THE GOOD SISTER and THE YOUNGER WIFE
Sally Hepworth
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St. Martin's Press
3/22
Fiction
Paperback, 336 pages
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"A stunningly clever thriller made doubly suspenseful by not one, but two unreliable narrators."
- People
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The author of The Mother-In-Law delivers a knock-out of a novel about the lies that bind two sisters in The Good Sister.
There's only been one time that Rose couldn't stop me from doing the wrong thing and that was a mistake that will haunt me for the rest of my life.
Fern Castle works in her local library. She has dinner with her twin sister Rose three nights a week. And she avoids crowds, bright lights and loud noises as much as possible. Fern has a carefully structured life and disrupting her routine can be dangerous.
When Rose discovers that she cannot get pregnant, Fern sees her chance to pay her sister back for everything Rose has done for her. Fern can have a baby for Rose. She just needs to find a father. Simple.
Fern's mission will shake the foundations of the life she has carefully built for herself and stir dark secrets from the past, in this quirky, rich, and shocking story of what families keep hidden.
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Dear Reader,
The Good Sister celebrates sisterhood in all its tumultuous glory, and it was inspired by watching my two little girls playing a few summers ago.
One day, I saw something incredible. My little girls were playing nicely with each other. There were actual squeals of joy! I knew this was a moment to be celebrated, so I decided to duck inside and use the time wisely by hiding in the pantry and eating chocolate. Unfortunately, I’d barely stepped over the threshold when the squeals of joy turned into something else. By the time I got outside, there was a fresh ring of teeth marks in my older daughter’s arm, and my younger daughter was looking very guilty.
Obviously, my reaction was to reprimand my very guilty-looking two-year-old, but the moment I opened my mouth to do so, the eldest, injured party leapt to her defense: “Don’t you yell at my baby sister!” I was stunned. “But she bit you!”
“I know,” she agreed thoughtfully. “But don’t worry. I’ll just get her back later.”
And then they were playing happily again.
As someone with two older brothers, I was puzzled. I used to enjoy nothing more than seeing them get into trouble. But sisters, I realized, were different. There was more love, perhaps, but also more cunning. A possessiveness that said they could hurt their sister, but no one else could. I walked away from this incident and went straight to my desk, and started writing The Good Sister.
Sally
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THE GOOD SISTER Book Club Menu
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The Good Sister would pair perfectly with a smorgasbord of kids’ party treats— think Kit Kats, M&Ms, gummy bears, Toblerone—to be enjoyed solo: adult bliss. Create the kind of fantasy situation you craved as a child—no siblings to share with. When you’ve had your fill, and there’s only licorice and Turkish delights left, invite your sibling to join.
-Sally Hepworth
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St. Martin's Press
4/5/22
Fiction / Thriller
Hardcover, 352 pages
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"[An] appealing domestic suspense novel from bestseller Hepworth [with a] fast-moving plot. This often funny and affecting outing should win Hepworth new fans."
-Publisher's Weekly
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Sally Hepworth's new novel about family secrets and lies.
THE HUSBAND: A heart surgeon at the top of his field, Stephen Aston is getting married again. But first, he must divorce his current wife, even though she can no longer speak for herself.
THE DAUGHTERS: Tully and Rachel Aston look upon their father’s fiancée, Heather, as an interloper. Heather is younger than both of them. Clearly, she’s after their father’s money.
THE FORMER WIFE: With their mother in a precarious position, Tully and Rachel are determined to get to the truth about their family’s secrets, the soon-to-be new wife closing in, and who their father really is.
THE YOUNGER WIFE: Heather has secrets of her own. Will getting to the truth unleash the most dangerous impulses in all of them?
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Dear Reader,
A few years ago, my great aunty Gwen had been taken to hospital after a fall when she called me to ask if I’d bring in her hot water bottle from home. It was a bit of a drive for me, in the opposite direction, so I offered to bring her my own hot water bottle, or even buy her a new hot water bottle on my way. But Gwen was oddly insistent that it had to be her bottle.
Of course, I was intrigued. Why on earth did she want her hot water bottle at this particular moment? I got my answer when I retrieved the bottle and found it stuffed with tens of thousands of dollars. I was blown away. Gwen was a woman of modest means … why would she keep this much money hidden? Was she a granny drug dealer? It turned out to be far less interesting: a win on the poker machines and a healthy distrust of banks.
It started my writer’s brain ticking. This hot water bottle formed the basis of The Younger Wife, and I hope you enjoy it with a side of tea and biscuits, just as Gwen would have.
Sally
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THE YOUNGER WIFE Book Club Menu
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The Younger Wife is best paired with a milky cup of tea and a plate of good ol’ granny-style biscuits—I’m thinking jam drops and shortbread— in honor of my great aunty Gwen, who was the inspiration for The Younger Wife.
-Sally Hepworth
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