Love the di Fawley series so was excited to read this stand alone. It did not disappoint. Unique & amazing read I’d highly recommend.

#MurderInThe Family #NetGalley I love the DI Fawley series by this author so I was excited to read this standalone novel. Whilst I found the storyline interesting in an Agatha Christie whoodunnit kind of way, although I did guess "whodunnit" about half way through, I found the style of the book ( like a script from a Tv show) very off-putting for me. It may have been because I was reading on a kindle and it might have been easy to follow in an actual book but for me it made it very stilted and difficult to follow in places and I did find myself skim reading some of the less interesting transcripts. It was a quick and easy read though and I did enjoy the story.

A very enjoyable story done in a fairly unique way.A group of experts are put together by a film company to investigate an unsolved murder. Can they achieve what the Met Police couldn’t and identify the murder. The investigation is shown through the episodes of the subsequent television series which produces a surprising result.

The premise of this standalone novel is brilliant and well executed by a fabulous author.

Director Guy Howard is the stepson of Luke Ryder whose murder 20 years ago remains unsolved.

His new TV series brings together a panel of experts who will go about re-examining the evidence and try to solve the case live on TV while we watch.

The murder took place in the garden of the family's exclusive London home and filming takes place at the house, giving a more intimate feel reminiscent of Agatha Christie but with a very up to date big brother meets scripted reality edge.

There are clearly secrets within the family, but the mother now has Alzheimer's and the sisters are reluctant to cooperate. And as astonishing new information comes to light, it emerges that the "independent" experts may also know more about the case than they are letting on.

This was a new author for me but I have heard great things about the series she has previously published.

This book has been all over BookTok due to the unique presentation - the 'chapters' are in fact episodes of a TV true crime documentary style series, looking at a 20 year old unsolved case. The idea is that the reader tries to piece together the clues and solve the crime as they read.

I enjoyed the concept - it was a different and interesting read. As a big true crime fan I enjoyed the case and the different aspects the author included, such as the TV critic's review of each episode and the comment threads.

However, I didn't feel it was a huge surprise at the end - I know the idea was for us as a reader to solve the case - but I found it somewhat obvious from the start. This didn't especially take away from the book, I still enjoyed the read, especially as it was quite a quick one and there were some interesting twists and turns.

I didn't dislike it but it wasn't my favourite read of the year. I really liked the concept though and it will make a great TV show which I have seen the rights have been purchased for. I will check out more from this author in the future for sure.

DNF - I’ve given this 4 hours and I’ve forced myself to just give up which I don’t do lightly. I experienced the audio form and found it to be very confusing and all over the place. I feel it might be harder to sit and read it. It seems to jump from one thing to another and it’s very scripted and stiff. There is a lot of characters to get to grips with it and even at 4 hours in I still haven’t really got to grips with who’s who. It’s almost like it’s the first draft of the read and it hasn’t been edited for readers yet. I do have a slight gist of what’s going on but to be honest it’s not interesting enough to continue. I’ve read books by this author in the past and enjoyed them but unfortunately this one really wasn’t for me.

"Hold onto your hats- I promise you, this is going to be one HELL of a ride."

OMG this was pure brilliance and had me totally gripped, at one point I was biting my nails down to the cuticles as I was desperately trying to work out who killed Luke Ryder!!

Twenty years ago Luke Ryder was murdered in the garden of his expensive London home and the crime had never been solved.

TV Director Guy Howard was Luke's stepson and aged ten at the time of the murder, he has now decided to get to the truth of this unsolved case. Guy is producing a true crime documentary called "Infamous" he has assembled a panel of experts in various fields to go through the original witness testimonies, reinterview witnesses and scouring the evidence.

The narrative consists of scripts, text messages, emails, interviews and newspaper clippings.

As we delve into this mystery, you are bombarded with twists and new revelations that will have you shaking your head. You realise the expert team have their own secrets and are not telling the whole truth. Is there more to their vested interest in this murder?

I loved this style of writing as I felt like I was solving a true life crime and had all the evidence laid out for me. I'm pleased to say I failed at guessing the identity of the perpetrator.

A must read book that is fast paced and will keep you guessing to the end.

I would have given this more than 5 stars, I fear I haven't given this amazing book the accolade it merits!!!

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

A very interesting concept to write the novel as a cold case. Makes use of the 'unreliable narrator' trope throughout, trouble is they are all holding back! THanks to Netgalley.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book - such an unusual and engaging format. I love true crime documentaries and this was as close as you can get without it being true crime. I flew through this finishing in a couple of days.

I’m a fan of Cara Hunter was was keen to read their latest release. I enjoyed the layout of this book, it made it a quick, snappy read. I wasn’t a massive fan of the case or the twist at the end. I also found it to be incredibly far fetched at the time.

3.5 This is one of those books that will really polarise opinion and most of the disagreement will revolve around the format. The book is written chiefly in transcript but with some WhatsApp messages, emails and reviews.

For me, the format was not a huge issue, although be aware that it really doesn’t display well on a Kindle paper white. If you’re reading on a different type of kindle you can long press and then select zoom and it will open in a popup window for you.

It wasn’t a particularly new experience for me, since I’ve read other books in this style - notably Janice Hallett’s novels and True Crime Story by Joseph Knox - but the format definitely does distance you from the characters.

Overall I found that the storyline, although a really interesting premise at the start, just didn’t hold me. As the book progresses it just becomes less and less plausible, which doesn’t help and there isn’t anyone to root for, care about or even like much. Even the victim isn’t sympathetic - so I’m not just being unduly harsh here! I did finish it but I felt a bit let down at the end.

With thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I think I blame the version I read this in for my ultimate reaction to the book. The format is important in books like this, especially one that has multiple characters talking, scenes that are written out as scripts and character lists with long descriptions. My advanced review copy on Kindle was a bit of a mess in that sense. The story came across, but the formatting meant that the more dramatic of the presentations (save the email chains) all seemed to be one on top of the other. I also guessed the ending, an unconscious habit I have to get rid of soon if I am ever to read books of this ilk at any frequency. These basically contributed to what I am rating the book, although it does seem to be set up well for a great series or TV movie.
A family with three siblings and a lot of generational wealth were part of an unsolved murder years earlier when they were all children. Now, the youngest of the three wants to use his connections to make a show which would have the cold case reopened and reexamined. A select team has been assembled for the job, and it is the team's interactions that I enjoyed and found the sequence of revelations intriguing.
Overall, the book does well in setting up the atmosphere and the problem statement. The people and their variety carry the rest of the story. The author has done a good job of putting the two components together. I have not been reading too many books in this genre, but I might try another by the author if I get the chance. I would recommend this to fans of the genre.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

What a fascinating, totally different read.

This ‘cold-case’ investigation is written as a Netflix documentary from planning to broadcast, comprising emails, newspaper articles, meetings, text messages, interviews and evidence. A innovative approach!

There are a lot of characters, however Cara Hunter has included some helpful details about each at the start of the novel.

The tension between the investigation team ramps up quickly, as we learn more about each character and their complete back stories, rather than the ‘profile’ public face presented.

I found myself travelling around the world with the team, as their investigation developed. Trying to piece together something that happened 20 years ago.

Once I got used to the concept, I was certainly gripped. The twists and reveals come thick and fast, taking the reader down plenty of dead-ends, with an ending that left me thinking!

Great book with a fabulous layout. As hard as I tried I didn’t get it right but loved all the twists and turns! Very enjoyable, would recommend.

This was an interesting concept where it’s an author writing a novel written in the form of a true life documentary. You are introduced to the whole cast of characters who are trying to solve the cold case of a murder.
The characters all have something to hide and the secrets are gradually revealed as more clues to the case are revealed.
The story was great but I didn’t like the format. I either want to watch a documentary or read a novel whereas this is trying to be both. It would make a great drama so I hope this is televised in the future but I would not read a book again with this layout.
Thanks to HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a huge fan of Cara Hunter so I’m use to her unusual format of presenting a story but unfortunately I really struggled with this one. It may because I read it on my kindle so I found the format confusing and it was difficult to keep track of the characters. I only made it about 20% of the way through, as I found the script style of writing confusing and irritating. I would definitely attempt to read this book again but only in book format so I could flick back and forth to check characters, clues etc

.**Review updated after buying a physical copy**

I’m a huge fan of Cara Hunter’s work, but Murder In The Family takes her writing to a whole new level. It’s exciting, innovative and turns all the conventions of the crime thriller upside down. Anyone who has read her books will know she has a unique way of telling a story using various media, but she’s surpassed herself with this book! The story focuses on a 20-year-old cold case that is being investigated by a true crime television series and numerous experts. Told primarily through the transcripts of the episodes. Supplemented by newspaper articles and press releases, it makes for a suspense fuelled read.

Cara Hunter plants you right in the middle of the investigation. Listening to the experts’ opinions, sifting through the clues, lies and the most delicious red herrings looking to bring a killer to justice. Keeping readers hooked with cliff hangers and surprising discoveries. Part of the fun of this book is guessing the WHO? And the WHY? And then discounting them as the evidence mounted, it’s like a game of CLUDEO but in book form! Did I solve the case before the experts? I had my suspicions, but I wasn’t a 100% sure until the final reveal. I loved Murder In The Family with all its twists and turns; it made for such an exciting read. Highly recommended.

I would recommend you read the paperback rather than on a kindle due to the format of Murder In The Family. I tried reading it on my kindle but gave up! But I’m so glad I bought a physical copy as I would have missed out on a fantastic read.

On a fatal night in October 2003 Luke Ryder was murdered in his upmarket garden in West London but after an extensive police investigation into the murder it was never solved.
Forward twenty years and Luke's stepson Guy Howard who was only ten at the time of the murder is a highly respected TV director.
Guy decides to look back at the time twenty years ago and enlists the help of producer Nick Vincent.
After hiring experts to look again at the evidence surrounding the murder they run a six part documentary on Netflix.
The investigation and documentary is presented in old newspaper stories, text messages and emails and each show ends with more questions than answers but can the experts reveal who and why Luke was murdered?
A gripping and cleverly written novel.

This is the first book I have read by author Cara Hunter and it certainly won’t be the last. Thank you to Harper Fiction and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
I absolutely loved the format of this book and cannot recommend it highly enough. I just couldn’t put it down. The story is told through a mixture of media, phone-calls, emails and texts etc Reading it is almost like watching a documentary about true life events. A very different read if you enjoy a good murder mystery but want to try something new.

Luke Ryder was brutally murdered in his own back garden in 2003, and his murder was never solved. His stepson produces a documentary bringing together experts from different fields to re examine the case to see if the perpetrator can finally be caught. Using the original case evidence as along with new technology other evidence slowly comes to light. Who is lying? And do these so called experts have secrets of their own to reveal about the case?

This book was absolutely fantastic! It’s written as a tv series, including newspaper articles and interview transcripts. It’s like nothing I’ve ever read before, the reader can actually picture how it would have been on the screen had it been an actual tv show! There’s more twists and turns than a roller coaster, and just when you think you have it all worked out, something else creeps up! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a good twisty page turner! Amazing Cara, just a brilliant read!

New Netflix series, Infamous, examines the twenty year old unsolved murder case of Luke Ryder. Through interviews, news articles and online forum chats interweaved with the narrative, this clever story invites the reader to solve the mystery along the way.
This worked so well because it was fresh; all the way through it felt like it could be real and happening now. All the references, the mixed media, a quick reference to another Cara Hunter book, everything here was classic Cara Hunter, and I loved it. Best of her books so far, in my opinion, and I've read them all!