SISTER, by Rosamund Lupton

Beautifully written, in part an essay on sisterhood, but also a carefully-plotted mystery set in present-day London. Contemporary crime fiction rarely comes better than this complex novel of two sisters, Beatrice and Tess. Beatrice, the older and more conventional sister, flies home to London when her mother tells her Tess has gone missing. Beatrice's attempts to find her sister are stymied by her own lack of knowledge about her artistic, free-spirited sibling, whom she had thought she knew well. If I tell you any more, this would contain spoilers, so you'll have to read it. The harrowing tale will keep you up late, and the ending will shock, so lay in a supply of bonbons. It's a 4.5, and an accomplished first novel. Lupton will go on your A-list for forthcoming books. She can be reached at www.rosamundlupton.com.