I have avidly consumed every novel Shari Lapena has ever written. I circle release dates on my calendar and wait with bated breath for each new book to be released. She is, truly, the queen of the psychological thriller, and I have to say, this is her best work yet.

"Not a Happy Family" is incredibly written. Lapena draws the reader in from the very first page and creates a real whodunnit where every character has the potential to commit a heinous crime. Readers will look for clues, puzzle over evidence, and form their own theories as they race along with the police to solve the murder of Fred and Sheila Merton.

From the outside looking in, the Mertons have it all. Fabulous wealth, a palatial home, three successful, talented children. This carefully fabricated facade comes crashing down when the pair are found brutally murdered in their home. Although the scene initially appears as a robbery, the police begin looking at the Merton's three adult children as potential suspects. Although Catherine, Dan, and Jenna all protest their innocence alibis start to crumble, family secrets start to spill out, and claws come out as they each become desperate to ensure that one of their other siblings will be found guilty. The deeper they dig, the more the police find that the Mertons weren't such a family after all, and combing through the lies, deceits, and half-truths will keep the police, and the reader, guessing as the novel careens to its conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this book for an honest review. I have read several books by Shari Lapena and she is one of my favorite authors. I love the way she has of pulling the reader into her books.
This book started out on Easter with a lot of family drama at dinner and ended with the parents being brutally murdered. There were lots of family secrets that kept you guessing. Did one of the kids kill their parents or was it someone else who was intertwined in the family. Each person had a motive, but who was the killer. I kept changing my mind on who I thought was the killer. This book kept me hooked until the very end.

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Not a Happy Family was filled with fairly unlikable characters, including the murder victims themselves. Sometimes that makes a book go into my "Can't finish" pile because I don't care what happens to the characters. Not so in this case! Shari Lapena wrote such an addictive whodunnit with enough red herrings to keep me constantly trying to figure out who the guilty party was. And while I wasn't necessarily surprised by the ending because I had at various times suspected almost all of the characters of being guilty, it was a satisfying ending. Fans of classic murder mysteries who don't mind a little salty language will enjoy this one.

This one was pretty good! It definitely kept me engaged as I was dying to read a page or two during a recent night out!

I have a love/hate relationship with thrillers. I love them because they are so fun and I love all the twist and turns and I hate them because I usually end the book feeling unsatisfied and let down. Not A Happy Family was so good and I was shocked by the end. I did not expect it at all and it was PERFECT. Throughout my entire experience reading the book I went back and forth trying to figure out who the killer was. No matter what though I was left unsure. The last few pages was honestly some of the best writing I have ever seen and it was one twist after the other. OMG it was just so good! I really loved this book and I wish I could read this book again for the first time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena. All opinions are my own.


Shari Lapena is one of my go-tos and unfortunately, this fell a little flat for me. I severely struggled to get into it and found the amount of characters confusing. I couldn't keep anything straight and had to re-read multiple pages so I'd remember who was who. While still enjoyable, this was not my favorite of Lapena.

Lapena does it again! Ever since The Couple Next Door I've been following Shari Lapena very closely and devouring every single book she reads. I can't believe how every book she writes is better than the last. Not a Happy Family was filled with twists and turns around every bend. It was extremely hard to put down. And for me, that is what makes a five star book!

Thank you to Net galley for this digital advance readers copy of Shari Lapena’s latest novel. While this book did have twists similar to her other books, which I love, it had far too many chapters where nothing really happens. So slow to get going that I’m afraid many readers will give up part way through. Only 2 1/2 stars for this one.

Do you like dysfunctional families who are at the center of a double murder? Then "Not a Happy Family" is for you! The story takes place with the rich family, the Merton's. Both of the Merton's parents were brutally murdered, and the cops believe that one of the three children did it to get their inheritance early.

Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena The Mertons are the ultimate dysfunctional family. Not a likeable member in the bunch. Had to feel sorry for Irina, the long suffering nanny/housekeeper and for Ted and Lisa for having married into the strange family. Many twisty turns and false alibis Greed is the driving factor for most of the family. Best of all was the ending.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

This was the first book I have read by this author, and while it did hold my interest it was a total letdown at the end. I was hoping for something more dramatic to say the least and that didn't happen.

Maybe it's because I have read so many books like this that I just look for a little something more.

This was just an OK read for me. I have loved some of Shari Lapena's other books but this one just didn't hit the mark. I didn't like any of the characters and felt like it was very repetitive. There wasn't a whole lot of suspense in my opinion. There were of course multiple murder suspects and of course throughout the books you try to figure out who it is and there are red herrings but it just bored me. The actual killer wasn't much of a surprise either. Hoping the next Lapena book will be better!

Thank you Pamela Dorman Books, Viking Books and Shari Lapena for gifting me this book in exchange for my honest review.

Not a Happy Family is part family drama and part whodunnit mystery novel. The book begins with a dramatic e description of the murder of the affluent couple: Fred and Sheila Mercer. Both were savagely murdered in their home on Easter Sunday. Mercer’s house located in the affluent upstate NY neighborhood of Brecken Hill is a sight to behold, and one of their 3 children inherit it while the other 2 will split the millions. As the murder investigation progresses more and more secrets come to light not only about Fred and Sheila, but also about each one of their three children, Fred’s sister, and even family’s housekeeper and the former nanny to all three Mercer children. So who killed Fred and Sheila? It’s impossible to figure out as seemingly no one is telling the truth.

I found Not a Happy Family to be a page turner. It kept my interest and I kept listening because I wanted to find out whodunnit. In case you are wondering, no I did not guess it correctly. Yet when it was finally revealed I felt underwhelmed. It was almost too easy, too simple. I expected more of a twist or some sort of shocking revelation at the very end that would change everything, but alas…none came.

Overall a fast and entertaining read. It will keep you guessing and changing your opinion often! But do not expect anything super original.

Not one of Lapena's best, but not a bad, quick suspense/thriller read. The rich, spoiled adult kids made it difficult to care what happened to any of them.

Shari Lapena never lets me down when it comes to mysteries. This book is a super fast and enjoyable read. It kept me guessing and gave me a surprise at the end. I’ll recommend to anyone looking for a mystery.

Not A Happy Family by Shari Lapena KSA masterful whodunit of a mystery. The heads of the Merton family are murdered after Easter dinner. Their children were the last ones to see them alive. Each grown child has a reason for wanting their parents gone. Who is actually responsible, though? Read and enjoy!

This book will make you appreciate your family. You will not guess who the killer is because it could be anyone in the family. If you are a person who enjoys revenge, the ending will make you smile.

I read all of Not a Happy Family in one night. It was stormy out, my husband had just left for a business trip, and it was the perfect book to curl up on the cough with. I also joined a buddy read for this book to help motivate me too!

Not a Happy Family takes place in the Hudson Valley in the aftermath of a murder of wealthy couple. This rich family’s three adult kids are the prime suspects and each accuse each other. None of the children really liked the parents and they all had a reason for the crime. Each child would inherit several million dollars each. The book follows everyone for the weeks after the crime. The police interview all suspects including the couple’s housekeeper and the husband’s sister, who no one likes either.

The three kids lie to each other and throw each other under the bus. But this makes it so entertaining! I really thought it was fabulous and it was suspenseful enough to keep my attention for the whole book. Just enough clues were dropped to keep me changing who I thought it was.

NetGalley ARC | I won't lie. I love books where every character is despicable. This is most definitely the case in Not A Happy Familly. There isn't a person you can trust, and you just know that one of these characters murdered the parents.

I added Not A Happy Family to TUL's reading list after BOTM put it on my radar. For a fast-paced summer read and murder mystery, this one did not disappoint.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pamela Dorman Books for providing us with a free advanced digital copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Who murdered the Mertons? The most likely suspects are their 3 children, but which one? They all have a motive, and are all flawed in some way due to family pathology. Throw in a housekeeper and a disgruntled aunt and you have a fast-paced mystery that is infinitely entertaining.