One Big Happy Family

The Precipice Hotel is the scene of a locked room mystery when the Bishop sisters come to claim their inheritance just as Hurricane Larry has the hotel in its sights.

Chambermaid Charley Kelley has worked at the hotel since she was seventeen and left school in order to earn money to keep her grandmother who suffers from dementia in her nursing home. She was willing to put up with a handsy boss if that was what it took. But she doesn't know what changes will happen now that the sisters are in charge.

Each sister has her own secrets. Vickie is the oldest. She comes with her husband Todd and is later joined by her son Quinn. Next comes her sister Faith and her wife Hope and their son Oliver. Finally comes Iris. They are quickly followed by show more Brenda Black, the attorney who is set to read the Will.

Charley has taken in a new acquaintance with a sob story: abusive boyfriend and a need to hide out until she can get out of town. Bree offers Charley enough money to pay for her grandmother's care for a while which is the main reason she agrees to let her stay in the hotel.

When Todd is murdered, almost all of the new residents have a reason to want him dead. And then Brenda Black disappears and is found dead at the bottom of a cliff. By this time the storm has hit, suspicions are raised, and secrets are starting to come out.

This was an incredibly twisty story. Todd's relationships with all three sisters certainly give all of them reason to want him dead. And his influence on George Bishop which led to a very unfair Last Will didn't endear him to any of the Bishop sisters.

Mostly told by Charley, the story also includes flashbacks to some of the secrets the Bishop sisters are keeping. Charley is an interesting character with a hard life. I liked her and was wishing her well as the story went on.

This was an interesting story. I did feel that the ending was a little too rosy considering the personalities of the sisters. show less

One big happy family? Nope. Too many secrets, resentments, bad memories. Too much fear and greed and suspicion. Were they ever one big happy family? Maybe when their mother was still alive, but none of the Bishop sisters wanted to spend time with their father. They are only back at The Precipice, the family-owned hotel, because he has died and they want to know who gets what from the will. They are a very unpleasant group when the descend on The Precipice: sisters, spouses, partners, children, all unique and a little off-putting in their own way and they never do become endearing.

Charley Kelley is the nineteen-year-old chambermaid who greets them. Life has dropped some hard knocks on Charley, so she’s had to be smart and resilient, show more but because she’s also in desperate straits financially she regularly steals from the guests. Her Nana is the only family she has left and Charley has promised herself that Nana will be able to stay at the nursing home, no matter Charley she has to sacrifice.

One Big Happy Family makes you uneasy from the start. There’s the sniping among the sisters, Bree, the young woman hiding from an abusive boyfriend that Charley has agreed to hide in the hotel resulting in a game of musical rooms to ensure she doesn’t get caught, the cook’s angry blow up and departure, and the odd comings and goings of the Bishops. The big storm brewing adds to the electric atmosphere and isolation, and when desk clerk Rodrigo goes home for the weekend Charley is left alone with the weird Bishop family and their weird behavior. Author Jamie Day ramps up the excitement and menace until you can’t stop turning pages to find out what happens next, but at the same time you are afraid to turn them because what’s next might be terrifying.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Publishing Group for providing an advance copy of One Big Happy Family via NetGalley. It is a book you can’t put down, with so many surprises and twists and turns that you are on edge until the final page. I am happy to recommend it. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own. show less

“One Big Happy Family” by Jamie Day was a fun and wild ride! Set in a family-owned hotel on the coast of Maine, it’s filled with drama, secrets, and a hurricane to boot. The Bishop sisters—Vicki, Iris, and Faith—come together after their father’s death, and things quickly spiral into a mess of old grudges and murder.

I really enjoyed the character of Charley, the young chambermaid, who’s just trying to survive while hiding some secrets of her own. The sisters, however, are a hot mess, and I was entertained as their toxic relationships unfolded. Vicki takes the cake as the most outrageous of the bunch!

The locked-room mystery with the looming hurricane made the suspense even better. It reminded me of an Agatha Christie story, show more with everyone trapped together and nowhere to hide. The atmosphere was spot-on.

I have to say, the ending was a little over-the-top, but that didn’t ruin the experience for me. If you’re into family drama and some twisty thriller vibes, this one’s worth picking up. Four stars! show less

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

Hurricane Larry is bearing down on Jonesport, Maine where nineteen-year-old Charley Kelley works as a chambermaid at the Precipice Hotel. The Precipice, named for its seemingly perilous location on the edge of Gull Hill, overlooks the ocean.

Hired by the hotel’s owner, George Bishop, Charley has worked [and lived in a tiny closet of a room] here for two years. Her small salary goes to paying for her Nana’s are at Guiding Way, a senior living home.

But everything is about to change.

The rent at Guiding Way is going up and Charley may not even have a job . . . George Bishop has died and his three daughters are on their way to the Precipice.

Charley has no idea what the weekend will bring . . . will show more the sisters decide to close the hotel? Or will they fire Charley despite her desperate need to care for her Nana?

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Anchored by a strong sense of place and a protagonist readers are likely to empathize with, this thriller grabs readers from the outset and keeps those pages turning as fast as possible. Complex, intriguing, and suspenseful, readers are kept guessing as unexpected revelations slowly come to light.

The plot, twisty and unpredictable, touches on family, friendship, and family interactions. The characters are nuanced and believable. Charley’s pilfering from hotel guests is understandable in the context of the story, especially considering her heavy responsibilities and her inexperienced youth; less understandable is the dysfunctional behavior between Vicki, Iris, and Faith.

Told from Charley’s point of view, the unfolding story gains tension from the threatening storm as well as from Charley’s anxiousness. Secrets abound; the hurricane is relentless; the unfolding story unputdownable. Readers who enjoy thrillers will find much to appreciate here.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
#OneBigHappyFamily #NetGalley show less

This is a murder mystery that will keep you on your toes with one big happy family. Maybe “happy” isn’t quite accurate.

A major hurricane is headed for the coast of Maine and it’s hard to predict where "Larry" will hit. Like all other places in town, workers at the Precipice Hotel are preparing with the necessary food and supplies. The property is beautiful with big cliffs off the coast. The hotel is packed with antiques.

This three-story building has lots of windows which need to be covered with sheets of plywood. A job like this would take some maneuvering with strong men. The desk manager, Rodrigo, is doing his best with the help of Charley, the only full-time maid. Fortunately, just about all of the guests are gone.

It isn’t show more just the worrisome hurricane in their path. The former owner, George Bishop, was found dead a few days ago and his three daughters are planning to stay at the hotel for a memorial service. Afterwards, his attorney, Brenda Black, will read the will. She tells the sisters that not everyone will be happy. She is right.

The three Bishop daughters -- Vicki, owner of jewelry and gift stores, Iris with a history of taking drugs, and Faith who worked as a model – are expecting to have a share of the $6 million property along with the treasures and art on the walls. Black starts to read their father’s will and testament slowly and Vicki told her to just get to parts they want to hear. That’s when the fun begins.

It's fast paced with some unexpected twists. Most of the characters are vindictive and this is not the happy place to be during a wild storm. With the exception of a few holes in the plot, it’s an entertaining whodunit and it’s cheating to look at the epilogue first. This was gripping, suspenseful and imaginative with layers. I can’t wait to read whatever she writes next.

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of July 16, 2024. show less

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day is a gripping thriller set at The Precipice, a family-owned hotel on Maine's rocky coast. After their father's death, sisters Iris, Vicki, and Faith return to claim their inheritance, each harboring dangerous secrets. As a hurricane looms, tensions escalate, and murder hangs in the air.

The novel is a masterful blend of suspense and family drama. The Bishop sisters' complex dynamics drive the plot, while Charley Kelley, the resilient chambermaid, adds depth and intrigue. Vivid descriptions of the storm-battered hotel enhance the atmospheric tension.

Jamie Day's sharp writing and well-timed twists keep readers hooked. With its memorable characters and twisty plot, One Big Happy Family is a must-read for show more fans of domestic thrillers and suspenseful family sagas. show less

This was an entertaining read about a young maid named Charley who works at the Precipice, a family owned hotel located on the Maine coast.

The hotel owner George Bishop, has recently died, and his three daughters, Faith, Vicki, and Iris are headed to the hotel for the reading of his will. The sisters, as well as Charley, all have secrets, and one of the sisters is very unhinged.

Charley just wants to keep her job since she is in dire financial straits due to her need to pay for her grandmother’s care due to her worsening dementia.

This book had all the makings of a typical locked room mystery with a hurricane on its way, and dead bodies piling up. It was a fun way to spend a snowy weekend.