<b>TW/CW:Language, drug addiction, sexual abuse, domestic abuse, drug overdose, death of parent, dementia, classism, eating disorder, bullying, family drama, toxic family relationships, abusive relationships, drinking, smoking, cheating, depression, anxiety, infertility, death by suicide, cancer, physical abuse </b>

<b><big>*****SPOILERS*****</b></big>
<b>About the book:</b>
The Precipice is a legendary, family-owned hotel on the rocky coast of Maine. With the recent passing of their father, the Bishop sisters—Iris, Vicki, and Faith—have come for the weekend to claim it. But with a hurricane looming and each of the Bishop sisters harboring dangerous secrets, there's murder in the air—and not everyone who checks into the Precipice will be checking out.

Each sister wants what is rightfully hers, and in the mix is the Precipe's nineteen-year-old chambermaid Charley Kelley: smart, resilient, older than her years, and in desperate straits.

The arrival of the Bishop sisters could spell disaster for Charley. Will they close the hotel? Fire her? Discover her habit of pilfering from guests? Or even worse, learn that she's using a guest room to hide a woman on the run.
<b>Release Date:</b> July 16th, 2024
<b>Genre:</b> Thriller
<b>Pages:</b> 368
<b>Rating:</b> ⭐

<b>What I Liked:</b>
1. Writing was good
2. Love the plot of a cut off hotel from society during a storm

<b>What I Didn't Like:</b>
1. Felt slow
2. Predictable
3. Boring boring boring
4. Basic thriller
5. Unnecessary romance
6. The rhyming 14 year old

<b>Overall Thoughts:</b>
<b><i><small>{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}</small></i></b>

Seriously I would not trust Janice. Why wouldn't she tell Charley about Medicare. Or get her on Medicaid some kind of financial aid so that she isn't paying this rent on her own and they could help. Maybe it doesn't exist in this world.

I don't know how the guests wouldn't know it was the maid stealing from them. No one has complained in the years she's worked there about missing money?

Honestly I'm just really annoyed at how much she complains about being a maid. She acts like it's the hardest job and yes there are hard days (I was also a maid at a hotel so I know that some days are hard), but she makes out like she never gets days off and she never gets time to herself. We are in the middle of the storm and she's even complaining about no guests so you go from her complaining about too much work to not enough.

Her stealing from guests and I'm over here wondering why she doesn't get a second job at night. She could pick up a second part time job and that would help a lot rather than banking on people having cash and losing her job. Maids usually work 8am to 4/5pm, so she could get another job.

This random woman that she met at a location I can't remember and don't care to look up shows up at the hotel promising the she'll give her $1,000 if she will hide her for the week at the hotel. And I'm just like no that makes zero sense and you might get screwed over in this deal. You have no proof that this person is really even going to give you the money once the week is over. You have no idea how dangerous this boyfriend is of hers and you're putting yourself in the crosshairs of their fight. Charley asks her why doesn't she just call the police and she shows the text messages that Jake has sent her that are on the edge of threatening but not really and says that that's not enough for the place. And I mean that is true. But how does she have no one else to call to get home to even help her? Why wouldn't she go to the police sit with the police and call somebody to come and get her or someone to send her the money to go home. I don't know... Thrillers just make me even more suspicious but I just don't feel like I want to help people when they have this weird scenario happening.

Charley mentions a photo that's in the hallway of some of Georgia's favorite workers and she mentions that she was just very nicely next to a nice car but didn't know how she managed to have that much money on a maids pay. 100% says that this girl that showed up is George's daughter and she's here to contend the will. That the woman in the photo is her more that was;
• Paid to leave town when he assaulted her and she was pregnant

There were sometimes when George was described as an okay guy to he was sexually assaulting women. It was always switching by Charley

They act like this hotel is so tiny that they have no where to put Bree. It's 3 stories. I'd be putting this woman in the basement/attic if my job was at risk.

Of course Quinn is hot and Charley is all about that so hoping this doesn't turn into a romance.

Oh no I am so shocked that Todd was killed. Who could have seen that happening!?

Seriously now we are saying the kid is a psychic.

I don't like jumping back into the past. It feels like it slowed down the momentum of the book and the mystery. Now we are reading about the sisters as they have went their own ways. I loved the isolation but now it's just in the background of this story.

Todd sleeping with Faith before going out with Vicki. Ewww. Not sure how they never knew that Faith and Todd were living together.

I had a laugh because in this flashback of Todd they just paint him like this typical villain. Vicky is adopting Iris' son because she's went back to using drugs and is incapable of taking care of him. The whole time during the court thing Todd is mad because they're losing out on money for being foster parents.
<i><b>"So we lose the money from the state for being foster parents and get all the burden of Quinn’s ongoing expenses . Great deal, Vic! You really crushed this one.”</b></i>
Not happy about Vicki adopting Quinn when she says to Iris that she's now his mother and Iris will only be known as his aunt. Heartless.

Can't forget that Todd had competition removed from Faith's modeling career. And when Faith approaches him about it, that she had ended her life he says good riddance. But even Faith was questioning whether he had sexually assaulted that girl when he had drugged her so she'd miss her modeling appointment.

It's just crazy how many conversations Charley is privy to with this family. It seems like she's always just right where everything is happening. Whenever they're having heated conversations that pertain to family affairs there's Charley hanging out in the wings. I'm really trying to understand what Charley does if the whole time she's just standing with the family. Why would she have to sit here while they do a three card spread? It's just crazy. There's zero reason to have the maid there.

It also doesn't make any sense why would this family that Todd died hang around the house? I get that it's a hurricane but what is the point of hanging out the house? Just because the detective said to wait around which is silly it makes zero sense. Because one of them is still a murderer why would the police have them all still in the house in case someone else ends up getting killed?

Love that Charley is jealous of Bree and she's questioning whether Quinn is more attracted to her than Charley? There is a murderer on the loose someone was killed in this house and you're worried about Bree looking more attractive to another man. What are you doing?? Who would react like this? Does no one care about the safety of themselves?

I still think that it's Bree. She keeps planting people that they are the ones that would be guilty. Plus she had the motive to kill this person. Plus she's the witness who said she heard arguing and shuffle outside her room.

Cool cool we habe so much time in this book to stop what we are doing to look for a painting that was rumored to be worth thousands of dollars. But don't worry because Charley doesn't care that she might be hanging out with a murderer because he's hot. When you're hot you can't be the killer. Duh!

Oliver's stupid rhyming is interesting at first and then gets pretty annoying after a few pages. Oliver might be one of my top most annoying characters.

I skipped a little bit through the book I was so bored.

Oh look at that George is Bree's father//<b>shocked</b>//

So Bree managed to gain George's trust and hang out with him this whole time for like a month and no one saw them together? I just don't understand how that's possible no one in the hotel saw them. Bree also killed George. Christina got pregnant with George. And she knows that the sisters killed Samuel, who was going to be the best stepfather that Bree had. Not sure how she knew that just from her mother's words.

Are you kidding me? Quinn runs out there to go and get the painting from Bree. As though he did not just inherit $220,000. But he needs this painting he needs it back so badly. A painting he didn't even know about till a few days ago.

Omg Bree left the painting to Charley in the event that she didn't come out of this alive. She knew her like 3 days but she wrote this whole note to let Charley know how great she was.

I knew knew knew Janice was ripping off Charley. Seriously though how the hell wouldn't Charley know this fact. It's not like they just out you on Medicaid because you need it. You have to apply for it. Was Janice the one who put her grandma on medicaid? But then I feel like you have to prove who you are to that person you can't just say that they're living in your facility. She's not even the legal guardian of her. This just seems insane.

<b>Final Thoughts:</b>
Basic thriller with nothing thrilling that happens. Predictable with a capital P.

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<b><small>Thanks to Netgalley, St Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

There was so much I enjoyed about One Big Happy Family.

When Iris, Vicki and Faith's father passes away, the three sisters come together at their family hotel, The Precipice. Upon arrival, they are greeted by the young chambermaid, Charley Kelley. Unbeknownst to the sister, Charley is hiding a guest in the hotel. Upon reading the will, the sisters are shocked and much drama ensues.

Throughout the book, we learn about Charley and the hidden guest's deep connections to The Precipice. The author does a nice job weaving the pasts of the characters together. The sisters have a whole lot of drama.

I felt after the mid-point of the story, everything became a bit unrealistic. So much drama. So much going on. It seemed a bit far-fetched.

I really enjoyed the narrator,  

One Big Happy Family Saskia Maarleveld. She always does an excellent job, and I often seek out books narrated by her. She did a fantastic job narrating this novel as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for this advance listen in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love this story! I finally found a recent beach book that isn’t corny and formula based. Looking forward to more books by this author. It reminds me of an old fashion Whodunit. The characters were very interesting and easy to follow. A Family and the maid trapped in an old hotel during a raging storm. Set in an a desolate part of Maine

If you're a locked-room mystery/thriller lover, run run run to grab Jamie Day's latest - One Big Happy Family.

Charlie works as a maid at a Maine hotel. The owners of the hotel are converging on the area for one weekend to discuss the will and testament of their father - George Bishop. George Bishop was a horrific human being and his three daughters - the Bishop sisters - aren't all that much better. To make the weekend just that much more entertaining, Hurricane Larry is rolling through and he's predicted to be a doozy.

Cue all your best elements of a locked-room thriller: trapped in a creepy hotel with a murderer, eerie clues about who might be next, countless secrets and terrible people, tons and tons of red herrings and layers of drama.

I listened to this novel on audio and enjoyed the narrator though I didn't think she was the best choice for Charlie. Her voice was more mature than I typically associate for a 19 year old so I often forgot how young Charlie was. She did add great elements of theater and drama to the tale though so I appreciated the entertainment value.

Overall, this was an entertaining read. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and MacMillan Audio for the copy.

It was such a ride! I loved the coastal Maine bed and breakfast, hurricane approaching, and dysfunctional family vibe. It was facepaced and kept me reading(listening) long into the night. A whodunit that did not disappoint! The audiobook version was fantastic. I loved the narrator and thought she brought the story to life. This was a must-read for sure and I can't wait to read more from Jamie Day!

**3.5-stars rounded up**

One Big Happy Family is an entertaining Summer Thriller set in a small town, Jonesport, on the rocky coast of Maine. I adore that setting, so was sold on this one by that fact alone.

This novel is an inheritance story of sorts, with murder to boot. We're transported to The Precipice, a family-owned hotel, in Jonesport. The elder, George Bishop, has recently passed and his daughters, Iris, Vicki and Faith, are arriving for a weekend to hear his Will and claim what is now theirs. The three sisters bring with them a whole host of dangerous secrets, heavy baggage and more. Tensions are running high. It's not exactly a lovey-dovey family reunion.

Also in the mix, are a few employees of The Precipice, including 19-year old chambermaid, Charley, who desperately needs to hold on to her job.
This is the kind of book so full of drama that once you start, it's hard to stop. I found it to be incredibly fun with the toxic family relationships that I love to watch play out.

I was gnoshing my popcorn the whole way through!

The setting was fantastic, made better by the fact that a hurricane stranded the characters at The Precipice. I love inclement weather stories and I feel like Day absolutely nailed that vibe here. I actually listened to this audio while I was on vacation in Maine, so that's a bit fortuitous. In a way, that made it extra fun, but in another way, I actually think I may have enjoyed it more if I hadn't had vacation brain at the time.

I did find the narration by Saskia Maarleveld to be a perfect fit for the story. She def succeeded in bringing it to life. I highly recommend that format should it be available to you.

Overall, I was really impressed with this. I found it to be gripping, entertaining, fast-paced and dramatic. The setting and set-up were both fantastic. My only small gripe would be that I sometimes found it hard to distinguish between the sisters. With this being said, that could be 100% attributable to the aforementioned vacation brain. It's hard to tell. Either way, I am looking forward to more from this author.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.
I think a lot of Readers are going to love this one!

This was a fun read with tons of family drama. I loved seeing the story unfold and find new motivations behind the various character’s actions. The ending was strong and I loved how everything was wrapped up.

Thanks, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio, for the ebook and audiobook review copies via NetGalley. #macaudio2024

Three estranged sisters arrive at their family’s hotel on the Maine coast. True, there’s a hurricane bearing down on them, but their father just died, and they are desperate to hear the reading of his will. What turns into a locked-room mystery is told mainly (pun not intended, but hah) from the point of view of a 19-year-old naive chambermaid, Charley, who has a few secrets of her own.

I started this mystery-thriller as an audiobook, but it was such a slow build it couldn’t hold my interest (though the narrator, Saskia Maarleveld, is still one of my favorites). Luckily, I was able to pivot to the e-book for the remainder. I’m glad I did because once it got going, Oo-De-Lally! It was the murder mystery version of a food fight. Accusations, secrets, insults, bullets, knives…everything flew around this hurricane-isolated hotel. It was NUTS in the best possible way…for a while. Then it bogged down again with a backstory/reveal. Overall, this was entertaining.

My only pet peeve involves my northern Maine pride. The author refers to Jonestown (where the hotel is situated) as “Northern Maine,” and I must cry foul. If you can see the ocean, you’re in Southern or Coastal Maine. If you can see Canada, you’re in Northern Maine.

Thank you #netgalley and #MacmillanAudio for giving me the chance to listen to this #ALC in return for my honest review!

This book is a must-read! Wonderful twists and turns and "oh mys"! I honestly couldn't stop listening to it. The characters were those of you who hate them or love them. The wow factor was substantial and it had the ending I was hoping for!

A good thriller about rich families and all their issues. I liked the setting and how the weather played into it. Great character development. A good listen as well since I had the audiobook version.

I greatly enjoyed Jamie Day’s The Block Party & had a feeling I’d love his latest suspense novel, One Big Happy Family. I was right! It’s an exciting thriller! Privileged characters are so tangled up, have loads of problems, and skeletons in their closets. The twists hit as the conclusion neared. Add in a Hurricane and it’s a recipe for intensity!

Saskia Maarleveld brings Day’s words to life in spectacular fashion in the audiobook.

Thank you, Jamie Day, Macmillan Audio, St. Martins Press, & netgalley for my early copy & audiobook! All opinions are my own.

2.5 stars
I was excited to get a copy of this author's latest book as I loved her first one. This one, however, just couldn't hold my attention. As I listened to the audio, I kept waiting to engage in rhe plot. I waited and waited and waited... but it lacked an entry point into the story for me. Nothing snagged me or stood out. It was just words and descriptions and noneventful situations. The plot also stalled even more as the three sisters were being introduced. Unfortunately, it was difficult for me to stay invested or care.

There are some other higher reviews, so I would suggest also checking those out. I need something to grab me - interesting characters, a suspenseful situation, big emotions or something else - which this plot didn't have.

The audio performance was good. The narrator had a dynamic delivery. It just wasn't enough to keep me invested fully.

Thanks Netgalley for an ARC and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I could not get into this book. The characters didn’t resonate with me and I just couldn’t finish it.

Thank you for the arc for my honest review.

I was impressed with the way this story came together in the end but I also wasn't entirely sold on the believability of the story. So many secrets, and soo many easy fixes to situations. It was slightly predictable and at times, the way the story unfolded felt more like fitting pieces into a formula versus unique story writing. I was entertained and enjoyed listening to the audiobook. I would definitely try another Jamie Day book. The narrator was okay although at times she was a little more nasal-y and sounded sick.

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day is an unusual novel. The novel starts out with some background and then pops right into the present day. The novel goes back and forth in time to highlight different memories of the sisters or of the present occupants. The premise is an old inn in Maine on the cliffs looking out to the sea. The owner has died and asked that the will be read while his children are at the inn. There is a hurricane coming up the coast and is going to hit the inn in a number of hours. However the wind has already done damage and trapped them all at the property with so many large trees blocking the road. To top it off, in a fit of rage, one of the sisters ripped the modem from the wall and shot it so it would no longer function.

The Bishop sisters, Iris, Vicki, and Faith, arrive at the inn with their children and the lawyer who is going to read the will. Meanwhile the cook has taken off as has the front end manager leaving Charley (the maid) as the last worker. On top of that Charley has hidden Bree (an abused girlfriend) at the inn.

Everyone at the inn has hidden secrets and information that they should share. There are betrayals, more betrayals and even some surprises that no one expects. There is a hidden painting worth millions. On top of that there are weapons brandished at a whim, kitchen knives, and lots of alcohol. As the storm rises as does all the tempers and stories, until various people have been killed or tried to be killed or actually were the killers when help eventually arrives. It is a mess that you can not put down!

I have read and liked this author before, but I could not get into this one even though I gave it several tries.

This was a fast paced book that really keeps you on your toes. Wondering what the next big event will be, and there are a lot of them! It paints the scene with the descriptive detailed plot and setting. It feels as if you’re actually there with the characters. There’s nothing like reading about a dysfunctional family, this book takes you into the thick of the family drama! It’s twisty and a fun read! Loved the thrill of it.

I had a hard time getting into this book. I got almost to 50% of the audiobook before it started picking up and the thrill aspect was introduced in the book. The author provided great back stories for each of the characters to help know who each person was as the book continued. I did struggle with how fast some of the storyline progressed in the last half of the book and trying to follow along with the plot.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc audiobook!
Wow! I read another book by Jamie Day and loved it, so was so excited to see this! The same here! I wasn’t sure what to expect, so many different things happening that I never had a solid idea of “who did it”. I finished this very quickly, in a day - and was sucked in the whole time! Very fast paced and so many surprises. I loved it! 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was one of those thrillers that I didn't feel any real emotions towards it. It wasn't bad but it also wasn't super mind blowing, unique either. It was entertaining to listen to and a little over the time. It passed the time. Felt a little long after a bit. I figured out some of the big twists but some I didn't see coming. Overall, it was enjoyable enough to listen to!