Greed Poisons Even The Sweetest WellStorm chaser Molly McClelland must return to her small Alabama hometown when she unexpectedly inherits her hoarder aunt’s house . . . and all of its contents. Despite her suspicions that her aunt was murdered, Molly wants nothing more than to sell everything and get back to the life she loves. Especially once her homecoming reignites the decades-old family … the decades-old family conflict that drove her away in the first place. But when Molly uncovers caches of cash, journals revealing secrets-and a body-amongst the stockpiles, she finds herself locked in a cat-and-mouse dance with a deadly endgame.
Molly teams with local sheriff, Greg Olson, to find the truth. But will her determination and his skills be enough, or will the killer-or killers-put an end to their efforts once and for all?more
Thank you in advance to JustRead Publicity Tours, Firefly Southern Fiction, and author Ramona Richards for providing a review copy. A positive review was not required, all words and thoughts are my own.
“A Murder in the Family” is what I would describe as a “cozy mystery” – “subgenre of crime fiction in which sex and violence are downplayed or treated humorously, and the crime and detection take place in a small, socially intimate community”. This novel fits right into that, though I found it “slightly” on the serious side.
Molly McClelland is a storm chaser who had left her hometown of Carterton, Alabama after her 18th birthday, nearly 20 years earlier. Despite cutting off most of the ties with her family, she still remains in touch with her Aunt Liz. Molly has no idea where her brother went off to.
Elizabeth Morrow dies in a freak hoarding accident when stuff falls on her and “buries” her. In her will, she leaves the estate to Molly who wants nothing to do with the “stuff”. She feels that the greed in the family was what broke her mother’s heart and cost the family their home.
Given how Liz died, Molly is almost certain that her cousin Kitty and Kitty’s daughter Lyric might’ve had something to do with the accident that claimed Liz’ life. Lyric was supposedly Liz’ caregiver but did nothing to actually help the woman.
Molly just wants to be out from underneath it and back to the “job” she loves. A job which injured another storm chaser of the group – Sarah.
While Molly waits for news of Sarah’s recovery, she has to deal with her aunt’s estate. And, after reading a heartfelt letter from her aunt, Molly is (albeit reluctantly) ready to deal with the mess her aunt left behind.
Molly’s family has other ideas – namely to grab what they can and run, even if it means breaking the law. And, with the discovery of a body in the house where her aunt died, it may mean they did just that.
A shooting, a fire, an accident, a dead body – there are more secrets surrounding Liz Morrow’s estate than the entire town. And, in between all of the goings-on, Molly has to sort through the trash to find the treasure; after all, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. But, Molly has to discover the treasure.
Richards uses a unique plot device – hoarding – to begin the story and to keep the story going. Her detail of the hoarding issue is vivid and candid; thus bringing to mind episodes of A & E’s “Hoarders” series.
Richards writes Molly with a realistic revulsion to the scene – a filthy house, piles of “stuff”, and “pest” infestations. Molly is overwhelmed by not only the sight, but the stench, as well as how to handle it.
It is definitely not a common theme to use in a book, particularly a mystery type book. Though it is easy to see how the hoarding issue could hide the underlying crimes that were contained in the book.
Richards’ use of hoarding as a plot device also causes the reader to look at the “stuff” they keep and re-evaluate what we “store” and want to pass on to our children and grand-children. It also provides a unique perspective on greed and people who think nothing of their behavior or how many people are affected by it.
In addition I enjoyed reading two of my favorite revenge lines in this novel. One was “revenge is best served cold”. I first heard that in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (“revenge is a dish best served cold”), and in other TV shows as well – even J.A.G.
Another “revenge” quote from the novel mentioned digging two graves before setting out on revenge, which I’d heard in “For Your Eyes Only” (“the Chinese have a saying; Before setting out for revenge, you first dig two graves.”). It was interesting to see two phrases from two separate movie genres mentioned.
This was a quick and easy read. Suitable for someone who wants to dabble with the mystery but wants something clean and easy to read.
This is my Review of this amazing read that I definitely Recommend. It is a great read to cozy up in a blanket with a hot cup of cocoa. Murder In The Family
By Ramona Richards
I absolutely loved this Southern mystery with some thrillers thrown in. I was flying through each page and felt like I had developed a personal relationship with the main character, Molly McClelland.
When Molly must return to her family that had been torn apart decades ago due to familial rifts, she isn’t all that thrilled. Not only is there bad blood and bad memories but she was also appointed the Executor of her Aunt’s Estate and is dreading the process of dispersing the contents, since she was a hoarder.
Not everything is always what it seems. The small town people greet her and treat her as family and offer their help. She develops a close relationship with her Aunt’s Lawyer but an even closer one with the local sheriff, Greg Olsen.
Suspicions build that maybe her Aunt was actually murdered and now that somebody is now out to get Molly. What is this inheritance worth? Is there more than what meets the eye? And somehow, her old family conflict reignites hotter than ever and maybe her own kin are the ones that want to see her dead.
There are a bunch of possibilities and there is another backstory that has you feeling for the characters. I really love how the book was written and how it brings out the readers internal emotions. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion
My Thoughts on Murder in the Family:
Mystery novels are definitely my thing. I love them! It’s so much fun to get lost in a great mystery novel and try to solve the mystery before the author gives us the answer.
This book was so fast-paced and it took some thinking to remember who was who and why they were important. It was also a bit interesting to try to remember why certain people were so intense on wanting what they weren’t supposed to have.
As a member of a family who’s had a death recently where there was one person who seemed to make away with most everything I can relate to pieces of this book. It is so sad when family history just goes missing. This definitely reminds me that I need to make sure everyone knows and understands where any historical pieces I have go.
It also makes me want to become even more of a minimalist!
But the mystery! I loved it. And I really loved the two main characters as well as wished that I could have met our hoarder aunt. I have to say that Molly is definitely a little fireball and I love her! Her determination and zeal are amazing. Greg, the sheriff, offsets her perfectly and their race against time is wonderfully written.
I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from JustRead Publicity Tours. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.
Ramona Richards weaves a tale of a family torn apart by generations and years of greed.
The last thing Molly McClelland wants to do is return to Alabama and take care of her aunt’s estate. But she’s the only one her aunt trusted to distribute it fairly and according to her wishes.
The hoarding aspect of Murder in the Family is both unique and interesting to the book. Richards’ vivid descriptions of Aunt Liz’s home gave me the creepy crawlies at times (and made me ready to deep clean my own home). While Liz’s uncles, cousins, and other family show their callousness and selfishness, the flip side of generosity is displayed through the neighbors and many residents of the town. There are more people supporting Molly than fighting her every step of the way.
Molly is a tough cookie—one with a temper that aids her in standing her ground when it comes to her pushy family. She’s relatable in her reluctance to accept this task yet she’s also a take command person.
While I would have liked the romance thread to be a little more developed, this book serves as a cautionary tale of the quest for more stuff. Yet, along the way, readers will root for Molly to acknowledge the support surrounding her and for her to find her way home.
Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.