HURRY HOME

4.5 stars out of 5

What do you get when you pit two psychologically

damaged sisters against one another? In this case, a very engrossing story that hooked me at the starting gate. That said, don't expect what I'd call a thriller nor, for that matter, many really likable characters; it's more of a manipulative struggle between the two sisters to determine who got the shorter end of life's stick and who can tell the most believable lies.

Alexandra Van Ness, a children's services worker, loves her job and her life with hunky and occasional model Chase. She's far less fond of her older estranged sister Ruth, with whom she shared a rocky, secret-filled childhood. So when Ruth shows up on her doorstep begging for help, Alex is torn. She's sure Ruth will revert to her unpleasant ways - possibly ruining the life she's built with Chase - but they are, after all, sisters. And even dysfunctional sisters have an obligation to take care of each other. Don't they?

Chapters switch from the perspectives of Alex and Ruth, with each telling her side of the story as she sees it, leaving readers to wonder who's the attacker and who's the villain. It's not till near the end that glimpses of reality creep in, and I must say that when the "truth" was revealed, I still wasn't convinced that either sister could pass for an innocent bystander. I'm not sure that was the intent, but I didn't like either sister well enough to give her a pass on bad behavior.

Still, I enjoyed this journey very much - and I recommend it as an anytime read, but especially on a beach read (if the virus pandemic we're currently experiencing eases up enough for beaches to be open) or by the fireplace when snow is falling outside. It's well-written, entertaining and fast-paced - what more could readers want? Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

Hurry Home by Roz Nay (Crooked Lane Books, July 2020); 272 pp.