A Nearly Normal Family

An ordinary family is shattered when their daughter is the prime suspect in a brutal murder, one that rocks their town. The father decides to lie to protect his daughter; claiming that she arrived home two hours earlier than she actually did - and their lies the rub.

The events leading up to the night of the murder are viewed from three different perspectives.

Firstly, from that of the father, Adam a scrupulously honest Pastor. Therefore, the decision he takes to lie to provide his daughter with an alibi is not one taken lightly.

In the second section we get the point of view of his 18-year-old daughter, Stella.

The third and final section is from the vantage point of Ulrika the mother, a defence attorney.

Most parents would agree even if your child is the centre of your world, but if they’ve committed a serious crime like murder, they need to be brought to justice. Adam is the least likeable character of the three. He seems to lead a stable but boring life. He has a habit of treating his daughter like a child, despite her being legally an adult. Stella’s point of view in the second section is more interesting.

As the narrative plays out it becomes evident that all of the characters are hiding secrets from each other, and eventually the truth is teased out during the course of Stella’s trial.

This novel is more of a slow-burn than a page-turner. It is a study of a seemingly ordinary family’s collapse in the face of a traumatic event. The author’s decision to present the narrative from three different perspectives provides an interesting angle to tell a story.

It’s a long novel, at nearly 480 pages. Despite it not being action-packed, I still wanted to keep turning the pages, to find out which of these characters were lying, and who really did kill Chris Olsen.

Fans of psychological thrillers and family dramas will enjoy this one.