Fraternal twins Rose and Fern Castle share all but three things: Rose's diabetes, Fern's sensory-processing difficulties, and their memories of how their mother raised them. As long as Fern can remember, Rose has been angry with their mother, accusing her of rages and neglect that Fern doesn't recall. Rose has always taken care of Fern, steering her in the right direction when her social perceptions fail her. Fern trusts her implicitly. She knows that sisterhood is not perfect; it's "both sunshine and guts, lollipops and blood, good and bad." But when Fern meets a man who "gets" her—another person living on the margins of "normal" society—Rose moves to rescue her sister from certain disaster. How far will she go to keep Fern's devotion? When details of a long-ago death are revealed, each sister knows what she must do to survive. VERDICT Hepworth's latest (after The Mother-in-Law) is written from one sister's perspective with the other's thoughts in diary form. It's a warped tale of twisted memories and skewed perceptions that will make fans of psychological thrillers say, "Wow, I didn't see that coming."—K.L. Romo, Duncanville, TX

Good sister Rose responsibly watches over offbeat, introverted sibling Fern, a kind-hearted soul who doesn't recognize that their mother has a decidedly sociopathic bent. But long ago, Fern herself did something terrible, which Rose keeps hidden even as she panics at the news that Fern wants a baby. From the author of The Mother-in-Law; with a 200,000-copy first printing.

Rose Castle and her twin sister, Fern, who share narrative duties in this addictive psychological thriller from Hepworth (The Mother-in-Law), live in Victoria, Australia. Rose is a married interior designer, and Fern is a librarian who suffers from a sensory processing disorder. When Fern discovers that Rose desperately wants to become a mother, but has been unable to conceive, she considers everything Rose has done for her, including protecting Fern from their abusive mother during their childhood, and decides to act as a surrogate. To that end, she seduces a library patron in order to get pregnant. Fearful of Fern's emotional fragility, Rose moves in with her sister to ensure the pregnancy runs smoothly. Excerpts from Rose's journal heighten the suspense by gradually revealing the abuse the girls suffered as children. Meanwhile, Fern expresses her growing discomfort with her sister's arrangements while giving insights into living with her disorder. Punchy prose helps propel the twisty plot to a creepy but satisfying conclusion. For fans of domestic dramas, this is a treat. (Apr.)