Review of 'The Family Reunion' by Karen King
My first novel by Karen King, 'The Family Reunion' is one filled with mystery and intrigue. From the beginning, we realise that all is not as it seems with Mary's family. A recent widower, Mary is still mourning the loss of her beloved husband, Paul. While she has her two wonderful children to see her through, she feels adrift and decides now is the time to reconnect with the daughter she abandoned when she was a young teenager. A shameful secret she never shared with anyone, she soon finds Cathy and does her best to integrate her into the family. Of course, tensions soon arise, and shocking twists come to pass, leaving readers reeling from the storyline.
For the most part, the plot was easy to follow; you know from the start that there are going to be lots of lies and secrets revealed. However, I must irrevocably state - Ms. King got me GOOD with that twist at the end! After reading enough of these types of books, it is quite hard to catch me off guard, but this author achieved the impossible!
My one issue with this novel, and it is more of a personal issue than anything wrong with the story, is that I disliked every single main character. Mary was way too naive for a mature woman, Jason and Joanne were just icky excuses for children, their spouses were just as awful, and do not even get me started on Cathy…
In the end, I give 'The Family Reunion' a rating of 4 out of 5 stars; while I really enjoyed the overall plot, I could not connect emotionally with any of the characters. If you are a lover of suspense, this one will definitely not disappoint!
A great many thanks to Netgalley, Karen King, and Bookouture for this ARC. It is important to note that I was under no commitment to provide a positive review, and all opinions are undoubtedly my own.
