The Forgotten Sister

September 28, 2020
British writer Cornick (The Woman in the Lake) incorporates elements of romance and paranormal genres into a fascinating if rote historical that centers on the 16th-century death of Amy Robsart, wife of Robert Dudley, earl of Leicester. In a prologue set in 1752, Cornick describes priests attempting to exorcise Amy’s ghost from Cumnor Hall, which results in the ghost escaping. Flash forward to the 2010 wedding of 18-year-old musician Dudley and his groupie-wife, Amelia, as seen through the eyes of Dudley’s best friend, Lizzie Kingdom, who possesses psychometric powers. Through alternating points of view, Cornick reconstructs the lonely married life of Amy Robsart, which eventually leads to her death in a fall from a flight of stairs, and the present-day death of Amelia, who dies the same way after 10 years of marriage. After being released from questioning by the police who suspected she might have some insight into Dudley’s possible role in Amelia’s death, Lizzie embarks on her own investigation into how Amelia died, guided by visions leading her through history and time to reveal frightening things about herself and the Robsart family. While the characters lack depth, the author does a good job with pacing and plot detail. Cornick’s rich mystery will serve readers well on a rainy day.

October 1, 2020

In 1560 Amy Robsart, unhappily wed to Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester and favorite of Queen Elizabeth I, died at 28 under mysterious circumstances. In 2010, 17-year-old former child star and musician Lizzie Kingdom attended the wedding of Dudley Lester to Amelia Robsart. Dudley could be trouble, but he was also Lizzie's best friend from her earliest days in the business, and Amelia resents that bond. In 2020, after filing for divorce from her husband, 28-year-old Amelia also dies mysteriously. Lizzie is a potential suspect. When she's forced to withdraw from the public eye after a scandal, it seems her life is over. But she discovers that her ability to read the energy of objects might help untangle terrible secrets dating back to Tudor times. In Cornick's (The Woman in the Lake) novel, the two periods are woven together, with moments in each story line supporting the past and present. Historical events and people are depicted authentically, and the contemporary action features a relatable pop culture setting. Mystical elements, including some time travel, ghostly presences, and Lizzie's gifts, add to the atmosphere. VERDICT Amateur sleuth fans, historical fiction readers, devotees of Kate Morton and Kate Atkinson, or readers looking for an engaging escape to a fictional world should pick up this one.--Stacey Hayman, Rocky River P.L., OH

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2020
Cornick (The Woman in the Lake, 2019) intertwines sixteenth-century and present-day England in her latest, introducing the true story of Amy Robsart, who died in 1560. Amy is caught in a love triangle with her husband, Robert Dudley, and Princess Elizabeth, who will become Queen. She plots to end her marriage, but is betrayed by those she trusts. In a parallel tale, it's 2010 and Lizzie Kingdom is reluctantly attending the wedding of her childhood friend, Dudley, and his bride, Amelia. Lizzie can read objects, a phenomenon called psychometry, and at the wedding has a disturbing encounter with Amelia's brothers and an antique statue. The event follows Lizzie ten years later, when Amelia falls down a flight of stairs to her death, and she and Dudley find themselves under a cloud of suspicion. The Forgotten Sister is filled with intrigue and the supernatural, as the past affects those living today. Cornick blends her mysterious storylines, alternating between time periods to reveal that no matter the century, the perils of love, jealousy, and betrayal endure.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)