I was expecting more from this established author and felt frustrated with the format (not for a Kindle, surely?) the layout and the script style writing. Once the word 'ep' was used I switched off and I couldn’t get half way through it.. Shame as I have liked other book that Cara has written.

Thanks to Net Galley and Harper Collins UK for the chance to read and review.

I was so excited to get approval from NetGalley for this stand-alone from Cara Hunter, and though it’s a story that left me rather open-mouthed in shock it is definitely a story worth reading.
Picking up the interest in true crime, Hunter offers us a rather unusual tale. Focusing on the brutal murder - still unsolved - of Luke Ryder, the stepfather of film director Guy Howard we are privy to the manuscripts detailing the new investigation into this cold case. A team of specialists are brought into the frame to examine the case and look for new areas to examine. We follow their thought processes, see the transcripts for each episode and get to look at a range of communications from those involved which may or may not shed light on what happened that day.
This is certainly a story that will shock in terms of the details revealed. There are numerous coincidences that come to light, some of those investigating are more invested than they initially let on and the revelations come thick and fast.
While I really enjoyed the story, I can’t believe so many of the strange occurrences would not have been picked up on previously. The mix of media in the story felt rather odd in ebook format, which may not be as noticeable in print, and I’m still dissatisfied with the abruptness of the ending. Sometimes life doesn’t give you easy answers, but I felt the case warranted a little more resolution having got us so engaged by these characters.

I wasn't sure about this book in the way that it was set out ( TV program) but once I got used to that the plot unfolded. There were the usual TV reveals at the end of 'episodes' along with,'reviews' of episodes. If you aren't sure of the way the books written, stick with it like I did. It's definitely worth it!

I enjoy Cara's novels and was looking forward to reading this individual story ie outside a series. However it was difficult to access the interesting material and format of this book. It is just not designed for a smaller kindle. I could see better on my laptop but I don't read books that way. A great idea but the publisher needs to perhaps do a rethink as it really does not work well on an ereader.

Cara Hunter’s DI Fawley series is one of my all time favourite thriller series so when I heard she was releasing an all new standalone novel, I was dying to read it. This compulsive and unputdownable thriller tells the story of the mysterious murder of Luke Ryder who was killed in his own back garden in 2003. The case was all over the news, but it was never solved. Now his stepson is working alongside the team of the hit Netflix series Infamous, in an attempt to discover what really happened to Luke. Bringing in a crack team of experts, they will interview old suspects, talk to the family and perhaps finally uncover the truth.

I made the mistake of starting this book late at night, thinking I would read a few pages and then go to bed. From the outset, I was completely and utterly hooked and I ended up staying up till the wee hours of the morning because this story was just so captivating. The story is told in a mixed media format so there are interviews, transcripts, newspaper clippings, and documents. I really enjoyed this style of storytelling and I think it had me turning the pages faster and faster. The story is quite quick paced and the tense atmosphere had me completely glued to the page.

I loved the way Hunter executed this story. As we got to know the different experts and members of the family I had absolutely no idea who to trust and it stayed that way right until the very end. One of the things I love about the DI Fawley series is the shocking twists that I never see coming and it was exactly the same in Murder in the Family. I also found the dynamics between the experts really interesting, especially as information about the murder was revealed and it began to look like not everyone was who they seemed to be on the surface. The ending was of course a shock, but very cleverly executed.

Murder in the Family is a compelling, page-turner of a read and if you’re a fan of Cara Hunter you’re going to absolutely love this one.

Oh Wow.
Just when you think most things have been done before, along comes Cara Hunter with a format that (as far as I know) is original in both style and content.
Whilst I suppose 'Murder in the family' could be construed as a whodunit somehow it is so much more.
Written in the form of a documentary film script I did wonder if I was going to find it hard going but soon realised that it in no way slows down the bullet train speed of the pages turning on to the next cliffhanger station.
It's fascinating, so clever and I suppose brave too. But most of all it absolutely works.
Hats off to Ms Hunter for another incredible read.
My one and only criticism (and I feel utterly out of place daring to) is the title.
'Murder in the family' sounds like it belongs with all the sweet, enjoyable, vicarage in the countryside style works that we buy as a holiday read then instantly forget.
I just felt it doesn't do it justice and I'd hate for it to missed on the shelf because of that.

Cara Hunter is a first class author and one of my favourites! She has bravely adopted a creative and novel approach to this book.

The scenario is set during the fictional filming of a Netflix True Crime Series. The characters were all different and interesting. The plot gradually moves towards the “truth” about a murder decades before.
The ending was clever and surprising - a challenge faced by many authors!

This is the first stand-alone novel from the best writer about police officers since Ruth Rendell. Therefore I was a bit nervous as I’ve seen other writers fall when straying from their tried and tested formulas. Not this writer. She has a rare quality, such did Ruth Rendell, of being able to write at such a high standard that surely these books will be modern classics? Absolutely loved this. Thank you for letting me read and review. I have told everyone to look out for this when it’s released!

Thank you for my copy of this book to read and review.

I have read all of the Adam Fawley books so was looking forward to a new stand-alone book from Cara Hunter.

This had me gripped from the start. It is not written like a normal book…it is made up of newspaper clippings, text messages and scripts for a tv show. It took me a little while to get used to it but once I did, I really liked it. It was something different and it made it really easy to pick up and put down if I had a few minutes spare. I think this book would be best read in printed form as some of the articles were difficult to see/read on a Kindle.

I finished this book in a couple of days, a really good story, lots of twists and looking forward to more books from this author in the future.

I would like to thank Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for an advance copy of Murder in the Family, a stand-alone thriller set in London.

Luke Ryder was battered to death in his garden 20 years ago and it remains unsolved with no witnesses and no clues. Now his stepson, Guy Howard, is directing a true crime show that is attempting to re-examine events, often with shocking results.

I thoroughly enjoyed Murder in the Family and would have probably rated it at 5* if it weren’t for the fact that I read it on Kindle and some parts are unreadable. The novel has a format that, while fairly novel generally, has often been favoured by the author in one way or another. The novel has newspaper clippings, text exchanges, emails and screenshots of the introduction to each episode of the series, while the main narrative is the script of each episode. I like it, but as I said many of the non-script items cannot be read on Kindle, especially as they won’t enlarge by changing the font settings. For once I would definitely recommend a print copy for a more complete experience.

So, wow, what a story. I was so engrossed that I read it in one sitting. It has a bit of everything, because it not only covers the murder investigation and the victimology, but the dynamic in the family and between the various members of of the expert team. I also liked the portrayal of the brutality of the television industry, sometimes the search for ratings and money and what they will do to get them is horrifying.

The novel is interesting and full of twists, so it feels like the hits keep coming. I admire the way it all slots together and even if the perpetrator’s identity is guessable enough, it doesn’t matter as there is so much else going on that needs answering. The reader can feel the tension building as the team starts sniping at each other, enhanced by a television critic’s column after each episode that feels real and not only gives the reader a synopsis but points out some of the manipulation by the producer, Nick Vincent.

Murder in the Family is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Murder in the Family
Cara Hunter

Synopsis
WHO KILLED LUKE RYDER?
When Guy Howard’s stepfather is found dead in the garden of their family home, the police are baffled. No-one saw anything. No-one heard anything.
Someone knows the truth.
Years later, a true-crime show re-examines the evidence – with shocking results. Do the experts know more than they’ve been letting on? Or does the truth lie closer to home?

Review
I was looking forward to this stand alone book from Cara Hunter.
However, firstly its not written like a normal book, there was alot of articles, extracts and the main story was written like the script for a tv show, that didnt bother me but the articles I couldnt see them on the kindle, this book should be read in hardback.

There was alot of characters introduced all at once and at times I was confused who was who. The storyline was ok, and I was eager to find out who killed Luke but the book repeated itself in the middle.

Overall it wasnt bad and the ending was fine, if a little rushed but my issue remains it was hard to read on the kindle and was nowhere as good as her other books.

Rated 3/5
Thanks to Netgalley for this advanced copy in return for a honest review.

Was a bit dubious if I liked the format at first, the way it’s told in like a tv script way and we’re reading the lines or watching it play out on tv like a Netflix series. But I did enjoy it, it’s so easy to fall in to that pattern and it’s almost like I was watching a true crime series.
The revelations where shocking and by the end the list of possible killers had grown significantly.

From the start I had my theory about who it was, it’s kind of obvious and so when it was revealed to be this person, I wasn’t shocked in the slightest obviously! But the reveal was excellent and the whole thing was just drama filled. I devoured it and couldn’t put it down.
The ending still left me with some unanswered questions though, couldn’t work out what the news articles where trying to say or the connection with Rebecca!!
Fantastic read and would highly recommend.

Cara Hunter's first standalone after her lovely series set in Oxford is good, and interesting, but perhaps a little laboured; and I'll confess that by the end I was getting a bit confused by what should be the punchline. Yet I enjoyed it hugely - though I do want to return to Fawley and his colleagues in her next one.

Wow! A brilliantly different thriller that had me hooked! The investigation plays out like a live TV/podcast and is compelling.
Nick, the producer, gets some experts together to solve a cold case. Guy Howard directs, and it was his stepfather who was murdered. They piece together the background events to see if they can solve the crime.
This is an edge of your seat, and keep turning the pages thriller. A masterpiece from Cara Hunter! Totally recommend to all book lovers. The interviews, press cuttings, and emails have you believing that you are in the story in real time. Superb!

I LOVED THIS! I had to consciously slow myself down while reading because I was frantic to discover who had killed 'Luke' . I am a huge fan of Hunter's Adam Fawley novels and really appreciate her decision to utilise a different format for this standalone. The True Crime Documentary format with rehearsals, planning meetings, episodes, cliffhangers add to the pace and excitement and serve to make the discoveries feel like they're happening in real-time. Great plot, cool structure and fun twists!

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers I got to read this book as a prerelease copy. I loved this book. The unique style and format was so catchy- I couldn’t put this book down. The twists and turns in the plot just kept you guessing- who did it? All the way through you knew things weren’t right, it just wasn’t easy to work out what or who was the issue. I found the viewpoints of the specialists spot on, ive read all of Cara Hunter books, I love her style and find her books so entertaining- I’m always waiting for her next book to come out. I’m hoping she does more in this multi model style.

Absolutely brilliant and superbly crafted. This is truly amazing and remarkable as it all cleverly unfolds. It's very difficult to comment on without giving too much away. All I can say is it makes for an intelligent, riveting read which is immensely enjoyable. Higly recommended. Cara Hunter at her best.

What can i say except Cara Hunter is exceptional!
I absolutely loved the cold case and how it went from no information to the lid being blown right off!
This book had some deliciously dark surprising twists that were bloody amazing.
Each character has a secret of their own making it more addictive as the plot unfolds.
I personally hope that this is not just a one off because i am left wanting to read more.

I received this arc through net galley and the publishers.

Having read all of cara hunters previous Adam Fawley series I was delighted to be approved for this stand alone book.

20 years ago there was a murder committed at a very upmarket London residence. No one was ever convicted and 20 years later it’s a cold case which a tv producer has picked up as a series with the hope of finding out what happened back then. Along with a group of experts in different fields.

As the story unfolds it becomes clear that all is not as it seems and the so called experts may have a few things to hide.

I raced through this book desperate to know what happened and with plenty of twists along the way, it kept me hooked.

I would highly recommend this book and am now eagerly waiting the next Adam Fawley instalment.

I’m sorry but I just couldn’t get my head around the layout and the script style writing. I couldn’t even get half way through the book so unfortunately for me this was a dnf. I couldn’t finish it. I’m not sure why it was laid out like this. I know it was based on a crime show but the back and forth etc just wasn’t for me. I couldn’t get into the story or figure out what was going on and remembering who was who. Very disappointed as I love all Cara’s other books. I feel it could have been written more in Cara’s style. Hopefully the next one is better