SISTER
When her mom calls to tell her that Tess, her younger sister, is missing, Bee returns home to London on the first flight. She expects to find Tess and give her the usual lecture, the bossy big sister scolding her flighty baby sister for taking off without letting anyone know her plans. Tess has always been a free spirit, an artist who takes risks, while conservative Bee couldn’t be more different. Bee is used to watching out for her wayward sibling and is fiercely protective of Tess (and has always been a little stern about her antics). But then Tess is found dead,
When her mom calls to tell her that Tess, her younger sister, is missing, Bee returns home to London on the first flight. She expects to find Tess and give her the usual lecture, the bossy big sister scolding her flighty baby sister for taking off without letting anyone know her plans. Tess has always been a free spirit, an artist who takes risks, while conservative Bee couldn’t be more different. Bee is used to watching out for her wayward sibling and is fiercely protective of Tess (and has always been a little stern about her antics). But then Tess is found dead, apparently by her own hand.
Bee is certain that Tess didn’t commit suicide. Their family and the police accept the sad reality, but Bee feels sure that Tess has been murdered. Single-minded in her search for a killer, Bee moves into Tess’s apartment and throws herself headlong into her sister’s life–and all its secrets.
Though her family and the police see a grieving sister in denial, unwilling to accept the facts, Bee uncovers the affair Tess was having with a married man and the pregnancy that resulted, and her difficultly with a stalker who may have crossed the line when Tess refused his advances. Tess was also participating in an experimental medical trial that might have gone very wrong. As a determined Bee gives her statement to the lead investigator, her story reveals a predator who got away with murder–and an obsession that may cost Bee her own life.
A thrilling story of fierce love between siblings, Sister is a suspenseful and accomplished debut with a stunning twist.
- Broadway
- Paperback
- December 2011
- 352 Pages
- 9780307716521
Buy the Book
$14.00
About Rosamund Lupton
Rosamund Lupton lives with her husband and two sons in London. Sister is her debut novel.
Praise
“Lupton enters the highly charged ring where the best psychological detective writers spar… Like Kate Atkinson, Patricia Highsmith and Ruth Rendell… Both tear-jerking and spine-tingling, Sister provides an adrenaline rush that could cause a chill on the sunniest afternoon.”—The New York Times Book Review
“Elegantly suspenseful…a pulse-quickening cocktail of science fiction and whodunit, with a splash of literary poetics and poignancy.”—NPR.org
“[A] fast-paced, absurdly entertaining novel….Along with a juicy mystery, it resounds with an authentic sense of sisterly love and loyalty.”—The Boston Globe
“A remarkable piece of work. Lupton shrewdly and compassionately peels back the story’s rich layers.”—The Seattle Times
Discussion Questions
How would you compare Beatrice and Tess?
Do you think that Beatrice changes throughout the course of the story and, if so, how?
What are your thoughts on the structure of Sister and how do you think the different tenses and narrative techniques add to the overall effect of the story?
In what ways does Sister explore fundamental human relationships? For example: the relationship between two sisters, a mother and a daughter, two lovers, doctor and patient etc.
What is the central theme of the book and how did it resonate with you?
Who is your favorite/least favorite character and how true did each of them feel?
Did you agree with Beatrice in her determination to discover the truth, despite it driving those she loved away from her?
There is much imagery in this story, such as the colour yellow, the sea etc. Can you explain why imagery is so important in the story and how effective it is?
There are a number of significant male characters in this story. In what ways did each of them aid or abet Beatrice and how suspicious of each of them were you?
The ending of the story throws up a shocking twist. Did the ending work for you? How else do you feel the story could have ended?