Review: The Silent Sister (Riley MacPherson, #1) by Diane Chamberlain

Title: The Silent Sister (Riley MacPherson, #1)
Author: Diane Chamberlain
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: October 7, 2014
Edition: ebook (352 pages)

The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I've heard authors say that some books just write themselves, and I think some books just read themselves. They are so interesting that the reader forgets they're reading a book because the fictional characters become so real. This is how it was for me reading The Silent Sister (Riley MacPherson, #1) by Diane Chamberlain. Riley MacPherson returns to the house she grew up in to sort through her father's things, following his death. She is sad and overwhelmed by the prospect and then begins to find out her life is not at all what she thought it was. That is one story line. The second story line is about another young woman, Riley believes to be her sister. Both women experience so much as they cope with the past and try to come to terms with it in the present.

Sometimes, when a book involves multiple characters in a story line that weaves together the past and present, I find myself having difficulty making the transition in time and place. But, this is not so with The Silent Sister. The transitions are easy and smooth, and with each, a little more is revealed. When a book tells the story of multiple characters, sometimes, one or more is not as detailed by the writer. Again, that is not so here. Diane Chamberlain has made it easy for the reader to experience each character fully and in great depth. This is my first Diane Chamberlain book, and I can't wait to read more.