HER SISTER'S CHILD

4 stars out of 5

Clever but complicated. The second conclusion - which happened because of the sheer number of characters, multiple identities and ever-changing time frames - almost caused me to pack it in. But the first one started to kick in somewhere around the halfway point - and from then on, I was glued to my Kindle till the very last page.

Paula Donnelly regularly visits the grave of her older sister, an alcoholic who died when she was 24 (at the time of Paula's current visit, Lizzie would have been 40). Their parents gave up on Lizzie many years ago, but Paula remains loyal. Besides that, she's convinced that Lizzie had been pregnant, and gave birth shortly before she died. Paula, now divorced with two children of her own, is intent on finding out what happened to that baby (if, in fact, there really was one).

Next up is Charlie, who is pregnant and not at all sure she really wants a baby. Still, she resists her parents' demand that she have an abortion and moves out to a flat she shares with the birth father, who's a real cad. 

Then it's back to Paula, who meets a former schoolmate at a bar she happens to visit while trying to decide how to proceed with her baby search. As it turns out, he's very willing to help - although it's questionable whether it's altruistic, or wants to curry favor with Paula or something more sinister. The plot shifts perspective from these and other characters until it finally turns enlightening - and exciting. A good bit of the tale is predictable once things start coming together, although there's one big reveal that comes as a surprise (at least it did to me).

All in all, I really enjoyed the book, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy. I do advise other readers, though, to do what I always do (mostly as a memory aid when it comes to writing my reviews): Keep notes on names and relationships along the way. It's a lot easier to refer to notes, especially if you're reading on a Kindle as I do, than trying to locate the place in the book to find the character who appears several chapters later but you can't remember who he or she is. 

Her Sister's Child by Alison James (Bookouture, November 2020); 351 pp.