3 stars for Jamie Day's locked-room mystery that, while entertaining, falls short of being original or thrilling. While I enjoyed the setting and atmosphere, there was not enough suspense, making this more of a high stakes family drama than a thriller. The twists were predictable and the middle dragged a bit, but I would read another by this author.

I really enjoyed Jamie Day’s last book, so I was excited to get to read One Big Happy Family. I loved the setting. The first part of the book dragged a bit for me, but it finally picked up in the last two sections of the book. Some of the characters were unlovable and I could predict some of the twists. It was still a good book, I just enjoyed The Block Party more than this one!

One Big Happy Family was just a sort of a middle-of-the-road read for me. The novel focuses on Charley, a woman who works at The Precipice, a family-owned hotel in Maine. After the owner dies, and with a hurricane looming, the owner’s three daughters come to claim the hotel. Will they claim the hotel. will they discover any of Charley’s secrets, and will the hurricane bring destruction of any kind? So, the premise is definitely an interesting one, but I was somewhat disappointed. The plot moves along at a good pace, and I found Charley’s character to be an intriguing one, but I found the suspense necessary for a good mystery/thriller to be lacking, making this a good but not a great read.

I thoroughly enjoyed the thriller One Big Happy Family. Twists and turns abound with the Bishop sisters during a hurricane. This family is anything but happy! Complicated, intense and suspenseful.

**This book will be published on 07/16/2024!**
I received this e-book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the author/publisher for the copy!

With the passing of their father, the Bishop sisters are forced to return to The Precipice Hotel for the reading of their father's will. Not only have they not returned for awhile. but they are all keeping dangerous secrets that they do not want to share. Charley, the maid, is not looking forward to the sister's return, especially since she has gotten several warnings from others about the return of these sisters. To top it all off, all guests have cancelled their stay at the hotel because of the approaching hurricane, so it will just be the three Bishop sisters, their families, and Charley...but also the stowaway that Charley is temporarily helping out. With a murder before the Hurricane even starts, will more go down once they are stuck at the hotel?

I have read Jamie Day's book The Block Party and I really enjoyed that! But this book, for me, did not meet the expectations that I had. I really wanted to enjoy this one, but it was a super slow read for me. I had a lot of trouble getting into it. I feel as though the main character acted as if she was mature, but her internal dialogue annoyed me and seemed very immature. Especially when she is worried about a guy liking her when her life and others lives are in a significant amount of danger.

The setting is the Precipice Hotel on the rocky coast of Maine. Hurricane Larry is beating at the door and there are no guests at the famed hotel, only the immediate family as they gather to hear the last will and testament of their late father and owner of the hotel along with one lone staff member and the young woman she’s hiding from an abusive relationship. As the hurricane nears it’s not the only thing the guests need to worry about. When one of them is murdered it suddenly changes everything about the weekend. Cryptic messages start appearing and none of them are safe. As the family secrets are divulged, each one worse than the last, we quickly learn there’s no fun in this family’s dysfunction! As the visit unfolds, Charley (the maid) delves deep to unravel the family dynamics and hidden secrets all why trying to save herself from the evil within the Precipice walls. This book was over the top! With each soap operatic turn the story becomes more and more unbelievable, but as a read/listen the narrator brought the story to life and it was still an entertaining book. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for an ARC and ALC of this book.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6163351958

I loved the setting the most! Just the idea of the storm while being stuck in the hotel with the killer, with nobody to trust!! I felt like the tension was constantly building & felt myself holding my breath at what would come next! It was very quick paced and I just couldn’t put it down! Some parts I was able to predict but that didn’t ruin the book for me, it was still really well written & enjoyable.

Charley was a little annoying to me but overall I loved the sister rivalry in this book! I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this book & I could really picture the scenes based on the vivid descriptions!

Overall I really enjoyed this & can’t wait to read more form Jamie Day!

Thanks to NetGalley & St. Martins Press for allowing me to have an ARC!

Twisty, turny, closed door mystery, the murders have to be someone locked inside the hotel, but when every one has motive to kill someone, you'll be shocked to find out who!

A hurricane isn’t the only thing to strike the legendary Precipice hotel in this vibey whodunit…

Following the death of their father and hotel owner, the three Bishop sisters return home to hear the reading of the will and to learn who will inherit the eclectic inn. His death won’t be the only one though, and in this “locked room” style mystery, everyone is a suspect.

Overall, a dark and mildly suspenseful novel with a fun setting. While the pacing and character introduction didn’t quite hit the mark for me, I can respect the author built a good case to throw suspicion at many of our characters. In addition, I appreciate that the characters each had their own unique quirks, but overall we’re not super likeable or well developed.

Big misses for me (mild spoilers?): Please don’t call Charley smart in the book description… she’s anything but. First, she’s going to blindingly risk the job that supports not only her but her Nana (the job that we constantly hear about being the most important part of her life) for a literal stranger, then she’s really going to spend so much time and energy on the *cute boy* she’s trapped with in a murder hotel? No. Idiot. Many other examples… I’ll spare for brevity sake. And speaking of brevity, we needed more of that in this book. It could have been at least 100 pages shorter and benefitted. There was too much filler that didn’t add to the plot or character development, and too much repetitive speech. I think my biggest gripe, though, was that it was super predictable. Sometimes I can guess bits and pieces of the plot having read many thrillers… but if I can predict 75% or more within the first 75-100 pages? Yikes.

If you’re looking for a quick and basic thriller to wet your lips, this might be the one for you. If you like big twisties that leave your jaw on the floor, maybe try something else. Overall, it wasn’t for me, but I’d like to try another from Jamie Day. in the future, as I have heard good things.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ADC.

Reading Between the Wines book review #57/130 for 2024:
Rating: 3 ½ 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book: One Big Happy Family
Author: Jamie Day
Available now!

Sipping thoughts: This was a nice, one-setting story with lies, secrets, and murder. I liked the story but felt it was a tad bit predictable. I loved the sister rivalry and couldn’t wait to find out what happened in the past and why they were acting devious in the present. I think this read is a good, quick summer read.

Cheers and thank you to @StMartinsPress and @Netgalley for an advanced copy of @OneBigHappyFamily.

#OneBigHappyFamily #JamieDay #StMartinsPress #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult

This is a fun mystery that builds slowly but once it gets going becomes fast paced. Readers will be swept up in a world where past secrets come back to haunt those who kept them. Charley is a maid working at a remote inn. She needs the job in order to support her grandmother, yet when the owner dies her job might be at risk. Her only hope is that his children will want to keep her on at the inn. Yet with three dynamic daughters coming in with ideas of what to do with the inn and what they should receive in the will Charley’s odds are not looking that great. Especially when turmoil over the will comes to a head with threats against the sisters. This is a fun summer read to get lost in. Also, it would be great for a book club.
Thank you to St. Martin Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

As the Bishop sisters come to the Precipice Hotel after the death of their father, they unearth long buried secrets. Maid Charley unfortunately gets caught in all of the crosshairs.

This was a fun thriller that has a lot of twists! Here's what I loved:

Charley: she was a great character to follow because she's so likable. You get engrossed with her story as much as the story of the sisters. She's had a lot of trauma and is still working through a lot of it. I also liked the little romance aspect with her and one of the sister's sons.

The setting: This hotel was a perfect locked room setting. With a storm coming in, all of the characters are stuck in the hotel, allowing all of the drama to unfold without a way of escaping.

The sections: Day breaks the narrative a few times to go back in time and give you the sister's backstory. This help break up some of the tension and reveal things at the perfect moments.


All in all, this is a perfect locked door thriller that will keep you guessing.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted copy!

Reminded me of the maid. I did enjoy the story but really struggled to get through the middle of the book. The end was tied up nicely. Thank you NetGalley for this arc

This one was meh for me. I don't really get how the title relates to the storyline which is a big pet peeve of mine. The hotel scene was fun and I love books set on the coast, but otherwise, not that memorable.

This was…something. I love a good dysfunctional family drama, especially when there’s a little murder involved, but this book felt like it was doing a bit too much. There were many bad deeds to keep track of. Since it is a domestic suspense, it was slower paced, which wasn’t a bad thing most of the time. The tension from the minute the sisters start arriving to the hotel was very well done. My main issue, I think, was Charley, our narrator. She felt like she was much younger than she was and it read awkward next to the other adults in the story. Her naivety was almost too much at times. The big twists were pretty predictable although I still thought there were some good ones. I will say, I was never bored reading this. It is absolutely easy to get wrapped up in this story. The way the hurricane was written was fantastic. There were moments I’d look up from reading and be surprised to see sunshine outside my window. Overall, a decent domestic suspense. I’ll absolutely read whatever else this author writes.

CW: addiction, drug use, murder, death, sexual harassment, sexual assault, child abuse, gun violence, death of a parent, car accident, cancer

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another locked room mystery, this story is told by Charlie, the live-in housekeeper at a small inn on the coast of Maine. When the owner of the inn dies, his three daughters, the Bishop sisters with various family members in tow, arrive in the midst of a tropical storm to settle the estate. Once the dysfunction emerges and the threats start flying, the first murder occurs and of course, no one can escape because of the storm. Family secrets, both past and present are revealed and everyone seems to have motives for murder. Throw in a creepy teenage nephew who speaks in rhymes and 2 or 3 “outsiders” who don’t seem to have a stake in the game and trying to figure out whodunnit becomes entertaining.
I found this book to be a fun read for the most part. There were definitely some twists but also quite a bit of predictability. Readers of this genre will quickly guess that the random non-family guests also play major roles in the drama. But overall, the story is creative and the book is fast paced and entertaining.

This book was a wild ride! A whodunit, set on the coast of Maine. Charley is a live in maid, who works for George Bishop at his coastal hotel in Jonesport. When he suddenly dies, his daughters come to town for the reading of his will.
Along with them, comes all their dirty secrets, a hurricane, unexpected death and an intense amount of family drama!!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC!

The three Bishop sisters have returned to the Precipice Hotel to hear the reading of the Will of their skirt chasing father.
Holding down the Precipice is General Manager Rodrigo and Charley the Housemaid.
The sisters have not seen each other in years and this reunion will not turn out as expected. Not even the threat of a hurricane outside can stop the storm that is brewing inside.
These cast of characters are well described and the plot goes off in so many twists that the action was almost non stop. I can’t say that sisterly love was apparent, but rather, sister beware would be a more fitting description in this family drama/thriller.
Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an enjoyable arc. This review is my personal opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC! It was a fun and suspenseful read!
This is the story of Charley, a maid at a remote hotel in Maine. As the story unfolds and a hurricane bears down, we find out that the owner of the hotel has died and his family is coming in for the reading of the will. Little by little, we find out just how dysfunctional the family is. Dead bodies begin popping up and with each dysfunctional revelation, a new suspect is revealed.
The characters are unique and well-drawn and the resolution is full of twists and turns.
A fun and engaging read!

A whodunit murder mystery where everyone is locked in the same remote hotel far away from anyone with a hurricane approaching. There is the spunky employee, Charley, who is fun and who you want to "win" in this tail and then you have the family and they are such a hot mess you don't know who to like or to not like or to really not like. All around a fun read. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.