Happy Families Collection 10 Books Set - Allan Ahlberg

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This was a fun book to listen to on audio. The narrator was great, and I enjoyed the stories off all involved - not just the siblings. I put on my super sleuth hat- not easy to do while driving and tried to do some detective work of my own. Who could be the heartless killer? What could Fred and Sheila have done to evoke the ire of a killer? Quite a bit as it turns out - well Fred mainly as he was not ever going to win a "Dad of the year" award. There are a few others who had a stake in the early demise of the Mertons, giving us plenty of suspects to choose from, and what was really unique was that almost ALL of them were women! Truth is.... everyone here lies. I couldn't figure out who killed Fred and Sheila Merton after Easter dinner. The Mertons are dead inside their home and their bodies were found the next day by the housekeeper. All three adult children are interested in the big inheritance so they sure have the motive and are being untruthful. They also don't trust one another which adds another layer of suspense. I wish the novel would have focused more on the earlier generations as there was so much potential to go into the immigrant experience. I loved this earlier part of the novel and wished we got more. I also thought the plot was a little slow but the characters made up for that being easy to connect and sympathize with.

If you’re the type to play detective, this will be the book for you! So many shady and unpredictable characters to choose from. Who could it be?? 🧐 We understand that buying kids books can be expensive. That's why we offer a wide range of box sets and series at affordable prices, making it easier for parents, teachers, and libraries to access quality books for children. We start off knowing that Fred and Sylvia Merton are dead. Who killed them and why is the central mystery. Well, pretty much everyone who was related to them had a reason to, as Fred was a first class jerk to his three children and Sylvia stood by and let it happen. The Mertons are uber-wealthy and each of the three children (as well as Fred's sister and another surprise person) are due to inherit a great deal of money from the estate. The police aren't buying that the brutal murders were a robbery gone wrong, yet they can't seem to come up with evidence as to who committed the crimes. Each of the children have motive and possible opportunity. Secrets upon secrets are revealed as they try to piece together the solution. It’s been said there are four motives for murder: Lust, Love, Loathing, or Loot. There’s no shortage of the latter two here. There are no tears shed for Fred and Sheila, but plenty of anticipation and elation at the thought of the inheritance. I loved how the author dropped little secrets/bombshells throughout the book about the characters, that made me see each of them with new eyes.The family theme was ‘More is More’ with the knowledge that a conviction would create a greater monetary share for the others with the portion being forfeited. Casting doubt became an occupation as they folded in on each other. The book was written in third person and it followed too many perspectives. I think all of the characters got their POV at some point. WHO KILLED THE MERTONS AND WHY? Was it one of the couple's unlikeable adult children? All of the adult children would have inherited millions from their parent's death. Or was it the housekeeper/nanny, a friend/colleague......or someone else? Congratulations for being nominated as one of the best thrillers for Goodreads Choice Awards! This book was definitely one of the best reads of the year!

Now everyone in the family is a suspect. They all had a motive. Most of them had an opportunity. Who done it? What a strange business this is - one day he's reading Asterix, Winnie-the-Pooh and Babar, the next it's Mr Men, and another day he's looking over my shoulder at the newspaper. Maybe it's like wanting poetry and colour supplements at different times depending on my mood?" From the very first chapter I was hooked into this story. Lapena wastes no time jumping into the nitty-gritty and it kept me guessing until the very end.For the most part of the book, we never really know why Amy returned home but as the story reveals itself, Julie Ma expertly threads the past and the present together, and we slowly understand why she is there. Amy, now fearful that her grandfather will slip away before the rift between her father and grandfather is repaired, sets about exploring the family history and piecing together the secrets of her family’s past.

I think this is the most profound and useful thing anyone has ever said on a "reading levels" thread! Ok, so I definitely predicted who the killer was, but I still had so much FUN reading this one! This is a thriller about these rich parents who have their kids over for Easter, but these parents are kind of assholes to their kids and they put all kind of ridiculous expectations on them, and on the morning after Easter, the parents are found brutally murdered in their home. The only suspects are the three adult siblings who all will gain a big inheritance from their deaths, and who argued with their parents the night before. If you enjoy books with: shite people who are fun to read about, multiple suspects, and multiple motives...READ THIS! The not-so-happy-family here are the Mertons. Fred was a total jerk to everyone, but mostly to his children. Sheila, his wife, is a cold and distant mother, and failed to protect the children from their father. At Books2Door, we believe that reading is a fundamental skill that every child should have to help improve their vocabulary, grammar, and critical thinking skills.The Mertons, a wealthy couple from upstate New York, are brutally murdered in their palatial home after hosting a contentious family Easter dinner.

With this being said, there were other players involved, so don't narrow your focus too much. You never know who could be out to get jerks like this. Penguin presents Happy Families: The Audio Collection by Allan Ahlberg, read by Alexander Armstrong.

The police have plenty of suspects, but few clues. This isn’t a new premise, but I loved how this story unraveled, including a few surprising twists and a surprise ending. I think this would make a terrific movie! Especially as the family were more than happy to integrate within the small Welsh village (though naming their cats after Prime Ministers seemed a step too far!) and these family run businesses are cornerstones in any town - even outlasting the likes of Woolworths. I listened to this one as an audiobook, and from the beginning, I just couldn't stop listening. It is divided into short sections, which made me compulsively keep listening as more clues were uncovered.