A Family of Strangers by @EmilieRichards ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

Could a lifetime of memories…be a lifetime of lies?

I have read all of Emilie Richards books and even though this is a slight change from her normal genre, it's fantastic and my favorite of all of her books. Her past books have been women's fiction but her new book has a central mystery that keeps you guessing until the end.

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June 2019; MIRA; 978-0778309178
audio, ebook, print (496 pages); domestic thriller

Though Ryan and Wendy are sisters, they were never close because there were so many years between them. Wendy was ready to start college when Ryan was born. Wendy was a successful businesswoman who helped her dad run the family business. She was married to a military person who was gone for long periods of time in submarines and they had 2 young daughters. Ryan had a successful podcast about cold cases. Out of the blue, Wendy calls Ryan and says she can't come home because she may be accused of murder and asks Ryan to move into her home (4 hours away) and take care of her daughters until she can get home. That is all she tells her! Ryan has to try to keep the truth from her mother and her father, who is recovering from a heart attack without worrying them. The two little girls are not overly friendly to Ryan and as she tries to win them over, she is spending most of her time trying to figure out what is really going on with her sister. The more she learns, the stranger things get! Blood may be thicker than water, but what does Ryan owe a sister who, with every revelation, becomes more and more a stranger?

A Family of Strangers is an excellent family drama with a central mystery that affects the entire family. Even though Ryan is the sister who didn't feel like she was part of the family, she stepped up when she was asked for help from her sister. I thought that she was a very strong and resilient character who went well beyond to help her family. I enjoyed her scenes with her nieces as she tried to pull them out of their shells. There is also some romance for Ryan when she meets up with her old boyfriend. This is a wonderful story about love and family and how far people will go to protect the ones they love.

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About the Author

Emilie Richards’s many novels feature complex characterizations and in-depth explorations of social issues. Both are a result of her training and experience as a family counselor, which contribute to her fascination with relationships of all kinds. Emilie and her husband enjoy dividing their time between the Florida Gulf Coast and Chautauqua County, New York. She is currently working on her next novel for MIRA Books.

Connect with Emilie
Website | Facebook | Twitter

Susan Roberts lives in North Carolina when she isn't traveling. She and her husband enjoy traveling, gardening and spending time with their family and friends. She reads almost anything (and the piles of books in her house prove that) but her favorite genres are Southern fiction, women's fiction, and thrillers. Susan is a top 1% Goodreads Reviewer. You can connect with Susan on Facebook, Goodreads, or Twitter. 

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