Murder in the Family: A Novel

The format to this book was very unique and it was fun! It was a UK book and I felt like some of the grammar was off, but not the typical UK things. So, I don't know if that was bad editing, or because of the format of a TV episode, that they put some mistakes in there. Anyway, but there were articles in there and other fun stuff. There were a lot of characters and I had to keep checking on some of them to see who they were. But each "episode" left us with a great cliffhanger. I did predict somewhat early on that I thought it was the boy who did it. However, I did waiver from that a bit, but then thought it was weird that no one else had thought of it. Then again why would he want to do the show if he was the one who had done it. It was show more a fun read overall, great twists, and just very different format from what I've read, so I gave it 4 stars. I can see this book being a love it or hate it kind of thing! show less

Unique crime mystery that can't be missed!

This was such a fun read! I loved the style and format as it created an immersive experience making the reader feel totally involved in this true crime docudrama. One can review all sorts of different pieces of information such as: photos, reports, maps, emails, text conversations, and best of all -- the transcript of the TV series, Infamous, that is said to be streaming on Netflix.

The premise: A specially selected group of experts is hired to analyze the evidence surrounding a cold case involving the murder of Luke Ryder in December, 2003. Twenty years have passed and no one was ever charged. Can the team figure out what happened on that winter night?

This was twisty with a new revelation at show more every turn. I was able to guess parts of the true crime story but wrong about some aspects. I really enjoyed how the truth unfolded and the way the clever author chose to do it. I think it's best to read this in the shortest sitting possible to keep everything straight and to get the full appreciation of some of the discoveries, coincidences, and surprises.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend. show less

this is by no means perfect, but it's really fun. the reality television setting is done a bit differently, where it's an unsolved case they're figuring out as they go, and so each episode there are surprises and evidence, interviews, and possible suspects. very fun, and just a nice way to slightly change the expectations of the genre.

"I want to find the truth. Whatever the truth turns out to be."
I absolutely loved how different this book was from most other books I’ve read! The whole story is basically told through the script of a reality tv show with some other tidbits throughout! We get emails, texts, blog posts! And the coolest part is everything is unfolding basically in real time! The way it was written was fun and engaging in itself but the author also manages to create this amazing story. I have to admit a lot of twists I didn’t see coming which was lovely!

I love true crime stuff and this was basically set up like a let’s try and solve this old case, so everything was detailed like a true crime show. It had a wide variety of characters and connections. show more I spent the whole time trying to solve it and I honestly wasn’t 100% sure what had happened until about three pages before the book actually revealed it! And I have to say I love a book that can make me question myself so much! I formulated so many theories reading this one. It was such a fun experience to be able to try and solve the crime in real time with the characters in the book. Honestly I thought this book was phenomenal and I can’t begin to imagine how difficult it must be to pull something like this together so successfully. show less

I have recently found I enjoy mysteries written in epistlatory form and, Wow, this book is written extremely well.
Excerpt from Ross Leslie article, p362
"Just when you think you've got the measure of Infamous, they flip you another whiplash twist." Just about sums up this book.
I was concerned when I reached a plot twist less than halfway through that the rest was going to feel drawn out.
Nope.
The twists just kept coming! As soon as I thought I knew where the case was going, another bomb dropped and I had to rethink everything. This book blew my mind. Question everything and everyone.

Oh wow! Cara Hunter's new book, Murder in the Family, is crazy good!

Why? Well, first up is the style used in telling the tale. It's an epistolary novel - not bits of it, but all of it!

The book is setup as a true crime show with six experts determined to solve a twenty year old cold case. Police reports, emails, memos, online chat rooms, interviews, memories, newspaper clippings, texts, messages, old photos, suppositions, clues and more are all there for the reader to see.

But - can you determine who the culprit is? I couldn't! Which is absolutely fine with me. I truly enjoy being unable to solve a mystery book. Hunter makes it very difficult to solve, with multiple twists and turns that change the direction of the investigation. show more Fantastic!

There is a large cast of characters in Murder in the Family. There's a detailed bio for each of the prime characters at the beginning of the book. I had to refer to it at first, but I came to 'know' them all as the book progressed. There's a wide variety of personalities. Some will rub you the wrong way, others are know-it-all, some are secretive and more....

Murder in the Family was a treat to read. Addictive, clever and unique. Loved it. show less

What a fun read! This one is unique. This story is about Guy and an unsolved murder in his family. Guy is opening the investigation by inviting a mix of investigators and producers to both re-open the murder case but also film all the twist and turns. The story is told in a script format mixed in with text messages, voicemails, and the odd autopsy report or map. I loved the mixed media and the unusual way it was told. Each episode, true to tv, ends on a cliffhanger and really kept me guessing on how this would end.

And what an ending. I never did guess the turns, even if we did know some things beforehand. The last episode and the twists were so well done, I was hooked to the page and didn't want to stop! I hope we get more of this type show more of storytelling. It's just so fun! show less