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Unabridged Digital Audiobook
Runtime: 8 hours, 59 minutes
Read by Lauren Fortgang
Sometimes, it’s easy to get caught up in gossip—whether it’s a celebrity magazine, a rumor passed around the neighborhood moms, or a particularly juicy Facebook post. But when a woman overhears a shocking revelation in the audio edition of author Tarryn Fisher’s The Wrong Family, it changes everything for her and for a troubled family.
The story gets caught up in the lives of a Seattle family with a former therapist. Juno Holland has been through a lot through the years. Her career ended badly, resulting in the loss of her husband and sons, and now she finds herself ailing and alone in Seattle. When she moves in with Winnie and Nigel Crouch and their son, Samuel, it seems like she’s finally found the peace that she needs. But then she overhears the couple fighting about a troubling event in their past, and Juno just can’t help but get involved.
Author Tarryn Fisher is known for her dark and twisting tales of suspense—and The Wrong Family is certainly no different. Everything here is a mystery—from the relationship between the characters to Juno’s past to the actual events of the night when everything fell apart for Winnie and Nigel. All of the characters are caught up in lies and secrets and cover-ups—and the truth comes out gradually, one snippet of a fact at a time.
While the story is intriguing, though, the characters don’t have the same appeal. Winnie often comes off as pampered and controlling—even after her insecurities start to come out. Nigel often seems superior and condescending. And Juno feels like that one old lady in your neighborhood who seems to think that everyone’s business is her own.
Meanwhile, as their drama gradually plays out, the author piles a few too many extra storylines onto the plot. Winnie’s troubled brother shows up to create problems for the family. Winnie finds out that Nigel has been seen with another woman. And while these aspects do play into the final outcome, it feels like they shouldn’t. They feel more like a distraction from the main story. And though the mystery of it all is attention-grabbing, the story doesn’t come together in an entirely compelling way.
The Wrong Family definitely piles on the secrets that these characters have been keeping for years. But the characters’ personalities often take away from the story’s appeal. It’s an interesting idea, but the execution is shaky.
Listen to the review on Shelf Discovery:
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