How close are you with your siblings? I'm lucky to have a great relationship with both my younger brothers, but with all three of us living in different cities, staying involved in each other's lives takes effort from all of us. So how do we manage to stay so close? Well, it's really a combination of random text messages, memes, phone calls, FaceTime, and taking every opportunity we can to spend time together on trips and vacations.
It's that idea of maintaining a sibling connection, especially through traveling together, that Nina Simon taps into with her latest novel, My Sister Is Going to Kill Me. Of course, based on that title, the sisters in this story may have a slightly more complicated relationship than my brothers and I do.
Sisters Liv and Mandy couldn't be more different. Liv is the practical older sister, organized and prepared for just about anything. Mandy flies by the seat of her pants. Despite their differences, the two look forward to their yearly trip together.
This year, it's Mandy's turn to choose, and naturally, she decides to do something adventurous. They're joining a group of strangers for a rafting trip through the Grand Canyon, hoping that a few days away from their everyday lives will help revitalize their relationship. What could possibly go wrong?
Well, for starters, one of their fellow travelers turns up dead.
Suddenly, this sister getaway has turned into a full-blown murder mystery. Someone on the trip is a killer, and with nowhere to go but downriver, Liv and Mandy are stuck with a group of people they barely know. If they're going to make it out of the Grand Canyon alive, Liv and Mandy will have to figure out who they can trust. More importantly, they'll have to figure out if they can still trust each other.
With My Sister Is Going to Kill Me, Nina Simon packages a story about two very different sisters inside a fast-paced murder mystery. It has pretty much everything I want from this kind of thriller. There's a killer on the loose, a wilderness setting that adds a constant sense of "will they make it out alive?" tension, and two main characters whose opposite personalities bring an extra layer of drama to everything happening around them.
There's also a backstory involving corporate greed and what happens when a company's desire to succeed comes at the expense of the health and well-being of its employees and customers. It's a lot to pack into one book. And somehow, Simon mostly makes it work.
Sure, the plot stretches believability, and I had the killer figured out fairly early on, but I was having enough fun to go along with it. The Grand Canyon setting gives the story a great sense of adventure, and the relationship between Liv and Mandy gave me something to care about beyond discovering who the killer is. My Sister Is Going to Kill Me may not be the kind of mystery that sticks with me for long, but it kept me entertained while I was reading. Sometimes, that's enough.
For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
(2026, 70)
That is quite a setting for a murder mystery.
ReplyDeleteRight? It gave some great adventure vibes!
DeleteThe title drew me in. No sisters only brothers!
ReplyDeleteYou know, the title ended up being a bit of a head scratcher for me. I can't say it really relates to the story.
DeleteSounds like a fun summer 'popcorn' thriller. And I do like that Grand Canyon setting. I have two older sisters and we have a really good relationship. It helps that we all live close to one another and can get together often.
ReplyDeleteIt's a solid 3 star read for me. Fun, but nothing that blew me away.
DeleteYour blog's new look is going to take me a minute to get used to! I thought I'd come to the wrong blog at first. ;D But I like it.
DeleteThank you! It's been quite the labor of love in the background recently, but I'm very pleased with how it came out.
DeleteAt a first glance, the backstory seems to stand apart from the rest of the story, the family dynamics...kudos to the author for making it work.
ReplyDeleteIt's all kind of mixed up in the execution, but I had fun with it either way.
DeleteI think this sounds like a good murder mystery.
ReplyDeleteI have 3 older half brothers and 1 half sister. And 1 younger brother. I'm really only close with my younger brother.
It can be so hard to stay in touch, so I understand not being close with all of them.
Delete"I was having enough fun to go along with it" - I was gonna say, sounds like something where I'd guess the ending way too quick but have so much fun, it'd be worth it anyway!
ReplyDeleteIt's precisely that kind of read!
DeleteGeez, I am gone for a couple weeks and BOOM! new design. I like it, it looks fantastic!
ReplyDeleteJust requested this one from the library. My brain has been absolute mush since school started, I've read almost nothing. Not even fiction is working, but this one might do the trick!
It was time for a refresh haha. I've been working on this int he background for a while, and it finally felt like it was ready to launch. So I'm very happy you approve!
DeleteAs for not reading, I'm convinced we just need to find you a good page turner!
Oooh, this sounds like a thriller/mystery I'd enjoy! I love the Grand Canyon, adventure kind of setting. I'll check this out. Love the new look to the blog!
ReplyDeleteI think you'd like the setting, too. And thank you! I'm very please with how the blog evolved with the redesign. I'm particularly proud of the review archive. Check it out when you get a chance!
DeleteI seldom figure out the killer so maybe I would stand a chance here
ReplyDelete