The Night Sister by Jennifer McMahon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This one has some rather interesting plotting, almost like it's a call-out to a family saga, an 80's horror by way of the sixties, and above all, a homage to Hitchcock.

In other words, it's a firm suspense with mostly off-scene nods to carnage. It's all about the build-up, the plethora of details that might lead us in all kinds of interesting directions, and the character-building.

We have three different times to explore. A mystery that develops during the 50's, where the homage to Hitchcock blooms nicely in a once-cool motel turned dilapidated tourist trap well off the main highway. The two teenage girls have their thing. It gets dark. And then there's the whole thing about one running off, never to be heard from again.

And then there's the late 80's, where the children in the family find something rather scary.

And then there's 2013 when a gruesome murder of one of these adult children starts a friend of the family upon her own little investigation.

The plot is actually rather awesome. I felt the suspense, enjoyed the focus, loved the way so many details got their new reveals on the page.

No spoilers, but I definitely had a good time with this. It's not a gross-out book. It doesn't try to outdo anyone on the market. It does, however, focus on the things that matter. It's a great yarn. :)



View all my reviews