Just the Nicest Family by Alison James

Hey, it’s Diego.

I barely put down Just the Nicest Family by Alison James just now.

And what a trip (pun intended).

Let me give you my spoiler-free unbiased review.

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Just the Nicest Family by Alison James Review

Tim, a veterinarian, and his family are invited to a stunning villa in the south of France for what seems like the perfect vacation. But beneath the luxury and charm, secrets emerge, and when a mysterious death occurs, their idyllic getaway brings all the lies and danger to the surface.

The book is half Domestic Thriller half Whodunit. There is a murder with its investigation in a specific location but we also follow the psychological thoughts of the main characters, and the characters move out of the location after the fact.

The backdrop, a luxurious villa on the French Riviera was a perfect contrast to the background we get from the characters that are from The UK. The writing is really good, with vivid descriptions had me smelling the sea air and feeling the heat of the sun.

The book has a very slow start, almost to the point that I thought there were not going to be any murders in the story as there is a drama and thriller aspect to it that was also engaging.

Things do pick up around the 25% mark when the event happens though. We follow multiple POVs and alternating timelines between past and present which worked well, revealing secrets at just the right moments.

The suspense builds steadily, and the big reveals are satisfying without feeling overly dramatic. We discover details as the story unfolds with some characters while others are kept in the dark and the drama and tension come from the revelations characters feel when they find out.

There are some romantic tensions, but this is far from a romance novel. There’s no explicit spice. However, the relationships between the characters are a key point in the story.

This isn’t a graphic book, there are almost no thrills, mostly it’s about drama and tension. The murder and other crimes are handled in a way that’s chilling but not gory, which I appreciated. There was a lot of swearing throughout though.

So, what about the ending? (No spoilers obviously)

The ending closes the main mystery nicely. But we do not get a satisfying denouement so we don’t find out what happens to some characters.

Overall, this book would appeal to someone who likes whodunits who also enjoys psychological thrillers, with glamorous settings, two-faced characters in different social classes and plenty of suspense.

Similar Books to Just the Nicest Family

• Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

• The Guest List by Lucy Foley

• The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

That’s all for this week.

See you next time.

— Diego Dunne

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