[Review] Thicker Than Water - Megan Collins

Summary: Julia and Sienna Larkin are sisters-in-law, connected by Julia’s husband and Sienna’s brother, Jason. More than that, the two are devoted best friends and business partners, believing that theirs is a uniquely unbreakable bond. To Sienna, her protective brother can do no wrong, and although Julia knows he’s not perfect, they’ve built a comfortable life and family together. Recently, Jason has been putting in long hours to secure a promotion at work, so when his boss is found brutally murdered—his lips sewn shut—the Larkins are shocked and unsettled, especially as local gossip swirls.

A few days later, Julia and Sienna’s lives are upended when Jason gets into a car accident and is placed in a medically induced coma. Worse, the police arrive with news that he’s the prime suspect in the murder investigation. With Jason unable to respond—and with Julia and Sienna working to clear his name—the two women find their friendship threatened for the first time: Sienna staunchly maintains her brother’s innocence, but as their investigation uncovers a complicated web of secrets, Julia is less sure she’s willing to defend her husband. (Pub Date: Jul 11 2023)

 

Jason, Julia's husband and Sienna's brother, was in an accident and is now in a coma. When this happens, the police finds evidence in his car making him into the main suspect in his boss's death days before. Could it be they never knew Jason well and he is really a murderer?

Although I'm not sure why the author wanted to emphasize it so much, I liked the dynamic, the bond built between Julia and Sienna, even though it's crumbling down even before the book starts. This is a curious story and it kept me turning pages. Jason looks like a boring man and then he could suddenly be a murderer, and one that was very cruel. A nightmare when you're part of the family.

It was also interesting how Julia and Sienna end up taking different approaches coming from the same point—this isn't the Jason they know. Julia starts wondering whether she really knows her husband, while Sienna will get any lead that could incriminate her brother and find a loophole of doubt, even when it's not reasonable. It made sense for Sienna to act with such blind trust (even if they didn't already have a past that made Jason be her hero), but I didn't believe the reasons for Julia to distrust Jason so quickly, even if he hasn't always been so perfect to her as she has to his sister. 

This was just the first thing I frowned upon. As we advance in the development of the story, the mystery becomes less interesting. I even imagined what had happened much before half the book but couldn't believe the police could be so stupid. This will be my only spoiler, but it was. Incredibly stupid. The conclusion was lukewarm, and the explanation wasn't convincing either.

This is a good book for some time, but it doesn't sustain. It's not a rhythm problem, so you'll probably continue to turning pages as you were in the beginning. It'll keep you interested. But it won't pay off, unfortunately. The ending isn't the terrible kind, don't worry. That's why I recommend to those wanting a nice mystery to spend your time, keeping in mind the explanation will probably be exactly the one you imagine or maybe even more simple than that. Well, it could have been much more, but I had a good time.

Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

Rating: 3 out of 5.