One Big Happy Family

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

Hurricane Larry is bearing down on Jonesport, Maine where nineteen-year-old Charley Kelley works as a chambermaid at the Precipice Hotel. The Precipice, named for its seemingly perilous location on the edge of Gull Hill, overlooks the ocean.

Hired by the hotel’s owner, George Bishop, Charley has worked [and lived in a tiny closet of a room] here for two years. Her small salary goes to paying for her Nana’s are at Guiding Way, a senior living home.

But everything is about to change.

The rent at Guiding Way is going up and Charley may not even have a job . . . George Bishop has died and his three daughters are on their way to the Precipice.

Charley has no idea what the weekend will bring . . . will the sisters decide to close the hotel? Or will they fire Charley despite her desperate need to care for her Nana?

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Anchored by a strong sense of place and a protagonist readers are likely to empathize with, this thriller grabs readers from the outset and keeps those pages turning as fast as possible. Complex, intriguing, and suspenseful, readers are kept guessing as unexpected revelations slowly come to light.

The plot, twisty and unpredictable, touches on family, friendship, and family interactions. The characters are nuanced and believable. Charley’s pilfering from hotel guests is understandable in the context of the story, especially considering her heavy responsibilities and her inexperienced youth; less understandable is the dysfunctional behavior between Vicki, Iris, and Faith.

Told from Charley’s point of view, the unfolding story gains tension from the threatening storm as well as from Charley’s anxiousness. Secrets abound; the hurricane is relentless; the unfolding story unputdownable. Readers who enjoy thrillers will find much to appreciate here.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
#OneBigHappyFamily #NetGalley

This was a fun story that was engaging from the start. Charley is a 19-year-old maid at the Precipice, an eccentric hotel on the coast of Maine. The owner has recently passed away and his three daughters, the Bishop sisters, are coming for the funeral (i.e. inheritance), right when the hotel is preparing for a hurricane. Charley’s worried about the status of her job as she both works and lives at the hotel. She needs to save every dollar that she can to pay her grandmother’s care home costs. If she loses her job, she’ll lose her home and her Nana will lose hers, as well. Charley is ready to do anything it takes to please the sisters in the hope that they will keep her employed. But she has no idea how dysfunctional these sisters are and how far they will go to protect their own.

Because of course, this isn’t your typical happy family gathering. The sisters bring their spouses and children, none of whom seem to get along well at all. There are constant references to dark secrets and lies that must be revealed. Even the lawyer who’s come to read the will isn’t the impartial professional that she appears to be. Pretty much no one is what they seem and that’s what makes it so enjoyable! And then the murders begin…

I loved this book – it’s the second that I have read by this author, and I knew it wouldn’t disappoint. You definitely root for Charley, but I did have an issue with her habit of stealing from guests. Sure, they may not notice and she’s desperate to have a roof over her and her Nana’s heads, but that doesn’t make it ok. You want to sympathize with her but it’s hard with her criminal behavior. I flew through the story; it was the definition of a page-turner with characters who’d fit right in with your own quirky family. And the resolution was quite satisfactory for everyone – my favorite kind!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day due to be released July 16, 2024.
Charley Kelley had a rough life until hotel owner George Bishop gave her a break working as a maid in his hotel – the Precipice – on the coast of Maine.
With George’s passing his three daughters – Vicki (overbearing with her annoying husband, Todd), Iris (the black sheep of the family), and Faith (a former model who brings her partner, Hope) – have come to claim what is theirs at the reading of the will. As one of the sisters says, “This family puts the fun in dysfunctional.” Unfortunately, there is a hurricane looming, dangerous secrets are hidden by the sisters, and murder may be on the horizon. Not to mention the girl on the run that Charley is secretly hiding.
Will everyone who checked in be checking out? Will Charley’s “stowaway” be discovered?
I couldn’t wait to delve into this book – the reading of a will never turns out to be acceptable to everyone – I had a feeling this One Big Happy Family wouldn’t last long!
There were many twists, turns, and secrets to be told between the Bishop sisters and the guests at the Precipice Hotel – you won’t want to miss this one!
#netgalley #JamieDay #st.martinspress #onebighappfamily

Review on GoodReads

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC I just finished.

Murder in a remote hotel on the coast of Maine that happens to be cut off by a hurricane? Yes, please!

This book not only starts with one of my favorite tropes, but is filled with twists and turns. It definitely kept me guessing and turning pages. Even the few things I thought I had figured out were only partially right.

If you enjoy a good thriller this is one to check out. It made me think of Riley Sager a bit.

Jamie Day’s previous book, The Block Party, just moved to the top of my TBR pile.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for this digital ARC. It was perfect timing with a cold, overcast weekend to read about this beautiful setting in Maine where the torrential rains played a major part in this thriller. This story sucked me in, and with the detailed writing, I could picture it playing on the big screen. It has all the elements: family discord, reading of the will, no cell phone service and several characters to keep you guessing who is killing who.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book in a 48 hour time period! I had no trouble doing it because IT WAS SO GOOD! I love the Maid, Charley, and her tenacity as she supported not only herself but her nana! The hotel she worked at was a visual treat and I could see the action as it unfolded as the family who owned it grapples with the death of their wicked father. There are lies piled on top of lies in this story and even though I didn’t like some of the characters I loved their quirky personalities and things they pulled off in this novel. Well done! This book comes out in July and I would definitely recommend it!

I love Jamie Day! The Block Party was one of my favorite reads last year and One Big Happy Family is my first 5 star of 2024. Jamie is SO good at setting the scene in these thrillers and they are always impossible to put down.
Charley has been cleaning the Precipice Hotel for years to make ends meet and pay for her nana’s monthly housing costs, but ends are never really meeting and she’s got a habit of stealing from guests.
When the owner of the hotel dies his daughters make their way to town for the will reading. Charley has no idea what her fate will be with her job if and when one of the sisters takes over. Tensions are high and they only get higher after the will reading. Now Charley is stuck in the hotel, due to the hurricane, with three sisters who aren’t her biggest fan and who knows if she can even survive the weekend, let alone worry about if she still has a job.
This was SO good. I’m such a sucker for a good twist and the twists in this book did not disappoint. The hurricane provided that sense of impending doom, the characters pull you in, and the secrets and family drama tie everything up with a nice, thrilling bow.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin Press for providing me a copy of this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jamie Day is my new favorite author!!!! I loved her debut book and this new one as well! What a fun way to start the new year! A plot that is set over the course of a long weekend, during a hurricane in an old Inn - it is reminiscent of the movie Clue and so fresh and unique! The characters are all suspect as the weekend continues, and bodies pile up - but the surprise twist in the end is the best part!!! I am so grateful for the advance copy and can't wait for the next book from Jamie Day!

I read the book this author came out with last year and it was my favorite of the year. So needless to say I devoured this one as soon as I could get my hands on it. I freaking love it! You really get to know each and every character and it feels like every time the smallest thing about a character is revealed you just unlocked some new twist. The story was woven together perfectly

A great thriller that pulled me in from the very beginning! I didn't predict any of the twists and they just kept coming! This was such a fun read, but the ending was a bit too perfectly wrapped up, happily ever after for me. Other than that, this is a fantastic thriller!!

I loved the newest Shari Lapena thriller. It’s about a beautiful high school girl who has her whole life in front of her gets murdered and left in a field in a tiny town in Vermont. Did a stranger do this or could it be someone they know? Told from alternating povs, you aren’t sure if they are telling the truth or lying. I devoured this book in two sittings.

After reading Jamie Day’s book The.Block Party I knew she wouldn’t disappoint with this book! She starts this thriller setting the scene and tone for the entire book and brings you on a roller coaster ride through a hurricane and a totally dysfunctional family that will murder for what they think they derserve! Thanks for the advanced read!

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day was such a great murder mystery. This book really felt like I was watching a movie or that I was part of a murder mystery dinner. I really enjoyed the twist at the end and the "who done it" type style of reading.

I have been provided with a review copy of this title from NetGalley for an impartial review. I just really enjoyed this story and I just didn’t want it to end. I just lost myself in and I just couldn’t get enough of these interesting characters. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

This novel by Jamie Day will thrill fans of mystery and those interested in complex family dynamics! The book sweeps readers off to the coast of Maine and plunges them into the saga of three sisters who must navigate a dangerous environment in the middle of a storm! This is the perfect summer beach read! I enjoyed it!

Wow! So, so good! I officially love the author Jamie Day. I cannot wait for the next book! Such a good read.

4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for One Big Happy Family
Auther: Jamie Day
Release date: July 16, 2024

This book tells the story of Charley, who is a maid at an out of the way hotel. The hotel owner has died and his daughters, the bishop sisters, are coming in for the will reading. Right before they get there a girl Charley meets in town, Bree, asks for Charley to hide her from her abusive boyfriend. With a hurricane barring down on them, creepy poems, and a dead body discovered in the hallway: who is guilty? Who has sins to confess? Who is going to make it until morning? And who else is going to die?

With a diverse cast of characters, a quick moving plot, and multiple twists, Jamie Day has weaved a web that will keep you entangle until the very last page.

While I did guess one of the pretty big twists pretty early on, there were plenty of other twists that I didn’t guess until they were happening. This story had me guessing and changing my mind as the chapters flew by. This is definitely going to be a top read for this summer!

#Netgalley #EveryBookIsANewAdventure #Mystery #Thriller #MysteryThriller #LockedRoomThriller #WhoDunnit #GirlsWhoRead #Bibliophile

As I was reading, I figured I wasn’t going to give this book five stars — bits are a bit too trite, too clichéd. But you know what? It’s exactly what it’s meant to be as plucky, down-on-her-luck heroine stuck cleaning up messes (literally)for 1%ers and a locked door murder in the midst of a hurricane. Altogether an excellent way to wile away a few hours.

Jamie Day is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! One Big Happy Family is an excellent read and should be in everyone's beach bag this summer!