Book Review: The Family That Stays Together

HDB Rating: 3 Keys to My Heart

Recommended to: Readers who enjoy slow moving, cozy mysteries.

Add it on: Goodreads / Shelfari / Amazon

When a television celebrity becomes suspect in the murder of her ex-fiancé, sister sleuths Kathy and Tina rally to support their family friend. Soon they end up in trouble. Will family ties be strong enough to protect a suspected murderer?

I honestly didn’t notice that The Family That Stays Together was a sequel before I started it. I probably should have paid attention to that, as it took me a minute to figure out what was going on. However this book really does read find as a standalone once you get settled in. I hadn’t met Kathy and Tina yet, but I didn’t have a problem falling in step with them.

I’ve never met a character like Kathy before. A former nun, and current psychologist, Kathy is in a class all her own. She’s smart, and uses her all her acquired skills to solve the mystery. I liked the way she interacted with her sister Tina. These two are like two sides of the same coin. One quiet, the other loud. One calculating, the other impulsive. The family dynamic really comes through, although I would have liked Tina to be toned down a bit. The amount of colorful language she uses is a little over the top sometimes. Luckily she has Kathy to even things out.

The mystery in The Family That Stays Together was a little slow moving. I felt like some of the sentences were rather overwritten. However, the amount of unexpected twists definitely made up for that. I was slowly drawn into the plot and, eventually, couldn’t wait to see what these two uncovered next. It also bears mentioning that religion is incorporated into this book. I suppose I should have expected it with Kathy coming from a nunnery and all. It was balanced well with everything else, but mentions of the Catholic faith are definitely there.

I did ultimately enjoy The Family That Stays Together. I’m thinking I might pick up the first one so I can see where Kathy and Tina’s story actually started. If you’re a fan of cozy mysteries, of books with a lot of heart, this is one you should give a shot.