One of the Family

 

One of the Family by Mark Edwards
8/4/26; 336 pages
Atria Books

One of the Family by Mark Edwards is a very highly recommended psychological thriller set in the Scottish Highlands where a man meets his girlfriend's dysfunctional family along with a lifetime of their secrets. It is clear right from the start that this isn't going to be a warm, inviting family reunion. Mayhem and murder quickly follows.

Patrick Tolhurst, 36, is going to meet the wealthy, powerful family of his girlfriend Holly Grant, 36, at their palatial estate in Applecross in the Scottish Highlands during Hogmanay/New Years Eve. Holly and Patrick are the first to arrive, meeting Morag Hamilton, 36, the housekeeper who used to be friends with Holly's when they were all teens. She has a daughter, Avril, 18, and her mother is Brenda, the landlady of the Bay Inn Pub. Arriving soon after Holly are her siblings, Lewis, 37, and Miranda, 39, along with her husband Zack who works for their father and is treated like his son. Their mother passed away nineteen years ago. Their father, Charles Grant, 61, is the millionaire owner/founder of Gravitas, a computer hardware company.  

Charles arrives last with his fiancee, Jasmine, 34, who looks just like their deceased mother, and the hostility is palpable. The tense atmosphere is thick enough to cut with a knife at the start and then explodes.  Jasmine seems nice to Patrick, but Miranda has a sharp tongue, a bad attitude, and voices her aggravation to everyone. Patrick is thrust right in the middle of this viper’s nest so he escapes to the pub where he learns about the death of Samir Anand, who was found frozen by the caves. He is told by Brenda that there was another death at the caves when Holly was young. 

As an independent film maker, he is intrigued and considers making a film about the death of Samir, which was unsolved. When he talks to the one policewoman living there, Susan Williams, about the death, she warns him off noting that people around there have long memories and they bear grudges. At this point, the narrative begins to have some chapters which jump back in time to 2006, a consequential year on several levels. At the estate Patrick also overhears several conversations that indicate some nefarious plans afoot. And then someone is found dead.

This is a well-written, fast-paced psychological thriller focusing on a plot to murder the patriarch’s younger fiancée, but quickly expands to a nightmare encompassing all manner of sinister, toxic behavior. I figured out one twist early, and then quickly realized Edwards dangled that easy connection before uncovering the much more complicated, tangled web of deceit, lies, and history between these people. The setting, including the harsh weather and mysterious caves, add to the heightened sense of impending danger.

It seems all of the characters are portrayed as realistic, flawed individuals. They all have secrets and appear to be untrustworthy. The only one who seems guiltless is Patrick, simply because, other than Holly, he's never met any of these people before. The rest of them all have multiple reasons to resent and distrust each other. Dysfunctional families seem the norm among these complex characters. Patrick was easy to trust and support because of his position as an outsider. The novel starts out very good, and then the plot picks up, takes several twists, u-turns, surprises, and sudden discoveries, propelling it to excellence.

One of the Family is an excellent choice for those who enjoy psychological thrillers featuring very dysfunctional families. Thanks to Atria Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.