Book Review for Mother Daughter Sister Stranger by Hank Phillippi Ryan

 

Mother Daughter Sister Stranger by Hank Phillippi Ryan

Published:  September 1, 2026 by Minotaur Books

Genre:  Mystery Thriller, Psychological Thriller

Taken from Goodreads:  What happens when the past rises from the ashes to destroy you?

Eliza Ramsey and her sister Bea are the sole survivors of the fiery plane crash that killed their parents—and share a bond they vow is unbreakable. But now, eleven years later, on the exact anniversary of the tragedy, Bea fails to retrieve her pre-teen daughter from a sleepover at Eliza’s. Eliza knows her sister would never leave her precious Piper behind—even in her care—and fears the worst.

Piper is confused at her mother’s absence. Her father, Bea's recent ex, is out of town and uninterested in Bea’s whereabouts. Police are dismissive. But Eliza is terrified. Especially as it becomes clear that Bea might have planned her own disappearance.

The Ramsey’s lives have already crashed and burned once—and now, Eliza discovers she must protect her niece from the horrifying truth about her family’s sinister history—and together, they must prevent their lives from going up in in flames once again.

A missing influencer. Her frightened daughter. And a sister on a desperate search for a happy ending. But someone knows the deadly key to their shared past—and now won’t stop until they’ve written a terrifying final chapter. Mother, daughter, sister—stranger.

 

My Thoughts:  Mother Daughter Sister Stranger is a phenomenal psychological thriller.  The idea that a devoted mother would leave her daughter with her aunt and just disappear is not new, but the rest of this story is not one that I have read before.   There are so many twists and turns that I could not even begin to guess which direction the author was going to take me next.   There were times that I thought I knew what would happen next but rarely was I correct. 

I liked that Eliza, the aunt, never gave up on Bea, the mother.   She knew that Piper, the daughter/niece, needed her mom back and that her mom would never leave her.   Eliza was not Piper’s mom, but with Bea being gone she stepped into the role and kept Piper safe.  Eliza and Piper’s relationship is perfect in this story.  Eliza kept Piper in the know without giving her too much information causing her to worry more about her mom. 

Hank Phillippi Ryan is a must-read thriller author.   I always get excited when she has a book being released and know that it will be an automatic purchase.  

Thank you to the author, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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