Sara Blaedel | THE THIRD SISTER

Plot (via Goodreads):

Ilka Jensen's life is in chaos following the tumultuous events of Her Father's Secret. The funeral home she inherited after her estranged father's death is bankrupt. Her new business partner, Artie, lies unconscious in the hospital after a savage attack by mysterious assailants, and her father's second wife is in prison.

Then, just as Ilka learns a shocking revelation about her father, two menacing strangers turn up at the funeral home -- dangerous men who mean to draw her further into a world of secrets, betrayal, and murder.

In order to protect herself and those around her, Ilka sets off on a twisting journey to confront the truth about the man who abandoned her as a child. But the long-buried secrets of her father's past are more tangled and perilous than Ilka could ever imagine . . .

Review:

Sara Blaedel is one of my favorite authors ever and as much as I love the Louise Rick series, I was really excited a couple of years ago when she started the Ilka Jensen trilogy that also takes place in the U.S.! The first book took a little while for me to get used to because it was not that violent or dark and was more of a character-driven domestic suspense novel that was also a mystery. I wasn't used to this with Blaedel's writing, nevertheless I fell in love with Ilka and this story. Book two really amped up things and increased the pacing and was definitely the darker of the three novels. Well, The Third Sister is finally here and did Blaedel ever do one hell of a job wrapping everything up with a tight-knit and immersive little bow.

I think this one might be my favorite of the trilogy because of the key focus on some of the secondary characters that I cannot mention due to spoilers. What I will say is that I loved this one so much; the pacing was great, the story-line was immersive and the twists and turns were abundant. There is one particular backstory that is mentioned often including a cult that definitely was reminiscent of Blaedel's other stories in the sense it was darker and brought more of that Danish element that I love so much with Blaedel's writing right into this story.

I think this one wrapped everything up wonderfully and left me fully satisfied in the end. I cannot wait to see what Blaedel does next; whether it be a new trilogy, series, or reconnecting me with Louise Rick - no matter what I am here for it. If you're looking for a binge-worthy new series from a great author that focuses on a domestic sense and isn't as violent or gory, I would definitely recommend the Ilka Jensen series. If you want something darker, gear up for Louise Rick - either way, Sara Blaedel is an author I think everyone should have on their bookshelves.

Special thanks to Grand Central Publishing for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 4/5