05 Jan / The Sisters Chase by Sarah Healy [in Library Journal]
When Diane dies in a car accident, her daughters, 18-year-old Mary and 4-year-old Hannah, are left effectively with nothing. The family’s rundown New Jersey seaside motel, which has always been home, is less than worthless owing to back taxes. Without resources, Mary and Hannah head south, eventually arriving on the Florida doorstep of Diane’s wealthy, unwelcoming cousin; they’ll leave soon enough, toting a cash windfall. The sisters’ peregrinations continue to Rhode Island, then California, driven by obsession, betrayal, revenge, and maybe a sliver of redemption.
Mary is not a reliable narrator: she’ll say, believe, convince, and lie about anything to survive. The single exception of absolute truth is her fierce, unconditional attachment to Hannah, whom she tries to nurture, protect, and always love.
Rebecca Gibel – at turns steely, desperate, wheedling, innocent, and raw – reads Healy’s (House of Wonder) latest with precision, imbuing Mary with persuasive gravitas. The manipulations are so cunning, so didn’t-see-that-coming, as to (ironically) delight, despite the eerie chills that never quite let up.
Verdict: Thrill-ists will undoubtedly seek this irresistibly clever Chase; libraries might also take note of a crossover YA opportunity here, as well.
Review: “Audio,” Library Journal, January 1, 2018
Readers: Adult
Published: 2017