Review: The Second Sister by Claire Kendal

Ella’s sister Miranda disappeared ten years ago, leaving behind her infant son and all of her possessions. She did not run away. Despite Miranda’s alleged murderer being arrested and locked up, Ella never gave up hope that her sister would return. When new evidence suddenly comes to light through the media, Ella’s decade-long ‘paranoia’ seems to pay off. She uses the information the police have cast off and dismissed to search for her sister, yet what she finds is unexpected, and puts her own life in danger.

Ella is determined and passionate, and the reader can’t help but cheer for her. It is refreshing to have a character radiate such integrity and honesty (while many around her do just the opposite). Her immense likeability make her frantic search for answers all the more desperate and vital. In addition, she’s literally a kick-ass-and-take-names kinda girl. Ella can hold her own, and her toughness and level-headedness make her a sassy and loveable protagonist. Despite this, Ella is a complex, wholly human character with an enviable family life (despite the hole left by her sister’s disappearance). She is caring, motherly and fun. A winning combination not usually seen in your girl-gets-her-own-back novel.

The Second Sister is a thoroughly enjoyable read – my only problem was that it ended (and induced an hours-long sulk). Claire Kendal has a talent for contrasting wholesome characters like Ella with deliciously messed-up counterparts such as killers, obsessed and deluded best friends, and pining boyfriends. It’s a brilliant combination which feels as exciting and varied as society can. A delightfully unpredictable twist adds the final punch to an otherwise action-packed story that will make anyway a fan of Kendal, asking (as I do) ‘When is the next book coming out?’.

The Second Sister by Claire Kendal is published by Harper Collins, and is available in South Africa from Jonathan Ball Publishers.