Two Books – Thrillers

Let’s talk about some thrillers I’ve recently read.

“Kate sees the familiar nameplate on Dr. Williams’ office door and feels a knot in her stomach. She doesn’t know why, after all this time, it still affects her like this – she should be used to it by now. But every time she walks through his door she’s filled with hope, and every time she walks back out, she feels utter despair and sadness, unable to believe that fate could be so cruel.”

The Half Sister
By Sandie Jones
Source: Advance review copy
Published: June 2020
Rating: ★★★

After the death of her father, Lauren decides to add her information to a genealogy website hoping that finding other relatives will bring her and her mother and sister closer and help them assimilate their grief. What she didn’t expect was that one day after sharing a family dinner a knock at the door brings Jess to their life. Jess claims she’s their half sister.

Although the sisters are shocked Lauren seems more accepting of Jess but Kate believes there must be an error because her distinguished father who was a lawyer would never have had an extramarital affair and fathered a child. The girls’ mother thinks this is ludicrous as well. However both Kate and Lauren each have a lot going on in their lives, for example Kate is trying to get pregnant, and instead of finding comfort in each other they are being separated by their feelings towards Jess.

Jess for her part just wants to be recognized as a half-sister but is that really her only motive for coming into their lives? The set up for the story is fascinating because genealogy services seem to be getting more popular and I do wonder how many people are surprised by some of the findings. Some of my issues with the story are mainly issues I have with a lot of thrillers and that’s lack of communication being the reason why misunderstandings lead to more complications but overall I thought this was a fast-paced read and I am sure I’ll read more by this author.

“Brooklyn history became a refuge for me. It blotted out thoughts of my failed marriage and the persistent sense memory of restraints chafing my wrists. It was something to focus on besides my mother’s illness and the way everything was changing.”

When No One is Watching
By Alyssa Cole
Source: Audiobook
Published: September 2020
Rating: ★★★1/2

Sydney is dealing with so much in her life. Her mother’s illness, a failed marriage, bills keep piling up and her beloved Brooklyn neighborhood seems to be changing all the time. Neighbors she once thought would be there for generations are all of a sudden gone.

She decides to focus on tracking the history and finds an ally in Theo, the neighbor from across the street. Theo for his part is in a relationship that is really going nowhere. His girlfriend is a snob and he starts defending Sydney and their community to his girlfriend. However the more Sydney and Theo work on their history project, the more things start to look sinister. Why are so many residents leaving and why so abruptly?

The story starts off as a slow burn but there are some very effective scenes that make you think that indeed something sinister is happening. In addition, this book posed the negative impacts of gentrification and I found that made me think about my own city and how gentrification is changing neighborhoods and the feel of the city. I felt a lot of sympathy for Sydney and although she has a tough persona, it’s understandable how she’s at a breaking point. I was all into this story and thought this would be a favorite read but the last part just seemed bonkers to me and unfortunately lost me at the end. However I’ll be very curious to see what this author comes up with next.