The Family Home deets up the suspense, almost contritely, and the payoff falls just short. It’s a quick, ok read.

The Family Home by Miranda Smith is a brilliant psychological thriller and I was gripped from the beginning till the very end. I loved it. It's full of great twists and turns with lots of secrets and lies between all the characters that made it a great page turner and a great holiday read.

OMG...............There’s a dead man in my apartment. Only me and my ex have a key. But neither of us would have done this. We have too much to lose.........

I wake on the sofa, my head throbbing. How did I get here? In the darkness, I make my way to my bedroom. I turn on the lights. And then I scream.

WoW what a start of a book. This was a brilliant read and one of Miranda's best book.

I highly recommend The Family Home!

This is an engaging murder mystery thriller. Waking up with a dead body in your bed and no memory of the night’s happenings is a great way to kick off the suspense.

Lillian and Matthew are divorced because some shocking event pushed them apart. The details of the event are revealed as the story is told through Lillian and Matthew’s POV.

Back to the dead body in the bed- no surprise, Lillian is a suspect. Matthew defends her, and believes she is innocent, or does he? Is he involved in the murder? The book has well developed characters and a few surprises as you read it. The final reveal was twisty, but I didn’t fully buy the killer’s motivation.

If you are a murder mystery suspense reader “The Family Home” will certainly keep you up reading at night. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the advance reader copy. All opinions expressed here are my own.

The Family Home piqued my interest from the description alone and the book did not disappoint. It was unpredictable with plenty of twists and turns and had a thoroughly satisfying ending that I did not see coming.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

Lillian and Matthew are divorced but still live together some nights for their daughter, Mabel, age 6. They also have an apartment where one or the other stays as well.

Matthew and his good friend, Ted, worked hard for many years to make their idea and company called Voyage, a success. When it sold, they were finally able to afford nice homes and a good life. Now, Ted and his wife, Cat, are also divorced.

Before their divorce, Lillian and Matthew built a beautiful home and had a large housewarming party for the neighbors. Unfortunately, a drunken neighbor made a pass at Lillian and something bad happened. All of this resulted in Lillian and Matthew divorcing but remained friends and good parents.

Matthew has a girlfriend named Rebecca who is also a friend to Lillian. Lillian has recently joined a dating site and has had two dates. One night, she returns to the apartment tipsy from having some drinks with Rebecca and falls asleep on her sofa. When she wakes to finally go to bed, she finds a bloodied and dead body in her bed.

The police begin an investigation and are eyeing Lillian as the man’s killer. She knows she did not kill him and she hopes that they don’t investigate too closely or they may discover the secret that she and Matthew have hidden for years.

This book kept me guessing right up to the end. The reader thinks they know all of the secrets, but they would be wrong. Some really well-created characters each with their flaws. A good book. Don’t miss it.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I could not put this book down!! Lillian and Matthew worked so hard to create the life they lived, right up until everything fell apart. But the problem is, it’s a secret they both share, so no one really knows why their marriage ended & why their home situation is so strange. Lillian leaves her daughters birthday party alone, and as she climbs into bed, realizes there is someone in the bed with her. Someone who is not breathing any more. How did he get there and more importantly, how did he die? This book forces Lillian and Matthew to look closely at their inner circles to find out who uncovered the secret they worked so hard to hide as they work together to figure out the connection between their past & present.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Review posted to Amazon & Barnes & Nobles on 10/10/22

Lillian wakes very early on a Sunday morning; she's achy, on the living room settee and the television is still on. When she enters the bedroom for more sleep, she discovers a dead fellow in her bed, covered in blood and so are the walls. Lillian calls her ex-husband, Matthew with whom she shares the apartment. They also still share their family home located close by. Lillian and Matthew are divorced but they want their daughter, six-year-old Mabel to be able to live in the house she has thus far grown up in. Lillian and Matthew share their use of the apartment and house, occupying them a different times, without the need for Mabel to stay in another property. So how has a fellow that Lillian met online and only twice dated finished up bloodied and dead in their apartment? A really solid, great mystery with an impossible-to-guess (for me anyway) ending. Highly recommended.

This review was written voluntarily and my rating was in no way influenced by the fact that I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel from Bookouture via NetGalley.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND THE PUBLISHER FOR THIS REVIEW COPY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.

A captivating read-full of suspense, twists and turns. A definite page turner and a recommended read.

A loving family, turning into a nightmare. Yes please. That was what I thought when I read the synopsis. And the book had me Guessing. But it did not have the drama i craved. And it felt more like a therapy drama, where 2 people depended on eachother too much. Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion

This book.was a quick read. I was not able to guess the villain which.was a plus. 3 stars because sometimes the story line dragged on for ne. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book..

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Family Home' by Miranda Smith.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Miranda Smith, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 3rd October 2022.

This is the fifth.book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'The One Before', 'The Killer's Family', 'His Loving Wife' and 'Not My Mother' which I highly recommend.


I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that this book is 'An absolutely gripping thriller that will keep you reading late into the night, unable to put the book down for a second. Perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn, Ruth Ware and Lisa Jewell.' I am a huge fan of Lisa Jewell so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a huge fan of Miranda and if this is half as good as 'Not My Mother', 'His Loving Wife', 'The Killer's Family' and 'The One Before ' it is sure to be a page turning read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of a prologue and 56 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!


This book is written in first person perspective with the main protagonists are Lillian and Matthew. The benefits of books written in first person perspective are as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them. If there are several protagonists you also get to see more of what is going on.


WHAT did I just read!!!! WOW!!! I mean seriously Wow!! I was NOT expecting that lot fairplay!!! This has GOT to start with a MASSIVE WELL DONE MIRANDA SMITH!!!! Ooopps sorry, yes, needed a minute to get over that but I've just left you hanging there... Sorry.... Let me tell you more...

Firstly let's start off with the writing style, etc!! Extremely well written book which had me hook line and sinker!!! It is so smoothly and beautifully written with vivid descriptions I completely forgot I was even reading a book a few times. The blurb, title and cover really fit the storyline.

As you can tell I LOVED the storyline. I found it to be realistic, very fast paced and I read it in a day. I loved the setting and atmosphere and just well... Everything!!! Twists after shocks after turns!!! Arggghhh... Its so hard to NOT say anything about them as it will give too much away and spoilt it for future readers but it definitely left me speechless over and over!!! I have read hundreds of psychological books and I really do think this one is definitely in the top 3 when it comes to dropping bombshells. I am, in fact still shell shocked!! Just brilliant fairplay and all links in and wraps up perfectly!!! I cannot remember the last time I flew through a book so quickly. Each and every time I went to put it down to do something my fingers were itching to pick it back up as I just HAD to know what happened next!! I found the storyline to be unique as I have yet to read any other books about 'nesting'. In fact, this is the first time I've ever heard of the idea and, apart from in this page turner, I think it is an absolutely fantastic idea and that many couples could learn by doing this or at least by putting effort in!! I can't say more than that as I don't want to spoil it for future readers so if you want to know you'll have to grab yourself a copy!! You won't regret it!!

THE plot throughout is rammed with suspense, romance, family, mystery, lies, surprises, tension and did I say surprises!!! Well done Miranda this is exactly the reason you are on my favourite author list!! I am looking forward to reading more of your books and when oh when is this going to be turned into the movie of the year!!! Gone Girl and many others have NOTHING on this one!!!

It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture.

I loved getting to know every single one of the characters and thought they were portrayed perfectly with great character development. They were all realistic with their own little quirks and I liked each (well almost each) one for different reasons. I was completely invested in them and thought they were all unique with their own quirks. I was completely shocked when it came to the reveal but I can't say anything else without spoiling it for others!!!

Congratulations Miranda on yet another explosive success!!! This is why you are one of my favourite psychological thriller authors. Here's to many more successes 🥂!!!

Clear your schedules before picking this up as you will not be able to put it down!!! "

Overall an absolutely page turning, explosive must read that will leave you shocked!!!

Genres covered in this novel include Psychological Suspense, Domestic Suspense, Murder Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Psychological Fiction, Domestic Thriller, Psychological Literary Fiction, Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Literary Fiction, Women's Psychological Fiction and Mystery amongst others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of The Girl on the Train, Behind Closed Doors, fans of Miranda Smith's previous books, Sheryl Browne, Shalini Boland, Lisa Jewell, Ruth Ware, Gillian Flynn and anyone looking for an explosive page turner!!!


320 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon or free on kindle unlimited (at time of review) and £7.99 in paperback which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. The main characters in this story are divorced couple Matthew and Lillian. They have a six year old daughter, Mabel, together. After the divorce, they do not want to mess up Mabel's life so they keep the house and also have an apartment which is really strange. They basically take turns staying at the house with their daughter. Lillian comes home to her apartment one night after drinking too much with her ex husband 's girlfriend (yea, even stranger) and basically passes out on her couch. When she wakes up in the early morning and goes to her bed, she finds a dead body in her bed. So who is the first person she calls? 911? Nope, her ex husband. Their relationship is so annoying because they are divorced but can't sneeze without contacting the other one.

Anyway, after finding out that Lillian and Matthew carry some big secret, the book is based on who did it and it has you guessing.

It was just okay for me. My big complaint was how Lillian and Matthew were so dependent on each other.

Lillian and Matthew are the greatest divorced couple anyone knows. They are fantastic co-parents of their daughter Mabel, and have an unusual arrangement to keep Mabel happy. By mutual agreement, whoever has Mabel will stay in the family home, and the other parents will stay in an apartment that they share, switching out whenever it is their turn to see Mabel. But underneath this super-parent facade is a secret, and when a dead body shows up in Lillian's bed, it begins to unravel.

This is a compelling thriller that will keep you guessing all the way through. The characters are engaging and the story will hook you from the start. There are plenty of red herrings, twists, and turns. It was very hard to put this down, so I read late into the night. The author showed a clever ability to start with a bright facade and slowly crumble it away to reveal the truth. The cast of supporting characters was real and raw. This mystery/thriller will keep you enthralled.

My rating is 4.6 stars, rounded up to 5.

I received a free copy of this book from Bookouture via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

Unfortunately, I was barely able to get through half of this book when I finally gave up. This is my favorite genre and the plot looked very interesting, but the characters and narrative voice fell short. Do not recommend!

I haven’t read a lot of thrillers lately and this was the perfect one to shift me back to them. It is a quick story that gripped me from page one. Lillian wakes up on the couch and crawls into bed to find a bloody body that she doesn’t know who it is or why it is there. No spoilers here. This is chapter one. We then flip back a few days to see how we got here and what happens going forward. You’re now gripped too, right?

Lillian shares the apartment and the house with her daughter’s father and ex-husband, Matthew. They don’t live together, but one is at the house while the other is at the apartment and they switch to take care of their daughter. They share a huge secret that broke up their marriage and have a few secrets from each other too.
The author is masterful of setting up the next event without you knowing it. As it unfolds you go HMM that’s what that happened. I had no idea where we were headed and loved the journey. As the pieces started to fit together, I just kept wanting to know more.

If you like fast paced thrillers that keep you guessing, you should clear your schedule and start this one.

Very enjoyable mystery / fiction book with unpredictable twists and a surprising ending. Some parts were slow pace but the story, how it enfolded, always kept me reading on. It’s well written. This was my first book from this author, I am glad I discovered her.

Lillian wakes up early in the morning on the living room couch. When she enters the bedroom, she discovers a man in her bed; a dead man. Lillian’s first call is her ex-husband, Matthew with whom she shares the apartment and the family home. Lillian and Matthew had an amicable divorce wanting their daughter, Mable to always stay in the home she has grown up in. Lillian and Matthew switch back and forth between the shared apartment and home. They are the only two people to have keys to the apartment. How did the man that Lillian has had two dates with end up bloodied and dead in the apartment? Lillian does not want the police digging in her and Matthew’s past. Why? What secret have they been hiding? The book started off a little slow, but definitely picked up speed. Like other good psychological thrillers there were twists and turns that I definitely didn’t forsee. I recommend this author and book. Thank you the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

If you are a thriller fan don't miss this book. Because there are thrills galore in this book. It has so many twists and turns in it to keep the reader gripped and engaged throughout. Thoroughly enjoyed

Jaw dropping and gripping! Miranda Smith delivers quite a few twists and turns in The Family Home. Secrets and lies galore ebb and flow throughout this book that had me captivated and glued to the pages!

Waking up to a dead man in her bed, was the last thing Lillian expected to find after celebrating her birthday with her ex-husband's girlfriend, Rebecca. The day before was Lillian and her daughter's birthdays. They had a great time and Lillian and Rebecca decided to enjoy some more adult beverages after the party. Imagine her shock when she realized she was sharing a bed with a dead man! Even more shocking was that she had gone on two dates with him and never expected to see him again until he was covered in blood in her bed.

Lillian and Matthew, her ex-husband, are the only ones who have keys to the apartment. They had a very civil divorce and left their friends and neighbors scratching their heads wondering why they got divorced and at how cordial they are. They split time between two homes, so that their six-year-old daughter, Mabel, can keep residing in the only home she knows. When Lillian stays in the home with Mabel, Matthew stays in their apartment and vice versa.

Now the police are investigating, and Lillian and Matthew are naturally nervous. Lillian is the suspect in this case. With the police pouring on the heat, Lillian, and Matthew wonder if someone knows their secret?????

What a captivating and hard to put down page turner! This is one that had me reeling as I did not see that twist/reveal coming! What a shocker! Did I mention that I devoured this book? So good, so shocking and so satisfying.

I have not read a book by Miranda Smith before and I will now be on the lookout for more of her work!

This novel is a twisty thriller. I thought I knew who had killed the victim. I honestly did not see that ending coming.

Should Lillian trust Matthew? Even after she finds the bug in their apartment? Will he frame her for a murder she didn't commit to get her out of the way? I wasn't sure what is going on. Who is doing this to Lillian and how did the body get in her apartment? Will you guess who had done it?

Pick up this thriller for a surprise you won't see coming. Thank you to netgalley and bookouture for this arc