Shari Lapena

Not a Happy Family

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! “A quintessential ‘beach read,’ I half expected sand to fall out of it. This one brings lurid family mayhem to the Hudson Valley [and] plausible suspects. With her cascading short chapters and teasers by the dozen, you stick with Lapena eagerly.” —Washington Post “Lapena is a master of manipulation. With her latest page-turning thriller, Not a Happy Family, she is once again at the top of her game.” —USA Today “In this fast-paced, twisted family saga, Shari Lapena keeps you guessing until the very last page...” —Paula Hawkins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Girl on The Train The new domestic suspense novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door and The End of Her who has sold more than 7 million copies of her books worldwide In this family, everyone is keeping secrets—even the dead. Brecken Hill in upstate New York is an expensive place to live. You have to be rich to have a house there, and Fred and Sheila Merton certainly are rich. But even all their money can't protect them when a killer comes to call. The Mertons are brutally murdered after a fraught Easter dinner with their three adult kids. Who, of course, are devastated. Or are they? They each stand to inherit millions. They were never a happy family, thanks to their vindictive father and neglectful mother, but perhaps one of the siblings is more disturbed than anyone knew. Did someone snap after that dreadful evening? Or did another person appear later that night with the worst of intentions? That must be what happened. After all, if one of the family were capable of something as gruesome as this, you'd know. Wouldn't you?

A Novel

Suyash Goylit

95% Sublime, 5% Tepid

Not a Happy Family is an amazing story until it isn't. I was invested in the plot from quite early on. It had a great Knives Out vibe to it which snared me in. The characters weren't exactly likable but they were perfect for the story at hand and I couldn't put the book down just because I wanted to find out what actually happened on that Sunday night. Another thing that rendered me unable to put this book down was the fast-paced, eventful short chapters. There wasn't a single chapter that didn't add to the bigger picture and every chapter had something that just made me want to read the next one. Furthermore, it just wasn't the writing format that did the trick, the subject matter was equally, if not more, impressive. I loved how the information was revealed during the story. A perfect example of show, not tell. Also, the mystery was well-built and kept behind the curtains phenomenally, until the penultimate chapter. However, the big reveal that I was expecting in the last chapter fell a little flat for me. It was still a good read.

(view spoiler)[As I said it was a wonderfully kept mystery and the way the information was revealed throughout the story, piece by piece, had me manifest multiple theories for the final payoff. As a result, I had theorized about two separate killers, since it was essentially two crimes scenes (immaculate strangulation of Sheila and messy bloodbath of Fred's stabbing) merged into one. My other theories included two or maybe all three of the children coming together to kill their parents. Or even Fred killing Sheila and then one of the adult kids killing him to take revenge. All of those, plus numerous others, were viable payoffs, however, the killer being Jenna, the angry one, just didn't felt like the best possible outcome. It was almost like a band all set up to release their new single, but choking and performing the biggest hit from their last album. It was a great build-up with a feeble payoff. A good mystery overall. (hide spoiler)]

Lauren

I did enjoy this book, but I really thought I was going to like it more. It started off really strong, I was fully invested. About halfway through I found myself getting kinda bored. I love how fast Shari Lapenas' books read, they are definitely addicting. I did not figure out who the killer was, I was predicting everyone else. I enjoyed reading from multiple different people, we had a whole cast of characters. I felt that halfway through is where I started to get bored and just wasn't fully invested in the story. I didn't really care who the killer was or why they did it once we found out the reveal. This was just an okay read for me. I will definitely keep checking out Shari Lapenas' books because for the most part, I do enjoy them.

The new domestic suspense novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door and Someone We Know who has sold more than 7 million copies of her books worldwide In this family, everyone is keeping secrets--especially the dead. Brecken Hill in upstate New York is an expensive place to live. You have to be rich to have a house there. And they don't come much richer than Fred and Sheila Mercer. But even all their money can't protect them when a killer comes to call. The Mercers are brutally murdered the night after an Easter Dinner with their three adult kids. Who, of course, are devastated. Or are they? They each stand to inherit millions. They were never a happy family, thanks to their capricious father and neglectful mother, but perhaps one of them is more disturbed than anyone knew. Did one of them snap after that dreadful evening? Or was it someone else that night who crept in with the worst of intentions? It must be. After all, if one of your siblings was a psychopath, you'd know. Wouldn't you?

Alex Cessford

Charlsy Sekyere

Not A Happy Family is my second book by her, the first of which was An Unwanted Guest. I must admit, I preferred An Unwanted Guest over this book. 

Let me start by saying that this book is decent. I really enjoyed the pace of this book, and I finished it fairly quickly. However, while the characters in An Unwanted Guest seemed more intriguing and fleshed out, I thought the characters in Not A Happy Family were just fine. 

The premise of the book immediately piqued my interest, and I wanted to know who was responsible for the murders. Once the murderer was revealed, which was not shocking, the book failed to close the case in a satisfactory way. Additionally, I felt the epilogue did not add anything to the book and was extremely underwhelming. 

I thought the build-up to finding the culprit was enjoyable, but once it was discovered, the book became lacklustre, as if Shari Lapena was rushing to get the book done. Once the killer is revealed and revealed to the rest of the characters, I lost interest in the book. This was due to the disappointing ending.

Additionally, I don't understand why you're wealthy and do not have any working cameras or top-notch security in your mansion or surrounding area? That surprised me. It would have saved so much time investigating and cut down several chapters.

Finally, Shari Lapena uses a style of writing that tells the reader what is happening in a book rather than showing it to them. It's particularly noticeable in this book, especially when compared with An Unwanted Guest.

I didn’t mind this book. It’s a great easy read. I would recommend this for beginners to the thriller/ mystery scene. I felt the ending felt a bit rushed. I also felt the book could’ve been cut down a bit. I found it hard to like any characters, but I guess that was the point. Enjoyed the book! 

Bookworm

alyssa b

4.5. This was so good! Kinda reminded me of Knives Out a little, but this was so entertaining and I was engaged throughout the whole book. Especially with the short chapters, it was a super easy and fast paced book. The ending wasn’t took shocking but still super good and would recommend !

TARA BYERS

Love Shari's writing and that each book keeps you on your toes guessing!

Izza

3.75 stars | this book was insane but the ending fell flat for me.

The Instant Sunday Times Bestseller, from the #1 Bestselling Author of the COUPLE NEXT DOOR

Cheri McElroy

I really enjoyed this book. It was full of unlikeable characters, and we were never quite sure whodunnit until the end.

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! “A quintessential ‘beach read,’ I half expected sand to fall out of it. This one brings lurid family mayhem to the Hudson Valley [and] plausible suspects. With her cascading short chapters and teasers by the dozen, you stick with Lapena eagerly.” —The Washington Post “Lapena is a master of manipulation. With her latest page-turning thriller, Not a Happy Family, she is once again at the top of her game.” —USA Today “In this fast-paced, twisted family saga, Shari Lapena keeps you guessing until the very last page...” —Paula Hawkins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Girl on The Train The new domestic suspense novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door and The End of Her who has sold more than seven million copies of her books worldwide In this family, everyone is keeping secrets—even the dead. Brecken Hill in upstate New York is an expensive place to live. You have to be rich to have a house there, and Fred and Sheila Merton certainly are rich. But even all their money can't protect them when a killer comes to call. The Mertons are brutally murdered after a fraught Easter dinner with their three adult kids. Who, of course, are devastated. Or are they? They each stand to inherit millions. They were never a happy family, thanks to their vindictive father and neglectful mother, but perhaps one of the siblings is more disturbed than anyone knew. Did someone snap after that dreadful evening? Or did another person appear later that night with the worst of intentions? That must be what happened. After all, if one of the family were capable of something as gruesome as this, you'd know. Wouldn't you?

SUCH an amazing book! It kept me guessing from beginning to end. I truly had no idea who did it—as soon as I thought I had it figured out, I found myself doubting again! I hated all of the characters and could picture any one of them doing it. A must read if you’re wanting a mystery that’s not given away instantly! 

Payten Bovat

Kindra Flores

meaghan leger 

Shari Lapena is an automatic buy for me and this is one did not disappoint. 

Fred and Sheila are live in a very beautiful Brecken Hill in Upstate New York, but as the saying goes money can't buy you happiness or I guess cant' save you from being murdered. 

But the ultimate question who did it? is it one their 3 children who decided they couldn't wait for their inheritance any longer? was it a robbery gone wrong? or was it as they always say, the butler?

the deeper we get in the story the more we see that not everything is at it seems and the more you question everything you thought you knew. 

the one thing that I loved the most about this story, is I found it's one of the first book's ive read of Lapena's that doesn't leave me with more questions then answers.

Nash

It’s the dreaded annual Easter dinner in the Merton estate. A father that is never pleased with what their adult kids are up to and will do anything to see them squirm. A mother with no backbone that doesn’t do anything to stop the verbal and emotional abuse her children have to endure. 

Entitled siblings that will forever compete with one another for the father’s approval and that would also do anything to receive the inheritance they think belongs to them. 

A estranged family member that is delusional enough to think that her brother will for her on his will when he dies and is severely disappointed when the unthinkable happens and she is left with basically nothing compared to her ungrateful nephew and nieces. 

When Papa and Mama Merton are found brutally murdered on their mansion, an investigation begins. Naturally looking deep into the family members, everyone seems to have a motive. Secrets that were thought to be buried, came back to hunt them all. They twist every word to fit their narrative. They lie and manipulate everyone around them. They pull their significant others into their elaborated lies and turn against each other in order to save their butts. 

Shari Lapena is the master of suburban domestic thrillers. Not said by me, but acknowledged by many other famous authors. She delivers a complex and complete plot. At times it feels like it may have multiple wholes that we don’t understand but trust the process and know you will get answers. Maybe or definitely not what you were expecting but it will definitely leave you shocked. 

When I begin this book, the first few chapters bored me to death. The personalities of the characters infuriated me. These people are full of themselves. They believe themselves to be untouchable. I couldn’t cope with that. I gave the audiobook a chance and combining it with the physical book did the trick for me. I was able to enjoy it and once again surprise myself with my investigation skills. There were some things I did not see coming.

Emma Conarroe 

Disliked this book so much, don’t even have the energy to thoughtfully review it

Madhuri Sridhara

Fantastic! I enjoyed every minute of it. 

This was like a modern day Agatha Christie mystery with a host of flawed characters hiding dark secrets. This is exactly my kind of book where everyone is an asshole but not in an annoying in-your-face way. I didn't know who the killer was till the end and I was happy not to know because I was just going with the flow of the book. Those kinds of books, to me, are so rare. 

Usually, I develop some theory as to who the killer is or get bored and lose interest in the entire plot but this was just good to read. A guess here and there but mostly just had fun reading it!

I'm definitely gonna read more Shari Lapena!

Una familia no tan feliz / Not a Happy Family

allie

4/5★
↓
Woah, qué novela tan intrigante.

En esta historia nos encontramos la investigación del asesinato de Sheila y Fred Merton, una pareja rica que son asesinados la noche de Pascua. A partir de ahí, los agentes comienzan una investigación, interrogando a familiares y amigos para averiguar quién es el culpable del terrible asesinato.

Pues me ha gustado mucho esta novela. Me ha resultado súper intrigante y adictiva. Me ha mantenido atrapada en todo momento, con ganas de descubrir más secretos y detalles sobre los personajes e intentando averiguar quién ha podido ser. Me ha gustado mucho esta sensación que me ha transmitido la autora. Esa tensión y ganas de saber más sobre la historia y la investigación.
La verdad es que la parte de la investigación se me ha hecho algo más pesada. Siento que ha ido bastante lenta, que tardaban mucho en averiguar cosas y daban vuelvas a ciertas cosas todo el tiempo.
Pero en general ha sido un libro que he disfrutado mucho.

Y ESE FINAL. WOAH. Ese epílogo me ha dejado con ganas de más. Ese plot twist. Necesito más y respuestas sobre ese epílogo.

'Una familia no tan feliz' es un thriller adictivo, atrapante y que engancha desde el primer momento. Te mantiene con ganas de saber más y describir cosas y ha sido genial. He disfrutado mucho este libro.

Melissa Minshull

I had fun with this one. There were some great twists and turns and red herrings. Yes the ending felt a little rushed but I still enjoyed it. I liked the different povs and how quickly this one read. Just a fun mystery thriller for me


CN. Holly

           5 out of 5 stars, this book is one of the greatest books I've read of all time. Again I am a sucker for murder mysteries and family drama and this book has it all. Between having shitty parents, a terrible aunt, the amazing nanny/housekeeper, everyone having their own secrets and not one person you can trust. Oh my god I could go on about this book, TW: Murder, Toxic Relationships, Infertility 

Firstly, I could have finished this book in less than 4 days but I needed a minute to recover from "The Silent Patient" and that's the only reason it took me that long, plus work, physical health, mental health, and other things popping up in the midst of everything. 

Mr and Mrs Merton were killed in their expensive house just hours after having one of the worst family fights, between their two daughters, their only son and the poor housekeeper; their poor husband, wife and boyfriend had to watch the whole thing go down, speechless. After the detectives find out everyone is getting an inheritance after they die, everyone becomes a suspect. Even a Fourth sibling no one even knew about that the Husband had out of wedlock. Mrs Merton being strangled from behind and Mr. Merton's throat being slit open before being stabbed in the back Fourteen times! Who could have done it? 

I'm not gonna lie I had my suspicions from the very beginning of the youngest daughter doing it, She was way too calm, way too level headed after her parents were both murdered and I know that people handle their emotions in many different ways but she went out of her way to check up on both of her siblings and her nanny that day to see where everyone's head was at, We never got a point of view from her perspective explaining what was going on in her head, only the interviews and her checking up on everyone else. She hated her parents the most, even more than Dan. 

The whole book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time, I couldn't put it down, after my boyfriend fell asleep I needed answers, I needed to finish it, I needed to know what happened next. and here's the thing. Normally I hate cliff hanger endings. Despise it but for some godly unknown reason this one didn't upset me, it was written beautifully. I would read this book over and over again that's how amazing it is.

Andrey-Claude Fortin

Good book! I tried to guess the killer a few times, but the end surprised me!

Suz Corso

3.5/5 - I throughly enjoyed this book and was eager to get to the end as I had no clue who murdered Fred and Sheila. Although I didn’t see it coming, I felt the ending to be underwhelming. The whole book was filled with so much suspense and I was so invested, but the ending just fell flat for me. Still a very enjoyable and well written mystery, and 85% of the book is fantastic. However, the ending of a mystery is the most important part to me and I felt that it just wasn’t shocking enough.

Brian Walborn

I did not find this exceptional or particularly memorable. I'm sure many people will enjoy this one, however.

Julia

Summer Cashmore

The Book Club Babes Podcast chose this book for their September book and it was so fun unravelling the mystery together. 

It’s Easter in the affluent neighborhood of Brecken Hill in upstate New York and Fred and Sheila Merton’s children and their partners have just left following a tense dinner. Within hours, both Fred and Sheila are brutally murdered and the police turn their attention to those who stand to inherit millions as a result; the children - Catherine, Dan and Jenna. 

Throughout the course of the investigation, we see just how dysfunctional the Mertons are - Fred is cruel and cold, Sheila is neglectful, Catherine is callous, Dan is weak and Jenna is self-absorbed. Personally, I loved that the author crafted such unlikeable characters, particularly the parents/victims. In most thrillers, the victims are often written as good and innocent which makes you immediately feel invested in the murderer being brought to justice. In this book, the focus felt less on the crime itself and more on unravelling the Merton family secrets. 

Shari Lapena is a master of thriller novels and she has not disappointed with Not A Happy Family. Once you start this book, you won’t be able to put it down! Definitely worth a read!

Marisa S. Pan 

2.5 🌟

It was honestly an enjoyable read and I liked it overall but unfortunately something was missing... I wanted more about the family drama and past memories. Like. 

I also didn't like the killer reveal or the actual ending. But still the writing was good and the book a page turner so I'll definitely read more of this author

Not a Happy Family

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