Books On Tour (Review): The Sister-In-Law by Sue Watson

I must be lucky because this is the second book I have read in less than a week set in a villa on the Amalfi Coast. Picture it, a beautiful villa with a pool and terrace, overlooking the ocean, with a little town nearby to shop and eat delicious food. It’s the perfect vacation getaway.

Until it isn’t.

Clare hopes that this family vacation will help put her family back on track, but the arrival of her brother-in-law with his new wife puts a screeching halt to that. The whole family has secrets and someone is bent on exposing them, with Clare as a particular target.

The author did a great job of wratcheting the tension, and I enjoyed the juxtaposition of the beautiful, serene setting and the family’s infighting. There were a lot of foreboding moments, and hints of darkness to come, as the story is told as a memory. So, there were more than a few “had I known” statements, but they were dropped casually and were never jarring.

I also thought that the characters were an interesting mix of personalities. Each of them was realistic. They also each had a few moments where their actions surprised the other characters, proving that even family members are not always who one thinks they are. I thought that Clare was the most interesting. Because of her own family history, she is insecure and longs for the stability of a family. This makes her an easy target (and boy, did she pick the wrong family).

Once the battle lines were established, it seemed as if the story dragged a bit (through the middle). However, I think that was due more to my impatience that I had established theories and I wanted to get to the good stuff to see if I was right. I understand that the author needed to make character motivations crystal clear. It was deliciously unnerving to read a few such moments, only because the character was so disturbing. I could feel the viciousness and knew there was a lot going on.

I hope that all makes sense.

I liked this book so much that I read it pretty much in one sitting while I was supposed to be doing other things. I don’t feel guilty about that at all.

Author Bio

Sue Watson was a TV Producer at the BBC until she wrote her first book and was hooked.Now a USA Today bestselling author, Sue has written fifteen novels – many involving cake – which have been translated into several languages and involved tough ‘cake research.’ Sue is now exploring the darker side of life with her thrillers OUR LITTLE LIES, THE WOMAN NEXT DOOR, THE EMPTY NEST and THE SISTER-IN-LAW. Writing in this new genre doesn’t involve the deep research of baked goods and Sue’s hoping the change in direction will be reflected on the weighing scales.

Originally from Manchester, Sue now lives with her husband and teenage daughter in Worcestershire where much of her day is spent writing – okay, procrastinating, eating and watching ‘My 600lb Life,’ on the sofa.