#BLOGTOUR: The Sister-in-Law by Sue Watson #ProvidedForReview #Gifted #TheSisterinLaw @bookouture @BOTBSPublicity

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Sister in Law by Sue Watson.

I absolutely love the cover design. Don’t you?!?!

Sometimes I find faces on covers a bit hit or miss but I think it works here. Also, at the moment I love ALL covers and blurbs that feature a fantastic destination or pool – I think I want to go on holiday! I LOVE my back garden but a wee trip to Italy would be wonderful when the #Lockdown and devastation of Covid-19 is behind us. I hope everyone is keeping safe and staying home.

Anyway, have a read of the fantastic book blurb for yourself…

Book Blurb:

‘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.

Sue Watson is a great writer and she has written some wonderful descriptive prose. I could feel the heat of the sun, smell the fresh Italian sea air and perfectly picture the beautiful villa.

The garden was framed by cypress trees, and beyond was a bright turquoise mosaic tiled pool and, further still, a spectacular ocean view that in the dusk had opened up into a million shades of blue, melting into golds.

Who wouldn’t want to spend two blissful weeks on the Italian coast? Living the life of luxury in their own rented villa surrounded by family? It sounds perfect. But not everything goes to plan for Clare and her family and although the setting is beautiful, the people enjoying the holiday are far from perfect.

Sue Watson really did a great job at making ALL the characters stand out and I loved reading about the very controlling and sneaky mother in law – Joy. The downright horrible husband – Dan, the lovable yet lazy – Jamie and the fabulous but bitter new bride – Ella. I love a strong and well written character and Sue Watson did that with ease.

No one was likeable in the book. No-one. I wanted to like Clare but she was a bit of a doormat and put up with some terrible behaviour from her family. I get that it is easy to say I wouldn’t let myself be treated like that – but as a mum, I couldn’t imagine allowing my child to witness that sort of destructive family behaviour.

I also loved all the food descriptions – Yum! And Ella’s vegan platters sounded lovely even if she didn’t. I also loved all the two-faced bitchiness – not something I like in real life but it made for some interesting reading. The Sister in Law was one big soap drama. It was the type of story that would make a great TV series, as I couldn’t look away from what the various characters were going to get up to next. It wasn’t quite a character driven story but the characters kept me reading.

As I’ve said the Sister in Law was an easy book to read, but my one niggle was the ending didn’t quite work for me – it was good and it did make sense. But, a lot of the twists were very predictable and then I thought the final twist (the big reveal of the murderer) didn’t quite fit. I also felt that a few details were not explained enough, such as a warning given from a stranger without explanation and why would the police not investigate a bit more! Sorry if I am being cryptic – I can’t explain properly for fear of spoilers. The ending was ok, but I’ve read some great suspense/thriller novels so far this year and my expectations might be too high.

The Sister in Law by Sue Watson was good. A solid read, well written and featured some great characters – I just found the ending a little lacklustre.

Have you read it? Have you read any of Sue Watson’s other books? I would love a recommendation if you have.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley, which was all arranged by the blog tour organiser – Thank you!

About the author:

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. More info visit Sue’s website; http://www.suewatsonbooks.com/