My Family and Other Suspects

by Kate Emery

Holly Jackson meets Agatha Christie in this cosy modern-day YA murder mystery where your closest family are your prime suspects.

'Do you want to talk about a fictional murder in a book or do you want to talk about the actual murder that happened under our roof?'

Ruth is less-than-thrilled to be spending the weekend at the family farm visiting the ancient GG, her coolly distant step-grandmother. With no internet or phone coverage, she occupies herself by re-reading old Agatha Christie novels, eavesdropping on the adults and definitely not daydreaming about her sort-of-cousin Dylan.

But when GG dies under suspicious circumstances, Ruth's dull weekend turns into an enforced-family-holiday-slash-possible-murder-investigation – and she's not about to let the police get in the way of her chance to solve a real-life murder mystery. With Dylan as the Watson to her Holmes, Ruth soon discovers that plenty of people had reasons to be rid of GG, and her list of suspects grows to comprise everyone in the house, including, in the interests of fairness, herself.

The thing about family holidays is that you've got to be prepared for fights.

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Audiobook, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Humor, Family

334 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2024

Reviews

[Phoebe · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best way for me to describe this book is the Aussie version of 'A Good Girls Guide To Murder' (need I say more!!)

I loveeed the writing style and how Ruth, our wonderful part time amateur detective was talking to the reader & breaking the fourth wall. The Aussie-isms and references to things like 'Farmer Wants a Wife' & 'The Real Housewives of Dunsborough' had me genuinely laughing.

The mystery itself and the chaotic family dynamic was great!
If you are looking for a cosy YA murder mystery and to support an Aussie author, look no further than this book!!

[jo ୨୧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

──★ 4

this was a quirky, funky, little family story set in australia with a "nancy drew" esque main character and her cousin. a fun novel with a lot going on that technically was quite confusing and funky but i had a good time! nothing crazy at all. pick up for a light read.

.𖥔 ݁ ˖𓂃.☘︎ ݁˖

──★thanks to the publisher + netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review

[Trisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update: state final readers cup question writing. Still laughing.

Had to stop while I read book club books, but then whipped through it laughing all the way.

Very strong Eleanor Jones vibes. Love how Australian authors are able to capture the snarky teenage girl detective voice with warmth and humour.

[Angelina Caruso · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW

[hannah! · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was hilarious but a bit confusing. but absolutely hilarious

[Jacqui · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd describe this as Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone, but for kids. A surprising amount of "what are you doing, step-bro" (well, cousin technically) for a YA novel though 🫣.

[Namera [The Literary Invertebrate] · Rating 3 out of 5]

RTC

[Anneliese · Rating 5 out of 5]

The plot twists in this book. Jeez.

I still couldn’t quite believe who had done it. Well who hadn’t done it I should say.

[Karin Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great YA cozy mystery! It totally reminded me of “Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone” but for teenagers. It was funny, light and written well. Super fun!

[Clare Snow · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Can you call it a holiday if someone gets murdered?'
'I think it still counts.'

[Avril Polson · Rating 2 out of 5]

All opinions are entirely my own. I am in no way affiliated with the author or publisher. Remember to support your local indie bookstore and library!

⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨ ᰔ ୧₊‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

"This is, you don't have to tell me, not a great line. It's not a denial. It's not an excuse. It's straight up self-incrimination."

- [ ] Star Rating: 2 Stars
- [ ] Discovery: Gifted
- [ ] Reading Format: Physical
- [ ] Read Time: 3 Hours

Family holiday ends with granny's head being bludgeoned by a typewriter.

The narrator is a quirky 14 year old who isn't just annoying, she also wants to fuck her cousin.

[its_just_christin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really good. It’s set in Australia which for me added to the fun. Ruth is visiting her step grandmother GG’s farm with her Dad and his sisters when her grandmother GG dies in a very suspicious way. As she starts investigating with her kind of sort of cousin Dylan they discover that everyone in the family is hiding something. Ruth is determined to figure out what happened and who killed GG. I love Ruth, she is such a great character. She’s smart, persistent, and her curiosity while it gets her in trouble here and there is inspiring.

All of the side characters added so much depth to the story and made it hard to figure out who the killer was before the end. Ruth repeatedly breaks the fourth wall by talking to the reader and I’m here for it. She drops hints along the way. The family is definitely dysfunctional but I loved it. This book was funny and really grabbed my attention from the beginning.

I listened to an ALC of this book narrated by Siho Ellsmore. I really enjoyed the narration of this book. Siho does a great job of voicing all the characters in unique ways. I loved that they used an Australian narrator because it fit perfectly with the writing. Thank you Macmillan Audio and Kate Emery for providing this audiobook for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A funny, light-hearted murder mystery set in a remote farmhouse property near Margaret River, WA. Ruth's extended family (Dad, aunts and 'uncles', and half-cousin Dylan) have been visiting GG (Ruth's step grandmother) for a weekend, and just when they plan to head back to Perth, GG winds up dead under mysterious circumstances. All the adults have sketchy alibis, and random people keep turning up to the farmhouse unannounced. What's a fan of Agatha Christie (Ruth) to do, but put her detective skills to good use, (assisted by the very cute Dylan), to find out who killed GG?

A quick and enjoyable read. I discovered after I had finished this book that I had have also read Kate Emery's other novel, The not so chosen one (Fantasy), which I also really enjoyed. An author to watch/follow!

[Abby Rogish Bodin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced copy for an honest review!
Rating: 3/5
It’s written for a teenager to enjoy more, so her voice irritated me. Again, I think a younger audience would enjoy it! I was disappointed with The Who done it, but I was surprised at a couple different things! She set it up a little open ended, which I’m assuming for a sequel.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

if i had a nickel for every time i read a YA murder mystery with two characters who are cousins have a crush on each other, only to find out that they aren't actually related, i'd have two nickels. which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it's happened twice.

in all seriousness i really liked this! i love silly little aussie murder mysteries, especially when they're aware it's a book and play with storytelling more (e.g. blah blah blah "But we'll get to that later")

[Byron Bibliotherapy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for younger siblings of readers of Biffy James' Completely Normal (and Other Lies). Very funny heroine (my favourite understated-but satisfying-humour).

[Maddison Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

I always like to read YA as you can come across some really great books. This was just too predictable and didn’t really leave you with anything.

[Amélie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the book it was really good but It was a bit cringe like I felt I like it was written by someone who was out of touch with the character and what teenagers there age act mainly the use of Snapchatted instead of snap and the continuous jokes got a slight over done near the end ,talking about the end I felt that the Bec was the window was breaker was unnecessary

[Jill (jills.bookshelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Dysfunctional Family's Guide to Murder" is a fast-paced and fun YA mystery. I was in the mood for a cozy whodunit, and this book certainly did the trick. Although I am probably not the intended audience for this book, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was just good, clean fun! Ruth and her family were charming, funny, and, yes, quite dysfunctional. There were a lot of characters in this story, so it was a little hard at first to keep track of who everyone was, but I loved their quirky family dynamics. I highly recommend this book for young adult readers or anyone looking for cozy, lighthearted mystery.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Siho Ellsmore. I love listening to Australian narrators because I feel transported right into the story. Ellsmore did a great job bringing the story and characters to life. She added so much warmth and humor to the story with her narration.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review, and to PRH Audio for the gifted audiobook.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear Kate Emery, why had I not met your work before now?!

After seeing this book listed on Children’s Book Council Australia (CBCA) 2025 Older Readers Notables list, I snapped it up when I stumbled across it at a local bookshop.

And, what a delight.

I adore books that lead to other books (multiple references to Agatha Christie, Ngairo Marsh and Nancy Springer) and films.

Family dramas, set on a run-down coastal farm in Western Australia during the summer holidays, delivered with humour and warmth.

Protagonist Ruth adores whodunnits, rereading the old copies on the shelves each holiday, until on unfolds around her.

Delightfully witty, well-paced and with a sprinkle of romance.

Highly recommend for readers over ten years old

[Navile Ponton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know I am not the intended target for these books, but I do enjoy middle grade and YA books year round. Unfortunately, this one was a bit of a miss for me. I am starting to see a trend where in interactive mystery books, the narrator addresses the reader specifically, and while I have enjoyed this in the past, it felt a bit off in this book. Maybe it's because the character is so young? It could have been the narrator? I listened when I could not read so I could multitask at work... I truly don't know why I could not get into this one, feel intrigued with the mystery and want to know what happens next.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Content warnings: death of a family member, murder, hospitalisation, car accident

This was a fun mystery story that's definitely on the younger end of YA. And I love that - my 12-14 year old students LOVE murder mysteries, but they're often not quite ready for Holly Jackson or Karen M. McManus. So this will be a good recommendation for them!

I don't know how I feel about the hints of romance in the story, and I definitely guessed a couple of the twists well before they happened. But on the whole? This was a lot of fun.

[BreeAnn (She Just Loves Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun read! I loved the way the narrator breaks the fourth wall and addresses the reader. She is witty and funny and utterly entertaining. The murder mystery is entertaining and had lots of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing!

[Ava · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

[brithebomb · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh. not thrilling. didn’t have me hooked. became so boring after page 190

[lulu · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars. fun read ! nothing life changing but v easy to read! didn’t adoreeeee the ending / reveal but that’s okay 😋

[jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was super fun and silly and actually made me laugh out loud at times

but i am scared about the borderline incest plot potentially forming

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Death by typewriter! Who knew this would be my new favorite way to commit murder? If you like a smart, yet awkward teen sleuth (yes, I’m looking at you, Ruth!), fun, quirky characters, and a mix of comedy and crime, this book is for you. 14-year-old Ruth is determined to find the step-grandmother's murderer. With help from her sort-of-cousin, a Watson to her Sherlock, she wades through the clues to unravel the mystery.

Two slight critiques. First, Ruth breaks the fourth wall to talk to the reader. I didn’t hate it, but sometimes it would throw me out of the story. The second is the narrator’s age. Ruth never felt 14 to me as she reads much more like an older teen, 16 or even 17. Other than that, this book is a fun crime-solving romp I’d recommend to any YA mystery fan. This ARC was provided by the publisher, Random House Children's Books | Knopf Books for Young Readers, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

super fun, all the murder mystery tropes but still a very realistic 14 year old protagonist

[Voncrumble · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this, although a little predictable.
Gave it straight to a friend to read