New Release Book Review: Seven Sisters by Katherine Kovacic

Title: Seven Sisters

Author: Katherine Kovacic

Published: January 4th 2023

Publisher: Harper Collins – AU

Pages: 320

Genres:  Fiction, Suspense, Thriller

RRP: $32.99

Rating: 4 stars

Men get away with murder all the time. Now it’s our turn … A twisty, intriguing crime novel for fans of The Mother and The Family Doctor.

Naomi started grief counselling prepared to run for cover as soon as her therapist, Mia, pulled out a crystal or tried to align her chakras.

When Mia suggests that she join a support group, Naomi is sceptical: how could she begin to describe what it felt like to lose her sister, Jo? How could she possibly share her loss and rage to a room full of people? How could she express her helplessness that Jo’s killer walks free on a suspended sentence?

And how could she share her deepest desire to see Jo’s killer dead by her hand?

In the group sessions, Naomi finds that her experiences and her anger are shared between the other members: Gabrielle, Brooke, Katy, Olivia and Amy. Under the enigmatic leadership of Mia, a plan begins to take shape.

I’ll kill yours if you kill mine …

Review:

I am a big fan of Melbourne based author Katherine Kovacic. Having devoured Kovacic’s Alex Clayton series and her non-fiction release The Schoolgirl Strangler, I have been on tenterhooks waiting for her new release. Seven Sisters is a psychological crime thriller. With themes of revenge, karma, justice and morals, Seven Sisters is a conflicting tale.

Katherine Kovacic is such a versatile and creative author. After exploring avenues such as crime fiction, cosy crime and non-fiction true crime, we are now graced with a Katherine Kovacic release with psychological fiction elements. Seven Sisters is a book that I was itching to read and I was lucky to receive an uncorrected reading copy from the publisher. I’m glad the wait is over and I finally got the chance to read Seven Sisters, it was a tense read from beginning to end.

Vigilante style sisterhood novels do appeal to me and I was keen to see how Katherine Kovacic would handle this plot direction. Kovacic’s plot is clever, diverse and intriguing. I was immediately drawn into the premise of this one.

Kovacic devotes a significant portion of the novel to setting her scene and helping us gain a sense of familiarity around her grief counselling support group. It then takes quite a deadly and shocking twist, immersing the reader in a fast-paced crime escape tale.  I think the latter half the novel ramps up pace and tension wise. I was definitely gripping my reading chair tightly as I cheered these women on to success, hoping they would get away with their ultimate act of revenge.

Kovacic takes a raw and honest look at the impact of domestic abuse, not just on those abused but their loved ones left behind. With a knowing and respectful gaze placed on this topical subject, I was pleased to see Kovacic take a sensitive approach to this emotionally difficult aspect of our lives, that is sadly a terrible reality for many. The Australian context was welcomed and I appreciated seeing the impact of this justice wise from the eyes of the different women involved. The varied perspectives were a little hard to grasp at first, but I eventually found my way. Tension comes from the threat of discovery, along with the police presence. I was pretty nervous for most of the time I spent with Seven Sisters, it was a kind of gut churning read.

Sacrifice, commitment, empowerment, reprisal and strength defines Seven Sisters. A powerful read with some triggers, put this one on your list if you appreciate a well crafted psychological suspense tale.

Seven Sisters by Katherine Kovacic was published on 4th January 2023 by HarperCollins – AU. Details on how to purchase the book can be found here.

To learn more about the author of Seven Sisters, Katherine Kovacic, visit here.

*Thanks extended to HarperCollins Books Australia for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.