Preview
  • Not a Happy Family

  • A Novel
  • By: Shari Lapena
  • Narrated by: Ellen Archer
  • Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (3,713 ratings)

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Not a Happy Family

By: Shari Lapena
Narrated by: Ellen Archer
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Publisher's summary

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

Another thrilling domestic suspense novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door

“Lapena is a master of manipulation. With her latest page-turning thriller… she is once again at the top of her game.” —USA Today

“In this fast-paced, twisted family saga, Shari Lapena keeps you guessing until the very last page...” Paula Hawkins

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?

©2021 Shari Lapena (P)2021 Penguin Audio
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Critic reviews

“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.” (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.” (Washington Post)

Featured Article: Home Is Where the Harm Is—The Best Domestic Thriller Audiobooks


Every neighborhood has a story. It could be the tragedy that took place years ago, or maybe an urban legend about that creepy house down the street. Or perhaps it's the new couple on the block who seem to be hiding something. These tales of suspense and mystery are what drive the popularity of the fastest growing subgenre of thrillers: the domestic thriller. We’ve made this list to help you choose the best domestic thriller audiobooks out there.

What listeners say about Not a Happy Family

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Meh

Well. No depth to any characters. Not one single likable character. Entertaining while doing housework. Don’t expect anything great from this read.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

So so ...nothing special

Slow moving and no really likeable characters. Just a boring whodunit that I finished because I really had nothing better to listen to at the time.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great story, fun dialog

I loved it... Just enough twists and turns, lots of fun to listen to! Highly recommended

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Impersonal style, but still very good…

Awesome whodunit story—kept me guessing the whole time! My only complaint was the impersonal writing style… it felt a little sterile, and I would have liked more emotion.

Overall still a page turner.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Kept me entertained on my drive to work!

Keeps you wondering who the murder is going to turn out to be... Pretty good!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Alright already

This is how I felt about getting to the end of the book. great detail putting you into the scene but maybe too much lingering. I felt it could have been shortened up. it kept wanting to throw you twists. overall good book

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Very good!

I very much enjoyed this book. Very suspenseful the reader did a great job. I will be looking for other books by this author.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Underwhelming. Good potential with epic letdown on story development

Underwhelming. Uninspired. I read it for bookclub, so I was motivated to finish. However the author left so much to be desired. There were moments and characters that offered potential to give a “twist” to the plot…but ultimately the end was predictable. Greatest irritation was unimaginative language used to describe emotions and perspective.

Strongly disliked the narrator-who often mispronounced words.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

full of family passion and twists

just when you suspect someone, another plausible suspect is revealed. amazing tension in this peek into psychopathy

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

much better than expected!

I was a little nervous, seeing the reviews after I purchased. but was pleasantly surprised. I didn't feel it was predictable, and the narration was good.

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