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Not a Happy Family
Not a Happy Family
Oct 7, 2024 6:27 PM

Author:Shari Lapena

Not a Happy Family

The chilling Sunday Times bestseller perfect for fans of Knives Out. A Richard & Judy Book Club pick.

'In this fast-paced, twisted family saga, Shari Lapena keeps you guessing until the very last page...' PAULA HAWKINS

The new unputdownable thriller from the multi-million-copy bestselling author of THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR.

In this family, everyone is keeping secrets - even the dead.

In the quiet, wealthy enclave of Brecken Hill, an older couple is brutally murdered hours after a tense Easter dinner with their three adult children. Who, of course, are devastated.

Or are they? They each stand to inherit millions. They were never a happy family, thanks to their vindictive father and neglectful mother, but perhaps one of them is more disturbed than anyone knew. Did someone snap after that dreadful evening? Or did another person appear later that night with the worst of intentions? That must be what happened. After all, if one of the family were capable of something as gruesome as this, you'd know.

Wouldn't you?

'Nobody does a vicious family circle like Shari Lapena. Highly recommended' Cara Hunter

'Queen of the modern crime novel, Shari Lapena, is back with another tale of murder... Shari will keep you guessing until the very end' Sunday Express

'A cross between Big Little Lies and Miss Marple' Woman's Weekly

'[A] dramatic, tense and satisfying murder mystery' My Weekly

Reviews

Nobody does a vicious family circle like Shari Lapena. Highly recommended

—— Cara Hunter

In this fast-paced, twisted family saga, Shari Lapena keeps you guessing until the very last page

—— Paula Hawkins

Queen of the modern crime novel Shari Lapena is back with another tale of murder...Shari will keep you guessing until the very end

—— Sunday Express

A cross between Big Little Lies and Miss Marple, we reckon this one could be destined for the screen some time soon

—— Woman's Weekly

Dramatic, tense and satisfying murder mystery

—— My Weekly

A brilliant read

—— Bella

With wholly unlikeable characters and a fast-paced plot, this book will keep you guessing until the last page!

—— Candis

A deliciously dark family drama...Buckle up for a fast-paced drive into the damning and dysfunctional secrets of one family.

—— Magic Radio Book Club

Anna Bailey writes like a dream about teenage love and lust, the terror of knowledge and the claustrophobia of families and of small towns.

—— EMMA FLINT, author of Little Deaths

Bailey writes with perfect poise. She is destined for great things - I feel it in my bones.

—— SAGA magazine

Cleverly written, Anna Bailey's debut shines a light on the darker and more oppressive side of small-town society.

—— INDEPENDENT

Tall Bones is as atmospheric as it gets... a stunning debut that delivers on every level. Reminded me of Jane Harper's The Dry.

—— RENEE KNIGHT, author of Disclaimer

'A clever, twisting debut about the dark side of small town America. It is packed with secrets like firecrackers ready to ignite.'

—— FRANCINE TOON, author of Pine

Anna Bailey's debut is irresistible, a compelling and nuanced psychological thriller suffused with small town prejudice and dark family secrets.

—— PAULA HAWKINS, author of The Girl on the Train

An intricate and compelling thriller, beautifully nuanced. Brilliant.

—— SJ WATSON, author of Before I Go to Sleep

I felt so strongly about some of the characters that I had to check the ending to make sure they were ok! Extremely well written... fantastic.

—— HARRIET TYCE, author of Blood Orange

Its portrait of small-town intrigue is scarily credible. Bailey understands that the dynamics that drive small-town relationships are the same the world over.

—— VAL McDERMID

A terrific debut about guilt, secrets and complex family dynamics - the writing is vivid & assured: Anna Bailey is definitely one to watch.

—— LUCY ATKINS, author of Magpie Lane

Gripping and so beautifully written Tall Bones is spellbinding; dark and menacing, but also so full of love and hope. I loved it. I cried.

—— CRESSIDA McLAUGHLIN, author of The Cornish Cream Tea Christmas

Haunting... Emma's path to where the truth lies will carry the reader's soul along in both moving and compassionate ways.

—— Maxim Jakubowski, CRIME TIME

Brilliant! Could not put it down. It's utterly gripping and beautifully written.

—— KATIE FFORDE

Smart and compassionate, full of poetry and rage and shy hopes and shredded dreams and missing girls and family secrets.

—— TAMMY COHEN, author of Stop At Nothing

This is a striking first novel, a chilling insight into an oppressive world, where bad thoughts and bad deeds ripple just below the surface, out of sight.

—— Alison Flood, OBSERVER

Chilling and compulsive... a dazzling debut.

—— KATE HAMER, author of The Girl in the Red Coat

Simmering resentments and long-held prejudices boil over in this beautifully realised evocation of small-town America. I I loved it.

—— Kate Riordan, author of The Heatwave

An elegant, mesmerizing debut-Anna Bailey explores festering secrets with a with a sharp, yet tender gaze. This book reads like a whisper in the dark.

—— DANYA KUKAFKA, author of Girl in Snow

Cleverly written , Anna Bailey's debut shines a light on the darker and more oppressive side of small-town society.

—— Independent

Set in the smoky jazz bars of 1950s New York, this debut novel by Julie Owen Moylan brings to life an array of powerful, bold and complicated women - all of whom have their own stories and secrets. The mystery at hand is soft and gently unfolds to climax into a satisfying but heartbreaking ending

—— Evening Standard, Best Thrillers Books to read in 2022

Julie Owen Moylan's astonishingly accomplished debut is both a deftly constructed thriller and a bittersweet love story - expect to hear a lot about it this summer

—— Waitrose Weekend

Evocative, thought-provoking and incredibly moving

—— My Weekly

Read this if you want to be transported to NYC to feel the sizzle of summer and experience the smoky, sultry glow of 1950s jazz clubs

—— InsideKent

Moving. A sensitive, endearing story

—— Sunday Mail

Ingenious. Criminal mastermind. Twists and misdirections are embedded in Wrong Place Wrong Time's clever narrative

—— Writing Magazine

McAllister has always been a plot master, but with Wrong Place, Wrong Time she's surpassed herself. So riveting you'll pull a sickie and ignore all family and friends until the breath-taking final page

—— Celia Walden

A tightly crafted plot from a great thriller writer

—— Prima

A genre-defining masterpiece that turns everything you think you know about crime, family and memory on its head. I'm so jealous of everybody who gets to read this for the first time. An instant classic

—— Holly Seddon

An extraordinary novel. Intricately plotted, beautifully written and impossible to put down. This is a Groundhog Day thriller lived and told backwards, which is such an incredibly smart concept - but Wrong Place, Wrong Time is not just clever, it's heart-wrenching and full of emotion too. McAllister is a writer at the absolute top of her game

—— Beth O'Leary

Unquestionably her best book yet. Mind bending and extraordinary. What an amazing achievement. All the stars!

—— Jill Mansell

A genuine premise, compelling characters, and an absolute masterclass in plotting

—— Lucy Clarke, bestselling author of The Castaways

The latest novel from Gillian McAllister is perfect in every way. Pretty sure she's going to take over the world with that book

—— Imran Mahmood

McAllister is . . . at the top of her game. Revelations come at a satisfying pace in this smart, compelling thriller . . . It's the book we'll all be talking about this summer, so you might as well get ahead of the game and read it now

—— S.J. Watson , Perspective Magazine, 'Thriller of the Month'

Mindblowingly brilliant, it's a cracker - everyone should preorder IMMEDIATELY

—— Lisa Hall

Wrong Place Wrong Time is an astonishingly accomplished psychological thriller that pinpoints the ferocious love between mother and son, and the lengths we go to for that love. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I was entertained, but more than that: I was moved

—— Laura Jane Williams

Wrong Place, Wrong Time is an intricately plotted, highly original thriller full of heart, layers and jaw-dropping twists. Gillian McAllister is one of the finest suspense writers in the market today and this outstanding novel deserves every success

—— Phoebe Morgan

The most inventive thriller of the year

—— Daily Express

The next I Let You Go, the next Gone Girl, the next Girl on the Train . . . Wrong Place, Wrong Time will be a huge hit, deservedly so

—— Sarah Turner, Costa Book Awards Judge

Ambitious, menacing and shocking - a brilliant concept and her best book yet

—— Woman & Home, 'BOOK CLUB AWARDS'

McAllister pulls off this adventure with aplomb. Tightly plotted. Couldn't put it down . . . Don't miss it

—— Guardian

Wrong Place Wrong Time contains layers of intrigue and secrecy . . . You'll turn each page of Jen's story, eager to find out - as she did - what secrets have been hiding in plain sight all along. You'll recommend this book to everyone you know

—— Herald

Masterfully crafted in every way, this novel races along-backward-for a reading experience so intriguing and immersive that you'll only pause to wonder how McAllister has done it. An original and emotional thriller that nails the tender moments of a mother's love as much as the big, impressive twists. A total stand-out and great fun to read-I loved it

—— Ashley Audrain, New York Times bestselling author of THE PUSH

WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME is the spellbinding story of a mother going back in time to try to prevent her son from committing a murder. Masterfully plotted and wholly original, McAllister keeps the surprises coming until the very last page, with an ending as satisfying as it is haunting.

—— Stephanie Wrobel

Page-turning time-loop thriller . . . An intelligent puzzle full of heart and good sense

—— Guardian, '50 hottest new books for a great escape'

It's extraordinary, just One of Those Books. She's carved through time, and created something three dimensional. It's like peering into the interior of a beautiful twisty shell. I absolutely loved it.

—— Eve Chase

Clever, original, and so addictive it should come with a warning. I loved it!

—— Alice Feeney

Gillian McAllister takes detective fiction in a new direction with this novel. Convincingly portrayed, and the criminal plot is cleverly designed

—— Literary Review

Tense . . . an affecting portrayal of a family careening toward crisis. [A] twisty book by a writer with a fine grasp of the subtleties of familial dysfunction. Unexpectedly tender

—— New York Times

This book is clever, clever, clever. Tightly plotted with a great cast of characters and tension in every line, I lived it and loved it

—— Fiona Barton

A super-clever, belter of a book that will stay with you long after you finish it

—— Sun

Wrong Place, Wrong Time is a mind-bending, time-twisting knockout of a book. Genius plotting and pacing easily make this one of my favourite reads this year. Gillian McAllister is a rare talent

—— Samantha Downing

Once I started reading I whizzed through the book in a couple of sittings. Such deft crafting! It would make great TV

—— Clare Chambers

This unique, riveting novel is best described as Groundhog Day meets crime drama

—— Yours Magazine

A game-changer. What an amazing book

—— Phil Williams , Times Radio

Brilliant. A genre defining book. So clever. It's going to be huge

—— Hannah Beckerman , Times Radio

Channels Groundhog Day with an endlessly replayed murder, as a woman's unassuming son kills a stranger - over and over again. The familiar plot motif is given an unguessable reset, and McAllister ensures that characterisation is as central to the novel's success as the plotting

—— Financial Times

It's terrific. It's ingenious. A GREAT concept

—— David Koepp

Full of originality, this is a memorable thriller that will stay with readers long after the last page

—— The Upcoming
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