2.5⭐️ rounded up

The Precipice is ann old, eclectic hotel on the coast of Maine. All of the guests have canceled their reservations due an incoming hurricane, but the three Bishop sisters, their families, and their lawyer arrive to read the will of their father. Things go from bad to worse and Charlie, the hotel’s ’chamber maid, quickly realizes she is in over her head.

I loved the setting and love a good ‘locked door’ thriller. Charley was a fun character, and I was rooting for her in spite of her flaws and sticky fingers.

This turned into more of a family drama than a thriller. Some parts were suspenseful but there was mostly a lot of strife between the sisters. I also normally enjoy backstories but the part of the book about the sister’s growing up was a little too long for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Charley lives at the Precipice Hotel in Maine and she’s totally getting ripped of to support her grandmother who has dementia and lives in a care home. The hotel staff is a supportive band of misfits and they’re hunkering down for a storm at the same time the family of the deceased hotel owner will be arriving to read the will. And this random girl running from her boyfriend needs a place to stay.
Can you see the writing on the wall? Cause I could.
This book was eye-rolling obvious, I couldn’t even get into the kindle version at all (once I switched to audio it was easier to listen to, but still so obvious). The twists were predictable and the main character was a naive idiot. This “rich” family is horrible and makes lots of gross decisions.
I dunno, I didn’t even think the end end (like the final page) was satisfying at all. I just wanted to scream at everyone.
Atmospherically, though, the huge backdrop was excellent and the storm very moody and scary.

Charley Kelley is the young live-in maid at the Precipice Hotel on the coast of Maine. When the hotel’s owner dies, his three daughters, Vicki, Iris and Faith, return to bury him and read his will. There’s a storm brewing, literally and figuratively, as a hurricane bears down on the hotel as the sisters arrive. And what does their visit to the Precipice mean for Charley? Will they sell the hotel causing her to lose her home? Or learn about her habit of stealing from guests and fire her? Or discover that she’s allowing a woman to hide out in the hotel?

It turns out the Bishop sisters have a lot to hide and are even keeping secrets from each other. When someone dies during their first night together at the hotel, everyone is a suspect. Will their secrets stay buried? And will Charley even make it out alive?

I was excited about this one after reading Jamie Day’s debut novel, but this one didn’t measure up to The Block Party in my opinion. I didn’t necessarily see the many twists and turns coming, but it also wasn’t a standout thriller for me, maybe it was because the drama overshadowed the suspense. If you like locked room mysteries, you should absolutely pick this one up. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The story does start slow and it took me a couple of chapters to get into it, but once it picks up this is a good mystery. I did find a lot of it predictable, but it was still an enjoyable read. Our characters are trapped in a Maine hotel during a hurricane and secrets are revealed as deaths and strange things keep happening.

Overall, a good mystery and good read. Thanks to the publisher for a review copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This thriller had all the makings of a gripping tale: intriguing ettings, well-developed characters, and the promise of a suspenseful plot. The author adeptly created immersive environments that pulled me into the story from the start, vividly describing each scene with enough detail to make them feel real. The characters were also compelling, with their own unique personalities and backstories that added depth to the narrative.

However, despite these initial strengths, I found myself unable to fully connect with the plot. The storyline lacked the necessary twists and turns to keep me engaged, and what suspense it did build up often fell flat due to predictable outcomes. I kept waiting for the narrative to take an unexpected turn or delve deeper into the characters' motivations, but it never quite reached that level of intrigue.

The ending, in particular, left much to be desired. After investing time in following the characters' journeys and anticipating a satisfying resolution, I was disappointed by how hastily everything seemed to wrap up. It felt rushed and failed to tie up loose ends in a meaningful way, leaving me with a sense of dissatisfaction.

In summary, while the thriller showed promise with its well-crafted settings and characters, the storyline ultimately lacked the suspense and depth I had hoped for. The predictable plot twists and underwhelming conclusion detracted from what could have been a more engaging read. It's a novel that had potential, but unfortunately, it didn't quite deliver the thrilling experience I was looking for.

Enjoyed this one! I’ve never read anything by this author, but now I want to check out other books. Good locked room mystery. Some twists regarding the family members— some I saw coming and others not so much. Good summer read!

The consequences of our actions, no matter how long ago, can have such long lasting and far reaching effects. With a family that puts the ‘dis’ in dysfunctional, a sizable inheritance and a plethora of secrets, what could possibly go wrong during a hurricane over a single weekend? A whole lot, to be sure!
Day’s plot is deep and detailed and the characters are definitely a bit complicated as well as completely human. This was one twisted mystery that had me pausing at many turns.

This book did not really do it for me. The story did not draw me in. I disliked all the characters. It was not believable. It just felt very blah and flat and I struggled to pick it up.

Absolutely loved this book. Fast paced and full of twists. I blew through it in just three days! Entertaining, well-written and full of surprises. I was guessing until the very end. My favorite book in a while! Highly recommend. I believe Jamie Day has one other book, which I definitely plan to check out.

4.4 rounded down to 4.

Special thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. A well written, fast paced murder mystery. This one kept me guessing right til the end.

I didn’t really care for this. The characters were unlikable and the plot predictable and bogged down by backstory. The main character would say something like, I think she will say the sky is blue. And then the aforementioned character would say, the sky is blue. The end annoyed me and I think the main villain was blamed for a very stupid reason and the connection to the death was a stretch. Also, Oliver’s character drove me nuts. He sounded like he was five, not a teenager.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "One Big Happy Family" and all opinions expressed are my own. I listened to the audiobook. Overall somewhat interesting story. The book was a bit slow and I don't mind that if I am listening to the book. I like that it was set in Maine. The characters got a sort of confusing at times.

This book had such a fun setting, I think that it set the entire mood for me. Overall, it was great, part one was a little bit slow for me though.

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's Press for allowing me to read an ARC of One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day.

Charley is a maid working at the Precipice Hotel which sits at the edge of a rocky coast in Maine. The owner, George Bishop, has passed away. The Bishop sisters are on their way to the hotel to go over George's will. Hurricane Larry is also on its way. This is a fast-paced isolation thriller.

I enjoyed the characters. Most of them were pretty ugly, which made it more enjoyable to read when they were backstabbing each other. Charley is the underdog that you root for throughout the story. She lives by her moral code and is just trying to get by so that she can support her ailing grandmother. The POV is mostly told by Charley; however, you do get background stories of the three sisters. I liked learning more about each character as you come to understand why they act the way they do and what they're after. It was hard to trust anyone at the hotel.

Hurricane Larry added to the isolation as well as the atmosphere around the hotel, along with the lights going out periodically. Everyone was stuck at the hotel for the night. Some poems were found, which gave me Agatha Christie vibes. This story also gave me a similar characterization and storyline as Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney. If you liked that story, you may like this one too.

I enjoyed the story overall; however, there were a few times when I felt like things were being repeated for some reason. In addition, I found some of it to be overdramatic. You must suspend your belief in this story.

I will not be rating or reviewing any St. Martin's Press titles until they address the racist comments one of their employees made in October. See @readersforaccountability on Instagram.

The Precipice is a family owned hotel in Maine. After their father dies, the three Bishop sisters have come to take it over. Secrets, twists and turns, a fun novel.

With the passing of their father, the Bishop sisters are arriving home to the Maine cliffside hotel where they grew up to read the will. Unfortunately, Larry, the most recently hurricane is headed there way. What proceeds is a locked room suspense thriller with the Chambermaid, Charley, who has her own worries, thrown in the mix.

This was a fast paced thriller that was filled with secrets and twists, that while not totally unpredictable, added suspense. While I was enthralled with the characters, each of them had their own secrets and storied past that if you struggle with unlikeable characters, you might struggle with this book. The first person perspective of the story through Charley’s viewpoint required conventions to impart historical knowledge that I do not think were totally successful as it slowed down the pace and seemed to bog down the story a bit. There were a few inconsistencies or instances where I questioned “why” but it did not detract from the book. Overall a quick locked room thriller that was great while waiting in between baseball games

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the sophomore book by Jamie Day, with the audiobook wonderfully narrated by Saskia Maarleveld. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Charley is the maid at a family-owned inn, The Precipice, doing whatever she can to earn enough money to pay for her grandmother's care. When the owner, George Bishop dies, his family comes to the inn for the reading of the will. Along with all the surprises the will brings, a hurricane is looming.

I was a huge fan of Day's debut, The Block Party, and enjoyed this one as well. I love a locked-room atmospheric mystery, and this one had lots of characters, each keeping secrets. I did feel it was a bit slow at times, but it still kept me intrigued. While Charley didn't always make the best of decisions, I felt for her as she was trying so hard to take care of her beloved Nana. The scenes with the two of them were heartwarming and heartbreaking. This is full of family secrets and dysfunction, enough characters to keep you guessing, and a few twists and turns along the way.

I loved The Block Party and the premise of this one sounded perfect for the summer. Unfortunately, this book was very slow and not all that exciting. I don't mind when thrillers let you get to know the characters and get inside of their head, but this one felt like it gave us so much unnecessary information that it was hard to enjoy. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This one had a great premise and setting, but the book couldn't hold on to it. The first part was very slow and aside from meeting the characters there was nothing going on. There was lots of drama after that when we learned about everybody's backstory. It picked up toward the end, but it just wasn't believable. I had never read this author before, but would like to try the first book.