The Missing Sister: Lucinda Riley (The Seven Sisters, 7)

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Well-written, with beautiful descriptions of Rangoon and Mandalay in Burma under British occupation during the 1930s, this story was quite enchanting. The main character of Belle Hatton made me want to scream sometimes, but I suppose she was quite typical of many women of the times, brought up to think of themselves as the frail and easily frightened sex, whilst men were portrayed as brave, all powerful deciders who were never wrong (some things, at least, don't change with the years, huh?!!).

You don’t need to say anything else. I don’t want to fight anymore. Who knows if I’m ever gonna see you again? I don’t want you to regret coming here.” Severus said quietly and Lily hated this ‘I don’t know if we will be alive tomorrow’ sort of speech. She hated that she kept hearing everywhere she went. She hated that every day it seemed that she lost more and more control of her life every day. They only have one clue – an image of a star-shaped emerald ring. The search to find the missing sister will take them across the globe; from New Zealand to Canada, England, France and Ireland, uniting them all in their mission to at last complete their family. J'ai une fois de plus été subjuguée par la plume de Dinah Jefferies qui nous propose avec La disparue de Birmanie une histoire prenante où nous allons suivre le combat d'une femme pour retrouver sa soeur disparue. You know I could never see you marry another man. You know my feelings for you.” Severus said, so different from the last time they spoke. He had no regrets now, no inhibitions. We can now confirm that Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt will be published around the world in spring 2023, co-written by Harry Whittaker. Lucinda and Harry worked closely together on The Guardian Angels series for children. Harry writes: ‘Mum has passed on the secrets of the series, and I will keep my promise to her in sharing them with her loyal readers. Rest assured that in spring 2023, the whole world will know just who Pa Salt is and why he adopted the sisters.’ We thank those of you who have allowed us the space to grieve, and those who have donated so generously to Mary’s Meals . – Lucinda’s family

Travelling out on the boat to Rangoon, Belle Hatton happens to chum up with Gloria de Clemente, a quixotic and charismatic woman around town. Belle has landed a job in the sizzling city of glorious colour and smells as a star performer.and through Gloria she comes to meet her brother Edward, who is a fixer and philanderer (given the chance). Yet he seems to the have the wherewithal to help progress Belle’s stage career. Inspired by the Seven Sisters of the Pleiades star constellation, the series is based on Greek myth. Each of the sisters is brought from legend to the modern world: Maia the nurturer, Ally the adventurer, Star the dreamer, CeCe the artist, Tiggy the spiritual one and Electra the rebel. But there is a missing seventh sister, Merope . . . The seven sisters are gathered together for the first time, on board the Titan to say a final goodbye to the enigmatic father they loved so dearly. Lily looked ahead of her, to where her old house was, just after the hill. She almost couldn’t remember what it looked like inside. She hasn't returned home since graduation. With the war and everything happening, she knew it wasn't safe for her father. In the end, it didn't matter anyway.

Lily sat on her bed, looked around, and let her tears fall shamelessly. She cried for her mother, for her father, for her sister that refused to talk to her, for all her friends that have already died, and for the friends that would die, she cried for her and she cried for James. When Severus appeared at the door, she cried for him as well. The story is quite convincing in most parts, and made me reflect on the subtle emotional violence of which many women are susceptible, even today: feeling guilty when anything goes wrong is a heavy burden to carry, ingrained from birth. The mystery element of the novel was slightly predictable. The setting was beautiful. The storyline about Belle’s mother Diana and how she fell under suspicion, was an interesting angle. I wanted to celebrate the achievements of women,” said Riley, “especially in the past, where so often their contribution to making our world the place it is today has been overshadowed by the more frequently documented achievements of men.” I'm Kristin. I always have a book with me wherever I go! I am married and have two chocolate labs - Maddie and Chloe. In addition to reading, I also enjoy yoga and walking - I am a big audio fan and love listening to audio books while out walking!Although I have all of Dinah Jefferies' previous novels on my bookcase, The Missing Sister is the first I've read. I was transported to another time and place with the author's beautiful, vivid descriptions. It felt authentic - I could smell the spices in the marketplace and feel the sun's heat beating down on me. The expressive and faultless writing will stay with me for a very long time. Lily watched Severus for a moment before joining him. This was the first time they talked since their last fight when they were still in Hogwarts. Her heart was beating madly in her chest. She couldn’t believe her eyes. As the series follows each sister as they delve into their ancestry, readers believe that Pa Salt is a ‘hidden’ character in the books. Many have debated about #whoispasalt, but of course, I can neither confirm nor deny anything! I can only promise that more will be revealed in book seven. And I have recently been on a journey, following in the footsteps of the missing sister . . .

As he grows into a young man, falling in love and taking classes at the prestigious Conservatoire de Paris, he can almost forget the terrors of his past, or the promise he has vowed to keep. But across Europe an evil is rising, and no-one’s safety is certain. In his heart, he knows the time will come where he must flee once more. I loved that way this book was set up – first allowing us to catch up with the six sisters we have already met along the way, and getting a status update if you will on their relationships and then moving forward with the search for who this missing sister is. I loved that so many familiar, beloved characters were part of this story. Lily didn’t think that the hardest thing she had to do was say goodbye to him. She knew he understood because he sat close to her on the bed and held her in a hug. Lily cried even harder, shaking under his arms while Severus soothed her. Remember summer before 6th year? We’d come here and tell your mother everything that happened the previous year. Your father would come to find us and say—” The Missing Sister isn't my usual sort of read but when I saw the beautiful cover and read the blurb, I was intrigued. What followed was an enchanting and, at times, heartbreaking story of a British baby, Elvira, stolen in 1911 from her parents' garden in Burma.

The Seven Sisters (2014), a story taking Maia D’Aplièse from Lake Geneva to Rio de Janeiro, was followed by The Storm Sister (2015), embracing historical Norwegian figures such as Edvard Grieg and Henrik Ibsen. Then – with settings ranging from the Beatrix Potter-era Lake District, London Edwardian society and the Scottish Highlands, to Thailand, Australia, Spain, South America, New York and Kenya – came The Shadow Sister (2016), The Pearl Sister (2017), The Moon Sister (2018) and The Sun Sister (2019). The Seven Sisters series is drawn to its epic, unforgettable conclusion in Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt.

I'd be interested in hearing from other readers who felt the same, I know it has been most well-received so far so I don't think mine is the popular opinion. It’s the anniversary of my mother’s death. We always came here to pay our respects.” Lily explained, her voice a little bit choked. Mary's eyes softened considerably and seemed to have finally decided that Lily wouldn’t be in danger. There are some authors you can always rely on to create magical stories with twists and turns. All set in the most stunning and captivating locations! Dinah Jefferies is one of those authors. Her way of writing and evoking locations, together with the interweaving stories are a fascinating and very successful mix. It was obvious early on, though, where the fault was going to lie—who did what, who was good and who was bad—and the ending was a little cliched. But those are minor quibbles when cast against a truly original story written so well.When I first began writing The Seven Sisters series in 2014, I already knew there would be a hidden plotline running throughout all the sisters’ stories. For years I have carefully been laying the clues, and now that I am writing book seven, all these elements are coming together to a fascinating conclusion. In 1985, the sudden death of Dinah Jefferies’ fourteen year old son brought her life to a standstill. She drew on that experience, and on her own childhood spent in Malaya during the 1950s to write her debut novel, The Separation. The guns piled high on the hall table when the rubber planters came into town for a party, the colour and noise of Chinatown, the houses on stilts, and the lizards that left their tails behind.