Shari Lapena's Not a Happy Family is a thrilling take on inheritance, entitlement and family dysfunction
Ontario lawyer Shari Lapena's writing career took off when she turned to thrillers. Her first, The Couple Next Door, was a runaway hit when published in 2016, making the New York Times Best Sellers list.
Lapena has since made a name for herself in the world of domestic noir, publishing the bestselling books The Couple Next Door, A Stranger in the House, An Unwanted Guest and The End of Her.
In her latest thriller, Not a Happy Family, there's no peace to be found in the Merton family home. The Mertons are rich and dysfunctional and who will inherit the family house is one of many flashpoints. The grand manor and affluent neighbourhood are a facade that hides what's been going on inside for years. Not long after the story begins, the parents, Fred and Sheila Merton, are violently murdered in that house and what follows is a story of suspicion, sibling rivalry and greed.
Lapena spoke to Shelagh Rogers about writing Not a Happy Family.
Dysfunctional family
"When I wrote Not a Happy Family, I was trying to broaden my scope a little bit because I've done a lot of domestic suspense focusing primarily on married couples. And I wanted to look at a broader family dynamic. So what I was interested in was adult siblings — I find that those are interesting relationships because those are the people that have known you the longest and maybe know things about you that that your new partners don't know.
I just thought that would be an interesting way to look at psychological issues as opposed to just a couple in an intimate relationship.
"I just thought that would be an interesting way to look at psychological issues as opposed to just a couple in an intimate relationship. So I thought I would get three siblings and a dysfunctional parental unit and give them partners as well, because I always love what's going on between married couples. And I kind of went from there."
Tension between siblings
"I think the siblings all feel that they were treated differently by the parents. Catherine was the favourite and got better treatment, and Dan was bullied the most. And maybe Jenna got an easier ride than she should have. So there's all those stresses and strains between siblings about who got treated better, and who got more, and who got the parents' attention and who didn't, and who drew off the rage so that the others were safer.
The parents are judging them by their level of success, so that's causing another layer of tension.
"So there's that hanging over from their childhood and then as they've grown and gotten older, they're all quite competitive and want to be successful. And the parents are judging them by their level of success, so that's causing another layer of tension. And then when you get into it and the children become suspects, they're supposed to love each other, but they really want to get the attention off themselves and onto another sibling."
Complex dynamics
"People are complicated and they're complex, so all the siblings have a bit of a love-hate relationship and they do care about each other. But when they're really pushed, they will sacrifice someone to their own needs. So it's interesting because they both love and despise one another.
It's only if they're really up against the wall and it's either them or me — that's when they'll throw the other one under the bus.
"That sounds odd, but I think it's quite possible to have that kind of relationship. And I think they'll protect each other if they can. It's only if they're really up against the wall and it's either them or me — that's when they'll throw the other one under the bus."
Dangers of inheritance
"People who grow up from a very young age expecting to inherit millions of dollars — I think it changes them. I think there's an entitlement there that people who don't grow up with that expectation don't have. They expect to have all these millions, so if they don't get it, they'll be very unhappy. Whereas other people don't expect it, so they're starting with a clean slate.
I'm just imagining what it might do to somebody to expect to be given that and then to have it taken away.
"So I think it sort of perverts how people might develop. I'm just imagining what it might do to somebody to expect to be given that and then to have it taken away."
Shari Lapena's comments have been edited for length and clarity.
