The Half Sister

(Paperback, Main)

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Description

When Diana's mother dies, she impulsively invites estranged half-sister Valerie and her nine-year-old son to stay at her grand country home. On the night of the funeral, fueled by wine and years of resentment, the sisters argue and a terrible accident occurs.

The foundations of a well-ordered life begin to crack and the lies begin to surface, one dangerous secret after another.

Reviews

Gripping . . . Filled with the acute psychological insights that distinguished the author's debut The Well . . . Chanter's gift for depicting emotional upheaval pervades this tale of crumbling families -- Anita Sethi * * Observer * *
Darkly unfolds with family secrets, moral complexities and slow-burning revenge . . . This young boy's journey of personal growth beyond the difficulties in his past is the emotional backbone of an eerie, page-turning family thriller * * The List * *
PRAISE FOR THE WELL: A markedly assured new voice * * Sunday Times * *
Astoundingly assured . . . A brilliant writer * * Observer * *
I loved this book -- Jessie Burton, author of THE MINIATURIST
Ripples with mystery and intrigue from the first page * * Daily Mail * *
I was gripped by Catherine Chanter's The Well immediately. The beauty of her prose is riveting, the imagery so assured. This is an astonishing debut -- SARAH WINMAN, author of WHEN GOD WAS A RABBIT
Calls to mind fiction by Margaret Atwood and Michel Faber although stylistically Chanter has developed a strong voice of her own -- Anita Sethi * * Observer * *
A drought-ridden, riot-threatened country; a sinister religious cult; a child's unsolved murder; and a culture of surveillance. Catherine Chanter's first novel has the ingredients of a dystopian nightmare, yet it's more . . . a literary page-turner * * Independent * *
A haunting novel about ordinary people confronted by extraordinary situations * * Elle * *

Author Bio

Catherine Chanter was born and raised in the West Country. She has led education provision within the NHS for young people with significant mental health problems and currently works for a charity which seeks to engage excluded and vulnerable children and teenagers in learning.

Her debut novel, The Well, won the 2013 Lucy Cavendish Prize for Unpublished Fiction, was longlisted for the 2015 CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger, and was picked for the Richard and Judy Book Club.