BOOK REVIEW - Murder in the Family - Cara Hunter - Physical Book - 5*

 BOOK REVIEW

Murder in the Family - Cara Hunter

I have a confession to make. I had no idea what this book was about when I randomly picked it up in the library (I was there to collect The Fellowship of the Ring and apparently am incapable of leaving with just one book!). I love a whodunnit murder mystery, this looked like it would fit the bill, so it came home with me! 

I also decided to read this, before I delved into LotR, mainly because I'm wholly intimidated by Tolkien, but also because I can't resist a good crime novel! After page one, I was hooked. All my plans for my day off went out the window and I settled down for a binge-reading session. 

BLURB

IT WAS A CASE THAT GRIPPED THE NATION

LUKE RYDER'S MURDER HAS NEVER BEEN SOLVED

In October 2003, Luke Ryder was found dead in the garden of the family home in London, leaving behind a wealthy older widow and three stepchildren. Nobody saw anything. 

Now, the secrets will be revealed - live on camera. 

Years later a group of experts re-examine the evidence on Infamous, a true-crime show - with shocking results. Does the team know more than they have been letting on? 

Or does the truth live closer to home?

Can you solve the case before they do?

The truth will blow your mind. 

MY REVIEW

I am so happy that I picked this book (or did it pick me?). It's easily one of the most uniquely written books I've encountered and this style lent itself brilliantly to a whodunnit, murder mystery, crime thriller novel. 

Let's start with the writing style. It's set out almost like a screenplay. You're watching the documentary as though you're the viewer, along with full written dialogue. There are descriptions to set the scene (the camera pans out to reveal a short, stocky woman with auburn hair. She's playing nervously with a ring looped into a chain around her neck, as an entirely made-up example). You see screenshots from forums, transcriptions of voicemails left between the characters, press releases, text messages, and newspaper articles. You learn the information about the infamous cold case, in real-time, along with the "viewers". 

This unique way of presenting the story is brilliantly crafted, and used to great effect. I absolutely love watching true-crime documentaries, so this premise suited me to a T. 

The dialogue is one of the main storytelling tools within this book, given that it's playing out like a television program, and is excellent. Witty and sarcastic with layers of inference and suspense. It was snappy and packed a punch, with every conversation leading you exactly where Cara Hunter wanted you to go. I have never zipped through pages so quickly, eager to move on to the next "episode". 

In terms of plot, you have a group of experts who are the main characters/investigators in this documentary, Infamous. They're investigating in real time, each episode showing the last week's findings, interviews, and investigative meetings.

The unsolved mystery they're attempting to solve, is the murder of Luke Ryan. His stepson, Guy, is the director of the documentary which gives the team unprecedented access to the family, and the case. Guy wants to find the truth and is using this series to aid his need to find out what happened to his stepfather. 

I did guess the outcome, correctly, quite early on, and was very proud of myself for that! That being said, the book was by no means predictable. There were twists and turns at almost every moment, and each "episode" brought you to a suspenseful cliffhanger (like all good true-crime documentaries!).  The threads woven by the author left no stone unturned, tricking and manipulating your thoughts as the viewer. 

Even the final two pages, after the story had concluded, added another layer of mystery, and had me loudly exclaiming, throwing my hands in the air in jubilation, ANOTHER TWIST GOSH DARNIT, THERE'S ANOTHER ONE!

Very rarely has a book left me sad at the end, not because the ending is upsetting, but simply sad that the experience is over. This one had that effect on me in spades. I turned to Magic Mike, my poor, tortured better half, multiple times in the hour after I'd finished, just to say, "WOW!"

If you're a crime-documentary-watching, true-crime-loving, whodunnit-solving, thriller lover like me, you should read this book. Just do it! 

If you have any recommendations on books like this, with a unique take on the thriller (or any!) genre, let me know, I'd love to see what else is out there!

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