One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day is an unusual novel. The novel starts out with some background and then pops right into the present day. The novel goes back and forth in time to highlight different memories of the sisters or of the present occupants. The premise is an old inn in Maine on the cliffs looking out to the sea. The owner has died and asked that the will be read while his children are at the inn. There is a hurricane coming up the coast and is going to hit the inn in a number of hours. However the wind has already done damage and trapped them all at the property with so many large trees blocking the road. To top it off, in a fit of rage, one of the sisters ripped the modem from the wall and shot it so it would no longer function.
The Bishop sisters, Iris, Vicki, and Faith, arrive at the inn with their children and the lawyer who is going to read the will. Meanwhile the cook has taken off as has the front end manager leaving Charley (the maid) as the last worker. On top of that Charley has hidden Bree (an abused girlfriend) at the inn.
Everyone at the inn has hidden secrets and information that they should share. There are betrayals, more betrayals and even some surprises that no one expects. There is a hidden painting worth millions. On top of that there are weapons brandished at a whim, kitchen knives, and lots of alcohol. As the storm rises as does all the tempers and stories, until various people have been killed or tried to be killed or actually were the killers when help eventually arrives. It is a mess that you can not put down!
One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day is not about one big happy family, but about betrayals, lies, affairs, hatred and good old fashioned murder. It is hard to put the book down and stop reading it.
