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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
Nicht meins. Das Format war schwierig für mich zu lesen, immer wird der lesefluss unterbrochen. Viel zu viele Namen und Twists, irgendwann weiß man nicht mehr wer wer ist und wie die ganzen Hintergrundgeschichten sind
dark
tense
fast-paced
It was really hard to read this in ebook form. I think I’ll try again later with a physical copy.
I’m not sure that audio is the best way to read this book. It’s a lovely cast, and it’s presented very well, but the format of the book just doesn’t seem to connect well in a spoken format.
If I’m being totally honest, I already knew the answer to the mystery from the very beginning. Again, I don’t know if it’s the way that I read the book that made it obvious, but it was pretty clear to me that they were just working their way towards the very obvious answer. The ending had me rolling my eyes quite a bit, but up until that point there were a lot of fun twist and turns.
I’m sure this would’ve been better if I had it, but overall it was a fun experience.
If I’m being totally honest, I already knew the answer to the mystery from the very beginning. Again, I don’t know if it’s the way that I read the book that made it obvious, but it was pretty clear to me that they were just working their way towards the very obvious answer. The ending had me rolling my eyes quite a bit, but up until that point there were a lot of fun twist and turns.
I’m sure this would’ve been better if I had it, but overall it was a fun experience.
The format was too confusing to follow, and there were too many characters to keep up with.
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A murder mystery told through episodes? Count me in!
Cara Hunter’s Murder in the Family is a gripping epistolary thriller that feels like binge-watching a true crime series—with all the twists, red herrings, and cliff-hangers you’d expect from TV… but on the page.
I’ve always had a soft spot for epistolary formats, and this one absolutely delivered a fresh and immersive experience.
I read the physical copy and honestly—highly recommend you do the same. The layout with transcripts, emails, texts, and news clippings is just so much more fun and way less confusing in print.
From the get-go, the story pulled me in. It’s structured like an 8-episode crime docu-series rather than traditional chapters.
Hunter sprinkles red herrings and introduces a lot of suspects, which kept me second-guessing everything. Solving this cold 20-year-old case? Yeah… easier said than done.
I’ll admit, a couple episodes slowed down a bit for me in the middle. But then—bam! A small detail would jolt me back into alert mode.
Each episode ends with a killer twist (shoutout to episode 3 for truly shocking me), and the final two episodes? Wild.
Overall, Murder in the Family is a clever, wildly entertaining read that I devoured.
It’s a standalone, but hopefully Cara Hunter decides to write another like it—I’d grab it without hesitation!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Murder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Violence
Minor: Child abuse, Racism, Dementia, Car accident
The book started off very slow for me and I didn’t think I was going to like it. However, it ended up being a fun read with a lot of twists! Something different from the usual murder thrillers out there.
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated