Jaimie Day creates such realistic settings and very interesting characters in her books. This is another fantastic story Jamie has written about a family that has lots of drama surrounding them. As her book unfolds we learn secret after secret within the family, and there are some twists as well. The writing was very good and I felt that the impending hurricane added an extra dark layer to the book. Domestic dysfunction is always one of my favorite tropes, and there is no lack of it here with this family. This was a fun and interesting book. I was not able to guess the ending so that’s always a plus!

I definitely recommend this book to other readers.

Thanks to netgalley, Jamie Day, and St. Martins Press for the electronic arc.

Unfortunately, I could not get into this book. I felt like the writing style was weird. it was too long, and there was nothing that grabbed my attention. I gave it a few tries, even skipping ahead for something exciting to jump out, and it fell flat. I felt her last book was long and ok as well. Just not the author for me.

The Bishop sisters, one big, happy family prior to their father’s death, gather at The Precipice, a quirky hotel near the coast of Maine owned by their father, for the reading of his will. Living on the premises is the housekeeper, whose lodgings are literally a closet. Also supporting the hotel are Olga the cook and Rodrigo the jack of all trades.

Prior to the arrival of the sisters, a mysterious young woman claiming to be fleeing her abusive boyfriend appears at the door seeking shelter from him and the weather. The housekeeper perceives this woman as a harmless person of her own age and takes her in, on the condition that she remain hidden once the family arrives. As the sisters and their unusual offspring arrive, a hurricane is brewing and the winds are already howling; windows have been boarded up on the outside and kind of waterproofed on the inside. The final person to arrive is Attorney Black, who will read the will.

The sisters share a terrible secret that, while apparently whitewashed in their youth, still haunts them and the hotel itself.

When the will is read, it is full of unexpected bequests which leave none of the sisters happy at all. And then it’s off to the races as mysterious rhymes appear, tarot card readings foretell the future, and each sister tries to outwit the other, ultimately leading to a revelation of secrets, most of which I never saw coming. While the suspense and intrigue increase with almost every page, to the reader, the hilarity of it all increases as well.

This was a great read and I recommend it highly. I look forward to reading more from this author.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher.

The Precipice Hotel dominates the landscape of Gull Hill on the isolated Maine Coast. Front desk manager Rodrigo and Charley the maid are preparing for Hurricane Larry, a powerful hurricane. Most reservations have been canceled but the Bishop sisters, Vicki, Faith and Iris , daughters of the late owner George, bring their lawyer for the reading of his will. Bree, a woman Charley had befriended on a trip to town, arrives asking to stay to avoid her abusive boyfriend. Other Bishop relatives are also present, expecting an inheritance. Things do not go as planned. Larry changes course and bears down on Gull Hill. The reading of the will is full of surprises. Bree keeps changes rooms to avoid the Bishops. There are deaths. Can Charley discover who the killer is before she becomes the next victim?

One Big Happy Family is a perfect locked room thriller. Jamie Day creates an eerie atmosphere as the storm shrieks outside and lights flicker. The One Big Happy Family Bishop sisters, partners and children are unlikeable but well described. Charley, who is locked into her dead end job to support her beloved grandmother’s nursing home expenses, is the star. You want her to learn all the secrets of the sisters are hiding and you want her to survive. Jamie Day slowly builds suspense inside the hotel as the hurricane grows in strength outside. You wont be able to put this one down! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Jamie Day for this ARC.

ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY…
NOT!

This classic who done it takes place while folks are trapped in a creepy Inn as hurricane Larry bears down. It’s set in Jonesport, Maine and is based on a real inn called Land’s End in Provincetown, Maine. It’s a cool place and looks as described in the novel.
Nineteen -year-old Charley Kelley works as a chambermaid at the quirky Precipice Hotel. The Precipice, named for its perilous location on the edge of Gull Hill, overlooking the Atlantic ocean. Gull Hill is real also. Read the afterward.,

Charley, hired by the hotel’s owner, George Bishop, is the only maid. Charley has worked and lived in a tiny closet of a room, here for two years. Her small salary goes for the fees for her Nana’s care at Guiding Way, a senior living home. Nana has dementia.

The price at the home rises often making it a financial burden on Charley. She dearly loves her Nana who raised her and will do everything to keep her comfortable.

But everything is about to change. George had passed away and the family is coming to stay for the reading of the will. Changes are about to abound and Charley wonders if she will still have a job, and a free place to live. Anyway, the three grown and completely different Bishop sisters are on their way with families in tow. She and cook Olga are frantically preparing for the tense arrival.

When they do arrive, the drama begins immediately as the situation has been complicated by Bree. Bree is a young woman fleeing from an abusive boyfriend she knows is determined to kill her adding further risk to the whole situation, especially Charley’s job and income. Yet, Charley opens her heart and agrees to hide Bree from the husband and all these guests. She hides her in the smallest and cheapest room called The Library thinking no one will want that room. Of course this room has fond memories and that’s exactly where the sisters want to stay. Charley and groundskeeper do some fast talking to keep them away from that room until they can sneak Bree out.

This nail biting thriller grabs readers from the very beginning. Day’s writing is Complex, intriguing, and suspenseful. I was surprised by the who done what until the very end.

This is a story of family, friendship, and family interactions, some good but most tense and at times dangerous. I bet you can relate. The characters are believable and most pretty unlikeable. Batten down the hatches as you follow the very dysfunctional behavior between sisters, Vicki, Iris, and Faith.

Told from Charley’s point of view, the unfolding story gains tension from the threatening storm as well as from Charley’s anxiousness. Hurricane Larry is relentless, and of course the power is spotty and cell and internet service nonexistent. The vehicles are useless due to trees blocking roads and the wind factor.

Highly recommended.

I read this during a North Carolina wide winter storm… snow, sleet, ice, thunder lightning. widespread flooding and… my husband and I couldn’t get off our no outlet road on the side of our mountain due downed trees across the iced road, then a UPS truck stuck on the ice blocking the road till rescue arrived much later. I read the book in 24 hours.

Wow! What a read! I was definitely impressed with this story and I absolutely loved the cover. Very mysterious.
I think, though, that in my opinion, this should be classified as women's fiction. Just simply because of the family dynamics and how it all played out.
My favorite part was the coming hurricane, which made it that much more fun and exciting!
Since I've experienced one myself I got caught up in the storm and then the events came spiraling downward at fast passed adventure.
I really enjoyed the mystery of guessing who done it. To me, this was a toughie so I thought the author did well.with this one.
Now, mind you this isn't my normal type of reading but I seen a lot about it in my group and wanted to check it out so I did. For the most part I really loved it. It was different.
My heart went out to Charley Kelly though since she's the one who got caught up in the middle.
It was Vicki the eldest whom I didn't like. Well, I didn't really like none of those Bishop sisters. I thought they were rather selfish. All of them.
I couldn't put this book down because I wanted to see what would happen to Charley. She made me keep reading until I finished the book. I wasn't disappointed at all.
This book does have some twists and turns that weren't expected but yet was.
It was overall a good story, and I enjoyed it very much. I hope I see more by this author because she made her characters very realistic in just about every way imagined.
5 stars for a well written novel. I highly recommend.
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I like the setting of Coastal Maine with an impending hurricane. It just felt like there was a lot thrown into this book, and the twists were predictable.

Thanks to netgalley and publisher for an e-arc.

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day is a terrific read. It centers around the Precipice Hotel. Charley works there as a maid and room and board is included with her employment. The owner, George, has passed away. and his three daughters are coming home for the will reading at the hotel. Charley is unsure what the future may hold for her as no one knows what plans the sisters have for the hotel. No one knows what secrets will be revealed.
Jamie Day does this type of drama well. "Block Party" was filled with family drama and twists. "One Big Happy Family " is not to be missed. I thoroughly recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-arc in exchange for an unbiased review.

Iu received an advanced reader copy of this book. This is no way affected by review of the book.

I found the book to be slow starting. However, in the middle and end there was plenty of action. Lots of twists and turns. It included some things I did not expect.

I am a little about Bree. Would Olga have recognized Bree if she had stayed? I would think Bree would have been interested in her.

I also did not see the need for the part about Janice taking money for Charley's Nana. It did not seem consistent with Janice taking her in.

All in all I enjoyed the book.

3.5 stars out of 5

I really enjoyed Jamie Day's previous book, The Block Party so I was really excited to see a new book out. The book is pretty engaging from the get go but it is entirely too drawn out. There were a lot of moving parts in the book but everything was tied up nicely in the end. I didn't particularly like any of the characters but they all brought the drama! There were a lot of twists and turns in the book but I did find other parts pretty predictable. I did have a feeling early on what was going on and I was right. Overall, it was a pretty good read and I am looking forward to more by Jamie Day in the future.

The story begins in Maine at the The Precipice, a hotel owned by George Bishop. He ended up passing away and his 3 daughters are coming to have his will read by their fathers attorney. Charley is the hotel maid who is living at the hotel for free as part of her payment. Charley's elderly grandma is in a nursing home, so every penny Charley earns goes to paying for her monthly fees. Charley is worried about her job security but she has much more to worry about. There is a hurricane forecasted to hit the area right before everyone arrives. Before the sister's arrival, she is approached by Bree, a girl down on her luck, running away from her abusive boyfriend. She has no money to pay for a room so Charley lets her stay for free but must stay hidden from the sisters. Quickly, she sees this family is really messed up because one of the sisters husbands ends up dead. But who killed him?

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I thought Jamie Day's debut was just-okay, but I always give debut authors 3 reads before I decide whether or not I want to continue reading them. I loved this book way more than the debut and you can really tell her writing improved.

This was such a fun thriller that was perfect for the colder weather. i had a cup of hot cocoa and read it underneath a lot of blankets. Truly the perfect experience. I was hooked from the start and there were so many twists and turns (only a handful of which I saw coming).

Thank you netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of One Big Happy Family.

As a hurricane bears down on the Precipice, a family-owned hostel on the coast of Maine, chambermaid Charley is getting the place ready for the deceased homeowner's daughters to arrive.

The Bishop sisters have gathered at the hotel for the reading of the will and to claim what is rightfully theirs.

But, each sister has something to hide, and not everyone may leave the hotel alive.

This is my first book by the author, and it might be my last.

The writing was straight forward, but the plot is predictable and the characters nothing but cliches:

A wealthy dead patriarch, gorgeous sisters, an odd teenager, a handsome son, a silly romance between him and Charley. Charley is good person, but stuck working a dead end job to take care of her sick grandmom.

Charley's an only child with no friends except Rodrigo. Charley immediately accepts a random young woman for who she is but everyone knows but Charley that she's the monkey wrench in the narrative.

There's little suspense, but plenty of drama mama as the narrative is about the secrets the sisters share together and from each other.

Needless to say, since I read a lot of these types of books, I guessed nearly all of the 'twists.' I'm confident most people can guess, too.

The ending is corny, everything falls into place, Charley gets everything she wants including the hottie boyfriend.

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day is good!
Charley Kelly is a maid at the famous Precipice, a family-owned hotel on the coast of Maine.
With the death of their father, three sisters come up to see about the hotel and their inheritance.

Charley is in a crisis; Her Nana is in a nursing home and the rent is going up. Will she have a job, will they find out she has been stealing to make ends meet? Who is the mysterious guest Charley is hiding?
The story is fast paced and very well written. I cannot tell you much more or I will ruin the story.
I highly recommend this book – In fact, I have read other books by this author, and they have all been wonderful.

A murder in an old hotel with lots of possible suspects? I'm in!

Jamie Day's latest thriller was entertaining! Lots of plot twists and kept me guessing throughout. Definitely add to your list if you enjoy a good whodunit.

I loved this book. It was about 3 sisters who inherited a hotel, they gather to hear the reading of the will and things go very wrong. it will keep you guessing until the end.

Thank you NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for the advanced copy of One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day. Charly works at the Precipice Hotel, in a coastal town of Maine, as the maid. The hotel is empty as it is not the summer season. The owner George has died. His family is about to arrive to read the will. There is a large storm looming and it sets the mood for impending doom. The family arrives and the chaos begins. I am a fan of Jamie Day’s writing. I hope she continues on give us great stories. 3.5 stars.

I was a big fan of Day's previous novel, The Block Party, so I was excited to dig into One Big Happy Family. It did NOT disappoint! The idyllic setting that surrounds The Precipice provides its guests with serenity and seclusion– perfect for a weekend getaway! Or, when a hurricane comes barreling toward the coast leaving the staff and children of the recently-deceased owner trapped on the grounds for a weekend with no way out, it becomes the perfect setting for murder. When blood starts spilling as quickly as family secrets, chambermaid Charley is left to figure out just how far the Bishop sisters are willing to go to protect long-kept family secrets.

I thought the inter-weaving storylines played out very well in this book. These connections could have easily veered off into the realm of absurdity, and in a way they do. But, between the storm, the secluded setting, and the overall whodunnit vibe, it worked! There were so many times I thought I had guessed the plot twist, and even though I got close, there were so many more nuances that the reader couldn't possibly guess, which adds to the fun! No matter how shocking the unraveling plot could get, there was always more!

Though I did finish this book, I never felt truly engaged in the story.. I found the plot to be superficial and predictable and the characters to be very one-dimensional This book read like a freshman creative writing project as opposed to a fleshed-out, mature, well written novel.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

Another great thriller by Jamie Day. I loved the setting and cast of unreliable characters. This book is Clue meets family reunion. I had my suspicion on many of the characters, however there were still twists and surprises that kept me guessing!

This is my first book my Jamie Day, who is a very talented writer but this one was not for me. The characters were interesting but the story was very predictable and seemed to drone on.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my ARC.