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Who killed Fred and Sheila Merton?

Not a Happy Family is Shari LaPena’s best writing to date! It is a whodunnit domestic suspense thriller that you do not want to miss. The Mertons are a crazy dysfunctional family, who are hiding secrets from each other, while pointing the finger at the others.

When Fred and Sheila Merton are discovered by their housekeeper brutally murdered the morning after Easter dinner, their children become the prime suspects. The killer must be someone close to the family, as they are murdered in a hateful rage. What happened at that fateful dinner? Each sibling has something to hide from the other, and their greedy, manipulative, self-absorbed personalities battle to keep secrets hidden. You see, Fred Merton was planning to change his will and everyone had something to gain from his murder.

Catherine is the oldest, most successful and favorite child. She wants the Merton mansion.

Dan is the middle child and biggest disappointment. He is the least favorite child and is having major financial troubles after his father sold the company that he was due to inherit.

Jenna is the youngest child and just barely tolerated by her parents. She is living off her parents� allowance and leads an out of control, rebellious lifestyle.

Then there’s Rose…how does she fit into this family?

I furiously kept turning the pages of this thriller, full of twists and turns and plenty of suspects. LaPena successfully casts doubts on all of the characters and makes the reader suspect everyone throughout the book. This is a stay up all night, don’t want to put it down kind of read that will keep you guessing until the very last page. I did not successfully predict the ending, while I did have my suspicions throughout. I wanted slightly more from the reveal, otherwise this would have been a 5 star read for me. I predict that this book will be a smash hit for Shari LaPena and I can’t wait to read her next thriller!

4.5/5 stars

Please check out Domestic Thriller Night, where Shari LaPena discusses her book, along with Megan Miranda and Mary Kubica!



Thank you very much to Ben Petrone at Penguin Random House who kindly gifted me the ARC of Not a Happy Family in exchange for an honest review.