If you enjoyed the movie, Knives Out, this is a book for you! Set in a high end hotel during a hurricane, you will find a rich, crazy family, death and even a maid!

Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review this book early!

DNF. Picked it up because I enjoy locked-room mysteries, creepy old hotels, family drama murder mysteries. But I did not enjoy the narrative style nor Charley as protagonist. Despite the attempts at fleshing out her character with the tragic family backstory, George Bishop preying on her, and money problems, I found her rather flat. Sure to be a fun summer beach read for some, just not my style.

I want to start by giving thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Jamie Day for giving me the opportunity to review this ARC.

I DEVOURED this book. The chapters were long and that’s something I don’t typically like. However, I was hooked the instant I started reading it! I read about half of the book in the length of the Superbowl. I liked that this book was in 4 parts. The first part is placed in the present and focused heavily on Charley, with the sisters and their families being introduced later in part one. In part two, it was about the sisters. In part three it goes back to the present. And lastly in part four, it goes back to the sisters.

I found myself trying to guess what was going to happen throughout the book. Just when I thought I was on the right track, the book proved me wrong! At times, I felt as if I was in the Precipice with everyone and a book hasn’t made me feel that way in a long time. The rating for this book was easy… 5 stars! Do yourself a favor and pick this book up once it hits the shelves in July!

OH MY GOSH! This book was nothing short of amazing. It kept me on my toes the whole time. Twist after twist after twist. It was so good. Nothing was left unturned. If you are looking for a book to keep you on your toes the whole time, this is the one for you. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I will be buying myself a copy when this releases!!!!

The story centers around Charley Kelley a chambermaid that has a very small room to live in at the hotel. Her Nana is in a nursing home, and she is helping to pay for her staying. The owner of the hotel passes away and his daughters come to settle the estate. A hurricane keeps them trapped at the hotel. Murder and family chaos with secrets coming out. The story line dragged out too long, but a good conclusion.

One Big Happy Family is a closed door thriller centered around The Precipice- a legendary family owned hotel on the coast of Maine. The Bishop sisters (Iris, Vicki, and Faith) are dealing with the recent passing of their father. The sisters came to claim their inheritance, but they are in for more than they bargained for. Little did they know that not everyone who visits a the hotel this weekend will come out alive. Plus, there’s a hurricane coming. With a storm on the horizon, and murder in the air, this is a summertime suspense novel full of twists and turns.

Things I Loved:
- The setting made for an excellent closed-door thriller- and the incoming storm made it even more eerie
- The short chapters kept the plot moving at a good pace
- In depth character descriptions helped me connect with the characters

Things I didn't Love:
- While there were a lot of surprising twists, some were pretty predictable which made parts of the book feel a little long and drawn out

I definitely want to check out more books by Jamie Day, because overall, this book kept me on the edge of my seat and made me want to keep turning the *e*page!

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC for this book.
I very much enjoyed The Block Party and was eager to read this book.
I loved the setting for the book, a old gothic vibe hotel on the coast of Maine will get my attention every thime.
The story is that of Charley who works as a maid in the hotel. The owner has just died and his family is coming in to decide the fate of the hotel and those working there.
While I sped through the book, driven to find out the resolution of the plot, the book did not quite satisfy.
The characters were unlikeable and to me unrealistic. There seemed to be a lot of contrived coincidences that were just too much. The resolution seemed chaotic and really just high melodrama.
The lack of consequences for any of the characters behavior bothered me as well.
All opinions my own. I'm sure many will enjoy this suspenseful story.

It was dark and stormy night.

This story had a good set up, the death of the letcherous owner, the coming together of the disfunctional family, a mysterious stranger and an impending storm.

The story features an interesting cast of charcaters, unfortunately none of them are very likeable. The elements all felt a bit too forced and the resolution a bit too tidy. This would probbaly make a good beach read mystery.

3 Stars

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

A fun mystery murder book. There are some backflashes later in the book, but it is very well written. Clean book for language and sexual content. The book moves quickly after the first few chapters all the way up to the end. A good read for mystery readers.

Well that was a doozy! It was a lot.

There were quite a few times that I considered quitting it but I’m glad I didn’t. There were so many subplots and twists, some I saw coming but others not so much.

Was it plausible? Not even for a second but I’m ok with that. It concluded in a satisfying way with the exception of the last “entanglement”, which was unnecessary and made it a bit weird.

I’m on the fence with this one. Overall I’m glad it’s over. I would probably try more by this author.

In "One Big Happy Family," Jamie Day crafts a masterful thriller set against the brooding backdrop of a legendary hotel on Maine's rocky coast, delivering a narrative as turbulent as the storm that looms over its storyline. The book marks another triumph for Day, who has already captured readers' imaginations with "THE BLOCK PARTY," proving once again her prowess in weaving suspense and mystery.

The story unfolds with the Bishop sisters—Iris, Vicki, and Faith—reuniting at the Precipice hotel to settle their late father's estate, only to find themselves ensnared in a web of secrets, lies, and latent danger. As the hurricane approaches, the tension among the sisters escalates, mirroring the storm's impending fury. Day masterfully uses the setting—a character in its own right—to amplify the suspense, creating a claustrophobic atmosphere where trust is scarce and betrayal is plentiful.

Central to the narrative is Charley Kelley, a chambermaid with secrets of her own, whose fate becomes inexorably linked with the Bishop sisters. Day's skillful portrayal of Charley as smart, resilient, and trapped by circumstances adds depth to the narrative, making her the linchpin that could either save or doom them all.

"One Big Happy Family" is a thrilling ride from start to finish, characterized by nonstop twists that leave readers breathless and unable to put the book down. Day's ability to blend family drama with suspense and a touch of the macabre results in a gripping tale of survival, greed, and the lengths to which people will go to protect their secrets. It's a must-read for thriller enthusiasts looking for their next favorite summer suspense.

Thank you St Martins Press and Net Galley for this ARC! Once again Jamie Day gives us a non stop whirlwind of a story. Set during a hurricane it can be debated if it’s happening inside the Precpise Hotel or outside! The story has the volatility of category 5 storm all around. When a family comes together after the death of the patriarch so many secrets that have been held for decades come to a head for the daughters left behind with each holding a resentments close to their hearts. As with any storm, this one whips up some some great plot twists you never saw coming! Highly recommend!

The Precipice is a legendary, family-owned hotel on the rocky coast of Maine. With the recent passing of their father, the Bishop sisters—Iris, Vicki, and Faith—have come for the weekend to claim it. But with a hurricane looming and each of the Bishop sisters harboring dangerous secrets, there’s murder in the air—and not everyone who checks into the Precipice will be checking out.

This story is told mostly by Charley, the maid of the Precipice Hotel. She is young and works hard to pay for her Nana’s assisted living care. She finds herself trapped in a hotel during a hurricane when the family discovers the reading the will isn’t what they were expecting. Although this was filled with a LOT of family drama, it felt very long to me. All sisters in the story had very detailed background stories, which just made the story drag along. I enjoy action packed, fast paced thrillers, so this one just wasn’t for me.

This story is so interesting and it does not disappoint. Great character development. At first it was challenging to keep the characters straight but I picked it up in the first couple chapters. Would definitely recommend and I can see this developing into a movie.

This book started off slow for me. There’s a lot of backstory to get through. When the sisters are introduced everything picks up. Everything slows down again to get the sister’s backstory. After the sister’s backstory things pick back up.

Charley works as a maid at the Precipice Hotel. Her boss George is not the best, and he expects a lot out of her, a little too much. George passes away and Charley must prepare for the Bishop sisters to arrive for their father’s funeral and inheritance. Bree, Charley’s friend, stumbles to the hotel to get away from her abusive boyfriend. But who is Bree really? Weird things start to happen around the hotel and this becomes a “who is guilty” scenario.


Overall, i did enjoy this book. I do feel like there were a few loop holes. The book did seem to drag in a few spots. I’m glad i read it, but I’m also glad it’s finished.

thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the ARC!

Loved the book,the characters & storyline were terrific.
A story of a truly messed up family,especially the three sisters.
They all converge on the family hotel for the reading of their fathers will.
Little do they know of the deaths & agony of unbelievable secrets that they have held onto for years,will be the undoing of all.
There is also a raging storm outside,Larry,as the storm is called is wreaking havoc as well
Thank you to netgalley for allowing this book to be enjoyed by me & to a great author "Jamie Day" for writing it.
I would truly recommend this one,to all !

I really tried to give this book a fair shot. I read 40% of it before I abandoned it. The whole plot seems unbelievable, and it dragged on and on repeating the same details about the main character, Charley, and her hardships, but in different ways. I will give the author another try, but not this book. Unfortunately, this was a dud for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Wow, this book is a doozy!!! Put together family drama, an old hotel and throw in a hurricane, you have the perfect suspenseful read! You keep trying to figure out where the thriller is going to go, and it throws is loop after loop. An enjoyable read for sure.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day is a fast paced psychological thriller that had me guessing almost until the very end. I love a thriller where I am certain that things will go one way and then almost instantly a twist makes me have to rethink the whole thing over again. The way that the author described the characters and the manner in which they interacted with one another was well written and one could never tell if they were truthful or just spouting claims to avoid suspicion. Morover, the generational trauma caused by one man is astounding and left me feeling nothing but empathy for his children and grandchildren. Overall, a story I will definitely a story I will recommend to others.

Charley Kelley is a chambermaid at the family-owned, Precipice Hotel on the rocky coast of Maine. She is a smart, hard working, resilient young lady who is working hard to provide for her grandmother who raised her. The owner of the hotel dies and his three daughters come back for the reading of the will and all hell breaks loose. This was a suspense-filled, family drama with surprises and chaos thrown in. I really enjoyed the crazy cast of characters and the eccentric hotel setting. Shorter chapters are always a welcome bonus in my book. They make for a quicker read. I really enjoyed this book. Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read it ahead of time.