The Dysfunctional Family's Guide to Murder (Hardcover)

The Dysfunctional Family's Guide to Murder By Kate Emery Cover Image
$19.99
On Our Shelves Now at Some of Our Stores
Sebastopol
On hand as of Jan 20 2:45am
(JUV YA NOVELS)
Calistoga
On hand as of Jan 20 2:45am
(JUV YA NOVELS)
Montgomery Village
On hand as of Jan 20 2:45am
(JUV YA NEW ARRIVALS)
Petaluma
On hand as of Jan 20 2:50am
(JUV JR HIGH HC NEW ARRIVALS)
Healdsburg
On hand as of Jan 20 2:50am
(JUV YA NOVELS)
San Rafael
On hand as of Jan 20 2:50am
(JUV YA NOVELS)

Description


In this hilarious, contemporary YA whodunit, a mystery-loving teen finally gets a chance to solve a real-life crime. But solving a murder is complicated when all the prime suspects are related to you...

14-year-old Ruth was expecting a few fights on her family's vacation at their remote farmhouse. But she wasn't expecting a murder. And "death by typewriter" wasn't quite how she thought her step-grandmother, GG, would meet her end.

As an avid reader of mystery novels, Ruth is more than a little excited to have a real mystery to solve. (Though she's sad about GG. Obviously.) And she's read enough Agatha Christie that catching a killer should be a breeze... right?

With her annoyingly hot sort-of-cousin, Dylan, as the Watson to her Holmes, Ruth soon begins to uncover long-buried family secrets, finding that each of her relatives--her dad; her aunts and their partners; even, in the interest of fairness, Dylan and herself--had reasons to want GG gone.

But are any of them capable of murder? As tensions rise with everyone stuck in the house together, Ruth will have to dig deep to find out... before the killer strikes again.

About the Author


Kate Emery lives in Perth and works as a senior reporter for the West Australian. The Dysfunctional Family's Guide to Murder is her North American debut. Published in Australia, her first novel, The Not So Chosen One, was shortlisted for the 2020 Text Prize, the Aurealis Awards (Best Fantasy Novel) and longlisted for the CBCA Book of the Year Awards, Older Readers.

Praise For…


"Ruth, the first-person narrator, is fantastically smart, funny, and snarky." —Booklist

"A zany and entertaining whodunit." —Kirkus Reviews

"Ruth’s narration is clever and witty, her dysfunctional family’s banter is believable, and the dialogue-driven writing style makes the pages fly." —The Bulletin

"A laugh-out-loud funny whodunit that is a first purchase for mystery fans."—SLJ


Product Details
ISBN: 9798217030163
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 21st, 2025
Pages: 304
Language: English

Audiobooks

Digital Audio Books

Get a Gift Card

Gift Cards

Nine Stores in Sonoma, Napa and Marin Counties

Petaluma Store

140 Kentucky Street
707-762-0563
click for hours & info



Petaluma 
Underground

140 Kentucky Street
707-782-0228
click for hours & info



Sebastopol Store

138 N.Main Street
707-823-2618
click for hours & info



Santa Rosa Store

(Montgomery Village)
775 Village Court
707-578-8938
click for hours & info



Healdsburg Store

104 Matheson Street
707-433-9270
click for hours & info



Napa Store

1300 First Street, Suite 398
707-252-8002

click for hours & info



Calistoga Store

1330 Lincoln Avenue
707-942-1616
click for hours & info



San Rafael Store

1200 4th Street
415-524-2800

click for hours & info



Novato Store

999 Grant Avenue
Suite 105
(415) 763-3052
click for hours & info



Larkspur Store
2419 Larkspur Landing Circle
(415) 870-9843
click for hours & info

Headquarters (Offices)

139 Edman Way 
Sebastopol
707-823-8991
click for hours & info