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My Sister’s Lies: A gripping novel of love, loss and dark family secrets
S.D. Robertson
‘A heartbreaking tale’ THE SUN‘Exceptionally beautiful’ MIRANDA DICKINSONFor a decade, Hannah’s life has been pretty close to perfect – she has a great job, she’s married to Mark, and her child-free existence means she’s free as a bird. The only sadness in her life is a fall-out with her sister Diane, who hasn’t spoken to her in over ten years. But now Diane is on her doorstep – and this time, she’s got her teenage daughter Mia in tow.When Diane asks if Mia can stay with Hannah and Mark for a few days, Hannah is glad of the chance to get to know her niece. But as the days turn into weeks and Diane doesn’t return, Hannah begins to worry. Why hasn’t her sister been in touch?Diane is carrying a devastating secret that will destroy Hannah’s carefully constructed life. But how much is she willing to reveal – and when will she pick her moment?An emotional story that delves into the true meaning of family, sisterhood and secrets. Perfect for fans of Kerry Fisher and Adele Parks.
Copyright (#ube433caa-2f5e-5677-b510-cb88aeaeb2b2)
Published by AVON
A Division of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
www.harpercollins.co.uk (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk/)
First published in Great Britain by HarperCollins 2019
Copyright © S.D. Robertson 2019
Cover design © S.D. Robertson 2019
S.D. Robertson asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this ebook on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.
Source ISBN: 9780008223489
Ebook Edition © March 2019 ISBN: 9780008223496
Version: 2018-11-20
PRAISE FOR S.D. ROBERTSON: (#ube433caa-2f5e-5677-b510-cb88aeaeb2b2)
‘A heartbreaking tale of love, grief and devotion.’
The Sun
‘Exceptionally beautiful, emotionally charged and inspirational.
Miranda Dickinson
‘Keeps you guessing to the turn of the last page. S.D. Robertson writes with brave assurance that makes the story a must-read and marks him as an author to follow.’
Stewart Foster
‘A wonderfully told tale of devastation, grief and ultimately hope, with a narrative that grips from the start and doesn’t let go until the final page.’
Kathryn Hughes
‘What’s really, really clever about this book is that you don’t realise you’ve been drawn in until it’s too late to stop. The story leaves you sliding down an emotional knife edge until you freefall. It’s soft, subtle, and engaging, then devastating.’
Helen Fields
‘Real. Emotional. Powerful. A must-read for anyone who loves to lose themselves completely in a book.’
Claudia Carroll
‘A story that will pull you in and entrance you till the very end. I didn’t want it to finish.’
Echoes in an Empty Room
‘A joy to read and a most deserving 5 star rating.’
Boon’s Bookcase
‘Gives you a lovely warm feeling inside.’
Jaffareadstoo
‘Sensitively and superbly written … I was under the book’s spell until the last word.’
Gingerbookgeek
‘Pick up the book today and prepare yourself for an uplifting and glorious journey!’
Kristin’s Novel Café
‘A superb tale of love, loss, and the value of real friends … An outstanding novel that deserves to be read far and wide.’
Books of All Kinds
Dedication (#ube433caa-2f5e-5677-b510-cb88aeaeb2b2)
For Claudia
Contents
Cover (#u77511c26-a7cd-5915-b0d5-1a4cd595b6ed)
Title Page (#ucd3f6719-68eb-500c-9c2c-162d049c966e)
Copyright
Praise for S.D. Robertson
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter 1: Twelve days earlier
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Client Session Transcript: HCOOK290719
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Client Session Transcript: HCOOK060819
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Client Session Transcript: HCOOK080819
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Client Session Transcript: HCOOK090819
Chapter 24
Chapter 25: October 2008
Chapter 26: Now
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Epilogue: Several days later
Acknowledgements
Keep Reading …
About the Author
Also by S.D. Robertson
About the Publisher
PROLOGUE (#ube433caa-2f5e-5677-b510-cb88aeaeb2b2)
She waves goodbye to him through the windscreen of her car and congratulates herself on a fine acting performance. She’s fairly certain she managed not to give anything away while driving the short journey to the station. It wasn’t as hard as it might have been with another person. Things were bound to be awkward between them anyway, particularly after last night and everything they discussed. But still. She could easily have said or done something to raise his suspicions – to signal her intentions – yet she didn’t. Now she’s confident he’ll be almost as shocked as everyone else by her death.
Not long to go, but first things first. She drives the car a short distance until she spots a post box. Then she parks at the side of the road, unzips her handbag and pulls out the small padded envelope she placed in there earlier. She holds it in her hands for a moment, her eyes briefly scanning the name and address plus the postage label she printed off in the early hours, then lets out a slow sigh and feels a couple of tears trickle down either cheek. This little package looks like so many others she’s posted out, selling bits and bobs on eBay, but it couldn’t be more different. And by posting it, she will be sealing her fate. There will be no going back after that.
She gets out of the car and stands in front of the red pillar box. Hesitates for a moment. Looks at the name and address one more time, checking again that they’re right, and shoves it through the open slot before she can change her mind.
It’s done.
She returns to the car, looks at her pale face in the mirror and then drives on, one step closer to the end.
She arrives at Costa a few minutes later. It’s the coffee shop branch they always used to go to together before doing the shopping on a Saturday morning; it’s much quieter this early on a weekday. She orders the same as they always did – a latte and a hot chocolate – even though it’s only her now. She’s tempted to order a biscuit or cake too but decides she probably won’t be able to manage it.
She sips the latte and pretends she’s not alone. Trawls her memory for an image of another hot chocolate in a pair of hands on one of those glorious Saturdays, which she never properly appreciated until they were over. It’s the same with so much in life, she thinks. You take wonderful things for granted, only realising how amazing they are when they’re no longer there. It’s incredible what imminent death does for your sense of perspective.
She doesn’t actually drink much of her coffee, fearful the caffeine might upset her stomach. Ordering a decaf would have been more sensible, or drinking the hot chocolate instead, but she wants to experience the taste exactly as it was in the days she remembers so fondly.
That and the smell certainly do the trick. When she closes her eyes, she’s hurtled headfirst into the past. She stays there as long as she can, revelling in its warm glow, until the cup her hand circles grows cold, and wearily she returns to the present: her last morning on earth.
