The Lattimer family members all went their separate ways ten years ago when Adam, one of the three sons, went missing. But now Adam’s back--returned out of the blue to their small Irish hometown with a suspiciously weak reason for letting his family think he was dead. Since Adam’s disappearance the five remaining siblings have all had their ups and downs (mostly downs) and particulary distressing for them, their mother passed away as a direct result of Adam being presumed dead. However, they dutifully agree to a reunion organised by their father, Frazer, which culminates with a gathering on a yacht, a man overboard, and accusations of murder.

Of all the mystery/thrillers I’ve read of late, Spain managed to switch from the present to the past most effectively. The timing of when she chose to progress the plot in the present versus when she chose to show the incidents in the characters’ past which led to the current crimes was perfect, creating just the right amount of tension and clues for the reader.

Her characterisation was also fantastic. There’s a lot of characters: with all the Lattimers and their friends and lovers, for starters. I was never confused or unsure of who was who though; each family member had their own distinct personality. One thing they did have in common was their dysfunctional lives. The circumstances of each Lattimer which led them to their current mental state ranged from minor issues to horrific events but all remained believable. They all too explained why each could easily be guilty of murder.

There were a couple of good twists. Some I had guessed would be the case and others I didn’t see coming at all. Overall the ending and resolution didn’t disappoint (which, unfortunately, it often does with this genre).

I would call this more of a mystery than a thriller. If you’re looking for chills and creepiness, this isn’t the book for you. That doesn't mean it wasn't an engrossing read. In some ways it reminded me of the movie Knives Out, with a splash of Irish quirkiness.

This was my first Jo Spain book but it won't be my last.

4 out of 5

I really loved this book. A good read for my holidays.
I will definitely be looking out for Jo Spain books in the future.

The six adult children of Frazer Lattimer have an entire childhood of fraught experiences to draw upon for examples of bad parenting. Their mother, Kathleen Lattimer, was an utter saint though and often served as a buffer between her overbearing husband and their three sons and three daughters. With Kathleen now gone, and Adam Lattimer returning home after a ten year absence, there is much that must be discussed. Six Wicked Reasons is a novel about the people who never let you forget the past. Your family were there, and they know you best.

Adam had quite a few very good reasons of his own to up stakes from Spanish Cove and make his own way in the world. Discovering that his mother passed during his absence is a hard blow to take, and it wasn’t delivered in the best of ways either. As the news of Adam’s imminent return reaches the Lattimer siblings, the children of Frazer and Kathleen all begin to make their way back to the family home.

It is a huge shock when Frazer announces during the homecoming weekend at that he intends to marry again, and use the proceeds of the house to fund his upcoming world travels with his new bride-to-be, Anna.

There were others in the sphere of the well-at-heel Lattimer family that did not fail to notice that the controlling and narcissistic Frazer was capable of doing great harm to his family. When Frazer falls, or is pushed overboard from the family homecoming party at sea, not everyone in the Lattimer family is in mourning.

The burden of long held secrets that can’t be contained spill forth in an intense and absorbing read that goes the extra mile at establishing credible motives and bedding down the complicated relationship dynamics that lead to murder. The reader will need to hunker down with the Lattimers, as this is one group of siblings who may not necessarily take the ‘all for one’ approach when their own futures are under threat.

The best whodunits present both a small stage and a small cast of suspects. The unsettling knowledge that the killer could only be one of a handful of people puts more weight on each of the interactions between suspect/s and victim. Six Wicked Reasons unravels its dark family secrets via past and present narratives, revealing just enough so that each chapter directs, or misdirects, our attention back to passages just read with a keener eye.

Six Wicked Reasons is a entertaining work of dramatic fiction with murder as the end result of sustained family conflict.

Six Wicked Reasons is the third book I’ve read by Jo Spain, all stand-alones, and while perhaps not quite as clever as last year’s Dirty Little Secrets, was still another brilliant mystery. Unfortunately the ARC I received from NetGalley was dreadfully formatted, with about 90% of spaces between words missing - which serves me right for being late reading it I suppose - had I realised before archiving I could’ve downloaded another copy: no one else has mentioned it so seems like I just got a dodgy version.

Patriarch of the wealthy Irish Lattimer family Frazer has summoned his children home, because their brother Adam, missing for ten years and presumed dead, has turned up after finally learning of the death of their mother years before. James, is a failing TV producer. Kate runs a luxury hotel with the husband she refuses to introduce to her family. Ellen still lives at home, hiding away from the world. Clio has been living illegally in New York and recovered junkie Ryan is reluctantly persuaded to return from Italy. Each has a reason to hate their narcissistic controlling father, so when he’s knocked off a yacht during a celebration party, the police know one of them must be the murderer...

Told from various POVs and time periods, this was a tricksy variant of a locked room mystery, which slowly drip-feeds us information about exact what has been going on in this highly dysfunctional family. It wasn’t immediately obvious that Frazer deserved to die, but by the end you will certainly be on the side of the killer - but I had no idea who it would turn out to be! Spain cunningly has us changing our minds about the various characters and as we learn more about their secrets, our sympathies keep shifting.

Trigger warning (and minor spoiler) - a dog is murdered, which was only briefly described, and probably important to the plot, but animal lovers may still be upset by this. (It’s framed as euthanasia.)

Overall this was an enjoyably convoluted murder mystery which deserves to become another best-seller. My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc which allowed me to give an honest review, and apologies for it being a bit late - it was published on 28th January.