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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This book was okay, but I had expected more. The writing style in the form of interviews/television scripts is innovative, but at the beginning we are overwhelmed with information about the characters, so that by the end I still didn't know who was who and there was no connection. There were some surprising plot twists, but they were revealed in the wrong way. I could actually predict the ending from the first few pages, so I wasn't overwhelmed and it didn't feel like a satisfying conclusion.
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
First time reading a book with this type of format! Must say it took me a few pages before I got used to it— a lot of characters names being introduced makes it pretty overwhelming to read at the start as well.
This is told in mixed media format and that's something I'm a big fan of when done right and thankful it's done well here. With that said I did find that the layout got to be repetitive. This book's selling point is it's a "Fair Play" mystery and that all the clues are there so that you could solve along with/before our group of sleuths. We get a reveal early enough that I nailed before hand and was rather proud of and I think it was by no means obvious. As for the main reveals and our culprit unveiling, I don't think you can use your experience reading the book to logically come to the correct solution. I do think the who in question was fumbled, we get a very lackluster reveal and explanation which is made all the worse as I think there was a perfect ending staring the author in the face. I also found that you really had to suspend your disbelief at points with how "evidence was found/revealed". The journey this brings you on is very enjoyable and for that the book holds plenty of merit but the ending was so disappointing and also for those who like everything wrapped up in a neat bow, this leaves so many loose ends and unanswered questions.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The plot and premise of this book was really interesting. I’ve never read a book in documentary/script format. The plot twist I thought was super well done because although some people may have guessed who murdered Luke from the beginning how it happened was quite intriguing and something I don’t think most people would have guessed. The fact that 4 people were involved in covering up the murder is actually insane. I also liked how almost every expert had some tie to the Howard family and how at different points made me question if that was the person who committed the murder. It allowed for a little bit of tension while reading.
As for critiques, I wish there were more “episodes” or chapters in the books. Sometimes I felt like a chapter would be too long causing me to kind of check out a bit or made me have to push myself to finish as opposed to other thrillers where I would just keep reading. I also think while overall, the book was medium paced, that’s an average of the slow pacing in the first half of the book and then fast pacing towards the end especially the last 100 or so pages. One final thing, the author made Bill American but some of the phrasing she used made it clear she was a Brit writing an American character.
As for critiques, I wish there were more “episodes” or chapters in the books. Sometimes I felt like a chapter would be too long causing me to kind of check out a bit or made me have to push myself to finish as opposed to other thrillers where I would just keep reading. I also think while overall, the book was medium paced, that’s an average of the slow pacing in the first half of the book and then fast pacing towards the end especially the last 100 or so pages. One final thing, the author made Bill American but some of the phrasing she used made it clear she was a Brit writing an American character.
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter was one of the thrillers I’d been most excited to read since January. The story is framed as the production of a true crime series, where they investigate unsolved cases. This season, a group of strangers takes on the mystery of the producer’s stepfather’s long-unsolved murder.
Some parts felt a bit slow while others moved too fast—I occasionally lost track of who was investigating what—but I really enjoyed the multiple perspectives and what each character brought to the investigation. Listening to it on audio made the experience even better, since it honestly felt like I was following a true crime podcast.
By the time we get to the end, the killer is pretty obvious, but I loved that there were plenty of twists before that point—like the reveal that two of the main investigators already knew about the victim’s past. I did expect more (probably because my hopes were so high), but I’d still recommend it, especially if you pair the book with the audiobook.
Some parts felt a bit slow while others moved too fast—I occasionally lost track of who was investigating what—but I really enjoyed the multiple perspectives and what each character brought to the investigation. Listening to it on audio made the experience even better, since it honestly felt like I was following a true crime podcast.
By the time we get to the end, the killer is pretty obvious, but I loved that there were plenty of twists before that point—like the reveal that two of the main investigators already knew about the victim’s past. I did expect more (probably because my hopes were so high), but I’d still recommend it, especially if you pair the book with the audiobook.