In this book, Lapena creates another family drama. We know from the very beginning that two people are dead. These are the parents of three spoiled children who are liars. We get the perspectives of these children throughout the book and none of them are likeable. But they all have a reason to kill their parents - money. They stand to inherit a lot of money once their parents are dead... why not expedite the process?

There is also their aunt, who thinks she should have some of the money and the housekeeper who was the one that found the bodies. Could they have done it? There are a number of possibilities and the author definitely leads you one way and then another. It is well done and this is a quick read. I wish I had liked any of the characters but it did all come together well.

Cruel parents, money-hungry siblings, too many lies to count. As with any Lapena novel, everyone is slightly awful, but this ending is out of the blue. Don't skip the epilogue.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena. This was a page-turner with surprises you will not see coming.

Shari Lapena's Not a Happy Family is a book that I picked up based on author name recognition alone. I previously read Lapena's The Couple Next Door, as well as An Unwanted Guest, and really enjoyed them, so I expected Not a Happy Family to live up to the absorbing twisty style that Lapena is known for. While Not a Happy Family is certainly my least favorite of Lapena's books, there's a lot to like here if you enjoy whodunnit mysteries.

The Mertons have been murdered. Killed in their luxurious mansion after Easter dinner, the Mertons are dead and their three children are set to inherit a fortune. But who killed the Mertons and why? Was it one of the kids, hoping to cash in on their inheritance early? Or how about the housekeeper, who keeps a keen eye on the family's every move? Or maybe it was Fred Merton's sister, who certainly has a bone to pick with more than one member of this not so happy family.

As you dive deeper and deeper into this convoluted affair of family discord, you'll discover that there's more than one member of this family hiding something from the others. How deep do these secrets run, and how dark will they get?

I'll readily admit that whodunnits are not my favorite, so I was disappointed to discover that this novel is one big, 300+ page murder mystery. While I expected there to be some investigation into who murdered the Mertons in cold blood, I didn't enjoy the fact that the entire novel revolved around this question. Much of the story felt like it was running on repeat, covering the same ground time and time again, yet from a different angle or POV each time. While it doesn't make for the most exciting reading in what I presumed was a suspense novel, it does help lay a solid groundwork and plot the clues for anyone who enjoys solving mysteries. While not a bad book, Not a Happy Family just wasn't the right read for me.

So amazingly good and so deliciously perfect! I like my thrillers messy with the family and friends dynamic and Sherry Lapena always delivers! I actually just recommended this as a go along with her latest!

This is a 3.5 star review. I did enjoy reading this book but I was also frustrated while reading it. The Merton Family are very rich and very unhappy. When the parents are killed there are lots of suspects. As the police investigate they concentrate on members of the family. There are no likable characters and everyone has something to hide. There are lots of twists and turns and the author kept me turning the pages. However the I was able to figure out the killer. The ending did not make any sense. There was a lot of repetition and the book was overall too long. I was very disappointed in the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for allowing me an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars.
Somewhere around halfway through. I thought I figured out who the killer was, but I am glad to say I was wrong.
However, I am also sad to say that the big revelation didn't come with a bang and it felt like it was just mentioned and done. That is actually the case with the whole book. It seems like it was brought to us in such a passive way that it was hard to be emotionally invested.

I love Shari Lapena and I loved this thriller! Everyone in this family was absolutely awful, but somehow, the dysfunction made me want to continue turning the pages. Loved how quick of a read this one was.

for fans of Knives out. a family whose lives are all changed when there's a gruesome murder. The family all suspects each other and wants the inheritance. Too many POVs for my taste but it was interesting to be in everyone's heads. I was NOT expecting the ending

I don’t know why but I was invested in these characters. They are rich and not similar to my lifestyle but I cared. I liked the ending and everything that came before it. I had to debate between 4 and 5 stars because it was a true 4.5 stars to me. I would recommend this to Lapena fans and anyone looking for a quick interesting whodunnit.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the DRC.

I love love love Shari Lapena. She is probably my favorite author, and I've loved all her books. This was no exception. I picked it up at every free chance I got. The only character I liked and felt sympathetic towards was Irena, and maybe Ted or Lisa. Lapena did a great job of making the Merton kids unlikeable and cold. The ending did surprise me, but I wish there was more detail in how the detectives found out and how the other characters found out who did it. Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy!

Thought this was a fun, gripping read! I always love a good whodunnit story. Felt very much like Knives Out, which I enjoyed. Will definitely recommend to any thriller lovers!

Not a Happy Family was September pick in our book club. I was really looking forward to it because I've seen many complementary reviews, plus I do appreciate Shari Lapena as a writer even though I didn't fall in love with all of her books.

Good thing about this book is that it is easy to read, so we all finished the book faster then we planned, excluding one girl who DNFed it.

I rarely DNF books, and I almost never do it when I get a review copy, but I completely understand why one would chose not to finish this novel, as it was too repetitive with all the he said she said parts that it became boring.

This is the case of who-done-it story where everyone mentioned is also a suspect.
Somewhere around 50% mark we all thought we figured out who the killer was, but I am glad to say we were wrong.
However, I am also sad to say that the big revelation didn't come with a bang and it felt like it was just mentioned and done.

That is actually the case with the whole book. It seems like it was brought to us in such... passive way that the it was hard to be emotionally invested.

Characters didn't help either, as none of them was interesting enough, nor likeable. I don't think characters have to be likeable, but they have to impact readers, and in my opinion, Not a Happy Family lacked that.

My favourite part was the show of how a thing as murder can shake and change relationships that seemed strong before. How one can stop trusting a person and question their intentions, even though prior the big event they would swear on their life for them.

The book was written in third person and it followed too many perspectives. I think all of the characters got their POV at some point.
Good thing is that it was easy to read, but a bad thing is that it was too repetitive, so many things that were already said were mentioned again and again...
If the author decided to kill her darlings, we would probably get one longer but good novella.

Firstly, I would like to thank Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc of the book. This review is based on my personal opinion and enjoyment of the book. I've read previous books by this author and loved them.

Review Coming Soon

The Merton family has lived in the upscale neighborhood in Brecken Hill for decades. Sheila and Fred Merton have worked hard for their wealth and have always had high expectations for their three children. Their oldest daughter is a successful doctor, but she hasn't given them the grandbabies that they expect. Their son, Dan, is a giant disappointment and was just let go from a job at Fred's business when he sold the company. Money is tight for Dan and his wife, but he keeps thinking things will turn their way soon. The youngest, Jenna, is an artist who still needs financial help from her parents. The Merton family gathers for Easter dinner and the next morning Fred and Sheila are dead. Murdered. The Merton siblings are left to deal with the aftermath while the police are investigating the murders. Will the Merton siblings stick together or will they turn on each other as secrets are revealed?

The title Not A Happy Family is a rather large clue that the Merton family is not nice people. They are entitled children of wealthy parents. Inevitably, you develop a "favorite" but make no mistake, these are highly unlikable people. It really could be that one of these people killed their parents and it really could be any of them. Of the three, Catherine was probably my favorite character, but even she had some serious flaws. Not A Happy Family was one of those books where I was guessing right up to the very end.- CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS.


Bottom Line - Not A Happy Family is another brilliant page-turner by Shari Lapena. If you figure this one out, then you are in the wrong business!

Details:
Not A Happy Family by Shari Lapena
On Instagram
Pages: 368
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
Publication Date: 7/27/2021
Buy it here!
Thank you to NetGalley for the book in exchange for a review.

I had such high hopes for this thriller, but it didn't deliver enough plot twists for me. I started skimming about halfway through.

This was a terrific suspenseful family thriller. I was bouncing all over the place trying to figure out who did it. And I never guessed! These people were all horrible.

All families are not perfect and have struggles and secrets. Wealthy businessman Fred Merton and his wife, Sheila are brutally murdered at the home and no one knows who did it. Was it one of the three children, Aunt Audrey or even the housekeeper, Irene? Each one of them may have had a reason to want to kill their parents and all of them think that the others may have done it, but which one?
A wonderful psychological thriller.

I love Shari Lapena, and was really excited to get my hands on a copy of Not a Happy Family. It did not disappoint! The characters were so realistic and wonderfully flawed, and I spent the whole book going back and forth on my opinion of who the killer was. Classic whodunnit with great writing!

This was a very suspenseful novel, that kept me hopping., I read it in one day, it was that good. I can't say I liked the characters that much, but this is the kind of plot where I don't think that is necessary. I did feel bad for some of them however, It kept me guessing and I didn't figure it out until close to the end. I will recommend this for purchase at my library.