One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day

 In One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day coming out July 16, Charley Kelley is the chambermaid for the Precipice Hotel in Jonesport, Maine. The owner has recently died, and his three daughters, Iris, Vicki, and Faith, are arriving on the weekend to claim their inheritance. On top of her cleaning duties, Charley and the front desk manager are working to put up plywood and plastic as they brace for a hurricane.

The Bishop sisters are a force to be reckoned with as they are concealing secrets that will be unveiled as the weekend goes on. Each sister wants her share, but their father’s will comes as a surprise. Vicki is a take charge person, and she wants to renovate the entire place. She has Charley take notes while they tour the property and determine the projects to be completed.

After her detailed inspection, Vicki considers tearing down the hotel and building condos which would be a low blow for Charley who has been able to live at the hotel rent free,  helping her afford the elder care her grandmother needs. Charley has already been making a practice of taking money from guests to help ends meet. Worse, she is using one of the expensive rooms to hide a woman on the run from her abusive boyfriend.

The story is told from Charley’s point of view as she tries to accommodate the sisters and their families that include a wife, a husband, and two children. In this Agatha Christie-like tale, one by one people are winding up dead. Who will be next? How will the hurricane impact the weekend? How many secrets will be revealed before the weekend comes to a close?

Jamie Day follows up her debut novel Block Party with this thriller.  She lives in a New England town. In addition to writing, she enjoys reading, yoga, the ocean, cooking, and long walks on the beach.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting April 15, 2024.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.