The Forgotten Sister
The Forgotten Sister is a timeslip novel, based in Tudor England and the present day. In the 16th century Amy Robsart is married to Robert Dudley, a favourite of Queen Elizabeth, but she is increasingly unhappy and resorts to desperate measures to secure her future. In the present day, Lizzie, a television personality, finds herself embroiled in a scandal involving her best friend Dudley and a suspicious death. The two stories are linked by a mysterious supernatural connection to the past, shared by Lizzie and Johnny, a young man whom she befriends.
I have to confess that I found the present-day story contrived in its parallels, particularly with respect to the names (just about every character in the present day is named for their Tudor equivalent). The supernatural element is not entirely convincing and, although the storylines are individually compelling, it was not until the end that I felt a real connection between them. Additionally, I would have liked the character of Avery, an enigmatic older woman who helps Lizzie, to have been more fully developed.
However, I enjoyed reading about the historical mystery that surrounded Amy Robsart – an episode that I was not previously familiar with – and I was hoping for things to come right for Lizzie in the present day. Whatever its faults, this book is a real page-turner.
