The Den is the latest family drama thriller from Cara Reinard, due to be published at the end of 2022. I've read and enjoyed a few of the author's previous books, and I was lucky enough to get an early release of this one from NetGalley. I would have bought it anyone as I connect well with the writing style, plot development and character progression in Reinard's work. This is no exception; she's outdone herself with the different personalities in this crazy family. Focused on the 4 adult children of a ruthless business man, the matriarch of the family is suffering from Alzheimer's and in an assisted living facility. She's home for one night on her anniversary, but what happens at the party leads to a lot more disaster. Toss in the mother / son duo who take care of the family, a few husbands, wives and children, and you've got an interesting crowd. The plot has layers, and it might be easy to figure out one or two of them, but truly, this is an onion of betrayal, each person fighting to control The Den, which is the family trust. Why was it changed a month ago? Who is behind this new path of destruction? Clever and witty, the story has lots of merit. I wasn't totally fond of some of the lack of balance in the different stories about each family member, but it was a cohesive book on the whole.

This was a great book. I loved every paragraph, every sentence and every word of this masterpiece! I read it in 12 hours, which is a lot for me to do! It had everything and more laid out in the novel! I sure hope she writes more! I am totally hooked!

Finally got a chance to pick this one up. Main plot similar to 'Succession', and 'Knives Out' where the father has a heart attack and the four siblings are left to decide if it was accidental or intentional. Lots of time is spent on the siblings backstories and childhoods, so the author gets an A++ for character development. However, none of these characters were very likeable. It's a slow read but does have some good twists at the end and you want to find out whodunnit. More time spent on the relationship between the 2 parents would have been nice as well.

This storyline involves three siblings who are at their parent’s Anniversary Party, when their father is poisoned.  Their mother has dementia and is currently in a nursing home.  The reading of the Will is exposed and the Estates money is to be divided 50% between the surviving siblings and 50% to a charity.  Soon one by one, accidents start to happen .  Could it be sibling rivalry, or is someone else the blame?   For me, this was a slow read with little action.

I've been on a kick with modern Agatha Christie-style whodunit novels recently. I was intrigued by the description for <em>The Den</em>, but I was underwhelmed by the execution. I've read other similar titles this year that fared far better in terms of pacing. <em>The Den</em> introduces us to the four entitled Fox siblings: Christian, Valerie, Jeremy, and Lucinda (aka "Lucy*). After their father mysteriously winds up in the hospital having suffered both a stroke AND a heart attack the night of a big family event, the Fox siblings must figure out what happened to him...they may want their inheritances if Stefan Fox dies, but they're also afraid they might be next. 

The first three-quarters of the book (and certainly at least the first 50%) were entirely too occupied with character exposition and flashbacks. I didn't really care for the entitled and insipid Fox siblings, and the narration jumps between Valerie, Lucy and Marian — the Fox family's long-time house keeper. The first half of the book indulges in long flashbacks from the Fox siblings' childhoods, and I didn't find the backstories relevant or necessary to the main "whodunit" plot-line. Candidly, I skimmed a good chunk of the middle section because the character studies didn't seem germane to the mystery. Reinard does end the book with some delectable reveals and sews it up nicely in the vein of her predecessor Agatha Christie. But I couldn't get past the pacing issues and the excessive exposition when I really wanted to focus solely on the mystery and suspense storyline at the book's center.

Let The Games Begin..
The four Fox siblings are brought together at their father’s deathbed. After all, whilst they utterly detest him, there’s a sizeable estate at stake. Everyone is on watch, even the housekeeper. This patriarch has raised these children to be competitive - to the death - and everyone knows that the less beneficiaries there are, the bigger the rewards will be. Let the games begin. Who, if anyone, can be trusted? A swiftly moving narrative, a perfect set up for a murder mystery, well crafted and peppered with generally unlikeable characters all with a cut throat psychological mindset.

Nothing brings the four Fox siblings together like their detestable father’s heart attack and a hefty inheritance to be divided equally. At his deathbed is his oldest daughter, Valerie; her irresponsible sister, Lucy; and their two embattled brothers, Christian and Jeremy. Even the former housekeeper, Marian, who’s been with the family for forty years, is on watch. All Valerie hopes for is an amicable reunion, despite the damages of the past.
By punishing means, Stefan Fox raised his children to be competitors. The cruel lessons now serve them well in a game of life and death. When it comes to the family fortune, the rules are simple: fewer siblings means a bigger share.
After a suspicious accident, Valerie knows the worst is yet to come and confiding in the wrong person could be the most dangerous thing she’s ever done.
Really enjoyable read totally recommend 
Thank You NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer 
I just reviewed The Den by Cara Reinard. #TheDen #NetGalley

This was a dark and intriguing tale. This book is about greed and revenge. It’s loaded with twists and turns. It is a very cleverly written book. I can’t say that I particularly liked any of the characters. I found them to be whiny and unkind.  I enjoyed the book very much. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

This book was just an ok read for me. It centers on the 4 grown Fox children who are being targeted by an unknown assailant after  their father is injured and the details of his will, and immense wealth, is revealed. The story is primarily told from the youngest daughter Lucinda’s POV, but you also get chapters from the oldest sister, Valerie, and from their former housekeeper, Marian. 

Lots of reviewers were talking about how the characters weren’t likable but that didn’t bother me. The dynamics between them made sense and I could understand where each of them was coming from, even if I didn’t necessarily agree with the decisions they made. The thing that did bother me is that I easily figured out who the villain was early in the book; while there were a couple minor twists, it all turned out pretty much exactly how I expected. I would’ve  preferred a little more mystery. 

Overall, a decent read that held my interest, but was a little too predictable in my opinion. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this book, I had a hard time getting into the characters. This one is not for me, but others may enjoy it.

[My rating-3, 5 stars]

Four siblings, one wealth management firm, a mother suffering from dementia, and a nanny who has seen their all. Strung by troublesome ties and the patriarch Stefan Fox, who gets poisoned, the tale instantly starts on a mysterious note.

💎Good character sketch of the four siblings. You will have animosity towards the patriarch and feel frustrated with the siblings at different levels throughout the story.
💎Quite a few twists, makes it an edgy and fast read.
💎Relationships between all the characters, especially the one between the father and the mother are well painted. It all starts with the parents and their tale is well weaved with the main story so the reader gets a good idea of why certain things are happening.

❌The legal aspect was a little confusing to understand and there are certain discrepancies throughout the story. For example- a character mentions they don't know another character, but in the next instance it is written they do know. Hopefully, it will all be resolved in the final published copy.

This family drama serves up a hearty dose of intrigue, tension, and twisties. Everyone is a suspect and a potential victim in this story with multiple POV.
I didn’t particularly like any of the characters, and was able to correctly guess early on how two people were involved in the deception, but I still enjoyed this read.
The characters felt genuine and each had their own voice & personality, instead of all feeling the same.
What I appreciated most was that the characters would hint at having some dark secret, and it wasn’t overdone. So many thrillers beat it into your head in every chapter that the character doesn’t want their secret to be revealed. Okay, we get it, we’re not stupid & we don’t forget everything we’ve read when we turn the page. This book was refreshing in the sense that it didn’t do that.

Rating: 4/5 (rounded up from 3.5)

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and @Netgalley for an advanced e-reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

My reviews can be found on:
Instagram - @rolandreviews
Goodreads - Katie&Roland

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book as an ARC.  I have read works by this author before and this one didn't disappoint.  It is a family drama, with lots of characters and moving pieces.  I kind of had it figured out, but parts of the story were unexpected.  Overall, a great read that kept my interest to finally see it all come together.

”The Den” hooked me from the first page & I was here for it! A tense, twisty family drama and I think any thriller reader will love this.

Summary: Wealthy businessman, Stefan Fox, suffers an unexpected heart attack at his family’s annual party. Due to his unexpected recovery, his four children are notified about recent changes to the family trust fund. The four siblings try their best to get to the bottom of their father’s attempted homicide; meanwhile, there’s a killer who’s intent on taking each sibling down one by one. 

Thoughts: The Den is the first novel I’ve ready by Cara Reinard and I really enjoyed it. There were quite a few twists and turns but the story was easy to follow. 

Mysteries/thrillers are my favorite genre because of the suspense factor. I would have liked a little more suspense surrounding the killer since I had already solved the mystery about halfway through the book. Overall, I would definitely recommend The Den to those who love fast-paced mysteries and family dramas. I’m looking forward to reading more of Cara Reinard’s work.

Stefan Fox suffers a heart attack during a celebratory dinner for his ailing wife.  His four adult children attended the party, mostly in support of their mother, and are now dealing with worst case scenarios in case their father doesn't recover.  Lucy is the main narrator of the story, the youngest Fox sibling and the one deemed a troublemaker by her siblings.  Valerie is older and seemingly more stable, although is currently dealing with a divorce.  Jeremy is the younger of the two brothers, flighty and carefree, while Christian is a copy of his father, cold and distant. 

Stefan wasn't too involved in raising his children and when he did get involved, it was to pit them against each other and fight for his approval. And now that they are contemplating his possible death, all they can think about is the large inheritance that awaits them, and how they'd get a larger portion if there were suddenly less siblings to share with...

In typical fashion, family secrets are revealed as the story goes on and as people begin to die. These deaths were pretty unexpected and I was pleasantly surprised. Suddenly, it's not just about what happened to Stefan, but about what's happening to everyone. Not only are the siblings under suspicion, but others who have been close to the Fox family for decades now can't be trusted. These characters were more intriguing at times than the siblings, who aren't exactly likable. But, I enjoyed the story and the ending was satisfying, which is what I expected from this author. 
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This book grabbed me from the first page & didn’t let go until hit last! Super fast read, with lots of players & family intrigue….everyone has a reason to hurt another.

Thank you netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
Sadly this wasn't for me, I couldn't connect with the characters, I didn't find them likeable. Which in itself isn't a problem for me but the writing style just didn't really do it for me.
All in all I gave it a 2,5 out of 5

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the copy of The Den. If you’re looking for a great family drama that will keep you guessing, you will love this one. I had a hard time connecting to the writing because I was thrown off by some of the words and phrases used. I also never connected to any of the characters. It made me uncomfortable  when  the siblings spoke so meanly to each other. I’d like to think most of us don’t always just blurt out everything we are thinking. This book is perfect for someone, it just wasn’t perfect for me.

This was so fun! I love a good family mystery and this was fun to figure out.

Four siblings are starting to be attacked one at a time after their Billionaire father mysteriously has a heart attack stroke combo at an event. Who is doing it? Why?

I had Umbrella Academy / slight Gilmore girl vibes but in the world of mystery and thriller.