasha gets a call that turns everything upside down. Alice is injured in the hospital, and Kyle has been murdered.

Police investigate it as a burglary gone wrong until Tasha receives a note through the door.

“It was supposed to be you.” But this story goes a lot deeper than you first thought.

Claire Douglas has done it again! I feel so thankful to have come across her books because I honestly cannot put them down once I start reading. I decided to get into bed early one night, around 9 p.m. By midnight, I had finished this.

It is very difficult to describe how many twists this has without spoiling. I will say that I again didn’t see some of them coming. We have Claire’s style of different POVs, some with different timelines. I have come to appreciate gaining more backstory, especially about characters, through this style of writing. It is really interesting how you make assumptions as you are reading, and then something from the past makes you question everything about that assumption. I think it keeps you on your feet but also paces the story well. 

I loved the dynamic between the sisters. It makes me think of the Chinese philosophical principles, Yin and Yang, because there is such love there and yet both balance the family’s dynamic. 

This was gripping, descriptive, and overall a great read. 4.5 stars.