Murder in the Family book review

Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter
Published by William Morrow Paperbacks on September 19, 2023
Pages: 466
Goodreads

A shocking thriller about a cold case, a fictional true crime series, and the family caught in the middle.
SIX EPISODES. ONE KILLER.
It was a case that gripped the nation. In December 2003, Luke Ryder, the stepfather of acclaimed filmmaker Guy Howard (then aged 10), was found dead in the garden of their suburban family home.
Luke Ryder's murder has never been solved. Guy Howard's mother and two half-sisters were in the house at the time of the murder--but all swear they saw nothing. Despite a high-profile police investigation and endless media attention, no suspect was ever charged.
But some murder cases are simply too big to forget...
Now comes the sensational new Netflix series Infamous, dedicated to investigating--and perhaps cracking--this famous cold case. The production team will re-examine testimony, re-interview witnesses, and once again scour the evidence. The family will speak. The key players will be reunited--on camera. The truth will come out.
Are you ready to see it?

I picked this one up purely because of the hype and to be honest it was an okay read, I just wish that the ending was better. Murder in the Family is the perfect book for anyone looking for a mystery with a unique way of sharing the information. It was an easy but quick read, and it definitely held my interest.

Plot of Murder in the Family

The entire premise of Murder in the Family is a reality true crime show. Guy Howard’s childhood has been haunted by his mother’s controversial younger husband’s murder. Brutally bludgeoned to death in their backyard the crime has never been solved, something Guy, now an adult plans to put right. Experts are hired and the book follows them as they unravel this mystery but through screenplays and call sheets.

There was a very clear reality TV feel all the way through the plot and with the characters so beware of that if it’s not your vibe. There isn’t any real exposition throughout this one because everything is told through different documents, it can become a little tiresome and harder to keep a track of what is happening because it feels as though you’re at a distance from the action. I enjoyed how easy it was to read and the pacing seemed good all the way through.

I thought the ending could have been better, I didn’t really understand the reasoning behind the reveal. It didn’t make a whole load of sense and it really pushed mental health as being the catalyst. I just couldn’t get behind it and I think it pushed it from being a 5 star read otherwise.

Characters in Murder in the Family

The issue for me regarding the characters was I didn’t really get to know any of them in a huge amount of detail. I would have loved for there to be a little more time spent on building the characters and learning more about them in general. The format made it really hard for me to be invested in them as individuals and as a team. I feel like each character was more of a stereotype than a real person was a little bit of a shame.

Murder in the Family really centres around Guy Howard and his family but I found that he didn’t really feature as much as he should have. Neither did the other members of the family. It would have made more of an impact if we had seen more from their perspective. I did enjoy the dynamics that came out within the group and seeing the different conflicts come up especially as more and more secrets are exposed.

I think this would have been one of my favourites if there had been more focus on each of the characters and had a little more of a connection with them all.

Bad Bits

• Lack of character development
• Predictable and unsatisfying ending
• Stereotypical characters

Good Bits

• Unique format
• Perfect pacing
• Fantastic mystery
• Quick and easy read

Who would like Murder in the Family?

This would be perfect for those who enjoy Riley Sagar and Frieda McFadden. To be honest anyone who enjoys a good mystery and wants a different format.

Have you read this one? What were your thoughts? Did you like them all? Let me know in the comments!