In ‘The Happy Family’, author Jackie Kabler has created an enthralling psychological thriller which keeps the reader holding their breath until the climax.

The main plot line becomes somewhat predictable in terms of who is responsible for all of the calamities that befall Beth and it is possible to read between the lines and guess at the final twist but this does not detract from enjoyment of the storyline in any way. In fact, if anything, it encourages you to keep reading as you will the main character on to see the light!

A thoroughly enjoyable read!

This book was highly predictable. I called the twists from the very beginning, so reading it felt like a race to confirm my thoughts. The characters were highly unlikeable and were very frustrating. In today’s world, I would have entered in this with way more suspicions instead of just believing everything I was told.

Beth, a newly divorced mom, struggles with a horrendous secret from her childhood. However, her mother, who went missing 30 years prior shows up one day. She eventually moves in with Beth and they can begin rebuilding a happy family. Beth is terrified that her mom will one day find out her secret and it will tear their newly found happiness apart. While getting to know one another, strange things keep happening to Beth, until one final event brings everything to a head.

Thank you NetGalley, author Jackie Kabler, and One More Chapter publishing for giving me a free arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
5 stars
What would you do when the mother who disappear almost 30 years ago suddenly reappears?
at age 10 Beth's mother walked out on their family never to be heard from as Beth grew up. Now almost 30 years later, Beth feels like something is missing, but what? She has a happy and satisfying life. But what Beth thought might be missing walking back into her life one day and that missing piece was her mother. Now that Beth's mother has finally reappeared, Beth is willing to welcome back her mother with open arms. But as Beth's life begins to fall apart around her, her mother is there to help her pick up the pieces or is she?
This book was slow at times, but overall had me on the edge of my seat wondering what was really going on. While I could guess at some of the twist and turns, I was pleasantly surprised by the big reveal. The characters are well developed and believable. The author's writing style made the book an easy read to finish within a day.
Overall, I enjoyed my first book by author Jackie Kabler and look forward to future new releases by this author. I would recommend this book to those who like domestic thrillers.

This has to be... So far of 2021 my favourite storyline ever!!!
My god- "The Happy Family" had so many emotions running through it I really felt for Beth, I felt it when she was happy and content, and I really felt it when her life started to go a bit pear shaped!!.
This was really well written, and the suspense of the whole book had me reading it in under 24hrs!
I loved that it was set in Cheltenham, with mentions to Bristol & South Gloucestershire (My home town!.)
All the characters were really likable and everything was really well explained, no ends left untied with thoughts you may of had as a reader throughout.
I did guess early on though,-I just felt it in me that the ending was who I thought it would be and it made me cry when the DNA proved it, I couldn't of been more happier.
The storyline also focuses on a fundamental serious issue. I think it was a great thing to add to the book to bring to light the true seriousness of our actions and the consequences of those actions- not only how they can stay with us forever, but the consequences they can make to others lives past or present.
I REALLLLLY enjoyed Jackie Kabler's 'The Happy Family" it's a definite must read and I would recommend to anyone that loves a good gripping, suspenseful thriller, that holds you on edge throughout, yet brings you all the emotions at the same time! 5+++++ stars from me!! 👏👏👏👏

Wow this book! It was a fast paced and suspenseful read and the author did a really great job with the tension building ...and building ... and building! I felt so sorry for Beth when everything started to go wrong for her ,and yet at the same time I wanted to shout at her! Almost like a punch and Judy show - "Its behind you!!" Because I had worked out what was going on much sooner than Beth did! I must admit at first I kept changing my mind about who was behind all the strange goings on because there are so many red herrings! This is a well written book with great characterisation and I'd love to read Jackie's other novels.. 'The Perfect couple' and 'Am I guilty?'

📚Book Review 📚
The Happy Family By Jackie Kabler - Publication Date - 4th June 2021

Beth is a single working mum ( newly divorced ) to 2 young children. She has her father but he is now in a nursing home - she hasn’t seen her mum who walked out, for 30 years. One day her mum turns up on her doorstep ....,,,,,,

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the character Beth. I could relate to the busy working life of a mum. When things stared going wrong for her, I was like Noooo -what now. Her life slowly going downhill! I did have an inkling of the ending BUT the author managed to get a cheeky wee twist at the end ..... genius!!

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I almost gave up on this book several times, as it required far more patience and suspension of disbelief than I am capable of. I saw the Big Twists coming as soon as the involved characters arrived into the action. I had countless issues with the characters, plots, etc. though I seem to be in the minority and would hate to spoil for others to enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK/One More Chapter, and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

This one kept me guessing a lot, right up until the end.
This is the first book I've read from this author and I will be on the lookout for more of their work.

This book had me hooked from page one! My favorite part of reading this genre is when there are unexpected twists and turns, and the author of this novel delivered. Would definitely recommend!

Single mother Beth is haunted by an incident in her past and her mothers return brings back some of the memories. At first Beth is thrilled to see her mother but quickly Beth starts misplacing her keys, forgetting things, seeing things. She starts to question everything around her; her housekeeper and her friends and her mother aids in this by planting seeds of doubt. Beth just wants her happy family, but nothing is going right for her. This book keeps you reading as you try to figure out what is going on with Beth. You get the sense early in the book that someone is out to get her but who is the big mystery. If you like putting the clues together, you will enjoy this book!

The Happy Family by Jackie Kabler is a fast-paced, entertaining read perfect for your day at the beach or pool.

What I Liked

I enjoyed the well-developed characters, particularly Beth who is a single mom of two school-age children. She has set up a great friend/support system at work and at home with friends who, though are older than her, really care about what she’s going through and are there for her when she needs them. Her mom walked out of her life 30 years ago and when she walks back into it, unexpectedly, the supportive world that Beth has carefully created for herself and her children begins unraveling at the seams.

When the unraveling starts, so to does the suspense and pace of the book. I hated what Beth was going through and boy did she frustrate me more than once, but it sure did make the pages turn fast and furious as I wanted to see how far the derailed train would go before it crashed. I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen and the pace adjusted appropriately as my need to know grew stronger.

I enjoyed the twists at the end. Okay, I admit I did see all of them from early on, but I still enjoyed finding out if I was right or not. After all, I could have easily been wrong because there were definitely other possibilities. Sometimes, it’s not about how shocking the twists are but just that there are a number of possibilities that keep the reader guessing until the end.

I loved the themes of the importance of friendship and family that wind their way through the mystery plot. Beth has an extraordinary group of friends and she has managed to keep a good relationship with her ex-husband and the woman in his life. Even though she has not had a mother since she was ten years old, she is a wonderful mom to her two children not leaving any room for the mistakes her own mother made to become her own.

To Read or Not to Read

If you are looking for a fast-paced, entertaining psychological thriller, look no further. The Happy Family is the book you are looking for.

I really didn't care for this book. Two things I dislike are knowing the ending to a thriller and having to push myself to finish a book.

The main character was also a rather dreary individual, who I just could not connect with. I found her lack common sense utterly annoying and at the end was so fed up with her behaviour, I found myself having little empathy for her.

Overall, I would recommend passing on this one if you like a strong main character and thrillers with a twist.

Thank you to NetGalley, for providing me a free advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

I was new to Jackie Kabler. This book was a wild ride ! I loved the characters in the book . Each chapter just seemed to get better and better.
The book was full of twists and turns and was a compulsive read for me.
This will not be my last Jackie Kabler book. I can't wait to devour more of her books! Amazing Amazing read. Thank you for allowing me to preview this book!

I love a good psychological thriller – probably because I like to get into the minds hearts and dark misdeeds of human nature and, if I didn’t do it through the medium of reading, I might be tempted to stalk my neighbours (Only kidding)
In The Happy Family there is a slow build-up of tension – a stalker, a mysterious secret, a troubled history involving a long lost parent and a cast of characters which we learn more about as the book progresses, are all thrown into the mix early on. At first I thought the build-up was a tad slow, but then the tension really ratchets up and we are left guessing and double guessing ourselves as nobody really seems to be who they present themselves as.
The strength of The Happy Family is the characterisation. We really get to know the characters through dialogue and action which results in a well-rounded storyline that makes you think ‘this could happen to me’. I found myself yelling at Beth (the main character) because at times she was annoyingly stupid – but then who wants to be the boy who cries wold.
A satisfying read.

The Happy Family is anything but a story about a happy family.

When Beth was 10, her mother left her and her father. Beth was grief-stricken, angry and lashed out causing events which she has never been able to forget. She’s never talked about those days and has created a relatively happy life with her two children, remained friends with her ex-husband and built strong relationships with her neighbors and coworkers. Then one night the doorbell rings and standing on her doorstep is …her long lost mother. The following several weeks should be the happiest in her life but instead Beth becomes dangerously forgetful, starts to drink too much, alienates friends, and finally, after one careless act, may lose her family.

This psychological thriller is full of twists and turns but too many of them are expected. I guessed what was caused Beth’s problems and wondered why she didn’t take some simple precautions - ask her ex-husband for help, be more honest with her work supervisor and…change the locks! The Happy Family is still a solid 4 star read.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK and Jackie Kabler for this ARC.

Publication date 4th June 2021, thank you netgalley harper Collins publishers and Jackie Kabler for the digital advanced copy of the happy family.

After 30 years Beth opens her front door to discover her long lost mum. Although this should be the best time of her life, she's privately dealing with incidents that's lead her to believe that her biggest regret and secret is coming back to haunt. Her happiness at her mothers return is dampened as her life seems to be falling apart in the process. Why has someone waited all this time to get rheir revenge, Beth believes they don't want her to be happy and having her mother back is the dream she never expected to come true.


This is one of those books where a really good review could completely spoil the plot. So i will proceed without spoilers.

I loved this book and it turns out that I have read Jackie Kablers book the perfect couple and I loved that one also so it makes sense. If psychology thrillers is your genre of choice the plot and plot twists will be quite obvious from the get go. But I promise you even having worked it out I still was glued to this book.

As the story Is narrated by Beth it is really intriguing to get the story in tiliae from her point of view. Beth as our protagonists is relatable, like the rest of us she's just trying to get by and has some hidden trauma. I believe the author has a skill not many authors do. She was able to show the psychological changes in our character without being so overtly obvious. It's a skill and many readers themselves may not read between the lines.

Beth's excitement at finally having her mum back is just so intense that I as the reader felt her joy and understood the importance of this for her. Maybe I just relate to much to Beth as all her friends are around her mothers age and its strange because as you read about her neighbours and work colleagues it just makes sense. So its a shame when truths are told, they didn't sit right with me.

Then there's the two other women we get to meet Robyn her housekeeper n nanny and a lovely homeless lady Nadia. Both women seem like ladies you want as friends so I just loved the part they play in Beth's life.
Strange thing is her friendships begin to collapse and there's always Robyn seems a tad noisy. But who hasn't had a look roubd when you should be working.

In all honesty to start with Beth's relationships all seem a bit to perfect even with her ex husband and his girlfriend. So the fall out during the book is great to read.


Would I recommend this Book? Yes I would to lovers of the genre those who enjoy Pheobe Morgan, CL Taylor, Louise Jenson and Lisa Jewell you will enjoy the happy family. Yes it's an obvious plot, yes you will scream at Beth throughout but most importantly non of that matters because it's a well written book with likeable characters. Easiest 5 stars this year so far.

This book was a bit too obvious for me. The puzzle is presented quite early and it is just a matter of fitting the puzzle pieces together. One of the big twists is incredibly obvious and the book feels like it drags while you wait for the pieces to fall into place. Often I wanted to take Beth by the shoulders and give her a good solid shake. She spent way too much time wondering the wrong things about the wrong people. I struggled with the idea that this might be how this situation would actually play out in real life. And yes, I realize this is fiction and it therefore needs to be given some latitude, but if it is too obvious it detracts from enjoying the story. I will just count this as a mismatch for me and the author as I've enjoyed her previous books and expect to like her future ones.

Beth's mom left her family when Beth was 10. No one has heard from her since. When Alice shows up unexpectedly at Beth's house she welcomes her with open arms. Beth has been feeling for a while now that someone is following her and is unnerved by it.
Overall, a decent story even though I guessed the twists right from the beginning. The main character was self absorbed and gullible. I did feel for her with all the strange things happening in her life.
I would read other books by this author.

Thanks to netgalley and One More Chapter for the arc.

A truly horrifying scenario, this story will have you cringing with every page turn. What starts out as an uplifting and promising timeline, quickly turns south, with one dramatic event after another. While the story is readable with an appealing plot, the minutiae of the day to day transactions and relationships becomes tedious and irritating. Most of the time you find yourself wishing the main character would get her act together and quit being so hysterical, then maybe she could actually figure out what was going on. Not to mention the excessive drinking that doesn’t help her out, at all, during the entire sequence of events. I feel like much of what was happening could have been prevented with clearer thinking and decent detective work.

An advanced copy of this book was sent to me by the publisher. The opinions are my own.

Wow - this is another fast paced read from Jackie Kabler. Although I’d sort of worked out bits of it by the mid point, it definitely didn’t spoil the ending. Such great defined characters and the storyline grabs you and takes you a ride.