Thank you to Pan Macmillan for an eARC via NetGalley of M. T. Edvardsson ‘A Nearly Normal Family’ in exchange for an honest review. This novel was originally published in Sweden and translated by Rachel Wilson-Broyles. It was published in the U.K. on 11 July and having sampled the text I elected to buy the Kindle/Audible combined editions.

Adam Sandell is a pastor and his wife, Ulrika, a successful criminal defence attorney. Their lives are thrown into turmoil when their 18-year old daughter, Stella, is arrested on suspicion of the murder of 32-year old business man, Michael Olsen.

Again as with other thrillers, I suggest reading this without too much background to avoid spoilers. The novel is split into three parts each featuring a different narrative voice and a different side to the story: the Father, the Daughter, and finally the Mother.

I found this a very engaging and satisfying legal thriller/Scandinavian noir. Alongside a very tense thriller it explores aspects of family life and loyalty.

The audiobook edition was superbly narrated by Richard Armitage, Emily Watson, and Georgia Maguire.

Highly recommended and hopefully we will have the opportunity to read more translations of Edvardsson’s writings in the future.

This book is about an 18 year old girl Stella who is accused of murdering a man.
The story is told from both the parents view and Stella’s view each telling us all about before the murder and after.
When the case goes to court many family secrets are exposed.
And as I was coming to think I knew how it ended I was wrong
Thanks Netgalley

A Nearly Normal Family by M. T. Edvardsson is a fast-paced, exciting thriller.

Often with books that have been translated it is easy to tell as there is some kind of disjoin, they don’t quite sound right. A Nearly Normal Family wasn’t one of those books.

A Nearly Normal Family is written in split narrative form. First, we hear things from the father’s point of view, then the suspect’s and finally her mother’s point of view. I thought this worked particularly well.

When Stella is accused of murder her family is left reeling, or are they?

Her Father believes she has been framed and wants to protect her at any cost.

Her Mother believes there is something she is hiding.

Stella knows neither of them are aware what she is capable of.

“Family life had never seemed so harmonious. Then everything changed.”

In the first half of the book Stella comes across as spoilt, vindictive and generally exactly the kind of person you would expect to be a murderer.

Stella’s father, a pastor was a completely unlikeable person. He was controlling, frequently invaded his daughter’s privacy and did some morally questionable things. He was more concerned with saving face than trying to understand his daughter. He doesn’t even know whether he thinks she did it or not.

Her mother is a largely absent workaholic who has grown closer to her daughter in recent years.

Everyone has secrets in A Nearly Normal Family, and nobody is what they seem.

I had lots of thoughts throughout the reading process as to the identity and motive of the murderer and one of the things that occurred to me was more or less right.

A Nearly Normal Family was a thoroughly engrossing read.

I simply could not put this book down. It was very suspenseful and the plot twists completely shocked me. I did n't stop to put this book down. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

I liked the premise of this book but disliked the characters so it was a hard read for me. I like books told from more than one viewpoint but this came across as repetitive a lot of the time. However I did find myself gripped, wanting to know what happened.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

I really enjoyed this! It is quite a slow burner but a definite must read if you enjoy a legal thriller! Wonderful characterisation and a lot of learning family secrets. I look forward to reading more from this author!

‘Lying is an art that few people have fully mastered’

A Nearly Normal Family is a superbly crafted book. The plot is split into thirds – we start in the perspective of the pastor father Adam, then onto rebellious daughter Stella and finally lawyer mother Ulrika. Each perspective is completely different and compelling in their own way. This is also a lovely way of pacing the story as you get a lot of time to really get to know each character but then also get the twist of seeing the same events from a different perspective which keeps it fresh and exciting. I really enjoyed the plot and felt that the ending went in a direction I was not expecting at all which was nice.

I did feel like there were sometimes I questioned a character’s actions or felt they were a little out of keeping with the rest of the novel. Although this is a translated text I didn’t feel that it lacked depth from this as some reviewers have pointed out – I found it an engaging and gripping read.

Overall A Nearly Normal Family is a well crafted thriller with a good twist. Thank you to NetGalley & Pan Macmillan for a chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Nearly Normal Family by M.T. Edvardsson is a 5 star read.
This book had me gripped from the first chapter, I struggled to put it down to be able to do proper adulting stuff. I would highly recommend this book.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley.

‘A Nearly Normal Family’, has all the atmosphere, detail and intrigue of a Nordic Thriller, but the pace, moral questions and twists of an excellent courtroom and family drama. The protagonists are pushed to their limits, making them unreliable, so that even when you think you know, you probably don’t, giving this story the edge and mystery of a psychological thriller.

Told from three points of view, the father (a Pastor), the mother( a Lawyer), and the daughter (a clever, rebellious teenager). The events surrounding the murder are revealed, through each character’s point of view

The father is severely tested, his control of the family threatened and his moral beliefs challenged. What will he do for his daughter who he believes in totally? The daughter uses her intelligence to fuel her rebellion against her parents and their beliefs. She has secrets, one of which has damaged her, but is she capable of murder? The mother’s point of view is left until the end and reveals an unexpected twist. All lie and have secrets, making them unreliable protagonists.

The pace of this story is good, even though it is detailed, it doesn’t sacrifice ease of reading for content and this makes it addictive. The characters are believable, and their actions and motives realistic. You are forced to consider how you would act in similar circumstances.

The daughter has considerable insight, and this makes you question whether does she have severe mental health issues, or is manipulative and uses her personality to achieve her aims.

The final scenes reveal an uncomfortable truth that makes you question what has come before. The perfect ending to this atmospheric, crime based twisty thriller.

I received a copy of this book from Pan Macmillan via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

i enjoyed the mystery element of this book, I really didn’t know who had committed the murder or why, and it was interesting to see how all of the little lies and twists came together to reveal the story by the end. I did feel like the ending was a little bit abrupt, but I suppose there wasn’t really much more to tell, it could justifiably end where it did. Overall I enjoyed it & would recommend it to any general thriller fan.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so much more than a courtroom drama. It explored in great detail the relationship between Stella and her father, a pastor and mother, a successful lawyer. Stella is different to all her friends for various reasons which are explored and when Stella is arrested on suspicion of murder her history and how she has been brought up become apparent as the case is prepared for court. This book was fascinating, well-written and full of surprises. A very good read.
Many thanks to Netgalley/M.T. Edvardsson/Pan MacMillan for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

This story is told from the point of view of the three members of the family when the 17 year old daughter is accused of murder. Th various levels of the family are opened to view and it builds to an explosive conclusion

I absolutely loved this book!! This is a well plotted thriller set in Sweden following the lives of a family torn apart murder. Adam, Ulrika and their daughter Stella are living a fairly normal existence until one moment changes everything and Stella is accused and goes on trial for the murder of the son of a prominent lawyer. What unfolds is a tale of a family disintegrating under a web of lies, deceit and guilt. I immediately felt sorry for Stella in that throughout her childhood expectations of her were high, having a father who is a pastor and her often absent mother, a successful lawyer. Stella and her best friend Amina, both excel at handball and through the sport these two families are connected although the two girls have very different personalities. The novel explores the concepts of parental love as well as the complexities of deep rooted friendships and the extent that people may or may not go to, to protect those they love the most. How far will a parent push the boundaries of what is deemed acceptable in order to protect their child?? It is fair to say that Stella displays early on in childhood behaviours that are cause for concern but are perhaps swept under the carpet. A particularly traumatic event occurs in Stella’s life that shapes her future and brings her to this point. The novel is divided into sections, each focusing on the mother, father, Stella and Amina although not in that particular order! I enjoyed this format as the reader is exposed to the different viewpoints of each individual and in each narrative secrets are divulged to bring all the threads of the plot together. They are the all important twists in the tale that are necessary to keep the reader hooked so I can easily recommend this to fellow lovers of this genre. I really don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read ahead of publication.

Stella's parents, like all parents, imagined that their little Princess would be the perfect child, what they got was a feisty young lady that gave more than them cause for concern when she was growing up. Not really the picture they wanted to portray to the local community where Adam was the Pastor of a growing congregation and Ulrika an Attorney.
This is one brilliant story that lead me and I followed like a sheep totally oblivious of what was ultimately waiting for me. As the story unfolds it is told by the three family members in present-day and in flashbacks. When Stella comes home very late after a night out Adam knows that there is something very wrong and he is faced with making decisions that go against everything that he believes in but will the position he holds in the community give him an edge? I mean could you lie in court if your child was facing a murder charge?
I am still bowled over with this book which turned me inside out and back again. The characters were brilliantly created and perfectly played by the author as I am still smiling and shaking my head at the same time! Like in most crime story you get the main event and then the unraveling of the who and why which in this case you are given early on but this story takes it further into the dynamics of the family unit. It's a bit like the chicken and the egg. Family loyalty or justice.
Quite a proportion of the story is set around the trial of Stella and it is sooooo tense that my skin was tingling. I waited with bated breath, hung on to every word, and loved every solitary sentence. This was Brilliance, yes with a capital B. A must-read Summer book.
I wish to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

Interesting book, well told and doesn't rely on a ‘gore fest’ to get the message across
I read this book over a day as it begs to be finished so you know the outcome
I would be interested to read more by this author

Meet the Sandell family; Adam is a pastor in the church of Sweden, his wife Ulrika, is an attorney and their eighteen year old daughter, Stella. When a thirty two year old man was found murdered, Stella seemed to be the only suspect. It's alleged that Stella had had an affair with him. Amina is Stella's best friend and has been since childhood. She's the only one who truly understands Stella. The story begins with Stella's murder trial. Her father is about to testify.

The story can be divided into three categories: murder mystery, legal thriller and family drama. It's told unreliably from the three family members point of view. As the storyline unfolds, we learn more about Stella's past. We are also told the story in present time, but there are parts that are told as flashbacks. The pace is fast and the plot line is gripping. The characters are well developed. A suspenseful story that I found hard to put down.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Pan Macmillan and the author M. T. Edvardsson for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Adam and Ulrika Sandall, together with their 18 year old daughter Stella, seem like a steady, dependable family. Adam is a pastor at church in their hometown of Lund in Sweden, Ulrika is a successful defence attorney. Stella is working in H&M as summer so that she can go on a big trip to Asia in the winter. Her best friend, Amina, is heading for medical school. On a night out Stella and Amina meet Christopher Olsen who says he is in his late 20s. He’s charming and shows an interest in the girls. They are enjoying his interest and see him more despite finding out that he is actually 33 and there are other things that he has lied about or kept quiet about. Then he is found murdered and a neighbour claims that Stella was the last person with him...

The story is told in three parts from the points of view Adam, Stella and Ulrika. I didn’t find it that gripping and it dragged a little. Not much seems to happen other than a few more unknown things about each of the main characters getting revealed from time to time but amongst some repetition of events being retold.

It’s translated from Swedish and this was a little disjointed at times and made me wonder if it was by a native Swedish speaker who also speaks English, or possibly by an American. Things like ‘Open Days’ at university were referred to as ‘Open Houses’ and a bed in a cell was referred to as a cot. I was hoping that being written and set in Swedish it would have a Scandi Noir feel but it didn’t and just as well could have been set anywhere as the location was irrelevant to the story-line.

With thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars.
This is a slow burner that bubbles under for the majority. Told in turn from the perspectives of the three main characters; father, mother and accused, the story slowly starts to take shape and the truth eventually comes out. It's a very character driven book as the author peels back the layers of family life and exposes the truth that makes up this "nearly normal" family. A bit of a slow start builds the foundations that the rest of the book then goes on to blow up.
We first hear from the father, Adam, who is a Pastor in the Church of Sweden. We follow as his daughter Stella fails to return home after work and the shock when he find out that she has been arrested for the murder of Chris, an older man with a bit of a shady character. Part two is narrated by Stella and we follow her time in prison, awaiting trial. Finally we hear from Ulrika, the Criminal Defense Attorney mother who puts her spin on things.
Obviously with this threefold narration, there is a certain amount of repetition; the same scene played over from a different perspective. But each rehash either added something new to the narrative or preceded a new direction taken by one, or more, of the characters so their inclusion was wholly justifiable.
As well as the family, there are a few other key characters. Most notably, we have Stella's best friend Amina and her family who become more and more dragged in as the story progresses. We also hear a lot about Stella's lawyer who has connections to Ulrika.
As well as being a pretty nifty whodoneit (and why) we also have a great dissection of the ins and outs of the family and their wider network. Exactly how far would you go to protect your own? How does your moral compass affect your behaviour when you are in a certain situation? Truth or lies? How does the past really affect the present? Did you really do the right thing?
If you love spying on a dysfunctional family going through car-crash times and having to make some very difficult choices, then you're going to love this book. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Disappointing read for me as I was really hoping to be thrilled by this Scandinavian author but wasn’t. The telling of the story was repetitive to the point of boring and the characters simply annoying.

At first glance, the Sandell family seem perfectly ordinary - Adam (pastor), Ulrika (lawyer) and their peevish teenage daughter Stella. The veneer of "normality" is ripped away when Stella is accused of murder - and we discover what actually lies beneath the surface ...

I found this book a little "stiff" to begin with but persevered, and I'm glad I did. The characters are interesting and the plot is well crafted - you'll think you've figured out what actually happened, only to think again when a new twist emerges. I did actually guess correctly in the end - but I read a lot of novels in this genre.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC.