R.I.P. X Book Review: The Night Sister by Jennifer McMahon

R.I.P. X is hosted this year by The Estella Society

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Goodreads Summary:

The latest novel from New York Times best-selling author Jennifer McMahon is an atmospheric, gripping, and suspenseful tale that probes the bond between sisters and the peril of keeping secrets.

Once the thriving attraction of rural Vermont, the Tower Motel now stands in disrepair, alive only in the memories of Amy, Piper, and Piper's kid sister, Margot. The three played there as girls until the day that their games uncovered something dark and twisted in the motel's past, something that ruined their friendship forever.

Now adult, Piper and Margot have tried to forget what they found that fateful summer, but their lives are upended when Piper receives a panicked midnight call from Margot, with news of a horrific crime for which Amy stands accused. Suddenly, Margot and Piper are forced to relive the time that they found the suitcase that once belonged to Silvie Slater, the aunt that Amy claimed had run away to Hollywood to live out her dream of becoming Hitchcock's next blonde bombshell leading lady. As Margot and Piper investigate, a cleverly woven plot unfolds—revealing the story of Sylvie and Rose, two other sisters who lived at the motel during its 1950s heyday. Each believed the other to be something truly monstrous, but only one carries the secret that would haunt the generations to come.

My thoughts:

A lonely stretch of road, a crumbling hotel, a house filled with secrets..it's beginning to sound a bit like a Hitchcock movie isn't it? Vaguely reminiscent of Psycho's Bates Motel, Hitchcock does have a bit role to play in this book, although a small one.

This book is told through three different points of view, at three different time periods. Rose in the 1950s, Amy, Rose's daughter in the 1980s, and Piper in the present day. Amy, Piper, and Piper's sister Margot were close childhood friends until the summer of 1989, when something happened to split them up, a secret that started all the way back in the 50s with Rose and her sister Sylvie. The reader is also treated to the occasional point of view from Sylvie, in her letters to Mr. Hitchcock.  

McMahon does an incredible job of building suspense ~ I had to put the book down sometimes because just wondering what was going to happen freaked me out. The settings and atmospheres were perfect for each time frame, and really added to the story. The Night Sister had so many twists and turns and secrets that even though it scared me, I absolutely had to finish the book to find out what was going on, and what really happened ~ in the 50s and in present day. Two mysteries for the price of one! The ending once revealed was just a teensy bit so-so for me ~ I had a little bit higher expectations after such a big build up, but it really wasn't bad. McMahon had a different take on a familiar theme, so that was pretty cool. 

Overall, this book is a perfectly spooky read, especially this time of the year! You just might find yourself listening to those sounds that go bump in the night a little more closely, after reading this one.