A nearly normal family is about a girl - Stella who is accused and imprisoned for murder. The story is written in three parts - mother, father and daughter perspectives. It is cleverly written however I felt that separated it was a bit disjointed and may have been easier to follow if the three parts were more mixed. Overall the book was enjoyable and the story was ended in a satisfactory way but it took a while to get there.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I ended up not finishing this one, it just wasn't for me, thanks anyway for taking the time to accept my request.

A Nearly Normal Family by M. T. Edvardsson is a psychological thriller that tells the story of a family who must confront their deepest secrets and lies when their daughter is accused of murder. The novel is written in three parts, each from the perspective of a different family member: the father, the daughter, and the mother.
The writing style is compelling and the plot is full of twists and turns that keep the reader guessing until the very end. The characters are well-developed and the author does an excellent job of creating tension and suspense throughout the novel.
However, while the novel is gripping and intense, some readers may find the pacing to be slow at times. Additionally, the ending may not satisfy all readers, as some may find it to be somewhat anticlimactic.
Overall, A Nearly Normal Family is a well-written and engaging thriller that is sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Whilst A Nearly Normal Family sounded like the perfect book, I was left feeling a little meh.

I adore detective, crime, plot weaves. This just felt a little slow.

I was completely invested from the get-go with Mr Armitage narrating. It was sad but strangely fascinating to watch him lose his marbles, so to speak, not Richard, the dad! He couldn’t accept that Stella may have killed a man, and this was eating him alive. His relationship with his daughter was already very precarious and that was sad to see. But as we delve deeper, he begins to unravel rapidly.

Stella’s point of view was my favourite. I was hooked on the narration but mainly on the story of Stella and Chris (the older man) and how the bloody end came about. So much was packed in, seeing events that her dad had described from her point of view and you can’t help but feel a bit sorry for her at times. Plus it helps I love Georgia Maguire, who of course is Rhiannon in the Sweet Pea books that I love! She was engaging and intense all at the same time!

I did lose a bit of interest in the narrator for the mum. I just couldn’t connect and I think I switched off a couple of times so will be going back over the book to look at some bits to fully comprehend what I missed.

I love the style of this book and the climatic conclusion. I do love courtroom dramas, and this gave me a small taste of it, happy days! It was intense when the jury went away to deliberate Stella’s fate.

I’ve not read anything by this author before, but I would definitely read something again. This was a tantalising web of lies throughout. No one could really be trusted and I suspected the wrong person for ages!! That is kudos to the author for sure. The format added to the book, instead of flipping back and forth with the characters they had sections dedicated to them allowing us time to get to know them and see what really made them tick. Just fab

4.5 stars! A fantastic book that is suspenseful, page-turning, and makes you constantly question what you would or wouldn't do for family. Highly recommend!

I listened to this book on Audible. It’s brilliantly narrated by Richard Armitage, Rachel Willson-Broyles and Emily Watson and is literally a tale of 3 sides.

This is the story of 18 year old Stella, who has just been arrested for murder. Narrated in the first part by Richard Armitage as Stella’s father, Adam, a Pastor and devoted husband and father who can not accept that his beloved daughter is guilty of anything. He is in denial, despite her temper and troubled behaviour since childhood, he will not accept that Stella could do anything so awful. He becomes obsessed in finding out more about the victim and slowly begins to cross the line to prove his daughters innocence.

The second part of the story is Stella’s version, now telling us her story whilst in prison awaiting her trial. We learn more about Stella’s relationship with her father, her childhood and what led her to the situation she finds herself in.

The final part of the story is from Ulrika’s perspective. Mother, wife and a dedicated Defence Attorney, Ulrika looks back on her life regretting putting her career before her family and wondering if this is a contributing factor for their current predicament.

All three narrators were superb, they each brought to life the voices and emotions of 3 very different personalities and showed a very normal family facing a very abnormal situation.

With plenty of twists and turns, I found the audio version of A Nearly Normal Family gripping and hard to put down. Fans of domestic noir, legal thrillers or anything with a psychological edge, you will thoroughly enjoy this book. Highly recommended.

It's great to be in a position to recommend much more diverse books to our young people at school. Building the senior school library as a place where students actually come and find books that they want to read as opposed to books that teachers think they ought to read is an important responsibility and one we take really seriously.
Books like this are such a positive move as they will appeal to a broader set of readers than we are usually attracting. Dealing with modern issues in a clear and captivating way with a strong narrative voice and characters that the students can relate to is critical as we move forwards. This book is both an intelligent and compelling read that will hold even the most reluctant reader's attention and keep them turning the pages long into the night. It keeps the reader on their toes and ensures that you give it your full attention too. I found myself thinking about its characters and events even when I wasn't reading it and looking forward to snatching kore time with it and I hope that my students feel the same. An accessible, gripping and engrossing read that I can't recommend highly enough. Will absolutely be buying a copy for the library and heartily recommending it to both staff and students.

I enjoyed this legal thriller about a daughter accused of murder and the fallout for the family — how the charges effect them, how they react, what the parents are willing to do to protect their daughter and their “happy family” appearance.
The story is told from 3 points of view, the pastor father, the lawyer mother, and the rebellious daughter accused of murder. As the novel evolves, the family history comes out and how outward appearances are not always accurate, how “normal” is not what it always appears to be once the surface is cracked, and what families, even troubled ones, are willing to do to protect each other.
The differing points of view were a good way to explore this family and their reasons for how they acted. I liked the tension and the uncertainty around who actually committed the crime. This is not an “action packed” thriller, more of a study and I did find some parts slow, especially during the father’s point of view section. Overall, though, I liked this book and the playing with the idea of what normal is and that behind closed doors we are different from the persona we present.

Sorry that I didn’t review this book sooner. Lots of twists and turns. I did feel a little triggered but that probably shows how well the book was written. I had known this might happen and it didn't spoil my enjoyment.
My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review.

From the beginning of this book, nothing is as it seems. There is so many twists and turns, that just as soon as you think you have it figured, the writer surprises you! Recommended.

Apologies that I didn’t review this book sooner. However, now that I have read it, I can give a belated review.
This book is filled with twists and turns and is,at times, a little dark. It may even contain some triggers for some people as some of the themes relate to rape and murder.
I liked the way the story is told separately from the perspective of the three main characters, each with their own viewpoints, values and versions of truth and expectations.
Overall this was an enjoyable read.
My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review.

I am not sure how I missed reading this when it was first published but that wrong has now been righted. As have many others.
The differences in children and family lives in varied countries has always confused me.
Take a fifteen year old girl from the UK, US, Sweden, Greece and stand them all together. They may look basically alike but even within the same socio-economic bands their daily lives will be completely different.
Having seemingly more freedom , greater autonomy Stella and Amina could be the envy of them all.
As a mother I can only think " but there be monsters".
This is a book I will never forget. The author may be a wee bit twisted but is still a genius.

My reading tastes have changed so much in the last 18 months and unfortunately I just don't think I'm able to appreciate legal thrillers with domestic relationships anymore. There is nothing wrong with the structure and writing of this book I just don't feel like it hit the spot for me.

Don't we all think we're normal, but do we really know those we live with, how well can we know another person at all. This twisty, gripping thriller explores this theme, and is hard to put down.

It keeps your attention to the end, however the characters are not very likeable, so you it's hard to have any empathy for them. Little bit hard going at times, and not always believable.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

Adam and Ulrika have an 18 year old daughter, Stella. One evening goes out for the evening with friends , she is expected home around 11pm but doesn't return until 2am, Adam checks that his daughter is home safely and goes back to sleep. The following day Stella is accused of murder. With Adam being thelocal Pastor and Ulrika being a defense lawyer how far will they go to try to prove their daughter's innocence. Is Stella innocent? This a tense and twisting story written from the point of view of all the family, Well worth a read.

Unfortunately I didn't really enjoy this book. I found it rather boring and slightly predictable. I probably would not recommend it