Murder In The Family by Cara Hunter

 

Director Guy Howard is given the opportunity to produce a true crime documentary looking at the unsolved murder of his stepfather twenty years previously. By bringing a group of specialists together he hopes that a fresh look at the case will uncover new information and possibly identify the killer.

Having seen a lot of buzz on Twitter around  Murder In The Family by Cara Hunter I decided to see for myself. I love this style of storytelling, using a variety of mixed media to describe events. A mixture of transcripts, text messages, images, message boards, emails and voice messages grab your attention and move the story on rapidly.

I tend not to watch the type of true crime documentary that is described in this book, however, I understand that many of them are simply a rehash of the case, with little or no new evidence to impart. This is why the premise of the documentary featured in the book works so well; bring in a group of new specialists to re-examine everything to see if they can shed any new light on the murder. Alongside this is the fact that forensics have moved on considerably in twenty years.

From the very beginning, it's obvious that some of the group are hiding secrets. The way in which the author reveals the secrets adds to the shock factor, just as if you were watching the documentary series and each episode ends on a cliffhanger. This technique, combined with the actual murder itself keeps the reader gripped.

The sameness of many true crime series is covered, pointing out that viewers don't just want a repeat of the known facts, they want new revelations and answers. However, presenting the case this time around  as a "reality TV" style program opens up ethical issues. In reality TV programs we've become aware of the way in which the production is edited to manipulate the viewers or get across a particular storyline. This time around the production crew is manipulating the investigative team to get specific reactions or send them down a particular path of investigation. There is also the issue of when the TV audience stops being viewers and becomes voyeurs.

I had an idea of who was responsible for the murder early on. Thanks to the many red herrings and twists in the tale I doubted myself frequently. I had enough doubt to make the final reveal a satisfying conclusion.