This book set on the beautiful coast of Maine, includes many ups and downs, and surprises. The characters are well developed as is the storyline, and you will definitely want to keep reading until the end of the book.. it is not the typical father, dies, sisters, come home inheritance is surprising, blah blah, blah kind of novel!

The Bishop family owns a hotel on the coast of Maine. When dad dies, the three sisters come home to the hotel for the funeral but, more importantly, the reading of the will. Will all three sisters get the hotel and the wealth inside it? All the sisters have secrets and, with the long time cook, maid, and caretaker currently on the property when they arrive, what could go wrong when there's a guest they've been secretly hiding in a room? Ironically, secrets come to light when there's a torrential storm and the hotel loses power. This is an enjoyable suspense thriller, perfect for the beach!

What I liked about the story was the characters of Charley and Rodrigo. Charley was an enduring character and I felt the author didn’t take full advantage of that with the story. The setting was a creepy hotel during a hurricane which set the mood at the beginning of the story. Halfway through, I lost interest. The plot became non interesting and the backstories on the sisters just seemed like useless filler.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions are my own.

This book was a little slow going for me. However it did pick up about thirty percent of the way through. I would never have guessed the twist. I didn't enjoy it and I especially love this setting of the book.

I read The Block Party and enjoyed it so I figured I'd give this one a try as well. The author style in both books is atmospheric, slow burn. I usually shy away from these as I much prefer faster paced thrillers. However, in this one it worked for me. I loved the setting and I think that played a big part in my enjoyment. Solid story, beautiful setting but definitely a slower paced book. 3.5 stars

Loved this one from Jamie Day. A dark and atmospheric locked room domestic drama that is set in Maine is a perfect hard to put down book! I loved to hate most of the characters. And there are quite a few in this story that takes place in a hotel during a hurricane. This book was well written- had good twists and turns- and I didn't guess the ending! I'll definitely recommend this one! Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The description had me hook, line and sinker! I absolutely love the setting in Maine. I was really excited to read, One Big Happy Family was just ok for me. I like the Jamie Day’s writing style, but nothing about this book really stood out to me. I may give Block Party a try though.
3 Stars

The Bishop sisters are on their way to the Precipice Hotel for the reading of their father’s Will with a hurricane fast approaching. Charley, the young maid who has been living at the Hotel for the past two years is busy getting the Hotel cleaned for the sister’s arrival when she hears a knock on the door. Outside stands a young woman begging to be let in so she can hide from an abusive ex-boyfriend who is hunting her down. Charley relents and hides the girl in the Hotel where the sisters are unlikely to find her. But little does she know there is murder in the air and it maybe that Charley is next.

Jamie Day takes readers on a thrilling journey into the intricate web of secrets and strained relationships with the Bishop Sisters, the heirs of Precipice Hotel. Set against the backdrop of a rocky coast in Maine, the story unfolds during the onset of a major hurricane. From the beginning, the sisters' relationships are portrayed as tense and complex, setting the stage for explosive family dynamics. Slowly the characters' hidden depths and a treasure trove of secrets are revealed. The cast of characters expands to include a few hotel employees, an attorney, two eccentric spouses, two nephews, and a mysterious woman on the run who is hiding in the hotel. With the reading of the father's will new surprises are unveiled pitting one sister against the other, and then overnight, a murder occurs, thrusting the guests into a tense and unpredictable "who dun it" scenario as blame shifts from one character to another. At this moment the hurricane lands cutting the hotel and inhabitants off from the rest of the world.

One of the novel's standout features is the author's ability to vividly paint the hotel atmosphere and convey the impact of the hurricane. The reader is immersed in the eerie and suspenseful ambiance, feeling as though they are present at the scene. This truly added to a palpable sense of tension and danger which added to the reading experience. The plot is rich with twists, turns, and surprising revelations, keeping readers on the edge of their seats until the final chapters.

This book just fell flat for me. I simply didn’t care about any of the characters or what happened to any of them. I think the writing was okay and the plot had a lot of potential, it just went on a bit too long and didn’t keep me interested.

I received an advanced copy from netgalley in exchange for a review and opinions are my own.

"One Big Happy Family" by Jamie Day is an intriguing mystery set in the atmospheric Precipice Hotel. The plot revolves around the Bishop sisters, who reunite under grim circumstances: the reading of their father's will following his unexpected demise. Trapped by a hurricane, the sisters, alongside a few relatives, the teenage maid Charley, stowaway Bree, and lawyer Brenda Black, find themselves in a precarious situation when a death occurs. The story escalates with the appearance of cryptic, rhyming messages predicting further tragedies unless hidden secrets are revealed.

Day is known for her complex character, and this novel is no exception. Initially, the multitude of characters can be overwhelming, making it a challenge to grasp each one's identity and role. However, as the narrative progresses, these distinct personalities start to intertwine seamlessly, drawing the reader into the heart of the mystery. The subplot involving how Bree ends up at the hotel does feel somewhat farfetched to me. Despite this, the portrayal of each character harboring deep, personal secrets adds a compelling layer to the story, keeping the reader guessing until the very end.

Overall, "One Big Happy Family" is a testament to Day's ability to craft a suspenseful story with a rich tapestry of characters, each contributing to a larger, mesmerizing mystery.

Three sisters reunite at their recently deceased father's hotel for the reading of his will. There is a hurricane coming and they will be trapped inside with the 19 year old maid, Charley, and her stow away guest, Bree.

Told in a deliberately Agatha Christie tone, the plot is less thriller and more family drama. I am in the minority here with not loving how the story unfolds. This read like a pre-edited manuscript : things needed to be cleaned up with much of the dialogue (cringy), the rambling, unnecessary parts removed (pages and pages of rambling) and a less soft and sweet ending (we can take it). The potential for a great book is there, it just needed a heavier hand with the editing.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I enjoyed The Block Party very much though and would definitely try her next novel.

After the death of Precipice Hotel’s owner, his three daughters meet to discuss his final will and testament. Through a series of events, secrets unravel, and there’s more to the story than a happy, rich family.

There’s ironically a storm in the midst of this family event. Charley, the chambermaid of Precipice Hotel, unfortunately gets stuck in the madness and is there to bear witness to it all. Alongside her friend and coworker Rodrigo, Charley must face the Bishop sisters and the rest of their family. What she’s also worried about is the fact that she’s hiding a secret of her own, that being a battered woman named Bree.

Escaping her abusive ex-boyfriend, Bree finds safety in Precipice Hotel. She quickly becomes friends with Charley, though Rodrigo seems weary. As she hides, Charley is faced with the challenge to distract the Bishop sisters from finding an unwanted guest in their father’s hotel.

I hate to rate this so poorly, especially because I was blessed to receive this book as an ARC. However, I feel like none of the characters were likable which made for a really tedious read. The Bishop sisters were just bratty for their age. Granted, I know they’re rich and entitled. But it was just so unpleasant to read about all of them. Charley and Rodrigo were probably my saving grace.

Not only is this book very reminiscent of Alice Feeney’s “Daisy Darker”, but I feel like it was just not as thrilling as I was hoping it to be. I think I just couldn’t get past the fact that this book was so identical to “Daisy Darker”. It was definitely more a family drama that just so happened to involve murder and crime.

I really loved “The Block Party” so I was hoping that this book would follow suit. It just felt so strenuous to get through as I felt the plot was rather slow until the last 20% of the book. There was a whole bunch of “who done it” and guessing.

I especially disliked when the book switched from first-person to third-person during the Bree scene towards the end. It left me very confused when it switched back to first-person. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that switched perspectives such as this.

Overall, I’m very grateful to NetGalley and St. Martin Press for allowing me another ARC from Jamie Day. However, this book just wasn’t for me.

I’m in the minority with this one, but unfortunately I gave up on One Big Happy Family at the halfway point. The sisters’ backstory wasn’t making me care about them and I felt that the book was getting to be very predictable (which of course I could be very wrong about, since I did not finish it). Another big problem for me was the hurricane itself … I mean yes, it is possible for a hurricane to hit Maine, but it’s so unlikely that it just added to my problems with the book.

Locked-room books are all the rage these days, so that alone will make this book popular. This is one of those books that grabs you from the first page and doesn't let go. Although I did see the killer coming from relatively early, I didn't see the plot going in the direction it went to get to that end. And I also didn't see a couple of the smaller plot twists coming, either.... This was a fun, twisty novel focused primarily on how three sisters lived their loves after a tragedy they caused, and it was interesting to see how that caused the sisters to all become so different from each other. This is definitely going to be good for a road trip or a beach weekend- juicy, fun, twisty and full of drama. Can't beat that combination!

I loved 'The Block Party' so I was super excited for this one. This book was a bit hard for me to get into but once I did it was super fast-paced and I couldn't put it down! I loved the multiple perspectives and overall it was a really entertaining mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

A hurricane is looming over the coast of Maine, yet the Bishop sisters have arrived at their families coastal hotel to claim their inheritance after their father's passing. However, family secrets are discovered and not everyone who's at the hotel may make it out alive.

This was my first book by Jamie Day so I didn't know what to expect but loved this eerie, suspenseful murder mystery.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I loved Block party and I loved this book. Jamie day is turning into a must buy author. IF you like mysteries read this book

Really enjoyed this book! I loved the Maine setting. The character development was very well done, and the back stories were appropriately placed in the story line. Would definitely recommend, and would read more from this author.

Charley is a maid at The Precipice, a large home/hotel in a remote part of Maine. Charley struggles because her mother died and she is tasked with paying for her beloved grandmother's care in a home. As a major storm approaches, the Bishop sisters: Faith, Iris, and Vicki as well as Faith's spouse and Vicki's spouse, descent on their childhood home to hear the reading of their father's will. The storm hits the hotel directly and the mysteries ensue! There are murders! Because the sisters are not particularly close and the will pits them against one another the reader is engaged throughout to learn what happened. This is a plot-driven, engaging story.