Like a Sister

By: Kellye Garrett

Narrated by: Bahni Turpin

In this "crackling domestic suspense" filled with "wry humor and deft pacing" (Alyssa Cole), no one bats an eye when a Black reality TV star is found dead—except her estranged half-sister, whose refusal to believe the official story leads her on a dangerous search for the truth.

Edgar Award Finalist for Best Novel • Lefty Award Winner for Best Mystery Novel • A Book of the Month Club Pick • An Oxygen Book Club Pick • A Today Show Spring Fiction Pick • A New York Post Best New Book of the Week • A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year • A South Florida Sun-Sentinel Best Mystery of the Year • A CrimeReads Best Psychological Thriller of the Year

“A mystery that has everything I love most: an intriguing set up; an absorbing storyline that kept me guessing; a satisfying ending; and, most of all, incredibly well-developed characters I kept thinking about long after I finished the book.” ―Jasmine Guillory, Today Show

“I found out my sister was back in New York from Instagram. I found out she’d died from the New York Daily News.”

When the body of reality TV star Desiree Pierce is found on a playground in the Bronx the morning after her twenty-fifth birthday party, the police and the media are quick to declare her death an overdose. A tragedy, certainly, but not a crime.

Yet Columbia grad student Lena—principled, headstrong, and allergic to the spotlight—knows that can’t be the case. Despite the bitter truth that the two hadn’t spoken in two years, they were half-sisters. Lena knew Desiree. And Desiree would never travel above 125th Street. Something is very wrong with the facts. So why is no one listening?

While the two sisters had been torn apart by Desiree’s partying and by their difficult father, Lena becomes determined to find justice for Desiree. Even if that means untangling her family’s darkest secrets—or ending up dead herself.

“A briskly plotted, socially astute thriller.” ―Los Angeles Times

“Equal parts charm and heartbreak, with razor-sharp insights on class, race, and family.” —Laura Lippman

“Dishes up the glitz of the haves and the struggles of the have-nots, infusing classic noir storytelling with Big Apple glamour—#pageturner.” —Oprah Daily

“A twisty murder mystery with nuance and heart.” ―BookPage

“Noir for the media-struck generation...Original and witty.” ―National Public Radio
“Domestic suspense for the Instagram gen. #lovedit.” —Lori Rader-Day

Critic reviews

“Kellye Garrett is impressive on paper and, in conversation, a force of nature… [Like a Sister is a] briskly plotted, socially astute new thriller.”—The Los Angeles Times

"Lights, camera, corpse . . . Garrett’s taut novel dishes up the glitz of the haves and the struggles of the have-nots in a New York cleaved along lines of race and class, infusing classic noir storytelling with Big Apple glamor and buzzy texts and tweets—#pageturner."—Oprah Daily

"Kellye Garrett, a break-out star in crime fiction since her debut, has upped the ante with her latest, Like a Sister. A traditional mystery set in the world of reality television and Instagram influencers, it is equal parts charm and heartbreak, with razor-sharp insights on class, race, and family. I'm happy to know that Kellye Garrett is just getting started. I can't wait to see what she does next."—Laura Lippman, New York Times bestselling author of Lady in the Lake

“A crackling domestic suspense that has you turning the pages to see what happens next. . . . The novel explores difficult family dynamics, interrogates class and race, dismantles the 'Strong Black Woman' fallacy, and highlights a search for justice that Black women are often denied. These elements are carefully layered into a suspenseful and voicey narrative with a heroine you're rooting for from page one. Garrett's wry humor, attention to detail, and deft pacing are a tension wire pulled taut against the compelling mystery driving the novel; Like A Sister is one of those books that's best prepared for ahead of time, because once you pick it up, it will be difficult to put down.”—Alyssa Cole, Entertainment Weekly

“Noir for the media-struck generation . . . Character and voice mesh with Like a Sister's explorations of race, class and family in an arresting combination.”—NPR.org

"A mystery that has everything I love most about the genre: an intriguing set up; an absorbing storyline that kept me guessing; a satisfying ending; and most of all, incredibly well developed characters that I kept thinking about long after I finished the book. I want everyone I know to read it so we can talk about it.’”—Jasmine Guillory, The Today Show

"Brimming with suspense and wit, Like a Sister is a tense, twisting mystery that explores the complex bonds within family and the elusive nature of truth. Smart, sharp, and completely engrossing—an absolutely can’t-put-it-down read!"—Megan Miranda, New York Times bestselling author of All the Missing Girls and Such a Quiet Place

Loved it!

This is my first read for this author and it was awesome. I loved not being able to predict what was coming. Will def be reading more from her.

Excellent

I’m picky and this was a five star read for me. Great story line and nice twist.

Great story overall

Really well written story! The plot and the diversity of characters was great. I will say, the main character development was shallow. Main character has a few really odd corks (obsessive use of the word sh!tnuts) and we never understand even a small bit of why.
Worse part for me was the narrator. She speaks in the voice of an 8yr old the entire time! It was extremely annoying at times. It was like she was narrating a cartoon at certain points!

Twists and turns

I enjoyed the twists of the story and the reveal of who dun it! I had a hard time with the narrator's white girl voice. It was ridiculous, cloying and continued the whole time. I almost stopped listening. I think this would've been more enjoyable if I read it myself, rather than listening.

Engaging and full of voice!

I loved how I felt like I was running around New York right along with Lena as she discovered the secrets behind her sister’s death! Twisty and fun, we’ll written and a fast listen.