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.

I had a few minor grievances, the few false solves mostly. And for a while, I couldn’t decide if I liked the format or not. It was harder to connect to the characters but it wasn’t that kind of story. So I think in the end, I liked the effect. It heightened the drama. This isn’t a book for connection and once I got used to it, I was ok with that. Sometimes a book that’s pure drama is fun.

I liked the way the bulk of the book unraveled. Following the threads was entertaining.

I had my suspicious about where it was going but it was still fun to follow things through.

Releasing September 2023!
MURDER IN THE FAMILY by Cara Hunter is just as unputdownable as I hoped it would be.

Here’s what you need to know:
As a child, Guy Howard’s stepfather was murdered in the backyard of their family home and the case has never been solved. Twenty years later and now a famous filmmaker, Guy has developed a team to create a true-crime documentary series exploring the unsolved case and find closure for his family.

The story is told through mixed media storytelling, involving transcripts of the documentary, text messages, documents, Internet forums, and emails. This has now become a favorite sub-genre of mine and I will read all the books in this format forever. Send me all the recommendations please 😎.

I also think it’s important to note: I read this e-galley on kindle and I strongly encourage anyone to get the physical copy if possible. There are images of documents and other images that made reading in kindle format a bit tricky.

Perfect for fans of true crime docuseries or authors like Janice Hallett and Benjamin Stevenson. I enjoyed the ride, was sad when it was over, and I hope to see more books like this coming out in the near future.

Thank you @netgalley and @williammorrowbooks for a free review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

A really good, smart book. So many things here surprised me! Fans of the genre and the author will be very happy with this one. Recommended.

A true crime documentary looks into a 20 year old cold case with industry experts trying to solve the case together. It’s all directed by the step-son of the victim, who is determined to find the truth.

I loved this one! It is completely untraditional writing with interviews, dialogue transcriptions, emails, etc. and I think it worked great! It made it feel so fast paced and you really felt like you were finding out clues as quickly as the characters.

Spoilers below:
I also loved how all the detectives/experts became suspects themselves. That was a twist I didn’t see coming and thought it really heightened the drama! You get almost a glimpse into this at the beginning with the first news article, but I thought it was going to refer to the family, not the experts!

Overall, this novel was thrilling, engaging, and I just couldn’t put it down! I’d highly recommend to anyone who wants a good mystery. The unconventional style might not be for everyone, but I really loved it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my copy in exchange for a honest review.

I have been such a fan of Cara Hunter since I read all of the DI Adam Fawley series. Her books are smartly written and leave just enough breadcrumbs along the way keep you guessing until the end.

I had no doubt Murder In the Family would deliver and it did! Told completely in an epistolary format, we follow a group of experts as they try and solve the 20 year old mystery of a man found murdered at his upscale London home.

This book read like a true crime documentary with transcripts, texts, emails and newspapers clippings. In true Hunter fashion, we are playing along as armchair detectives as we get bits and pieces of the truth along with a lot of smoke and mirrors. It’s one of those books that once you know the ending you want to go back and re-read to recognize all the clues that you missed along the way!

Well paced and full of drama, this is a fun read for those that love a good mystery!

This book is like a podcast come to life!! Follow along as a team of experts assembles to solve a twenty year old mystery - who killed Luke Ryder, much younger second husband of a socialite wife? Told through a jumble of media and methods, Hunter is in complete command of her story. To say anything more would give away the book’s juiciest bits. Best to go in knowing nothing and enjoy the journey! My only quibble is that on an e-reader, the text exchanges and graphs are hard to read. That aside, thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for this terrific read.

I really enjoyed this book, It was my first by this author and won’t be my last. I felt like I was a detective solving the crime the whole time I was reading, Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

First of all, thank you NetGalley for this opportunity of reading this book.

Second, this is a great book however it was also hard for me to read. I like the theme but I don’t like reading books with straight interviews, “talking or texting in quotation”. But people that do enjoy these types will love it.

“Luke Ryder’s murder has never been solved. Guy Howard’s mother and two half-sisters were in the house at the time of the murder–but all swear they saw nothing. Despite a high-profile police investigation and endless media attention, no suspect was ever charged. But some cases you can never forget”. Quote from

https://thebibliophilechronicles.com/2023/02/01/book-review-murder-in-the-family-cara-hunter/

4 stars-What I love is a good true crime documentary and a new Cara Hunter novel, especially a DI Adam Fawley one. This is a stand-alone and it does have Hunter’s signature procedural style, but in the form of a script of a documentary, along with some voicemails, text threads, and newspaper articles. While I enjoyed the book it just wanted the same for me as her other books. In particular, I found this one very difficult to read on my Kindle. Another reviewer mentioned that she wanted to go back and look at past pages for reference. I found that the non-script parts of the book (the texts, newspaper article, Reddit (I think) threads, etc, we’re not able to be enlarged in text size like the rest of the book. I was reading it on a paperwhite outside. While I don’t think I missed anything crucial to the plot, I wish I could have read those other additions as well. A huge thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy. All opinions are my own.

When someone says they want the truth to come out, no matter what….what happens when it does?

Twenty years ago, a young man named Luke Ryder was murdered, found bludgeoned to death outside his wife’s home in a tony section of London. It was dubbed the “Cougar Murder”, because he was married to a wealthy woman more than a few years older than him. His two teenaged stepdaughters and young stepson were at home, but saw nothing, and the murder was never solved. Now that stepson, an aspiring filmmaker named Guy Howard, has joined forces with “Infamous”, a reality TV true crime series (à la American Crime Stories, only based in the UK) to look into Luke’s murder. A panel of experts have been gathered to go through the evidence and testimony of record as well as re-interview witnesses and participants from the original investigation, with the hope of uncovering new evidence that will finally solve the case. Guy is fully participating in the project, as is his sister Maura (albeit reluctantly). His mother is suffering from Alzheimer’s so is not able to participate, while his second sister Amelie categorically refuses to be involved. The panel includes a retired UK police detective, a journalist who had covered the case when it first happened, a leading UK prosecutor, a forensic psychologist, a crime scene expert and a retired US detective, all working under the direction of producer Nick Vincent. Unlike other installments of “Infamous”, the episodes of “Who Killed Luke Ryder” will not be dropped all at once; viewers will have to wait week by week for each installment. It doesn’t take long for some of the panelists’ egos to clash, and each early episode ends with explosive new information. How is it possible for members of the panel to unearth major new developments so readily? With a producer more interested in making “great telly” than in safeguarding participants’ privacy or feelings, panelists looking to score the next coup, and voices in the press and on social media following and dissenting every episode, this is definitely must-see-TV. But at what cost to those who lived the tragedy? And in the end, will the truth ever be known?
I loved both the premise of the novel and the manner in which the story was laid out. The narrative includes columns from a tv reviewer, communications (text, email, and voicemail) between different characters, and dialogue between the panelists on each episode complete with filming notes and directions, rather than a straight third person view. That occasionally made reading it on my e-reader a little difficult, but I made it work. Given the current enthusiasm for true crime shows in real life, Murder in the Family certainly has a large audience into which it can tap. The exchanges and dynamics between characters proved to be an effective way to develop their personalities….it became clear who most sought the limelight, who was concerned with the possible fall-out of revelations, and so on. As each episode was unveiled, and new facts about the case and its participants came out, the more intriguing the mystery became. What started out as “Who Killed Luke Ryder” soon became a far broader search into not only who killed Luke but why. Who, in the end, was Luke, and who would have wanted him dead? More questions than answers are discovered, and the panel of experts start to turn on one another (much to the delight of the producer). If you have ever enjoyed a true crime book, show or podcast, or would enjoy a behind-the=scenes look at what goes into a reality-based tv show, than I would strongly urge you to add Cara Hunter’s latest to your nightstand. The pace is quick, the characters an interesting mix, and the mystery at the center of it all an intriguing puzzle. Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow Paperbacks for allowing me access to an advanced reader’s copy of Murder in the Famiy.

You will not want to put this one down. Keeps you on your toes throughout the whole book. I really enjoyed this one!

interesting take on true crime shows, told in interviews and texts as the episodes explore this fictionalized cold case after so many years. I think my students will enjoy this different way of looking at it and learn something, which is a bonus for me as an educator

MURDER IN THE FAMILY is a 5 star mystery unlike any other. A team of experts are brought together to solve the cold case murder of a man on an extravagant London estate. This multimedia story reads like a bingeable Netflix documentary and includes maps, resumes, voicemails, texts, emails, and photos that bring the story to life.

Expertly plotted and perfectly paced, Cara Hunter delivers just enough clues that allow readers to try (and most certainly fail) to solve this layered mystery. The twists start early and never let up until the very last page. With true crime cases woven into the fictional story I went down many a google rabbit hole.

I was wholeheartedly invested in this story of old money, revenge, and deceit and I know you will be too.

PUB DATE: September 19, 2023
RATING: 5/5

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A true crime documentary is being made about the twenty year old unsolved murder of Luke Ryder, found at the bottom of the garden steps at his older wife's stately London home. A group of experts has been brought together and the series is being directed by the victim's stepson in hopes of solving the cold case that has hung over the family's head for so many years.

This book is going to be at the top for me for most unique format. The entire story is written from the point of view of a documentary. The chapters are broken down by episodes. We get a call sheet, the transcript with the experts discussing evidence (new and old), newspaper articles, emails, comments in a discussion forum, texts between sisters. It's like being on the other side of a true crime show. It's all very fun and incredibly addictive to read. I finished it in less than two days.

I love the creativity put into this and I kept thinking how fun it must have been to write. There are cliffhangers after each episode. New evidence keeps being discovered and as we learn more about the experts who are uncovering it an unease begins. There is a lot more to the story than first appeared. Pay attention to everything if you want to solve this cold case. In place of a traditional epilogue we get a couple newspaper articles. Do not skip them!!

Murder In The Family is a refreshing mystery thriller. I think this will be an enjoyable read even for readers who prefer mystery over thrillers as it allows you to focus so well on the investigation. I am so happy I got to read this! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher! Murder In The Family by Cara Hunter will be published September 19.

Young Australian Luke Ryder marries wealthy older woman Caroline Howard and is tragically murdered one year later. Luke’s stepson Guy Howard now twenty years later and a filmmaker decides to do a reality show on Luke’s death.
Many secrets and lies are revealed.
This was an amazing read with enough twists and turns to give whiplash. Thanks NetGalley and William Morrow for this ARC that will be released September 19, 2023!