I thought this was just okay. I liked the concept more than the actual book. True crime shows are everywhere these days and the book drew on that really well but it wasn’t a particularly stand out read for me.

A very fun and unique read, I love anything that reads a bit differently and the story itself was interesting with lots of great twists!

I have had this book on my TBR for quite some time and it's one of those that I've really wanted to get to but have never quite found the right moment. Now was the right moment.

What draw me to this book initially was the mixed media as it's something I always find engaging. I really liked that the entire story was told via interviews, transcripts of the show, internet posts, articles; you name it, it was thrown in there. It made for interesting reading and was super immersive. I also liked that the story was based on a classic murder mystery locked room format. The murderer was amongst us the entire time and at some points, it was fair game and could have been any one of them. Although I was kept guessing throughout, there was a period of the book where I felt a little exasperated. There were so many coincidences and so many complexities that it felt like a lot of hard work trying to keep up. However that did pass once the truth started to spill out.

None of these characters were likeable. There was something that irritated me about each of them; some more than others. All of them had a secret that they held back that was inevitably going to come out at some point and it didn't feel realistic to me that they truly that they could keep their past involvement in the case hidden. I'm not convinced that any of their intentions were honest.

Overall this was a really entertaining murder mystery and I really liked the mixed media format. I do wish I'd read the hard copy as opposed to the kindle copy as I think it would have been even more immersive. There were aspects that I wasn't keen on but others that I loved so all in all, it rounded out as a book that I had a good time with.

Wow what a cracking thrilling book. It was one I couldn’t wait to get back to every night. Unexpected turns and dead ends and ultimately satisfying!! Thanks a mill

Thank you HarperCollins and NetGalley.
Wow, Wow and even more Wow - this was serious up to Cara's usual standard if not better and was a standalone.
I loved this book and highly recommend you read it.
Next book please.

WHAT A THRILLER!!!!… This one caused me sleepless nights because I couldn't put it down!!
Thanks so much

Great standalone book from Cara Hunter. Her usual format of social media and tabloid repots, with the added TV series thrown in.

Plot wise, brilliant - characters, as always good solid ones you feel you can rely on. But some fun elements too.

This is one of the best books I’ve read for such a long time, and it dragged me out of the reading slump I’d been stuck in.

The structure is what set this book apart. I loved it! At first I was apprehensive as I’ve read nothing like it, and I was curious to know if it would work. It honestly surpassed my expectations!

The plot was engaging and fast-paced and I loved every second. There were so many twists and turns that I didn’t see coming, and the ending blew me away. I loved how everything unfolded - especially because I didn’t know who I could trust and who was telling the truth. There wasn’t any info dumping. Everything was revealed at a nice pace, keeping me invested every step of the way. Towards the end, the pace sped up and I couldn’t turn the pages quick enough!

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, but I am for sure going to read anything else I can get my hands on.

A cleverly written 'whodunit'. The characters and their backstories interweave seamlessly and keep you guessing until the very end - loved the spark the final newspaper cuttings create!
In time, I would read this book again to see if I could spot the clues.
I was given an advance copy (thanks NetGalley) but there was no way I would have enjoyed the book nearly as much as I did in paperback.

What brings you to read a book?

A publisher’s promotion and a free ARC via a site like NetGalley worked for me here. Thank-you.
A new or familiar author may hold some sway. I have books already by Cara Hunter but this was the first one I have read.
The cover; synopsis or rave reviews may also pique your interest.

In addition for me it is the genre. A murder mystery or police procedural comprise the majority of my bookcase. A cold case investigation like here gave real impetus to my choice of what to read next.

We are overwhelmed by such choices however, a good book might be missed and a ‘must read’ totally overlooked.

That is why reviews and sites like “Goodreads” are so important. If you’re reading this my point is half made.

However, unless you read ‘Murder in the Family’ you will have missed out completely.

Original and a totally fresh look at Social Media and Reality TV and how they might impact criminal investigations.

Completely absorbing novel; stimulating and a genuine page turner. Packed with secrets and lies; encompassing worldwide locations and many plot twists and reveals.

Part play, part graphic novel. This is such an intriguing read which amid the diet of many TBR lists is a refreshing sorbet to stimulate your desire for more and re-kindle your passion for reading.

This was so clever! The true crime doc gal in me loved this. So clever, so many twists - star knocked off for perhaps one too many? I reckon I'll be in the minority with that though. Excellent and unique. Highly recommend

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I loved this book, the true crime element and investigative style approach was fresh and innovative. Well written, well plotted and with great characters, it was a really good read!

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest and fair review.

Initially I wasn't keen on the format of this book, but once I had gotten used to it I could really focus on the content of the book. It almost felt like you were watching the TV documentary it was that immersive. The book is very fast paced with constant twists and turns throughout and occasionally as you were getting over one surprise, another ensued.

Overall this book is captivating, stick with it to adjust to the format and if you like crime thrillers you will enjoy this read. 4/5 stars

Having read all of the authors work this was different from the others but I enjoyed it. The story is that of an old murder case being made into a film for a true crime show, the story of many different people’s point of view is told and the truth unfolds along the way.

I normally adore Cara Hunter but really struggled with this one. I’m not sure if it was the format of the kindle copy but a lot of it was blacked out and I found it really challenging to keep track of what was happening. I still love all the additional bits that Cara Hunter puts into books, like interviews and text messages etc. I also love that there isn’t traditional chapters. Will always be a Cara Hunter fan but this one fell a little short unfortunately.

What an absolute corker of a book - unique in style and such an absorbing story. There are no chapters, but rather, it is split into film episodes that are scripted, interspersed with news stories, Internet chats, text messages, maps, and illustrations. It is visually appealing and is matched with a strong storyline. Luke Ryder was murdered at home 10 years previously, found by his two teenage stepdaughters , while 10 year old stepson Guy slept upstairs. Now, Guy is producing a documentary series to try to uncover the truth, with a group of experts in various fields. It seems all of them have extra detail to add to the case, and this mystery gets more twisted by the page. I listened to the audiobook alongside the physical book, and it leant itself beautifully to the documentary/ podcast style with a cast of actors playing the roles. It really felt like a reality muder podcast . Superbly executed. Definitely glad to have experienced both the print and the audio for this story as they both bring extra to the unravelling storyline. #murderinthefamily #carahunter #murdermystery #uniquestyle

A twisty and suspenseful thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end, with an unreliable narrator and a shocking final reveal.

I don’t say this often, but this was unputdownable!

20 years ago, Luke Ryder, a much younger husband of a palatial estate heiress, was brutally murdered on the steps of the mansion. The killer was never found.

Now, Luke’s stepson, a director behind a viral true-crime TV show famous for solving several cold cases, directs the spotlight on his own family in an attempt to discover the truth. A group of investigative experts gather and start digging into the case – both on and behind the camera. Stunning revelations come to light in each episode, putting in question not only the chain of events that fateful night 20 years ago, but also some of the experts’ motives…

This book is mixed media – but refreshingly different from what I’ve read before in this format. It is almost in its entirety a transcript of each episode of the streaming series, enriched by the inclusion of a subReddit thread with fans’ reactions to the episodes. There are also many visual elements – graphs, photos, etc.

I loved how in spite of the seemingly dry format, each episode was super rich in content not only relating to the case, but also the relationships between the members of what started as a group of strangers brought together to solve a case.

However, the most striking part of this book is the superbly crafted plot. Each episode had such shocking reveals, that I sometimes went “wait, did I just read what I think I read?!”

Despite the format (which, due to its nature, has quite a bit of telling), the build-up of the tension is relentless and the twists come at a blinding pace. For me, this book was the epitome of a page-turner, one of my top 12 reads of 2023, and I absolutely recommend it!

NB: Due to the atypical visual content, it might be best to consume this book as a paper copy.

This book taps into the widespread interest in true crime, and true crime documentaries.

The premise is, once again, original, innovative and completely gripping as a result. The multiple perspectives means that, as a reader, you are never quite sure who to trust or what the reality of the story is.

There are secrets hidden in plain sight and connections that you'd never expect. Another excellent novel from Cara Hunter.

I have read and loved this authors Adam Fawley series and can't wait for the next one of that. This book i enjoyed once i got to grips with the format as it can be a bit confusing at times. Lots of twists and turns and very clever storyline. Looking forward to more by Cara.
Thanks to publishers and Netgalley for ARC.