I received an ARC of this audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

First, the story itself... I do love a good mystery-thriller, and I really enjoyed the Swedish setting, so it had those two things working in its favor. I did find the writing to be a little slow paced, which normally doesn't work for me. While it did bother me at times, and would have me pausing the story and not returning to it for a few days, it ultimately didn't hinder my enjoyment of the tale.

I cannot say the same, however, for the characters... It's not that the characters are necessarily unlikable... Some are, but most of them I just truly didn't care about, which makes a mystery a little less compelling.

This premise was really interesting, though. I'd recommend this to fans of mysteries, but just note it's a little light on the thriller element. If you are looking to give it a go, I definitely recommend the audiobook. The narrators really brought the story to life!

3.5 out of 4

A nearly normal family you say? Think. Again.

There was a lot going on here and overall, it all worked pretty well. I loved the different perspectives but I didn't trust anybody so that was fun 👀

It did start to become a little drawn out for me between 50-75% in, but the ending was pretty brilliant!

The narrators did a fabulous job! 👏

Thanks so much to Macmillan Audio for the free audiobook! This is out now!

Thank you so much for giving me an early read of this story! I really enjoyed it! The setting, the drama, the characters. It kept me guessing to the end. The sexual violence was hard for me to get through as a survivor, but I wanted to know who did it!

Thank you Netgalley & Macmillan Audio for an ALC of A Nearly Normal Family by M.T. Edvardsson! 4,5 stars rounded up to 5 for NG and Goodreads.

This book is claimed to be a page-turner, and it absolutely is. I love that this book is a cross between a legal thriller and psychological suspense novel with an absolutely twisted narrative.

Stella is an 18-year old who has been accused of the brutal murder of a man in his 30s. Why would she even know this businessman, let alone kill him? Stella's father is a pastor and her mother happens to be a criminal defense attorney - Which makes this all the more interesting. Their moral compasses are put to the test when they each grapple with not only why Stella has been accused, but how far they are willing to go to protect their family.

LOVE the multiple POVs here. So many twists and turns and I didn't see the end coming with this one. I love how everything was tied together perfectly at the end, and I didn't feel like I had unanswered questions despite the complexity of the plot. It's clear that so much planning went into making sure everything fit like a puzzle in this one. This one gets you really thinking - Love, friendship, family, loyalty, morals. I'm typically not a fan of the religious parent trope in thrillers, but it played out perfectly in this storyline as it really drove home the question - How well do you know your children, and how far will you go to protect them?

Told from 3 POV's, Stella's Father, Mother, and Pastor we follow as they stand to defend and try to understand Stella and the brutal murder she is being charged for committing. The story moves at an average pace with well fleshed out characters. There are a few twists along the way that kept me "turning the page".
This is a quick read for anyone looking for a psychological thriller,

A Nearly Normal Family is truly a satisfying thriller with a unique twist I didn’t see coming. The Sandells seem like a perfectly normal family. But are they?

An insteresting read being told from 3 POVs, the father (a pastor), the mother (a lawyer) and the teen daughter ( a murder suspect). It’s nice to see the dynamics of this family unfold. And you begin to wonder, who is truly telling the truth.

I highly recommend this one. A definite must read. It will definitely have you on the edge of your seat. Truly captivating story. Can’t wait to see what’s to come next from this incredible storyteller.

Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon books for an advance copy for my honest review. I truly enjoyed the audiobook. Perfectly cast for narration on this one!!

This one will definitely having you questioning how far would you go to protect someone you love?!? Pick it up today!!

How far would you go to save a loved one? This is the basis of this story of a couple whose 18-year-old daughter is accused of murder. Her father is a pastor, her mother is a defense attorney. Much as they want to believe in her innocence, her past actions create a degree of doubt in their minds, even as they try to deny that doubt. As we get to know this family, we begin to see that the image they try to portray to the public isn't necessarily the reality of their lives. The father in particular tries to maintain that public image, but the reality creeps out to the reader as the story proceeds. Based in Sweden, the story is told in the voices of the three family members - father, mother, and daughter. I listened to this as an audiobook, and each of those three voices has its own brilliant narrator. Translations of books from other languages can be tricky, but this one flowed smoothly with very few reminders that I was listening to a translation. I definitely enjoyed this story - both as a mystery and as an examination of how parents can succeed and fail at loving and protecting - and in fact even knowing - their children.
Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

Honestly, this book just wasn’t really the one for me. I don’t know if it was just the fact I wasn’t in the mood or what, but I just couldn’t get into it.

A Nearly Normal Family is a psychological thriller by M.T. Edvardsson (and narrated by Emily Watson,Georgia Maguire, and Richard Armitage. The story, told from three different POVs, follows the Sandell family, whose lives are turned upside down when their teenage daughter is accused of a serious crime.

Overall, the book kept my interest, but it definitely dragged at points. Especially, in the beginning. Once the book did pick up again, the ending left me with more questions than answers.

The narrators were fantastic and really elevated the story, especially Emily Watson. I do recommend listening to Richard Armiage's narration on 1.5 speed.

If I were to assign a theme song to this book, it would be “Dollhouse” by Melanie Martinez.

However, I like that song more than I liked this story.

There were things that I did appreciate in the novel but, as a whole, I found it unenjoyable. I will start with the good before waging war on how it failed me.

I was happy with the way Edvardsson presented domestic violence, not just in the slow shift from kindness to cruelty or how the perpetrator aims to destroy their victim’s reputation once all has halted (especially if she tries to speak out against him!), but largely in how he presented the sad truth of women not being believed, especially by the authorities. Furthermore, he also properly developed the horror of a rape’s aftermath within the legal system. Because this was written by a male author, I was especially grateful for his honest portrayal of these problematic responses of violence toward women.

I was intrigued by the examination of self deception and facades. The basic psychology of it all held my attention. While some of this was well-crafted, the ideas the author wanted to convey were not always incredibly subtle. It felt like he didn’t trust his readers enough to let things stand on their own. Instead, we have evidence of the themes repeatedly thrown in our faces. For example, we did not need to be told so many times that the father believed his family to be a normal one. I get how this repetitiveness emphasized the self deception, but I would have understood just fine without hearing it repeatedly.

As a family drama, this was fine. As a suspense, I think the execution failed. Edvarsson shows his hand a bit too early in the book so there is really nothing waiting around the corner to shock the reader.

What I disliked the most, however, was the way the story actually played out. The important commentary was drowned out by the overly dramatic dynamics. The scenario revealed within the third perspective did not impress me. Plus, the epilogue, with its grand attempt to make the readers’ jaw drop, failed to create such a reaction. It felt like an overripe banana and I don’t like bananas, even in their best form.

A few years ago I tried to read this book and couldn’t seem to connect with it. Since then, I have wondered if I truly gave it a fair chance. I seized the opportunity to listen to the audiobook when it came up on NetGalley and, while I don’t fully regret my decision, I think I should have trusted my initial perspective more.

I am immensely grateful to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for my audio copy. All opinions are my own

I enjoyed this book. The different sides of the event and the different feelings were fascinating to uncover. It was interesting to get pieces of the same story from each person in the family.

Overall an enjoyable thriller- I am drawn to audiobooks with multiple narrators as they feel more 'real' to me. I liked that even while the parents were defending their daughter against the murder, they were also telling you all the things she has done in the past that give you a sense of THEM being un-reliable, as well as casting doubt upon her as a suspect. I kept going back and forth between who to believe and making my own assumptions based on who we were following (Father, mother, daughter).
The portrayal of the father was intriguing as well- he is willing to do anything he can to protect his daughter, but is a prominent member of society held to the highest standards of morals and ethics. The complicated relationship he has with his wife and daughter also serve to keep you on your toes as even a 'picture perfect' family has secrets.

A very intimate portrayal of a family having to choose how far they'll go to protect their daughter and to understand the life she kept hidden from them.

I enjoyed this story. Narration was good, but I did often find it confusing that the narration was provided in an English accent but the story took place in Sweden. Great storyline, nicely paced, and kept my interest.

Slow burning who done it…… very entertaining read I throughly enjoyed.

When a daughter gets accused of murder the nearly normal family steps in. Chunky read and this is anything but a fast paced read as I had to take my time with this book since it kind of splits up into sections for each family member. But in all it was a very good read I would highly recommend to anyone that likes court room dramas.

Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

M.T. Edvardsson's THE NEARLY NORMAL FAMILY is a Scandi-Noir captivating thriller with a mix of legal, crime, family drama, and psychological fiction.

We meet a "nearly normal" family set in the Swedish city of Lund.

Told from the following POVs:
First Part: Adam—father and a church pastor.
Second Part: Ulrika—mother and criminal defense attorney
Third Part: Stella —daughter and accused of murder

I liked the audio narrator for Adam, and this was my favorite part. Adam is well respected and often naive about his daughter, a daddy's girl. When he realizes the night in question of his daughter may convict her, Adam is not truthful and gives his daughter an alibi. He is controlling and obsessive.

He then starts digging further into the murder and the victim's background.

Stella is not a very nice young woman. In her portion, she tends to lash out at her parents, rebellious and disrespects them. (My least favorite part of the audio). She is strong-willed, wild, a rebel, and has a best friend, Amina. She does what she wants. She had problems with impulse control, explosive anger, ADD, and uses drugs and alcohol.

Stella, at eighteen, is arrested on suspicion of the brutal murder of an older businessman, Chris Olsen. The motive?

In the past, we learned of a rape by a church camp counselor when she was 15. She had begged to let her dad go. She has anger management issues, shows signs of being a sociopath, and has been sexually abused.

She is now in prison, awaiting trial for the murder.

The last part is the mother's POV, a criminal defense attorney and a workaholic. What did she know about her daughter? She knows the ins and outs of the criminal system.

The trial and courtroom drama keeps you glued to the pages/audio. In the end, all is revealed and what happened to Christopher Olsen.

My first book by the author. THE NEARLY NORMAL FAMILY is a complex, multilayered riveting tale with unreliable narrators, character-driven secrets, and family loyalty, with a blending of several genres with twisty surprises.

Crossing moral lines, you will question every character's motives, secrets, lies, and how far they will go to protect those they love. My only issue was no likable characters, so you are not rooting for anyone; however, overall a satisfying legal thriller/Scandinavian noir.

I enjoyed the audiobook narrated by Emily Watson, Georgia Maguire, and (favorite)-Richard Armitage with Rachel Willson-Broyles (Translator).

Thanks to #MacmillanAudio and #NetGalley for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Blog Review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: June 25, 2019
My Rating: 4 Stars

I really enjoyed this and found myself constantly anticipating what would happen next as well as the ultimate outcome of the story. The writing is tight and descriptive and the translation has not resulted in any stilling or awkwardness of thought or phrasing as sometimes occurs with some. The narration is perfect and on the whole I think adds to the experience of listening to rather than reading this book. On the whole, it is a topical reflection of the times we are living, where parents give their children much more than they themselves ever had and yet still see those kids veer from the accepted path, often resulting in tragedy. I would rate A Nearly Normal Family as a “must listen” and I thank Net Galley for the opportunity to have done so.

A longtime backlist one for me, it had a good structuring. I liked the same story line but from each family member’s perspective and account of everything. Not exactly a thriller but maybe a domestic suspense? One where you ask yourself what you’re willing to compromise about yourself to protect the ones you love. What would or wouldn’t you do?

Entertaining, engaging, and well-narrated. A recommended purchase in all formats for collections where crime and legal fiction is popular.

I have had a hardcover Book of the Month edition of A Nearly Normal Family since it was published in 2019 but had not gotten to it yet so I happily grabbed the audio version on NetGalley when I saw it was partially narrated by Richard Armitage and Emily Watson. It ended up being an excellent nail-biting-family-courtroom psychological drama. You just have to read or listen for yourself to decide if the Sandell family are “nearly normal” or not when they’re involved in a murder case. The author tells the story in 3 parts: one each for each member of the family. It provides a unique perspective of the story and leaves the reader to decide which person’s perspective is the correct one.

This was the first book I’ve listened to the narration of both Emily Watson and Richard Armitage and as expected they were both excellent.

If you like mysteries with intense family drama then be sure to read or listen to this one.

**thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the audiobook I received in exchange for my honest review.**

Find yourself idolizing that seemingly perfect family? If so you may want to pick up this book that shows the cracks in the facade of a family structure that at first appears serene. A pastor father who has been faithful to his call. A lawyer mother strong in her occupation and confident in her bearing. A teenage daughter, beautiful in appearance but going through the seemingly normal trials of adolescence. This nearly, normal families facade starts to crack when a man is found murdered and police come around with questions. Told in three sections each done by one of the family members we start to get a glimpse of the dysfunctional yet loving family. The author does a good job of painting what it is like to love one's family through the tough times. The who done it was done fairly well and kept you wanting to read to the end. The narrator did an excellent job of building suspense and making the novel enjoyable. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy for a honest review.