This book is about a family owned hotel. The dad and owner passes away and his three daughters make their way back to the hotel they grew up in order to hear the will reading. Throwing a wrench into things in the fact that a hurricane is coming straight for the coast of Maine, where the hotel is located. We also get perspective from the young maid working at the hotel. While the whole family is staying at the hotel, we just know not everyone is going to check out. This thriller is a great summertime read full of twists and turns.

This is a Christie-esque, locked door, whodunnit story with all the family drama you could imagine!

When the Bishop sisters return to their family-owned hotel for the reading of their father's will, everyone has a secret to hide. And not everyone is going to make it through it all alive.

The family drama in this book was amazing. It kept things interesting and definitely left everyone a suspect! Every other page you are second guessing who you think did it.

Part 2 was short with a lot of information that seemed a bit rushed in delivery. Yet somehow, it also made it slow the story down. Once Part 3 hit, things picked up once again and we were back to the drama.

There were some twists in this story that I felt were so obvious that you couldn't miss them. Other ones you never saw coming.

All in all, this was a sharp thriller that keeps you on your toes.

Jamie Day takes you on the ultimate game of clue. Whodunnit. Keeps you guessing. Just when you think you know….BAM. Who did it with what weapon and why??
Wildly entertaining. Binge worthy. I really couldn’t guess the end.
Well developed characters set in a hotel. Flashbacks to give you enough backstory to say hmmm. Definitely a good one

"With this cast of characters, I have a strong suspicion that the main course on tonight's menu will be a heaping portion of chaos."

Chaos is the word for the melodramatic One Big Happy Family, about off the wall siblings, by murder mystery author Jamie Day.

Working at the Precipice Hotel seems appropriate for chambermaid Charley. At 19, she's on the precipice of losing everything. Nana's nursing home raised the rent, the owner of the hotel died and his 3 daughters are coming for the reading of the will, leaving her job and her home in jeopardy.

When overbearing, eldest daughter Vicki, still beautiful once famous model Faith, and quiet recovering ex con, ex drug addict Iris show up at the hotel, just as a hurricane is coming, shutting down the hotel on the cliffs from everyone, it's a whirlwind of long kept secrets, long time brewing resentments and a too enticing night for murder.

Poor Charley is trying to wrangle the Bishops sisters to play nice after the reveals of their father's will; while dealing with power outages, powerful winds and...a dead body. Now they are trapped in the hotel and one of them is a killer.

The fact that the abundantly talented voice actress Saskia Maarleveld performed all these very different personalities, at various stages of their lives and their mental stability upped the entertainment value of this locked room family murder mystery.

Oh, did I mention Charley is also hiding a woman in one of the rooms from the Bishops?! There are so many secrets and twists, old and new, some I figured out but others were quite a surprise. This writer created a dysFUNctional family but, "...at the end of the day, blood is blood, and that bond is sacred." Well, until there's a murder...or two.

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own

Unfortunately I was not able to make it through One Big Happy Family, and stopped about a quarter of the way in. There was nothing inherently wrong with the story, but nothing that felt original or compelling to keep me reading. Charley Kelley is a maid at The Precipice- a legendary, family-owned hotel on the rocky coast of Maine. The owner, Mr. Bishop has recently passed and his three daughters are coming up for the weekend for his service and to take their claim of the hotel. The sisters aren't the only thing arriving this weekend as a Hurricane is also approaching the coast of Maine. The first quarter of the book went quickly enough but again, I just wasn't really drawn in and some things seemed a little too farfetched, so I chose to stop reading. I definitely think this is a book that thriller lovers would like!

Jamie Day does it again. She has a way with bringing family drama and secrecy to the page.

The Bishop sisters and their family reunite at The Precipice, a family-owned hotel on the coast of Maine, for the reading of their fathers will. But with a hurricane approaching, the family along with some of the hotel’s staff, find themselves stranded at the hotel while the storm blows over. Like most families, the sisters have their secrets. Secrets from each other and secrets they intend to keep amongst the three of them. But when a body is discovered, there is risk of their secrets coming to light.

One Big Happy Family is a fast paced, locked-door, mystery thriller that will keep you guessing. Some parts I was able to predict, but there were aspects I did not see coming. The story is told both present day and with flashbacks to the sister’s past. Jamie Day has turned into an auto-read author for me.

I read the book while also listening to the audiobook narrated by Saskia Maarleveld. She did an amazing job brining this story to life. I look forward to listening to other books by this narrator in the future.

I love thrillers and I loved the story line and plot of one big happy family . Here we follow Charlie a maid who gets sucked into the drama and bad weather of the family coming fora reading of their late father’s will and testament. The way this family is pure chaos and end up having to play cat and mouse when one of the family members turns up dead, is hilarious and relatable. Thank you net galley and Jamie Gladys for this Arc

One Big Happy Family is a mystery thriller, fueled by family secrets and deception buried generations deep. The novel is set in a unique, legendary hotel situated on the rocky shores of Maine and is told primarily through the eyes of Charley Kelly - the quiet yet resilient hotel maid. Charley's world spins into chaos as the hotel owners grown children ascend upon the estate to stake claim to their deceased father's last will and testament. The three Bishop sisters, Iris, Vicki and Faith, are out for blood as they settle into rooms at the hotel while a hurricane is looming outside. A mystery guest appears and a body is discovered as the storm cuts off all access to the outside world.

I gave this book four stars for its compelling and complicated characters, the compiling secrets and building mystery that had me guessing until the very end. I enjoyed trying to put all the mysterious pieces from the past into place along with the Charley as the game turned into one of survival. I highly recommend this new book by Jamie Day.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillian Audio for this arc reading of One Big Happy Family.

Welcome to the rocky coast of Jonesport Maine. Charley Kelley’s life is not one of glamor or ease. She cleans rooms at The Precipice Hotel, which pays to keep her grandmother in a living facility. An awful storm is headed toward The Precipice Hotel, one that has the employees cautious and worried. An unexpected person is staying at the hotel, as well as the owner’s daughters and their families, coming to settle things after their dad’s passing. Tension is extremely high with the storm approaching and some of the unexplained happenings.

I loved the setting of the book, the locked-in vibes, and the cover. As I enjoyed the story, it was a bit too dragged out for me.

I would like to thank Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to listen to this book in advance. One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day is out for publication on July 16, 2024.

Book felt like a game of clue! was not overly exciting or a crazy thriller but was good enough to make you want to finish the book. The narrator did a great job and voice was pleasant to listen to.

Thank you @macmillan.audio for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

✨AUDIOBOOK r e v i e w✨

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4/5
PUB DATE: JULY 16, 2024

Thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the opportunity to listen to this one early!!

Is there anything more ominous than a dysfunctional/secret wielding family being stuck in their hotel together, DURING a hurricane? There is not.

Synopsis:

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.

Each sister wants what is rightfully hers, and in the mix is the Precipe’s nineteen-year-old chambermaid Charley Kelley: smart, resilient, older than her years, and in desperate straits.

The arrival of the Bishop sisters could spell disaster for Charley. Will they close the hotel? Fire her? Discover her habit of pilfering from guests? Or even worse, learn that she’s using a guest room to hide a woman on the run.

This story reminded me a lot of the game Clue. It was a “who dun it” type of story with lots of twists and turns! Everyone, along with their decades old secrets, were sequestered to the house while hurricane Larry caused havoc outside. By the end I was hooked, and I did not predict the way this story would end (which is a huge plus for me and thrillers.)

I really enjoyed this one, and it releases tomorrow, so I reccomend checking it out!!


#netgalley #arc #macmillanaudio #audiobook #bookreview #audiobooks #audiobookreview #bookrecommendations #mybooks #books #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booktok #thriller #jamieday

A twisty locked room thriller told mainly from the POV of the maid, that takes place at a hotel as the recently deceased owner's family reunites for the reading of his will only to find themselves trapped by a hurricane with no cell service and one of them is out for revenge.

Full of secrets, lies, misdirection, dead bodies and all kinds of family drama, this was great on audio narrated by Saskia Maarleveld and recommended for fans of The maid by Nita Prouse, The nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney's and movies like Knives out.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review! This would make a great beach read for those looking for a fast-paced, entertaining story.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the gifted ARC and thank you Macmillan Audio for the #gifted listening copy of One Big Happy Family! #MacAudio2024 #stmartinspress #OneBigHappyFamily #jamieday

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐒𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐝
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟏𝟔, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

3.5★

If you are a fan of locked room mysteries, this is one you will want to check out. I loved The Block Party, the debut novel by the author, so I had high hopes for this one, but I felt like this novel had a completely different vibe and was a little harder for me to get into. With that said, I did enjoy the premise of this book and loved the locked room mystery aspect. While the pacing was a little slow at times, there were a lot of twists and turns that made up for it and kept my attention. I was able to figure out a lot of the mystery, but I think this was a really good family drama and definitely worth the read!

🌩️Locked Room Mystery
🌩️Family Drama
🌩️Lots of Twists
🌩️Atmospheric
🌩️Lots of Secrets

🎧I mostly listened to the audiobook, narrated by Saskia Maarleveld. Saskia is a favorite of mine, and I thought she did a great job. I thought she did such a phenomenal job with this audiobook, and would highly recommend this one on audio if you have that option!

Posted on Goodreads on July 15, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around July 16, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on July 16, 2024
**-will post on designated date

3.5/5 rounded up

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy!

SYNOPSIS -- 19 year old Charley Kelley has made her living as a maid at The Precipice hotel as best she can. Between the grueling hours and being responsible for her Nan's assisted living bills, she's lucky to have a gig that includes free room and board. When her less-than-kind boss dies, his three daughters come to claim what they believe to be theirs. As the Bishop sisters drag an actual hurricane in with them, Charley somehow has to manage keeping the hotel, her job and a ton of secrets safe.

This was a fun, locked door thriller, with a great twist! While I was suspicious of a few things from the start, I was pleasantly surprised with the way things unfolded and the secrets that were revealed. Charley's character was great to root for, and I loved when we got pieces of her background. I think this book was plotted very well; the pacing felt great and kept me interested the entire time. I especially loved the flashbacks to the sisters' youth. This book was much more of a true thriller than Jamie Day's last book, and I enjoyed the suspense built up throughout. Overall, pretty solid, especially if you like locked-door thrillers with lots of characters to keep track of!

Have you ever had the feeling of relief when a book is over? That is exactly how I feel now that I have finished One Big Happy Family. It pulled me in slightly at close to fifty percent, but never fully hooked me. The plot is very layered with multiple characters. I was extremely thankful to be listening to the audiobook while also reading it. The audiobook helped bring the characters to life while helping me distinguish the various characters. I enjoyed the setting of the isolated hotel while trying to figure out the identity of the murderer. for me, this was just OK. There was nothing extremely memorable or overly interesting. I was satsatisfied with the conclusion and it did add a surprise at the ending that bumped my rating up a point. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my audiobook.

Reading challenge category - 2024 Hoffbensen RC: A book published in 2024 (5)

Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC audiobook.

The Bishop family owns a hotel on the coast of Maine called "The Precipice." When the father, George, dies, the rest of the family arrives to plan for next steps with the hotel and his belongings, including a rumored painting that could be worth millions. Charley, a maid working at the hotel, is currently hiding a stowaway in one of the rooms and is hiding a secret of her own - she steals money from guests at the hotel to make ends meet. A hurricane sends damaging weather their way and knocks out the wifi, cellular, and intermittent blackouts. When people start dying, (a la "And Then There Were None") who is to blame?

The writing in this felt very juvenile and didn't have much depth. The characters were one dimensional. The 'big reveal' was very predictable but the 'twist' with the reveal was offhand and didn't really have a lot a build up. It felt like the author threw it in as an afterthought to make it different than other books in this genre.

2/5 stars.

Two-star ratings are so frustrating because you kinda wanna hate the book, but there's nothing there that can push it over the edge into that infuriating one-star rating zone. That's how I feel about One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day. I wanted to like this. I usually enjoy every thriller I open up because I love the anticipation and discovery as the reader uncovers the mystery and whodunnit plot twists, but this one fell severely flat for me.

Charley is a 19-year-old maid at the Precipice hotel on the coast of Maine, owned by the Bishop family. Here is where I run into my first problem. Charley is quite literally living in a storage closet and it took me back to Harry Potter haha, but this was executed worse. The whole concept of a lowly, poor employee living in less-than-stellar conditions working for a wealthy, arrogant family fell pretty flat in this story, in my opinion. I can appreciate a disparity like that between characters for the sake of the plot, but this one felt incredibly overdone. Then, she starts (kinda?) falling for the son of the Bishop family and while that's fine (we've all been there, girl) it didn't feel all that organic. The chemistry was lacking.

Also, I love a good plot twist--if you read thrillers, I'd expect that's what you're looking for. However, it seemed like the author wasn't sure what she wanted the major plot twist to be and just kept throwing different ones in there until one "felt right" or something. There was SO much going on and it felt scattered. The secondary timeline where we got a glimpse at the Bishop sisters' lives 20ish years in the past felt kind of unnecessary and it took away from the tension of what was happening in the present. Once I reemerged from where I was in the past to the present I had to reorient myself to get back into the thriller instead of the more historic narrative that was happening.

The ending left me wanting more, but I stuck around because I didn't hate the way Day writes and I was invested in finding out who did what and how everything happened so that's why I can't bring myself to give this just one star haha. Not sure I'll be reading any other Jamie Day books, though. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy!!

I love a good murder mystery and this was a novel with all the classic components, and with the modern twist of present tides. So many people have a motive in this book and the characters are complicated and interesting. I had a rough idea of what was going on, and then I had no idea what was going on, and then the ending was different again! The remote gloomy and Gothic type setting of the novel played up the dangerous and Bleak situation our main character finds herself in. A group of sisters should be best friends, but how does that work if one of them is also a murderer?

Jamie Day returns following her smashing debut, THE BLOCK PARTY with her latest riveting domestic whodunit locked-in thriller, ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY. They are anything but happy.

Three grown sisters come together to the family hotel with a questionable attorney after the father dies for the funeral and the reading of the will. Mix in a murder, three greedy sisters, a ruthless cheating husband, two sons, a fun housekeeper, a woman on the run she is hiding at the hotel, a cool front desk manager, and an approaching hurricane, and you have yourself a tantalizing locked-in thriller that will have you turning the pages into the wee hours of the morning!

About...

Set in Coastal Maine at a funky boutique hotel, The Precipice, a legendary family-owned hotel. From May until Labor Day, there are three maids on staff, but Charley is the only year-round help. They have fourteen guestrooms, three on the first floor, eight on the second, and three more on the third. Each guestroom is uniquely named based on a design theme.

Summer is when you make the best tips. Winter is a bit of a ghost town, but there are skiers and snowmobilers. Occupancy is lower now in September.

The novel centers around a housemaid (loved her)at the hotel, Charley Kelley, age 19, a survivor who lives (in a small closet) and works at the hotel while she cares for her loved Nana Kelley at a home, The Guiding Way. She has had a hard life and is financially responsible for her nana, who suffers from dementia. She is all she has left. Except for Rodrigo, the front desk manager and her only friend.

He knows what an evil prick George Bishop was. She is glad he is gone. While working at the hotel cleaning rooms, she does not make enough to pay for her living expenses and those of her nana, so she occasionally helps herself to a little money from the guests' wallets and her tips to tide her over. She does not take much, so it will not be noticeable.

When a mysterious woman named Bree, approaches her and says she is on the run from an abusive boyfriend, she begs Charley to hide her and says she will pay her later. She cannot use her credit card to be traced. If someone finds out she is hiding this woman, Charley could lose her job and her place to live. Then what?

Of course, Charley needs the cash so she has to be creative and keep moving Bree to rooms where there are no guests since she cannot put her into the system. Bree may be her salvation.

The only problem is the Bishop sisters are coming to Jonesport to bury their dad, George, to read the will, and they will be staying at the Precipice. They will close the hotel, and she has to figure out how she can keep Bree hidden and be on her best behavior for the sisters.

Who will take over the hotel, and will they keep her on? She has no idea how bad things will become.

Enter the Bishop sisters:

~Vicki: The eldest sister, entitled, founder of a jewelry chain store, and married to Todd (he is a cheater) and both are ruthless and greedy.
~Iris: The middle sister, an ex-convict, ex-drug addict, and has found religion.
~Faith: The younger sister, beautiful, a model, stylist, and addicted to the spotlight. She is married to Hope, a vegan chef and spiritualist.

The sons:
~Quinn: Handsome and nice. Son of Vicki and Todd. Charley likes him.
~Oliver: Son of Faith and Hope on the spectrum and into future telling

After the reading of the will, things escalate, and tempers flare. They think that someone has manipulated George into changing his will. The attorney, Todd, Vicki, or someone else. Who has the most to gain?

Watch your back! Let the power plays begin. Trust no one.

The approaching hurricane, Larry, is a monster —the most powerful hurricane to ravage the coast of Maine since Gerda in 1969. The winds and rain are intense. A tree is blocking the road leading to the hotel, and rivers of mud are impassable on foot or by car. There is no way out, no place to go.

There is more than the monster outside; there are monsters on the inside of the hotel. The hotel is now closed, and we have Bree, Charley, Rodrigo, Todd, the three Bishop sisters, the husband, the attorney, and the two sons.

Who is the killer? There is more than one surprise coming with some jaw-dropping twists. Who will be next?

Someone is murdered. And then someone else holds everyone hostage and takes their phones at gunpoint. There is no escaping. Someone among them is a murderer. There are also some others that have secret hidden agendas.

All the juicy, dirty secrets (there are many) are unraveled, and who will be left alive? The Bishop sisters and the others will discover that getting what you deserve isn’t always the same as getting what you want.

"Sometimes, good people make bad choices. They get lost along the way."

My thoughts...

I loved ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY! I enjoyed The Block Party; however, I enjoyed this one even more. I am a sucker for hotel stories as a former VP regional manager for multi-hotels and resorts in Florida. There is always some scandal going down.

A powerful family with a dangerous game of dark secrets, revenge, and cold-blooded ambition with murder, scandal, and mayhem! Wildly entertaining! The author cleverly creates a wicked cast of characters. All the sisters hold grudges and hide a ton of evil secrets. We get to hear their backstories and how the characters are connected in unexpected ways. Todd is a piece of work and Vicki is a perfect evil match for him.

A fun, twisty, and gripping whodunnit— as unpredictable as Hurricane Larry. You will not expect the murderer's identity and a nice twist. I loved Charley, Rodrigo, Nana, and the mysterious (wild card) Bree.

Scandalous! A lot of adults behaving badly, combined with the hurricane, weather, setting, and all the characters stuck in the hotel, will keep your heart pounding! I loved the dark humor, the mystery, and the cast of characters. I hope we see more of Charley in future books.

Audiobook...

I read the e-book and listened to the audiobook narrated by the fabulously talented and favorite narrator, Saskia Maarleveld who delivered a stellar performance for all voices. I loved it so much that I listened in one setting, and it was unputdownable. I highly recommend the audiobook.

Recs...

For fans of the author, those of Succession, and Kaira Rouda's Under the Palms (the Kingsleys series), and fans of Emma Rosenblum, and Freida McFadden.

Special thanks to St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley for advanced reading and listening copies for an honest review. #MacAudio2024 #SMPInfluencers

blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: July 16, 2024
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One Big Happy Family is a family drama thriller that is perfect to read on the beach or by the pool this summer! Three sisters convene on the family owned hotel on the Maine coast after their father dies. There is a hurricane on the way, family secrets, and a mysterious guest on the premises. This all adds up to create a story full of twists and reading just one more chapter.

I switched back and forth between the audiobook and e-book while reading this book. I enjoyed both versions and would recommend either especially if you love thrillers full of family drama.

Thank you @macmillan.audio and @stmartinspress for allowing me to read this book ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

(This same review was shared on the Barnes & Noble website.)