4⭐️

Following the death of the owner of The Precipice Hotel, George Bishop, his three daughters return to their small Maine hometown for the first time in years for the will reading. On the brink of a hurricane, Victoria, Iris, and Faith along with their families returned to the hotel on the cliff to learn what their womanizer father left them.

Charley Kelley has been working as a chamber maid and living at the Precipice ever since her grandmother went into an old folks home. Struggling to make ends meet, Charley suffered through George's advances to keep her job. With the sisters being the new owner Charley knows she needs to make a good impression. She never expected the night to end deadly.

Was this the most original story? No. Did I still have a good time? Yes. I love a locked room/isolated mystery and the storm really added a sense of urgency. I found the addition of Bee to story was interesting because it was obvious she wasn't just a innocent bystander on the run from an abusive ex. But I couldn't pin down where she actually fit in to the story until right before the reveal. I do feel like the pacing was a bit odd and the ending wrapped up a little too easily, but I liked the story.

I enjoyed most of the characters and how different each of the sisters were from each other but they all had similar end goals. A finance bro, a conspiracy theorist, and a hippie vegan all felt like very timely characters for a book based in 2024. I wasn't a fan of Charley; for being someone trying to make ends meet and having more or less been on her own she was entirely too naive and made some really dumb choices. I liked Quinn, but I don't think he worked as a love interest. He felt like a very flat character and was only there because there needed to be a love interest. I'm also not sure how I felt about Oliver; it was tiptoed around about if he was on the spectrum and it was handled oddly.

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

It's a crazy story about the most dysfunctional family you will ever meet. Charley is a maid at a hotel. When the owner dies, his daughters come to the hotel with their families. There are family, secrets, lies, and death. As the story unfolds, the reader learns more about the Bishop sisters and their families. This story has interesting characters with a plot full of twists—an excellent read for fans of domestic thrillers.

I really enjoyed the author’s previous book The Block Party so I was happy to have received this book early.

I could describe One Big Happy Family as a closed room thriller but there’s more. Action, murder, and mayhem combined with fully rounded protagonists also made this a character study in my opinion.

We’re introduced to everyone slowly which allowed me to get acquainted and absorb the individual personalities. And what colorful people they were!!

Combined with numerous plot twists, I was entertained throughout. Cant wait to do this book for my bookclub this summer.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc.

I was excited to read this arc, I liked Jamie Day’s ‘Block Party’ but this fell short for me. I DNF at 32%. I tried over the span of 4 days and just couldn’t get into it.

In Jamie Day’s One Big Happy Family, the Bishop sisters are gathering at their family’s Precipice Hotel in Maine to settle their recently deceased father’s estate. But hearing his will read is like opening Pandora’s Box. Past secrets threaten to seep out and destroy the lives trapped within the walls of the hotel while a hurricane moves closer to landfall. When people start to die, it’s a race to make it through the night. With stormy personalities inside and Hurricane Larry bearing down outside, who will survive and who won’t see the calm after the storm?

While there are several characters that play a key role in the story, each has a distinct enough personality that you don’t find yourself confused on how each contributes to the telling of One Big Happy Family. I will admit, sometimes I felt childhood flashbacks to watching “Scooby Doo,” not because of ghosts chasing the characters, but due to the ghosts of the past creeping into the plot. As it progressed closer to the climax of the story, I found myself better roped in to what the ultimate ending would be. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. This book will be published on July 15, 2024.

#netgalley #arc #bookstagram #stmartinspress #OneBigHappyFamily #JamieDay

Once I began reading this book, I could not stop – fascinating, captivating story! The character development is brilliant, creative, and clever.
The three Bishop sister, Vicki, Iris, and Faith along with other family members, have all gathered together at the historic Precipice Hotel owned by their family on the coast of Maine. Their dad recently passed away and the reading of his will takes place over the weekend. The sisters, who grew up at the hotel, expect to each own one-third of the hotel by the end of the weekend. Their dad’s attorney has joined them for the weekend, in preparation of reading the will.
Charley, the housekeeper at the hotel is the only staff member there to greet the sisters. Because the biggest hurricane in years is expected, the other two employees left for their own homes to prepare for the intense storm. Charley, who has worked at the hotel for two years, since she was seventeen, lives at the hotel. All the guests have either checked out or reservations have been cancelled. The hotel is empty except for one stowaway, a new acquaintance of Charley’s who begged her to let her stay there to get away from her abusive boyfriend. Charley has hidden her away from the sisters, however, as the storm progresses, she is discovered.
The rain and wind intensify, and it appears the hurricane is heading their way. By now, it is impossible to leave with trees down, blocking the way, and the wind so strong it is impossible to stand up. The will has been read and is not all what was expected. It is distressing and upsetting for most. The power goes off and on, strange messages are discovered; many unexpected situations including a death, a missing person, as well as a gun appears in their midst. Shocking secrets are revealed that changes the dynamics of much of the family. This is a riveting story that was all consuming until the last page was turned.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.

A family run hotel on the coast of Maine is the setting for this murder mystery thriller. Three sisters return to their home after their father's death to hear the reading of the will and discuss the fate of the hotel. A maid and her new friend hiding away from an abusive boyfriend sets the background of the story. What happpens next is a who done it and what secrets the sister hold that that can affect them all.. I couldn't put this down until the end (I did figure out part of the ending though) but that doesn't stop me from recommending this book. I am requesting the author's other book from the library today.

Overall 3.75 rounded up. Some of the twists were obvious but others def came as a surprise. Read in 2 days in vacation. Was a quick and fun read, and I normally don't like locked room mysteries.

This was my first book by this author so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The premise, a hotel employee trapped in the hotel with the late owner’s family during a hurricane, is interesting enough but wow there’s a lot going on. While everything (for the most part) is connected, there were still a lot of questions I had by the end. There was a lot of backstory that was integral to solving the mystery, but some of the time I found myself not really caring. The main character, Charley, is unrealistically young, easy to root for, but weirdly obsessed with her appearance and how her clothes make her look at all times. The twist reveals we’re good, slightly predictable, but will keep you reading. (3.5/5)

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC!!

This book definitely comes across as your typical who-done-it mystery and was a really interesting read!! The ending really brought everything full circle. Not my favorite read, but easy and quick for sure.

What a fast read! And it was fast because I just couldn't stop reading. The seedy sisters, the hotel maid, and others really gave many surprises and twists for us to keep up with! I really felt like I was in the hotel with the storm and the bickering surrounding me. Great story with a good ending. I'd love to read more from this author! Thanks NetGalley for letting me read this!

The story wasn’t bad, not entirely original, but not terrible. It was the writing I struggled with. It was inconsistent and seems like the author hasn’t quite found her voice/style yet. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy!

Absolutely loved this one!! Filled with family drama & secrets and multiple twists - this was intense & thrilling, and hard to put down. Definitely recommend!

SYNOPSIS
- Charley, a young maid, works at the Precipice Hotel in a small town in Maine. She uses her wages to pay for her grandmothers’ assisted living facility.
- The owner of the hotel recently passed away. As a hurricane rolls in, the owner’s three daughters are coming in for the funeral.
- An attorney will read the Will, and murder is in the air.

MY THOUGHTS
- A locked room mystery with a dysfunctional family.
- I liked the setting, the ominous weather, & storyline.
- I didn’t particularly like any of the characters.
- Some of the “twists” were a bit predictable, but I didn’t mind.
- I have one complaint. SPOILER: there’s discussion of HPV at one point in this book & reference to how it’s only passed when you do not wear a condom. I didn’t appreciate the factual inaccuracy because many readers may take this as true. For any impressionable readers out there, this is not true. It can be transmitted via skin to skin contact (involving contact with infected skin area). In other words, you can transmit HPV to a partner both while wearing a condom and without wearing one.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐a locked room mystery with a dysfunctional family

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on July 16, 2024.

This closed circle mystery had just what I love in a thriller: remote location, coastal vibes and an impending storm. Three sisters, a cast of other characters and plenty of secrets made "One Big Happy Family" a page turner that kept me wondering if my suspicions would turn out right. The murderer was who I thought it to be all along, but the reason was not at all expected. The bonus happily-ever-after ending made for an enjoyable read. I will definitely be looking for more from Jamie Day in the future.

**Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.**

Charlie works as a maid at a hotel and takes financial care of her ailing grandmother who is a home. She endures a lot with the family and head of the hotel. When he dies and his three daughters arrive for the reading of the will all hell breaks loose and people begin to die. Read the novel to discover what she uncovers and the exploits the sister's have participated in, now and in the past. I absolutely love Charlies' spirt, personality and steadfastness. A fun novel that will keep you guessing up to it's final pages. I received this novel as an ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Iris, Vicki and Fairh have come to visit their hotel that has been in their family for years. Now that the hotel is theirs, they each want separate things from the hotel. A good read.

This was such an enjoyable, fast paced read. I love a closed room mystery and this one did not disappoint. There is a limited cast of characters, but they all have secrets. I takes time to figure out how everything is related and how is guilty and who is innocent. I had lots of plausible guesses during the book and some I was correct about and others I was way off. I love when a book keeps me guessing and coming up with my own theories. Families are messy and have lots of secrets. How far one will go to protect them is explored in this book. I highly recommend it!

Charley Kelly, a 19yr old chambermaid, works hard to pay for her Nana's nursing home care. Occasionally she has to steal from the guests to cover her bills, but it is out of necessity, not out of greed. Besides she has to live in a closet and deal with the handsy owner, George Bishop, so stealing is more like hazard pay. Now that George is dead, Charley is wondering if she will even have a job. As she prepares the hotel for the arrival of the Bishop family, she is oblivious to the events that are about to unfold.
One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day is an elaborate mystery story about family secrets. It reads like Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, where everyone is a suspect and there is no way out, as they are trapped in the hotel by Hurricane Larry. The plot is full of secrets and twists that you don't see coming. You root for Charley to survive as the Bishop family breaks down into chaos. The atmosphere of Hurricane Larry battering the hotel leads to the increased tension inside the hotel. The strange behavior of the Bishop sisters adds to the tension as well. You sit on the edge of your seat as you wonder who will survive the weekend.
One Big Happy Family is a great story. I enjoyed this a lot more than Jamie Day's first story The Block Party, as it progresses faster and has more fleshed out characters. Both stories had great twists and turns with lots of secrets but I felt more connected to the character of Charley than I did in her first book. I think anyone who is a fan of locked door mysteries would be a fan of One Big Happy Family. It has tension and twists, making everyone's motives questionable.
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the advanced copy. The opinions are my own.

Love the setting in Maine, I have family there and the author did a great job describing it. A great read! Thank you netgalley!