Absolutely brilliant! I seriously could not put it down! Brilliant, exciting, and talented writer; if you ever read your reviews here please write faster...I need another quickly, as I am full-blown addicted!

I really enjoyed this. I liked the way it was written and how the story was developed. It wasn’t at all predictable and kept you wondering what would happen next. The trial and ending were fascinating and I couldn’t get myself to put it down! I loved the moral complexity of the parents and how they balanced (or didn’t) their actions against their beliefs. Stella and Amina’s relationship was also very interesting. On the whole, it was a great read and I will recommend it to others!

Wow, what a mind twist this book is. Told from 3 perspectives, that of father, daughter and mother, each offer their own take on events which differ from the others showing how easy it is for people to interpret things their own way or chose how to remember something.

The outside perception of his family is so important to Adam (the father) that you can’t help but question how much impact that had on daughter Stella. Or does work orientated mum Ulrika bear some blame on Stella’s behaviour? And then there’s Stella herself, she has her faults but is she capable of murder?

This is a great study of the family unit, it’s secrets, faults and cracks. Very chilling to read and even harder to work out the truth.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this

This was set in Sweden and the trial depended on a Swedish point of law that we don't have, so it was difficult to relate to. The parents were completely misguided in the handling of their daughter and the lengths they go to in order to protect her are quite shocking, especially as the father is a priest and the mother is a criminal lawyer. In fact there was not one pleasant character in the book. It was told from the points of view of the father, the daughter and the mother and the switch-overs jarred. The pace was slow at first and the twists were not completely unexpected.

Found it slow to begin with but soon became quite pacey. I liked the dynamics and secrets of family life and how they played out, but didn't connect to many characters. Would still read another by this author, so thank you for my copy and the chance to discover this writer.

An excellent novel and one that kept me guessing all the way through.
This is the story of a brutal murder told from the perspectives of a father, his daughter (the chief suspect) then her mother,
I was pretty certain I'd worked it out then the author threw a curve ball. Then another and another until it culminated in an extremely clever ending.
Throw in some very accurate observations about family, trust, loyalty and friendship and you have a real winner.
I have to add that I was dubious at first as the novel is set in Scandinavia which usually puts me off a bit (my bad but I sometimes lose flow with really unfamiliar names and places) but the translation here works a dream with some absolutely beautiful phrases. I even found myself reading a couple of them out to my husband.
Really enjoyed this and will be recommending it.

In my opinion this book was entertaining but overlong. I liked the idea of the three narrators, even if the first one was mildly annoying. I like the story development too, not knowing what to believe. I think the tension would have been ramped up more if the book had been severely edited.

A good story, written from 3 different points of view, compelling and enthralling.
Possibly a slightly underwhelming ending was the reason I could only award it 3 stars, but I would definitely recommend it to fellow thriller loving bibliophiles.

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher Pan Macmillan for the ARC.
This is a really well-written (and translated) Scandinavian-set mystery/thriller filled with half-truths, lies and deceits, the conclusion of the story only then revealing the whole truth of the storyline, which was immensely satisfying..
Church of Sweden Pastor Adam, his lawyer wife Ulrika and their 18yr-old daughter Stella have, on the face of it, a normal family life. They are friends of Dion and Alexandra and their daughter Amina is best friends with Stella. They are inseparable yet polar opposites - Amina is studious and level-headed and intending to study medicine at university; Stella is impulsive and rails against any form of authority or control especially at home, and intends to continue her shop assistant work to save enough for a grand trip to Asia.
One week after her 18th birthday Stella is arrested on suspicion of murdering 33yr-old Chris, whom she and Amina had met in a bar some weeks beforehand.
The story is written from three points of view - Adam, Stella and Ulrika, each passage of which gradually exposes the flaws in their 'normal' life. It's rather like reading the layers of an onion being peeled away, delving deeper and deeper into their relationships and interactions - not only within the family but with their friends and Amina as well.
Absolutely fascinating, I couldn't guess the ending; it was a slow reveal, and I couldn't put this book down.

Stella is nineteen and stands accused of the brutal murder of a man fifteen years her senior. She is an ordinary teenager with an upstanding family. Why would she commit murder?
Stella’s father, a pastor and her mother who is a criminal defence attorney find themselves struggling to understand why she could be a suspect.
How well do you know your own children and how far would you go to protect them?

This story is told in three points of view, dad Adam, Mum Ulrika and Stella. It is very easy to follow and the writing is fabulous! The characters in the story were developed well and some are not very likeable. However, the story would not be as good without them being this way. I’m looking forward to reading more from this Author.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Pan MacMillan for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I found it hard to get into at first but the more I read the better it got. It gave three points of view mum dad and daughter. I wasn’t sure how it would end but wasn’t disappointed .

Brilliant plot, excellent main characters that you invest in. I read this book in one sitting and I would highly recommend it.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Was not sure whether or not I would like this book but how wrong was I. It was a terrific read and would highly recommend.

Really enjoyed this book plenty of twists that keeps you guessing would recommend this book to anyone.

Nicely filled with twists making you second guess everyone the whole time. A good story. Draws you into the family emotions as well.

This book was so hard to put down! If you like to be kept on the edge of your seat then this book is definitely for you.

If you thought your child capable of murder, would you protect them? This book deals with family dynamics and shows how far a parent would go to protect their child even when they doubt them. It gives glimpses into the murder without really revealing anything which gives the book a great suspenseful feel. It has a few twists that I liked and it was a book that I really enjoyed reading.

It is told in a three point of views,
1. Stella who is a teenager and who is accused of killing a man 15 years her senior.
2. Stella's mum who is a lawyer.
3. Stella's father is a pastor so in the book, we see him question his faith which I thought was a nice added touch to the storyline.
The parents struggle to understand how Stella is a suspect and their morals are tested when they try and protect their daughter. The dynamic of the family was really well written and I thought it was believable.

Overall I found the plot intriguing, the writing was good and easy to read and I enjoyed the suspense.

Brilliant read. A domestic twisty drama told from three POV. The dad is a Pastor, the mum is a lawyer and then there’s Stella, their daughter. Strong willed and intent on doing things her way. She dreams of a big trip to Asia and is working to save for the trip. The only thing standing in her way is the pesky business of being charged with murder!! The story explores ethics and morales and how far you would actually go to protect your loved ones. Highly recommended.

I barely made it to the third chapter.
It's well known in writing that every sentence shouldn't start with "I", "I did this" "I did that". I mean come on it's one of the first things you learn in school!

Wish the writing was better as storyline sounded interesting but if you have half a brain you'll give up on this failure as quickly as I did.

This is a murder story told from the points of view of Mother Father and daughter. There are lots of twists exploring family loyalty . A great read

A Normal Family is very much a slow burn read but as the seemingly simple story develops and the character's back stories reveal some increasingly complex characters it turns into a gripping and complex story.
Teenager Stella is troubled teen accused of killing an older man she's been in a relationship with.,Adam ,her staid and priggish Pastor father is prepared to lie to give her an alibi and mother Ulrika tries to protect them both in her own way.
It's a book of many parts,there's the crime itself but what makes it stand out is the characterisation with what at first appears to be fairly stereotypical family ,the straitlaced father,angst-ridden mother and rebellious teen daughter showing different,and often quite surprising ,sides to their personality. They are in fact,as the title suggests,a nearly normal family and I'm sure many will identify with the thoughts and feelings bubbling under the surface ,the girl's different relationships with her mother and father and the way both see her in different ways. As well as that such things as friendship,loyalty,trust and honesty are a big part of the tale and from a fairly pedestrian start it builds up into "much more than a crime thriller" .
A great read that will grip you ,literally,until the last sentence.

Thanks to M.T.Edvardsson, Macmillan books and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.