Not a Happy Family
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- Create Date：2021-07-23 00:51:37
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Shari Lapena
- ISBN：1787633012
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Summary
The new unputdownable thriller from the multi-million-copy bestselling author of THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR。
Every family has its secrets。 This family's secrets are deadly 。 。 。
******
Praise for Shari Lapena:
'The queen of the one-sit read' Linwood Barclay
'Shari Lapena is one of the best thriller writers in the business' Steve Cavanagh
'A masterful whodunnit， perfectly paced and expertly plotted， that had me guessing all the way through。 I loved it and couldn't put it down。' C L Taylor
'No-one does suburban paranoia like Shari Lapena - this slowly unfurling nightmare will have you biting your nails until the end' Ruth Ware
'Shari Lapena just gets better and better' Cara Hunter
AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOW
Every family has its secrets。 This family's secrets are deadly 。 。 。
******
Praise for Shari Lapena:
'The queen of the one-sit read' Linwood Barclay
'Shari Lapena is one of the best thriller writers in the business' Steve Cavanagh
'A masterful whodunnit， perfectly paced and expertly plotted， that had me guessing all the way through。 I loved it and couldn't put it down。' C L Taylor
'No-one does suburban paranoia like Shari Lapena - this slowly unfurling nightmare will have you biting your nails until the end' Ruth Ware
'Shari Lapena just gets better and better' Cara Hunter
AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOW
Reviews
Barbara Behring
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Review I received a kindle version of this book through a goodreads giveaway。 I had only read one previous book by Shari Lapena prior to this， The Couple next door， and I found that book predictable and I did not like the ending。 I thought I would give her another try and am I glad I did。 I absolutely loved this book。 It was a fast read and kept me guessing till the very end。
Andrew Smith
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Fred and Sheila Merton live in a big house in upstate New York。 Fred has been a successful businessman and following tradition the pair have invited their three adult children， and partners， around for an easter dinner。 It turns out be a fraught affair as Fred imparts some unwelcome news on his offspring – each will be affected in a different way but none are happy with this particular festive gift。 Shortly after， both Fred and Sheila meet a grisly end - murdered in their own home。 Could it be t Fred and Sheila Merton live in a big house in upstate New York。 Fred has been a successful businessman and following tradition the pair have invited their three adult children， and partners， around for an easter dinner。 It turns out be a fraught affair as Fred imparts some unwelcome news on his offspring – each will be affected in a different way but none are happy with this particular festive gift。 Shortly after， both Fred and Sheila meet a grisly end - murdered in their own home。 Could it be that one of the dinner guests perpetrated this crime？ The children all have motive， but as we learn more about the circle of people surrounding this family it seems that others might be similarly inclined。 The children are a pretty mixed-up bunch: a grasping daughter desperate to get her hands on the family pile， another daughter whose rebelliousness makes her something of a black sheep and a son who is suffering from money problems and mental health issues。 Then there is Fred’s sister， a bitter old crow whose dislike of all of the children is unhesitatingly reciprocated。 There are others too， lining up to be included in a lengthy list of possible suspects。 It’s going to be interesting to see how this plays out， so bring on a couple of punchy， provocative detectives and let’s have at it。It’s good fun， if all a little unlikely， as the siblings and partners lie and cover-up whilst also suspecting each other of potentially being the murderer。 The best character， though， is Fred’s vitriolic sister who has no end of run-ins with the family group。 The whole thing lights up whenever she’s on the scene。 There are plenty of twists and it’s practically impossible to guess whodunnit as all seem to have both the motive and the means。 A pretty decent and undemanding mystery that kept me guessing and – just about – held my interest throughout。 I listened to an audio version which was capably narrated by Ellen Archer。 My thanks to Penguin UK Random House Audio and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Marg
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3 1/2
Patty Rice
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Thank you to Goodreads for giving me this book in the giveaway。This is a suspenseful drama about a family whose wealthy parents were killed on Easter evening。 All the siblings are suspected in the murders。 The books takes you back & forth on the detectives journey to solve the murders。 There are the usual twists。 I was disappointed in the ending。 It seemed to fall short。 Not a typical Shari Lapena ending for me。
Lindsay
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Loved it！ It had so many layers that kept unraveling at a suspenseful pace。 This book didn't disappoint and reminded me of the movie Knives Out。 Love。 Loved it！ It had so many layers that kept unraveling at a suspenseful pace。 This book didn't disappoint and reminded me of the movie Knives Out。 Love。 。。。more
Devon
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Lapena's latest slow burning， twisty tale takes you down a dark path of lies， secrets and deceit alongside one wicked family where everyone has more than a few screws loose。 The Merton family definitely does not need enemies when they have a family this twisted; talk about dysfunctional！ Makes my family look normal。The story starts with a gruesome bang then slowly unfolds， revealing the true events leading up to the night of the murders while leaving a couple of surprising twists throughout。 I'v Lapena's latest slow burning， twisty tale takes you down a dark path of lies， secrets and deceit alongside one wicked family where everyone has more than a few screws loose。 The Merton family definitely does not need enemies when they have a family this twisted; talk about dysfunctional！ Makes my family look normal。The story starts with a gruesome bang then slowly unfolds， revealing the true events leading up to the night of the murders while leaving a couple of surprising twists throughout。 I've read quite a few of Lapena's novels， and in my opinion， this one is her best work yet。 I really enjoy a slow burning domestic mystery when it's done right， and I think Lapena did a fantastic job of creating such vile characters while still being able to keep the reader interested with the storyline。 You want to know what deranged thing these family members will do next。 I did have one tiny problem with the fact that a lot of characters introduced at once。 It took me a few chapters to get them all straight in my head。 But， once I had everyone straight， Lapena kept me hooked。 I also really enjoyed the ending， especially how Lapena managed to leave the door to the story open just a crack。 Not a Happy Family is chock-full of unlikable， terrible characters that will keep you on your toes and you'll never know who is telling the truth。I would absolutley encourage fans of Lapena's earlier work to add this to their TBR。 It's out July 27th so you can find out for yourself about how twisted this family really is。 Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House/Doubleday Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Tiffany www。instagram。com/tiffs_bookshelf
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In Shari Lapena's newest book we meet the Merton family。 Father Fred， mother Sheila， and their three children Catherine， Dan， and Jenna。 The story is based on who murdered Fred and Sheila。 Their three children stand to inherit millions on their parents death。 These three children aren't as innocent and angelic as they perceive themselves to be。 Nothing is ever as it seems to be in the wealthy peoples lives though。 Who killed Fred and Sheila Merton？？？？ Read this book to find out。。。。。。 I didn't In Shari Lapena's newest book we meet the Merton family。 Father Fred， mother Sheila， and their three children Catherine， Dan， and Jenna。 The story is based on who murdered Fred and Sheila。 Their three children stand to inherit millions on their parents death。 These three children aren't as innocent and angelic as they perceive themselves to be。 Nothing is ever as it seems to be in the wealthy peoples lives though。 Who killed Fred and Sheila Merton？？？？ Read this book to find out。。。。。。 I didn't know what to expect starting Shari Lapena's newest book。 I did expect it to be great because I am a huge fan and have read all of her previous books。 I did not know what I was getting into when I started it though。 Shari Lapena is one of those authors for me who I don't even read the sypnosis because I know I'll enjoy it。 This book is so good I flew through it in one work day（8hrs）。 It has her signature style of thrilling， twisted storytelling。 You never know what to expect but you know it is gonna be a great read。 I promise if you're a thriller fan you will be on the edge of your seat with this oneI highly recommend this book。 。。。more
Melissa
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Not A Happy Family was a solid book by one of my favourite authors Shari Lapena。 It follows a wealthy family in a quaint little neighbourhood who are enjoying a wonderful Easter dinner together。 All goes a little haywire when Fred （the father） causes a stir at the dinner and all the kids leave unhappy and unsettled。 Fred and his wife Sheila are found brutally murdered the next day and of course the adult children are to blame。 Each one having a reason as to why it could be them。 Maybe it was Dan Not A Happy Family was a solid book by one of my favourite authors Shari Lapena。 It follows a wealthy family in a quaint little neighbourhood who are enjoying a wonderful Easter dinner together。 All goes a little haywire when Fred （the father） causes a stir at the dinner and all the kids leave unhappy and unsettled。 Fred and his wife Sheila are found brutally murdered the next day and of course the adult children are to blame。 Each one having a reason as to why it could be them。 Maybe it was Dan who needed the money immediately。 Or maybe it was Catherine who would do anything to live the life her parents did。 Or Perhaps it was Jenna， the youngest of the three who was always feeling cut short of her siblings。 Or could it be the house keeper Irena- she was the first to find them and started tidying up the scene。 It is your job to figure out who the guilty one is and what their motive was。 You would think you would know if one of your siblings was a murderer。 Wouldn’t you？I loved that this book had so many twists and turns and had me guessing until the very end。 Each of the siblings had a plausible reason to commit the brutal murder and it was a fun read trying to figure out who did it。 Not A Happy Family has short chapters （my fave） and had me turning the pages so quickly。 I needed to know what was going to happen and with each chapter only being a few pages， I got through this one in only a few sittings。 Shari Lapena has a way with her writing and she will lead you down multiple incorrect paths throughout the story。 I really liked the whodunnit style of this book and her classic “open ended ending”。 I also really liked the fact that with each of her books， she lets you really digest the book and predict where it will go in the future。 Overall I rate this book a solid 4。5 stars。 It was my second favourite by her and just further solidified that I will be reading more from her in the future。 If you are looking for a book to read by her while you wait for this one， I definitely recommend reading The Couple Next Door。 Check out my review of that one if you’re interested in learning more about it。 Not A Happy Family hits shelves on July 27th and I highly recommend you put this one on your list immediately！ Thank you to Shari Lapena， NetGalley and Pamela Dorman Books for this advanced copy。 I absolutely loved it and cannot wait to read more from this incredible author。 。。。more
Katie Rogers
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Not a Happy Family - Shari Lapena3 siblings hear the horrid news that their parents have been brutally murdered the night of their Easter Dinner。 When the truth comes out about the inheritance that they are set to gain， the police begin looking into each of the siblings and their potential motives。 Catherine - dreamed of having the house left to her， only to have her father break the bad news to her during Easter Dinner that they intend to sell and downsize。Dan - worked hard with the expectation Not a Happy Family - Shari Lapena3 siblings hear the horrid news that their parents have been brutally murdered the night of their Easter Dinner。 When the truth comes out about the inheritance that they are set to gain， the police begin looking into each of the siblings and their potential motives。 Catherine - dreamed of having the house left to her， only to have her father break the bad news to her during Easter Dinner that they intend to sell and downsize。Dan - worked hard with the expectation of taking over the family business， only to have his father sell it。 Dan is left bitter， jobless， and with financial stress after tying his money up in investments。 During Easter dinner， his father refuses to lend him money， leaving him out of options。Jenna - possibly the black sheep of the family， the artist with very bold work。 She lives off an allowance from her parents and after their Easter dinner， after everyone else has left， her dad breaks the news to her that he intends to cut her off。 Could any of the three really have it in them to commit this brutal murder？ Was someone framing them？ Was a sibling trying to frame another sibling？ I loved this book！ Every aspect of it was so easy to visualize that it really played out like a movie in my head。 The characters weren't exactly likeable， but you knew that was due to their upbringing and circumstances。 I was really left guessing until the very end， and I can't say that I was exactly shocked， but loved it all none the less。 I especially loved how the ending wasn't exactly wrapped up in this nice neat bow， that there was a little left open。 Sequel？？？ This is the 4th book I've read of Shari's and I really need to read the others， because her domestic suspense is like no others！⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5。 。。。more
Lesley
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Oh my gosh！ First of all thank you to Goodreads， I won this Kindle edition！ This was a weekend of social obligations but I started the book and couldn't put it down！ I hid myself away every chance I got; every chapter ended and you just had to keep going， just one more， just one more！ I kept thinking I might know what was going to happen， and then another twist。 Didn't figure it out at all！ Love her Shari's writing and this was definitely my favorite！ Oh my gosh！ First of all thank you to Goodreads， I won this Kindle edition！ This was a weekend of social obligations but I started the book and couldn't put it down！ I hid myself away every chance I got; every chapter ended and you just had to keep going， just one more， just one more！ I kept thinking I might know what was going to happen， and then another twist。 Didn't figure it out at all！ Love her Shari's writing and this was definitely my favorite！ 。。。more
Kats
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"Not a happy family" is one helluvan understatement。 There is actual loathing aplenty in this fabulously wealthy but highly dysfunctional family， and when a bloody， gory double-murder takes place after a fraught family dinner on Easter Sunday， it is no surprise that suspicion falls upon the three children of strangled Sheila and slain Fred Merton of New York State。 All three kids （aged 27-33， or thereabouts） stand to inherit many millions of dollars each which is a good enough reason for a murde "Not a happy family" is one helluvan understatement。 There is actual loathing aplenty in this fabulously wealthy but highly dysfunctional family， and when a bloody， gory double-murder takes place after a fraught family dinner on Easter Sunday， it is no surprise that suspicion falls upon the three children of strangled Sheila and slain Fred Merton of New York State。 All three kids （aged 27-33， or thereabouts） stand to inherit many millions of dollars each which is a good enough reason for a murder， should he/she/they get away with it， given there is truly no love lost between parents and children - or among the siblings。 All characters were despicable， excluding the former nanny now housekeeper， but even she cannot be fully trusted considering she found the bodies on Tuesday morning and decided to clean and put away the murder weapon。。。 mmmmh。 This is a "whodunnit" with all the possible "whos" pointing fingers at each other from the get-go。 It reminded me quite a bit of the film "Knives Out" but without the humour - but still written as if it were just waiting for a TV adaptation; a screenplay with a lot of dialogue and returns to the same characters and locations （murder scene， oldest sister Catherine's house， Dan's place and the police station）。 Aunt Audrey， another beneficiary and murder suspect， is so unpleasant that I found myself rooting for her to be killed or be the killer。 Ha！ A fast-paced read， not as predictable as it seems， and with obvious potential for that screen adaptation。 Thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for this advance copy in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Laurann
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I love Shari Lapena's books and this one did not disappoint。 There were so many great twists and turns that this book kept me guessing。 The characters aren't exactly likable， but I feel like in a book like this it works。 When a horrible father says awful things at Easter and then he and his wife turn up dead a few days later， it seems like any of their children could have done it。 Will the dysfunctional children band together or will they turn on each other？ I really liked this book。 I love Shari Lapena's books and this one did not disappoint。 There were so many great twists and turns that this book kept me guessing。 The characters aren't exactly likable， but I feel like in a book like this it works。 When a horrible father says awful things at Easter and then he and his wife turn up dead a few days later， it seems like any of their children could have done it。 Will the dysfunctional children band together or will they turn on each other？ I really liked this book。 。。。more
Angela
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Thanks to NetGalley and the Penguin Random House UK Audio for an audiobook ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review。Absolutely I loved this book and I was gripped throughout。 The story was about a dysfunctional relationships between the family members， in which the truth was revealed gradually and I would say it's hardly to guess till the end。 Secrets， lies， greed， jealousy revenge etc were getting my full attention and I was mesmerized in it。 A lot of great twists and turns interweave Thanks to NetGalley and the Penguin Random House UK Audio for an audiobook ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review。Absolutely I loved this book and I was gripped throughout。 The story was about a dysfunctional relationships between the family members， in which the truth was revealed gradually and I would say it's hardly to guess till the end。 Secrets， lies， greed， jealousy revenge etc were getting my full attention and I was mesmerized in it。 A lot of great twists and turns interweaved along the book and you’re never really sure what happened next。 The narrator was brilliant and the author is so genius at weaving a tense plot that hooked me and kept me hanging in suspense。 Definitely it's great audiobook because the narrator preformed excellent and appropriate。 Overall， I was really enjoy and lost myself in listening。 。。。more
Calista Andrechek
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Thank you to NetGalley， Shari Lapena and Penguin Random House Canada for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review。I love Lapena's novels so much and was so excited to receive this one for review。 Lapena is like the queen of the cozy， interesting mystery that you just want to curl up and read in one sitting。 I really liked the premise of this one and I found myself reading through the night to get it finished even thought the PDF format is extremely hard to read。 I love the really short c Thank you to NetGalley， Shari Lapena and Penguin Random House Canada for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review。I love Lapena's novels so much and was so excited to receive this one for review。 Lapena is like the queen of the cozy， interesting mystery that you just want to curl up and read in one sitting。 I really liked the premise of this one and I found myself reading through the night to get it finished even thought the PDF format is extremely hard to read。 I love the really short chapters， they make it so much quicker to get through the novel and each chapter left you off wanting more。 I would definitely recommend this one！ It's family drama is so interesting。 。。。more
Danielle Masterson
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Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC。 Another fabulous read by Shari Lapena。 A fascinating story of a wealthy family with a penchant for lying， this kept me interested right to the end。 While I could definitely see the ending coming， Lapena keeps you guessing right up to the end。 If you enjoy tense family suspense thrillers， definitely pick this up。 I’ll be recommending to my patrons！
Amanda McGill
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My favourite book so far of 2021！I loved everything about Not a Happy Family！ I was so hooked on each of the children's storylines and how each of them could of played a role in their parents' murders。 I kept bouncing back and forth and back and forth between all of the characters on who the killer could of been。 I loved how each child and family member had their secrets and how it would play out。 Also I loved the ending！ Didn't see it coming。Thank you to Netgallery and Penguin Random House Cana My favourite book so far of 2021！I loved everything about Not a Happy Family！ I was so hooked on each of the children's storylines and how each of them could of played a role in their parents' murders。 I kept bouncing back and forth and back and forth between all of the characters on who the killer could of been。 I loved how each child and family member had their secrets and how it would play out。 Also I loved the ending！ Didn't see it coming。Thank you to Netgallery and Penguin Random House Canada for an ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Devon
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As a huge fan of Shari Lapena， I was SO thrilled to receive this ARC before release！ This is a great mystery/thriller with so much built up suspense/tension， I couldn’t break away from it for long。 Stories that involve rich families with hidden secrets are a guilty pleasure of mine （haha）， and this one sure didn’t disappoint！ Lapena is a force to be reckoned with in the domestic suspense genre， and “Not a Happy Family” will undoubtedly leave readers wanting more。A big thank you to NetGalley and As a huge fan of Shari Lapena， I was SO thrilled to receive this ARC before release！ This is a great mystery/thriller with so much built up suspense/tension， I couldn’t break away from it for long。 Stories that involve rich families with hidden secrets are a guilty pleasure of mine （haha）， and this one sure didn’t disappoint！ Lapena is a force to be reckoned with in the domestic suspense genre， and “Not a Happy Family” will undoubtedly leave readers wanting more。A big thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the ARC of this fantastic read！4。5/5 。。。more
Jaclyn
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I love Shari Lapena's novels， and I absolutely adore thrillers about dysfunctional families。 Bring on the drama， the childhood secrets， the backstabbing over inheritance！ Especially in the hands of a writer like Lapena， who crafts vivid， engaging characters， and tosses in a few twists and turns， Not A Happy Family had me flipping through the pages as quickly as I could。Full review on my blog: https://literarytreats。com/2021/07/17。。。 I love Shari Lapena's novels， and I absolutely adore thrillers about dysfunctional families。 Bring on the drama， the childhood secrets， the backstabbing over inheritance！ Especially in the hands of a writer like Lapena， who crafts vivid， engaging characters， and tosses in a few twists and turns， Not A Happy Family had me flipping through the pages as quickly as I could。Full review on my blog: https://literarytreats。com/2021/07/17。。。 。。。more
Jannah Colston
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After reading and loving The Couple Next Door by the same author， I jumped at the chance to listen to Not A Happy Family。 It unravels the story behind the brutal murder of a wealthy couple and is told from multiple points of view。 At times， and this is unusual for me， I found myself getting confused as to whose point of view I was listening to， although I think that was down to the fact that I was listening to this as an audiobook rather than reading。I enjoyed this and had a few theories going After reading and loving The Couple Next Door by the same author， I jumped at the chance to listen to Not A Happy Family。 It unravels the story behind the brutal murder of a wealthy couple and is told from multiple points of view。 At times， and this is unusual for me， I found myself getting confused as to whose point of view I was listening to， although I think that was down to the fact that I was listening to this as an audiobook rather than reading。I enjoyed this and had a few theories going through my head as to who the killer was and why， and i did end up guessing the culprit。There were a few times I was left with my mouth hanging open， my hands still in the washing up bowl， but I definitely think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read it。I rate 3。5⭐ for an enjoyable， suspensful and recommended read。 。。。more
Brenda
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Set in an upscale Hudson Valley， New York， neighbourhood dripping with old money this delicious domestic thriller is rife with suspense and tension， just what a thriller ought to be。 Each character has good （？） reason to kill Fred and Sheila Merton。 And the deeper the investigators Reyes and Barr dig the grimmer things appear。 Blocks of deceptions are stacked high and there are bends galore until the end。 Some characters lie better than others but they all seem quite adept at it。 The adult Merto Set in an upscale Hudson Valley， New York， neighbourhood dripping with old money this delicious domestic thriller is rife with suspense and tension， just what a thriller ought to be。 Each character has good （？） reason to kill Fred and Sheila Merton。 And the deeper the investigators Reyes and Barr dig the grimmer things appear。 Blocks of deceptions are stacked high and there are bends galore until the end。 Some characters lie better than others but they all seem quite adept at it。 The adult Merton children have very different personalities from one another but they all had one thing common。。。their childhoods。 Catherine， Dan and Jenna and their partners begin to eye each other with suspicion， anxiously and wearily existing in a fog as they are questioned relentlessly。 I like that the investigators are not portrayed as foolish or silly but intelligent。 And it's not only the family members who have reason to kill。The short and snappy chapters are written purposefully without superfluous details。 The characters aren't likeable but in my view they aren't supposed to be。 I really enjoy this author's writing style， very readable and seamless。Readers of mysteries and thrillers should not miss this one！ My sincere thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for the privilege of absorbing this riveting book！ 。。。more
Ferne
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In early 2020， I read "An Unwanted Guest" and knew I wanted to read more titles by this author。 At that time， I began my review with these words， " Mesmerizing Murder Mystery Reading" and those words begin my thoughts as I write this review too！ A family dinner on Easter hosted by the parents for their 3 grown children， 2 daughters and a son， their significant partners， and the children's nanny when they were small that has continued as the part-time housekeeper。 As the murder investigation begi In early 2020， I read "An Unwanted Guest" and knew I wanted to read more titles by this author。 At that time， I began my review with these words， " Mesmerizing Murder Mystery Reading" and those words begin my thoughts as I write this review too！ A family dinner on Easter hosted by the parents for their 3 grown children， 2 daughters and a son， their significant partners， and the children's nanny when they were small that has continued as the part-time housekeeper。 As the murder investigation begins it has the earmarks of the locked room scenario by classic mystery writers as it seems evident that although the murder didn't occur during Easter dinner conversations that gathering sparked the motive for murder。 Shari Lapena's writing provides page-turning suspense even with a seemingly small cast of suspects。 I changed my mind multiple times as new clues were provided and by the reveal never once had I suspected the individual that committed the crime。I will not hesitate to read another novel by this author and highly recommend her writing especially if you have not yet added one of her titles to your tbr list。 Don't hesitate！ Do it now！ Or even better， choose one of her novels as your next reading selection。My sincere appreciation as a winner of this GoodReads Giveaway in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Teena in Toronto
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It's Easter Sunday at Fred and Sheila's。 They are very rich and have Catherine， Dan and Jenna （their adult children）， their children's spouses and Irena， their former nanny/now cleaning lady， for supper。 Fred is not a nice man and has always pitted his Catherine， Dan and Jenna against each other and belittled them。 Sheila retreats into herself when things get too stressful。 Sunday dinner， as usual， isn't pleasant and the children leave before dessert is served。A couple days later， Irena finds Fr It's Easter Sunday at Fred and Sheila's。 They are very rich and have Catherine， Dan and Jenna （their adult children）， their children's spouses and Irena， their former nanny/now cleaning lady， for supper。 Fred is not a nice man and has always pitted his Catherine， Dan and Jenna against each other and belittled them。 Sheila retreats into herself when things get too stressful。 Sunday dinner， as usual， isn't pleasant and the children leave before dessert is served。A couple days later， Irena finds Fred and Sheila murdered in their house。 It looks like it could have been a robbery gone wrong。 But the police look at Catherine， Dan and Jenna because they had the most to gain financially from their parents' deaths。 They aren't sad that their parents are now dead and look forward to spending their inheritances。I've read a few other books by this author and liked the writing style。 It's written in third person perspective with a focus on wherever the action is。 As a head's up， there is swearing。 I thought the story was intriguing because so anyone could have killed Fred and Sheila since Fred had given many people reason to。 And as the book progressed， more and more information is revealed as to why someone would murder Fred。 I thought the "whodunnit" was a bit of a letdown， though， and the ending would have been more exciting。 All of sudden it was revealed and the book was done。Blog review post: http://www。teenaintoronto。com/2021/07。。。 。。。more
Carol （Kimiko）
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Not a bad book to read。
Brenna
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Thank you so much Penguin Random House and @netgalley for the ARC of Not A Happy Family by Shari Lapena。 Publishing Date: July 26 2021Shari Lapena is probably my favourite Canadian thriller author。 Time after time she had hit it out of the park for me。 I love her writing style; it is to the flush yet to point。 This book was a bit different than the previous Lapena books （I have read them all）， more of a domestic suspense than a typical thriller， and I really， really enjoyed the unexpected change Thank you so much Penguin Random House and @netgalley for the ARC of Not A Happy Family by Shari Lapena。 Publishing Date: July 26 2021Shari Lapena is probably my favourite Canadian thriller author。 Time after time she had hit it out of the park for me。 I love her writing style; it is to the flush yet to point。 This book was a bit different than the previous Lapena books （I have read them all）， more of a domestic suspense than a typical thriller， and I really， really enjoyed the unexpected change。 I read this in less than 24 hours， completely engrossed from the moment I picked it up。 If you are a fan of mysteries that revolve around dark， twisted and unhealthy familial relationships than this is the novel for you！ 。。。more
Sonica
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Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for my complimentary review copy of Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena， in exchange for my honest review。 This title publishes July 27， 2021。Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for my complimentary copy of Not A Happy Family by Shari Lapena in exchange for my honest review。 This title publishes July 27， 2021。When Shari Lapena releases a new book， I immediately drop everything and dive in。 I have read and loved all of her books so when I heard this was re Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for my complimentary review copy of Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena， in exchange for my honest review。 This title publishes July 27， 2021。Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for my complimentary copy of Not A Happy Family by Shari Lapena in exchange for my honest review。 This title publishes July 27， 2021。When Shari Lapena releases a new book， I immediately drop everything and dive in。 I have read and loved all of her books so when I heard this was releasing， there was no question I needed to read it。A wealthy， dysfunctional family with secrets as dark as the night？ Sign me up！The story follows the Merton siblings （Catherine， Dan and Jenna） after the brutal murder of their parents， Fred and Sheila Merton。 The family got together for Easter dinner the night the Mertons were murdered and tensions were high during the dinner and have been for years within the family。 Fred was notoriously ruthless as a family man and charming to the public as a businessman。 The secrets kept behind the Merton doors would keep you up late with a nightlight on – they run dark and deep。The hostility between the Merton children and their father is so thick and they each left that night with murder in their eyes。 They each would benefit financially by his death and would end up with more money than one can dream of。 But who would have the most to gain by the death of Fred Merton？ And who would be willing to risk it all in order to fast track their inheritance？Shari Lapena has weaved the perfect tale of family secrets and lies with this latest release and I couldn’t get enough while reading。 It fell more along the lines of a murder mystery than a thriller， but that didn’t retract from my enjoyment。 I mean， it’s Shari Lapena after all; and the woman can write a story that will keep you hooked right from the start。 She definitely had me going in other directions in terms of whodunnit and I was pretty surprised by the final reveal。 Even in retrospect I still didn’t see that coming – bravo！ The ending was left open-ended， which I always enjoy as a reader because you can let your imagination run a bit wild。As always， Shari Lapena’s books come up high on my recommended reads list and this latest is no exception。 You should definitely grab a copy when it hits shelves on July 27。 。。。more
Anne-Marie
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#NotAHappyFamily by #ShariLapena is another #thriller that will keep you guessing until the end。 I’m glad this was an audio book as I would have been too tempted to flick to the end to find the big reveal。 At varying points I suspected each and every character – this shows just how great the author is。 The story takes places on Easter Sunday and reveals a truly dysfunctional family。 As the story progresses some truly reprehensible characters are portrayed， all of which are very believable。 True #NotAHappyFamily by #ShariLapena is another #thriller that will keep you guessing until the end。 I’m glad this was an audio book as I would have been too tempted to flick to the end to find the big reveal。 At varying points I suspected each and every character – this shows just how great the author is。 The story takes places on Easter Sunday and reveals a truly dysfunctional family。 As the story progresses some truly reprehensible characters are portrayed， all of which are very believable。 True sociopathy， greed and self preservation。 This was a listen in one sitting for me。 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2Thank you to #NetGalley and #penguinrandomhouseukaudio for gifting me this #ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Lauren McCabe
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Shari Lapena has quickly become one of my go to authors。 She always dishes out fun and quick domestic thrillers。 Not a Happy Family did not disappoint。 Right away we learn that the esteemed Fred and Sheila Mercer have been brutally murdered after their family’s Easter Dinner。 The question is: who could have done such a thing？ From the outside， this family of 5 looks like they’ve been painted with all the riches and luck。 As we get to know the siblings， and the people who surround them， we learn Shari Lapena has quickly become one of my go to authors。 She always dishes out fun and quick domestic thrillers。 Not a Happy Family did not disappoint。 Right away we learn that the esteemed Fred and Sheila Mercer have been brutally murdered after their family’s Easter Dinner。 The question is: who could have done such a thing？ From the outside， this family of 5 looks like they’ve been painted with all the riches and luck。 As we get to know the siblings， and the people who surround them， we learn that nothing is as it seems。 While this is a classic storyline， Lapena delivers it with ease， and paints such interesting and clear characters that you just need to keep reading。 Although I made several guesses along the way about whodunnit， I was happily surprised that I was wrong！ 4。5 StarsA sincere thank you to Penguin Random House Canada， Double Day Canada and NetGalley for the digital ARC。 。。。more
Javier
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Review published in: https://diagnosisbookaholic。blogspot。。。。Thanks to PRH International and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review。Who killed the Mertons？ After a not so quiet Easter Sunday dinner with their kids， Fred and Sheila Merton are found murdered but， who killed them？ After sudden revelations during dinner， was one of their children angry enough to murder them？This was such an entertaining domestic suspense。 The Merton family is not a happy family but do you k Review published in: https://diagnosisbookaholic。blogspot。。。。Thanks to PRH International and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review。Who killed the Mertons？ After a not so quiet Easter Sunday dinner with their kids， Fred and Sheila Merton are found murdered but， who killed them？ After sudden revelations during dinner， was one of their children angry enough to murder them？This was such an entertaining domestic suspense。 The Merton family is not a happy family but do you know what they are？ Despicable！ Each and every single one of them are terrible people so there’re suspects aplenty。 It’s been a while since I read a book were almost every character was absolutely loathsome （and I loved it！）。The story moved at a super quick pace。 With such a dysfunctional family the secrets and revelations kept coming， making you doubt all the characters。 Even though I suspected all of them at a certain moment I didn’t know who the culprit was until it was revealed。 So many millions， so many motives！Although it was more plot than character driven， with just a few brush strokes the author drew perfectly all the Merton kids。The ending felt a bit rushed and incomplete but after the last couple of lines I shouted “yes， damn it！”， so I can say I was truly satisfied （also， I can see a follow up there）。Shari Lapena is one of those authors who books I impatiently await each year。 The only negative point is that I devour them and the wait for the next one is even longer。 。。。more
Kirsty
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Not a Happy Family - Shari LapenaNarrated by Ellen ArcherI received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK Audio and I am leaving this review voluntarilyIn this family， everyone is keeping secrets--especially the dead。 Brecken Hill in upstate New York is an expensive place to live。 You have to be rich to have a house there。 And they don't come much richer than Fred and Sheila Mercer。 But even all their money can't protect them when a killer comes to call。 Not a Happy Family - Shari LapenaNarrated by Ellen ArcherI received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK Audio and I am leaving this review voluntarilyIn this family， everyone is keeping secrets--especially the dead。 Brecken Hill in upstate New York is an expensive place to live。 You have to be rich to have a house there。 And they don't come much richer than Fred and Sheila Mercer。 But even all their money can't protect them when a killer comes to call。 The Mercers are brutally murdered the night after an Easter Dinner with their three adult kids。 Who， of course， are devastated。I listened to this book as an audiobook and I can’t work out if that was a mistake or not。 I was hooked！ I listened to this book at every opportunity because I needed to know who the killer was。 I honestly think I would have rushed through this book and maybe not have enjoyed it as much had I had the ability to read it for myself。The murderer is revealed in the last 10% of the book， until that point I had absolutely no idea who it could have been。 Every single character is unlikeable in their own way， and through the journey most of them are suspects that could easily have been the murderer。 This is a throughly enjoyable， page-turner with such a tense plot。 Rating 5/5 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Not a Happy Family
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Not a Happy Family&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Not a Happy Family&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0