The Third Sister by Sara Blaedel

Ilka Jensen is ready to give up. She's done all she can to keep her father's funeral home afloat, and she's failed. Now all she has to do is tie up loose ends and she can head home. 

But then Artie, her father's business partner, is brutally attacked. And then Sister Eileen lets slip something big concerning Ilka's father. Now Ilka has no choice but to stay in the States as she tries desperately to protect those around her! Unfortunately, the fallout from all of her father's secrets may finally prove to be her undoing. 

It's December and I know I'm not alone in feeling like this year has gone by incredibly slowly. Fortunately, I've had a string of great reads to get me through! 

I had absolutely no idea how Blaedel was going to tie up this series at all. And I must say, The Third Sister really was a satisfying conclusion. 

Of the series as a whole, this is the one that is most solidly crime fiction. Until this point, the first two were more family drama than crime (though it was absolutely there, it took a backseat to the rest of the story). But this one really does bring the crime 100%. 

Ilka has decided it's time to go home. This was my one beef with the trilogy, her waffling back and forth about leaving in the first place. It's understandable, given the circumstances (which Blaedel does explore), but the number of times she commits to leaving and decides not to certainly did start to become a bit of an alright-already! situation. 

But this time, she's really going to leave. Until some pretty heavy stuff goes down! First, Artie is attacked. And Ilka thinks she knows who's responsible, but she has no idea why they'd resort to such tactics. 

And then Sister Eileen, who's definitely been hiding things throughout the series, reveals something huge! And it really does explain her behavior in the previous two books :)

Now Ilka is more than stuck, she has to stay and finally, finally get to the bottom of what had been going on with her father. 

And she gets there! She finds out, through the series, why he left (which was all she wanted), why he stayed, and exactly what he'd been up to the whole time he'd been in Racine!

This is such a great read and such a perfect trilogy to binge! I read this third book in one day, which really has been a rare event since having a kid! And it was so much fun!

The Third Sister released in paperback last month, which is pretty perfect if you're looking for a great gift for a mystery fan (or a treat for yourself) this holiday season! And I absolutely do recommend arming yourself with all three books. Trust me, you will want to read these back to back!

Order a copy from your favorite indie via Bookshop!