Not a Happy Family
A Novel
(Sprache: Englisch)
"A quintessential 'beach read,' I half expected sand to fall out of it. This one brings lurid family mayhem to the Hudson Valley [and] plausible suspects. With her cascading short chapters and teasers by the dozen, you stick with Lapena eagerly."...
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"A quintessential 'beach read,' I half expected sand to fall out of it. This one brings lurid family mayhem to the Hudson Valley [and] plausible suspects. With her cascading short chapters and teasers by the dozen, you stick with Lapena eagerly." -Washington Post"In this fast-paced, twisted family saga, Shari Lapena keeps you guessing until the very last page…" -Paula Hawkins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Girl on The Train The new domestic suspense novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door and The End of Her who has sold more than 7 million copies of her books worldwide In this family, everyone is keeping secrets-even the dead. Brecken Hill in upstate New York is an expensive place to live. You have to be rich to have a house there, and Fred and Sheila Merton certainly are rich. But even all their money can't protect them when a killer comes to call. The Mertons are brutally murdered after a fraught Easter dinner with their three adult kids. Who, of course, are devastated. 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. Wouldn't you?
Lese-Probe zu „Not a Happy Family “
1Twenty-four hours earlier
Dan Merton shrugs on a navy blazer over an open-necked, pale-blue dress shirt and a smart pair of dark jeans. He studies himself critically in the full-length mirror in the bedroom.
Behind him his wife, Lisa, says, "Are you okay?"
He smiles wanly at her via the mirror. "Sure. Why wouldn't I be?"
She turns away. He knows she doesn't relish the prospect of Easter dinner at his parents' house any more than he does. He turns around and looks at her-his pretty, brown-eyed girl. They've been married four years, and in that time there have been challenges. But she has stood by him, and he knows he's lucky to have her. She is his first experience of unconditional love. Unless you count the dogs.
He tamps down a twinge of uneasiness. Their financial troubles are a source of stress, a constant subject of discussion. Lisa always talks him around, though, and makes him believe things will turn out all right-at least while she's still in the room. It's when she isn't there that the doubts creep in, the crippling anxiety.
Lisa comes from hardy, middle-class stock-that was a strike against her from the outset, but he didn't care; his parents are snobs, but he is not-so she never had great expectations. When they met, she didn't even know who he was, because they didn't travel in the same circles.
"She's the only one who will have him," he overheard his younger sister, Jenna, say to his older sister, Catherine, when they didn't know he could hear them.
Perhaps that was true. But his marriage, at least, has been a success-they have all had to admit it. And his family has grown fond of Lisa in spite of themselves and their prejudices.
"Are you going to try to talk to your father?" Lisa asks now, apprehension on
... mehr
her face.
He averts his eyes, closing the closet door. "If the opportunity presents itself."
He hates asking his father for money. But he really doesn't see that he has any other choice.
Catherine Merton-she did not take her husband's surname-looks forward to Easter dinner at her parents' place every year. And all the other occasions when they gather to celebrate holidays at the lavish house in Brecken Hill. Her mother will get out the special plates and the silver, and there will be a huge bouquet of fresh-cut flowers on the formal dining table, and it will all make Catherine feel elegant and privileged. She is the firstborn, and favorite, child; they all know it. She is the high-functioning one, the only one their parents are actually proud of. A doctor-a dermatologist rather than a cardiac surgeon-but still, a doctor. Dan has been a bit of a disappointment. And Jenna-well, Jenna is Jenna.
Catherine puts in a pearl earring and wonders what surprise Jenna might have in store for them today. Her little sister lives in a small, rented house on the outskirts of Aylesford and travels into New York City frequently to stay with friends. Her lifestyle is something of a mystery and causes their parents considerable distress. Dan says Jenna is out of control, but Catherine knows better. Jenna uses her lifestyle as a means of control. She has the power to shock and she doesn't mind using it. Jenna is certainly not well behaved, like Catherine. Not respectable or predictable. No, she is an outlier. When they were kids, she would do anything on a dare. Now, their father is always threatening to cut off Jenna's allowance, but they all know he won't do it because she'd move back home and they'd never be able to stand it. The family suspects drugs and promiscuity, but they never ask because they don't really want to know.
Catherine looks up from the seat at her mirrored vanity as her husband, Ted, walks into their bedroom. He's been rather s
He averts his eyes, closing the closet door. "If the opportunity presents itself."
He hates asking his father for money. But he really doesn't see that he has any other choice.
Catherine Merton-she did not take her husband's surname-looks forward to Easter dinner at her parents' place every year. And all the other occasions when they gather to celebrate holidays at the lavish house in Brecken Hill. Her mother will get out the special plates and the silver, and there will be a huge bouquet of fresh-cut flowers on the formal dining table, and it will all make Catherine feel elegant and privileged. She is the firstborn, and favorite, child; they all know it. She is the high-functioning one, the only one their parents are actually proud of. A doctor-a dermatologist rather than a cardiac surgeon-but still, a doctor. Dan has been a bit of a disappointment. And Jenna-well, Jenna is Jenna.
Catherine puts in a pearl earring and wonders what surprise Jenna might have in store for them today. Her little sister lives in a small, rented house on the outskirts of Aylesford and travels into New York City frequently to stay with friends. Her lifestyle is something of a mystery and causes their parents considerable distress. Dan says Jenna is out of control, but Catherine knows better. Jenna uses her lifestyle as a means of control. She has the power to shock and she doesn't mind using it. Jenna is certainly not well behaved, like Catherine. Not respectable or predictable. No, she is an outlier. When they were kids, she would do anything on a dare. Now, their father is always threatening to cut off Jenna's allowance, but they all know he won't do it because she'd move back home and they'd never be able to stand it. The family suspects drugs and promiscuity, but they never ask because they don't really want to know.
Catherine looks up from the seat at her mirrored vanity as her husband, Ted, walks into their bedroom. He's been rather s
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Autoren-Porträt von Shari Lapena
Shari Lapena is the internationally bestselling author of the thrillers The Couple Next Door, A Stranger in the House, An Unwanted Guest, Someone We Know, The End of Her, Not a Happy Family, and Everyone Here Is Lying, which have all been New York Times and The Sunday Times (London) bestsellers. Her books have been sold in forty territories around the world. She lives on a farm outside of Toronto.
Bibliographische Angaben
- Autor: Shari Lapena
- 2022, Internationale Ausgabe, 384 Seiten, Maße: 10,6 x 17 cm, Kartoniert (TB), Englisch
- Verlag: PENGUIN BOOKS
- ISBN-10: 0525508422
- ISBN-13: 9780525508427
- Erscheinungsdatum: 05.05.2022
Sprache:
Englisch
Pressezitat
Praise for Not a Happy Family:Who wouldn t be drawn to a book called Not a Happy Family? . . . Like [her] earlier best sellers. . . Not a Happy Family splashes into a stew of nightmares.
The New York Times
Lapena is a master of manipulation. With her latest page-turning thriller, . . . she is once again at the top of her game. . . Lapena does what she does best, so much so that trying to put the book down is futile. Once you start reading, you won't want to stop.
USA Today
A quintessential beach read, I half expected sand to fall out of it. This one brings lurid family mayhem to the Hudson Valley [and] plausible suspects. With her cascading short chapters and teasers by the dozen, you stick with Lapena eagerly.
The Washington Post
In this fast-paced, twisted family saga, Shari Lapena keeps you guessing until the very last page...
Paula Hawkins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Girl on the Train
Another edge-of-the-seat ride that left me breathless.
Fiona Barton, New York Times bestselling author of The Suspect
Domestic thriller fans rejoice! Shari Lapena is back with another book that will make you question everything you think you know about your partner.
Book Riot
[A] fast-paced whodunit. . . Not a Happy Family works well as a crime novel, and there are some fun surprises. Overall, Lapena has produced another engaging and entertaining read.
Bookreporter.com
Praise for The End of Her:
Shari Lapena's latest thriller The End of Her will keep you guessing right up to the end . . . And so begins a nonstop page-turning that has become a hallmark of Lapena's work. . . Be sure to carve out enough time, because once you pick it up, you will not want to put it down.
USA Today
The fast pace will keep those fond of mischief and murder in suburbia turning the pages.
... mehr
Publishers Weekly
A novel of domestic suspense with shifting POVs, The End of Her will have you questioning who to believe right up until the end.
BuzzFeed
"The queen of the one-sit read."
Linwood Barclay, New York Times bestselling author of Elevator Pitch
"I read the cracking The End of Her in one sitting. All hail the Mistress of the Page Turner."
Fiona Barton, New York Times bestselling author of The Suspect
"I absolutely adore Shari Lapena's compulsive thrillers and her new novel is her best yet. More twists than a roller coaster."
John Boyne, New York Times bestselling author of My Brother's Name Is Jessica
"I tore through it. It kept me on my toes throughout and the ending was just fantastic. Really tense!"
Harriet Tyce, bestselling author of Blood Orange
"The End of Her is a slippery eel of a novel just when you think you have it in your grasp, it slithers away on a new current. I consumed it in a day. . . . Unputdownable."
Louise Candlish, bestselling author of Our House
"Shari Lapena is one of the best thriller writers in the business."
Steve Cavanagh, bestselling author of Thirteen
"Gripping, compelling, thoroughly entertaining and devilishly clever."
Liz Nugent, bestselling author of Lying in Wait
"Another unputdownable suburban thriller with the finest love-to-hate characters and a wickedly paced mystery."
Elizabeth Kay, author of Seven Lies
Praise for Someone We Know:
Poised and chilling.
The Wall Street Journal
Clever.
USA Today
No-one does suburban paranoia like Shari Lapena this slowly unfurling nightmare will have you biting your nails until the end.
Ruth Ware, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One by One
Slyly plotted . . . Lapena skillfully maximizes suspense with her dual story lines that eventually collide, as well as some deft misdirection . . . many fans of domestic suspense will be satisfied.
Publishers Weekly
Highly suspenseful . . . Sure to delight fans of Liane Moriarty and Louise Candlish.
Booklist
This book is non-stop twists and turns. Shari Lapena will leave your head spinning as you try and make sense of the lies surrounding the families in this neighborhood. And just when you think you ve figured it out, you re probably wrong. Absolutely recommend!
Suspense Magazine
Someone We Know is a tour de force of thriller writing. Shari Lapena proves yet again that she is the mistress of the pacy plot, cliff edge tension and menacing suburban claustrophobia. Fans will be delighted and if you haven t read her books yet, then why on earth not?
Gilly Macmillan, New York Times bestselling author of The Nanny
Praise for An Unwanted Guest:
A gripping mystery perfect for fans of Agatha Christie.
Good Housekeeping
Proving that time periods may change but people do not, Lapena delivers a solid whodunit with an ending that would make Dame Christie proud.
USA Today
Another nail-biter perfect for an all-nighter.
Entertainment Weekly
A new thriller that will give 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. . . . A deftly crafted and expertly paced thriller that will keep readers guessing (and terrified) until the very end.
Bustle
This compelling and realistic modern take on the country-house mystery will gain new fans for the author and is definitely one to hand to devotees of Agatha Christie (and her modern interpreter, Sophie Hannah).
Booklist
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.
Gilly Macmillan, New York Times bestselling author of I Know You Know
Lapena has written a great whodunit, with a delicious Christie-like vibe. Fans of the author's first novel will want this, and anyone who savors a well-crafted murder mystery will gobble it up!
Library Journal (starred review)
Praise for A Stranger in the House:
Lapena s A Stranger in the House will have you sleeping with the lights on for weeks.
Bustle
Smart and suspenseful . . . you'll never see the ending coming.
PureWow
So much suspense. So many twists. Good luck sleeping tonight.
HelloGiggles
So many dizzying twists you'd better not drive after reading!
Linwood Barclay, New York Times bestselling author of Parting Shot
Smart, twisty and compulsive. Suspense and suspicion accumulate relentlessly, toying with your expectations and your emotions right up until the packs-a-punch ending. Don t miss it, and don t expect to be able to put it down.
Gilly Macmillan, New York Times bestselling author of I Know You Know
A diverting page-turner."
Publishers Weekly
"Great suspense and lots of twists."
The Toronto Star
"Lapena keeps the well-developed twists churning, with each a surprise notch in this ever-evolving plot, and she continues this skillful storytelling until the stunning twist at the end . . . memorable."
Associated Press
Praise for The Couple Next Door:
Meticulously crafted and razor sharp. The Couple Next Door lingers long after you turn the final page.
Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Fool Me Once
The twists come as fast as you can turn the pages.
People
Provocative and shocking. One crime, an entire neighborhood of suspects, secrets, and lies. How well do we ever know those around us? The Couple Next Door will keep you glued to the pages in search of the answer. Even then, you ll never guess the truth . . . until it's too late.
Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Find Her
I read this novel at one sitting, absolutely riveted by the story line. The suspense was beautifully rendered and unrelenting!
Sue Grafton, New York Times bestselling author of Y is for Yesterday
Real men read women writers because of books like this. Trust me.
Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Make Me
A twisty, utterly riveting tale that will send readers on a wild roller-coaster ride of emotions. Shocking revelations kept me turning the pages like a madwoman.
Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of Playing with Fire
Expertly paced and finely crafted, The Couple Next Door is a gripping thriller of the highest order. I couldn t put it down.
A. J. Banner, bestselling author of The Good Neighbor
Gripped me from the very beginning to the very end!
Becky Masterman, author of Rage Against the Dying
Brilliant! This utterly riveting psychological thriller hurtles along at breakneck speed, never giving you the opportunity to catch your breath. Twisty, turny, and unputdownable.
C. L. Taylor, bestselling author of The Lie
Exquisitely torturous tension.
NPR.org
Where did that baby go! It s hard not to read to the end to find out, and the twists waiting there are gratifyingly clever.
USA Today
The many never-saw-them-coming twists and questionable characters . . . will keep you on the edge of your seat. First-time novelist Lapena s writing is spare and tense, and it makes The Couple Next Door a compulsive read. The last line is absolutely a killer.
Good Housekeeping
[A] well-sculpted domestic thriller . . . highly suspenseful . . . Twists are subtly revealed with aplomb, taking the story to increasingly unpredictable levels.
Associated Press
Publishers Weekly
A novel of domestic suspense with shifting POVs, The End of Her will have you questioning who to believe right up until the end.
BuzzFeed
"The queen of the one-sit read."
Linwood Barclay, New York Times bestselling author of Elevator Pitch
"I read the cracking The End of Her in one sitting. All hail the Mistress of the Page Turner."
Fiona Barton, New York Times bestselling author of The Suspect
"I absolutely adore Shari Lapena's compulsive thrillers and her new novel is her best yet. More twists than a roller coaster."
John Boyne, New York Times bestselling author of My Brother's Name Is Jessica
"I tore through it. It kept me on my toes throughout and the ending was just fantastic. Really tense!"
Harriet Tyce, bestselling author of Blood Orange
"The End of Her is a slippery eel of a novel just when you think you have it in your grasp, it slithers away on a new current. I consumed it in a day. . . . Unputdownable."
Louise Candlish, bestselling author of Our House
"Shari Lapena is one of the best thriller writers in the business."
Steve Cavanagh, bestselling author of Thirteen
"Gripping, compelling, thoroughly entertaining and devilishly clever."
Liz Nugent, bestselling author of Lying in Wait
"Another unputdownable suburban thriller with the finest love-to-hate characters and a wickedly paced mystery."
Elizabeth Kay, author of Seven Lies
Praise for Someone We Know:
Poised and chilling.
The Wall Street Journal
Clever.
USA Today
No-one does suburban paranoia like Shari Lapena this slowly unfurling nightmare will have you biting your nails until the end.
Ruth Ware, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One by One
Slyly plotted . . . Lapena skillfully maximizes suspense with her dual story lines that eventually collide, as well as some deft misdirection . . . many fans of domestic suspense will be satisfied.
Publishers Weekly
Highly suspenseful . . . Sure to delight fans of Liane Moriarty and Louise Candlish.
Booklist
This book is non-stop twists and turns. Shari Lapena will leave your head spinning as you try and make sense of the lies surrounding the families in this neighborhood. And just when you think you ve figured it out, you re probably wrong. Absolutely recommend!
Suspense Magazine
Someone We Know is a tour de force of thriller writing. Shari Lapena proves yet again that she is the mistress of the pacy plot, cliff edge tension and menacing suburban claustrophobia. Fans will be delighted and if you haven t read her books yet, then why on earth not?
Gilly Macmillan, New York Times bestselling author of The Nanny
Praise for An Unwanted Guest:
A gripping mystery perfect for fans of Agatha Christie.
Good Housekeeping
Proving that time periods may change but people do not, Lapena delivers a solid whodunit with an ending that would make Dame Christie proud.
USA Today
Another nail-biter perfect for an all-nighter.
Entertainment Weekly
A new thriller that will give 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. . . . A deftly crafted and expertly paced thriller that will keep readers guessing (and terrified) until the very end.
Bustle
This compelling and realistic modern take on the country-house mystery will gain new fans for the author and is definitely one to hand to devotees of Agatha Christie (and her modern interpreter, Sophie Hannah).
Booklist
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.
Gilly Macmillan, New York Times bestselling author of I Know You Know
Lapena has written a great whodunit, with a delicious Christie-like vibe. Fans of the author's first novel will want this, and anyone who savors a well-crafted murder mystery will gobble it up!
Library Journal (starred review)
Praise for A Stranger in the House:
Lapena s A Stranger in the House will have you sleeping with the lights on for weeks.
Bustle
Smart and suspenseful . . . you'll never see the ending coming.
PureWow
So much suspense. So many twists. Good luck sleeping tonight.
HelloGiggles
So many dizzying twists you'd better not drive after reading!
Linwood Barclay, New York Times bestselling author of Parting Shot
Smart, twisty and compulsive. Suspense and suspicion accumulate relentlessly, toying with your expectations and your emotions right up until the packs-a-punch ending. Don t miss it, and don t expect to be able to put it down.
Gilly Macmillan, New York Times bestselling author of I Know You Know
A diverting page-turner."
Publishers Weekly
"Great suspense and lots of twists."
The Toronto Star
"Lapena keeps the well-developed twists churning, with each a surprise notch in this ever-evolving plot, and she continues this skillful storytelling until the stunning twist at the end . . . memorable."
Associated Press
Praise for The Couple Next Door:
Meticulously crafted and razor sharp. The Couple Next Door lingers long after you turn the final page.
Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Fool Me Once
The twists come as fast as you can turn the pages.
People
Provocative and shocking. One crime, an entire neighborhood of suspects, secrets, and lies. How well do we ever know those around us? The Couple Next Door will keep you glued to the pages in search of the answer. Even then, you ll never guess the truth . . . until it's too late.
Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Find Her
I read this novel at one sitting, absolutely riveted by the story line. The suspense was beautifully rendered and unrelenting!
Sue Grafton, New York Times bestselling author of Y is for Yesterday
Real men read women writers because of books like this. Trust me.
Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Make Me
A twisty, utterly riveting tale that will send readers on a wild roller-coaster ride of emotions. Shocking revelations kept me turning the pages like a madwoman.
Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of Playing with Fire
Expertly paced and finely crafted, The Couple Next Door is a gripping thriller of the highest order. I couldn t put it down.
A. J. Banner, bestselling author of The Good Neighbor
Gripped me from the very beginning to the very end!
Becky Masterman, author of Rage Against the Dying
Brilliant! This utterly riveting psychological thriller hurtles along at breakneck speed, never giving you the opportunity to catch your breath. Twisty, turny, and unputdownable.
C. L. Taylor, bestselling author of The Lie
Exquisitely torturous tension.
NPR.org
Where did that baby go! It s hard not to read to the end to find out, and the twists waiting there are gratifyingly clever.
USA Today
The many never-saw-them-coming twists and questionable characters . . . will keep you on the edge of your seat. First-time novelist Lapena s writing is spare and tense, and it makes The Couple Next Door a compulsive read. The last line is absolutely a killer.
Good Housekeeping
[A] well-sculpted domestic thriller . . . highly suspenseful . . . Twists are subtly revealed with aplomb, taking the story to increasingly unpredictable levels.
Associated Press
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