Not a Happy Family

This is my second book by Shari Lapena and I have to say, I am definitely impressed. Lapena definitely has a gift for manipulation in her books because in this one, I kept changing my mind about who the killer was until the very end. And when I finally found out who it was, I realized I'd been looking in the wrong place all this time. I am sure that if I went back and reread the book, knowing what I know now, I'd be able to pinpoint bits and pieces, little clues that were there to lead you to the answer as to who the killer really was all this time. I am definitely planning on reading all her other works and have one on my shelf already.

To begin with, Not a Happy Family is about a rich, prestigious family and all the secrets that go on inside it. When the parents, Sheila and Fred Mercer, get brutally murdered on Easter Sunday, after their grownup children leave Easter dinner at their house, the police suspects one of the three children did it because they all stood to gain a lot from their horrible parents lives. I thought that the premise of this book was very intriguing and I was definitely interested right off the bat. However, I wasn't always on the edge of my seat because the book dragged for me at some points and I wish it would have progressed a bit quicker. I do love me a good domestic thriller and this one's definitely above average. Also, I didn't care for the ending all that much because it was a bit open ended and left me wanting more.

Secondly, the characterization in this book was above average as well. There are times when in certain thrillers that are full of action, the characters get a bit overlooked and we don't get a good sense of who they really are at their core but in this case we definitely got a good look into them and what makes them tick. They were definitely all very unlikable but if done correctly I don't mind that and I thought it was executed pretty well here. I feel like we started discovering their psyches but didn't quite get to see into their very soul and I would have liked a bit more on that front. However, in all I really thought the characterization was done well and some thought had been put into it, no question about that.

Finally, the writing style is classic Shari Lapena and even though it definitely stands out and make for a very quick and easy reading experience, sometimes it feels a bit too simple for me. I would like a little more description when it comes to her setting the scenes and depicting how her characters look at certain points in the story. I can, however, appreciate how accessible her writing style is to many different kinds of people and I am certain that even beginners of the genre will not find it hard to get hooked into her books.

In conclusion, this book was above average for me in terms of where it stands to all the other thrillers I have read but it definitely wasn't one that completely took my breath away and knocked my socks off. I enjoyed the plot, characters and writing style but feel that certain aspects of each were lacking for me. With that being said, I would definitely recommend this book to thriller lovers and even beginners because it's a quick read and it definitely has some good twists and turns that you won't see coming.