Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
a] fast-paced whodunit…. NOT A HAPPY FAMILY works well as a crime novel, and there are some fun surprises. Overall, Lapena has produced another engaging and entertaining read.” The Merton kids and Rose all claim they didn’t know they are half-siblings. But Rose’s friend did the Merton’s legal work, and told Rose she was a beneficiary of Fred’s will. Rose is also the reason for Dan’s financial troubles, as she persuaded him to invest some money, which she lost. Not a Happy Family is a dysfunctional family whodunit mystery. I'm really digging these plots right now. No, this story isn't very original and reminds me of the movie "Knives Out", but I'm still entertained from start to finish. I’ve read all of Shari Lapena’s suspense novels (except her last one, which I plan to make right soon), and I have loved all of them. Yes! Unfortunately knives are not out! Because the poor caretaker Irena already washed away the murder weapon, cleaning the traces of blood and fingertips of the murderer. She has good intentions. She literally raised those kids and she truly knows how they suffered from controlling monster a.k.a real psychopath father of the year with a big ugly secret.
The truth is, they're all so much better off now that their parents have been murdered.The Mertons gather for Easter dinner, and it's a dreadful experience for almost everyone involved. The only one having fun is patriarch Fred Merton, who particularly enjoys bullying every member of his family, including his wife and his three grown children. So when Fred and his wife are gruesomely murdered later that night, no one is really surprised. Any of his children would gladly have done it, or was it someone else altogether who hates their father even more?The book was written in third person and it followed too many perspectives. I think all of the characters got their POV at some point.
I was guessing up until the end. The characters were not all that well-developed and not very likable, but I honestly had no idea who did it. Now available from Pamela Dorman Books. I thank my local library for providing me with a copy through the drive-up window. 🤣 The family in this story, the Mertons, although wealthy, are not a happy family. Their holiday dinners get very messy indeed. I have now read all six of Shari Lapena’s novels, and have found them all to be entertaining! If you enjoy domestic suspense and haven’t yet read this author-it’s time to change that! A mystery perfect for fans who can’t get enough of the complex Roy family dynamics, Not a Happy Family is the Succession/Knives Out crossover of your dreams!”That is actually the case with the whole book. It seems like it was brought to us in such... passive way that the it was hard to be emotionally invested. Bestselling author Shari Lapena knows a thing or two about secrets, and in Not a Happy Family, everyone’s got them – even the dead. When a wealthy couple is murdered the day after a contentious Easter dinner with their estranged offspring, their kids become instant millionaires—that is, unless it turns out that they’re the ones responsible for the murder. Strong Menendez Brother vibes with this one.” Each family member(including the deceased couple) was repugnant, loathsome, and distasteful in different ways. One or more members of the Merton family is possibly a psychopath. This was an extremely unique narrative tone for me. The story is told from a distant third person perspective, yet I felt fully connected and engrossed within this twisty and suspenseful tale. I loved the short chapters of this family drama that always left me on edge wanting to read “just one more”. My suspicions flew all over the place, suspecting every single character at one point or another.
Great Deal 
New Comment