Three traumatized children: one of them or all may have inherited the genes of their father, suffering from same psychopathic tendencies to commit such a brutal crime! I borrowed this one from the library because I'd read another by Lapena in the past and I didn't like it. But in this outing, I was hooked and this was a fun one brimming with people I didn't want to prosper Except Ted. As a singleton, I appreciated his trying to understand his wife and the relationship she & her siblings shared. I wanted him to have a good resolution. Surprisingly, there was even one character whom, while I didn't root for, I was pleased with their final move on the board in the Epilogue. All the points for being observant and biding one's time. When the family comes together for this particular Easter dinner, things get especially uncomfortable. Now, my only little gripe was that one conversation I REALLY wanted to be party to between Audrey and Ellen she didn't let us in on. I was greatly looking forward to that but we only rejoined the story for the aftermath of it, sadly. Readers, along with Detectives Reyes and Barr, work to fit the pieces of this puzzle together and bring the murderer to justice.

Short, snappy chapters kept this moving along at a brisk pace! You never knew when another revelation might be dropped in a casual conversation so it was important to pay attention to ALL of the secrets and lies being exposed! Superbly, I did not happen upon ONE mistake, and trust me, I'd have spotted it lurking if it was there. This for me always affords an author an extra * or 2 in and of itself, cos' it's so bloody rare to see it with digital books. They're usually FULL of errors and I find that pretty depressing. So very well done to all concerned-you're in a teeny-weeny little club that have managed to get it perfectly presented, trust me !! The chapters are short and sweet, making it easy to pause if you need to...but propelling you to continue. 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 are uber-wealthy and each of the three children (as well as Fred's sister and another surprise person) are due to inherit a great deal of money from the estate. The police aren't buying that the brutal murders were a robbery gone wrong, yet they can't seem to come up with evidence as to who committed the crimes. Each of the children have motive and possible opportunity. Secrets upon secrets are revealed as they try to piece together the solution.

Audrey, Audrey, Audrey. She was such an annoying character. We're supposed to root for her, but her constant narration going on about "those kids are spoiled they don't deserve Fred's money, I deserve it cause I helped him cover a murder for 50 years!" I wanted to believe she was an unreliable narrator, and I thought it would've made sense. I thought it would've been more interesting if it turned out she was the one that killed her and Fred's father and that whole "he was gonna give me half his money" was all just a lie she made up, and the things she said about the kids were all made up or exaggerated to make herself look innocent cause she hated the kids already, why not frame them? I would hate to see an innocent person framed, but if anybody would end up the killer, I'd rather it be her.

WHO KILLED THE MERTONS AND WHY? Was it one of the couple's unlikeable adult children? All of the adult children would have inherited millions from their parent's death. Or was it the housekeeper/nanny, a friend/colleague......or someone else?She has no alibi for the night of the murder. Her aunt Audrey suspects Jenna was the murderer as she remembers her as being violent when angry as a child. 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! The downside? Since there are only so many characters to choose from...I felt I could eliminate the 'obvious' suspects at about 60-70%. I had a very interesting ending in mind that I was hoping would somehow be accurate (and provide me with the crazy twisted ending I was looking for) but it didn't come to pass.

It’s been said there are four motives for murder: Lust, Love, Loathing, or Loot. There’s no shortage of the latter two here. There are no tears shed for Fred and Sheila, but plenty of anticipation and elation at the thought of the inheritance. I loved how the author dropped little secrets/bombshells throughout the book about the characters, that made me see each of them with new eyes. Not a Happy Family was my first Shari Lapena book and it really kept me guessing. If you loved Knives Out, this has a very similar vibe. One Easter Sunday, Fred and Sheila Merton host their three children for dinner. As always, the conversation turns to fights over money and favorite. Days later, the housekeeper finds Fred and Sheila dead in their home and all their squabbling, greedy family members are suspects. Catherine is the oldest, hard working, conservative, conventional, a doctor. She’s in good terms with everyone, her mother’s favorite child. But as soon as her father plans to sell their childhood house, her peaceful demeanor is changed. Could she lie without blushing or showing any reaction to put her on radar? Absolutely not! She’s so cool as cucumber. So calculated. So focused. Could she be sociopath? Why not? The night ends early, with everyone leaving a bit disgruntled. Ahhh, dinners with family, am I right? On the plus side, this really did keep me guessing. The information kept coming, and everyone – the Merton’s three children, their other relatives, the housekeeper — were plausible suspects.a] fast-paced whodunit.... NOT A HAPPY FAMILY works well as a crime novel, and there are some fun surprises. Overall, Lapena has produced another engaging and entertaining read." 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 it someone else altogether who hates their father even more? I previously read another book by this author called "The Couple Next Door" which I enjoyed, I thought it was very good, and although parts of it were a little predictable (only cause I was thinking of every possible scenario) and the characters were not super likeable, I still enjoyed it, as I felt it was a fun, fast-paced thriller and it kept me on edge. So after reading that, I was excited to read this one, and I have to say I was very disappointed. The family in this story, the Mertons, although wealthy, are not a happy family. Their holiday dinners get very messy indeed.