One of the Family by Mark Edwards

Description from Goodreads:

"One of the family is dead.

One of the family is missing.

And one of the family might just be the killer...

Patrick couldn’t believe his luck when Holly fell for him. She’s wickedly funny, beautiful, and with an intimidatingly successful father, Charles.

So when she invites him to Charles’ mansion for a New Year’s break in Scotland, all he’s hoping is that they’ll accept him as one of the family.

But everything feels a little off. Whispers in hallways. Rumours of a body that got found nearby the previous year. And something very strange about Charles’ new girlfriend.

Every family has secrets, and Patrick tells himself all he needs to do is survive the next few days.

But then the first body is found, and Patrick realises that all he needs to do is survive the next few days…"

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A claustrophobic and twisty trip to the Scottish Highlands

Having only read one of Mark Edwards' books before, I was really looking forward to seeing what his latest thriller would be like. His writing style hooked me last time and I am pleased to say this one kept me just as glued to the pages.

The story follows Patrick, who is heading up to a remote mansion in Scotland for a New Year's break to meet his girlfriend Holly's family for the first time. As if meeting her intimidatingly successful dad wasn't stressful enough, the siblings are all on edge because their father has just introduced his new fiancée. To make things way creepier, she is the exact same age as them and looks just like their late mother. Throw in heavy snowstorms, isolated surroundings, whispers of a frozen body found nearby and a family full of unlikable snakes, and you have the perfect recipe for total paranoia.

The opening line sets the tone well and I loved how the atmosphere builds up, making you second-guess absolutely everyone. Patrick often feels like a bit of an observer while everyone else is sniping at each other, but watching the chaos unravel around him was genuinely addictive. 

The final section gets incredibly chaotic with so many different strings of the story coming together at once. It feels a bit rushed and frantic compared to the slow-burn tension of the rest of the book, which is a minor niggle because the twists at the end definitely delivered.

Many thanks to the author, Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this book.

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One of the Family by Jess Ryder [Audiobook]

🎙🎙🎙 Narrated by Bronwen Price 🎙🎙🎙

Description from Goodreads:

"My daughter’s boyfriend feels like one of the family. I couldn’t be happier to have him living with us. But now my daughter’s disappeared…

I never wanted to have an empty nest. So when my daughter, Liv, asks if she and her new boyfriend, Jensen, can move in, I’m thrilled.

Jensen is so helpful. He tells me how he loves being part of a close-knit family. He’s felt so alone since his parents died. And for me, his presence goes a little way towards replacing the son I lost.

Still, I can’t help but notice that Liv and Jensen are starting to argue. My daughter seems unhappy. Perhaps they just need some time alone together?

But when my husband and I return from our weekend away, Liv is missing. The relationship with Jensen appears to be over but he doesn’t want to leave. And then I discover exactly what he will do to stay in our family…"

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I haven't read or listened to any of Jess Ryder's books before but, despite my mixed feelings about this one, I will definitely be on the look out for more in the future.

Rachel welcomes her daughter, Liv, and her new boyfriend, Jensen, into their home. Jensen is the perfect, charming guest, until Liv vanishes and he stays put, turning the cosy family atmosphere creepy. 

I have to admit that I found the main character, Rachel, really annoying. I just wanted to jump into my speakers and give her a slap around the face and tell her to "wake up!" Her level of naivety became genuinely irritating.

Adding to this, Liv's disappearance is not the only "issue" the family is dealing with, which made the plot feel a bit over-the-top for me - it was far from believable that everything was happening to this one family all at once.

However, I was intrigued enough to continue listening - helped by the excellent narration - and I was pleased I did as whilst I had already worked out the major twist, it ended up being quite satisfying to see how it got there.

Overall, while this isn't the best audiobook I've listened to, it's far from the worst. If the many, many other reviews are anything to go by, I am in the minority, so give it a go if you enjoy domestic thrillers.

Many thanks to the author, Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts on this book.

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