Review: The Third Sister (Ilka Jensen #3) by Sara Blaedel


Print Length: 304 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (April 7, 2020)

From Goodreads.com:  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 . . .
 


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My Rating: 2 stars out of 5

This book was just too much. Too many unnecessary "twists" (this person is a bad guy! No, wait no they aren't! This person is dead! No wait..wait no they aren't)! The constant back and forth became tiresome - and when you coupled that with how readily people were willing to forgive and forget? And how many characters kept being thrown at you? It just became unrealistic to the point that I stopped enjoying the story. 


The straw that broke the camel's back, however? Was the constant threat that Artie would be discharged from the hospital unless Ilka provided them with a copy of his insurance paperwork (to be certain he was covered for treatment). Scans canceled, threats to have him discharged (the man had a bleed on his brain for crying out loud), etc, etc. Even though over $85,000 had already been deposited in his "patient account" to cover the treatment. I'm sorry - I know our healthcare system is rubbish - but this would never happen. Hospitals are required to treat all patients whether or not they are covered by insurance. This seemed like just another way for the author to heap more burdens on Ilka's shoulders. And because it was so blatantly over the top, it took me out of the story altogether. 

The whole thing was utterly disappointing, especially considering the author does have a strong writing style. I have read other stories from her, but I had to say that this one will likely be my last.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.


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                                 The Third Sister is available from Amazon.com

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