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My Killer Family Reunion
Not yet published
Expected 11 Aug 26Knives Out meets Never Have I Ever in this hilarious and twisty young adult mystery-comedy about an Indian American teen whose family reunion at a lavish manor falls into chaos after her grandma is attacked.
Nothings brings family together like attempted murder.
There are three things Jayshree Devi can count on happening at her annual family 1) her cousins will forget she exists, 2) her aunts will try to set her up, and 3) her uncles will get into a fight. What she doesn’t expect? An accident that lands her grandmother in a coma, throwing the family—and their matriarch’s sizeable fortune—into chaos.
When Jay discovers Grand Mom’s “accident” might not have been so accidental after all, she’ll have to dig through decades of secrets to find the truth. With the help of her (annoyingly perky) cousins and one of their (annoyingly hot) friends, Jay finds herself knee-deep in a mystery that’s even more tangled than her family tree.
But the closer Jay gets to answers, the closer she gets to finding her place amongst the relatives who once felt so distant. With Grand Mom’s life and fortune hanging in the balance, can Jay save her family and maybe hook up with a hottie while she’s at it?
Nothings brings family together like attempted murder.
There are three things Jayshree Devi can count on happening at her annual family 1) her cousins will forget she exists, 2) her aunts will try to set her up, and 3) her uncles will get into a fight. What she doesn’t expect? An accident that lands her grandmother in a coma, throwing the family—and their matriarch’s sizeable fortune—into chaos.
When Jay discovers Grand Mom’s “accident” might not have been so accidental after all, she’ll have to dig through decades of secrets to find the truth. With the help of her (annoyingly perky) cousins and one of their (annoyingly hot) friends, Jay finds herself knee-deep in a mystery that’s even more tangled than her family tree.
But the closer Jay gets to answers, the closer she gets to finding her place amongst the relatives who once felt so distant. With Grand Mom’s life and fortune hanging in the balance, can Jay save her family and maybe hook up with a hottie while she’s at it?
384 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication August 11, 2026
About the author
Dinesh Thiru
2 books82 followersDinesh Thiru is a writer and stay-at-home dad currently living in Barcelona. He grew up in North Carolina, married his college sweetheart from the University of Pennsylvania, and spent over a decade in San Francisco. Dinesh is half-Indian, half-white. He loves the ocean. He used to have other interests, but he swapped them for kids. Those kids are seven, four, and a dog. Find him at DineshThiru.com or TikTok.com/@dineshmt9.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 27, 2025
Hi there! I’m Dinesh Thiru, the author, and I’d like to officially welcome you to my unhinged, KNIVES OUT meets NEVER HAVE I EVER, Indian family reunion murder mystery, in which everyone has a plan to kill Grand Mom.
This book is a mystery-comedy-contemp mashup with a ridiculous, lovable family that is not at all inspired directly by my actual family (note: all characters are fictional; any resemblances to real people are ENTIRELY coincidental).
Background: Almost every summer when I was young, we’d drive fourteen hours to Illinois for the annual family reunion. We were six adults, six kids, my great-aunt, and occasionally the matriarch would join—my unkillable grandmother, who lived in India until 103. Needless to say, those reunions formed some of my favorite memories. Which inspired this book!
Things you’ll find inside:
1) An actual family tree, complete with murder plans, that include: dismemberment, strangulation, radiation, and shark
2) One bada** Grand Mom, who is not to be trifled with
3) A deranged, morbid sense of humor that does not remotely resemble my own
4) A frozen, December wasteland setting in beautiful north Jersey (I lived there)
5) A half-Indian, half-white protagonist (like myself) who is fearless and ignored
6) A cousin’s hot friend, who needs to be hooked-up with, like asap
7) TACO BELL (enough said)
8) SPA ROOM (enough said)
9) A family who’s going through real stuff, so content warnings for domestic violence and homophobia (see my website)
10) Dosa, rasam, sambar, and enough Indian food to make you immediately order dinner
11) Cousins that feel like brothers and sisters :-)
As you can probably tell, this one is truly a love letter to my family. Thanks for taking a chance on it. I hope you have as much fun reading as I had writing.
This book is a mystery-comedy-contemp mashup with a ridiculous, lovable family that is not at all inspired directly by my actual family (note: all characters are fictional; any resemblances to real people are ENTIRELY coincidental).
Background: Almost every summer when I was young, we’d drive fourteen hours to Illinois for the annual family reunion. We were six adults, six kids, my great-aunt, and occasionally the matriarch would join—my unkillable grandmother, who lived in India until 103. Needless to say, those reunions formed some of my favorite memories. Which inspired this book!
Things you’ll find inside:
1) An actual family tree, complete with murder plans, that include: dismemberment, strangulation, radiation, and shark
2) One bada** Grand Mom, who is not to be trifled with
3) A deranged, morbid sense of humor that does not remotely resemble my own
4) A frozen, December wasteland setting in beautiful north Jersey (I lived there)
5) A half-Indian, half-white protagonist (like myself) who is fearless and ignored
6) A cousin’s hot friend, who needs to be hooked-up with, like asap
7) TACO BELL (enough said)
8) SPA ROOM (enough said)
9) A family who’s going through real stuff, so content warnings for domestic violence and homophobia (see my website)
10) Dosa, rasam, sambar, and enough Indian food to make you immediately order dinner
11) Cousins that feel like brothers and sisters :-)
As you can probably tell, this one is truly a love letter to my family. Thanks for taking a chance on it. I hope you have as much fun reading as I had writing.
June 25, 2026
I will preface this review by saying Knives Out is hands down in my top 5 favorite movies of all time, so seeing this one reference a comparison, I jumped. I have seen other books compared to Knives Out and just haven’t quite hit that similarity for me. My Killer Family Reunion definitely is comparable to Knives Out. Between a fight over inheritance and even questionable medical ploys, this pretty closely follows Knives Out to be honest. However, we get the fun addition of some Indian traditions, some romance, and some fun with food (anyone up for a lassi relay!?)
This is definitely a fun one for young adults. In addition to the murder mystery themes, there’s the added themes such as feeling like an outsider in your own family, gender and sexual orientation, and even some looks into marital relationships. I enjoyed the relationship between Prithi and Jay probably the most, and I loved the exploration of family dynamics. Grand Mom was hands down my favorite. What a hoot! She was a fun grandparent character.
If you’re looking for a fun murder mystery read, check out My Killer Family Reunion! This would be a 3.5 for me!
A big thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children’s Publsihing for the ARC.
TW: domestic abuse
This is definitely a fun one for young adults. In addition to the murder mystery themes, there’s the added themes such as feeling like an outsider in your own family, gender and sexual orientation, and even some looks into marital relationships. I enjoyed the relationship between Prithi and Jay probably the most, and I loved the exploration of family dynamics. Grand Mom was hands down my favorite. What a hoot! She was a fun grandparent character.
If you’re looking for a fun murder mystery read, check out My Killer Family Reunion! This would be a 3.5 for me!
A big thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children’s Publsihing for the ARC.
TW: domestic abuse
Want to Read
January 17, 2026"Knives Out meets Never Have I Ever in this hilarious and twisty young adult mystery-comedy about an Indian American teen whose family reunion at a lavish manor falls into chaos after her grandma is attacked."
March 5, 2026
4.5 stars! I ate this UP! I was in a terrible book slump and this brought me right out of it.
Jayshree is your average teen, but she is part of a very large family with a wild sense of humor. During the holiday season, while gathering with her family, Jayshree no longer wants to remain in the background, often forgotten about by her aunts, uncles and cousins. But the one thing they all have in common, is that they all have come up with different ways to kill their Grandmom. Wild, right?
Now let’s get to the review, the first page had me hooked. Edges snatched. I was sat. This was such a fun and unique book that shed light on different Indian- American family cultures and values. I feel like I learned so much and it was great to see how their family handled situations as they came. Not only that, some of the characters were HILARIOUS. Prithi? That is my girl, she had me cackling at times. There was so much witty banter woven between the mystery/suspense which I loved. Indi and Dara? DYNAMIC DUO, ok? And my sweet Hernando, what a gem.
Some of the book’s themes I was not expecting and although Jayshree’s family was large, they did have a way of truly coming together when they really needed to for each other.
Also, the queer representation *chef’s kiss* This book truly had it all and was hard to put down. I mean, I remembered the characters names TWO days after I finished the book. For me, that says a lot.
So if you like a fun, whodunnit book with all of the above stated, then this is exactly for you.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the ARC✨
Jayshree is your average teen, but she is part of a very large family with a wild sense of humor. During the holiday season, while gathering with her family, Jayshree no longer wants to remain in the background, often forgotten about by her aunts, uncles and cousins. But the one thing they all have in common, is that they all have come up with different ways to kill their Grandmom. Wild, right?
Now let’s get to the review, the first page had me hooked. Edges snatched. I was sat. This was such a fun and unique book that shed light on different Indian- American family cultures and values. I feel like I learned so much and it was great to see how their family handled situations as they came. Not only that, some of the characters were HILARIOUS. Prithi? That is my girl, she had me cackling at times. There was so much witty banter woven between the mystery/suspense which I loved. Indi and Dara? DYNAMIC DUO, ok? And my sweet Hernando, what a gem.
Some of the book’s themes I was not expecting and although Jayshree’s family was large, they did have a way of truly coming together when they really needed to for each other.
Also, the queer representation *chef’s kiss* This book truly had it all and was hard to put down. I mean, I remembered the characters names TWO days after I finished the book. For me, that says a lot.
So if you like a fun, whodunnit book with all of the above stated, then this is exactly for you.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the ARC✨
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2026
3.75 ⭐️
The situation was not funny at all but I was laughing throughout the entire book LOL!
When Grand Mom’s accident at the annual family reunion doesn’t seem so accidental, Jayshree is determined to get to the bottom of it—even if that means stepping out of her usual quiet role and suspecting certain family members…
In addition to comedy, MY KILLER FAMILY REUNION brings mystery, romance, and harmful interpersonal cycles together with an endearing family at the very center. Dinesh Thiru does a great job handling the mystery until the very end! The clues didn’t point to a single person, and every time I thought it was somebody, we’d learn something new that would weaken my confidence in my guess 🙈 There was a tiny bit of the situation that I guessed correctly, but I found the multiple layers to the plot—as well as reasons why previous suspects were actually innocent—quite unpredictable!
I wasn’t as invested in the romance subplot, but Jay’s family would disagree with me HAHA (their support for said subplot made it a lot more enjoyable 😂)
I had a lot of fun with the Devi family (is that appropriate to say given the whole murder plot???)! They may be chaotic, messy, and boisterous, but their strength is invincible 🥰 just like their matriarch hahaha. As a fellow Asian girl with a big family, I loved it :) so many things said, relationship dynamics, and habits were too familiar. Even if you can’t relate to the Devi family, reading about their bond is a delightful experience!
There were a handful of real and raw phenomena addressed throughout the book: speaking up, sexism, being queer, and not feeling like enough of a certain identity, all in the specific context of being part of a South Asian American family. Multiple forms of abuse are also featured in this book, so please be mindful of the CONTENT WARNINGS. The author managed these subjects beautifully 🫶
Thank you so much to Simon Teen for the opportunity to read this fantastic book in exchange for my honest review! I’m positive others are going to adore the Devi family like I do 🤗 #SimonTeenInfluencer #MyKillerFamilyVacationBook
Yours in Yellow,
T 💛
The situation was not funny at all but I was laughing throughout the entire book LOL!
When Grand Mom’s accident at the annual family reunion doesn’t seem so accidental, Jayshree is determined to get to the bottom of it—even if that means stepping out of her usual quiet role and suspecting certain family members…
In addition to comedy, MY KILLER FAMILY REUNION brings mystery, romance, and harmful interpersonal cycles together with an endearing family at the very center. Dinesh Thiru does a great job handling the mystery until the very end! The clues didn’t point to a single person, and every time I thought it was somebody, we’d learn something new that would weaken my confidence in my guess 🙈 There was a tiny bit of the situation that I guessed correctly, but I found the multiple layers to the plot—as well as reasons why previous suspects were actually innocent—quite unpredictable!
I wasn’t as invested in the romance subplot, but Jay’s family would disagree with me HAHA (their support for said subplot made it a lot more enjoyable 😂)
I had a lot of fun with the Devi family (is that appropriate to say given the whole murder plot???)! They may be chaotic, messy, and boisterous, but their strength is invincible 🥰 just like their matriarch hahaha. As a fellow Asian girl with a big family, I loved it :) so many things said, relationship dynamics, and habits were too familiar. Even if you can’t relate to the Devi family, reading about their bond is a delightful experience!
There were a handful of real and raw phenomena addressed throughout the book: speaking up, sexism, being queer, and not feeling like enough of a certain identity, all in the specific context of being part of a South Asian American family. Multiple forms of abuse are also featured in this book, so please be mindful of the CONTENT WARNINGS. The author managed these subjects beautifully 🫶
Thank you so much to Simon Teen for the opportunity to read this fantastic book in exchange for my honest review! I’m positive others are going to adore the Devi family like I do 🤗 #SimonTeenInfluencer #MyKillerFamilyVacationBook
Yours in Yellow,
T 💛
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5 Stars
My Killer Family Reunion was such a cute read. Despite the fact that I was a bit wary about the premise, Thiru succeeded in creating a compelling narrative full of interesting characters and a handful of twists/surprises. Jayshree’s arc was particularly well done and developed and I found myself relating to her more than I anticipated (our shared half-Indian heritage notwithstanding). I do wish Grand Mom had been given more scenes, as her dry humor led to several hilarious one-liners, but I understand why she wasn’t.
Though the mystery was good, the connections between each discovery were somewhat clunky, to say the least. In my estimation, Thiru would have created more suspense, let alone more plausibility re: the motive, had he given one of the characters more of a role in the story. So too did Jayshree’s romance fall flat for me. I didn’t feel any chemistry between her and her love interest.
That said, the true strength in Thiru’s work was the relationships he built within the family. Each one was given enough continuous attention that it seemed as though novel were really a series, rather than a standalone novel. Moreover, the level of detail Thiru gave in order to ensure the readers understood the South Indian references, while remaining true to the family, was quite refreshing. Ordinarily, said inclusions often feel more like educational asides. Thiru’s writing style prevented such awkward transitions, instead creating a seamless flow between dialogue, narration, and description for the sake of comprehension.
Overall, My Killer Family Reunion was an enjoyable read and one that helped curb the reading slump into which I was slowly falling. I believe readers of all ages will like it too.
Thank you to Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!
My Killer Family Reunion was such a cute read. Despite the fact that I was a bit wary about the premise, Thiru succeeded in creating a compelling narrative full of interesting characters and a handful of twists/surprises. Jayshree’s arc was particularly well done and developed and I found myself relating to her more than I anticipated (our shared half-Indian heritage notwithstanding). I do wish Grand Mom had been given more scenes, as her dry humor led to several hilarious one-liners, but I understand why she wasn’t.
Though the mystery was good, the connections between each discovery were somewhat clunky, to say the least. In my estimation, Thiru would have created more suspense, let alone more plausibility re: the motive, had he given one of the characters more of a role in the story. So too did Jayshree’s romance fall flat for me. I didn’t feel any chemistry between her and her love interest.
That said, the true strength in Thiru’s work was the relationships he built within the family. Each one was given enough continuous attention that it seemed as though novel were really a series, rather than a standalone novel. Moreover, the level of detail Thiru gave in order to ensure the readers understood the South Indian references, while remaining true to the family, was quite refreshing. Ordinarily, said inclusions often feel more like educational asides. Thiru’s writing style prevented such awkward transitions, instead creating a seamless flow between dialogue, narration, and description for the sake of comprehension.
Overall, My Killer Family Reunion was an enjoyable read and one that helped curb the reading slump into which I was slowly falling. I believe readers of all ages will like it too.
Thank you to Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!
March 19, 2026
3.5⭐️
I’m not sure if I liked this as much as I thought I would, but at the same time by the end I was waiting to see the big reveal. So in conclusion… I have mixed feelings. It took me a little while to like some of the characters including the main character. Also, wanting to join the Navy felt so random compared to everything else happening in the book. The whole plot of people becoming the worst when they think they are entitled to their relatives land or money once they’re dead is depressingly accurate.
The family vibes of this book felt really nice though. Yeah, a few of them were not the greatest but it seems like it would have been such a fun time for any get togethers. I was really happy with the ending of this book, it was really cute the main character got her closet make-out moment.
(Note: I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher/author for the opportunity.)
POV: First Person
Spice Level: (kissing)
Sad Level: 💧💧
Would I Recommend? Yes
Favorite Character(s): Jay
Emojis Based on Vibes: 🛻💵👀
⚠️ CONTENT WARNINGS
Graphic: Physical abuse, Toxic relationship
Moderate: Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Mental illness, Murder
I’m not sure if I liked this as much as I thought I would, but at the same time by the end I was waiting to see the big reveal. So in conclusion… I have mixed feelings. It took me a little while to like some of the characters including the main character. Also, wanting to join the Navy felt so random compared to everything else happening in the book. The whole plot of people becoming the worst when they think they are entitled to their relatives land or money once they’re dead is depressingly accurate.
The family vibes of this book felt really nice though. Yeah, a few of them were not the greatest but it seems like it would have been such a fun time for any get togethers. I was really happy with the ending of this book, it was really cute the main character got her closet make-out moment.
(Note: I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher/author for the opportunity.)
POV: First Person
Spice Level: (kissing)
Sad Level: 💧💧
Would I Recommend? Yes
Favorite Character(s): Jay
Emojis Based on Vibes: 🛻💵👀
⚠️ CONTENT WARNINGS
Graphic: Physical abuse, Toxic relationship
Moderate: Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Mental illness, Murder
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you SimonTeen and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. This one’s full of twists! In Jayshree’s family that have a tradition, is a little dark and most people wouldn’t get it, but it’s there’s. You see everyone in the family has a way that they would kill her Grand Mom. They wouldn’t actually do it but it’s their tradition. That is until they have their next family reunion and someone actually tries to kill her Grand Mom. With her grandma in a come Jayshree will have to try and figure out who could be at fault. Especially since it’s looking extremely likely that it was someone in her family. Jayshree’s always been the quiet one, the one they barely notice, but she was also Gran Mom’s favorite. She’ll have to work closely with cousins who barely see her in order to figure it out. Oh and it just happens that one of them has a hot friend who’s helping as well. But the more she digs the more family secrets she uncovers. And soon she’ll realize that sometimes family can’t be trusted. This one’s thrilling, dark, funny, and suspenseful! I couldn’t put it down! Dinesh Thiru writes an intense mystery full of family drama, secrets, and danger that will have you on the edge of your seat!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book gives strong "Knives Out" vibes and I'm here for it. A family with a large inheritance coming in the near to distant future have to put there differences aside and solve a mystery. A dark family tradition of joking about the death/murder of Grand Mom turns more real than joke after an accident places her in a coma. But was it an accident? Or something more sinister?
I was hooked from the very first paragraph of this. Dark humor drew me right in and never let go. I was invested in this mystery until the very perfect ending and even then it lingered.
The relationships between the characters is brilliant. Between the way they talk to eachother and the dispute over inheritance they are very relatable. There are multiple layers to the mystery plot and the clues will keep you problem solving until the end.
This is a great mystery novel for any young-adult reader. There is something for everyone in these pages with plenty of representation as well as a dash of humor and romance.
Thank you @dineshthiruwrites and @NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.
#MyKillerFamilyReunion #mystery #youngadult #murdermystery #yabooks
I was hooked from the very first paragraph of this. Dark humor drew me right in and never let go. I was invested in this mystery until the very perfect ending and even then it lingered.
The relationships between the characters is brilliant. Between the way they talk to eachother and the dispute over inheritance they are very relatable. There are multiple layers to the mystery plot and the clues will keep you problem solving until the end.
This is a great mystery novel for any young-adult reader. There is something for everyone in these pages with plenty of representation as well as a dash of humor and romance.
Thank you @dineshthiruwrites and @NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.
#MyKillerFamilyReunion #mystery #youngadult #murdermystery #yabooks
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
This is fun. Is it a bit much? Yes. Is it highly readable and unputdownable? Yes. Do I wish that the author had written it in the third person? Yes. Do I kind of wish that this book was told from Indi's perspective instead of Jayshree's? Also yes. But like, keep everything, just let Indi tell it because she is my favorite character. Hands down. So much fun.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Actual Rating 1.5
This book literally gave nothing
RTC
This book literally gave nothing
RTC
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