The Happy Family by Jackie Kabler

When Beth was a child, her mother walked out and never came back. Now that Beth is approaching forty, settled in with a good career and loving family, her long lost mother shows up at her doorstep, and soon her life begins to unravel.
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I loved THE PERFECT COUPLE, so I was thrilled to get a copy of Jackie Kabler’s latest thriller! When I read her writing, I feel like I can sit back and relax because I know I’m in good hands.

I connected with Beth from page one and found myself immediately on the ride of a single mother juggling a full-time career while caring for an aging father. I felt her joy when her estranged mother showed up on her doorstep, and when things began going wrong for her, I found myself cringing, feeling her embarrassment, confusion and paranoia. Like a good main character in a psychological thriller, Beth starts drinking a fair amount in an attempt to deal, and I must say, under those circumstances, I can’t blame her. 

The supporting characters are all incredibly specific and believable, and while Beth tries to grapple with the notion of someone intentionally trying to ruin her life, there is certainly plenty of suspicious behavior happening around her. I’ve seen some reviews stating how easy it is to figure out the first big reveal, but I have to say, I think that’s all part of the plan. It makes the twists that follow all the more shocking! I think Kabler is so adept at what she does that she’s just having fun playing around with what the reader can figure out when.

As thrillers go, this one-part psychological, one-part domestic. It’s a fun, perfect-for-summer page-turner that never gets too dark and ends in a fun flurry of surprises and twists. 

This comes out on June 4, 2021!

Thank you One More Chapter and HarperCollins UK for the ARC!