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
July 2024 Must-Read Books
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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.)

You know that one where the father dies and the family gathers to read the will? Yeah, the one where nothing is as it seems - this is the book.

I had the audiobook version of One Big Happy Family and enjoyed it. There were several characters and even more twists in the plot. I was at the gym while listening and at one point, stopped mid - rep on a machine because I was shocked by the twist I had just heard. Then I laughed at myself and paid closer attention.

Set in an eclectic hotel off the coast of Maine, One Big Happy Family (sarcastically) is what you get. Money makes people crazy but money isn’t the only thing that sets the Bishop sisters on edge.

There is a large cast of players in this novel. They all have secrets and are all suspects.

Inspired by Oliver:
Read this novel if you are into thrillers.
It will definitely make your bones feel chiller

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this audio book. The narration was done well and kept me engaged.

This one was just okay. It had characters and elements that seemed familiar from many other mystery/thrillers. I was not especially shocked by anything that happened, or the “twists.” Still, I enjoyed it as a quick, easy summer read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

One Big Happy Family is about sisters and an inheritance and the rumor of a hidden treasure.

"Three sisters come back to the hotel they grew up in - The Precipice. Iris, Vicki and Faith want to hear their deceased father's will and get their inheritance. Hurricane Larry is right off the coast and could cause some problems. The maid, Charley, is desperate to know if she'll be able to keep her job. The will contains surprises and when someone ends up dead, everyone wonders who is next."

Our main POV is Charley and you find yourself pulling for her - except that she's stealing from guests to help pay the bills. Todd is awful - and you have no idea just how bad he is 'til later in the story. Everyone has a family member like Vicki - control issues and thinking no one can survive without her input. All the sisters have a secret - something bad they did together as teenagers at the hotel. And the secret guest has a secret too. It all makes for an entertaining story.

Saskia Maarleveld is wonderful on the audio, even with all of the voices. She perfectly captures Charley's desperation and naivete. And the "Karen-ness of Vicki. I could see Vicki snapping her fingers to get her way. This is great audio.

The hurricane makes this a little bit of a locked-room mystery - almost. Day throws in a couple of surprises, especially at the end. I liked the ending and the twists. This would be a great beach read this summer (or a great rainy-day in the mountains read this fall)

You know that this title is totally sarcastic. You don’t need to think too much about what you would be getting from this book: there will be a big family, and they wouldn’t be getting along.

Owner of The Precipice died and all his kids got together to hear what their father’s will would tell them. They all expected couple millions to hit their bank account, but the reality did not meet the expectation. Money and inheritance always show the real face of the siblings. What happened at The Precipice after the reading of the will was way worse than what people thought.

This is a good book to read on the beach. It was a page turner with bit of family drama, and you would have a lot of theories about who did the deed and who wanted that inheritance the most.

I loved Day's last book The Block Party, and I was so looking forward to this one. In the end, it did not live up to my expectations. I was invested in the story for the first half of the book - the setting, the locked room mystery, Charlie's character development, the family dynamics and drama. But.....the way the story unfolded continued to get more and more ridiculous and unbelievable, eliciting more eye rolls than anticipation. This book tried too hard to be twisty, and it just didn't work in the end.

The story starts at The Precipice Hotel in a small Maine town, and the owner George Bishop was just died. The staff is waiting for his family to arrive for his burial and reading of the will which could be delayed due to an impending hurricane. Charley the maid who desperately needs her job is worried about the future of the hotel. The family arrives and not long after the mystery begins. Lots of twists to this story thriller fans will definitely enjoy!
This was my first Jamie Day book and I was not disappointed. The audiobook narration by Saskia Maarleveld was excellent I hope to listen to more of her audio.

“For me, books are magic. They transport me to a different world. Opening the cover of a new book never fails to fill me with hope. It’s as though it’s whispering that I have the power to choose a different life, even if I never seem to leave the one I have.”

Money. Money. Money. The root of all evil indeed. Unfortunately this one was just meh for me. I was excited by the premise but it just did not deliver in the thriller way that I like.

The hotel itself, The Precipice, sounded eclectic and so fun. It reminded me a lot of an Inn I stayed at in Provincetown and I loved that aspect. But the sisters were petty and not all that interesting and the hurricane baring down didn’t add much to the suspense. Overall an okay read but more of a family drama than thriller.

The audiobook was done very well and I really enjoyed the narration. I actually think it added to my enjoyment as opposed to reading with my eyes.

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for the ALC and ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I was excited to receive an ARC of One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day as I thoroughly enjoyed her previous novel, The Block Party. The story and excellent narration by Saskia Maarleveld kept me engaged throughout the audiobook but I felt it was slightly too long. It certainly won’t stop me from listening to or reading any future works by this author as she writes an entertaining book.

Thanks to MacMillan Audio and Netgalley for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for an honest review.

In One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day, we follow Charley Kelley, the maid at the Precipice. The Precipice is a boutique hotel on the Maine coast that belongs to the Bishop family. The patriarch has died and his three daughters have come to hear his will and claim their inheritance. They all have secrets, including Charley who has led a difficult life, and needs to steal from the guests to help make the rent on her nan's retirement apartment. Charley is described as smart, but she thinks with her heart, and is too trusting. She is definitely morally grey as she justifies her thefts as things that won't even be noticed. Plus, Charley is hiding a non-paying guest at the hotel without the sisters' knowledge. This becomes a locked room mystery when the chef quits as the impending storm, a hurricane, is advancing upon the Maine coast and the Precipice. That's when the first murder happens. It can only have been someone at the hotel. I thoroughly enjoyed this read, but to me, it was not the thriller it intended to be. The pacing was all over the place. If this had been very tightly plotted and paced, it could have been fantastic. As it was, I enjoyed the story and I really liked both Charley and Vicki's son Quinn. Future spin-off story? The cover for this book is gorgeous with the pastel adirondack chairs giving the summer vibe and the dark and menacing sea and sky screaming danger. Very evocative. The narrator was wonderful. I gave this book 3.75 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

It’s been years since all three Bishop sisters were at the Precipice, but the death of their father has brought them all together for the reading of the will. The sisters and their families arrive at the hotel anxious to learn what the patriarch has left them each, but their hatred of one another and a pending hurricane threaten to derail the entire weekend. There’s a storm brewing and it’s not Mother Nature – someone is killing them off, one by one. Will they survive to see the daylight, or will their darkest secrets doom them all?

Jamie Day’s sophomore novel One Big Happy Family delivers the suspense and mystery readers loved in her debut The Block Party. Day combines the classic murder mystery of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None with the modern family drama whodunit of Rian Johnson’s Knives Out movie to give readers an unforgettable novel that will keep you guessing till the very end. This is a masterpiece of family dynamics and a look at the long-term damage our secrets can cause.

I give One Big Happy Family 5 out of 5 stars. I could not put this one down! I grew up reading Agatha Christie novels and watching the screen adaptations – this felt like home to me! There were several times I thought I’d figured out the killer’s identity or the family’s secret only to turn the page and find out I was pretty far off base. Day weaves in red herrings and details that, while important for the characters backstory, completely throw you off the trail of the real killer!

If you love suspense novels and are looking for a great summer read – this is the one for you! Given the murder mystery theme, inclusion of substance abuse, and other factors, I would suggest this be directed to more mature audiences over 16. This would make a great book club pick – there is so much to unpack with each character’s story!

Similar to the cover of her debut novel, One Big Happy Family shows a group of Adirondak chairs set on a cliff with the storm coming in. The vibrant colors and drama they invoke drew my attention immediately. I knew I had to read this one once I read the publisher’s blurb – you are going to love this novel!

This book made me fall in love with ( and despise) characters! I listened as I worked it was easy to keep up with the characters and their drama

I really enjoyed the Block Party so I was excited to get this one. I read most of it on audiobook and it wasn’t until the last 15 percent or so that I became impatient enough to switch to kindle to get through it faster. I found the twists and turns to be pretty predictable once they came and I do wish the book had moved a little faster. I thought the characters were interesting and I loved the way the narrator brought them to life. Charlie works as a maid with an old closet for a room as part of her wages. She struggles to get enough money each month to support her Nana who has dementia and is in assisted living. The likely new owners of the hotel, three sisters, are coming for the will reading after their father dies despite the fact that hurricane is on its way in. Soon the three sisters, the attorney, Charlie, her friend Bree, and the sisters’ families are trapped in the hotel, but there are a lot of secrets and not everyone is ok with them all being kept. I enjoyed this book a lot even if it was a little more drama and not quite as many twists and turns as I was hoping for.

This was a decent read. It was a bit confusing here and there but overall I enjoyed it. Good pacing.

The title is something of a misnomer. This family is in no way happy. Not in the childhood of the three sisters and not in novel present day. Charley’s story isn’t any better.
The outcome of the book was interesting.
The narrator did a good job.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press and MacMillan Audio for the chance to read this book.