Murder in the Family is a book with a wonderfully unique format. It is based on a cold case murder that is resurrected in the form of a Netflix documentary, where many contributors are brought in to discuss and re-investigate the murder.

The book is told in filmed episodes and shows conversations between the participants, voicemails and narrations. I really enjoyed this alternative way of telling a story and enjoyed reading the little snippets from newspapers and articles from websites etc. The only downside is that some of them were so small, they were incredibly difficult to read on a Kindle.

The story was well written, although it may have needed more padding out if it was written in a traditional format. As it was, I feel like it got away with it.

It didn't keep me completely gripped, but it was enjoyable.

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.

When filmmaker Guy Howard was 10 years old his stepfather was brutally murdered. The killer has never been found. Now Guy has agreed to take part in the blockbuster new Netflix show Infamous, a show dedicated to investigating, and hopefully solving, cold cases. The question is, what will they uncover?

This is the first book I've read by Cara Hunter, the premise piqued my interest on NetGalley, but I must say I wasn't quite expecting the book as it was.

I was very unsure if I would enjoy this when I started reading, as the book is written in the style of a television script, interspersed with newspaper articles. I usually shy away from this style of writing as I don't tend to enjoy it, but it worked very well for this particular book and before long I was hooked.

I'll need to be a little bit careful what I say in this one so that I don't give away any spoilers. Firstly although there is a few characters to keep track of I found this was relatively easy to do because they are all quite distinct. I'm not sure I would class any of them as overly likeable, but that is understandable given the circumstances of what is going on in the book.

I read the first 75% or so of this at breakneck pace - I think I read most of that in a day. It's definitely one you won't want to put down. Given that the book is written as a TV show with weekly episodes there are plenty of information reveals and mini cliff hangers to keep you wanting to turn pages.

I think the only thing I would say is that towards the end things went off the boil a little bit for me. I predicted some of the later reveals quite easily, and wasn't overly keen on the ending. That is very much a personal choice though, if I'm being honest I would say that it does fit with the book, it's just there is an open endedness to it that I always find frustrating.

Cara Hunter has definitely caught my attention, I'm very likely to be going back and checking out some of her back catalogue after this.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I struggled with this book, the reason being is that the format of the book is written as a film script. I simply could not follow the storyline and lost the thread of the story. I am sorry to say that I gave up and did not complete the book. In spite of my comments someone else will find the book a great source of enjoyment.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cara is one of my favourite authors so I was overjoyed to be accepted to read this ARC.

I’m getting quite used to books written in this format now, I’ve read maybe four or five written this way. I love reading the transcripts/newspaper clippings, text messages,emails etc then working out the truth for myself.

Guy is a filmmaker but he’s still haunted by his stepfathers unsolved murder 20 years earlier so he decides to make a true crime documentary to try and solve it, he is actually reinvestigating it piece by piece with a crack team of experts.

I actually felt like I was on a runaway train whilst I read this, I was actually in awe of how good it was and how easy it was to read and keep me turning page after page.

The shocks had me gasping out loud, I really just convey how much of wild ride this book was and everyone needs to preorder it IMMEDIATELY!.

Just want to say as a True Crime junkie this was like an early Christmas to me and I loved the mention of the Serial podcast about Adnan Syed it was the first true crime podcast that I ever listen to and I’ve been hooked ever since.

I love cold cases, I find them really intriguing. In this novel production manager Guy, investigates the 20 year old unsolved murder of his stepfather. The book is written as transcripts, text messages, newspaper articles and emails - similar to a few I have read and really enjoyed this year.
However, as a result of the format, it is really rather difficult to read on your kindle and takes a lot of perseverance. As such, I’d recommend you read the paper version rather than the electronic one.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book.

December 2003 and Luke Ryder was found dead in his garden. He left behind three stepchildren and an older wife. No-one saw or heard anything.
The case is now the subject of a true crime show being investigated by experts.
What will the find and can the mystery finally be solved

I found this book quite hard to follow, but that may have been due to the way the format was displayed on my Kindle. Unfortunately, I was unable to finish it because of this. However I loved the premise, so will be reading it in print when it is published.

I have loved Cara hunter’s previous books so was glad to get to read this one prepublication. It was an interesting format but I found it quite hard work to follow on my kindle I was confused by the various characters and what was happening. I was disappointed overall. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

Wow another cracker from Cara Hunter! By far my favourite crime/thriller author I was really excited to receive an advance copy of Murder In The Family.
It did take slightly longer than usual to really get into as I got used to the script style of writing, however I very quickly couldn’t put it down and the twists left me gasping at the screen. A must read!

A TV programme decides to investigate a cold case murder - the young husband of a wealthy mother of 4 - with the younger son in the role of film maker. With the investigators made up of a retired DI, journalist, criminal prosecutor, forensic psychologist, CSI and NY detective, everyone has a different role to play in the investigation in order to bring the murdered to justice.
The book was written as transcripts from the programme, text messages, newspaper articles and emails. This is an interesting format the author uses and one which I enjoy. For me, the number of characters made the book over complicated and, while it came to an exciting conclusion, much of the book was irrelevant and confusing. Having said this, I would definitely read more by this author as I do usually enjoy her books.

I received an E-ARC with a request for my honest review.

This documentary style crime thriller is set in London where film-maker Guy Howard re-visits the unsolved murder of his Stepfather.

With a panel of different experts taking part in the show, and other family members they try to unravel the mystery behind the crime and solve what the police couldn’t.

Soon new leads are found, and new possible suspects are discovered.

Will they learn the truth? Who could have been involved?

The style of this crime thriller is different, as you get to see many sides of the production of the show through interviews, emails, online chats as well as hearing the panel discussing their finds.

I must admit I found it a l little hard to follow all the different characters sometimes, but I still found it to be an
interesting read.

This is a book that will keep you guessing right to the end, as the mystery unravels, and you discover hidden secrets.

Overall, a clever documentary style crime thriller where a panel try to solve an unsolved murder.

Loved this book and all of the characters. It was well written and each character was extremely well written.

Murder in the Family Cara Hunter

4 stars

This was definitely a book written in a completely original style and, for the most part, I thoroughly enjoyed the format, however because I was reading on a Kindle I found some of the writing very faint.

The story revolves around a 20 year old unsolved murder. Luke Ryder a 26 year old man, married to Carolyn, 14 years his senior is found brutally battered to death in the garden of their house in a wealthy part of London. The first suspect is his wife followed by his 3 stepchildren, Guy, Maura and Amelie. Carolyn had married Luke barely a year after their father Andrew was killed in a car crash so Luke had never been welcome into the family.

Nick Vincent a producer at Day Riser films, has chosen this mystery for a TV programme and has gathered together various professional people who were involved in the original crime. These include policemen, a journalist, a lawyer and a psychiatrist. The series is divided up into 8 episodes and at the end of each one there is a cliff-hanger.

The author writes this book as a script and also includes comments on social media in between each episode, one I got used to this new way of writing I enjoyed it.

The plot is very cleverly constructed and as each episode is aired we learn a little bit more about what actually happened and who was involved. I did not guess the outcome which is always a plus point with me but I found the amount of characters slightly difficult to keep track of sometimes which did detract slightly from the overall enjoyment.



Karen Deborah
Reviewer for Net Galley

Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for my arc. I will start by saying that Cara Hunter is one of my favourite authors, who always draws believable characters and enticing mysteries. This stand alone is very cleverly written, with a great concept. I was totally hooked on the story and completely ignored my family and chores while I read it in one sitting. The book is written like a true crime show, with newspaper clipping, a message board and tv episodes. This worked really well, except some parts were difficult to read on a kindle. Fantastic plot twists along the way and the final unveiling of the killer was shocking. Brilliant read.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

A standalone novel from Cara Turner and an absolutely brilliant read.

Totally gripping page turner that I would absolutely recommend to fans of thrillers and who dunnits, a great read

Murder in the family Cara Hunter 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Cara Hunter is one of my auto read authors so you can imagine my delight at getting an ARC of her first stand alone novel.

This story follows true crime documentary investigation into the cold case of Luke Ryders murder, and the family entangled in this case.

Firstly I loved the format, it was unique, interesting and clever. I felt it was very apt for the time we are living in, where true crime documentaries and podcasts are a massive thing . It's written as a script with clips from newspapers, text messages, social media platforms among others, this was easy for me to get into and I loved how chapters ended on a cliffhanger, just made me want to read on, I was completely immersed.

The characters are extremely well written but not very likable, somewhat annoying at times I really didn't like Nick!!! I find it amazing how Cara Hunter manages to write such characters.
I enjoyed following the investigation, and thought I was clever if I guessed something, didn't happen many times, because there were so many twists and turns throughout this one it was crazy in the best way. I felt like I was on this adrenaline fueled journey desperate to find out whodunit…

I loved it and was completely hooked and engrossed as soon as I started, and livid when I had finished..
Its amazing to see that Cara's standalone novels are just as captivating as her Fawley books, I look forward to reading more standalones from Cara.

As one of my go to authors, I was really excited to read this latest standalone release from Cara Hunter, and wow, I was totally immersed in this well plotted, twisted novel.

They are no actual chapters, but instead, 'episodes' with the film script. Along with these episodes, the rest of the format comes together with press releases, emails, text messages, voicemail notes and newspaper articles. This made it so difficult to put down, as with each reveal and cliffhanger at the end of the episodes, I needed to read - just one more page!

When Guy Howard was 10, his step father was found dead in the garden of the family home. The case remained unsolved for all these years.

Guy is now a film maker. Along with a producer and a team of experts, he is making a seven part series for Netflix, to try to solve the crime 20 years later!

There are secrets, lies and cover-ups galore. So many shocking reveals throughout, which will make you question your theory.

Just brilliant!

This was not my favourite Cara Hunter book due to the format it was written in hence only 2 stars as I struggled through but couldn't finish it

If you're looking for a thrilling murder mystery to add to your reading list, look no further. The book that we're reviewing for today is none other than Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter. We all love a good mystery, and this one takes you on a roller-coaster ride of unexpected twists and turns. Get ready to go on a gripping journey and be prepared to decode the clues in this shocking case of unsolved murder.

The story opens with the gruesome discovery of Luke Ryder's body in the garden of his family home in London. The book describes the aftermath of the murder, which leaves everyone, including the police, baffled. Cara Hunter brilliantly sets the scene, which makes it feel like you're right there among the grieving family members. She has written this book in a way that gives you that feeling of suspense that we all crave in a murder mystery alongside some awesome twists and turns.

The characters are well thought out, and the writing makes it easier for the reader to get involved in the story. Hunter has done a great job with character development, particularly with the three stepchildren, who are left with an inheritance that makes them all prime suspects. The characters' pasts are slowly revealed throughout the book, proving that each has a motive. Reading this book will keep you on edge the entire time, wondering, "Did they do it?"

In Murder in the Family, Hunter does an excellent job weaving in various points of view to provide a more comprehensive picture of the case. This is unusually written as a Netflix series in the making, complete with reviews and chat forum conversations after the episode has aired. This tactic keeps the reader second-guessing themselves until the climactic ending plays out.

Murder in the Family is not only a murder mystery but also a commentary on the effects of wealth and privilege. Hunter challenges us to consider the luxuries that come with money and the lengths to which some people will go to protect them. Through the characters' actions in the novel, Hunter highlights how wealth often creates tensions and a burden of envy, ultimately leading to matters of life and death.

If you're an avid reader who loves a good murder mystery, then Murder in the Family should be next on your reading list! Cara Hunter's writing style and character development make for a truly captivating read. This book is gripping from start to finish and will make you sit on the edge of your seat until the very last page. If you're up for a thrilling ride, pick up a copy today and see if you can solve the case before the experts do!