British filmmaker Guy Wilcox decides to do a true crime series on the 20 yr. old unsolved cold case murder of his stepfather Luke Ryder, enlisting the help of several experts.
But as the episodes progress and different theories abound, Guy becomes more unsettled about the direction the clues are driving the investigation.

Written in the format of a TV script including news articles, police interviews, text messages and internet reactions, this is a very original and intriguing case. A little hard in ebook format but definitely worth reading.

Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this book from William Morrow via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. My rating is 3.5 stars rounded down.

The number one reason the rating is not higher is that this book does NOT work on a Kindle. There are images of newspaper articles, text messages, voice mails, and (I think) an online chat. Even increasing your font on the Kindle, these images do not get larger. Some I was able to take a picture with my phone and then enlarge, but some (the online chat) this didn't work - which is why I am actually not even sure if those pages were an online chat. And the very last page of the book I also could not get large/ clear enough to read, so I was left a little bit hanging. Obviously, this all does not matter if you are reading a paper book... but many people are not these days.

The first half I found slow. I was confused which of the "experts" was which and did not really fully take in their backgrounds. Also, I thought it was repetitive to show the scene marker and intro music for each episode. It was a unique format but I definitely prefer normal chapters.

The twists, however, were excellent. I did not predict a single one. And once the twists started, the book became a lot more of a page-turner.

I had not read this author before, but in seeing other reviews, she seems quite popular. The twists in this book intrigued me enough that I would seek out other books by Ms. Hunter.

A famous true crime television show decides to take the genre to new heights when it revisits an unsolved case with an unexpected twist. The director actually was at the scene of the crime, and the victim? His stepdad.

***

This book was an absolute delight to devour. I personally loved the format (I read the Kindle version) and just generally appreciate a fresh approach to the genre. I was not only invested in the plot, but the different ways we got the information kept things interesting and fast paced.

My only complaint, and what kept it from a perfect 5 star review, was I felt the ending dropped the ball a bit on top of falling into that thrilled trap of leaving some things slightly open-ended. I definitely guessed the culprit at the very beginning, which is always disappointing, but the motive was...not interesting in my opinion?

But how can you complain when the journey leading up to the conclusion was so fun and thrilling!? You can't. So, I definitely recommend.

This is SUCH s clever thriller. So smart, so well written, and the multi media device used by the author to paint the story was brilliant. I would highly recommend that everyone reading this do so in hard copy to get the full impact of the storytelling via dialogue/screenplay/emails/news stories, etc. This is without a doubt one of the most intelligent mysteries I’ve ever read. Loved it.

I generally enjoy books written in unique formats, but the screenplay/email/website comments used in this one really kept me from getting into the flow and enjoying it fully. An interesting concept, but execution didn't work for me.

I had the opportunity to dive into the gripping mystery of Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter, a case that had never been solved, until now. Luke Ryder's murder in 2003 left behind a wealthy widow and three stepchildren, but nobody saw anything. Years later, a true-crime TV show called Infamous reopens the case, with shocking results and secrets revealed live on camera. The story is presented in a unique format, blending written narrative with visual elements such as annotated interviews, newspaper cuttings, and social messaging, making it a visually immersive experience. While this format was sometimes challenging on my Kindle, the story's perfect plotting and relentless momentum kept me on the edge of my seat, churning out surprises until the very end. Murder in the Family is a fabulous tale that will blow your mind, and I'm grateful to NetGalley for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A cold case. A team of experts. A murder on an extravagant London estate. This book book reads like a binge-worthy Netflix documentary and is filled with maps, voicemails, emails, texts and newspaper articles that bring the story to life.

Who killed Luke Ryder? The twists and turns of this book started early and had me turning pages to the very end. It’s best to go in blind so you can really enjoy the experience. Kuddos to Cara Hunter. This was my first from her and will certainly not be my last.

Thank you to NetGalley, Cara Hunter and William Morrow for an advance copy of this book for an honest review.

Wow this book makes it feel ans reads like it's a real true crime cold case being discussed aandsolved. This gripping thriller hooked me and I couldn't put it down for nothing. This was absolutely stunning.
I just reviewed Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter. #MurderintheFamily #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy of this title in exchange for honest feedback.

3 ⭐️ because the format just didn’t work for me!

Mega-bestselling British crime novelist Cara Hunter makes her big American debut with a story about a cold case, a fictional true crime series, and the family caught in the middle.

EIGHT EPISODES. ONE KILLER.

The first of seven episodes of the new streaming sensation INFAMOUS: Who Killed Luke Ryder? will air on the twentieth anniversary of the murder, Tuesday October 3 ( 9:00 -11:00 PM EST) on Showrunner.
Subsequent episodes will air in installments.

The key players from the original case and acknowledged experts have been assembled with the hope of solving this cold case, and the series will follow the work of the team.

This is acclaimed filmmaker Guy Howard’s personal story. He was just 10 years old when his stepfather was found dead in the garden of the family’s home.

No one was ever charged.

Written like TRUE CRIME the story includes several forms of mixed media including newspaper articles and resumes with photographs, text message conversations, voicemails, charts, and surveys.

Although I enjoyed these additions, I couldn’t enlarge them on my Kindle, so I was unable to read everything that was included.

Facts and interviews were almost entirely shared in a “screenplay” like style and it grew tedious to read an entire book written in this way.

Brief example:

Nick Vincent (Producer) off camera
And, you agreed.

Rupert Howard (laughs disdainfully)
What Do You Think?

Madeleine Downing (looks uncomfortable)
No-I Didn’t

Yes- almost every page reads like that, and I struggled with this format.

If you don’t think that would bother you-give it a try, but if books written like this have been a challenge for you in the past-you may want to start with her (VERY POPULAR) DI Adam Fawley series instead. ( “ Close to Home” is the first of the six)

Would THIS story make a great “Netflix style” show? YES!

Would this be better on AUDIBLE? PERHAPS.
(I look forward to reading those reviews)

I definitely would recommend a PHYSICAL copy over a Kindle download of this book if the premise interests you, because in Kindle format, reading this just grew tiresome.

DO be sure to read the last article in the GAZETTE at the very end of the book….😉

AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 19, 2023

Thank You to William Morrow & Company for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley.,It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

I love a mixed media novel and this one did not disappoint. Told through a mix of articles, emails, and transcripts - a crime, a cast of questionable characters - and lots of twists and turns. This will be on my recommendation list for all my friends.

A little backstory. I've been a fan of Cara Hunter for many years, even though it was nearly impossible to get her books in the US. I ordered through Book Depository. So I was very happy when I learned her books would now be distributed through Amazon, and even more thrilled when I received an ARC through NetGalley.

First, I had to get through my disappointment that it was not an entry in the Adam Fawley series, and also that it seemed to be written more to be a commercial success than a deeper look into her standard cast of characters.

That disappointment did not last long, as I was caught up in the intriguing premise, and a whole new cast of characters, none of whom are being exactly transparent. A group of experts in their respective fields are gathered together to attempt to sove a long cold case for a Netflix-type documentary. As usual with Hunter, even when you think you know what her final twist is going to be - you are wrong. Highly recommended.

There are so many amazing things I could say about this book. It was incredibly unexpected and i loved every second of it!!!

The style that this book is done in was really interesting to read. It is done up in the form of a television show and each chapter is the equivalent of one episode. So it's written almost like a script where you get the interviews of every individual involved. As well as they're also being some newspaper, cutouts charts and things like that.

It really felt a lot more personal. You really get invested in the suspects as well as the cast and crew working on the show.

This book was full of so many twists and turns and unexpected moments.

And that ending!!!!!

Everything about this book was absolutely perfection. As soon as I finished it I found myself wanting to read it again even though I knew what was going to happen. It was that good.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an arx of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had heard raves for this book so I was excited to received an ARC. I went through the first few chapter in detail but as someone who likes to get immersed in reading I just felt the overall set up very choppy and hard to get into. Unfortunately this kind of book just isn’t for me.

This has good qualities, if occasionally swarmy characters, but the experience was hindered by the logistics of the ebook formatting on the Advance. The ephemera was effectively unreadable, so, bummer.

Murder In The Family is an intriguing mystery told entirely thru mixed media such as texts, news articles, and transcripts. There's an ever growing list of suspicious characters, all of whom have secrets and possible motives and will at some point be a suspect. The story had enough twists and surprise developments to keep me invested in the mystery and quickly flipping pages. The ending did feel a little rushed and I was left wanting more. There's a few points I'm still a little confused about, but I will say the ending fit the documentary narrative style of the book. It made sense that some things weren't completely explained, as also happens with real true crime documentaries, even if I'd loved a more involved ending.

I really enjoyed the mixed media format with this story. It worked well to give the book a stronger true crime documentary feel rather than it feeling like just another traditional mystery novel that also happens to have a documentary as part of the plot. My only complaint is that some of the articles and message board comments are quite hard to read in ebook format and required me to switch to a tablet where I could zoom in on a bigger screen.

Overall, I really enjoyed this plot driven mystery and look forward to reading more from Cara Hunter.

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for providing me a copy to read and review

Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter was a really great story.
I started this book and before I knew it I was half way through it.
The intriguing mystery hooked me immediately, with its captivating plot, this one is sure to keep readers hooked. The characters are interesting. The story is incredible.
Hunters writing was very well done. I thought it was unique and awesome.
I had the best time reading Murder in the Family.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and William Morrow for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

When I started the book I was sure of the ending but it didn’t detract from the reading.
I liked the format for the most part but I wish there had been a few traditional chapters too. It was a little tedious to read so many transcripts back to back.

I did find some of the “evidence” difficult to read on the kindle. It was very pale.

Does it take 2 hrs to drive the 60 miles from London to Cambridge?

I thought the concept of the structure of the book was interesting and the writing was good, but it didn't actually do anything for me.

I was put off by the first dozen pages of facts, bios of the characters, etc. There was no hook and the information could have been shown, not told. If I saw it in a bookstore I would have put it back on the shelf with an opening like that. I never could figure out who the protagonist and antagonists were. I didn't care about any of the characters - they were talking heads and not developed. The plotting was good and there were plenty of twists and turns but there was too much exposition and it wasn't satisfying, especially at the end when there's a note about the death of the director as a sort of afterthought.

FYI, I read it in Kindle and could not enlarge any of the texts or newspaper articles enough to read them so if they mattered to the story it was lost to me. Lots of books use texts successfully, A Visit from the Good Squad comes to mind. But without it being readable it was frustrating.

I won't be posting my comments on any site but I hope the feedback is helpful. I really wanted to like this book. The writing and the plot were both good. But without caring at all about any of the characters it felt like a Mystery Box Game, only longer.

Twist Filled Entertainment

3.5 stars

Murder in the Family is a thriller about a cold case that becomes the subject of a true crime Netflix series.

Luke Ryder, married to a socialite/cougar, was murdered in 2003. The police were never able to solve the crime. Twenty years later, a group of experts, including police detectives, a reporter, and psychologist, and a lawyer, gather to solve the mystery. But there is more than meets the eye when it comes to this murder, and the drama plays out live on tv.

The narrative consists of scripts, text messages, emails, interviews, newspaper articles, and the CVs of the experts (photographs included). I didn't love the format, as it led to a lot of telling. Also, it seemed a bit gimmicky. I didn't get to know any of the characters.

Despite my struggles, there were unexpected twists and turns which kept my attention, many of which were surprising. The mystery behind Luke's murder was compelling. I applaud Hunter for trying something new, and most readers have loved this book, but the format just wasn't for me.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and William Morrow in exchange for an honest review.