This book is going to be a huge hit for some people, but I am not one of them. I love a good mixed media, but I prefer my alternative formats to be mixed in – not the entire novel. Maybe this one would have worked better for me if it was in print format, I could see a nice hardback working. However, on kindle it was hard to see some of the writing on the maps for example.

Overall this one and I didn’t mesh well. I wish it all the success.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

20 years ago Luke Ryder was murdered and the case has been cold ever since. Now, a documentary team has brought together a group of experts to try and crack the case open! Told in an "episode by episode" format, this novel will have you flying through the pages as more and more secrets are uncovered and twists revealed! I was fully hooked into this story and felt more like I was watching a tv show than reading a book.

This is a book that non-readers can pick up and love, and I mean that as the highest of compliments! I think it will appeal to a diverse range of readers -- those who devour mysteries regularly and those who only pick up a book on occasion. Anyone who enjoys documentary style crime shows or murder mystery podcasts will love this.

I will absolutely be picking up more by this author in the future. Thank you to @netgalley and William Morrow Paperbacks for my copy of this book.

Prepare to be enthralled by Cara Hunter's chilling and suspenseful thriller, "Murder in the Family." As she makes her American debut, Hunter takes readers on a rollercoaster ride through a perplexing cold case, a fictional true crime series, and a family haunted by secrets that refuse to stay buried.

In December 2003, the nation was gripped by the shocking murder of Luke Ryder, stepfather to the talented filmmaker Guy Howard. Despite a high-profile police investigation and relentless media attention, the case remained unsolved, leaving scars on the lives of those closest to the victim.

Hunter's mastery of suspense is on full display as she weaves together six gripping episodes, each revealing new layers of intrigue and deception. The tension builds as the production team of the sensational streaming series "Infamous" investigates the dark corners of the cold case, determined to unearth the truth.

The characters are as intricate as the case itself, and Hunter explores the dynamics of a family torn apart by tragedy and suspicion. Guy Howard's mother and half-sisters were present at the time of the murder, yet all claim they saw nothing. Their strained relationships and hidden motives keep readers on edge, questioning every word and action.

"Murder in the Family" is a true whodunit that will keep you guessing until the final, shocking revelation. Hunter's storytelling ability shines as she delivers unexpected twists and turns, leaving readers utterly absorbed in the hunt for the elusive killer. The truth remains tantalizingly out of reach, and the deceptive secrets that emerge will leave you questioning the trustworthiness of every character.

The innovative format of the book, with its episodic structure mirroring the true crime series, adds an exciting dimension to the story. As readers follow the investigation through the lenses of multiple perspectives, they become entangled in a web of half-truths and red herrings that will keep them eagerly turning pages.

Cara Hunter's "Murder in the Family" boasts a wholly original and engrossing mystery that sets it apart from other thrillers. This is a book that will captivate fans of true crime, cold cases, and psychological suspense alike. Prepare yourself for a suspenseful journey through dark alleys of family secrets and lies, as the truth behind the murder remains elusive until the shocking final pages.

"Cara Hunter's 'Murder in the Family' is a genre-defying masterpiece! A riveting and unputdownable thriller that keeps you guessing until the very last page."

"Prepare to be hooked from the first episode! 'Murder in the Family' is a brilliantly crafted crime novel that unfolds like a gripping true crime series."

"Cara Hunter has done it again with 'Murder in the Family.' An intricately plotted whodunit that keeps you guessing with every twist and turn."

"Ingeniously structured and emotionally charged, 'Murder in the Family' will leave you breathless. Cara Hunter's writing is pure magic!"

"A gripping combination of cold case investigation and family drama. 'Murder in the Family' showcases Cara Hunter's storytelling brilliance."

"Cara Hunter's 'Murder in the Family' is an immersive and intense experience. The episodic format adds a thrilling dimension to an already compelling tale."

"A masterclass in suspense. 'Murder in the Family' is a rollercoaster of emotions, with surprises at every turn. Cara Hunter is a force to be reckoned with."

"The perfect blend of mystery, family secrets, and gripping revelations. 'Murder in the Family' will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final episode."

"Cara Hunter's talent shines in 'Murder in the Family.' The characters are so vivid, and the plot twists are mind-bending. A must-read for crime fiction fans."

"With 'Murder in the Family,' Cara Hunter has crafted a standout novel that defies expectations. Prepare for a thrilling journey you won't soon forget."

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC for this book. This book kept me hooked the entire time with each of its many twists. The format was unique and presented via email, text messages, old newspaper articles, as well as individuals reviewing previous findings.

A really unique writing and reading experience. It's like reading the script of a TV show series solving a cold case. It's a documentary with changes being made to the script week by week. Fun to read with all the twists and turns.

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.