#BadSister #SamCarrington #BlogTour #Review

Bad Sister 

by Sam Carrington

*My thanks to the publisher from whom I received this book in return for being part of the Blog Tour with an unbiased and honest review*

If you play with fire.....you are going to get burned.

If you haven't read Saving Sophie, Sam Carrington's debut, then firstly, why not? And secondly, prepare yourself to discover a highly talented author! For those of you that have read Saving Sophie then sit back and enjoy a second novel from Carrington that not only boasts great storytelling, but is also full of characters who are cunning, complicated and captivating. 

I am a huge fan of Sam's writing. I heard her speak at Bristol Crime Fest about her work within the NHS and the Prison Service which was fascinating, and I have been desperately waiting for her second novel ever since I finished Saving Sophie. Bad Sister did not disappoint. It is as compelling and as dramatic as the front cover implies! This is a story fuelled by secrets, lies, dark pasts and full of sudden twists that ensure you'll be turning the pages until well past your bedtime!

One of the main characters in Bad Sister is Stephanie, a young woman terrified for her life as her past comes back to haunt her, even though she thought her new identity and new start meant she would always be safe. Connie Summers, Stephanie's psychologist, wants to help her confront her issues and fears but as Connie and Stephanie try to work together to confront Stephanie's secret, Connie too is forced to confront her own dark family secrets -suddenly made even more complicated by the discovery of a mutilated body...

I think the thing I enjoyed most about this book was the number of surprises and the fact I was constantly pulled in the opposite direction from where I thought we were headed. I'm afraid I'm not a reader who is too bothered about whether I can 'spot the twist' or 'guess the ending' because I love to lose myself in the writer's words, characters and their delivery of a convincing and compelling story - but if I was one such reader, I really wouldn't have seen the end coming in Bad Sister! And if we were to talk about shocking twists and stunning endings, well this one is pretty awesome and deliciously chilling!

Bad Sister has several different viewpoints but it mainly alternates between Connie and DI Wade, the detective working on the case of the mutilated body, with the interjection of an anonymous voice who appears sporadically in italics to add further intrigue and suspense. There is also "Brett" and some chapters entitled "Then", so although the structure of the novel is quite complicated, Carrington's control over the placement of each different section is tight, impressively managed and very effective. There are many different plotlines to keep hold of and at times it feels as if you are knitting a very difficult pattern with these various interlinking strands, but the reader is in masterful hands and Carrington makes sure we never drop a stitch nor end up with any missing gaps by the time we have reached the last page. I was impressed with the level of complexity in the novel which although ambitious, makes for a much more exciting, unpredictable and gripping read. 

I enjoyed the characterisation as well. It is hard to know quite how I felt about these characters, they're so  flawed, vulnerable and dark  - guilty yet also victims, confused yet controlling - but I liked that they challenged stereotypes. I didn't always automatically align myself with DI Wade, a member of the police force set to protect the public and solve a crime, and I liked that Connie wasn't entirely trustworthy or reliable despite being a psychologist whose job is to support emotionally fragile people. I liked that not all the characters were who they said they were and not all what they claimed to be. Carrington's characterisation is very impressive. These are characters that will fascinate and intrigue the reader. They create drama, suspense, tension and emotional complications. 

This is a great book to immerse yourself in. It is multilayered and includes a police procedural, crimes in the present, crimes in the past, the prison service, mental health and plenty about families. It's a great read, a perfect thriller with depth, complex characters and a storyline that weaves a wicked web that you cannot help but get tangled up in. Put yourself in Carrington's hands and prepare yourself for an explosive read!

Bad Sister was published by Avon on 5th October 2017.