A review by crafalsk264
Moorewood Family Rules by HelenKay Dimon

adventurous challenging dark funny informative mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Jillian Moorewood is the oldest of the children of  a con man and an heiress. The extended family includes uncles, aunts, cousins and others living off her family’s money. Jillian is just returning from 39 months in prison. She had taken the blame for others in the family with more colorful work histories. But Jillian not only holds the de facto position as leader of the clan,she is also in control of the family’s funds. So when she tells them that things will be different from now on and that they are going straight if they want to continue to live in the mansion and benefit from the family’s funds including the trust funds left by their grandparents, and others with expectations of benefits from the family. Since some think that going straight is fine but it does’t apply to them. To make things easier, Jillian comes up with a set of rules for family behavior. The author has decided to introduce each chapter with an appropriate rule. Chapter 1  “Maintain the public facade. Keep family arguments private.”     Soon someone has the idea to just get rid of Jillian to get things back to normal .  So we get a bodyguard living in the house to protect her from the family.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Dimon has developed some unique characters. Although most of the time, I am not a fan of books about criminals, their exploits, and crimes, this one, however, uses the trope in a humorous way. The jokes are fairly routine and expected but they fit the narrative flow well. The characters and family dynamics almost cry out for a series. This book would be a good start for one. I enjoyed this book as a change of pace, laughing out loud and chuckling throughout. Recommend to readers of romances, mysteries, thrillers, featuring themes about crime, contemporary adult fiction, humor, and dysfunctional family.