Sisters Anna and Jennie live in a historic bungalow on the Chicago River. They’re tethered to a disquieting past, and with nowhere else to go, nothing can part them from their family home. Not the maddening creaks and disembodied voices that rattle the old walls. Not the inexplicable drownings in the area, or the increasing number of bodies that float by Anna’s window.
To stave off loneliness, Anna has a podcast, spinning ghostly tales of Chicago’s tragic history. But when Anna captures the attention of an ardent male listener, she awakens to the possibilities of a world outside.
As their relationship grows, so do Jennie’s fears. More and more people are going missing in the river. And then two detectives come calling.
They’re looking for a link between the mysteries of the river and what’s housed on the bank. Even Anna and Jennie don’t understand how dreadful it is—and still can be—when the truth about their unsettled lives begins to surface.
Goodreads | Amazon
Rating: 5 Stars
My Review: This historical paranormal story is one of the best that I have read. I could not put it down and I need more!! This is my first book from this author and man was it a hit. I can not wait for more stories. Pelayo did a wonderful job weaving a story that you can't put down.
Review
“Spooky and sad with a constant sense of ambiguity at its core.” ―Kirkus Reviews
This compelling mystery within a unique haunted-house story is told in gorgeous prose, with sympathetic, complicated characters who feel as if they could materialize off the page. Pelayo has given readers another can’t-miss novel, marked by its pervasive unease and riveting storyline. For fans of ghost stories that mine memory, fairy tales, and mystery, such as the works of Simone St. James, Jennifer McMahon, and Helen Oyeyemi.” ―Library Journal (starred review)
“Bram Stoker Award and International Latino Book Award winner [Cynthia] Pelayo offers readers an almost lyrical experience that twists and turns until its unexpected end.” ―Booklist
“A dreamlike modern fairy tale full of grief, longing, and murder, Forgotten Sisters is Cynthia Pelayo’s best yet. Like the best hauntings, this one will linger in my head for a long time.” ―Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author of Road of Bones and The House of Last Resort
“Aspects of Forgotten Sisters glide past each other like ghosts as Cynthia Pelayo adroitly juggles past and present, reality and the supernatural, in this elegiac gothic novel. You’ll be haunted long after you’ve finished turning the pages.” ―Alma Katsu, author of The Fervor
“A gritty murder mystery about a house that drips with haunted histories and a river that carries dark secrets and dead bodies in its current, Forgotten Sisters is a mesmerizing, propulsive read that doesn’t just bend genre, it transcends it.” ―Rachel Harrison, national bestselling author of Cackle and Black Sheep
“Personal, historical, and heart-deep. Forgotten Sisters captures the complicated sense of being stifled by home yet lost without it. From the eerie start to the unforgettable ending, Pelayo brings the chill of crime stories, grim fairy tales, and the gothic into a haunting mystery that will drag you into dark waters and never let go.” ―Hailey Piper, Bram Stoker Award–winning author of Queen of Teeth and A Light Most Hateful
“Forgotten Sisters is a haunting fairy tale, a haunted parable of loss and grief, a history of Chicago's tragedies, and a thrilling, page-turning, creepy who-done-it. Take me to the river….” ―Paul Tremblay, author of A Head Full of Ghosts and The Cabin at the End of the World
“Cynthia Pelayo writes with an elegiacally forensic eye, equal parts poet and coroner. Her jaw-dropping autopsy Forgotten Sisters plays out like a true-crime Grey Gardens fantasia penned by Shirley Jackson and it's worth every lyrical incision.” ―Clay McLeod Chapman, author of What Kind of Mother and Ghost Eaters
“Forgotten Sisters is a mesmerizing novel that showcases Pelayo’s sharp characterization - which pairs perfectly with a memorable setting and two unforgettable characters. The end result is a potent dose of psychological suspense that sits with you in unique and unsettling ways. This is the best kind of novel - vastly entertaining, unique, and impossible to shake. Pelayo’s strongest work to date, which is saying a lot.” ―Alex Segura, bestselling author of Secret Identity and Araña and Spider-Man 2099: Dark Tomorrow
“Personal, historical, and heart-deep. Forgotten Sisters captures the complicated sense of being stifled by home yet lost without it. From the eerie start to the unforgettable ending, Pelayo brings the chill of crime stories, grim fairy tales, and the Gothic into a haunting mystery that will drag you into dark waters and never let go.” ―Hailey Piper, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Queen of Teeth and A Light Most Hateful
“Of bruised and tenderly worn hearts, of poor, bedeviled minds, of raw and open wounds that have never closed―these are merely some of the cruelties and passions revealed in Cynthia Pelayo’s magnificent novel, Forgotten Sisters. A startling and totally immersive gem, Pelayo’s prose is evocative and chilling. Told with such care and thoughtfulness, this masterfully woven story of generational trauma and loss will hold readers captive until the final page is turned, until their beating hearts are filled with black water drawn from a poisoned river―to be marked, to be transformed by a secret mythology.” ―Eric LaRocca, author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke
“A gritty murder mystery, a house that drips with haunted histories, a river that carries dark secrets and dead bodies in its current, Forgotten Sisters is a mesmerizing, propulsive read that doesn't just bend genre, it transcends it.” ―Rachel Harrison, national bestselling author of Cackle and Black Sheep
“The dual stories of Forgotten Sisters glide past each other like ghosts as Cynthia Pelayo adroitly juggles past and present, reality and the supernatural in this elegiac Gothic novel. You'll be haunted long after you've finished turning the pages.” ―Alma Katsu, author of The Fervor
This compelling mystery within a unique haunted-house story is told in gorgeous prose, with sympathetic, complicated characters who feel as if they could materialize off the page. Pelayo has given readers another can’t-miss novel, marked by its pervasive unease and riveting storyline. For fans of ghost stories that mine memory, fairy tales, and mystery, such as the works of Simone St. James, Jennifer McMahon, and Helen Oyeyemi.” ―Library Journal (starred review)
“Bram Stoker Award and International Latino Book Award winner [Cynthia] Pelayo offers readers an almost lyrical experience that twists and turns until its unexpected end.” ―Booklist
“A dreamlike modern fairy tale full of grief, longing, and murder, Forgotten Sisters is Cynthia Pelayo’s best yet. Like the best hauntings, this one will linger in my head for a long time.” ―Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author of Road of Bones and The House of Last Resort
“Aspects of Forgotten Sisters glide past each other like ghosts as Cynthia Pelayo adroitly juggles past and present, reality and the supernatural, in this elegiac gothic novel. You’ll be haunted long after you’ve finished turning the pages.” ―Alma Katsu, author of The Fervor
“A gritty murder mystery about a house that drips with haunted histories and a river that carries dark secrets and dead bodies in its current, Forgotten Sisters is a mesmerizing, propulsive read that doesn’t just bend genre, it transcends it.” ―Rachel Harrison, national bestselling author of Cackle and Black Sheep
“Personal, historical, and heart-deep. Forgotten Sisters captures the complicated sense of being stifled by home yet lost without it. From the eerie start to the unforgettable ending, Pelayo brings the chill of crime stories, grim fairy tales, and the gothic into a haunting mystery that will drag you into dark waters and never let go.” ―Hailey Piper, Bram Stoker Award–winning author of Queen of Teeth and A Light Most Hateful
“Forgotten Sisters is a haunting fairy tale, a haunted parable of loss and grief, a history of Chicago's tragedies, and a thrilling, page-turning, creepy who-done-it. Take me to the river….” ―Paul Tremblay, author of A Head Full of Ghosts and The Cabin at the End of the World
“Cynthia Pelayo writes with an elegiacally forensic eye, equal parts poet and coroner. Her jaw-dropping autopsy Forgotten Sisters plays out like a true-crime Grey Gardens fantasia penned by Shirley Jackson and it's worth every lyrical incision.” ―Clay McLeod Chapman, author of What Kind of Mother and Ghost Eaters
“Forgotten Sisters is a mesmerizing novel that showcases Pelayo’s sharp characterization - which pairs perfectly with a memorable setting and two unforgettable characters. The end result is a potent dose of psychological suspense that sits with you in unique and unsettling ways. This is the best kind of novel - vastly entertaining, unique, and impossible to shake. Pelayo’s strongest work to date, which is saying a lot.” ―Alex Segura, bestselling author of Secret Identity and Araña and Spider-Man 2099: Dark Tomorrow
“Personal, historical, and heart-deep. Forgotten Sisters captures the complicated sense of being stifled by home yet lost without it. From the eerie start to the unforgettable ending, Pelayo brings the chill of crime stories, grim fairy tales, and the Gothic into a haunting mystery that will drag you into dark waters and never let go.” ―Hailey Piper, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Queen of Teeth and A Light Most Hateful
“Of bruised and tenderly worn hearts, of poor, bedeviled minds, of raw and open wounds that have never closed―these are merely some of the cruelties and passions revealed in Cynthia Pelayo’s magnificent novel, Forgotten Sisters. A startling and totally immersive gem, Pelayo’s prose is evocative and chilling. Told with such care and thoughtfulness, this masterfully woven story of generational trauma and loss will hold readers captive until the final page is turned, until their beating hearts are filled with black water drawn from a poisoned river―to be marked, to be transformed by a secret mythology.” ―Eric LaRocca, author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke
“A gritty murder mystery, a house that drips with haunted histories, a river that carries dark secrets and dead bodies in its current, Forgotten Sisters is a mesmerizing, propulsive read that doesn't just bend genre, it transcends it.” ―Rachel Harrison, national bestselling author of Cackle and Black Sheep
“The dual stories of Forgotten Sisters glide past each other like ghosts as Cynthia Pelayo adroitly juggles past and present, reality and the supernatural in this elegiac Gothic novel. You'll be haunted long after you've finished turning the pages.” ―Alma Katsu, author of The Fervor
About the Author
Cynthia Pelayo is a Bram Stoker Award–winning author. Her novels include Children of Chicago and The Shoemaker’s Magician. In addition to writing genre-blending novels that incorporate elements of fairy tales, mystery, detective, crime, and horror, Pelayo has written numerous short stories and the poetry collection Crime Scene. The recipient of the 2021 International Latino Book Award, she holds a master of fine arts in writing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She lives in Chicago with her family. For more information, visit www.cinapelayo.com.
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FTC Guidelines: In accordance with FTC guidelines regarding endorsements and testimonials for bloggers, I would like my readers to know that many of the books I review are provided to me for free by the publisher or author of the book in exchange for an honest review. If am compensated for any reviews on this site I will state that post has been sponsored.
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