Victoria's Reviews > The Bad Sister

I have been a fan of O'Brien's for a few years now - he's a talented writer with a good grasp on pacing, plot and characters. Needless to say, I am always keeping an eye out for his books - both the earlier titles that I missed and his newest. Though not really marketed as such, this latest one is actually something of a sequel to last summer's thriller, The Betrayed Wife. You don't have to read that one first (though O'Brien quickly sums up the pertinent points which will spoil the action for those who haven't read it - my bad memory greatly appreciated the reminders, though!).

This one focuses on the O'Rourke half-sisters, Hannah and Eden. They have received scholarships to a small, private (and fictitious) university on the North Shore of Chicago - in Delmar (squeezed in around Lake Bluff and Lake Forest). The author's own familiarity with the area really shows - and I greatly appreciated the details of the geography that all added up so flawlessly - seriously, everything just felt spot-on from the Metro stops, the correct highway exits and grocery stories (sometimes those details aren't correct in other Chicago-based books and it drives me crazy!). The authenticity really added to my overall enjoyment of this one!

The book moves along at a fast pace, with multiple perspectives, and multiple strings of the plot - from echoes of 1970s murders at the college, to suspicious characters and plenty of intrigue. A few of the plot's turns are more expected than others, but there are some real shocks here, too! Plus, the book addressed many of the open threads that were left unaddressed in its predecessor. This time, though, the epilogue seems to indicate that this is the end for the O'Rourke family - but I secretly hope that it isn't! I really liked all of the characters! I really and genuinely had fun reading this one from start to finish! I can't wait to see what O'Brien will write next!