ARC Review: One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day

One Big Happy Family
Author: Jamie Day
Publication: St. Martin's Press (July 16, 2024)

Description: Could this reunion be the death of them?

The Precipice is a legendary, family-owned hotel on the rocky coast of Maine. With the recent passing of their father, the Bishop sisters--Iris, Vicki, and Faith--have come for the weekend to claim it. But with a hurricane looming and each of the Bishop sisters harboring dangerous secrets, there's murder in the air-- and not everyone who checks into the Precipice will be checking out.

Each sister wants what is rightfully hers, and in the mix is the Precipe's nineteen-year-old chambermaid Charley Kelley: smart, resilient, older than her years, and in desperate straits.

The arrival of the Bishop sisters could spell disaster for Charley. Will they close the hotel? Fire her? Discover her habit of pilfering from guests? Or even worse, learn that she's using a guest room to hide a woman on the run.

With razor-sharp wit, heart, thrills, and twists, Jamie Day's ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY delivers a unique brand of summertime suspense.

My Thoughts: The Precipice Hotel is the scene of a locked room mystery when the Bishop sisters come to claim their inheritance just as Hurricane Larry has the hotel in its sights. 

Chambermaid Charley Kelley has worked at the hotel since she was seventeen and left school in order to earn money to keep her grandmother who suffers from dementia in her nursing home. She was willing to put up with a handsy boss if that was what it took. But she doesn't know what changes will happen now that the sisters are in charge. 

Each sister has her own secrets. Vickie is the oldest. She comes with her husband Todd and is later joined by her son Quinn. Next comes her sister Faith and her wife Hope and their son Oliver. Finally comes Iris. They are quickly followed by Brenda Black, the attorney who is set to read the Will.

Charley has taken in a new acquaintance with a sob story: abusive boyfriend and a need to hide out until she can get out of town. Bree offers Charley enough money to pay for her grandmother's care for a while which is the main reason she agrees to let her stay in the hotel. 

When Todd is murdered, almost all of the new residents have a reason to want him dead. And then Brenda Black disappears and is found dead at the bottom of a cliff. By this time the storm has hit, suspicions are raised, and secrets are starting to come out.

This was an incredibly twisty story. Todd's relationships with all three sisters certainly give all of them reason to want him dead. And his influence on George Bishop which led to a very unfair Last Will didn't endear him to any of the Bishop sisters. 

Mostly told by Charley, the story also includes flashbacks to some of the secrets the Bishop sisters are keeping. Charley is an interesting character with a hard life. I liked her and was wishing her well as the story went on. 

This was an interesting story. I did feel that the ending was a little too rosy considering the personalities of the sisters. 

Favorite Quote:

But when the person you love most in the world can't remember your name, it leaves you feeling adrift. I want so badly to be seen and heard, to feel like my story, small as it is, matters to somebody other than me. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.