One Big Happy Family" by Jamie Day is an average read. It was okay, but lacked something just a little different to make it stand out. For those seeking something fresh and innovative, it might fall a bit short. Overall, it's an okay read, but nothing groundbreaking.

As the Bishop sisters come to the Precipice Hotel after the death of their father, they unearth long buried secrets. Maid Charley unfortunately gets caught in all of the crosshairs.

This was a fun thriller that has a lot of twists! Here's what I loved:

Charley: she was a great character to follow because she's so likable. You get engrossed with her story as much as the story of the sisters. She's had a lot of trauma and is still working through a lot of it. I also liked the little romance aspect with her and one of the sister's sons.

The setting: This hotel was a perfect locked room setting. With a storm coming in, all of the characters are stuck in the hotel, allowing all of the drama to unfold without a way of escaping.

The sections: Day breaks the narrative a few times to go back in time and give you the sister's backstory. This help break up some of the tension and reveal things at the perfect moments.

The narration: Saskia Maarleveld does an amazing job with this one! She has different voices for all of the characters and really pulls you into the story.

All in all, this is a perfect locked door thriller that will keep you guessing.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted copy!

One big DRAMA filled family. It was a slow start but once it got going it got really good! I loved the closed door mystery aspect to this story. The narration was good and easy on the ears.

I did not enjoy this book. At first it seemed interesting but I didn't like the way it was written and I quickly lost interest at the 1/2 mark.

Reminded me of the maid. I did enjoy the story but really struggled to get through the middle of the book. The end was tied up nicely. Thank you NetGalley for this arc

I wasn’t sure if I would like book but I really enjoyed it!! This story had the perfect amount of chaos, death, lies, and family drama. The middle was a little slow but picked up and the ending of the book was great! I was looking for an engaging and easy thriller, and this book definitely delivered! The audiobook was perfect and I loved the narrator.

I expected to like this one but then I ended up loving it! I don't want to spoil anything. The narration was perfect! I loved all the characters. I loved how awful Todd was! I loved the kids and all the sisters and the sister in law. It was pure drama and chaos. Our main girl is fantastic and relateable and I learned some cleaning tips too.
There is a lot to this book. It was amazing.

Locked mysteries are always fun to read and this one was no different. With a hurricane looming, the three Bishop sisters find themself stuck at the family hotel waiting for their father's will to be read. Charley, the chambermaid, is especially on edge, hoping her job will be safe. But then the murders start. Everyone is trapped. Who is behind it all and why?

I was lucky enough to listen to this book on audio as I read along and I found myself so invested in the storyline. The plot was solid, the audiobook narration was well done and the intrigue was intense. I was on edge throughout the whole book and was surprised by some of the twists that were thrown in. I enjoyed the author's previous book, The Block Party, but found this one to be even better so  make sure you get yourself a copy!

This book was really hard to finish. There was so much happening and not one character that I was invested in. I read this as part of a netgalley preview and would not recommend.

Another locked room mystery, this story is told by Charlie, the live-in housekeeper at a small inn on the coast of Maine. When the owner of the inn dies, his three daughters, the Bishop sisters with various family members in tow, arrive in the midst of a tropical storm to settle the estate. Once the dysfunction emerges and the threats start flying, the first murder occurs and of course, no one can escape because of the storm. Family secrets, both past and present are revealed and everyone seems to have motives for murder. Throw in a creepy teenage nephew who speaks in rhymes and 2 or 3 “outsiders” who don’t seem to have a stake in the game and trying to figure out whodunnit becomes entertaining.
I found this book to be a fun read for the most part. There were definitely some twists but also quite a bit of predictability. Readers of this genre will quickly guess that the random non-family guests also play major roles in the drama. But overall, the story is creative and the book is fast paced and entertaining. I listened to the audio book and the narrator was very good, easy to follow and listen to.

An isolated hotel, a storm looming on the horizon, a dysfunctional wealthy family and revenge killings. What could go wrong?

This book reminded me of Clue and I had a hard time putting it down. This is a fast paced thriller revolving around secrets and lies. A family and the hotel workers are stuck in a hotel with a storm approaching. Two murders happen and everyone is a suspect. How will this story unfold? Read it to find out!

I love a locked room mystery and this was exactly that. We have multiple suspects who are carrying secrets and lies. I enjoyed this and had a hard time putting it down. The audio was well done and was easy to listen to. I enjoyed all the characters in the book. I would definitely read from this author again. You need to put this on your summer TBR!

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I was really interested in this novel based on the summary, and I wasn't disappointed by the first few chapters, which started off really strong. There was the tense atmosphere of everyone preparing for a hurricane, bickering people arriving, a mystery woman in a bad way and a flawed FMC. But then, things started giving me pause. At first it was going into Charley's flashback. I felt like it was just bullet pointing her background and I didn't love how it was executed. But it was short, and we moved back to the main story, so it was fine. But then when I got to part 2, when the entire story ground to a halt so that we could learn about each of the sisters, I started getting antsy. I feel like, for thrillers, these things are supposed to be revealed in pieces during surprising interactions and plot points with the characters. Instead I feel like we were just straight up given the author's notes for each character.

After that part, some of the reveals were fun, and it was certainly action packed. But I still thought that the story was only okay. Certainly not bad, but not amazing. I think this is partially because some of it was so silly. <spoiler> The "creepy" poems in particular had me rolling my eyes. And then, not entirely sure how the author went with a "oh they aren't all so bad" happy ending. </spoiler>

I requested this book because it was a thriller narrated by Saskia Maarleveld, who I've listened to before and like quite a bit. She did a solid job with the material here.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!

I recently had the opportunity to read an advance copy of "One Big Happy Family" by Jamie Day, courtesy of NetGalley—thank you for the review copy. This book proved to be an ideal summer read, perfect for unraveling mysteries while lounging by the water. Although I haven't read Day's previous work, "The Block Party," I found myself really enjoying his engaging narrative style.

The story unfolds with several mysteries interwoven throughout, keeping the plot intriguing. I rated this book 3.5-4 stars, largely because I found it challenging not to compare it with other exceptional books I've read recently.

The main character's complex, darker traits add depth, constantly making you wonder what will happen next. However, some aspects of the conclusion seemed a bit forced and didn't quite mesh with the tone of the rest of the narrative.

Despite these few rough edges, the book was a compelling, quick read that was hard to put down. The secondary characters were particularly well-developed, contributing significantly to the story rather than merely extending the plot. I'm definitely looking forward to exploring more of Jamie Day's work in the future.

A maid, the Bishop sisters, and lots of secrets......

The Precipice is a family-owned hotel located on the coast of Maine. The owner has passed away and his three daughters have come for the weekend to make their claim. Charley, who is a nineteen-year-old maid at the hotel worries about her job, them learning of her sticky fingers, the future of the hotel, and the woman she is hiding in one of the rooms.

Secrets and tension rule the day as the dysfunctional sisters and staff hunker down for a looming hurricane. All the characters have things going on, hidden motivations, big secrets, resentments, etc. This book was full of drama. This book also had atmosphere, tension and the trapped feeling that I enjoy in books. Having said that, this book felt slow in parts, drawn out in others and felt long, long, long.

I really thought that I would love this one, but sadly this was not the book for me. Others are enjoying it more than I did, so please check out their reviews as well.

What did work for me was how Jamie Day captured the trapped feeling, ,the toxicity of the sisters, and the tension in the book.

I listened to the audiobook and thought the narration was wonderful. Very well done.

Charley works as a chambermaid at the Precipice Hotel in Maine, trying to stay afloat and pay her Nana's bills. But the owner, George, dies, and his three daughters, Vicki, Iris, and Faith, come to hear the reading of the will. When a major Hurricane cuts them off, and bodies start turning up, long-held secrets begin to come to light.

I really liked Charley's character, and the story itself was entertaining. However, some of the plot points were beyond believable, and the epilogue was too happy-ever-after for my taste. All in all, it was a solid thriller.

ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY by Jamie Day is the perfect summer thriller. The Precipice is a beautiful family-owned hotel on the New England coast. The owner dies and the Bishop sisters Iris, Vicki, and Faith come to the property for the reading of the will. Throw in a hurricane, a couple murders, a hidden guest and it makes for a great suspense book. I listened to this in just a couple days and was quite surprised with the ending. Highly recommend for a beach read!

George Bishop, owner of the infamous Precipice hotel, is dead. Now his legacy is left to his 3 daughters: Iris, Faith, and Vicki. They all go there for the weekend to lay stake to their claim, with each woman wanting what she believes she deserves. Unfortunately, they may not each be so lucky.

Between the secrets that they’re all keeping, Charley (the 19-year-old chambermaid that their father employed), and the hurricane working its way toward them, it’s looking like it will be a more intense weekend away than they anticipated.

They may all be checking in, but someone may also be checking out … permanently.

I really enjoyed last year's The Block Party by this author. This one fell flat for me. The beginning is really slow on the setup and the ending is eye rolling. It does have a Knives Out kind of feel though, so if you can overlook the silliness you might enjoy it.

Charley is a nineteen-year-old young woman who has lived and worked as a maid at the Precipice Hotel in Maine since she was seventeen. After the recent death of the owner and her boss, the boss's three daughters, Vicki, Iris, and Faith, along with their families, are due to arrive for the reading of the will. However, Hurricane Larry is bearing down on the area and they just might be stuck on the premises for the weekend.

I did like Charley, but she couldn't really save the book for me. When we find out more about the sisters and their pasts, and after the big reveal, I just couldn't stop my eyes from rolling. So many coincidences/convenient explanations for things made for a lackluster mystery. I saw at least part of one of the reveals from a mile away, and I guess it was supposed to be a twist, but there wasn't really anything surprising about the book.

Overall though, I listened to the audiobook and Saskia Maarleveld's narration is excellent. She kept me involved and interested past the point where I would have stayed involved had I read it on the page. She gave Charley her voice that made her the star character--after enduring such a difficult childhood, she is just someone who wants the best for her Nana.

If you don't mind over the top narratives, then this book just might appeal to you. Since I enjoyed The Block Party so much, I will probably give this author another try in the future.

Loved it. The characters were all great, and it kept me guessing all afternoon while I cleaned my house. Will definitely be recommending!

An isolated, quirky hotel in Maine as a terrible hurricane is barreling in. A dysfunctional, wealthy family coming for a reading of the will. Lots and lots of family secrets and the live-in maid just trying to make ends meet. And don't forget the secretive attorney for the dead man. Hmm. What do you think will happen? You're probably right.

Secrets being forced out, disappearing people, people getting injured, lights going out as the storm intensifies and traps the characters. You may think of the game Clue, or an old movie. You may be right.

This is a book that will keep you guessing until the end.

I listened to the audio version and the narrator was great.