If you are looking for a twisty, one-sit read that will resonate with you long after the final page has been turned, then I would suggest you start perusing THE WRONG FAMILY immediately. Tarryn Fisher’s latest work is a domestic thriller with a tantalizing mystery at its core.

The book takes place in the Seattle metropolitan area (Fisher’s hometown), but the majority of the tale is set in the outwardly enviable home of Winnie and Nigel Crouch and their son, Samuel. Everything seems to look great for them. Winnie is a fundraising event coordinator for the None the Richer nonprofit, while Nigel is the web designer for a Seattle-based athletics company. It looks so good that a woman of mature years named Juno moves in with them when the opportunity presents itself. Juno has a slow-roll serious illness that is killing her by degrees, and the Crouches’ lovely home appears to be the perfect place for her to live out her remaining months in comfort.

"If you are looking for a twisty, one-sit read that will resonate with you long after the final page has been turned, then I would suggest you start perusing THE WRONG FAMILY immediately."

Juno herself is the perfect guest who makes herself neither seen nor heard. The narrative’s point of view ping-pongs between Juno and Winnie, and it isn’t long before the reader detects that things are just a bit off, though not in a way that can be clearly defined at first. I cannot stress enough how marvelous Fisher is at subtle misdirection, hints and sleight of hand. The characters lie to each other and to themselves so that the truth is something that rises to the top of the book slowly, if at all.

Juno comes to realize that Winnie and Nigel are hiding a secret between them, not to mention secrets from each other. The relationship between the Crouches is nowhere near as rosy as it appears to be. Juno begins to snoop and involves herself in their business. That would be bad enough, but she doesn’t quite have the correct read on the situation. She has some secrets of her own, and while she is quite adept at hiding them, they come back to haunt her repeatedly over the course of the story. She gets a chance (of sorts) to redeem herself (to some extent), but it’s a rough road. The final destination isn’t certain until the end of the book, which will haunt the reader for a long time to come.

Fisher notes in her Acknowledgements that part of her story is based on a factual occurrence (no peeking). It is not a surprise. You might think that the Crouches are clueless until you realize that they are all self-absorbed and wrapped up in themselves that they are not observing what is going on around them. The tale also is shot through with a subtle irony. By its conclusion, one has mixed emotions for each of the characters, except for Samuel, who is loved by (almost) all but is in the wrong place at the wrong time. The title of the book has layers of meanings --- some obvious, some otherwise --- and you will want to experience them all.