After reading and enjoying Jamie Day’s debut novel, The Block Party, I was looking forward to reading One Big Happy Family.

This is a locked room novel, where all of the activity takes place in an old prestigious hotel. The main character is Charley, a maid who works at the hotel. Charley not only works at the hotel, she lives at the hotel. So, when the owner dies and his 3 daughters are heading to the hotel to discuss the inheritance, Charley has a lot to worry about.

Not only that, but a hurricane is heading in.

Lots of family drama and secrets once the three sisters arrive. Plus a murder. With everyone trapped in the hotel, thanks to the hurricane, everyone is turning on each other.

It dragged a bit, and I didn’t feel it was as enjoyable as her first novel. Still, this will work if you’re looking for a lighter summer read.

After reading the Block Party, I wasn't sure what to expect as I really struggled with it.

Hurricane Larry is bearing down on the rocky coast of Maine, and all of the guests have cancelled their reservations at the family-owned Precipice Hotel.

With the death of the patriarch, the Bishop Sisters, Vicki, Iris and Faith, are here for the reading of the will. Add to the mix, Charley the Chambermaid.

It was a good read with a dose of chaos (as within all families and long held secrets.

This was a fantastic read that I could not put down!! I wanted to know what was happening next as soon as humanly possible. Gave off some Clue vibes! Giant hotel, who done it.

The novel takes place at the Precipice which is a family owned hotel. The owner of the hotel George, has recently passed away, so his daughters are coming back home to the hotel for the reading of the will and this is all happening with a huge hurricane happening at the same time. The story is told from the POV of Charley who lives at the Precipice and is a full time maid. Once all of the daughters and their families arrive, the trouble begins. There are secrets, deep dark secrets that start to slowly come out.

My favorite trope is the locked room thriller. Add in a massive storm and my favorite state of Maine, and I knew right from the start that I was going to love Jamie Day's One Big Happy Family. Filled with unlikeable characters, with the exception of Charlie, and almost everyone hiding something, this reunion is epically disastrous, and I devoured every single twisty page of it. I did figure out the twist fairly early, but it didn't matter, because I was still wowed by the ending. Thanks so much for the opportunity to read and review!

I read Jamie Day's debut and liked it enough to give this new novel a try. Set on the coast of Maine, involving a complex family of sisters and secrets I thought this had great potential. For me it was "fine" -- I didn't find myself hooked into the book where I couldn't put it down (in fact I did put it down for another more compelling-to-me page-turner). I find the author's writing to be a bit lacking -- just some phrases were a little twee or cliched and had me sort of rolling my eyes. I think her writing is just not for me. The story had lots of twists and turns and for the right person this may be "your" page turner. It felt a little long to me, especially the epilogue which I wanted to quickly tie everything up -- it seemed to drag. I would consider downloading another book by Jamie Day, but in the end she may just not be a match for my tastes.

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day is a locked room thriller that will a thousand percent, keep you on your toes! I guessed the twist early on but I enjoyed learning all the characters secrets and eventually putting the “why” together. The story was a little far fetched for me and cheesy at times but was still a great thriller and it gave very “and then there were none” vibes. You will enjoy this one of you enjoy locked room thrillers or any murder mystery.

Thank you to St Martins Press for an advanced reader’’s copy of this title via NetGalley.

Jamie Day's latest release, "One Big Happy Family," turns the idea of "happy" and "family" on its head. This thrilling family murder mystery will keep you second-guessing the characters' motives and your detective skills.
The Precipice is a renowned, family-owned hotel on the rugged coast of Maine. Following the recent death of their father, the Bishop sisters—Iris, Vicki, and Faith—have gathered for the weekend to stake their claim. However, with a hurricane approaching and each sister hiding dangerous secrets, there's a sense of impending danger in the air. Not everyone who arrives at the Precipice will leave alive. Each sister is determined to assert her rightful inheritance. Amidst this, Charley Kelley, the hotel's nineteen-year-old chambermaid, finds herself in a precarious situation. Smart, resilient, and burdened by her circumstances, Charley fears the arrival of the Bishop sisters could spell disaster for her. Will they shut down the hotel? Fire her? Uncover her habit of stealing from guests? Or worse, discover that she's harboring a fugitive in one of the guest rooms?
While the main murder mystery kept me thoroughly engaged, the secondary themes of Alzheimer's Disease and addiction evoked emotional responses. Although some characters initially felt exaggerated, their development and complexity added depth to the story. If I had to criticize one aspect, it would be the story becoming somewhat convoluted in the final third, where the intricate details became tangled—like a spider momentarily forgetting how to weave its web. Despite this, the story was compelling and hard to put down. And like me, you may be googling, "What is Belladonna?"
Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

This gripping thriller was unputdownable. It is the second best thriller I've read this summer. There was so many twists and turns and unexpected things popping up. It was absolutely gripping and I loved every word of it.

A really fun and exciting read! Charley works as a chambermaid at The Precipice hotel. She is now worried about her job. The three Bishop sisters have arrived at The Precipice to hear the reading of the will of their deceased father. From here follows chaos, creepy messages from a murderer and plenty of dirty secrets.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was just okay. The locked room premise was fine by me (the usual it's storming outside so we can't leave the place we're at plot line), I just think it was the flatness of every single character in the book that made me think this story was just alright. It was pretty obvious who was behind it all, though I wasn't exactly right in the why.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received access to a digital copy of this book for free in return for an honest and thoughtful review.

With that out of the way, let's talk about One Big Happy Family, by Jamie Day:

This book follows Charley, a young housekeeper at an eclectic hotel in coastal Maine called while on the precipice of a huge storm, in the wake of her boss's passing. As his three daughters turn up for the reading of the will, with a stowaway seeking help showing up just before the sisters do, it seems that maybe more than just secrets will be spilled at the family reunion of a lifetime.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I am a lover of mysteries, and this one gets off to a very interesting start. The groundwork is laid pretty early on, and the plot takes off with a good pace from there. Its hard to believe how short of a timeframe the book's events take place in, even having it told to you at the end! This is definitely an approachable page-turner with some good mystery and suspense to it. You might find yourself suspicious of many characters in the book as you go through it, and all with good reason. As a self-professed devotee of thrillers and mysteries, I will note that I was able to set my sights on the correct person to be most wary of prior to the reveal, but it did not take any enjoyment away from me at the time of the reveal, which is an accomplishment for sure!

Day's writing style is casual and gives Charley a great sense of character as she narrates this book. The occasional shifts in perspective were also fascinating and distinct enough without changing the overall tone of what I was reading, which I appreciated as well.

If you're looking for a page-turner that you won't want to put down, but want to be able to finish in a weekend, I would definitely recommend this book to you. I'm looking forward to seeing what Day writes next!

3 ½ stars rounded up. What a crazy ride! This is the story of what will happen to the Precipice Hotel after the owner dies. Three sisters are coming back for the reading of the will with a hurricane looming. You also meet Charley, one of the loyal employees and she has no idea if she’ll still have a job after the sisters take over. This book was full of one crazy situation after another. Lots of fun and kept me guessing what would happen next. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader’s copy.

Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for my review. There is no shortage of family drama in this book. It certainly is not one big happy family. Some twists and turns along the way but overall kind of an unbelievable story. With the patriarch of the family dead, three sisters reunite at their family b&b to listen to the reading of their fathers will. All during a hurricane. Chaos and murder are abundant. Three stars

One Big Happy Family

As a huge fan of The Block Party, I think I was expecting a lot from this one and while I did enjoy it, I didn’t as much as I did her first book.

There are a few things that I loved about this book, the first is the setting and the second is the character of Charley. I think the two kept me invested enough to keep going. Although a bit predictable, I still enjoyed the impending weather, the sense of isolation, and again, Charley.

I’m definitely a Jamie Day fan and will be reading whatever she writes next.

My thanks to St. Martins Press for this gifted DRC.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Wow, I finished this book in record time. I'm giving a rare 5 stars; it started off interesting and ended on an interesting note. I liked the plot, it moved along nicely and there weren't any glaring mistakes that I noticed. The characters were likable for potential murders. The storm reminded me of old murder mystery movies, makes it spooky & you never know what'll happen when the lights go off. I've read a book by this author before and this was my favorite. There was only one part of the story that I questioned and that had to do with who died. We're told it's one person and turns out to be another. How'd that happen and no one knew?

#JamieDay #OneBigHappyFamily #NetGalley #St.Martin'sPress #murdermystery #contemporymurdermystery

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martins Press for allowing me to read a copy of One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day. I have read one other book by this author so I was happy to read another one. This book was but, to me it seemed like another book I read. The a hurricane will hit the hotel where a family is staying to read the fathers will. The pacing of the book was slow.

🪨Book Review🪨
*
Summary:
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.
*
Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️
*
My thoughts- this one releases in August and I was super hyped to receive an advanced audiobook for it. While it was beautifully narrated and super atmospheric , think gothic hotel in the middle of an intense hurricane with crazy family drama, it ultimately fell short. I saw the twist coming a mile away and I did not like any of the characters, which was my main problem. I should have connected with Charley, but I found her super disloyal and quick to throw away people who actually cared about her because she thought the nephew was hot. All in all, it was very atmospheric and has some juicy toxic family drama, it just fell short.
*
QOTD- what did you do this weekend ?!
*

Wow really enjoyed the setting in this one. Hurricane Larry is approaching and the Bishop sisters have just arrived at Hotel Precipice for the reading of their father George’s will. Get ready for a cast of self absorbed characters, family toxicity at its finest and so much chaos that will keep you turning the pages.

Really enjoyed The Block Party and this one was equally as fun. Love the multiple POVs and a story that keeps me guessing.

Thank you Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

After the death of their father, George, the Bishop sisters return to the Precipice Hotelto claim their shares of what they each feel is rightfully theirs. However, what does this mean for Charley, the 19 year old maid who had been working and living there in order to pay for her Nana’s care? Will she still have a job and a place to live once the sisters arrive?

As things turn out, the sisters’ arrivals coincides with the arrival of a hurricane so there are no guests scheduled to stay. However, shortly before the sisters arrive, Charley meets a young girl named Bree who needs a place to stay during the storm to escape her abusive boyfriend. When she promises Charley that she will pay her exchange for a room, Charley can’t resist but needs to figure out how to keep Bree’s presence a secret.

It doesn’t take long once the sisters and their families show up, to realize that this is a family full of secrets. When people start turning up dead, it becomes clear that someone wants the family secrets revealed or more people will die! Charley soon finds herself in the middle of the family drama and needs to figure out a way to survive!

This was a quick enjoyable read! Everyone being locked in a hotel during a storm with no phone service and periods of no power, made for a perfect whodunnit and gave off extra eerie vibes that contributed to the suspense. The story was primarily told in the present with some chapters flashing back to the past to tell a story that revealed the secrets that this family was hiding… and there are many! So if you are in the mood for a thriller full of family drama, toxic relationships, murder and even a bit of humor… then this book is for you!

Charley works at the Precipice Hotel as a chambermaid. She has seen a lot in the short time she has worked there but nothing can prepare her for the craziness she is about to encounter. The man who hired her is dead and his family is coming for the reading of the will. Then a storm locks them all in the hotel and there is a killer on the loose! Choas and destruction, death and mayhem but maybe something good can come from it in the end.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters are crazy. The situations are ridiculous. Through it all, Charley is at the center of it but somehow she holds on to her sanity. How? I don’t know. The sisters that come to find out what they have inherited are all crazy and creepy but in the end they are sisters. They stick together through all of the craziness or do they? There are enough twists and turns to make you dizzy! The end is good and the bad guy gets their due. There is also a side story about Charley taking care of her grandmother who has dementia and Charley’s best friend disappearing during the storm.
If I had one complaint, I would say it was that the book was uneven. There were parts that read fast and smooth but there were parts that felt clunky and out of place. Those moments made me stop and double check how they fit the rest of the story. Luckily there are many of those moments so I was able to get back into the flow easily.
This is a contemporary murder mystery, family dynamics, caught in a storm, maybe romance set in a hotel. It’s a fun read and I would recommend giving it a try. I will read more from this author in the future.