One Big Happy Family

By: Jamie Day

Narrator: Saskia Maarleveld

Macmillan Audio

ISBN: 9781250283207

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Publication Date: 07/16/2024

Format: Hardcover & audio

My Rating: 5 Stars + (ARC)

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The newest, riveting summer suspense by the author of THE BLOCK PARTY, Jamie Day.

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.

With razor-sharp wit, heart, thrills, and twists, Jamie Day delivers a unique brand of SUMMERTIME SUSPENSE.

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#OneBigHappyFamily

My Review

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.

Summary...

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

@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks

My Rating: 5 Stars

Pub Date: July 16, 2024

July 2024 Must-Read Books

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Praise

"An unputdownable and gripping thriller with nonstop twists and turns!" ―Freida McFadden, New York Times bestselling author of The Housemaid

"Day's well-crafted mystery is highly entertaining, with a sharp "Knives Out" vibe."

―Minneapolis Star- Tribune

#TheBlockPary

About the Author

Jamie Day lives in one of those picture-perfect, coastal New England towns you see in the movies. And just like the movies, Jamie has two children and an adorable dog to fawn over. When not writing or reading, Jamie enjoys yoga, the ocean, cooking, and long walks on the beach with the dog, or the kids, or sometimes both. READ MORE