When I set out to write No One Can Know, I started with the image of three sisters—the girls who would become Emma, Juliette, and Daphne Palmers—living under the same roof, with the same parents, experiencing the same events, but each of them in their own world. It’s always fascinated me, how siblings can grow up in the same family, and have completely different experiences of it—rules loosen up for younger children, finances change, marriages end, and favorites are anointed.
The book opens with the murder of the girls’ parents, and middle sister Emma instructing her siblings on what to do. She takes control of the situation, and she never tells a soul what she saw that night, even when she was accused of the crime. But when Emma and her husband return to the house where the murders occurred, she realizes it’s time to uncover the truth—which means digging into her sisters’ lives, and the worlds they lived in that she never glimpsed. I wanted to tell a story in which each sister had experienced one version of the events of that night, but could never see the full picture until they were finally able to put those overlapping images together.
I loved writing about the relationships between the sisters and the complex decisions that they made—torn between love and fear, loyalty and self-preservation. Maybe it’s because I’m a middle child myself, but I’ve always been drawn to stories of sisters. The ones that would help cover up a murder—and the ones who might end up murdering each other.
Here are six of my favorite stories featuring sisters—the good, the bad, and the complicated.
My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
I couldn’t resist including Oyinkan Braithwaite’s compulsively readable story of Korede, whose sister Ayoola is either deeply unlucky in love or maybe (probably) a cold-blooded serial killer. She’s always got a perfectly reasonable excuse for why her latest boyfriend had to go. Korede is always there to clean up her sister’s mess, moral qualms or no, but when Ayoola starts cozying up to the man Korede is in love with, Korede has to decide if it’s time to put an end to her sister’s bad habits.
Blood Will Tell by Heather Chavez
Another tale of a woman deciding how far she’ll go to conceal her sister’s misdeeds, Blood Will Tell concerns the disappearance of two girls years apart. Five years ago, Frankie helped cover up her sister Izzy’s involvement in the first girl’s presumed death. Now, another girl has gone missing, and Frankie’s car, which Izzy has access to, was seen at the scene of the abduction. In order to protect her sister, Frankie has to find out what exactly Izzy is up to—and face the truth of what both of them did that night all those years ago. Frankie’s protective instincts are at odds with Izzy’s rebellious nature, and the tension between the sisters is painfully convincing and deeply compelling.
The Turnout by Megan Abbott
Not for the faint of heart, this unsettling and at times uncomfortable book takes a long, dark dive into the world of ballet. Sisters Marie and Dara, along with Dara’s husband Charlie, run a ballet studio once owned by their mother. Their claustrophobic world is disrupted when a fire damages the school, necessitating repairs. The contractor the three hire proves a corrosive, dangerous force. This book oozes atmosphere and dread, creating a fascinating portrait of the sisters and their deeply intertwined lives.
Sadie by Courtney Summers
Though the sister in question is dead before the story begins, her fate and Sadie’s love for her drive the entire narrative. Told partially in podcast transcripts, the book tails the titular Sadie as she hunts down the man who killed her sister; meanwhile, West McCray attempts to track her down and uncover her story. McCray’s pursuit of Sadie and Sadie’s pursuit of her sister’s killer allow us to glimpse her story from within and without, as layers of her tragic upbringing are revealed. Everyone has failed Sadie; she refuses to fail her sister.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
A well-deserved classic, We Have Always Lived in the Castle comes alive thanks to the distinctive and curious voice of its narrator, young Merricat Blackwood, who lives with her sister Constance in the house where their family died. Merricat’s peculiar perspective on the world and the way she dances around what, exactly, occurred on that fateful day drive the story as the refuge she and Constance have created is tested, threatened, and transformed.
Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart
For a more lighthearted take on sisterly mysteries, try the Kopp Sisters series by Amy Stewart. These fast-paced historical mysteries, inspired by a true story, feature one of America’s first female deputy sheriffs, Constance Kopp, along with her sisters Norma and Fleurette. When the family farm is threatened by a silk factory owner, Constance and her sisters have to step up to put him behind bars. Luckily, Constance is up to the task.
***
