16 Nov Book Review: The Better Sister by Alafair Burke

Alafair Burke, acclaimed for her gripping legal thrillers, takes a turn into deeply personal territory with The Better Sister. This domestic suspense novel examines the darker sides of sibling rivalry, parental expectations, and long-buried secrets. With a layered narrative and polished prose, Burke delivers a tense examination of what it means to be “good enough” when everything is on the line.

What’s it about?

Charlotte and Violet Gray are sisters bound by birth but divided by life choices. Charlotte is the elder, the responsible one: lawyer, mother, steady wife, seen by their parents as the golden child. Violet, the younger, is charming and impulsive, prone to drifting—but still lovable.

The tension begins years before the main events: when Violet drifts away to Europe after college, she leaves Charlotte stuck in the family home to care for their aging parents and raise her niece. The imbalance fuels resentment, but family dinners and holiday gatherings keep the facade steady.

The novel’s primary drama unfolds after Charlotte’s husband, Miles, dies in a sudden accident. As grief wells up, Charlotte begins to suspect that Violet—who claims she was out of touch during that period—might have been back in town. A child’s toy found in the garage, an unfamiliar scent on the curtains, and a photo that doesn’t belong start to unsettle her. She becomes convinced that Violet hid something—something connected to Miles’s death.

Charlotte retraces their shared past: decisions they made as teens, secrets they kept from each other, and moments when each sister was betrayed. Violet responds with guarded concern, but also with impatience and anger. As Charlotte digs deeper—talking to family acquaintances, rereading old voicemails, revisiting sites from their childhood—it becomes clear that the sisters’ narratives of their shared past are very different.

With each chapter, suspicion thickens. That long-ago betrayal (when Violet accidentally revealed Charlotte’s secret) is recontextualized; a scholarship that Charlotte earned with hard work may have been influenced by a family member’s intervention. Even their mother’s small slights add up. Every discovery draws Charlotte further into paranoia—and leaves Violet increasingly defensive.

The climax erupts when Charlotte confronts Violet at their family home one stormy night. Accusations fly—not just about Miles’s death, but about years of being overlooked, undervalued, and unloved. Violent revelations are followed by sobbing apologies and half-truths neither sister fully understands. What happened that one night… and who was protecting whom?

In the aftermath, both women must reconsider what “better” actually means. It’s not about being perfect—it’s about being honest. They find themselves holding each other up in a way they never could before, acknowledging that their past—however fractured—shaped them in urgent ways.

What This Chick Thinks

Sibling Rivalry, Revved Up

Burke captures that intoxicating mix of love, envy, and obligation you only find between sisters. The slow-burn tension mathces real life: small slights accumulating into life-altering bitterness.

Emotional Stakes, Not Just Plot

While the mystery of Miles’s accident drives the story, the emotional core is these two women unravelling themselves. That dual focus is Burke at her strongest—suspense that lands because the characters feel true.

Prose That Keeps It Chilly

There’s a crispness to Burke’s writing—efficient, tense, almost clinical. But when needed, it shines with emotional warmth. That contrast adds to the unspoken weight of their unresolved bond.

Some Twists Feel Familiar

If you know the domestic thriller genre well, you might predict some of the pivots. But Burke’s execution is sharp enough to make it satisfying.

Final Thoughts

The Better Sister is a tight, emotionally charged thriller about what happens when we allow sibling comparisons to calcify into long-term grudges. Burke builds suspense not through shocks alone, but through relentless internal pressure. If you’re drawn to female relationships with bite and nuance, this one will haunt you a little.

Rating: 8.5/10

Try it if you like:

• Sisters Like Us by Rachel Lynett — A stylish thriller centered on old promises, shifting alliances, and family tension.
• The Perfect Lie by Rachel Rhys — It explores secrets between female friends, and the lies that bind them.
• Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty — Complex female relationships unraveling against a backdrop of suspense and social masks.