One Big Happy Family
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Jamie Day

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: The Precipice is a legendary, family-owned hotel on the rocky coast of Maine. With the recent passing of their father, the Bishop sisters—Iris, Vicki, and Faith—have come for the weekend to claim it. But with a hurricane looming and each of the Bishop sisters harboring dangerous secrets, there's murder in the air—and not everyone who checks into the Precipice will be checking out.

Each sister wants what is rightfully hers, and in the mix is the Precipe's nineteen-year-old chambermaid Charley Kelley: smart, resilient, older than her years, and in desperate straits.

The arrival of the Bishop sisters could spell disaster for Charley. Will they close the hotel? Fire her? Discover her habit of pilfering from guests? Or even worse, learn that she's using a guest room to hide a woman on the run.

My Thoughts: I loved the author’s debut novel, The Block Party, so I knew when I saw this one, I was onboard without too much reading of the blurb. I am not always a fan of locked door mysteries, however, I did enjoy this one. You have a locked door mystery mixed with an element of domestic sister aka evil incarnation sisters. The Precipice is a legendary family hotel on the coast of Maine, on the rocky coast specifically. Three sisters, Iris, Vicki, and Faith, come to visit to stake their claim on the hotel after their father’s passing, and each sister brings secrets that they would rather keep buried. And to make things more exciting, the chambermaid Charley Kelley, has her own secret, she is young, smart, resilient, and loyal to a fault. The arrival of the Bishop Sisters can erupt Charlie’s secret to the top, or will the reading of the will go beyond any misdeed that Charlie has committed? Let’s not forget the hurricane that is on the horizon threatening the hotel and surrounding properties.

The story is a multiple character narration, each providing their own perspective POVs. Our main protagonist Charlie really does still the show and her biggest sin of pilfering from the guests can be forgiven, at least in my eyes. Charley is a young girl who would do anything to take care of her nana, even pilfer a little from the guests. Charley stays onsite and her nana is in a retirement home. When Hurricane Larry threatens the hotel at the same time as the Bishop Sisters hurricane comes through, it is a race against time. The eldest sister, Vicki is married to Todd. Todd is also portrayed as a villain. Vicki is bad-tempered and has a vicious streak, while Todd is a manipulative greedy man who will step on others. Middle sister, Iris, former drug addict and ex-convict, who has a new spiritual life. The youngest sister, Faith, is the model and is married to Hope, a very zen person with a spiritual outlook on life. Quinn, who steals Charlie’s heart almost immediately is the son to Vicki and Todd. Lastly, let’s not forget the attorney who has been called in to do the reading of the will, Brenda Black. Throw all of these characters together in a locked room, we get characters developed with depth, betrayal, secretive, and well-portrayed. The author’s writing style was complex, multifaceted, twisty, suspenseful, and engaging (once you get through Part I).

There were three parts to this story. Part I was really slow but it built up our characters and some of their backstory. Part II really starts to delve into the plot and the sister’s backstories and even some of their harbored secrets. The last two parts (Part III and Part IV) really is where the action occurs with tension, compelling, and just grips you. The last two parts really fires up the plot in twisty layers. While some parts were a little over the top, and some belief suspension was required, I still loved it and it still gripped me, even if some parts were predicable. The plot has twisty suspenseful layers and the ending ties up things nicely, even if a little over the top.

I had both the digital and audio version of the ARC and preferred the audiobook. This was a well written book that I really enjoyed. It was compelling, gripping, and suspenseful. I highly recommend this to other readers, especially if you enjoyed locked door mysteries.

I really enjoyed this one. I love a story setting where the characters are stuck somewhere while there’s a murderer on the loose. Plus, set in Maine, where I live. The main character’s voice and story are compelling. (I also have a soft spot for housekeepers having worked as one at a bed & breakfast back in the day.) Charley works reluctantly at a hotel Down East. She works to pay for her beloved Nana’s nursing home care. When her lecherous boss dies, his three daughters arrive to decide what to do with the place but this quickly devolves into who killed who with Charley and a stowaway guest in the middle of the family chaos and the worst Maine hurricane since 1969.
The POV shifts to the sisters, to the Then and Now, fitting together like a puzzle. A compelling read, highly recommended contemporary mystery/thriller.

I can't say enough for this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Looking forward to more from this author!!

The Precipice is a historic family hotel on the cliffs of Maine and it is stunning. After the passing of their father the Bishop sisters decide to come back the weekend of his funeral to read the will and clean up his affairs. But all of a sudden a horrible hurricane and storm is heading right for their location. Charley has agreed to stay at the hotel to make sure it is okay since she lives there while everyone else goes to take care of their homes. With the arrival of the Bishop sisters things start to go haywire between the storm, the will reading and even a murder. But will Charley make it out alive?

This was such a twisty, thrilling and fun book. There were many moments where I didn't know what the steps were going to be. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I didn't want to put down. I thought I knew exactly what was going to happen but man I was wrong. Jamie Day does it again and hit it out of the park.

Thank you @macmillan.audio and @stmartinspress for my complimentary copies. My thoughts are my own.

This atmospheric novel is set in an old hotel in Maine during a hurricane. The three Bishop sisters return to their childhood home after the death of their father, the hotel’s owner. But the three sisters share an old secret that comes back to haunt them as startling new revelations are revealed. The chambermaid, Charley greets them, but Charley also has secrets, including rifling through guests’ belongings, and even hiding a visitor.

MY THOUGHTS: The hurricane in Maine provides the perfect locked room setting, forcing the sisters and other family members to remain in the hotel. None of the characters are particularly likable, though they are each very interesting. The murder doesn’t happen until 30% in and the build up seems a bit slow. There is a lot of bickering and family drama among the characters, as well as a switch in timelines as some dark family history is revealed. All in all, this is a very satisfactory mystery but with no real surprises.

Read this if you enjoy:
*Locked Room Settings
*Maine Settings
*Hurricane Settings
*A Murderer on the Loose
*Bickering Characters
*Family Drama

I also checked out the audio version. Saskia Maarleveld does an excellent job with the voices and drama.

I was unfortunately not a big fan of this book. The family was so unlikable and it just didn’t hold my attention

I enjoyed last years The Block party but this one fell flat for me. The beginning is really slow on the setup. I guessed some of the plot twists early on so nothing that surprised or shocked me. Overall I gave it 3 stars and will give her next one a shot.

This book was another fail! I am sad about this one as I was looking forward to a good thriller. Don't get me wrong, the twists and turns were there , but everything else was just flat. The characters were 2 dimensional and unrelatable, I couldn't really get into the book as I kept putting it down and not wanting to pick it back up.....I do not recommend this one at all.

While arguably not as fast pasted as his first novel, the newest book from Jamie Day still has something to offer fans of his work. If you like to read books that make you want to crawl under the sheets (if you're a late night reader like I am) then this is definitely one check out.

Thanks to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an early copy of One Big Happy Family in exchange for my honest opinion. I like reading about family dramas, in part because I don’t have any siblings so I never had to deal with any of that growing up 🤣 I saw one of the last twists in this mystery pretty early on, and I was just waiting for it to happen. The best thing about the book, in my opinion, is the Maine coastal setting, during a hurricane at an old bed and breakfast type of hotel. There is a locked room mystery going on during the storm, which makes for a smaller suspect list. I enjoyed the book (I mostly listened to the audio), and the family drama definitely got messy in the way I like. The author’s previous release, The Block Party, also had dramatic relationships, but that one centered around one neighborhood, reminding me of Desperate Housewives. I remember reading it while sitting on the beach in Rio and it was the perfect complement to busy days of partying in the streets during Carnival 🏖️ Both are now available, and I recommend them, but I personally liked the drama of The Block Party more.

Jamie Day never disappoints! One Big Happy Family reeled me in from the beginning and I couldn’t put it down. It was a modern tale of who dun-nit or clue. Everyone is stranded in the family owned hotel with a few staff members and an outside guest. People start dying while a hurricane is barreling down on them. No one can leave and no one can get into the hotel either. As bodies start piling up, family members turn on each other and start questioning motives. I always love a good who dun-nit book, and this one did not fail to meet my expectations. I love Jamie’s writing and can’t wait for her next book.

***Thank you Netgalley and St Martins Pres for an ARC copy in return for an honest review ***

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of One Big Happy Family. This was a quick read as the plot unfolded at a steady pace. It was very reminiscent of an Agatha Christie “whodunnit” and I enjoyed all the beats of it. It also helped that the main character, Charley, was very likable.

There are twists and turns here in this toxic family drama, some of them predictable. The story unfolds in four parts, with different timelines and points of view, providing backstories for the various characters. All of the sisters and even the family attorney who turns up are pretty despicable. The setting is a coastal scene in Maine and a legendary family hotel The Precipice. When the owner dies, his three daughters return to claim part of the dynasty. They are a hoot with their dysfunctional family dynamics. Each one of them is keeping secrets and those bleed into their lies. There is a character that I loved and she is the maid. Sweet and kind Charley makes this book as she pilfers and steals from the guests to provide for her mom who needs around the clock care for dementia. She is also hiding away a stowaway guest, Bree, her best friend running from her abusive boyfriend. As a hurricane moves closer to shore, a storm is brewing much closer inside. The guests are tucked away and shielded from what is outside, but not everyone will make it alive as a killer is tucked away too. I felt like this book was trying too hard. It all wrapped up a bit too conveniently in the end as well which was not believable in my opinion. One Big Happy Family was an enjoyable summer thriller, with plenty of twists as only a dysfunctional family can deliver. Thank you NetGalley, the author and St. Martin's Press

EPIC FAIL. I give this two stars instead of one because, similar to the last book I read by this author, I was willing to slog through all the ridiculousness just to figure out all the twists and turns and finally get closure.

The Good: Twists and turns and surprises and unexpected forks in the plot. This author does a great job of keeping you on your toes and trying to figure out what comes next.

The Bad: Everything else. This was a conglomeration of bad characters, stupid and implausible plot lines, and just a lot of eyerolling as I read the book. Never have I seen a more dysfunctional family. It had to be a ton of work to think up how many ways a family can screw each other over. And I have to give props to Charley - for all of the murders and suspense and intrigue and drama she was faced with in such a short time, she STILL found time to give googly eyes to Quinn and plot romance. You go girl! (insert another eye roll here).

While I appreciate a good twisty storyline, I'm not sure I can stomach another book by this author.

In Jamie Day's follow-up to The Block Party, One Big Happy Family is a psychological mystery that begins with a slow burn and will have readers flying through the pages by the end. When Maine hotelier George Bishop passes away, his three daughters decide to meet at the family's well known hotel, The Precipice. 19-year old maid Charley is barely staying afloat (helping herself to some guest's money from time-to-time as well) and is worried she's about to lose her job and home. With a hurricane threatening New England, the Bishop sisters and their families gather with their late father's attorney for the reading of the will. Each sister feels entitled to their share and then some but their father appears one step ahead and doles out his last wishes in what some view as a spiteful manner while others believe he was manipulated into updating his will. Secrets from the family's past are being dug up throughout the weekend with deadly consequences. In a locked-room approach, Day takes readers on a wild weekend they won't soon forget.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

I found this book to be pretty slow and predictable. I really had to force my way through the first part of this book.

There is a storm rolling into town so all the guest staying at Precipice Hotel had to cancel their reservations. However, the Bishop sisters are attending a will reading, so they still plan on getting to the hotel for their reservation.

While prepping for the guest and hurricane, the hotel staff is also hiding a woman that is hiding from her abusive boyfriend.

Thank you @netgalley @macmillan.audio for the ALC Narrated by Saskia Maarleveld!
Also thank you @stmartinspress for the E-ARC!

⭐⭐⭐⭐

What a good summer thriller! I loved the Maine setting with the hurricane craziness so much. I will say that the book starts off kind of slow and drags for a bit so I wasn't sure how the ending would land for me. I enjoyed it though! Honestly the family chaos is what sold me. The toxicity between them and all the secrets kept me engaged to see the ending come together. Also enjoyed the shorter chapters! The audio paired with it was ok. Not my favorite, but it kept my attention.

If you like a little dysfunction and a domestic thriller this will be perfect to grab to keep with the theme of summer before it ends!

This is my first book by Jamie Day and I was pleasantly surprised. It does start off a little slower to set the scene, but as more points of view get introduced and the backstory of the sisters comes to play, things start to take so many different turns you might get whiplash.

"Bad things always follow that family."

A young maid working at a remote, expensive hotel is anticipating the arrival of its new owners. The father passed away and the will is about to be read at the hotel. A big storm is also coming and all their reservations have been canceled. So it will just be the staff and the immediate family and the attorney. What could go wrong?

Sadly, this one just did not work for me. Right from the start, I wasn't drawn in. The main character never felt authentic and the drama felt over the top and unrealistic.

It is an interesting mystery and one that kept me scratching my head to the very end so if you love to devour mysteries, you just might like this one!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

It's official, I am obsessed with Jamie Day, I have loved every book I've read if hers. She's got a great way to not write the same type of plot that others have, she is creative, and definitely an auto buy!