Blog Tour: Book Review of The Happy Family by Jackie Kabler

Delighted to be part of The Happy Family Blog tour. Thanks to Rachel's Random Resourced for the invite and Harper Collins for the ARC. Before I offer my review, here's the blurb

    The Happy Family Blurb

A mother who disappeared… 
When Beth was 10 years old, her beautiful, wild mother Alice walked out and never came back. Beth’s life since hasn’t always been smooth sailing, but now she is happy and settled, with a successful career, a loving family and a beautiful home. 
 
An unexpected visitor…
Then one day there’s a knock at the door. Alice has returned. Overjoyed to have the chance to rebuild their relationship, Beth invites her mother to move in.
 
A life that comes crashing down…
At first, everything seems wonderful. But then Beth’s friends begin to drift away, strange things start to happen at home, and rumours begin to circle about her past. As the mysterious events around Beth become darker and more dangerous, she is forced to question everything. Is somebody in her life trying to destroy her happiness? And how far will they go?

Purchase Links

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Happy-Family-gripping-psychological-bestselling-ebook/dp/B08N47DHNP

US - https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Family-gripping-psychological-bestselling-ebook/dp/B08N47DHNP

My Thoughts

I love a good psychological thriller – probably because I like to get into the minds hearts and dark misdeeds of human nature and, if I didn’t do it through the medium of reading, I might be tempted to stalk my neighbours (Only kidding)

In The Happy Family there is a slow build-up of tension – a stalker, a mysterious secret, a troubled history involving a long lost parent and a cast of characters which we learn more about as the book progresses, are all thrown into the mix early on. At first I thought the build-up was a tad slow, but then the tension really ratchets up and we are left guessing and double guessing ourselves as nobody really seems to be who they present themselves as.

The strength of The Happy Family is the characterisation. We really get to know the characters through dialogue and action which results in a well-rounded storyline that makes you think ‘this could happen to me’. I found myself yelling at Beth (the main character) because at times she was annoyingly stupid – but then who wants to be the boy who cries wold.

A satisfying read.

Author Bio

Author Bio – Jackie Kabler worked as a newspaper reporter and then in television news for twenty years, including nearly a decade on GMTV. She later appeared on BBC and ITV news, presented a property show for Sky, hosted sports shows on Setanta Sports News and worked as a media trainer for the Armed Forces. She is now a presenter on shopping channel QVC. The Happy Family is her sixth book; previous novels include the international bestseller The Perfect Couple. Jackie lives in Gloucestershire with her husband.

Social Media Links –

Twitter @jackiekabler

Instagram @officialjackiekabler

Follow The Tour Here