It was a case that gripped the nation. In December 2003, Luke Ryder, the stepfather of acclaimed filmmaker Guy Howard (then aged 10), was found dead in the garden of their suburban family home.
Luke Ryder’s murder has never been solved. Guy Howard’s mother and two half-sisters were in the house at the time of the murder—but all swear they saw nothing. Despite a high-profile police investigation and endless media attention, no suspect was ever charged.
But some murder cases are simply too big to forget…
Now comes the sensational new streaming series Infamous, dedicated to investigating—and perhaps cracking—this famous cold case. Years later a group of experts re-examine the evidence – with shocking results. Does the team know more than they’ve been letting on?
True crime lovers and savvy readers, you can review the evidence and testimony at the same time as the experts. But can you solve the case before they do?
Release Date: Sep 19, 2023
Publisher:Â HarperCollins
Imprint: William Morrow
Price: $11.99
Guy Howard is a filmmaker working with Nick Vincent to compile a group of experts to look into an unsolved murder case from 20 years ago for a true crime TV series. Surprisingly, the case he picks involves his own stepfather, who was killed when Guy was only ten years old. Guy hopes a fresh look at the case will finally give his family some closure. His sisters, however, have doubts, which the reader sees through text messages they send to each other.
Murder in the Family is a fast-paced, twisty thriller told through press releases, emails, text messages, voicemail transcripts, posts to a true crime forum, and other methods. I love books written in this type of format because, for me, it makes them fast-paced and engaging. I am always amazed when such an intriguing mystery can be told in this way. Before the book progresses too far, it becomes evident that some of the experts working on the case have their own secrets and agendas. This leads to several shocking plot twists. Getting to see what was going on behind the scenes and on camera in this fictional true crime documentary, I wished it was one I could actually watch!
There are several characters in the book, but I think there could have been deeper character development for a few of the main players. That would have made this great book even better. I didn’t feel like I got to know all of the key characters of the book. However, the format and the twists made up for it, and I loved this clever, entertaining book.
~ Christine
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