Liz Catalano is given a DNA kit by her cousin and housemate. When the results arrive, they reveal more than expected. Her loving parents have to finally confess that she was adopted at birth. But when the FBI come calling, she is in for another shock. Her DNA connects her to the cold case of a serial killer who first appeared on the scene 40 years ago. While the Tri-State Killer has not struck in a while, the killer could still be on the loose.

In their debut novel, authors Steph Mullin and Nicole Mabry combine the fascination of DNA testing with the gruesomeness of a cold and calculating killer who captures and ultimately kills two women at a time. Liz is overjoyed to discover her maternal great-uncle, who connects her to her birth family. As a budding writer, Liz is too curious for own good, rejecting the FBI’s advise to be careful and let them do their job.

Being someone who has taken a DNA test and has become ensconced in the world of genealogy, The Family Tree was a good match for me. (No killers found yet in my ancestry.) The story is a good, original one. The crimes of the killer are detailed and chilling. It was a satisfying read overall.

I’m looking forward to seeing what the authors come up with next.

If you too are a budding genealogist, check this one out.

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

What an interesting concept. As one who found a never known sister via DNA testing I can actually picture something like this happening. You find out you have a relative but you do not know who that person “really” is.

I enjoyed the story and the writing. Yes there were a few things I would have enjoyed if it was different but to me even thinking that way makes me realize I had a stake in the story.

I am sure more and more books will be coming out about the DNA/Ancestry link since it is becoming so common in the world today but I really enjoyed this new foray into the new science.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

As soon as I read the synopsis of this book I was hooked. It was such a unique idea. The story kept me reading and guessing until the very end. I was surprised by the plot twist and found this a really enjoyable suspenseful I enjoyed this book and would read more by this author. I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

I am always fascinated by books that explore DNA and previously unknown family connections. This was actually my first that explored a link to a serial killer. The Family Tree by Steph Fullin and Nicole Mabry was a nail-biter for sure! I could not stop turning the pages to get to the explosive ending. Definitely a thrill ride!

The premise of this book was fantastic: Liz gets her 23 & Me test results and finds out she’s adopted. She uploads her results to GEDMatch to try to locate some of her biological relatives & is promptly contacted by the FBI because she has a familial DNA match with an active serial killer who has been murdering women for 40 years. Hello, yes, please.

I appreciated the nod to GSK and the developing field of familial DNA being used to solve cold cases - there’s so much potential there for some amazing thrillers. Unfortunately, the execution of this one was not my favorite. Liz kept making increasingly terrible decisions (and ended up seeming extremely dumb), so I found myself skimming the last 25% because I couldn’t stand Liz’s dithering and whining anymore. And then the ending felt like a cheat, especially with the epilogue. This was a frustrating read for me, but it seems like a lot of other reviewers loved it, so maybe it’s just me.

I read this book in a couple of hours. It was very easy to stay engaged with, but I just didn't connect with it. I kind of feel like the author cheated with the identity of the killer, and again with the epilogue. I have a feeling there may be a sequel and if there is, I'm personally skipping it. 3 stars.

I enjoyed this….very topical with all of the DNA home kits available nowadays. I wonder how many people have found out scandalous info??
What would you do if you want to learn about your family tree, but learn you are related to a serial killer. What’s more, the suspect is someone you have become close to?

The storyline is interesting. But the actual pulling me in and making me love it was missing.
This one just wasn't for me...I was hoping to love this book from the sypnotis sadly it fell short.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

This was an interesting book with a likeable but naive main character. She becomes obsessed with the search for information about her biological family and a serial killer connection. I liked how it really honored the victims, much more than most books or news programs. Worth the read

Liz is given a 23andMe DNA test as a gift from her cousin Addie, and suddenly her world is turned upside down. The FBI is at her door, and they've found a familial link to the infamous Tri-State Killer, who's been abducting and murdering women for 40 years. As Liz tries to discover which of her relatives is the killer, TSK takes another pair of women. Suddenly she's in a race against the clock.

Protagonists like Liz INFURIATE me. She consistently goes against the advice of her lawyer friend, the FBI, and all her relatives, and continuously puts herself in danger for the sake of solving a mystery. In my opinion it made her one of the most unlikeable main characters I've ever encountered.

Having said that, this book was super fast-paced and very well written. While I thought it was going to be predictable, I definitely did not see the end coming. I also enjoyed the alternation between Liz's story and the previous victims of TSK.

What an incredibly interesting premise to boot. I can't imagine how freaky it would be to find out you were related to a serial killer who was still on the loose. Fans of true crime will definitely enjoy this one.

Thank you NetGalley, Harper360, Steph Mullin, and Nicole Mabry for the opportunity to review an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Family Tree is out now in the UK and on sale in the US October 5!

2.5 Stars

Imagine receiving your DNA results only to find out you are not only adopted but related to a serial killer. Well, that's exactly what happened to Liz. I really liked the fact that this book was from multiple points of view...both Liz and the various victims of the serial killer. That was a really refreshing take. I found the start of the book was pretty good but as I continued to read on I found Liz very immature for her age and her cousin was simply annoying. If you've read any of my reviews you know I cannot stand weak and/or whiny women in fiction. Characters like these two just get on my nerves and I cannot connect with them at all. I can't cheer for them or feel any sympathy. The ending, although surprising, fell really flat for me, there were too many unanswered questions and loose ends, plus that epilogue was totally unnecessary. This wasn't a completely horrible book but if there is a sequel...count me out.

I read a fair number of thrillers and mysteries, so I’m always keen to snap up advanced copies in those genres. I really respect a mystery author who can lead the reader along, dropping clues, and then completely surprise them at the end. This book was trying to be one of those mysteries, but the execution was not great.

The Family Tree is told from two different perspectives: Liz, a young woman seeking to learn more about her biological family, and an unidentified (until the end) serial killer. I feel like this book had a great premise, possibly inspired by some real-life criminal cases solved using familial DNA. But the authors seemed to struggle to make the protagonist (Liz) likable and relatable, and to lead the reader toward the solution. Instead, readers are stuck tagging along with Liz, who makes terrible decisions, alienates those closest to her, and rushes into danger, only solving any mysteries by accident. And the big mystery—the identity of the killer—was a big disappointment for me. I don’t want to spoil too much, but let’s just say the killer’s identity seems to come out of nowhere.

Another problem I found with this story is the epilogue, which sets the stage for a sequel, maybe? We spend an entire novel getting to know the main characters, only to suddenly have two additional characters thrown in at the last second. They seemed like an afterthought. This book left me with a lot of unanswered questions because the authors didn’t provide the breadcrumbs to lead me organically to the solution.

This book was not a total miss. It kept me turning pages and I read to the end. I thought some portions were well-executed, such as the premise of how the serial killer operated and the storyline of the victims. I found most of the characters to be rather one-dimensional and unnatural, though I did like Liz’s cousin Andie and her boyfriend Travis.

One thing I will say about this book is that it is pretty clean for a thriller about a serial killer. There isn’t much adult language or sexual content. So readers who are sensitive to those things, but still want to read the genre may find the book appealing in that way.

The Family Tree by Steph Mullen & Nicole Mabry
⭐⭐⭐/5

What would you do if you recieved a DNA ancestry test for your birthday, just to find out your whole life is one big lie . Your parents, arent your parents. And your real parents are dead / wherabouts unknown . How about if you recieve a phone call from the FBI saying you are directly related to someone who has been murdering women , and the only person you have to question is the only new family you've met and became close with . He can't be responsible for these heinous accusations. Can he ? What would you do, if in the blink of an eye your entire world was turned upside down , and everything you know has been shaken . How would you know who to trust after this ?
This book was good ! However filled with plot twists I seemed to see coming . Call me a lover of all things horror .. so I just seem to guess to much . Lol . This book kept me on my toes until around 60% where I started to lose interest as it seemed I could guess it all. Although there were certainly major turns I couldnt pinpoint. I finished it. I liked it ! Definitely recommend a read !

I thought this book was ok but didn’t love it. There was too much stuff about wanting to know her family and not enough stabby stabby.

The writing style felt very authentic and true to life, showing the emotions of the captive women. The writing was very descriptive. The plot was interesting and I was trying to figure out the mystery, which I did solve early on. The main character in the story was a bit naive, but I think many people could identify with her as she was seeking to find out more about her biological relatives and searching for answers. I think people who like mysteries and crime stories would enjoy this book. The length of the book and its pacing were very good. The plot felt realistic.

After being gifted a DNA kit from her best friend/cousin, Lizzie finds out that she was adopted as a baby. Her parents told her that she had come from a rough background and her mother was young and in prison when she was born. Lizzie is a go getter and her mission to find out more about where she comes feom and who she is consumes her, but will she find the answers she’s looking for?

I really enjoyed this book! It kept me reading and on the edge of my seat. Makes me rethink taking a DNA test! I look forward to recommending this book! Thank you, thank you, thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this one!

This book sounded like everything I'd love in a thriller: true crime mixed with family secrets and a strong female protagonist unraveling a mystery.

Unfortunately, the writing was terrible. Too descriptive and boring at the same time. Like a bad first draft or a story you wrote in middle school and thought was amazing. Here's an example:

"Andie kicked off her clunky but comfy clogs and stripped shamelessly out of her green-blue scrubs as she crossed the living room before grabbing her cotton robe from a hook just inside her bedroom door. She wrapped it around herself and plopped down next to me on our blue and white striped Ikea couch, rippling the cushions and reaching for my laptop with gusto."

The whole book is like that. I kept reading because the chapters from the murdered victims perspectives were interesting, but the majority of the book is silly Andie. Andie behaves like Barbie's little sister Skipper, trying to solve a crime. She's too trusting and also naive and somehow the FBI just gives her information. The whole thing left me rolling my eyes and hoping Andie would be killed, but alas. Spoiler: she lives and solves the case!

Skip this one. If you want a story about a connection to a serial killer go read The Green River Killer graphic novel or if you want fiction The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard.

I wish I had DNF'd this one.

Liz Catalano has receive a unique gift ... an ancestry kit from her cousin and roommate. What she discovers is shocking! Nothing lines up with what she's been told since she was a child. The only thing she was never told ... she was adopted.

More shocking than that, though, is when the FBI comes calling .. with news that she is somehow related to a serial killer. The Tri-State Killer has been abducting pairs of women for forty years, leaving no clues behind – only bodies.

Wanting to connect with her 'real' family, she finds a great uncle and his wife. They are the nicest people ...surely he is not a killer .. or is he? There are other male members of the family .. again .. are they suspect? guilty? Do they know more than what they are telling?

Liz is determined to identify the killer and save his latest 2 victims before killing them.

THE FAMILY TREE has a peculiar plot and unique story line. Told in part by prior victims, the reader is given a peek at how he manages to abduct two women at the same time and what they go through under his 'care'. Why does he wait 2 years before killing current victims and taking 2 new ones.

There's plenty of action, lots of suspense, and a few twists and turns that lead to a highly unexpected conclusion. The characters are finely drawn. A page-turner for sure!

Many thanks to the author / Avon Books UK / Harper 360 UK / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

This is some of the most superficial writing I've ever experienced. Seriously, it's like the whole thing was concocted by a fairly warped 8 year old with no greater grasp of human emotion (or police procedure) than his few sheltered years afforded him. Also? If that was supposed to be a twist I'm slightly embarrassed for everyone involved.