Such a Lovely Family

by Aggie Blum Thompson

Overview

The cherry blossoms are in full bloom in Washington, D.C., and the Calhouns are in the midst of hosting their annual party to celebrate the best of the spring season. With a house full of friends, neighbors, and their beloved three adult children, the Calhouns are expecting another picture-perfect event. But a brutal murder in the middle of the celebration transforms the yearly gathering into a homicide scene, and all the guests into suspects.

Behind their façade of perfection, the Calhoun family has been keeping some very dark secrets. Parents who use money and emotional manipulation to control their children. Two sons, one the black sheep who is desperate to outrun mistakes he’s made, and the other a new father, willing to risk everything to protect his child. And a daughter: an Instagram influencer who refuses to face the truth about the man she married.

As the investigation heats up, family tensions build, and alliances shift. Long-buried resentments surface, forcing the Calhouns to face their darkest secrets before it’s too late.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250891990
Publisher:	Tor Publishing Group
Publication date:	03/12/2024
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	8,438
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.00(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Before turning to fiction, AGGIE BLUM THOMPSON covered real-life crime as a newspaper reporter for a number of papers, including The Boston Globe and The Washington Post. Aggie is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers, and serves as the program director for the Montgomery County chapter of the Maryland Writers Association. She lives with her husband and two children in the suburbs of Washington DC.

Editorial Reviews

01/22/2024

In this enticing domestic thriller, Thompson (All the Dirty Secrets) zeroes in on the wealthy Calhoun family, who live in the exclusive Somerwood neighborhood of Chevy Chase, Md., just outside of Washington, D.C. It’s springtime, and Ginny and Thom Calhoun are hosting their annual cherry blossom party with their three grown children on hand: Trey, who works for Thom’s real estate development business; Nate, a marine biologist who lives in California; and lifestyle influencer Ellie Grace. When someone’s murdered during the party, it first appears to be the result of a robbery gone wrong, but Montgomery County police detective Jacqui Washington suspects there’s more to the case than meets the eye. News of the murder quickly spreads on social media, and the combination of legal and public scrutiny starts to form cracks in the Calhouns’ carefully constructed facade, causing old resentments and long-held secrets to come tumbling out. Thompson gives each of her vivid characters plausible motives and overlapping secrets, effectively laying the groundwork for a cascade of plot twists, each more jolting than the last. The end result is a decadent, stay-up-all-night page-turner. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Riveting…a delicious dive into the world of wealth and privilege where nothing is as it seems and everyone has a hidden agenda. I flew through this page-turner!” —Liv Constantine, internationally bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish

"Gripping and great fun, this tense and twisty thriller explores the dark side of privilege through an engaging cast of characters who all have something to hide. An addictive page-turner."—Heather Chavez, author of Before She Finds Me

"A wealthy family, a locked room murder, and crafty writing make Such A Lovely Family crazy, good fun! Your next one-sitting read."—Wendy Walker, bestselling author of What Remains

"Fun and engaging, Thompson's latest 'whodunnit,' showcases her knack for sly humor and building suspense. Secrets, money, murder... What could possibly go wrong?" —Rachel Howzell Hall, bestselling author of What Never Happened and We Lie Here

"Fiendishly clever and wildly addictive, Such a Lovely Family is twisty perfection. By peeling back the polished surface of the Washington, DC, elite, Aggie Blum Thompson has crafted a masterful domestic suspense teeming with secrets stacked upon secrets. I absolutely inhaled it!" —Kathleen Barber, author of Follow Me

"Everyone has something to hide in this sharp, clever, and irresistible thriller from the master of suburban scandal. I didn't want this addictive book to end...an absolutely bingeable read!" —Samantha M. Bailey, USA Today and #1 national bestselling author of Woman on the Edge and Watch Out for Her

"Thompson gives each of her vivid characters plausible motives and overlapping secrets, effectively laying the groundwork for a cascade of plot twists, each more jolting than the last. The end result is a decadent, stay-up-all-night page-turner. " —Publishers Weekly

"Perfect for fans of Gossip Girl, Such a Lovely Family by Aggie Blum Thompson is a grand foray into the lives of the rich and glamorous... It was *riveting* and one of the fastest books you’ll flip through." —New York Post

Praise for I Don't Forgive You

"A perceptive and beautifully assured piece of domestic noir." —The Washington Post

“Masterfully written and utterly gripping, Thompson hooks you from the very first page...definitely needs to be on your TBR list.” —Liv Constantine, internationally bestselling author

“A terrific page-turner. Don't try to guess what'll happen next - just hang on for the ride!” —Sarah Pekkanen, New York Times bestselling author

“Thompson’s propulsive storytelling and relatable characters make I Don’t Forgive You a thriller not to be missed!” —Wendy Walker

"In Aggie Blum Thompson’s addictive mystery, Such a Lovely Family, the glossy façade of a perfect family gives way to reveal delightful depravity and dark secrets, buried for the sake of money and power. You will tear through this Knives Out-esque page-turner in one sitting." —Mary Dixie Carter, bestselling author of The Photographer

"A page burner that demands reading straight through in one sitting."—Mystery and Suspense Magazine

From the Publisher