Header Image

TLC Review: A Family of Strangers by Emilie Richards

Title: A Family of Strangers
Author: Emilie Richards
Year Published: 2019


Genre: Adult fiction
Pages: 491
Rating: 4 out of 5

Location (my 2019 Google Reading map)USA (FL, NM, UT) and Costa Rica

FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for TLC Book Review

Summary (from the back of the book): All her life, Ryan Gracey watched her perfect sister from afar. Knowing she could never top Wendy's achievements, she didn't even try. Instead Ryan forged her own path while her family barely seemed to notice.

Now Wendy shares two little girls with her perfect husband, while Ryan mourns the man she lost after a nearly fatal mistake in judgment. The sisters' choices have taken them in different directions, which is why Ryan is stunned when Wendy calls, begging for her help. There's been a murder--and Wendy believes she'll be wrongfully accused.

While Wendy lies low, Ryan moves back to their hometown to care for the nieces she hardly knows. The sleuthing skills she's refined as a true-crime podcaster quickly rise to the surface as she digs for answers with the help of an unexpected ally. Yet the trail of clues Wendy's left behind leads to nothing but questions. Blood may be thicker than water, but what does Ryan owe a sister who becomes more and more a stranger with every revelation?

Is Wendy, who always seemed so perfect, just a perfect liar--or worse?



Purchase Links Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

Connect with Emilie Website | Facebook | Twitter

Review: A family-involved thriller / mystery? Yes please! While this book took me a couple days to get into, it was due to my circumstances rather than the book. Once I was in, I was in.

I really like Ryan as a main character. She is straightforward, honest, competent, caring, and smart. She isn't all about kids, but knows it is important to listen to them, take care of them, and make them feel loved. She feels tense about her parents, but she keeps them (well, her mom) informed of what's going on with Wendy and grows to be more comfortable around them. And then there's Teo, the man from her past. Yay! is all I'll say about them.

The mystery unveils itself at a good pace. As Ryan figures things out so does the reader and it all seems plausible and well-paced. Not once did I feel like information or a revelation came out of nowhere. And as someone who is well connected to her hometown, high school, and family, I liked those connections as well.

Challenges for which this counts: 
 
Review Tour:
Monday, June 17th: The Baking Bookworm
Tuesday, June 18th: Girls in Books and @girlsinbooks
Wednesday, June 19th: Girl Who Reads
Wednesday, June 19th: Bloggin’ ‘Bout Books
Thursday, June 20th: Helen’s Book Blog
Monday, June 24th: @my_book_journey
Tuesday, June 25th: Bewitched Bookworms
Wednesday, June 26th: Write Read Life
Thursday, June 27th: Book by Book
Thursday, June 27th: @crystals_library
Friday, June 28th: Run Wright
Tuesday, July 2nd: Treestand Book Reviews 
Wednesday, July 3rd: @beauty_andthebook
Friday, July 5th: Booked on a Feeling
Friday, July 5th: @angelareadsbooks
Monday, July 8th: I Wish I Lived in a Library
Tuesday, July 9th: Lori’s Reading Corner – spotlight
Wednesday, July 10th: The Meganerd Blog and @meganthemeganerd
Wednesday, July 10th: @cassies_books_reviews
Thursday, July 11th: Books and Bindings
Friday, July 12th: Books and Cats and Coffee and @bookncatsncoffee
Monday, July 15th: @one_more_paige
Tuesday, July 16th: @sarahandherbookshelves
Wednesday, July 17th: The Lit Bitch
Thursday, July 18th: Books Before Bedtime and @booksbeforebedtime
Friday, July 19th: The Pages In-Between and @thepagesinbetween

No comments