The three Bishop sisters find themselves stranded at their family owned remote hotel for the reading of the will for their recently deceased father due to a storm. But, the storm outside isn't bigger than the storm brewing inside and when people start dying, Charley, the hotel's maid, realizes that she needs to uncover the secrets of the Bishop family before it's too late for her!!

One Big Happy Family is choked full various possibilities to keep the reader guessing but the holes in the plot take away from the storyline. Good idea for a book but poor execution.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jamie Day’s *One Big Happy Family* was such a fun, fast-paced read! Set in a stormy Maine hotel, it’s packed with family secrets, unexpected twists, and a great locked-room mystery vibe. I loved the character of Charley—the chambermaid with a complicated past—and how the story slowly unraveled through multiple perspectives. If you enjoy family drama mixed with suspense, this one definitely keeps you turning the pages!

I grabbed One Big Happy Family because that vibrant, colorful beach scene on the cover caught my eye and wow, did this book deliver! Set at The Precipice, a legendary family hotel on the Maine coast, the story begins when the owner dies and his three daughters return to stake their claim on the family legacy. Their dysfunctional, secret laden relationships make for a wild, sometimes hilarious ride.

But the real star? Charley, the maid. She’s kindhearted and tough, stealing from guests to care for her mother, who suffers from dementia. On top of that, she’s hiding Bree, her best friend and a stowaway running from an abusive past. Charley’s quiet strength and fierce loyalty give this story its beating heart.

As a hurricane barrels toward shore, tension inside the hotel mounts. Guests are trapped and shielded from the storm outside, but not from the darker danger lurking within. A killer is on the loose and not everyone will survive.

The pacing takes a little time to build, but once the climax hits, it’s pure Agatha Christie brilliance. The locked room mystery kept me guessing and glued to the page.

This book is jam packed with family drama, dark secrets, and wonderfully quirky characters that feel like they jumped straight out of an Alice Feeney novel with a splash of Kaira Rouda’s chaotic family energy. The setting is so vivid it almost becomes a character itself, adding to the atmosphere and tension.

Told in four parts and mostly from an omniscient viewpoint, the standout narrative is definitely Charley’s first person sections. She won me over instantly with her warmth and grit.

Yes, there were a few minor things that niggled me, but they didn’t dampen the overall experience of this fast paced, twisty, and thoroughly entertaining read. If you’re into family sagas with a side of suspense and a touch of dark humor, One Big Happy Family is absolutely worth your time!

I am going to DNF this book I enjoyed other books by this author enough to give this one a try, but there are political issues in this book that makes me not want to continue. Homosexual characters and illegal immigrants pointing blame at ICE workers. Seems more and more authors are adding progressive politics to their books.

I enjoyed the second part of the books! The first was slow going but then it started to pick up for me. I think other people would enjoy it more than Ai did and because of that I would still recommend this book.

This is an intriguing whodunnit told mainly from the perspective of the housekeeper of an old inn on the cliffs of Maine. When the three daughters of the owner stay at the inn after his death for the reading of his will, bodies start to drop. To make matters worse, the hurricane outside forces everyone to ride it out together.

I really enjoyed this. While I correctly guessed some of the twists and turns, I still had fun reading them, and there are always new things the reader learns about the well-developed characters. There were a few points that felt a bit like plot holes (i.e. if the weather was that bad, how did the rescue vehicles get through, and there really isn't an explanation of how the lawyer is killed). In general, it was a fun read full of tension and hidden pasts we get to discover in what is basically a locked-room mystery.

This book really just took me for a ride. I loved the build up, the character development, and the writing. I would definitely read more from this author!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review this arc honestly.

This is the second book I’ve read by the author. I loved the first one but this one was just ok to me. There was a lot going on, possibly too many characters and the timing didn’t make sense in my head as I’m reading it (but it’s probably right just couldn’t fit it in the picture in my mind). It’s a good locked in mystery though, just not a top read for me. Looking forward to more from this author!

This was 1st for me by author. Very entertaining twisty. Like a modern day Agathe Christie!
Look forward to racing more from author.

This is an edge-of-your-seat thriller. I have to admit that I originally picked this book because of the cover, which is both beautiful and intriguing. It's a real page-turner with interesting characters and a twisty plot. I highly recommend it for a mystery book club.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a digital copy. All opinions are my own.

In One Big Happy Family, Jamie Day weaves a gripping tale set against the backdrop of the legendary, family-owned hotel, The Precipice, perched on Maine’s rocky coast. With their father’s recent passing, the Bishop sisters Iris, Vicki, and Faith converge at the hotel for a weekend that promises both reunion and danger.
Day’s writing keeps readers on the edge, with nonstop twists and turns. The atmospheric setting, complex family dynamics, and secrets lurking in the shadows make this a page turner. While the suspense builds steadily, the characters’ emotional depth adds layers to the story.
If you enjoy suspenseful family dramas with unexpected revelations, One Big Happy Family is a must-read. Day’s storytelling prowess shines, leaving readers eager for more.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you like a locked room mystery with unlikeable rich family members vying for an inheritance, then this might be for you. I feel like this was slow at the beginning and then in parts 3 and 4, things started happening, but it was over the top and not believable. It just dragged on too much for me. So many characters to keep track of, I felt like the story was all over the place.

I may be an outlier, so please read others reviews, but for me, this was a miss.

I'm rating this 3 Wine Glasses 🍷🍷🍷

This was a backlog ARC I was given the opportunity to read. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.

After the owner of The Precipice hotel dies, his daughters come home to Maine to claim their inheritance. Add in an approaching hurricane, LOTS of family secrets, and a chambermaid with secrets of her own and you have a riveting summer suspense! I was immediately engrossed in this crazy family! This story was full of twists and turns that snuck up on the reader. If I listed them all on paper it would feel like too much, but the author woven them all together seamlessly. This is a novel that is difficult to put down.

An Absolute Whirlwind of Suspense! ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Jamie Day's One Big Happy Family lives up to the hype and then some! Freida McFadden's description of it as an "unputdownable and gripping thriller with nonstop twists and turns" is spot on. From the moment the Bishop sisters arrive at the ominous Precipice hotel, a palpable sense of dread and suspicion hangs heavy in the Maine air, thick as the approaching hurricane.

The premise itself is brilliant: three sisters, each with their own hidden agendas and dangerous secrets, converging on a family-owned hotel after their father's death. The tension crackles as they navigate their inheritance and their fraught relationships, making you constantly question their motives and loyalties. Just when you think you have a handle on things, Day throws in another unexpected curveball that will leave your head spinning in the best possible way.

Adding another layer of intrigue is Charley Kelley, the resourceful and resilient chambermaid. Her precarious situation and the secrets she's desperately trying to protect make her an instantly sympathetic character, and her fate becomes inextricably linked to the drama unfolding within the Bishop family. Day masterfully juggles multiple perspectives, keeping the pacing relentless and the suspense sky-high.

One Big Happy Family is a masterclass in summer suspense. It's witty, sharp, and brimming with thrilling moments that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final, shocking reveal. If you're looking for a book that will completely consume you and leave you breathless, look no further. Jamie Day has delivered a truly unforgettable thriller!n Absolute Whirlwind of Suspense!

One Big Happy Family is an edge of your seat locked room thriller. It's a great read and Jamie Day is a phenomenal suspense author.

Charley is a young maid living on property at the Precipice Hotel in the woods of Maine. When the less than above board owner passes away, his three daughters and their families come home to the hotel for the will reading. The sisters are anything but truthful and each is holding a secret from the past that will absolutely upend the validity of their claims to the hotel.

Filled with twists until the very last page, this novel is a perfect read for those who like excitement and a bit of family drama in their stories. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read this novel.

Sometimes blood-relation doesn’t truly mean “family”. When money is involved, people’s true colors shine. While stuck in an old hotel during a hurricane, family secrets are exposed, leaving everyone vulnerable, including the hotel employees.

First of all, I loved the short chapters on this book and the flashbacks. It was interesting to get a few different perspectives and learn about the sisters' past lives. I did not expect the twist, but once we got the twist I wish we would have gotten more background on the surprise sister. Over this was a pretty good thriller but I felt like it could have moved a little faster.

I ARC read Block Party and loved it, so I was excited to jump into reading this book! If you enjoy a good thriller, this is for you. I didn't know what to expect and the author kept me guessing until everything came together at the end. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Every family has secrets, but not all are worth killing for to keep. The Precipice Hotel in Maine is a secluded, eclectic hotel that sits on a cliff. It is owned by George Bishop and when he died, his three daughters come to the hotel for the reading of the will. At the same time, there is a hurricane bearing down on the area that not many are taking seriously. The girls think it will be a glancing blow, but the 3 staff members of the hotel are worried about a direct hit.

The daughters, Vicki, Iris, and Faith come to the hotel with Vicki's husband and son, and Faith's wife and son, along with attorney that will read the will. Little do they know, there is a stow away in the hotel as the chambermaid had made a friend and is hiding her at the hotel to protect her from her abusive boyfriend. As time progresses, the storm outside and inside the hotel may be more than most can handle.

So many twists and turns! My first book by this author, not my last!

Jamie Day’s One Big Happy Family is an atmospheric read set in a distinctive family-owned hotel on the rocky coast of Maine. The plot has a lot of potential, with the Bishop sisters—Iris, Vicki, and Faith—coming together to claim their inheritance after their father’s death. As a hurricane looms, secrets and tensions among the sisters, and a determined chambermaid named Charley, quickly escalate to life-or-death stakes. The stakes are high, and the potential for disaster, both personal and professional, is palpable.
What I liked most about the novel was the atmosphere. The setting of the Precipice, perched dangerously on the edge of a rocky coastline, plays an important role in building the suspense. Day does a good job of painting a vivid picture of the hotel and its surroundings, which initially contributes to the novel’s overall sense of tension. The plot is compelling, and Charley is an engaging character with her own set of struggles
However, the book wasn’t without its flaws. The focus on Charley’s experience as a maid often felt excessive, with the author making her job seem far worse than it needed to be. Her description of her work made it sound more like coal mining than cleaning a hotel. This overemphasis on pain and suffering, paired with a lot of intermittent commentary on social issues, distracted from the core mystery. Like, “let me stop the story for a moment to let you know the plight of undocumented persons in Maine. Got it? Okay, let’s resume with the plot.” These elements, while important, felt like they were included just to show the author’s awareness of social issues.
Additionally, the suspense was weakened by the author’s decision to include large chunks of backstory for the Bishop sisters in the middle of the book, which revealed a key secret to the reader way before the main character knew. This felt like an unnecessary info dump, rather than letting the mystery unfold through events or dialogue. The novel occasionally veered into a didactic style, where the author seemed intent on explaining every detail to ensure the reader understood, which took away from the immersive nature of the mystery.
Overall, One Big Happy Family offers atmosphere, a locked-room plot, and plenty of twists and turns. If you’re looking for a mystery with all the answers laid out for you, this will be a solid read. However, if you prefer a more traditional mystery where suspense and tension increasingly build as you solve the puzzle alongside the characters, this may not be the best choice.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advance copy of this book. My review is voluntary and reflects my honest opinion.