Charley Kelley is only 19, but she’s already been through some tough years. The only family she has left is her grandmother, and she’s struggling with memory issues. She’s in a local nursing home, so Charly works very hard to afford her room and care. They live in a small town in Maine, but there is a high end hotel named Precipice. Charley works as the maid there, and with that job, she gets to live onsite, in a small room, rent-free. She doesn’t love the job, or how the owner hits on her from time to time, but she doesn’t know of another job in town where she can live and still afford her grandmother’s care.

But when the owner of the Precipice dies suddenly, his three daughters are planning on returning to the hotel for the reading of the will. Iris, Vicki, and Faith will be there soon, along with the attorney who is the executor of the will, so Charley is in charge of getting the rooms cleaned before they show up. But she has a problem. She had recently met a woman named Bree in town, and Bree was trying to get away from her abusive boyfriend. Bree shows up at the hotel, desperate and asking Charley to hide her for a few days. Charley is reluctant, but she doesn’t feel like she can leave this woman in danger, so she agrees to hide her in one of the hotel rooms for a few days.

Then there’s the problem of Larry. Larry is the hurricane heading for them. While some of the locals are writing off the storm, thinking the bark will be worse than the bite, several of the coming tourists have canceled their reservations at the hotel. Soon it becomes clear that the sisters and the lawyer will be the only guests, hurricane be damned.

This is the first chance Charley has had to meet the sisters. There is Iris, the recovering addict. Vicki and her husband own a jewelry store in Boston, and their son is in college studying philosophy. Faith and her wife Hope have a teenaged son also, a quiet boy who speaks in rhyme when he does talk. Vicki immediately starts making demands of Charley, but the more things go wrong at the Precipice, the less that matters.

Olga, the longtime cook, quits suddenly. Larry hits with a vengeance, bringing down a tree on the drive, so no one can leave. Cell service goes out. And inside the hotel, strange threats add a sense of foreboding to the gathering. The will is read, and with all their father’s rules and stipulations, none of the sisters are happy with the outcome. They thought they were getting the hotel outright, and that is not how their father set up the inheritance.

And then the first person is killed.

As the storm rages outside and the wi-fi goes down, those stranded at the Precipice have to figure out a way to survive the storm, and each other. It turns out that each of the sisters has a secret to keep, and some of those secrets are worth killing to keep.

Charley isn’t a part of the family, and she got nothing in the will. In fact, Vicki fires her, so she also has no job, no home, no way to take care of her grandmother. She has literally nothing left to lose. Except her life. Will she be able to stay alive until the storm passes and they can get help to the hotel, or is this the end for the young maid?

One Big Happy Family is a secret-fueled thriller that asks what it is that makes a family. As the long-held lies are exposed and the truths come out, the danger amps up, until everyone is fighting for their own survival. This novel is a series of dangerous events, escalating and escalating, to a nail-biting conclusion.

I listened to One Big Happy Family on audio, and narrator Saskia Maarleveld, who brought this twisted tale to life. There was a lot of tension, which I thought she handled beautifully. However, there are also a lot of characters who all show up about the same time, so I did have some trouble keeping everyone straight in my head for a bit, especially the sisters. But it was a fun book to listen to, and anyone who loves a story filled with danger, tension, and family secrets should consider adding this one to their shelf.

A copy of the audio book for One Big Happy Family was provided by Macmillan Audio, and egalleys were provided by St. Martin’s Press, both through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Wow, this story is quite a ride! I was hooked from the start. Chapter one starts things off as quite a page-turner, & it gets better from there.
I like the author’s writing style, & think the pace, character development, & setting are all perfect for the story. The twists & turns, family histories, & each character’s recollections of the past come to light @ just the right times. There’s a lot of wit & humor, especially considering the subject matter.
I enjoy it when almost everyone is a suspect @ one time or another during the story.
I’m glad Charley wasn’t drawn as a perfect angel, but just a sweet kid that’s been through way too much in an unfair world. It was easy to root for her to figure things out.
I found myself working on the puzzles of this story, even when I was doing things other than reading. That always seems to be a good test of how much I’m invested while reading a mystery or a thriller. The surprises & secrets just kept coming, as did the dirty deeds & possible motives. You can’t choose your family…
Thanks to the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy via NetGalley. I’ve already added another book by the author to my kindle.

“One Big Happy Family” by Jamie Day
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Release Date: 7/16
Genre: thriller

If you like the “locked room” thriller you’ll love this! The book is set instead a seaside hotel in a small town in Maine. I found the premise really interesting and the book kept my interest the entire time. There was a whodunnit aspect along with multiple twists!

Charley is the maid at the Precipe Hotel. She is trying to stay afloat paying for her Nana’s care, so she lives on site and works hard. When the owner George passed his three daughters Vicki, Iris, and Faith come to the hotel to read the will. Everything quickly escalates when one family member turns up dead and they are all pointing fingers. The one thing the killer wants is for all three of their secrets to come out. How does it all connect?
The crazy thing is this all happens during a hurricane. You never known when you’ll have a blackout and who you can trust.

I thought this novel started off slow and slightly unrealistic . However, the middle did speed up and grab my attention. Once I got toward the end I was hooked and unable to put it down. However, I didn’t love it.

This was a gripping locked room mystery from the that brought us Block Party, Jaime Day, last summer!

Synopsis:
Charlie Kelley, a resilient, smart and older than her years is employed at the PRecipice, a legendary family owned hotel in Maine. The unscrupulous owner, has just passed away and his three adult daughters, Vicki, Faith and Iris Bishop are on their way to stake their claim to his estate. Charley fears for the safety of her job that she desperately needs to keep her grandmother, the only family she has left, in an assisted living care. She is also hiding a woman on the run and fears that might jeopardize her job even further.

The reading of the will leaves much unrest amongst the sisters. . Meanwhile in the backdrop their is a large storm, Larry, that is hitting the town creating a lot of natural havoc. Before the night is over, secrets will be revealed and someone will die. Who will make it to the next morning?

My thoughts:
I really enjoyed Block Party last year and was looking forward to another summer thriller filled with deception and betrayal from Day.I really enjoyed learning about the BIship’s sisters past and how their current lives came about. I also enjoyed the character development of Charlie the only truly redeemable character in the book with the exception of the grandma. . This one truly delivered and was very different with the locked room mystery aspect. Although I preferred Block Party this was still a solid thriller from Day!

Very well written mystery book with some humor and good characters with excellent family dynamics. I can never see twists and turns happening when I read so there was just enough surprise for me to keep me on the edge of my seat! I finished the book with all my questions answered and felt satisfied!

This was an okay dysfunctional family story of course with a twist at the end, but is was so slow in the beginning. It didn't keep my attention the way I was expecting or needing it to keep me fully invested. I tried in both digital and audio formats. Neither worked for me with this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Our story starts with Charley, working, and living, as a maid at The Precipice. She doesn't make enough money to care for her Nana, who has Alzheimer's and lives in a small apartment. On occasion, she takes $20 here and there from guests to pay for Nana's rent and expenses.

When the owner passes away and his daughters come to town, the hotel is thrown into mayhem. A strange woman shows up, looking for shelter from an abusive boyfriend, the chef quits abruptly, and the family arrives, desperately needing to hear the will read by an attorney, even as a major hurricane is forecast to arrive. Everyone thinks the storm will miss The Precipice but it takes direct aim instead, trapping the mysterious woman, the Bishop sisters and their families, and Charley inside the hotel.

This book felt a bit too obvious for me. I kept thinking that something was a red herring but it wasn't. Other aspects felt unbelievable. One example is Charley helping the mystery woman, Bree (this is at the beginning, so no spoilers here). But Charley has seen a lot, having dealt with a mother who was addicted to drugs and died from an overdose. She's been around sketchy people and has learned to watch out for herself. But then Bree shows up, and Charley is willing to hide her and doesn't question it. Bree offers Charley $1,200 to let her stay at the hotel, the exact amount she needs to cover the rent increase for Nana's apartment. You can understand Charley's naivete to an extent but this felt like too much.

I do think this book is a thriller, but also has a lot of family history, and a tiny bit of romance. For someone who doesn't want to read a hardcore, intense thriller, this would be a great option to pick up. There is some action and mystery, but it never veered into being insanely grotesque or scary.

The book itself is well-written, and the author does a good job of giving closure to the characters. We get to catch up with everyone and see what happened to them, and where they might be going next, and I found that satisfying. If you're looking for a mild thriller, or are new to the genre, this would be the book to read!

Welcome to the Precipice Hotel where it seems everyone has a secret, including the maid. When the owner of the Precipice Hotel dies, his three daughters return to read his will. Charley is hoping that she can impress the Bishop sisters in an attempt to keep her job and living situation. However, with Hurricane Larry devastating the small coastal town, she soon finds herself stuck in the hotel with a family who has more than one secret. Charley hopes to keep her own secret that is hiding in the hotel.

One Big Happy Family was a whirlwind of a mystery. This book was filled with unpredictable characters that all had secretive pasts. I enjoyed listening to the different timelines for each of the sisters and figuring out the secret that each sister held. The narrator did a fantastic job for each of the characters, especially Charley. This mystery kept me on my toes from beginning to end and I recommend this book for people who enjoy locked room mysteries.

One Big Happy Family is out today!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and MacMillan Audio for the opportunity to review One Big Happy Family. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Jamie Day did it again with another excellent story about one messed up family. In this “locked-in” thriller Charley is just trying to live her life and save enough money to keep her nana in an assisted living facility. When the owner of the hotel she works at and live in passes away his family all comes to the hotel to mourn their loved one and to read the will. It just so happens it also is one or the biggest storms of the year, trapping the family and Charley in the hotel, with an abundance of secrets and plots of revenge.

This was such a fast paced read that I really enjoyed. The characters were perfectly flawed and the story line was fun. Day did a great job of building up the atmosphere of the book I could picture being at the hotel in the hurricane. If you are a fan of locked in thrillers this one is for you.

Another solid suspense/thriller from Jamie Day!

Giving this one three starts which for me means I liked it but I didn't love it. I think the main thing that held it back was just that it didn't hold my attention well. Not sure if that is the book's fault or mine. Maybe both? Overall, I like the story line, but it did feel a little all over the place to me.

Excited to see what Jamie comes up with next!

This book will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time you are reading! If you're looking for a book that has twists,and suspense this is the book for you!

Nineteen year old Charley is a prestigious hotel’s maid whose owner’s family has just come to stay for the will reading. After the reading, the very unhappy Bishop sisters discover the body of one of their husband’s whom also inherited a big portion and had control of one sister’s inheritance. Oh, and alas, a big storm has come in, stranding them without a way out or any cell service.


So many suspects and many reasons to want him dead. Will Charley and her stowaway figure out who the murderer is? If the random messages are correct, someone will be next, but who?

My thoughts:
While the story kept my attention, it wasn’t very exciting. It’s a good plot, but I think it could have been done better. I did like the TWISTS but the ending really came out of nowhere. I still recommend to readers who like Megan Miranda.

A "locked room" mystery with lots of suspects and motives!
Charley Kelley is live-in chambermaid at a family-owned boutique hotel on the coast of Maine. After the owner and patriarch of the family passes away, his three daughters and their families, as well as the family lawyer, arrive for the reading of the will. A hurricane is also set to arrive that weekend, but the visitors will wreck more havoc than the storm when the will turns out to be full of unpleasant surprises, one guest ends up dead, long-held secrets are revealed, and Charley herself ends up in danger. While Charley herself is pretty down to earth, other characters liven up the plot with their quirkiness and quicksilver personalities. The plot is action-packed, and with so many selfish and morally questionable characters, there are plenty of suspects to keep the reader guessing not only "whodunnit", but also what will happen next!

One Big Happy Family they are not! Love a book set on the beautiful Maine coast loaded with family drama. Good domestic drama with all the tenseness and twists you can imagine!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC!

When the eccentric owner of The Precipice hotel dies, his three daughters – Vicki, Faith, and Iris – and their families come home to the hotel for the reading of the will. Hotel maid Charley Kelley worries about what this will mean for her. Will they close the hotel where she depends on her paycheck (and pilfering from guests) to support her grandmother? Or do they have things to hide too? This weekend, all the family secrets will come out.

This is a solid locked-room suspense novel. The atmosphere is excellent, between the rocky Maine coast and a hurricane about to make landfall. The cast of characters is large enough to have a good number of plausible suspects between family members, the attorney, hotel employees, and a mysterious guest. I would recommend this one to someone who is newer to locked room mysteries; as a seasoned thriller lover, I found the twists to be predictable and sometimes implausible.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Definitely no sophomore slump here. I enjoyed the heck out of Jamie Day’s second book: One Big Happy Family. While they are radically different stories, I couldn't help but get a ‘Knives Out’ vibe from this one. After all, both stories deal with wildly dysfunctional families.

Nineteen year old Charlie lives at and works at The Precipice, a family owned hotel in Maine, doing her best to support herself and afford the care her grandmother requires. Recently the owner of the hotel, George Bishop, passed away and now with Hurricane Larry bearing down on Maine his three daughters are coming home for the reading of the will, each eager to get their piece of the family fortune. And as is mentioned within the book…’this family puts the fun in dysfunctional’, lol. And when a murder occurs and Hurricane Larry hits, trapping everyone at the hotel, the story really kicks into high gear. Jamie Day is a wonderful new voice and a reason for lovers of domestic thrillers to be excited. Can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. I’d like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of One Big Happy Family.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R2ATAKQN2LFMMX/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

The Bishop sisters - Iris, Vicki, and Faith - returned to their father's hotel in Maine for his funeral. Unfortunately, it's also the weekend that a hurricane is descending on the area. Unable to leave or reach anyone, the stakes become higher when a body is found. Who is the murderer and what is behind it?

This locked room mystery did not work well for me. None of the characters were likeable but more than that, it was a great deal of issues this family was dealing with that seemed unrealistic. Everyone had secrets - and big ones at that - and individually, they weren't unreasonable. But all together, it was too much.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Available July 16, 2024

I love a family drama / will reading situation and this book delivered! This is full of old grudges, secrets, toxic family dynamics, and a whole lot of chaos - all in the middle of a hurricane!

This was fast-paced and well written. I really liked that we didn’t get multiple povs the entire time. Most of the book is from Charlie’s pov but each sister get their own in flashbacks which I did enjoy.

I definitely recommend giving this a read especially if you enjoyed The Block Party by the same author and even if you didn't I still say give this a shot!

The plot was original for sure, and the writing very engaging. Especially the dialogue from the main character, Charley, the maid at the hotel Precipice, an icon in the community with many collectible items acquired by the recently deceased owner. Charley has no one in her life except her Nana, in a home with dementia. She lives in a closet where she works at the hotel. Charley’s wages have barely kept her afloat and in the home she needs for her nana’s care, and they are raising the rent at the home again. She’s in dire straights.

As the sisters and their attorney arrive for the reading of the will left by their father, the original owner of the property, Charley introduces us to each one of the family members in this dysfunctional family. Dysfunctional barely covers it. So much is going on here, they all have secrets, including the attorney, and with a raging hurricane going on outside they are all stuck here in this hotel together. What transpires is a maze you would never guess.

At times the bickering and and hateful actions of the characters got to me and I found myself skimming past some scenarios, but all in all stayed engaged and loved the ending and the epilogue. Best wishes to the author for a successful release day. Pick up a copy, available today. 7.16.24

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for the e-arc to read and offer my honest opinion of this work.