Well that was a doozy! It was a lot.

There were quite a few times that I considered quitting it but I’m glad I didn’t. There were so many subplots and twists, some I saw coming but others not so much.

Was it plausible? Not even for a second but I’m ok with that. It concluded in a satisfying way with the exception of the last “entanglement”, which was unnecessary and made it a bit weird.

I’m on the fence with this one. Overall I’m glad it’s over. I would probably try more by this author.

In "One Big Happy Family," Jamie Day crafts a masterful thriller set against the brooding backdrop of a legendary hotel on Maine's rocky coast, delivering a narrative as turbulent as the storm that looms over its storyline. The book marks another triumph for Day, who has already captured readers' imaginations with "THE BLOCK PARTY," proving once again her prowess in weaving suspense and mystery.

The story unfolds with the Bishop sisters—Iris, Vicki, and Faith—reuniting at the Precipice hotel to settle their late father's estate, only to find themselves ensnared in a web of secrets, lies, and latent danger. As the hurricane approaches, the tension among the sisters escalates, mirroring the storm's impending fury. Day masterfully uses the setting—a character in its own right—to amplify the suspense, creating a claustrophobic atmosphere where trust is scarce and betrayal is plentiful.

Central to the narrative is Charley Kelley, a chambermaid with secrets of her own, whose fate becomes inexorably linked with the Bishop sisters. Day's skillful portrayal of Charley as smart, resilient, and trapped by circumstances adds depth to the narrative, making her the linchpin that could either save or doom them all.

"One Big Happy Family" is a thrilling ride from start to finish, characterized by nonstop twists that leave readers breathless and unable to put the book down. Day's ability to blend family drama with suspense and a touch of the macabre results in a gripping tale of survival, greed, and the lengths to which people will go to protect their secrets. It's a must-read for thriller enthusiasts looking for their next favorite summer suspense.

Thank you St Martins Press and Net Galley for this ARC! Once again Jamie Day gives us a non stop whirlwind of a story. Set during a hurricane it can be debated if it’s happening inside the Precpise Hotel or outside! The story has the volatility of category 5 storm all around. When a family comes together after the death of the patriarch so many secrets that have been held for decades come to a head for the daughters left behind with each holding a resentments close to their hearts. As with any storm, this one whips up some some great plot twists you never saw coming! Highly recommend!

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.

This story is told mostly by Charley, the maid of the Precipice Hotel. She is young and works hard to pay for her Nana’s assisted living care. She finds herself trapped in a hotel during a hurricane when the family discovers the reading the will isn’t what they were expecting. Although this was filled with a LOT of family drama, it felt very long to me. All sisters in the story had very detailed background stories, which just made the story drag along. I enjoy action packed, fast paced thrillers, so this one just wasn’t for me.

This story is so interesting and it does not disappoint. Great character development. At first it was challenging to keep the characters straight but I picked it up in the first couple chapters. Would definitely recommend and I can see this developing into a movie.

This book started off slow for me. There’s a lot of backstory to get through. When the sisters are introduced everything picks up. Everything slows down again to get the sister’s backstory. After the sister’s backstory things pick back up.

Charley works as a maid at the Precipice Hotel. Her boss George is not the best, and he expects a lot out of her, a little too much. George passes away and Charley must prepare for the Bishop sisters to arrive for their father’s funeral and inheritance. Bree, Charley’s friend, stumbles to the hotel to get away from her abusive boyfriend. But who is Bree really? Weird things start to happen around the hotel and this becomes a “who is guilty” scenario.


Overall, i did enjoy this book. I do feel like there were a few loop holes. The book did seem to drag in a few spots. I’m glad i read it, but I’m also glad it’s finished.

thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the ARC!

Loved the book,the characters & storyline were terrific.
A story of a truly messed up family,especially the three sisters.
They all converge on the family hotel for the reading of their fathers will.
Little do they know of the deaths & agony of unbelievable secrets that they have held onto for years,will be the undoing of all.
There is also a raging storm outside,Larry,as the storm is called is wreaking havoc as well
Thank you to netgalley for allowing this book to be enjoyed by me & to a great author "Jamie Day" for writing it.
I would truly recommend this one,to all !

I really tried to give this book a fair shot. I read 40% of it before I abandoned it. The whole plot seems unbelievable, and it dragged on and on repeating the same details about the main character, Charley, and her hardships, but in different ways. I will give the author another try, but not this book. Unfortunately, this was a dud for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Wow, this book is a doozy!!! Put together family drama, an old hotel and throw in a hurricane, you have the perfect suspenseful read! You keep trying to figure out where the thriller is going to go, and it throws is loop after loop. An enjoyable read for sure.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day is a fast paced psychological thriller that had me guessing almost until the very end. I love a thriller where I am certain that things will go one way and then almost instantly a twist makes me have to rethink the whole thing over again. The way that the author described the characters and the manner in which they interacted with one another was well written and one could never tell if they were truthful or just spouting claims to avoid suspicion. Morover, the generational trauma caused by one man is astounding and left me feeling nothing but empathy for his children and grandchildren. Overall, a story I will definitely a story I will recommend to others.

Charley Kelley is a chambermaid at the family-owned, Precipice Hotel on the rocky coast of Maine. She is a smart, hard working, resilient young lady who is working hard to provide for her grandmother who raised her. The owner of the hotel dies and his three daughters come back for the reading of the will and all hell breaks loose. This was a suspense-filled, family drama with surprises and chaos thrown in. I really enjoyed the crazy cast of characters and the eccentric hotel setting. Shorter chapters are always a welcome bonus in my book. They make for a quicker read. I really enjoyed this book. Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read it ahead of time.

I was offered this early release for my honest opinion. This book was great! I was invested the whole time and the plot twist at the end?? Wasn’t expecting it. I really liked the tie ins the author made, it really showed that she paid attention to the details and made them work so well together

This was my first book by Jamie Day and I was so impressed! Am amazing locked room thriller reminiscent of “Daisy Darker” and “The Only One Left”

When the Bishop sisters come back to The Precipice after their fathers death to claim their inheritance, murder is in the air. Charley, the maid, fears she’ll lose her job, but she ain’t seen nothing yet!! There was so much going on in this book, but in a good way! Mystery, family dysfunction, murder and intrigue. Definitely don’t want to miss this one.

Another great book from Jamie Day. Beautiful cover caught my attention. Great characters and mystery. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Charley is a live in maid at the Precipice Hotel. When the hotel owner dies and his children arrive for the reading of the will, all hell breaks lose. As family secrets unravel and a hurricane bares down on the hotel, Charley realizes her life may be in danger.

This was a twisty turny who dun it that kept me guessing. The characters were fascinating and the family dynamic was nuts! I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others. I look forward to reading the author's other books.

I was given an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 38% through because I was not enjoying the writing, pacing or story at all. This book was written like it was trying to sound like someone thinks a YA mystery might sound. The characters conversations are odd, the story is all over the place, and the details are disjointed. Even almost halfway in, I did not care about the story or where it was going. It was painful.

This was a jam-packed story with a beautiful setting (Maine), a hurricane, a wealthy family, their lawyer, the hotel maid, and a woman on the run stranded in the family’s hotel. I was immediately drawn to this idea and couldn't wait to read it. The family’s background, the maid’s life, and a fight for money and property were the center of this tale. The plot was well written, and I could follow it, given so many moving parts. Some murders were thrown in there, too, for us to tie together all of these characters’ backgrounds. The author did well with character development. It was descriptive and easy to remember everyone. This was a mystery plot to me sprinkled with humor, which I loved.

What happens when your creepy, handsy boss dies and his estranged children arrive at the hotel where you work as a maid for the will reading during a massive hurricane? And then adding in a stowaway who is hiding from her abusive boyfriend? And the lawyer reading the will has a past connection to the hotel manager? Plus a kid that speaks in rhymes and a very cute boy who just happens to be your creepy ex-boss’s grandson?

Absolute chaos of the best kind!

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC of One Big Happy Family.

This book is perfect for people who like closed door mysteries and family dramas. For me, this book started out strong and the pacing was good. I like slow burns and build up of the drama where little rid bits are leaves throughout the book. There were a few leaps and holes in the story that I thought took away from the plot. This is a good book the curl up with on a rainy afternoon with a hot drink.

The Bishop family gathers together at their family hotel following the death of their father. They each want part of the hotel, which puts the chambermaid, Charley, in jeopardy to lose her job. When one of the group turns up dead, they realize someone has sinister motivations. Each person is a suspect and also potentially I. Line to be the next victim.

4 stars!

This will be the second book i've read by Jamie Day. I've read The Block Party and really enjoyed it, which made me very excited to read One Big Happy Family.

The characters were (in my opinion) a little unlikeable and very chaotic, which I think checks out with the storyline.

I was kept intrigued throughout and that's what I always look for in a book. I look forward to reading more Jamie Day books in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for the ARC!