I liked the sarcastic title and as I really enjoyed Block Party I was excited to read this one.

This one has a more sinister feel as the Bishop sisters come back to their family owned hotel for the reading of their father's will. The Bishops are not a happy family and have held many secrets from each other. Charley the chamber maid is trying to get the hotel ready for the sisters arrival. She needs this job to provide for her grandmother so she is nervous about what her future holds.

Now, because of the storm the sisters, their lawyer and staff all our stuck at the hotel. Only trouble is one of them is a murderer. This was one crazy locked room thriller with a cast of some horrible people. This has a slower pace and includes a lot of family drama.

I would have given this book 5 stars, but the formatting made it very hard to read. I played around with fonts and font sizes on my Kindle, which helped a certain amount, but there were a lot of places that had '--1', a few words and then '0--', that I found extremely disruptive. But aside from that, the story was totally engrossing from beginning to end. I love that we met the Bishop sisters one by one so that it was easy to remember which one was which and who was part of which family. There were some things that I was guessing that turned out to be correct, both who the person was and the essence of why that person did it, but the author very cleverly kept me from knowing a very major "how', which is why I thought I must be wrong, even though having somebody on my radar made me notice things all along that reinforced that I was correct. The characters were well developed and believable, and it was a refreshing and enjoyable read.

Where to,start …. This ok is about a family that owns a prestigious hotel on the shores of the ocean in Maine. Three sisters are jealous to the maid their father is fixated on and lan I trap to have her injured. Skip on to years later when the sisters are trapped at the hotel with their families facing a hurricane named Larry. Murders, signs and visions all take place to reveal the truth about that childhood prank and everything that’s gone wrong sense.

Thank you to net gally and the publisher for an advanced copy

Great story, Jamie Day does a great job of really making the characters come to life. I couldn't put it down.

I loved the binge-able aspect of this fast paced thriller. A series of complex characters, each hiding their own sinister secrets.

Faith, Iris and Vicki are the Bishop sisters and grew up at their family owned hotel. A childhood decision changed them forever and sent them off in different directions.

Fast forward to present day. Chambermaid, Charley, is the only maid on staff at the hotel. Charley has a secret of her own.

A severe storm is on its way to shore just in time for the arrival of the Bishops and the reading of their father’s will.

This twisty story pivots from one surprise to the next and delivers punch after punch. The timeline and delivery worked great in most of the novel. I would have been more surprised if the flashback starting in part two was a little further into the book. But it worked ok here too.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and the author, Jamie Day for this DRC.

Nothing like a death in the family to bring out the worst in people! As the family descends upon the Precipice hotel for the reading of the will, their relationships also teeter on a precipice of lies and hidden truths. The Precipice hotel is a destination stay with each room having its own personality - I love the description of the eclectic collection of bric-a-brac and furniture. It sounds like a grand place to stay! Although you meet the sisters and their families, each person harbors secrets and a personal agenda. The characters are all so quirky but real - my favorite is Oliver! The mystery is a masterful blend of camouflage and diversion. The tension builds just as quickly as the storm, and there is more than one surprise twist before the night ends. A truly clever and engaging mystery that will hold you captive until the conclusion!

The Bishop family may not be the one big happy family they like people to think they are and that makes for a very interesting and deeply chilling story.
Charley has worked as a live in maid at the Precipice Resort in the wilds of Maine for what seems like her entire life even though she is still a young woman. When the owner, George Bishop dies and his daughters return home to review the resort and lay claim to what they believe to be their inheritance, havoc ensues as a storm rage sand cuts power and contact with the outside.
A death occurs and suddenly everyone is suspect. When one of the sisters goes rogue and is determined to find the guilty party amongst them, the others all find themselves in the middle of a murder mystery where every one has a motive and opportunity - though some a little more than others,
Very suspenseful with several "didn't see that coming" moments which makes for fascinating and enthralling reading as you flip the pages to get to the next event.
When you think you have it figured out and nope, you really don't - that's a successful novel, in my estimation.
And this one succeeds on all levels: great character development, plot twists that keep you reeling and suspense that doesn't quit.
One BIg Happy Family delivers.

One Big Happy Family is very cleverly written by Jamie Day. The Bishop sisters, Vicki, Faith and Iris, return to the Maine hotel their family owns for the reading of their father’s will. The Precipice Hotel sits on the top of a rocky hill. The chambermaid, Charley, lives and works there, struggling to pay the bills for her grandmother in assisted living. Charley secretly steals cash from the guests, but she works hard. She befriends and agrees to hide a woman named Bree at the hotel, as Bree shows signs of abuse by her boyfriend. The sisters bring along their immediate families, and the attorney is there as well. Everyone is keeping secrets, the sisters do not get along due to long held grudges, Charley is terrified of losing her job, and a hurricane is about to hit. Very early on someone is found dead. Day has created some vividly drawn unlikeable characters and the twists are creative all the way to the end. I was very glad to receive this ARC from Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press. My opinions are my own. susanh_bookreviews

Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin's press for the ARC. This book fell a flat for me. The story was pretty predictable throughout and there was not much suspense. This was more focused on family drama vs the suspense I was hoping for.

The book is about Charley who works as a live-in maid at an eccentric, but beautiful hotel with views to, quite literally, die for. When the owner of the hotel dies, his three daughters come home for the reading of the will. Each daughter has their own adult issues, and they all have a childhood secret that they share together. The arrival of a hurricane, the three sisters with their families and a stranger in need keeps Charley busy right from the beginning of the story. And then the first person dies!
I loved this book! The author tells the story with just the right amount of backstory to not drag it down and bore you to death. I like that the author speaks plainly, not using complicated or unusual words, and then add in how perfectly paced the story is you will be pulled through a fantastic story that is so easy to read. I read it in hours, not days. I could not wait to see how it ended, so much so I never stopped!
My favorite quote was "that's such a book-club way to die" because this is NOT a cozy mystery, it is most definitely a thriller.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a great mystery. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for the gifted arc of One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day.

One Big Happy Family
By Jamie Day

I did not enjoy this book. I found the characters both stilted and unlikeable. The story line came across as contrived – and didn't make much sense. There were just too many forced happenings to be believable.

What purported to be a suspenseful murder mystery in the vein of Agatha Christie ends up feeling like a YA graphic novel.

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

Hurricane Larry is bearing down on Jonesport, Maine where nineteen-year-old Charley Kelley works as a chambermaid at the Precipice Hotel. The Precipice, named for its seemingly perilous location on the edge of Gull Hill, overlooks the ocean.

Hired by the hotel’s owner, George Bishop, Charley has worked [and lived in a tiny closet of a room] here for two years. Her small salary goes to paying for her Nana’s are at Guiding Way, a senior living home.

But everything is about to change.

The rent at Guiding Way is going up and Charley may not even have a job . . . George Bishop has died and his three daughters are on their way to the Precipice.

Charley has no idea what the weekend will bring . . . will the sisters decide to close the hotel? Or will they fire Charley despite her desperate need to care for her Nana?

=========

Anchored by a strong sense of place and a protagonist readers are likely to empathize with, this thriller grabs readers from the outset and keeps those pages turning as fast as possible. Complex, intriguing, and suspenseful, readers are kept guessing as unexpected revelations slowly come to light.

The plot, twisty and unpredictable, touches on family, friendship, and family interactions. The characters are nuanced and believable. Charley’s pilfering from hotel guests is understandable in the context of the story, especially considering her heavy responsibilities and her inexperienced youth; less understandable is the dysfunctional behavior between 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. Secrets abound; the hurricane is relentless; the unfolding story unputdownable. Readers who enjoy thrillers will find much to appreciate here.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
#OneBigHappyFamily #NetGalley

Jamie Day does it again with another mystery that will have you guessing until the end! I love how clever her plot twists are, and how she really keeps everything up in the air until the last third of the book. I would have loved to see a little bit more character development for some of the family, but it was enough to really understand their motivations throughout the story. The setting and descriptions were wonderful, but considering it’s set in a hotel I would have loved to see the characters in more places than just the main living space. I also wanted more follow up on the characters in the falling action, but that’s just me being greedy!

I have read this author’s books before and liked them very much … this book definitely holds up to this opinion … a very good storyteller.

Not as good as her previous books but This tale keeps you totally interested in reading more. The story twist is a bit weak but a fun read anyway. I knew who did it but how and why keeps you wanting to read more.

I enjoy a good murder mystery novel once in a while, and Jamie Day’s newest book, One Big Happy Family, published by St. Martin’s Press,
is just that. A good murder mystery novel.

This is a story about the Bishop family and their hotel, The Precipice. A big storm named Larry
is coming, and Charley and Rodrigo have to get the hotel ready for the oncoming weather—as well as the storm that is the Bishop sisters—Vicki, Iris, and Faith—and their families. The plot is complex, and keeps you guessing.

I felt as though The Precipice itself was a character in the novel, and I really liked that aspect of the story.

There comes a point at which a character finds a mysterious plant. Upon showing it to other characters, one says (something to the effect of): That's Atropa Belladonna, also known as Belladonna. That kind of sums up what I have to say here.

Oh this is a good one! This book had me from the first page to the last. Twisted read. You do not know u til the last chapter who did it. Leaves you spinning. Wonderful read. Three sisters arrive at the family hotel for the reading of their father’s will. This book has it all, suspense, murder, trials, friendship, romance, heartache and healing of heart. Over all great read. Highly recommend. I was given an advanced reader copy of this very well written book by NetGalley and I am freely sharing my review.

WOW! WHAT A RIDE! Thank you to St. Martin's Press/NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

This book immediately hooked me from beginning to end! I predict this is going to become a popular thriller this summer. I loved the ambience and setting the author was able to portray… think gothic, ornate, boutique hotel on a cliff in Maine during horrible hurricane storms.

I also loved how easily distinguishable the characters were. There were lots of characters but all were extremely different and memorable (even if not for good things!!! ;) ). The Bishop family has many secrets and seeing each secret unfold had my jaw on the floor.

Take a mess of family drama, a storm causing power outages & the inability to leave the property, and pair it with a creepy yet beautiful old hotel and you’re in for a wild time!

I highly recommend this book!

I loved the cover. The story kept me reading and I flew through the book wanting to know what happened. Lots of family dynamics and secrets all around. Lots of twists and turns of who is good and who isn't.

A fun read! Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

This book had held me captive yesterday! The writing was good, the amount of suspense was perfect, and the storyline was entertaining. Although there were quite a few characters, they were easy to keep straight, and the setting, the hotel during the storm, was perfect for the plot and added to the suspense beautifully. Each storyline was intertwined, and the story was fast paced enough to keep things interesting without feeling too rushed. Although I was able to figure out some of the twists, some still showed up as a surprise! I definitely recommend this book.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!