The wrong sister A novel

Douglas (The Woman Who Lied, 2024) introduces Tasha and Aaron, residents of a small town in Northern England, as they prepare for a house swap. Tasha's sister, Alice, and her new husband have agreed to watch Tasha and Aaron's young twins, also offering up their lavish Venice apartment so the couple can celebrate their anniversary. The intricate plot involves several converging mysteries ignited by two separate attacks on both couples, one of which proves deadly. Douglas gives hints about the long-ago abduction of a third sister and how that event altered various characters' trajectories. When a subsequent death occurs, it's unclear if it's linked to the first attack, the missing child, a jealous rival, or organized crime. By alternating narrators in short, cliff-hanging chapters, Douglas maintains a blinding pace while the parceled-out backstory deepens character development. Multiple red herrings and twists are cleanly resolved, and Douglas stays aligned with her overarching themes of self-delusion, familial obligation, and the emotional cost of secrecy. With this addition, best-selling domestic thriller author Douglas upholds her solid reputation within a wildly popular genre.