Wow just wow! I am speechless and unsure how a written review will do this book any justice at all. I fully intend to give it a go.

I am a HUGE fan of Cara’s, I was so excited to find that a standalone was coming. I didn’t need a title, synopsis or cover to know I needed to read it. The fact that it was Cara Hunter was enough.

Murder in the Family has delivered on every level. This has exceeded my expectations and been more brilliant than I had expected. This is an author who fully deserves a ladykillers badge of honour for her magnificent work in the genre.

This is a book which is completely different to her previous. This is told from transcripts, emails, messages etc. It is remarkably clever and I can only begin to imagine how much planning went into this book. I have been hooked from the very beginning. I was captivated and completely unwilling to put this down from the very beginning. I have devoured this book this afternoon.

There have been numerous moments throughout this where my jaw has dropped. I have been completely caught up in the events unfolding. This is a perfect read for lovers of true crime. Hunter makes you feel as though you know the characters and have been following the story since the murder.

This is so intelligently put together. Hunter weaves intricate information slowly throughout. This gives us as a reader the chance to fully try to piece evidence together in order to work out who killed Luke Ryder.

This is a work of genius. The way that this has been put together is exquisite and unique. The plot that unfolds is a masterpiece in itself. It is realistic and believable. I have loved everything about this gem from beginning to end. There is literally nothing to dislike about this book. From beginning to end this is a superb book.

Cara Hunter has created a book that I have no doubt will be a huge success. This is detailed and compelling, with many flawed characters. This is a book that I’ve thought about constantly since reading. I am in awe and the talent of this author.

This is a must for the TBR and one I will be recommending to everyone.

I have read a number of Cara Hunter's books and was interested to see how this 'stand alone' novel worked.

The structure of the book was clever with it's use of multi media but this is not a new innovation. Reading on a kindle was difficult at times as you are unable to magnify say newspaper cuttings, emails etc. I had to resort to the old fashioned magnifying glass!

Fair play to the author for coming up with this story, as the plot was so complicated the reader would not have been able to solve the mystery, however the title of the book is a bit of a give away. I also felt that it was crammed with so many revelations towards the end of the book that everything began to feel a bit rushed. It was a case of just read and 'go with the flow'

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the advance copy of this book.

Epistolary Mystery for the Television Age

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, HarperCollins, for a digital Advanced Reader Copy of this book. I have written this honest review voluntarily.

I love an epistolary mystery and there are far too few if them, so I jumped at the chance to review a copy of ‘Murder in the Family’. This promised to be an inventive take on the mystery genre with the tagline ‘one body, six experts, can you solve the case before they do?’

The conceit the author Cara Hunter has used is that of a true crime tv series which is re-investigating a 20-year-old unsolved murder. Each chapter of the book is essentially an episode of the series and we read the on screen commentary, alongside having access to emails and voicemails from production staff and presenters. The presenters of the show are all ‘experts’ such as psychologists, journalists, ex-police officers., with some having connections to the original murder investigation and they all investigate different threads of the crime and come back each episode and discuss.

What I liked about it:

Innovative. I unashamedly love the genre of epistolary mystery, perhaps because I enjoy true crime too, and the style of this book feels like something new, fresh and different. It is not ‘The Murder of Roger Ackroyd’ level of ground-breaking, but I do not think I have read anything similar and so I appreciated that.

Immersive. I found the tv-series style presentation quite immersive. I clearly spend too much time in front of the tv, because the text could transport me there straightaway. I could visualise it and feel as though I was following along with a tv show.

Leaves you wanting more. It was a page-turner. I whipped through this quickly. The end of each episode left you wanting more.

What I did not like so much:

Repetition. Personally, I do not feel that the details of the opening credits/theme tune added anything to the book, but they appeared in every chapter. I understand why it was included, to mimic the tv show, but most paid for tv services allow you to skip past the opening credits now so it is unnecessary.

Formatting. This is inescapable when reading such books on a Kindle and is not the fault of the author or publisher, but there are certain parts of the text, such as email messages, that do not translate well on e-reader because you almost need a fixed layout and that is not possible when the page setting is determined by the reader. For example, it does not look good to have all the ‘bumf’ at the start of an email on a separate page to the actual email. You almost need it to force a new page. That is not the fault of the book, but I think that some epistolary mysteries are better as physical books, so that the layout is as the author intended.

Mystery solved? Perhaps I am just slow-witted, but I do not think the reader could solve this mystery themselves ahead of the experts. I kept up with the investigation, but could not solve it. The reader does not have the same info as the experts. I still enjoyed the book, but for me it was not quite what the tag-line suggested.

I enjoyed the plot of this book but unfortunately the formatting on Kindle made it very difficult to read - especially the ending, which is kind of crucial. I imagine would be much more enjoyable in paper form. Good standalone, interesting presentation in the script / newspaper excerpt form but hard to follow on my version of Kindle.

What a book! Told through various media, from tv transcripts, through texts, voicemails, newspaper cuttings, to comments from true crime geeks, it is unique in its format. Despite the varied exposition, it is easy to read and understand. It was a fast read for me and totally gripping.

You do need your wits about you, though, as there are so many twists and turns and false identities to get to grips with. I did have a suspicion as to who the murderer was as I got further into the book, but I wouldn't have bet my life on it.

One thing puzzled me: how did they know he was known as 'Easy Ryder' when he possibly didn't even know that himself? Well, you'll just have to read it to see what I mean.

Recommended.

I enjoyed this book on the whole, but I did find it a bit confusing with the different characters and I didn't take to the style of the book. In particular, the newspaper cuttings were difficult to read on a Kindle and had the book continued as it started,I would probably have given up. Thankfully it didn't and it kept me entertained but not blown away. 3 and a 1/2 stars.

I have read all of Cara Hunter's previous books and have really enjoyed them so was really excited for this one.
Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this one. I found this book to be really slow moving, and plot points were repeated throughout. It didn't build tension or build to a big climax ending. I was left disappointed. There were a couple of 'reveals' that kept me reading, but there just wasn't enough for me to feel completely gripped or say that i enjoyed reading this book.
It got a little confusing at times too, with the amount of 'fake identities' - I shall say no more on that as I don't want to give spoilers.

I just felt that the plot was really lacking. There wasn't enough plot to fill a 400+ page book. Hence the repetition, and hence the slow pace.

I hope Cara Hunter's next book goes back to her usual form.

SO good! I loved the multi media element of this book, it was such a gripping read! my fav of hunters thus far!

I really enjoyed this book, it was interesting in the way it was set out. It reads like an investigative news report. I liked the way it started with the basics of who was doing the work and the write up about the staff, it genuinely felt as though you were part of the process of preparing the tv programme and really sucks you in to the action. Twists and turns are many and I really did not see the end coming.

This book is so cleverly written. There are so many twists and turns that you can’t guess ‘who dunnit’.
Personally it wasn’t for me, but I can appreciate it and I’m in awe of the author and how she wove this complicated story together.

This is Cara Hunter’s first jaw dropping standalone novel and oh boy it’s a stunning read!
In 2003 Luke Ryder is found murdered in the grounds of the home where he lived with his wife and 3 stepchildren and when our story begins the case is still unsolved. A team of so-called experts is brought together by Luke’s stepson Guy to try and get to the bottom of the mystery and and find the perpetrator but also to film the progress in a Netflix documentary series called Infamous.
The book is then told in this documentary style with interviews, discussions, text messages etc in which we gain more and more information and clues and my goodness I just love how the reveals came in such a clever way. For me this was a perfect mystery thriller the style which the book was written was so addictive and it was of of those read where you were drawn into the story making it impossible to put the book down.
So a superb sure fire winner and 5 star read in my opinion, I hope we will see more like this in the future from the excellent Cara Hunter and also more of DI Adam Fawley too please.
My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Murder in the Family is a stand-alone crime novel by Cara Hunter and whilst the blurb sounded promising I found the style used within the book very difficult to follow which resulted in me not enjoying the book or story.

Others may enjoy the style used but this wasn’t one for me.

It has been 20 years since Luke Ryder was found brutally beaten and killed in the garden of his wife's home. The case has very much gone cold, but someone with a personal connection to the case - the victim's stepson - has brought together a team of experts to see if there is anything more to discover.

Told as a series of TV episodes - and the reactions around them - this is a brilliantly unique mystery. With gripping twists every few pages and a tense reveal, I devoured it in a day and will be recommending it all round.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

I struggled initially with the scripted format of the book but soon found myself drawn in by the plot’s twists and turns. A group of well written characters - none of whom were particularly likeable but that really just added to the rising tension in the story. A fast pace with lots of twists meant this was ultimately an engaging and gripping read.

In an announcement that has all the gossip pages, internet forums and true crime geeks abuzz, a new true crime show is announced which proclaims it will be exploring the case of the murder of Luke Ryder. In December 2003, Luke was found beaten to death in the garden of his exclusive family home in London, leaving behind a wealthy widow and three stepchildren. There were no witnesses and no evidence to ever arrest a suspect.

Now, live on camera, a panel of experts will reexamine all the evidence. The panel is comprised of police, forensic experts, and a psychologist. Each has a specific skill set to bring together, in order to explore the case, look for potential new leads - and solve the mystery of who killed Luke Ryder. They have one thing in common, none are particularly likeable, and all seem to be on the show for their own guarded reasons. As the show progresses, it soon becomes apparent that not all is as it seems. The production team are holding back, the experts are keeping secrets from one another, and there are links to the murder that no one expected.

This book is written as a tv series outline, with the set up for scenes, and the scripting laid out, intermingled with articles, internet forum threads, text messages and voice mails, all building up the picture of not only what is happening on camera, but also what is happening off camera. The shared texts and voicemails serve well to show the dissent forming behind the scenes of the show. The internet forums show the keyboard warrior detectives trying to pull apart the new evidence being brought to light. Most importantly, the dialogue recorded in the scripts shows us what each of our experts is thinking and saying.

Overall, the layout of the story, and its approach was very unique. However, perhaps it was that I was reading it on Kindle, but the structure of the notes, script etc., was difficult to follow at times. A hard copy of the book may have been easier to flick back and forth to check names, timelines, events and so on. In general, an interesting read, with a good storyline, but overall I figured out the big plot twist pretty early on.

*I received this book from NetGalley for review, but all opinions are my own.

A fantastically original take on the whodunnit thriller genre.

This books reads as a true crime tv series peppered with articles, blog threads and text message conversations. I worried at first the approach would be confusing or gimmicky - it isn’t. If anything it helps to build the tension - and keeps the twists and cliffhangers coming.

Essentially a group of experts (police, a psychologist, forensics etc.) are brought together in an attempt to solve a murder from 2003 - on camera for a true crime TV show. Each ‘episode’ something new is discovered and takes the investigation in another direction.

As new evidence and theories emerge ‘real time’ it’s like you’re there with them trying to solve the mystery.

Do the experts know more about the case than they’re letting on? You’ll have to watch/read to find out!

Well developed characters - none of whom were particularly likeable or trustworthy, which only added to the tension.

Reading this was the equivalent of binge watching a TV series. Addictive. I could absolutely see this on Netflix.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Would definitely recommend.

A stand alone book from Cara Hunter that explores an unsolved murder from twenty years ago. Using live TV to explore all the evidence and attempt to uncover new lines of enquiry this story has many twists and turns. Guy Howard, now a filmmaker was a young boy when his stepfather Luke Ryder was murdered in the garden of his grand London home. He needs answers for the sake of his family and especially his mother, now suffering from Alzheimers. A group of experts including police, journalists and from psychiatry gather together to review all the evidence. Each episode is filmed showing each contributor’s findings since they previously met, often finishing with a cliffhanger designed to increase viewing figures. As the series progresses more and more scenarios are revealed that makes this case even more complex than first appeared. With long buried secrets coming to the fore more and more people are looking guilty for various reasons and not just murder. At the risk of becoming too complicated with any number of potential suspects this unique story finally reaches a devastating climax.

3.5 stars

I went into this book, not aware it was a stand-alone. Having previously read all of her other books, I was disappointed to find out this wasn't a continuation of the series.

However, nonetheless, this was an enjoyable crime thriller. It's told in the format of a transcript of a true crime documentary with other multi media elements such as newspaper reviews and text conversations.

I really enjoyed the format but struggled to keep up with all the characters. The plot was interesting but nothing unique or special.

Overall, it is an interesting read but not by favourite by Cara Hunter.

Scripted format made this book quick, both in its pace and how long it took me to read.
Lots of characters, going on’s, and a huge amount of twists makes this a busy story.
Characters are well developed but I did not find any particularly likeable.
I think this would make a great TV adaption.

I really enjoy reading this author’s style of writing. Not a classic novel, but a clever mix of scripts, messages and social media posts. Yea, at times it was difficult to keep up - especially when a lot of different characters were introduced into the mix, but generally, a very easy read.
In typical ‘who dunnit’ fashion, every character takes their turn as the obvious suspect - until that final twist.
Great standalone story, not as good as the DI Fawley series in my opinion, but definitely worth reading.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for the copy!