2.5 rounded up. So this just wasn’t good for me.

Didn’t really like any of the characters. The Bishop sisters were all awful. Quinn was decent but he wasn’t a major player in the story. The ending was over the top and felt like after much dragging on and on we were in a rush to be at the end.

Really enjoyed The block party by this author and was super excited to get this ARC but didn’t really enjoy.

Thanks to the author and netgalley for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the authors book The Book Party and was excited to get a copy of One Big Happy Family.

The book starts off strong with Charley, the maid at a quirky hotel in Maine taking money from guests while cleaning their rooms to help pay for her grandmas nursing home care. With a hurricane brewing this quickly becomes a locked door mystery when the daughters of the hotel owner come for the reading of his will.

This book was a slow burn. There is a lot of back story into the sisters lives which I found interesting. The twists and turns are pretty predictable.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC for an honest review.

This “closed room” mystery takes place in coastal Maine at an old hotel during a hurricane. The former owner has died and his daughters have come during the storm for a reading of the will. Charley, the young female maid, is the main character. Characters start dying off, one by one. Who’s the murderer?

I spent the whole book wondering about one specific character, only to be surprised when the twist involved them. LOL!

I thought this was a well-written atmospheric domestic thriller/suspense. The characters were unlikeable, the drama was legit, and I couldn’t wait to see what happened next.

Read if you like locked-room storm plots with a very large side of family inheritance drama!

It was a like, not a love for me! I found myself skimming quite a bit because I wasn't connecting with the characters or feeling the tension in the story. I LOVE a reading of a will, so I was excited for this but overall it was just okay. I will read this author again though, because I liked their first novel!

Woooooo. That was a whirlwind. And not just because a hurricane hit. So many twist and turns I was never expecting. I was expecting him to leave it all to Charley.

This is ok as far as thrillers go. Engaging enough to continue reading but I felt like it was quite slow in developing the plot. Suspense overall was good once it got going. Those who love secrets and family drama would probably enjoy this.

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day is a gripping, suspense-filled novel that masterfully combines family drama with thrilling twists. Set against the atmospheric backdrop of the legendary family-owned hotel, The Precipice, located on the rocky coast of Maine, this book delves into the complex relationships and secrets of the Bishop sisters—three women who return to the hotel after their father’s recent passing, each with their own agenda.

As the Bishop sisters—Iris, Vicki, and Faith—gather for the weekend to stake their claim on the hotel, a hurricane is on the horizon, heightening the tension. Each sister has a motive, and the secrets they harbor could be dangerous not only for them but also for Charley Kelley, the hotel’s nineteen-year-old chambermaid, who is caught in a web of her own lies and struggles. Charley is smart, resourceful, and more than capable of holding her own, but her life is far from simple. As the storm brews, Charley’s precarious position grows more complicated as she juggles her own secrets while trying to keep the hotel’s disarray from spilling into chaos.

Day’s writing is sharp and full of wit, with a keen eye for the intricacies of family dynamics and the fragility of human nature. The plot unfolds with tension and suspense, keeping readers on edge as the hurricane looms and secrets come to light. The three Bishop sisters are complex and flawed characters, each vying for control of the family business, and their tangled relationships with one another create an atmosphere rife with unease. Meanwhile, Charley’s desperation and resourcefulness add a layer of unpredictability to the mix, making her an engaging and relatable character amidst the family’s dysfunction.

The pacing of the novel is excellent, with Day weaving in moments of suspense and revelations in just the right amounts to keep readers hooked. The twists, particularly toward the novel’s conclusion, are unexpected, and the story’s resolution is satisfying yet chilling. The tension between family loyalty, betrayal, and survival makes for a riveting read that blends psychological suspense with emotional drama.

For readers who enjoy family mysteries, high-stakes suspense, and a touch of dark humor, One Big Happy Family is a fantastic choice. Jamie Day’s blend of heart and thrill will keep you guessing until the very end. This book is an engrossing tale of secrets, survival, and the high cost of getting what you want.

One Big Happy Family is a locked-room mystery meets a soap opera at a fancy hotel, and honestly, I was here for it. It’s full of toxic family drama and secrets, told over four parts with some well-done flashbacks.

Sure, some moments are a bit over the top (you’ll need to suspend disbelief), but that’s part of the fun. The mix of humour and flashbacks keeps things engaging, and the whole thing has a nighttime soap vibe—in the best way. The Bishop family tree is WILD and the dynamic between the sisters is messy and entertaining.

If you love messy family secrets and a dramatic hotel setting, this one’s worth checking out!

Thank you Goodreads for my giveaway win!

I enjoyed Jamie’s debut novel, The Block Party, so I was looking forward to this book and it did not disappoint.

I was intrigued from the beginning. There are lots of puzzle pieces to put together. Things are slowly revealed. While I was able to piece some things together, there were still plenty of surprising twists. I found myself unable to put this book down. It does get somewhat crazy as more secrets and surprises are revealed. I was trying to figure out how one of the characters fit into the story. I had several theories and one of those theories was correct. There were surprises up until the very end. The story wrapped up nicely and left me feeling satisfied.

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day is a suspenseful novel. I think the author did a remarkable job establishing a solid motive for the main villain. It was a wild adventure reading this book. This book had everything— interesting characters, suspense, and a hurricane. I think readers of this genre will enjoy it. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

Funerals always make family a little crazy and the Bishop sisters are even more over the top. With the reading of the will at the family resort, an impending hurricane, and a body thrown into the mix ot becomes a locked in thriller. Each of the sisters have drama of their own and add in the maid, Charlie, with secrets of her own. The ending is just crazy drama! The gorgeous cover drew me in and the drama kept me there. Loved it!

Block Party was one of my favorite thrillers last year so I was a little bummed to read this one. I liked it though! Locked-room mysteries always go in a certain direction and this did not disappoint. Early on you know it is related to this awful family and most likely robbing someone else of a life. I felt so bad for our main character and was rooting for her the entire time. Luckily the ending played out well and was overall an entertaining read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to be able to read and review this book!

3/5

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.

I loved this story from start to finish. Such an amazing read.

I enjoyed Jamie’s first book, The Block Party, and was excited to get the opportunity to read her second novel, One Big Happy Family. I enjoyed the catty remarks and bitterness between the sisters, but the unexpected guest who hides in the hotel was an obvious weakness in the plot. The main character, Charley, comes off as quite the airhead for allowing this stranger, Bree, to stay in the hotel. Bree’s story is weak, which drags down the sharp points of the other characters. I still have faith in the author and I hope to read her next release.
Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is July 16, 2024.

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day was a fantastic whodunit reminiscent of Agatha Christie. Great plot points and twisty character ARCS and development.

This was an entertaining locked-door thriller that had a lot of twists and turns. The story started off strong with a lot of build-up. About halfway through, some of the twists became a little predictable, and I didn't find that the romance really fit in all that well. The ending was full or surprises, and I like how everything was wrapped up. Overall, it was a fun read!

Like so many other thrillers, this one has a premise that sounds like a page-turner. Authors know that many mystery readers love a locked-room setting, a force of nature keeping people from escaping, and a murderer on the loose. This book attempted to fit that model, with a dose of dysfunctional family thrown in for good measure. Unfortunately, the characters were so unlikeable, and the pacing so slow, that I lost interest long before the end.

This theme of big old house and terrible storm arriving has been used many times. I almost passed on this book because I didn't think anyone could come up with anything new. I enjoyed the story but it didn't add anything different to this theme. 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.