Thrillers are a hot genre in the fiction world right now, especially for the summer, and M.T. Edvardsson serves up a riveting read with his new novel A Nearly Normal Family.
The premise: Stella is an 18-year-old accused of murdering a wealthy businessman nearly twice her age. Her parents are puzzled as to how she would know such a man, much less kill him. Sure, she’s had her troubled moments over the years, but murder? Could their daughter have really killed a man? And how far are they willing to go to defend their only child, regardless of whether she is innocent or guilty?
Edvardsson skilfully executes the key aspects of this genre, making this an enthralling read. He delivers short chapters that keep the reader turning pages and builds suspense as details surrounding the night of the murder are slowly revealed. He then adds a twist to the standard thriller by structuring the narrative in three parts, each told from the point of view of a different family member. First, the father, a pastor, opens the story and sets the foundation for what is to come through flashbacks to his daughter’s childhood and glimpses of the current situation. In the next section Stella, the daughter, fleshes out the story by giving a personal account of the events leading up to the murder which really accelerates the pace. Finally, the mother, a lawyer, closes the story by recounting the trial and finally revealing the truth about the murder. Deftly weaving the backstory into each part, the strength of Edvardsson’s writing builds until the very last page, making this family come to life. He also does a tremendous job leaving threads hanging, both within and between the three parts of the story, thus keeping the reader engaged and wondering what pieces of the puzzle are missing.
Perhaps what is most interesting about A Nearly Normal Family are the underlying moral dilemmas, the questions posed about “right” versus “wrong.” Edvardsson not only forces the characters of the novel to examine these questions, but he also confronts the reader with them. To begin with, what is “normal”? What does a “normal family” look like? Do you ever really know someone? What they are capable of doing? What you are capable of doing, given the right circumstances? And as a parent, how far would you go to protect your child?
Fans of thrillers are sure to enjoy A Nearly Normal Family and I would also recommend it to readers who may not typically read this genre, but are looking to try something a little different. This book would make a fantastic selection for a book club as well, as it is sure to generate a great deal of discussion.
M.T. Edvardsson is writer and teacher from Sweden, where he has written three previous adult novels and two books for youth. A Nearly Normal Family is his first translated work published in the United States. Released on June 25, 2019, this novel has received praise from major media outlets including the New York Times Book Review, The Wall Street Journal, Kirkus, and Booklist.
A Nearly Normal Family is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers. Thanks to Celadon Books for providing the free finished copy of this novel to review for The Nerd Daily.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
M.T. Edvardsson’s A Nearly Normal Family is a gripping legal thriller that forces the reader to consider: How far would you go to protect the ones you love? In this twisted narrative of love and murder, a horrific crime makes a seemingly normal family question everything they thought they knew about their life—and one another.
Eighteen-year-old Stella Sandell stands accused of the brutal murder of a man almost fifteen years her senior. She is an ordinary teenager from an upstanding local family. What reason could she have to know a shady businessman, let alone to kill him?
Stella’s father, a pastor, and mother, a criminal defense attorney, find their moral compasses tested as they defend their daughter, while struggling to understand why she is a suspect. Told in an unusual three-part structure, A Nearly Normal Familyasks the questions: How well do you know your own children? How far would you go to protect them?
