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Sister, Psychopath: A chilling novel of psychological suspense Kindle Edition

4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 1,016 ratings

Families can be deadly...

When they were children, Megan adored her younger sister. Now she suspects Chloe is a psychopath, who may be guilty of murder. Megan has no proof, however.

After their mentally ill mother becomes increasingly unstable through Chloe’s manipulations, events take an ugly twist. Chloe is out of control, and there’s little anyone can do about it. Until her actions threaten the life of Toby, the man Megan adores but from whom she’s hiding a tragic secret.

Threatened with losing everyone she loves, can Megan stop Chloe before she kills again?

A study of sibling rivalry and dysfunctional relationships, Sister, Psychopath tells of the damage inflicted on one woman by her own family.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Maggie James is a British author who lives in Bristol. She writes psychological suspense novels. 

Before turning her hand to writing, Maggie worked mainly as an accountant, with a diversion into practising as a nutritional therapist. Diet and health remain high on her list of interests, along with travel. Accountancy does not, but then it never did. The urge to pack a bag and go off travelling is always lurking in the background! When not writing, going to the gym, practising yoga or travelling, Maggie can be found seeking new four-legged friends to pet; animals are a lifelong love!

Receive a free copy of His Kidnapper's Shoes when you sign up for Maggie's newsletter! You'll also get free novels from other authors (with their permission, of course!), as well as the latest news, book recommendations and discounts. Copy and paste this link into your browser: eepurl.com/8Fwp5

Find out more about Maggie, including how to get her free novella Blackwater Lake, at maggiejamesfiction.com.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00CIVULXK
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Orelia Publishing (December 30, 2013)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 30, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.4 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 232 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 1,016 ratings

About the author

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Maggie James
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Maggie James is a British author who lives near Newcastle. She writes psychological suspense novels.

Before turning her hand to writing, Maggie worked mainly as an accountant, with a diversion into practising as a nutritional therapist. Diet and health remain high on her list of interests, along with travel. Accountancy does not, but then it never did. The urge to pack a bag and go off travelling is always lurking in the background! When not writing, going to the gym, practising yoga or travelling, Maggie can be found seeking new four-legged friends to pet; animals are a lifelong love!

Sign up for Maggie's Special Readers' Group for the chance to win one of her signed paperbacks! Copy and paste this link into your browser: http://eepurl.com/bzW8ZP

Find out more about Maggie, including how to get her free novella Blackwater Lake, at https://www.maggiejamesfiction.com.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
1,016 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book has a fascinating storyline with twists and turns that keep them hooked. They describe it as an exciting, entertaining read that holds their interest throughout. The characters are well-developed and likable, with compelling dialogue. Readers praise the writing quality as compelling and amazing. However, some felt the pace started out slow.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

26 customers mention "Twists and turns"20 positive6 negative

Customers enjoy the book's twists and turns. They find the story fascinating, suspenseful, and well-written. The characters are interesting and complex, with a chilling backbone of psychological thriller elements. The ending is thought-provoking and gives readers a different perspective on the whole story.

"...Yes, you! But that’s the chilling backbone of a psychological thriller, realizing there are no boundaries when it comes to thoughts and motivations..." Read more

"...characters that they grab you by the scruff of the shirt and yank you into the story as well as into their psyche by writing the POV of each person...." Read more

"...Talk about twists and turns. This is a well-written and developed story that's character-driven (all dialogue), with each chapter written and..." Read more

"...Mysteries, romances and even a murder. If you're good you'll guess most of the twists but you might miss the turns!" Read more

17 customers mention "Enjoyment"17 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it exciting and engaging, keeping their interest throughout. Many read the entire book in one sitting.

"...A mind-bending read and hours of entertainment! I’ve cleared more space on my reading shelf for another Maggie James novel. Well done, Ms. James!" Read more

"...I did read the book quickly, so it kept my attention, but only because I really wanted to know what the heck was going on...." Read more

"Great book! It's filled with a lot of twists and turns. Mysteries, romances and even a murder...." Read more

"...I couldn't stand her, personally, but she was exciting to read. Megan and Toby sparked my curiosity and James and Tilly both got on my nerves...." Read more

7 customers mention "Character development"5 positive2 negative

Customers find the book's characters engaging, with likable heroines and villains. The story is character-driven, with dialogue throughout.

"...James has mastered the craft of developing stand-out characters, whether the likable heroines or the despised villains...." Read more

"...She develops such interesting and complex characters that they grab you by the scruff of the shirt and yank you into the story as well as into their..." Read more

"...This is a well-written and developed story that's character-driven (all dialogue), with each chapter written and alternating from the POV of one of..." Read more

"...beginning because the writing was compelling and made me feel strongly about all of the characters . . . until about the third chapter...." Read more

6 customers mention "Writing quality"6 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book. They find the writing compelling and engaging, describing it as a well-written psychological thriller that delves into the characters' minds.

"Maggie James is an amazingly unique writer!!..." Read more

"...Talk about twists and turns. This is a well-written and developed story that's character-driven (all dialogue), with each chapter written and..." Read more

"...A well written fantastic psychological thriller, that delves deep into the pysche and mind of the mentally ill...." Read more

"...This was beautifully written and kept me on tenterhooks throughout the entire book...." Read more

3 customers mention "Edginess"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and edgy.

"Stunning and twisted are the perfect terms to describe Sister, Psychopath...." Read more

"...This is not a "feel good" book. For me it was entertaining and edgy." Read more

"...The way the characters are written, is beautiful!!!" Read more

3 customers mention "Pace"0 positive3 negative

Customers find the book's pace slow at first, but it quickly becomes a page-turner. They mention the multiple stories slow down the storytelling pace.

"...This is a definite must-read. It does start off a little slow, but quickly picks up...." Read more

"...were several POVs, in fact there were four, which slow down the pace of the storytelling...." Read more

"Started out a little slow, but quickly became a 'page turner'! I read the entire book in one sitting...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2014
    Psychological thriller fans will be in their comfort zone when reading Sister, Psychopath, a mind-stretching novel by author Maggie James.

    Initially the author introduces the reader to some seemingly ordinary polite individuals. That lasts for a few pages, and then things become a little off-center. As James’s characters unleash their personal agendas driven by deep-seated motivations, the reader is very likely to hug the edge of their seat, maybe even gnaw a couple fingernails to the quick. Remember Sister, Psychopath is a psychological thriller. It’ll mess with your mind, and I loved it!

    James has mastered the craft of developing stand-out characters, whether the likable heroines or the despised villains. The author has a way of letting her characters tell the story to the reader in such a way that the full force of those characters comes alive on the pages of her books. Her characters could easily be the reader’s next door neighbor or in the case of Sister, Psychopath, the characters could be the reader’s family members, or one of the characters could easily be the reader. Yes, you! But that’s the chilling backbone of a psychological thriller, realizing there are no boundaries when it comes to thoughts and motivations of the human being.

    Sister, Psychopath is a perfect example of short-circuiting motivations that seem to be plentiful with James’s characters. No one has a corner on deceit, and no one has a monopoly on revenge. Neither does one individual have a lock on greed or scheming. But most important no one owns the process of rationalization which is rampant and rife in Maggie James’s novels. It’s that full-throttle quality that is an enjoyable hallmark of her books. Her characters generate maximum conflict and tension from their rationalizing, thus providing a harvest of psychological thrills for her readers.

    When I finished Sister, Psychopath I was tempted to book an appointment with the therapist down the street, just to get my head straight. But I decided against that idea; thought I’d wait until I read Maggie James’s next psychological thriller, The Second Captive, according to James’s website. Then I’ll be ready for some serious mind-straightening therapy.

    It only takes a little rationalization for me to give a Five-Star rating for Sister, Psychopath. A mind-bending read and hours of entertainment! I’ve cleared more space on my reading shelf for another Maggie James novel. Well done, Ms. James!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2015
    Maggie James is an amazingly unique writer!! She develops such interesting and complex characters that they grab you by the scruff of the shirt and yank you into the story as well as into their psyche by writing the POV of each person. The complex relationship between a mentally ill mother and her two daughters (each with different fathers and neither father in the picture) each with hugely different personalities. So many secrets and lies from the past as well as the present slowly and dangerously coming to the surface! The story line has so many twists and turns...you are not going to guess who does what or who next!!
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2019
    So, I liked the story line and I liked the twist. However, I think every single character was mentally ill and the book almost seems like it was written by a young adult or even a teenager at times. There are so many things that are repeated over and over and some of the arguments between the characters are downright juvenile.

    I did read the book quickly, so it kept my attention, but only because I really wanted to know what the heck was going on.

    Some of the plots/story lines just weren’t believable. There were just too many far fetched, crazy coincidences going on.
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2013
    4.5 stars

    Psychopath : a person with a psychopathic personality, which manifests as amoral and antisocial behavior, lack of ability to love or establish meaningful personal relationships, extreme egocentricity, failure to learn from experience, etc. " Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary "

    Lies, deceit, secrets, and ulterior motives - this novel is chock full of them. Just when you think you've figured it out, something new and unexpected comes to light. Talk about twists and turns. This is a well-written and developed story that's character-driven (all dialogue), with each chapter written and alternating from the POV of one of the six individuals at the heart of the story: Tilly, Meagan, Chloe, James, Toby, and Charlotte. This is not a story about true love. It's about hatred, jealousy, and cruelty of the worst kind. The author does not hold back when it comes to each character, what they say, what they feel, and what they think, all of which made each character come across so honest and real. (I hope this makes sense.) In my opinion, this is what makes this novel stand out from so many others. This is a definite must-read. It does start off a little slow, but quickly picks up. I was so caught up in the story I didn't stop until I got to the very end.

    This is the first novel I've read by this author, and it won't be my last.

    FYI: Though each chapter is from the POV of one of the characters, the chapters are not clearly marked to indicate which one. It takes reading the first couple of sentences (or first paragraph) to figure it out (half-star lost for this). Regardless, don't let this hinder your decision whether to read it or not.
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2018
    Great book! It's filled with a lot of twists and turns. Mysteries, romances and even a murder. If you're good you'll guess most of the twists but you might miss the turns!

Top reviews from other countries

  • Sean Talbot
    5.0 out of 5 stars Maggie James
    Reviewed in Canada on October 11, 2020
    Sister Psychopath was not really what I expected. It is a great book and one that will stick with me for a long time to come.

    It had a lot of manipulative textures and a great example of post traumatic stress disorder.

    The main character was wonderful and I wasn't expecting what happened. I think that this book showed the best and the worst in people.

    She was warped and she was evil at times but I think that really was more because she was suffering so much as well. Having a mother who had mental health issues and a sister who was always against her. It was no shock that she ended up with mental issues herself.
  • MR M H NUTT
    5.0 out of 5 stars A tale of two sisters ...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 31, 2013
    Imagine what the siblings in 'Whatever Happened To Baby Jane' might have been like in their younger days - joined by family ties but hating each other vehemently in a vicious sibling rivalry. Maggie James' second novel, 'Sister, Psychopath' is a tale of two sisters: Megan and Chloe, half-sisters and as alike as chalk and cheese, or should that be id and ego?

    The story is set in the author's home city of Bristol and Bristolians will spot the many references to localities (I was amused to find Browns restaurant renamed as Greens). However, the writer is less concerned with the urban setting of her novel than with the characters that inhabit its lonely suburbs. This is a dialogue-based, character-driven story, a mix of first person (for the sisters) and third person (for other characters) narratives in which the six central characters interact.

    The book has an interesting structure, after the opening chapter has introduced five of the main characters as they meet socially in a bar. Each subsequent chapter has two of these characters meeting up, so that the story progresses through a series of rendezvous and couplings. It soon becomes apparent that in every encounter one person is invariably trying to use the other for their own purposes. Everyone, it seems, is scheming and has an ulterior motive for their actions as they plot to fulfil their desires.

    The object of their desires is mature, fit and handsome James, trapped in a sham marriage to his wheelchair-bound wife Charlotte. James is a ticking time-bomb of sexual frustration and pent-up emotions just waiting to explode. He is target of a three-pronged attack: from predatory, gold-digging, teenager Chloe; from Chloe's self-deluded, mentally disturbed mother Tilly (mad as a box of frogs), fixated on her fantasies of domestic bliss with him; and the philandering Toby, ex-partner of Megan and Chloe, ready to take a walk on the wild side after exhausting his supply of available women.

    Charlotte is clearly the stumbling block here, the obstacle preventing each one of them getting to the object of their desires. Devoted, loyal James is never going to leave Charlotte, so the reader expects someone somehow to remove her from the scene. What happens is quite extraordinary, a leap into madness, and just when you think you know what to expect, the author confounds your expectations.

    Reading this book is a bit like people-watching. These are not necessarily people you would want to spend much time with, but we become fascinated by their foibles and failings, and want to follow where their machinations may take them. The author's characters are constantly driven by their appetites, whether for food or sex. They are the self-obsessed inhabitants of Middle Britain, self-analysing and navel-gazing, and absorbed in their own anxieties and feelings.

    Again, as in her first novel 'His Kidnapper's Shoes', there is a dark side to human nature that the author likes to explore: her characters all have something to hide, a guilty secret that will come out in time. James and Charlotte hide their knowledge of the reason why she ended up crippled from a car crash; Megan keeps a teenage secret only her mother and younger sister Chloe know about; and Tilly unwisely confides in Chloe what she knows about James' distant past.

    It is seeking the revelation of these dark secrets that keeps the reader interested, and drives the narrative forward. With each revelation we are taken into a new realm of possibilities, and there are several dramatic surprises as the story twists and turns on its way to a conclusion worthy of Roald Dahl's 'Tales of the Unexpected'. It appears that nothing and nobody are quite what they seem to be, and our assumptions are challenged by an ending that turns everything on its head. Written in clear, sharp prose that does not spare the reader's blushes, 'Sister, Psychopath' is a page-turner that will keep you interested through to the final paragraph.
  • Gwendy P.
    2.0 out of 5 stars obvious
    Reviewed in Canada on August 12, 2018
    There are a few things that happen in the middle of the story that I didn't anticipate, however, the entire "reveal/twist" (like Duh!) of the book, specially the ending were totally obvious, predictable, derivative, unoriginal. And not that skillfully presented. Yawn.
  • read-along-with-sue
    4.0 out of 5 stars Gripping thriller
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 25, 2015
    I was looking forward to getting to read this book for several reasons.

    1. I like the author
    2. I have read one of her other books and enjoyed it.
    3. She lives near me and its based around places and my hometown which I am familiar with.
    4. It has a great blurb which took my attention.

    I wasn't wrong on any of these counts.

    For you who follow my reviews will know that I do write honest and as tactfully as I can when something just wasn't 'there' just something that was missing for me personally.

    The "only" thing was that it was so slow in the beginning.

    Once it captured my attention I was a 'green' for 'go' and just stayed with this book last night until I finished it.

    Megan and Chloe were half sisters. When they were small Megan adored Chloe however, that changed, that changed drastically as they grew up.
    Chloe made some really horrible remarks to Megan which I would have slapped her for. I thought Megan was very calm in some aspects towards her sister.

    There is a man involved in this tale. Its a good weave.

    James Matthews is a wealthy businessman. Megan and Chloe's mother works for him and has an infatuation for James. Whilst Chloe also is wanted to reel him into her wicked web.........gold digger!

    Their Mother has a psychiatric illness which makes her act, shall we say...not sensible at times.

    James is married.
    James likes Tucker.
    Megan is close to Tucker.
    Chloe wants James.
    Their mother wants James.

    There are wicked sociopathic inroads in this story that lead us to how dangerous Chloe is. There are family dysfunctional epics, there are sister rivalry, there are conflicting love interests, there are questionable sexuality issues and acceptance.

    But there is Chloe and she is one mad chick, she is one deranged female that has a lot going on.

    When you get to about 1/2 way through this story you will not be able to stop thinking about it, you will need to sit with this until you see the conclusion.

    Its a superbly well thought out plot that yes, it did start off slow for me, but that was OK in the end because it reached its climax. And the climax was breathtakingly good.

    My thanks to the author and the authors publicist for allowing me the honor to read and review this book.
  • Karen H
    5.0 out of 5 stars All human (and inhuman) life is here!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 18, 2013
    This pacy page turner introduces us to a group of complex and well-drawn characters, all of whom have axes to grind!

    As each intertwined relationship is picked apart, so the roots of the often unhealthy (in more ways than one)attachments and aversions are revealed. It is fascinating to witness the lengths and depths these individuals will go to, to achieve their,ultimately self-serving,ends.

    The book is extremely enjoyable as the reader is kept guessing,whilst each protagonist is laid bare ,as to who will finally get their "just desserts" and to whom will go the "spoils"

    I can wholeheartedly praise this book for its beautifully described and three dimensional personalities and events,but it is not for the faint-hearted as it is packed with the sometimes very unpleasant reality of human failings-all helping to make it an unmissable read!

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