Jini's Updates

"I picked The Better Sister at the library because it was on the shelf and though I did not like The Wife, I wanted to give the author another shot.

This is what I get for being open minded.

** Minor spoilers ahead **

Chloe and Nicky are sisters; Chloe is the good girl, Nicky is the wild child.

When Chloe's husband, Adam, former ex-husband to Nicky, is found dead, all suspicions turn to Nicky's son.

The sisters must band together to protect him, all the while discovering secrets they have been hiding from one another. Blah blah blah.

First, let's talk about the writing.

It's bad. Like The Silent Patient bad. I found the poor prose distracting me from the story. Not that there's much story.

Second, we have plenty of unsympathetic characters, namely Chloe.

Ms. Burke spends an inordinate amount of time talking Chloe up as a journalist writing a groundbreaking article capitalizing on the #MeToo movement, which reeks of phony baloney horse doody.

I get the author wants to show the dichotomy between Chloe's professional and personal life, but I had a lot of difficulty suspending disbelief that Chloe is such a lauded journalist.

I had a hard time believing Chloe is as intelligent and witty as described. But that's not her fault. She's just poorly written.

Next, we got the standard cliches; the wild sister, the handsome man with a great job who everyone regards as reliable; a bit of adultering going on here but its not a big factor in the story.

Fourth, purposely omitting details from the lives of the characters so when revelations are brought to light the readers are shocked.

This is not a twist; this is a trick.

When I read a mystery, I want to suss out clues, get background on witnesses and suspects, follow the trail along with the hero or heroine and make my own deductions.

Don't hide details from the readers. That's a cheat. It's unfair.

You can't do that here.

Which brings me to my biggest caveat, the lack of a mystery.

The last half of the novel turns into a soppy, grade C Law and Order courtroom drama.

And I love me some Law and Order but not when it reads as filler.

In fact, the title says it all as to whodunit.

It's like watching a movie trailer that gives you the entire plot in 2 minutes.

I don't think I'm gonna read Ms. Burke's next book."