Book of the Month: "Not a Happy Family" by Shari Lapena

Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena is a thriller novel that was published July 27 by Penguin Random House. The deaths, which come shortly after the beginning of the book, resemble the unsolved murders of Barry and Honey Sherman, a billionaire couple who died in 2017.

Fred and Sheila Mercer were brutally murdered in their home the night after a catastrophic Easter dinner with their three adult children, Catherine, Dan and Jenna. They each stood to inherit millions, which complicated both the situation and investigation. Their vindictive father and neglectful mother provided more than enough motive for each of them to have carried out the murder, but if one of the family were capable of such a thing, they’d know, right?

One thing is for certain: Not a Happy Family keeps you on the edge of your seat up to the end. Personally, I did not figure out who the murderer was until the plot made it obvious to me, which demonstrates Lapena’s skill with the genre, having written five other mystery novels including No. 1 Bestseller, The Couple Next Door and Sunday Times Bestseller, The End of Her.

Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena is a short, 368 page (6:34) read perfect for a rainy Saturday afternoon. Lapena is a talented New York Times bestselling author who keeps readers on the edge of their seat: If you’re a hard-boiled detective or murder mystery fan, this book is for you!

Participate in our selection of our Book of the Month on the Student Life Facebook page!