Good thing is that it was easy to read, but a bad thing is that it was too repetitive, so many things that were already said were mentioned again and again... Congratulations for being nominated as one of the best thrillers for Goodreads Choice Awards! This book was definitely one of the best reads of the year! Now everyone in the family is a suspect. They all had a motive. Most of them had an opportunity. Who done it?

An intriguing cast, an isolated location, a raging storm and the threat of death in every dark corner: An Unwanted Guest reads like Agatha Christie with a shot of adrenalin. Clear your desk before you start it because you won’t want to put it down.” I have now read all six of Shari Lapena’s novels, and have found them all to be entertaining! If you enjoy domestic suspense and haven’t yet read this author-it’s time to change that! Truth is.... everyone here lies. I couldn't figure out who killed Fred and Sheila Merton after Easter dinner. The Mertons are dead inside their home and their bodies were found the next day by the housekeeper. All three adult children are interested in the big inheritance so they sure have the motive and are being untruthful. They also don't trust one another which adds another layer of suspense.

Shari Lapena

A new thriller that willgive you serious Agatha Christie vibes . . . if you’re one of the many people who counts [ And Then There Were None] among their favorite books, you will love An Unwanted Guest. . . . Adeftly crafted and expertly paced thriller that will keep readers guessing (and terrified) until the very end.”

The not-so-happy-family here are the Mertons. Fred was a total jerk to everyone, but mostly to his children. Sheila, his wife, is a cold and distant mother, and failed to protect the children from their father. Fred and Sheila Merton are rich-rich and live a very nice life in upstate New York—until they’re gruesomely murdered in their home, after a disastrous Easter dinner with their three grown children. Now, each of the siblings has millions coming their way in inheritance, and an unspeakable sense of relief—Fred Merton was an emotionally abusive father and Sheila a neglectful mother. The problem is, the three siblings have never gotten along, and the police need someone to charge. Layer by layer, as we get the rotating perspectives of all three children, their increasingly suspicious spouses, the devoted housekeeper, and a meddling aunt, you’ll question who is framing whom, and what each person might be capable of. I listened to this one as an audiobook, and from the beginning, I just couldn't stop listening. It is divided into short sections, which made me compulsively keep listening as more clues were uncovered.Or are they? They each stand to inherit millions. They were never a happy family, thanks to their vindictive father and neglectful mother, but perhaps one of the siblings is more disturbed than anyone knew. Did someone snap after that dreadful evening? Or did another person appear later that night with the worst of intentions? That must be what happened. After all, if one of the family were capable of something as gruesome as this, you’d know. She didn’t call the police because she thought her brother Dan killed her parents. Cameras at the neighbors suggest she left her house around 11:00 pm and returned at 12:40 am. She also stole a favorite pair of earrings off her mother’s body. I’ve read all of Shari Lapena’s suspense novels (except her last one, which I plan to make right soon), and I have loved all of them.

A house this grand, this polished—glossy white marble floor beneath an elaborate, tiered chandelier in the entryway, fresh flowers on a side table—you’d think there must be staff for upkeep. But there’s only one cleaning lady, Irena, who comes in twice a week. She works hard for the money. But she’s been with them so long—more than thirty years—that she’s almost like family.A mystery perfect for fans who can’t get enough of the complex Roy family dynamics, Not a Happy Family is the Succession/Knives Out crossover of your dreams!”