Not A Happy Family: A Novel by Shari Lapena
Product Details
Web ID: 14594072A miss for me
I typically love Shari Lapena’s books, but Not A Happy Family was unfortunately a miss for me. While it had her typical writing style and various (albeit… too many this time) POVs, the plot, characters, and twists weren’t great. I felt there were too many characters to focus on and couldn’t keep track of. One twist was far too evident for me and lackluster, and then the final twist, lackluster as well. Hopefully the next one I pick up from her will bring me back to my usual enjoyment of her writing!
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
More of a Mystery
Not a Happy Family was more of a mystery, who-dun-it than a "thriller" products I have read by Shari Lapena. Sheila and Fred Merton are ultra rich, and Fred has always been excessively abusive to their two daughters and middle son. Sheila never intervened, and as a result, this family truly is not happy. After an Easter Sunday family gathering, Sheila and Fred are found murdered by the housekeeper. Let the mystery and drama now begin as all three children stand to inherit an extreme amount of money. Throw in Fred's greedy sister and a couple of other folks who could possibly benefit from the estate and you've got a mystery. How did the children function after this? We are left to imagine that on our own.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Family Drama
I enjoyed this book till the end kept wondering who the killer was but the ending was a disappointment. I thought the author would make the ending interesting
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Family Dysfunction at it’s Finest!!
If you want to read a mystery book about a dysfunctional family, then Not a Happy Family should be right up your alley!! I have read the majority of Shari Lapena’s books and let me just tell you that gal’s got a knack for writing (much UNLIKE myself)!! I have thoroughly enjoyed every books of hers that I have read and hope to continue to do so for a long time! Lisa Gardner is one of my all-time favorite authors and Shari Lapena is starting to rank right up there with her for me! I can’t wait for her next release! This book is full of murder, mystery, secrets, and hatred and some pretty unpleasant characters, which sometimes can ruin a book…but not this book. These unpleasant characters is what makes this book unpredictable and thrilling because you honestly have no clue which one of the horrible people is actually the murderer. I was decently shocked by the ending, because it was left decently open, but that didn’t take away enough for me to drop from a 5-star rating! Not a Happy Family is narrated by Ellen Archer and I feel like she does a superb job! I don’t recall ever listening to anything narrated by her in the past, but I wouldn’t hesitate to listen to her again! The main word I think of when I think of this book is…simply…AMAZING! This is exactly what I think a good psychological thriller should consist of and Shari Lapena really nailed it with Not a Happy Family! Do yourself a favorite and start this one, like…NOW!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Not her best work
I've always loved her books. They always have a surprise ending. This one was boring and an expected ending. Wonder why? After all her other books are so good......
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com