Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena

Good morning, readers! Today I'm a stop on the Random Things blog tour for Shari Lapena's latest, Not a Happy Family!

Easter Sunday and the entire family has gathered at the Merton home on Brecken Hill. 

Catherine and her husband, Dan and his wife, and youngest sister Jenna and her boyfriend of the moment have convened at the family home to celebrate the holiday with their parents, Sheila and Fred. But it's by no means a happy gathering. In fact, by the end all of the siblings have stormed out after being berated by their father over what a disappointment each of them has been. 

Two days later, Sheila and Fred are found brutally murdered in their home. And absolutely everyone the police questions is lying about something. 

Shari Lapena might be the reigning queen of quick reads!

If you're looking for a dysfunctional family thriller, Not a Happy Family is definitely the book for you!

Catherine is a successful dermatologist, the favorite of all her parents' children. But the fact that she and her husband have yet to provide grandchildren is something Fred Merton apparently holds against them. 

Catherine had hoped to inherit the family home. But is that enough of a reason to kill her parents?

Dan was an employee at his father's company and thought he'd be the one to take over when Fred retired. Unfortunately, Fred had other ideas and sold the company leaving Dan unemployed and desperate for cash. Which is the one thing Fred can absolutely help out with, but refuses. 

So did Dan kill his parents over money?

Finally Jenna, the starving artist. She's always acting out, as evident in her choice of date for Easter. And she lives off of the allowance her father provides, something he's constantly holding over her and threatening to cut off. 

Could it have been Jenna who killed Sheila and Fred?

It quickly becomes evident that many people have both the means and the motive—as well as the opportunity—to commit the crime. But as the clues slowly begin to reveal themselves, Lapena deftly manages to keep the reader on the edge of their seats and guessing just who the real killer might be. 

I'll be honest, I've been in the midst of a reading rut, down by recent Covid news, and stuck in the house thanks to garbage air quality. Not the best of circumstances in which to start a new read. And yet, I found myself pulled into this one from the very start. By the time I came up for breath, I was already a third of the way through the book and barely realized any time had passed at all!

Not a Happy Family is an expertly paced page turner perfect for returning fans and readers new to Lapena's work alike. Fair warning, this is probably not the best book to start at bedtime!

Not a Happy Family is out now in the UK from Bantam Press and in the US from Pamela Dorman Books.