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    The Silent Sister: A Novel
    The Silent Sister: A Novel
    The Silent Sister: A Novel
    Audiobook11 hours

    The Silent Sister: A Novel

    Written by Diane Chamberlain

    Narrated by Susan Bennett

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    In The Silent Sister, Riley MacPherson has spent her entire life believing that her older sister Lisa committed suicide as a teenager. Now, over twenty years later, her father has passed away and she's in New Bern, North Carolina cleaning out his house when she finds evidence to the contrary. Lisa is alive. Alive and living under a new identity. But why exactly was she on the run all those years ago, and what secrets are being kept now? As Riley works to uncover the truth, her discoveries will put into question everything she thought she knew about her family. Riley must decide what the past means for her present, and what she will do with her newfound reality, in this engrossing mystery from international bestselling author Diane Chamberlain.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Audio
    Release dateOct 7, 2014
    ISBN9781427243683
    The Silent Sister: A Novel

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    Reviews for The Silent Sister

    4/5

    476 ratings51 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Riley MacPherson has gone to her childhood home. Her father has passed away and the house needs to be cleared. Riley uncovers a box of old newspaper cuttings which leads to shocking family secrets.Sometimes I just want to read and be immersed in a story. I know that if I grab a book by Diane Chamberlain that is what I'll get.The story it told by Riley as she starts to uncover things about her sister Lisa who committed suicide. In true family saga fashion the story unfolds and secrets emerge. I was instantly hooked with the story and really wanted to know what was happening and why.I did guess early on what had happened but it didn't spoil my enjoyment from reading the book. Yes these type of books can be a little predictable but it doesn't matter too much. The story wasn't too taxing and just flowed along nicely. A lovely easy story which I curled up with. Sometimes a change is needed from dead bodies and police officers.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      I got caught up in the lives of this family through the past and present story telling. This was enhanced by the talented narration.
    • 5/5
      Book Description:In The Silent Sister, Riley MacPherson has spent her entire life believing that her older sister Lisa committed suicide as a teenager. Now, over twenty years later, her father has passed away and she's in New Bern, North Carolina cleaning out his house when she finds evidence to the contrary. Lisa is alive. Alive and living under a new identity. But why exactly was she on the run all those years ago, and what secrets are being kept now? As Riley works to uncover the truth, her discoveries will put into question everything she thought she knew about her family. Riley must decide what the past means for her present, and what she will do with her newfound reality, in this engrossing mystery from international bestselling author Diane Chamberlain.My Review:This book hooked me from the start and kept me twisting and turning until the very end. Riley MacPherson's life is not what she thought it was. After her father's death, Riley comes to understand that her whole life has been a lie. Deep family secrets come to light and she is desperately trying to uncover the truth. I found the characters to be intriguing but most of them were hard to like. The plot was very engrossing and it was hard to breakaway from this book until you found out all the secrets and followed Riley until she found her sister. The book is full of surprise after surprise and Diane Chamberlain did an excellent job pacing them throughout. I look forward to reading another book of hers and highly recommend this book to those who love books about family secrets.
    • 5/5
      Truly enjoyed this one. Well written. I would recommend it.
    • 3/5
      I am generally a big Diane Chamberlain fan however in this book has been my least favorite. It seemed very predictable.
      Also I generally love the narrator but all throughout the book it sounded like she had a wad of something in her mouth….Like she was trying to eat some food while she did the narration… after I was a few chapters and I even went to read other reviews trying to see if I was the only person who noticed this… apparently I was so maybe it’s just me… regardless it was a pet peeve and made it hard to enjoy the book.
    • 5/5
      Love the happy ending! Great audiobook to listen to while driving.
    • 4/5
      ACTUAL RATING: 3.75

      Very much enjoyed the book and loved Susan Bennett's narration. Good story. Suspenseful, however, the outcome (to me) was highly predictable. Each twist was not a surprise but a confirmation of what I had guessed very early on in the story. Despite that, I still enjoyed the book.

      This is the second Diane Chamberlain book I've "read" (both audiobooks). I've enjoyed them both but felt the same about the predictability in both.

      I will listen to others and am seeking out other books narrated by Susan Bennett as well.
    • 5/5
      This was such a Great book. I love Diane Chamberlin books.
    • 4/5
      I very much enjoyed the book. A great read for a trip or a vacation.
    • 5/5
      I like how it turned out… great story line/ book
    • 4/5
      Good, yet sometimes predictable. A few twists but nothing totally unexpected. I did find
      It hard to put down, which is why I’m giving 4 stars.
    • 4/5
      Layers of family history peel back when Riley MacPherson begins to sort through the detritus of her father's life after his unexpected death. In quick succession she learns several things: she was adopted (?!), her father had a 'girlfriend' Jeannie, (her dead mother's former best friend), her father and his trailer park are beholden to a man named Tom Kile, and the sister, Lisa who died of suicide when Riley was just 2 might actually still be alive. Her only surviving relative is Danny, an older brother, who is a troubled Iraqui war vet with anger issues and lots of bitterness toward everyone in the family except Riley. He too was significantly older than Riley, so his memories of the way the family fell apart in the wake of Lisa's suicide color his attitude and outlook.
      All the info is portioned out in small doses, so we discover much of the news as Riley does. There are some big shockers that I didn't see coming, which I appreciate for their novelty. It flows almost like a mystery, though less sinister and more familial. Riley copes pretty well with this major life upending, especially since she is essentially going through it alone and really can't determine who to trust. An intriguing story about secrets and family and the way choices people make impact others.
    • 4/5
      I chose this book because I loved Chamberlain's Big Lies in a Small Town. Silent Sister is built upon a layers of lies that have shaped a family over a period of time. It works up to a point because the characters are interesting, but one final lie throws all credibility out the window.
    • 5/5
      I read it in one sitting. Even though I had guessed a few details early on... it felt good to read it and say YES! I see it says this is #1 in a series about Riley... I look forward to reading more!!
    • 4/5
      4.5 stars.

      The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain is a thought-provoking mystery that is very engrossing. Although some of the storyline is a bit predictable, the intriguing plot raises some very interesting moral questions but it is the family aspect of the novel that makes it such an interesting read.

      What if everything you thought you knew about your family turns out to be a lie? That is pretty much what happens while Riley MacPherson is settling her father's affairs after he unexpectedly passes away. The information she uncovers runs the gamut from mundane (her father had a girlfriend) to puzzling (a mysterious monthly payment and a surprising bequest) to life altering (the sister she thought was dead is actually alive). Riley's quest for the truth reveals some dark and deeply hidden secrets that challenge just about everything she thought she knew about herself and her family.

      The MacPherson family underwent dramatic changes after the loss of their oldest child. Riley's mom suffered from varying degrees of depression and her dad immersed himself in his hobbies. Her brother Danny suffered the most as her parents went to great lengths to keep their secrets hidden. He has been unable to escape the dysfunction of his youth and his problems are compounded by PTSD from his military service. With the exception of her troubled relationship with Danny, Riley is the only one who emerged from the tragedy relatively unscathed.

      Riley is a likable, but sometimes frustrating character. Her heart is in the right place when she tries to help Danny, but she is a little immature and inexperienced. She sometimes makes rash and impetuous decisions without giving much thought to the consequences of her actions. Riley occasionally lets people steamroll over her but she does eventually stand up for herself.

      The Silent Sister is well-written but some of the plot is easy to figure out. This does not lessen enjoyment of the overall story and there are some unexpected twists and turns that keeps the novel interesting and moving along at a pretty fast pace. Some important clues are revealed fairly early but Riley remains oblivious to their significance for much of the novel. Diane Chamberlain brings the novel to an unanticipated, but satisfying conclusion.
    • 4/5
      Engrossing story, well paced and just enough hints to keep the reader turning the page to find out the "truth" about Riley's long dead sister: "Riley MacPherson has spent her entire life believing that her older sister Lisa committed suicide as a teenager. It was a belief that helped shape her own childhood & that of her brother...Now, more than twenty years later, her father passed away and she's in New Bern, North Carolina, cleaning out his house when she finds evidence that what she has always believed is not the truth. Lisa is alive...living under a new identity...why was she on the run all those years ago? What secrets are being kept now, and what will happen if those secrets are revealed?" -book jacket inside flap. I found the slow reveal to be interesting enough, the characterizations believable, & the tension between Riley's present day understanding/her longing for a full family life, and the secrets of the MacPherson family's past to be just mysterious enough. In the last section, the mystery of Riley's real father was apparent (to me anyway) long before the ending chapters, but still - an emotionally satisfying read without graphic violence or morbid details.
    • 4/5
      Pretty good. A little melodramatic for a predictable story but it was still intriguing.
    • 3/5
      This book has many twists and turns, but I figured the ending halfway into the book. The book starts with the suicide of a gifted violinist when she faces a trial for the murder of her teacher. Then the story jumps to Riley MacPherson, the sister of Lisa-the violinist, as she returns home after the death of her father. Riley has many issues that confront her: the death of Lisa, her brother Danny's behavior, and the secrets of her father. Another story emerges as the reader learns that Lisa is not dead but living in California. Will the three siblings be reunited, and will all the secrets unravel? Diane Chamberlain writes a compelling story of love, hate, and families.
    • 3/5
      Ok so I have THOUGHTS about this book. I'll go into detail in a spoiler-protected area but first I'll just give you this non-spoilery info: for the first 3/4 of this book I was RIGHT THERE. I was IN IT. I was OBSESSED with this dark and twisty Gone Girl-esque story and all the plot twisty goodness. But then as it built up to its climax, it zigged instead of zagged and I realized that this isn't actually a psychological thriller at all. It is women's fiction. NOTHING WRONG WITH WOMEN'S FICTION but that's not what I signed up for. So I give five stars to the first 3/4 and then 1 star to its conclusion.

      And now for the spoilers:So it seemed pretty obvious pretty early on that Lisa was the secret mother of her 15-years-younger "sister" Riley. But OK, it took Riley awhile to sort that out, so I'll allow the obviousness. But it was also very obvious from early on that the creepy violin teacher was Riley's father via the rape of Lisa, and it seemed so obvious that I figured there would be a twist on that but no. That was the ultimate twist in the book: that the teacher had been abusing Lisa. And while I enjoyed Lisa/Jade as a bitchy, entitled runaway in her chapters, by the end when she's the married lesbian fiddle player she got all sappy with Riley? Where did her attitude go? And then at the end everyone just forgives Lisa for everything REALLY??? A happy ever after ending REALLY???
    • 5/5
      If you like well-written suspense novels that move quickly and you won't want to put down, this is the novel for you! Diane Chamberlain is a new author for me and I was not familiar with her work and had no idea what a talented author she is. I definitely will be reading more of her novels.This novel switches between the 1990's and 2013/14 with the viewpoints of two sisters, one (Jade) who is believed to have committed suicide and the other (Riley) who is trying to understand things that have happened in her family before and after the suicide. One of the settings is in the Alexandria, VA, area where I lived for 34 years so I enjoyed reading about some of the locations with which I am familiar.It's a very carefully plotted, tightly paced novel with no vulgar language. There were twists and turns I didn't see coming. I actually gasped out loud a couple of times! I thought it was a great suspense novel.
    • 4/5
      clues discovered after her father's death lead to the reasons behind her family's sadness and dysfunction
    • 4/5
      After the suicide of Riley's sister over 20 years earlier, the MacPherson family has struggled to cope with the traumatic loss and remain close. However, the discovery of a collection of newspaper clippings in her father's house as she's getting his affairs in order following his death causes Riley to question everything she knows about her family and the mysterious death of the older sister she barely remembers. As Riley gradually learns the truth about what really took place that fateful morning so many years ago, her discovery plunges her headlong into a high stakes search for answers about the family she's realizing she hardly knew.
    • 4/5
      Riley has spent her whole life believing that her older sister committed suicide at 17. Now back home after both her parents die cleaning out her childhood home, she finds some pieces that don't fit. If her dad was a US Marshal, why did he retire early & run an RV park. Why is her brother so dysfunctional, living in a run down trailer and drinking himself to death. And why did her Dad's friend say she was adopted? Riley starts pulling the thread, and her entire belief in her family starts to unravel. I guessed what happened to the sister and family about 2/3 of the way through the book - and that was exactly what had happened
    • 5/5
      Whoa! This is a mystery with a lot of twists and turns. You’ve got to read the entire book to figure out what really happened. This is probably the best mystery of 2016 that I’ve read.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed reading this book about family secrets and what they can do to everyone once they are discovered. I liked the main character, Riley, and her determination to learn what she can. There were a couple of story lines within the book that were not satisfactorily ended, in my opinion. I also felt that some different traits of the main characters were done to make a statement rather than forward the action in the story. There was a lot of coincidences, and I found the whole plot improbable. That said, I did find the book entertaining.
    • 4/5
      I am a huge fan of Diane Chamberlain, as her stories are always engaging and thought provoking. The novel ‘The Silent Sister’ is no exception to this outcome. The story is riveting, as Riley pieces together their family’s history upon her father’s death. Having always thought that her sister committed suicide as a teenager, Chamberlain slowly unravels the novel to reveal so much more. With many others who have critiqued the novel, I did think that elements of the story were somewhat unbelievable, especially the ending, which just seemed a bit contrived and unrealistic. In addition, the resolution, regarding the couple living in the trailer park, was improbable, as it would be unlikely to think that they might drop the matter without receiving due compensation. Otherwise, ‘The Silent Sister’ is an intriguing tale about a family gone wrong.
    • 4/5
      The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain is a 2014 St. Martin’s Press publication. I have enjoyed every book I’ve read by Diane Chamberlain, but this is one of those I missed along the way. I recently saw Buzzfeed’s list of the top most suspenseful books and this one was pretty far up on the list. So, I immediately went in search of a copy. (Once more my Overdrive library account proves invaluable!) Years ago, Lisa, a young musical prodigy with a bright future ahead of her, disappeared and is presumed dead, a victim of suicide. Her body was never found…When Riley’s father dies suddenly, she becomes the executor of his will because her older brother, Danny, is a war veteran with a host of issues. As she deals with the terms of her father’s will and prepares to go through his personal papers and possessions in order to sell his place, she unearths a torrent of old family secrets, including the shocking truth surrounding her older sister’s alleged suicide. When someone hints at the possibility her sister could still be alive, Riley becomes nearly obsessed with the notion of finding her, but if Lisa is still alive, and Riley manages to locate her, she could be putting her a very precarious position.This story was very complex and emotional, and except for a few too many strokes of luck and some implausible circumstances, and a couple of occasions where the story lost a little momentum, the book was near perfect. I don’t know if I felt the level of suspense the book is supposed to trigger, but I did find it to be a top notch mystery and a very compelling family drama, that left me contemplating all that happened and believing that, yes, punishment and justice does come in all forms, even though I still felt a little conflicted by how everything played out. The characters are human, flawed, mysterious, vulnerable and weak in many ways, filled with pain, regret, anger, and sadness, but also full of love and hope. I can’t say I understood Danny’s intense anger, especially after he finally knows the whole truth, and his volatile nature is the only reason I was left with any residual feelings of unease. Riley is perhaps a little too naïve, too easily manipulated, and sheltered which came back to bite her on a few occasions, but I really did like her. The secondary characters were well drawn, all doing their part to create the desired atmosphere and help weave this sordid tale of lies and secrets. I was totally immersed in the story, and am glad I took a time out from my review schedule to fit this one in.
    • 3/5
      More like 3.5 stars (I wish goodreads would allow half stars). I enjoyed most of the book but it was a bit predictable and the end was anti-climactic.
    • 3/5
      Listened to this as audible audio, the narrator was very good. The story line was really interesting, with twists and turns (some of which were very predictable) characters were very well developed where I felt for them all, excepting Jade-I had a hard time sympathizing with her and was troubled at the end on how I would have reacted if put into the same situation as Riley and Danny were in. The ending wasn't as good as the rest of the story - left me feeling like... no... just not believable. Just my opinion of course, I would however, definitely read Book 2 if there is one as this story, definitely isn't over and can't possibly end with happily ever after!
    • 5/5
      What if you’ve been living your whole life believing one thing and come to find out it had all been a lie? Riley chose a career path as a middle school counselor. Why? Because when she was not yet two years old, her seventeen year old sister, Lisa, had committed suicide. She’d personally seen the devastating effects to the rest of the family and longed to change just one young person from choosing that same path.After the prologue, this story begins with the death of Riley’s father. With her father gone, her brother who is four years older is the only remaining person in her family. Danny loves Riley … in his own way. Danny suffers from PTSD. Whether he’d like to help Riley or not, he can’t bring himself to go back into that house. Other than PTSD, he has some childhood issues. Riley questions him, “… it’s not like you were abused or anything.” He answers, “There are all sorts of abuse.”As Riley is cleaning out her father’s things, she begins to find discrepancies. She eventually learns that Lisa had not died. What really happened? Where is she?I loved the personality of Riley, our main protagonist. People can’t help but feel her pain at facing not only the death of her father, but being the only one who can clear out her father’s house of all his collectibles. Her brother, Danny has become extremely reclusive. He cannot pull himself together to help her. Yet, now that Danny’s the only family she has left, she yearns to be near him. I asked myself, what’s not to love about this book? It’s intense and it’s exceptionally well-written. It’s got believable, albeit flawed, characters that are fully developed. It’s got a wonderful plot and a story line that flows incredibly well. But, the thing I enjoyed the most – it drew me in emotionally in a way I haven’t been pulled into a book in a long time. Rating: 5 out of 5.