4.5 stars

Written in episodic fashion, this book is the perfect coupling of How to Make a Murder meets Clue!!!

Guy decides he wants to try and solve a 20 year old cold case involving his family by bringing together a cast of experts to try and breath new life into the stalled investigation of the murder of his stepfather. The catch is, the cast will be filmed for a Netflix show while working through the case and their discoveries, creating a virtual true crime podcast reality show, catching every reaction as the case unfolds.

"Filmed" in 8 episodes, the storytelling was uniquely told through newspaper clippings, forum chat room conversations, text messages, emails, voicemails, interviews, and episode dialogue between the cast members. It took me a minute to get into the narration style but once I did I quite enjoyed it! It becomes easy for the reader to visualize watching each episode as the story progresses, complete with cliffhangers to end chapters/episodes. My only qualm was some of the "print" was quite small/faint on my e-reader causing some strain for these over age 40 eyes. I hope in the final format they make it slightly easier to see, as I did think the inclusion of all of this was quite creative.

As the twists in the plot are revealed, some moral questions are posed regarding these types of stories/series and I think they are good and valid questions. Definitely causes the reader to ponder where does one draw the line between entertainment and privacy? Does one give up their privacy for the sake of good television? I appreciated the misdirection, the suspicion that arises as truths are revealed, and the heartbreaking conclusion that ultimately results.

Highly recommend for those who enjoy true crime narratives, police procedurals, and podcasts.

Opening this book deep into hot strike summer (now fall) and seeing a fake call sheet nearly made me cry. BUT once I got over how much I miss the sight of a call sheet, I was fully invested in Cara Hunter’s Murder in the Family from chapter 1.
A mix of call sheets, production notes, emails, interview transcripts, reddit threads, voicemail transcriptions, and texts this multimedia format was so well done and fun that I was never distracted by it and instead was fully drawn into this engaging thriller. It truly felt as though I was watching the production of a Netflix true crime series unfold. Some will say it’s gimmicky, but I was not put off by the clever format at all.

Every time you, or the fictional viewers at home think they know who did it, you’re all dead wrong.

Are the twists and turns absolutely bonkers? YES. Did I want to throttle a few characters? YOU’RE DAGGONE RIGHT I DID!

Honestly, I saw the final twist coming but the meatier middle of the story WTF moment, I absolutely was blindsided by, and had put my kindle down to regroup.

This was clever as heck, and well executed. I highly recommend reading a physical copy if possible or on your chosen e-reader. I was reading some of this via my Kindle App on my phone and nearly had to pull out a magnifying glass to catch some of the details.

I didn't realize until starting this book that it's written in the format of a TV show transcript with articles, text messages, voicemail transcripts, and message board threads at the end of each episode/chapter. There's no narrative other than the episodes and the various forms of responses to them. Had I known that, I probably would have assumed I wouldn't enjoy it, but it actually really worked for me! Gleaning the story through all of the different writings had an almost epistolary feel to it. I read it with a friend, and it was super fun to chat after each episode/chapter and compare notes about who we thought the killer was! This would be a great choice for book clubs that like true crime or crime fiction that reads like true crime!

Murder in the Family centers around the murder of Guy's step father Luke. The case has yet to be solved. Guy was only ten when the murder happened

Now Guy is a grown up and the case is being featured on "Infamous: Who killed Luke Ryder?"

The case itself was very interesting and kept me guessing throughout. Just when I thought I figured it out another twist was revealed.

I struggled to get into this one because of the format. It is shown in many different media formats. Some of the content was difficult to read in kindle format. I suspect it will be easier to read in a hard copy. Unfortunately, this format took away some enjoyment of the story for me. I prefer a more traditional format in books.

I enjoyed the characters, mystery and twists.

I'm giving it 3 stars because I didn't enjoy the format. If told in a different way I would have rated it $ stars.

Thanks to netgalley and William Morrow for the arc.

If you are looking to read something in a unique, innovative format, then this book is for you. Told almost entirely in an interview format, with some newspaper articles and social media mixed in, this book examines a 20-year-old cold case. Guy Howard, a filmmaker, decides to resurrect the unsolved murder of his stepfather Luke Ryder as part of a reality tv series. As a result, various people with ties to the murder case are brought together to reexamine evidence and testimony to see if they can solve the mystery of who killed Luke Ryder.

Each chapter is an episode of the reality tv series, and just like a serial program, each chapter ends on an important cliff hanger to keep the reader turning the pages. This was a quick read with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader's attention and draw them into the murder investigation. I'd highly recommend checking this one out.

Thank you to William Morrow for the opportunity to read and review.

I really enjoyed this one! It was a different reading perspective for sure I was a bit confused in the beginning with all the introductions of the characters and then when I figured the documentary view it all made sense. I did read it from my kindle and the images were hard to read but other than that it was a quick read if you have a whole day to do nothing.
A SHORT summary WITHOUT giving the story away. A team of professionals as well as individuals involved are trying to uncover a killer from a 20 year old murder.
FULL of twist after every episode and mouth dropping shocking revelations. This team is going to find their killer even if its....
...NO SPOILERS :)

There were too many narrators and too much going on with this book to be highly enjoyable and it got to be way too predictable. I received a free copy from NetGalley for my honest review.

Guy Howard, filmmaker, takes viewers through a 20 year old cold case, of his stepfather, who was found dead in the family garden. You start off by getting a look at everyone involved in solving the crime both from the original investigation and current, along with the film crew, journalists, experts, family and friends. You get articles, resumes, pictures, emails, texts, everything you’d find if this was happening in real life and you are following the case and more important involved and a part of the case.

This is the first mixed media type novel I have read and it was great. I read this on my kindle, since I didn’t have a physical book to write in, I did take some notes throughout so I could keep everything in line. There are a lot of characters and stories and twists which can get overwhelming but I found it to greatly keep my attention. This would be a great book for those who annotate.

This was one of my most anticipated reads this year and it did not disappoint. Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow Books for the copy of the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

If you are a true crime doc fan this is the perfect read

This was my first book by Hunter and a fun read for true crime fans!

Short synopsis: An unsolved murder 20 years ago becomes the subject of a Netflix true crime series.

Thoughts: Told only via news articles, message boards, emails, texts, and the actual script of the show, this story was written like no other. I enjoyed the mystery behind the murder and how Hunter plotted clues and twists throughout the entire book, keeping me curious until the last page. While it was easy to envision each episode in my mind, I would recommend pacing this book out (maybe reading one episode per day) to avoid any burn out with the format. I also highly recommend the print book over audio or ebook to get the full effect. It’s easiest to see the news clippings and messages that way!

Read if you like:
-True crime documentaries
-Screenplays
-Breadcrumbs tactfully plotted
-Twists and turns
-England setting
-A full cast of chatacters

A book where I try to figure out the killer? Yes, please! Once I saw this book I knew I had to have it.

The format wasn't what I was expecting at all. I figured the book would be in a detective's POV. Boy, was I wrong. The format took some getting used to but I did like how different it was. You didn't get any bias coming from someone's POV. I did however feel the book dragged in some parts. I did enjoy the twists!

Okay we love a multi-media aspect to a book and this one used so many. Script format, newspaper clippings, text screenshots, voicemail summaries, Reddit forums, etc. The only part that wasn't enjoyable in that regard was that with the Reddit pages, the font was so light it was hard to read, but that may just be an #ereaderproblem.

I did NOT expect that ending. Definitely felt left on a cliff hanger for a few of the plot points, so bear that in mind.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cw5rQ6RLZDH/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

🩸 BOOK / REVIEW 🏏

#murderinthefamily by @carahunterauthor was SUCH A FUN BOOK to read!!

As someone completely obsessed with all things #truecrime, I was utterly fascinated by how this book was constructed. It really did feel like the reader was helping to solve the murder of Luke Ryder, right alongside all of the characters. I can't even begin to imagine how long it took for Hunter to not only create the plot, but build the perfect characters to fit the story.

And speaking of characters, no one was as they seemed throughout this entire book! I had whiplash at the end of every "episode" and was seriously still guessing up until the final pages.

While this was written in a documentary "style" and the interviews were short, this was not a fast read. There are simply too many factors to consider as an amateur sleuth, so be prepared to block out distractions! The ending will surely blow your mind! Thanks for my finished copy @williammorrowbooks - this one publishes 9.19.23!

So this book started off great, I was hooked, I was on edge, I felt like I was in an episode of criminal minds. The idea was THERE.

However, it was not executed well. It could’ve been shorter with less crazy random twists & I just didn’t love it in the end.

I could see other people loving this book, it just wasn’t a favorite for me.

This is one that’s hard to describe without spoilers so I’m going to keep my review simple and short. It’s about a cold case that becomes the subject of a streaming service (like Netflix) series.
Luke Ryder was married to a socialite in the early 2000’s and was found murdered in 2003 and the police were never able to find his killer. Twenty years later, a group of experts, including detectives, a reporter, a psychologist, a lawyer all headed up but the former step son of the victim, all gather together to work the case through fresh eyes and it all plays out on live tv.
The book consists of scripts, texts, emails, interviews, photographs and it really felt like you were part of the investigation. There were so many twists that I didn’t see coming and everyone was a suspect at some point -even those that you would never think to suspect! The mysterious background behind Luke and what led to his murder was compelling that I found myself completely engrossed and wanting to know more.
This is one that’s hard to describe and yet won’t be one I will forget anytime soon.
Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

Sometimes it is better to let sleeping dogs lie and sometimes the dogs prowl to the surface no matter if you try to keep them down. In this blend of modern fiction and an old-fashioned Agatha mystery, the reader gets all sides of the mystery and quickly will decide they know who the killer probably was. But then 3 chapters later they'll change their mind, and then near the end, yet again. This is a book you just CAN'T put down once you get into the 3rd chapter- as you start guessing you have to know the truth. Sometimes a morner take on an old style is JUST what you didn't know you were looking for!

In December 2003, Luke Ryder, the stepfather of acclaimed filmmaker Guy Howard was found dead in the garden of their suburban family home. Despite some initial leads the case went cold and was never solved. Decades later Guy is a filmmaker and agrees to provide unprecedented access to his family and case files. Guy and his producer gather a team of experts to re-examine the case with the hopes of solving in an 6 episode mini-series on the murder.

One of the things I loved about this book was the unique writing style. The book was largely written in the form of a script of the dialogue between the experts. It was also broken down by episodes rather than chapters. I really enjoyed this book and would suggest it to anyone who loves the podcast/documentary type of book.

I was really excited to read "Murder in the Family" since I had heard good things about it and liked the idea of a fictional "true crime" documentary production. I have read a few "podcast" style thriller books and LOVED those. However the format of this was very off putting. I felt like I was reading a script rather than a novel. I didn't like the new and press clippings interspersed throughout the book, they really distracted from trying to get some reading flow. The overall story was good, VERY predictable but still good. I wanted to like this book so much (maybe that was part of my issue) but I don't think I will ever read a book formatted this way again and definitely not on my kindle.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in advance of publication.

Murder in the Family
by Cara Hunter
Pub Date: 19 Sep 2023


Complex, not an easy read, well worth your time to read, I highly recommend this.

Synopsis:

It was a case that gripped the nation. In December 2003, Luke Ryder, the stepfather of acclaimed filmmaker Guy Howard (then aged 10), was found dead in the garden of their suburban family home.

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.

Many thanks to #NetGalley, #MurderintheFamily and #William Morrow Paperbacks for providing me with a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

With a challenging format, we have an intricately plotted story. One body, six experts. Can they solve a decades old murder? Fascinating take on the true crime podcasts!

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this ARC!

I liked the story, setting and characters but did not like the format which was mostly a screenplay with some narrative. I would not read another book set up this way. Thanks to #NetGalley and #MurderInTheFamily for advanced digital copy.