The storyline also focuses on a fundamental serious issue. I think it was a great thing to add to the book to bring to light the true seriousness of our actions and the consequences of those actions- not only how they can stay with us forever, but the consequences they can make to others lives past or present. This is a book that starts of relatively gently all things considered, but before long it all ramps up, and events become a lot darker, a bit sinister and although you may like me have some theories, as to what is going on, I would suggest you won't be able to predict the exact nature of how everything occurs and all the consequences. Going into Not a Happy Family, I will admit to being apprehensive. I've had a hit or miss relationship with Lapena, so had no clue how this one would be for me. All the characters were really likable and everything was really well explained, no ends left untied with thoughts you may of had as a reader throughout.

The theme of gaslighting is handled well and we see how seemingly insignificant remarks and incidents snowball so that the victim ends up questioning their own judgment and grasp on reality. Even though I didn’t care that much for Beth as a character it was still sad to see how much her life spins out of control, particularly when intimate film footage of her is posted on social media. But Beth has a secret. A deep dark secret which haunts her still. In her thoughts and in her nightmares. And Beth believes it is only a matter of time before her past catches up to her and her secret shame is revealed for all to see. The Happy Family was published in the UK by One More Chapter in June 2021. I received an advance copy via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Because the book was written in first person it felt as if we were in Beth's head, which lent itself to the nature of the book so well. It felt as if we were falling apart, questioning everything and unsure of who we could trust... I felt myself becoming paranoid just reading the book, it really got under my skin. This book was not for me. First, it had body shaming in it. That is a big no-no, and I really, really wish the character involved would have said, "I'm a real woman. I've had children. This is what a real body looks like." Instead, the character just felt guilty and self conscious. Second, the portrayal of the MC was nauseating. She was acting entirely silly and non-sensical, ignoring perfectly obvious signs and things that were wrong. She also let her ex run all over her, allowing him to take the kids, yell at her, burst into her home when he felt like it. That's not how things work these days. One parent cannot just unilaterally terminate a parent's rights. The MC talks about how she and her ex get along great. If that is the case, he should respect some boundaries. Third, the book was so entirely predictable. I guessed the ending very early on. Fourth, the pacing was really off. Typically, I tend to enjoy slower paced books, but this was just too slow even for me. The storytelling just was not there. The Happy Family did not seem to build in anticipation, and there was far too much foreshadowing.

Featured Reviews

When Beth’s long-lost mother abruptly turns up on her doorstep, Beth asks no questions, instead seeking the relationship that she has craved for so many years. Keen to see her a part of the family, Beth encourages her mum to stay in the family home for the long-term so that she and Beth can catch up after such a long absence. Beth is delighted that her children respond so positively to their grandmother and when Alice announces that Beth also has a step-sister, it is like the dream of a properly family is suddenly coming true.

Poor Dan, is the mentally and emotionally weakest link of the trio. He reminds me of Successions’ Kendall a lot. His father targeted him from the beginning, abusing mentally and psychically, selling the company he’d worked hard for and left him penniless and unemployed. And his last unfortunate business investment left him high and dry. The father of the year rejects to borrow him money, humiliating him in front of everyone, pleasing to watch him squirming in pain. Being middle child and only boy must be toughest. He’s none of his parents’ favorite, left excluded and has every right to reflect years long boiled anger in different ways. Could he be the killer? Why not? And then there are other twists that through me completely and well I just love a book that keeps me on my toes. We start off knowing that Fred and Sylvia Merton are dead. Who killed them and why is the central mystery. Well, pretty much everyone who was related to them had a reason to, as Fred was a first class jerk to his three children and Sylvia stood by and let it happen. The Mertons are uber-wealthy and each of the three children (as well as Fred's sister and another surprise person) are due to inherit a great deal of money from the estate. The police aren't buying that the brutal murders were a robbery gone wrong, yet they can't seem to come up with evidence as to who committed the crimes. Each of the children have motive and possible opportunity. Secrets upon secrets are revealed as they try to piece together the solution.There is no padding, no faffy repetition and no added words to make it longer and the adrenaline and almost fainting with palps whilst there is kept to a minimum and it whizzes on getting more and more exciting as it goes Brilliant book. Well written, well-constructed. Great characters. Just goes to show how easy it could be to de-rail someone’s life though – food for thought! The character development is spot on. It reminded me of a Tarryn Fisher novel in this regards, and the slow burn. Yeah, their father was big bad wolf and their mother were mostly silent to his terrible actions against his children. She didn’t do anything to protect them and now that’s how she got paid for herself: being strangled to death!

The chapters are short and sweet, making it easy to pause if you need to...but propelling you to continue. It’s been said there are four motives for murder: Lust, Love, Loathing, or Loot. There’s no shortage of the latter two here. There are no tears shed for Fred and Sheila, but plenty of anticipation and elation at the thought of the inheritance. I loved how the author dropped little secrets/bombshells throughout the book about the characters, that made me see each of them with new eyes. I’m not a huge consumer of psychological crime novels or thrillers but I do turn to them whenever I need to give the brain a break after reading a string of powerful or immersive books. But they still have to deliver something more than just the entertainment value of thrills and suspense. A protagonist with a complex personality is a must. A strong evocation of a specific location or time period is important. Ideally I want both to be matched with an interesting issue or a theme.

Nestled in the suburbs of Atlanta, a family learns the funniest punchlines can hide the hardest truths in this evocative women’s fiction novel from the author of Well-Behaved Indian Women.

I liked this book but it did not blow me away. I thought the plot was too obvious and the protagonist, Beth, excruciatingly naive. It was an ok read but I did not get the thrills I was hoping for. The family here makes so much sense, you just sink right into it. It's not hard to see how the different personalities and relationships have come together. Really my biggest quibble is that I didn't entirely buy Natasha. Some things about her just didn't totally make sense to me, and she's the central character if there is one. She wants a career in comedy, she has apparently done all this research, but she also thinks that what will be basically her first time doing real stand up is going to open up doors when comedy is the longest of slogs felt weird. I also couldn't ever imagine her relationship with Karan, he seems far too boring for her, especially for so many years. I also (sorry) did not find her funny, which made the comedy segments of the book fall flat. It was a bummer because there are many other parts of her that were really grounded and relatable, so the ones that didn't quite fit were more noticeable.Without giving much away, it is about a long lost mother who comes home to her daughter after many years of her being gone. Everything for Beth seems to be going so well with her mother being home. That is, until it’s not and Beth’s perfect little life begins to crumble around her. Somewhere around 50% mark we all thought we figured out who the killer was, but I am glad to say we were wrong. There are lots of twists in this story, and just when you think things can’t get any worse for Beth, they do. A long-held secret – something which, since their move to Cheltenham after the childhood incident, only Beth and her father are aware of – suddenly has reared its very ugly head. Beth looks in danger of losing everything and everyone close to her until someone totally unexpected comes to her rescue – yet another fabulous twist. Who is Beth’s saviour? Well, while the twist is hugely surprising, it’s not too difficult to join the dots and find her guardian angel, though Beth does make a meal out of that task! Five shining stars for this touching portrait of an Indian-American family living in Atlanta and all coming to terms with what their family history and individual experiences within the unit of their family means for them and for their mental well-being. Saumya Dave brings her personal experience as a psychiatrist to the table and the execution of what could have been a monumental task is nearly flawless. In Chapter 3 she shares her dread that “something that happened a long, long time ago, something I thought I’d managed to bury forever, might not be buried at all.” Another hint comes in Chapter 4: “The thing I’ve tried to bury so deep it can never escape. Now I’m starting to think I’m not being paranoid after all. I’m coming convinced that finally, after all these years, someone’s coming for me.”