We read Mackie's first book 'How To Kill Your Family' as one our book group picks and all thoroughly enjoyed it. This one is quite different in many ways, but the essential ingredients are all still there - quirky lead character, dark humour and some interesting family dynamics.
The Wisterns are highly dysfunctional and so when Anthony unexpectedly dies, not only are there plenty of suspects and motives aplenty, but the family itself falls apart in spectacular fashion. Accusations are thrown around and it's a scramble for, if not survival exactly, then certainly for the top of the family pecking order and any potential inheritance.
The perspective switches between Anthony, his family members and an amateur sleuth who is hot on the trail of the murderer - whoever that might be - and is determined to bring them to justice. Mysterious messages encourage the sleuth along the way, but in this book, no-one is quite what they seem. Secrets abound, some more explosive than others and literally everyone is a suspect.
An unexpected, but welcome addition to the narrative is Anthony's post-death observations. The dead are not often given a voice in literature and even more rarely does it happen in crime fiction. This adds another dimension to the narrative and allows the reader greater insight into Anthony's personality. We see his behaviour and attitudes, but also the way he reacts to his family's actions. This is particularly interesting as he sees and hears things he would not normally have been privy to. It is not always the most flattering of portrayals from his family and opens Anthony's eyes to the vast difference between the way he sees himself and the way others perceive him.
This was an interesting twist on the crime novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
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