I had been hearing a lot about this book and I was curious to see what it was all going to be. I was surprised that I enjoyed it more than her last title. I think the characters were better developed and I was invested in the outcome. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I love Jamie Day's previous book but this one was not as good in my opinion. The plot was nothing new and the characters were not likeable even the one that you were supposed to like. Also, the ending fell extremely flat. It was too predictable.

I love a book where you keep jumping in your mind who you think the killer is. If you also like to work the puzzle, you have met the right book for you. This book was engaging and I enjoyed how it made me consider everyone a suspect!! It was so good!! Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to preview this book!

I want to start off by saying that I was super happy to get my hands on the advanced copy of this book, considering I LOVED the author’s debut “The Block Party”. While I gave “The Block Party” five glowing stars, this book didn’t quite make the cut for me.

This story centers around Charley, who works at The Precipice Hotel. Charley is young, broke, and trying to pay for her grandmother’s care at an assisted living home. The owner of The Precipice Hotel, George Bishop, passes away- which involves his three daughters coming to town for the funeral. The arrival of the Bishop sisters- Vicki, Faith, and Iris bring a whole set of thrills and complications to the hotel. As the author stated in the book, “these sisters definitely put the fun in dysfunctional!” I just wish that I would have had more fun when I was reading about them…

This story was broken down into Four Parts. While the chapters were nice and short (that’s always an added bonus), I unfortunately felt that this book was too long. It started off with a bang for me, but about halfway through I felt the story started to drag on. I also predicted what was going to happen and how this story would end pretty early on. Another thing that took away from my enjoyment was all the backstories on each of the characters- now normally I enjoy that, but for a thriller it just made for a super long book.

I had super high hopes and expectations going into this book, especially since I loved the author’s debut novel so much. But as you can see, this was a middle of the road read for me. Will I read more from this author? You betcha!! I just felt that this book was going in a few too many directions.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for an ARC of this book which I had the pleasure of reading. Publication date: July 16, 2024.
Genre~ General Fiction, Mystery & Thrillers

Entertaining and kept me turning the pages.
Lots of interesting characters and lives mixed into one big (certainly NOT HAPPY) family.

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day is a riveting suspense novel set at the legendary Precipice hotel on the Maine coast. As the Bishop sisters navigate their father's recent passing while waiting on impending hurricane Larry, dangerous secrets surface, creating an atmosphere of murder and intrigue. This book is full of suspense, keeping readers on edge, while making this a thrilling read full of hidden agendas and family drama.

"One Big Happy Family" is a suspenseful tale set against the backdrop of a family-owned hotel in Maine. The mix of family dynamics, secrets, and the impending storm adds intrigue to the storyline.

Charley Kelley, our heroine, is the chambermaid at The Precipice Hotel, and she lives there too. She's struggling to keep her grandmother, who suffers from dementia in an assisted living facility, and has put up with a lot of indignities at the hands of the now deceased former owner of the hotel. She gets more than she bargained for when his daughters, the Bishop sisters, show up to claim what's rightfully theirs now that their father has passed. It's a hard to put down twisted ride, and I enjoyed every minute. Thank you, St. Martin's Press for the privilege of reading this book. I will definitely be looking for other books by Jamie Day!

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

The Precipice is a small hotel family run business full of lots of secrets. When the father suddenly dies, the daughters arrive to read his will and determine the next steps of his assets. This brings fear to a long term employee, Charley who is a maid that lives on the property and needs this work to help keep her family afloat. The novel is broken into different parts and points of view where we quickly uncover that each character has a hidden past.

Well the Bishop family certainly puts the "fun" in dysfunction!
An entertaining ride filled with lots of twists & turns.
The plot & characters keep you guessing the whole way through.
Definitely enjoyed more than the author's last.

With thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for this e-ARC!

I received a free copy from Netgalley for an honest review. This is a wild closed room mystery and it had more twists and turns than a roller coaster but what a ride. It got a little too much in the middle but this author pulled it out with ease in the end. I thought her writing was excellent and there were no loose ends. Something I abhor in thrillers. I couldn’t put it down. Anything I pick up now after finishing it will seem tame. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5. #netgalley

"One Big Happy Family" by Jamie Day is a delightful and heartwarming exploration of the ties that bind us together. Day crafts a narrative that celebrates the complexities of family dynamics with humor and genuine warmth. The story unfolds like a tapestry, weaving together the lives of its characters in a way that feels both familiar and refreshing. Day's writing is engaging, and the characters are relatable, each contributing their unique quirks to the harmonious chaos of the family dynamic. The novel captures the essence of love, laughter, and the challenges that come with navigating the intricacies of familial relationships. "One Big Happy Family" is a feel-good read that leaves a lasting impression, reminding us of the enduring strength found in the bonds of kinship.

One Big Happy Family is the perfect locked room mystery featuring a unique group of characters. Every family has its issues right? Well, the Bishop family proves to be loaded with them! With a cast of unpredictable, eccentric characters this book is one of the best who-dunnits I’ve ever read! It’ll have you guessing every step of the way with dialogue and storylines that keep your attention glued to the page.

Easily a 4.5 ⭐️ story! Very enjoyable read 👏

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this digital ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat. This is my first book by this author, but I loved it. Just when you think you have something figured out, you’re proven wrong. SO GOOD.

LOVED! One Big Happy Family features The Precipice Hotel located in Maine that is run by George Bishop. Charlie works for him as a chambermaid cleaning rooms and sometimes helping herself to money from the guests. Charlie needs the money to help pay for her Nana who is assisted living due to Dementia. George Bishop not only employs Charlie but he also allows her to live at the Precipice Hotel for free except nothing is really free. Hurricane Larry is quickly approaching The Precipice Hotel. George is dead and his three daughters are on their way to the hotel in the upcoming hurricane to lay there father to rest despite the coming hurricane. The character list grows just like the backstory of every character. The book totally kept my attention and was soooo good. It kept me guessing the whole time! Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book!

Charley is a maid at a unique hotel. The owner recently died and his three daughters are coming to town, right as a hurricane is about to hit the area. Things take a dark turn and Charley find herself fighting for her life and figuring out the mystery of this family. It was a fast read, but I felt like the mystery aspect was a bit convoluted and there were a few things that seemed obvious to me from the beginning. But a decent book.

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day. This novel was a fun ride full of secrets and humor even when dealing with sensitive topics. You get to know all the characters enough to feel invested in their lives. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley.

This is a suspenseful thriller about a wealthy family, owners of a hotel on the coast of Maine. The patriarch of the family has just died and the three surviving daughters assemble at the hotel with the family attorney to witness the reading of the will. All of this is happening as a severe storm is approaching, which among other hints, alerts the reader to impending doom. Sure enough, the reading of the will triggers contentiousness among everyone assembled.

The narrator of the book is Charley, a female maid at the hotel, a loyal long-term employee. The atmosphere at the hotel is remindful of movies like Knives Out and Clue. In other words, some whimsicality to offset the otherwise darkness. Only a modest amount of effort is spent developing the characters and none of them, other than Charley, are very likeable. But the plot is fully of twists and, slowly but surely, many secrets of the past are revealed.

Solid writing, clever plot. Entertaining.

Hurricane Larry is bearing down on the coast of Maine. The Precipice Hotel is sitting smack dab in the eye of the storm. It’s very wealthy owner George Bishop , who has a history of sexually harassing his employees, has died. His three daughters Vicki, Hope and Iris have chosen this weekend to gather with their spouses and children along with George’s attorney for the reading of the will. Unsure of her future, chambermaid Charley worries that she will be fired if she’s found out. Charley’s not only been pilfering from hotel guests to support nursing home care for her Nana but she’s hiding a non-paying guest in one of the rooms. Told from Charley’s perspective there will be lots of twists, turns, unexpected deaths and plenty of humor while hurricane Larry wreaks havoc on the hotel. This ARC was provided by the St. Martini’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Another locked room mystery, which is a familiar trope by now. However, this one is darkly funny and super entertaining. I loved author Jamie Day’s debut novel and enjoyed this one too. I can’t wait to read more from her.

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Jamie Day for this e-ARC!!

I love a locked room thriller and this one didn't disappoint. Add in a hurricane, power outages and a crazy, rich family, and I'm hooked.

When the owner of The Precipice Hotel dies, his daughters come to the hotel to find out what was in his will. What they find does not make them happy, and leads to all kinds of chaos.

This was a fun read with some good twists and interesting characters.