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

I can't tell if this is a me problem and I'm burned out, or if it's a book problem, so no rating. Early reviews are loving this and I've enjoyed the author in the past, but I was bored to tears.

4 Fun Whodunnit StarsThis felt like the book version of the movie Knives Out in many ways, quite honestly; but it was fast-paced and kept me very entertained throughout. I flew through it and had fun the whole time. I really loved how jacked up all the characters were...how dysfunctional their family system proved to be. How poisoned every character became by the potential of large sums of money. It was like watching a curated train wreck and I loved it. I did think the reveal at the end could h...

Oh, what a deliciously wicked mystery. The book starts with the murdered bodies of Fred and Sheila Merton. It’s the Tuesday after Easter; an Easter that was a contentious family gathering. Fred is such a nasty man, I would have wanted to do him in. And his wife was the total wuss, letting him get away with all his nastiness. So the question is, who murdered them? One of his three children that he psychologically tortured, especially at that last dinner? His sister? Or someone else? As you would

This is a Psychological Thriller. I loved this book so much, and I really enjoyed how this book kept me guessing. This is a real who did it book. While looking for who killed a rich couple their secrets and their kids secrets slowly unfolds. I have to say guessing what a secret will be uncovered next was so much fun. This is not a dark psychological thriller, but it is more a family drama psychological thriller.

the plot twist wasnt that good, it was pretty predictable which sucks because i spent the entire book being so shocked by the twists and turns just to get to the end and be let down. i noticed in another book i read by this author that the plot twists at the end aren’t very twisty and in both books it was pretty obvious who it was and it was like the author was trying to throw you off on who it was, with both books. it just feels really repetitive. i’m also confused on why the person killed the

Short list of things that are solid:1. Wood.2. Steel girders.3. An entertaining domestic suspense 'whodunit' from Shari Lapena!She does it again...almost.On the upside? Lapena always keeps her character list short, which I honestly appreciate. Too many thrillers and suspense novels get cluttered with a bunch of people who either don't matter, aren't interesting, or seem to exist only to serve as potential suspects. This tightly-knit family provided just enough options without a bunch of filler.T...

Ok, so I definitely predicted who the killer was, but I still had so much FUN reading this one! This is a thriller about these rich parents who have their kids over for Easter, but these parents are kind of assholes to their kids and they put all kind of ridiculous expectations on them, and on the morning after Easter, the parents are found brutally murdered in their home. The only suspects are the three adult siblings who all will gain a big inheritance from their deaths, and who argued with th...

Pass the Buck!Someone did a bad thing. But who? Or was it a group effort?You would think people on the edge of a financial windfall would be deliriously happy, or at least grateful in their security, but not these family members. A well developed cast of characters were delightfully malcontent and rotten to the core which meant that I was on board with any one of them being held culpable for the misdeeds happening here. The family theme was ‘More is More’ with the knowledge that a conviction wou...

Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena (Author), Ellen Archer (Narrator)Usually I don't enjoy stories made up of a big group of selfish, greedy, rotten liars. That's the Merton family for you and now the Merton parents are dead and the lies and accusations are flying among the grown children. This is a sick, dysfunctional trio that doesn't want to lose the dysfunction but does want to grab all the wealth of their dead parents. All three kids have motive to kill their parents but would any of them be...

Who would want to kill Fred and Sheila Morton? Or, should I ask-who wouldn’t want to kill them?? The family has gathered for the annual Easter dinner, hosted by Fred and Sheila, and patriarch Fred has an announcement to make. One that his grown children are not going to like. Eldest daughter Catherine and her husband, leave in a huff, followed closely behind by beleaguered middle child, Dan and his wife, Lisa. Even the former nanny/now part time housekeeper Irena is angry! Shortly after, their y...

Fast paced mystery!I listened to this one as an audiobook, and from the beginning, I just couldn't stop listening. It is divided into short sections, which made me compulsively keep listening as more clues were uncovered. We start off knowing that Fred and Sylvia Merton are dead. Who killed them and why is the central mystery. Well, pretty much everyone who was related to them had a reason to, as Fred was a first class jerk to his three children and Sylvia stood by and let it happen. The Mertons...

Actual rating: 2,75Not a Happy Family was September pick in our book club. I was really looking forward to it because I've seen many complementary reviews, plus I do appreciate Shari Lapena as a writer even though I didn't fall in love with all of her books.Good thing about this book is that it is easy to read, so we all finished the book faster then we planned, excluding one girl who DNFed it.I rarely DNF books, and I almost never do it when I get a review copy, but I completely understand why

Count me in as a fan!! This is my third novel by Shari Lapena and I really enjoy her writing style. Her books are all quick reads and are rivetting! Although the ending of The End of Her really pissed me off, I still enjoyed it. 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. "Maybe you should just tell them the trut...

Was it Colonel Mustard in the library with a candlestick?Was it Ms. Scarlett in the lavatory with a piece of rope?Was it one of the Mercer children in the living room and kitchen with a wire and knife?Or was it someone else?Whoever it was, they sure didn’t like Fred and Sheila Mercer.Shortly after a tense Easter dinner at Fred and Sheila’s, the couple are found murdered. Who would do that to them? They have three children. All of them were at Easter dinner. Two of them were with their spouses. O...

Congratulations for being nominated as one of the best thrillers for Goodreads Choice Awards! This book was definitely one of the best reads of the year!Hmmm I smell delicious, mind bending concept here: Knives out meets Succession! Welcome to the Merton Family mention located at Brecken Hill in upstate New York. Dear Fred and Sheila Merton have no idea this will be their last family dinner party with their lovely kids who hate the guts of them. That was an ordinary Easter dinner till their love...

Oooo boy this is one family tree in need of chopping down! 🪓Two things that kept running through my mind while reading this: Liar, liar pants on fire (Yes, I am 46 years old) and you can't pick your family. I did enjoy this as I do most Lapena books but I will say that the reveal and the epilogue were disappointing to me. I guess I just wanted something a little more shocking. 3.5 stars! Thanks to Overdrive for my copy!

4.5 STARSLapena is still the Queen of Domestic Suspense!This one was quite a page-turner for me. I was frantically turning the pages to solve the Merton murders!Who dunnit? So many suspects, so little time. I need to know!The family is nervous, anxious, untrusting. I don't believe any of them! They are all liars, maybe psychopaths too.The police want to know if they had any enemies, if anyone saw anything, and who has a motive. Umm, everyone!!A murder mystery with suspects galore and the last li...

4.5 starsThe not-so-happy-family here are the Mertons. Fred was a total jerk to everyone, but mostly to his children. Sheila, his wife, is a cold and distant mother, and failed to protect the children from their father.They gather together for the Easter dinner from hell, where Fred makes an announcement that has all the children leaving hurriedly, angry and upset. Even Irena, the housekeeper who had been the children’s nanny, leaves. Audrey, Fred’s sister, missed the dinner, but she has a compl...

What could be better than a holiday dinner with family?Yoga class, walking the dog, your favorite pair of leggings, reading, online shopping, taking your bra off after a long day at work, sitting by a crackling fireplace, trying a new beverage at Starbucks, getting your period, going to the dentist...okay, apparently there are a lot of things that are more enjoyable to holiday dinners with your family...You know what I'm talking about. You know.Maybe you have too much to drink. Maybe everybody h...