The Sister in Law by Sue Watson
Genre: Domestic thriller, Psychological thriller, Suspense
Read: 6th September 2020
Published: 30th April 2020
★★★★★ 5 stars
DESCRIPTION:
‘You don’t think Jamie and I have secrets, do you? No, we tell each other everything.’ She smiled. ‘Including your dirty little secret. So maybe it’s time to start being nice to me?’
THE WIFE: Clare is ready for a break. It’s been a tough year and now she wants to put her feet up. Arriving at the Italian villa for their summer holiday, she decides it’s high time her husband and his family did some of the work. After all, her husband owes her…
THE HUSBAND: Even though Dan had his head turned by someone else, he’s realised the error of his ways. He’s here now, and he says it’s for keeps. Clare can trust him, can’t she? At least he’ll have his brother there, to keep him in line…
THE BROTHER: Jamie is the prodigal child, back in the family fold again after years of travelling abroad. But when he gets to the villa, he’s not alone. He’s brought a wife, someone none of them have met before.
THE SISTER-IN-LAW: Ella is everything Clare isn’t. Glamorous. Young. Influential. But she knows a secret about Clare. Something that has the power to break the whole family apart.
And there’s someone who will do whatever it takes to make sure that this deep secret never comes to the surface.
An utterly unputdownable, gripping, twisty psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Before I Go To Sleep, The Girl on the Train and Date Night.
MY REVIEW:
O.M.G!!! This book, THE SISTER IN LAW by Sue Watson, should be titled "The Sister in Law from Hell"! It had me totally fuming. My reaction to this book was so visceral that I felt like tossing my kindle across the room. Only one other character has made me feel like that...and I never thought I would find another. But Sue Watson introduced me to her and brought havoc into my life by way of this woman.
Let me tell you what I liked about Ella...nothing. Not one single thing. She got so under my skin and yet I couldn't put the book down. I couldn't stop reading. I wanted to kill Ella and end the havoc that she was wreaking and bring calm back into my life once again...but I doubt the book would hold my interest as much if that were the case. However, Ella was one of the most irritating characters I have come across in some time.
So...let's meet the other players.
Clare, wife of womanising Dan Taylor, with three children in tow - Violet, Alfie and little Freddie. After Dan's latest fling, she is ready for a break so they can work on repairing their marriage. And what better way than a relaxing holiday in a beautiful villa on the Italian Amalfi coast? One small problem...I think they should have gone on their own...not the entire Taylor clan.
But, each year, the Taylors vacation together. Be it in Greece, the South of France or this year, in Italy. And every year, Dan's parents, Joy and Bob, choose their destination and pay for it all. It's the perfect time to unwind and simply relax from the demands of running the family business back in Manchester. So how could they resist?
This year, however, throws an interesting twist when prodigal younger brother Jamie returns from his wayward travels to join the family on vacation. But he is not alone. This time he has brought his wife, Ella. Beautiful, trim, taut, tanned and perfect Ella. She, who no one knew about about because they only got married the day before in a secret ceremony and plan to use this holiday as their honeymoon. She, whose main occupation is as a social media influencer on Instagram where she has over 250,000 followers showcasing her perfectly presented life. She, who knows a secret and has her claws out and is intent on making Clare's life a complete and utter misery.
It isn't long before everyone is drawn to Ella, drinking in her beauty and laughter, as she becomes the centre of attention on what is essentially a family holiday. Even Clare's children appear to be in awe of her. Violet especially at 9 years old soon begins to emulate "auntie Ella" taking selfies by the pool and even hitching her bikini bottoms to expose more of her butt. No one but Clare seems to notice how totally inappropriate it is for a 9 year old to expose herself in such a way, brushing it off with "she's on holiday and just having some fun". She's 9, FFS!! What is wrong with these people?
Then when Clare's normally clingy little boy Freddie starts to prefer being in Ella's arms rather than his mother's, I begin to wonder what the hell this woman is doing. No way would a child who has separation anxiety if his mother is out of his sight for more than five seconds suddenly prefers the company of some strange woman. I felt there must be something more at play here. What is she using as bribery to make him want to stay with her and Jamie? While she smirks triumphantly at Clare, who can do nothing but look on. Because she can do nothing. For if she does then it would look as if she has an axe to grind and it would be Clare that would be making a scene...not the perfectly innocent Ella.
Somehow this holiday, which had always been about family time, when Joy and Clare would bond over meal preparations and creating delicious meals for the family, when the children and the adults would relax, unwind and have fun together, has now become a minefield. The tables have turned. Evil Ella in the building and with her comes a tsunami of change. Suddenly the meals that everyone has enjoyed every year has newcomer Ella screwing her face up in disgust. "Meat? I don't eat dead bodies." And just like that, evil Ella takes over meal prep with Joy and the two of them bond while cooking up vegan meals for everyone. Without Clare having a say. Suddenly Clare has lost her place in this family. Not just with Dan, but with his mother now, it seems. Even her children seem to prefer Ella's company to hers now.
But I have to say, whilst reading this, I kept wondering...were Clare and I the only ones hearing the rude and incredibly cutting remarks Ella keeps making? Even in front of others? It is more than obvious that she is being insulting and disrespectful on purpose, so why does no one else pick up on it? Are they deaf, stupid or just lacking in moral decency? Do they not care about Clare's feelings when Ella is so blatantly rude to her? I mean, she has been a part of the family for over a decade...Ella has only been here five minutes. The fickleness of this family infuriated me no end!
But the worst of it was, Ella reminded me so much of my husband's ex-wife. Not just with her brutal insults, but the way she played everyone off each other, whispering in their ears and then watching the sparks fly. I think that is what angered me the most. It brought up a lot of memories and pain from the past that we endured at the time. Ella was so underhand with her hate campaign. She was nice as pie in front of others but alone the claws came out. The similarities were striking. And that was more than likely the reason why my reaction to evil Ella was so visceral...because it felt personal.
However, like all good thrillers, it doesn't end there... Along comes a twist and then another to turn everything on its head. I had worked out a couple of the twists, one of which had been in the back of my mind almost since the beginning of the holiday. I mean, why DID evil Ella hate Clare so much? What did she ever do to her? Yes, she knew her secret but Clare had never met her before. Ella was hell-bent on destroying Clare...but why? It didn't take me long to figure it out so it was no surprise when that reveal came. But the biggest was to come.
“Now you and I both know each other’s secrets. If you don’t tell mine, then I won’t tell yours.”
All I can say is...that ending...wow!
A deliciously twisted domestic thriller of a different kind, THE SISTER IN LAW (from hell) is an entertaining and captivating read that is highly addictive you won't want to put down! You will absolutely love to hate Ella, and probably a few others too, that will inevitably bring out the bitch in you.
I wanted to throttle Dan about a billion times for his gullibility, not to mention his stupidity. The man could not keep his hands to himself or his dick in his pants if you paid him. And the rest of the family? I think it was only Jamie I liked, and maybe Bob who silently sat in the background for the most part. I thought Joy was fickle and a tad controlling and Clare really should have left Dan, if not after the first affair then definitely the second.
And Ella...well, Ella was as fake as Tori Spelling's boob job. She claims to have homes in London and New York, yet her and Jamie are going to settle down just outside of Manchester? A glam girl like her? An Insta goddess? And where does she get all this money? Surely not just from being a social media influencer? Something just doesn't add up and Clare knows it. And Ella knows Clare knows it. But Clare won't tell. Not when her secret is at stake.
THE SISTER IN LAW is full of twists and tension that is so palpable I thought I might have a heart attack. It is highly addictive despite the intense dislike you might have for one or more of the characters. It's like a car crash...you just can't look away and have to keep reading.
Despite the discomfort I felt throughout much of the book, due to evil Ella, THE SISTER IN LAW is probably the best Sue Watson thriller I have read to date. And I've read all but one, I believe. It is clever, it is twisted, it is addictive, it is entertaining and it is brilliant. It's everything you would want in a psychological domestic thriller...and even those you don't, but do.
When I tweeted with Sue about this book, she told me with a chuckle that soooo many readers have messaged her about Ella. Then at the end of the book in her letter to readers, Sue revealed that she was inspired by the way Meghan Markle went into the Royal Family and totally messed things up. And so the idea of Ella was born. Because that's just what Ella did too. Just waltzed into the Taylor family and totally messed everything and everyone up. Congrats to Sue for creating a character so loathsome to get under my skin as she did.
THE SISTER IN LAW totally does not disappoint. The tension and suspense throughout was almost painful but still an addictive read. And while I hated the very existence of Ella and wanting to finish just so I could escape her presence, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was deliciously twisted from start to finish.
Filled with secrets, lies, manipulation, misdirection, deception and twists, THE SISTER IN LAW is the perfect escapism read that will make you forget about the chaos in the world right now. A 5 star read!
I would like to thank #SueWatson, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheSisterInLaw in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Sue Watson was a journalist then TV Producer at the BBC until she wrote her first book and was hooked.
She's written a wealth of novels - many involving cake - and her books have been translated into Italian, German and Portuguese. Originally from Manchester, Sue now lives with her husband and teenage daughter in Worcestershire where much of her day is spent procrastinating while eating cake (for research purposes), and watching 'My 600lb Life,' on the sofa.
Sue began exploring the darker side of life with 'Our Little Lies', a dark, psychological thriller completely devoid of cake. She's hoping this change in direction will be reflected on the weighing scales.
She has since published other thrillers "The Woman Next Door", "The Empty Nest", "The Sister in Law" with her latest "First Date" hitting the shelves in October 2020.
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