Book Review: The Writer by James Patterson and J.D. Barker

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The Writer by James Patterson and J.D. Barker  was published on March 17, 2025. It opens with Detective Declan Shaw at a closed subway station trying to work up the nerve to commit suicide when he receives a call from his partner about a break in and homicide at the home of a true crime author. Shaw makes his way to the crime scene to work the case, and in a turn of events, Declan comes under scrutiny in another case loosely connected to this new case. I received an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The Writer  from NetGalley and Little , Brown, and Company for free in exchange for my honest review. I'm appreciative that my request for this book was approved. With this story opening with the main character trying to commit suicide, I almost didn't go any further with the book. However, I am glad I stuck with it as it took me on a fantastic ride and had my emotions all over the place. There were so many twists and turns that just when I thought I had it all figured out, there was ...
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Book Review: Not A Happy Family by Shari Lapena

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book review not a happy family shari lapena

Not A Happy Family by Shari Lapena introduces the reader to the ultra rich Merton family in an upscale neighborhood in Brecken Hill located in upstate New York. However, all the money in the world can't protect Fred and Sheila Merton from being murdered, and their three children are all a person of interest in their deaths.

Whenever I learn that Shari Lapena publishes a new book, I know that that I'll read it without even knowing the synopsis, and it wasn't any different when I learned of her latest book Not A Happy Family. I jumped right into it and was pleasantly surprised with the storyline.

Reminiscent of the movie Knives Out, I enjoyed all the suspense and trying to figure out who the murderer was in Not A Happy Family. However, there came a point that the story became a bit sluggish and drawn out. With that being said, it was still extremely intriguing, and I suspected everyone at one point. I narrowed it down between two different characters and wasn't sure which of them was the culprit until the end. Speaking of characters, there weren't very many likable characters in this book and the few that were likable where very minor.

I gave Not A Happy Family by Shari Lapena four out of five stars because it did become slow-moving at one point, but I thoroughly enjoyed it regardless of that. If you liked this book, I recommend Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens.

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