I have mixed feeling about this book. My main issue was how naive the main character was and how much information the FBI shared, none of that made sense. Her shock over her discovery of her adoption and her need to find out more about her biological family made sense, but the desperation over it, didn't, esp given how loving her family/extended family was. the risks she took didn't make sense. If I suspended belief over this, it was an interesting book. I esp liked the alternating chapters with her search and getting to know the victims and to have each chapter of the victims, take us further into what happened to them. the final twist was good as well and set the stage for a possible follow up book.

This one was just alright for me.. slow back t got better towards the end. It was an interesting premise in the age of 23 and me and other DNA test kits being used to solve serial killer cases- but the execution could have been better. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for review.

I cannot imagine sending my DNA to get tested and then my test results might match up with a serial killer! Talk about a story! This is told in alternate views with the killer, the poor victims and through Liz who got her DNA tested. The sections told by the victims are VERY GRAPHIC so just know that. Very gripping, twisty throughout the whole book and I could not wait to find out the ending. This duo knows how to write about a psycho path and I’m looking forward to their next book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

As a professional genealogist I appreciated the accuracy in how Dan testing works. This was a story with decent characters,if a little undeveloped. The story was well paced and had a surprise ending.

The Family Tree had me hooked by page one! Honestly, this is a fantastic book.

Hysterical Psychological Thriller? Check.
Serial Killer? Check.
Great plot? Check.
Well - written characters? Check.

I really love the differing timelines between the main character and TSK leading up to the "present day". I love how realistic everything is, yet at the same time I may have outwardly yelled at some characters for their actions.
Just when you think you know what is going on or who someone is, PLOT TWIST, you're wrong! The ending had my jaw dropped open, I couldn't believe it!

This book is a lot to process. There's a lot going on, but it isn't so much as to make the reader confused or lose interest. This is definitely a favorite for me this year and I will be recommending it to anyone and everyone that reads Thrillers!



TW:
Family death
graphic murder
Drug Abuse
Alcoholism
Verbal abuse
physical assault
physical abuse
Kidnapping
enslavement

I as so excited to be approved to read this book and loved the concept of a character finding out about her adoption and then through DNA matching being told someone in her family of origin is most likely a serial killer. Where could that concept go wrong? In this book’s case-the answer is with the main character.
Lizzie is 27 years old when she finds that her biological family may be the origin of the Tri
State Killer who has been murdering females in pairs of 2 for decades. Lizzie immediately meet her grand uncle and aunt and forms an unusually loyal bond to them so quickly your head will spin. She defiantly ignores the FBI warnings about her grand uncle bc somehow she ‘Knows’ he couldn’t be a killer. She is so unbelievably bafflingly naive that I almost chose not to finish the story.
The best part of the story is the chapters from the POVs of the killer’s victims during their captivity, who were much more believable!
Only giving this one 2⭐️ Due to how ridiculous the main character Lizzie behaves.

This was definitely an interesting read. The concept was brilliant. I am going to start with what I did not like and go from there. There is not much in the "did not like" column. Some of the background for Liz was tedious. Now the book is set up with a chapter about the serial killer and then a Liz chapter. To be fair, the stuff about Liz could have been totally amazing but all the reader wants to do is get back to the killer. That may be it more than a wish for better character development. I did feel that there were certain mundane aspects that could have been lost, it felt like filler. Instead of that it would have been better to focus on the great uncle. Ok yes, her issues with her "family" on not telling her, traumatic. But it was too much. Parts of it were vital because the authors were leading us down the road that the great uncle is the killer. But the reader was only 50/50 in that belief. I would have preferred to have been 90% certain it was the great uncle. There were too many little things that told me it was not the great uncle. He is a vet. At some point there would have been some trace of animal hair or dander, something. No matter how well he cleaned. Then it happened during weekends. His wife kept his appointments. How would it be possible to keep those appointments and be with the girls abducted all the time at the same time? It did not wash. These were two simple things that I picked up right away. It would have been a better story, and much better ending, if I was 90% certain that it was him. Another thing that I did not like was one of the abducted girls was trying to hang in there, stay strong, so she thought of Elizabeth Warren to hold onto her sanity. Yeah. If Elizabeth Warren is her go to for strength then maybe he deserves to be where she is at that moment.
Now what I liked. The whole concept of switching off between the two characters was amazing. The killer chapters were the best. More so because they would start with the first abduction and then go to a certain point. The second abduction - all the rest were in pairs whereas the first was a single abduction - starts at the abduction and then ends just after that. The third abductions starts where the second left off. I love that idea.
Overall it was a good story, nice and long too. A very nice twist at the end, which I always like. I do not read trying to figure it out. Granted sometimes I do that automatically, but I want to just let the story take me where it will for better or for worse. Then there was the promise of another book. That last chapter was creepy. In just one chapter they made those two so much creepier than the original killer. I felt like I needed a shower after reading that last chapter. Imagine a whole book like that? I cannot wait!

Thank you to Harper 360 and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Family Tree by Steph Mullin and Nicole Mabry is a gripping thriller about a young woman's search for her biological family. After 27 year-old Liz fills out a 23andme kit, she discovers that she was adopted and that she has a whole biological family that she doesn't know about. Not only does she discover that, but the FBI does, too. Her DNA is a partial match to the notorious Tristate Killer, a serial killer who has abducted and murdered scores of women. As Liz gets close to the men in her biological family, she has to look for clues and figure out which one of them could be the killer.

Here is a chilling excerpt from the opening chapter of the book, which is from the Tristate Killer's perspective:

"His fingers gripped the edge of the newspaper so tightly that it wrinkled, causing creases to ripple through the text. At the bottom of the article was the pathetic excuse for a police sketch that really didn’t look anything like him except for the baseball cap. The guy in the dark, grainy image from the video footage could be anyone at all – it was almost comical, really. He laid the paper down on the scarred wooden table and sat back. They had missed several details. A sharp smile stretched across his face, lingering as he reflected on how he had outsmarted the police for so many years... After forty years of carrying out his mission, they only had his approximate height and eye and hair color.
...
Clenching his fist, the heat rose to his cheeks as he reread the article calling his first murder sloppy. The police didn’t even use DNA evidence back then so how could he have known to be more careful? That didn’t make him sloppy. He’d wiped off his fingerprints, hadn’t he? All those other killers had been caught by stupid mistakes, mistakes he’d never make, and they had the audacity to call him sloppy? He slammed his fist down onto the table, causing his glass to tip over and crash down to the floor, shattering as it sent small slivers of glass in every direction."

First, I have to applaud the authors for using DNA testing kits as a plot device. It's a major trend nowadays, and I have even filled out a 23andme kit myself. I remember being just as excited as Liz to find out which area my ancestors came from and to potentially connect with long-lost relatives. I don't know what I would have done though if the FBI had shown up and said that I was related to a serial killer. That's a chilling prospect. I've watched a TV show about this called The Genetic Detective, and I know that people have tracked down cold cases and serial killers through home DNA testing kits. When I read the synopsis of this book, I knew that I had to add it to my TBR list right away!

Overall, The Family Tree is an amazing mystery that will appeal to readers who enjoy reading about amateur detectives hunting serial killers, like me. The book references The Case of the Hidden Staircase, and it definitely read like a grown-up Nancy Drew to me. The book was unputdownable. Interspersed between Liz's search for the killer are chilling scenes from the perspectives of the women that the serial killer has abducted. I had to keep reading to find out who the killer was. I did take off one star, because the ending didn't feel completely resolved or finished to me. I still enjoyed reading this book though. If you're intrigued by the excerpts above, or if you're a fan of thrillers in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book, which is out as a eBook now and will be released in paperback in October!

I read a lot of books in the genre of psychological thriller/mystery, and I have to say that this one had a unique twist to it, as well as a cliffhanger of an ending.

Liz is gifted a DNA kit from her close cousin and finds out, to her surprise, that she was adopted at birth. She has always believed herself to be of Italian heritage but she is in fact Mexican. After the initial shock, Liz sets about sharing her DNA results online in an effort to meet some of her biological family. At the same time, she is presented with the option of sharing her results with law enforcement and she clicks "yes" never suspecting how that simple click of a mouse will impact her. Before long Liz is contacted by the FBI because someone who shares DNA with her is a serial killer.

By the time the FBI reaches her, Liz has already started getting to know her great-uncle Cris and his wife Rosie, since her grandfather (Cris' half-brother) has recently died. Liz can't believe that the sweet gentleman she has recently met could be a serial killer, but there are some red flags that she is finding is hard to overlook. The only other possibility is a cousin named Adam, but when Liz speaks to him on the phone he appears overly charming, and then he stops taking her calls. With her job as a social media specialist, Liz apparently has a lot of free time to investigate on her own, despite warnings from the FBI.

I enjoyed the way the book discussed a relatively new phenomenon - law enforcement mining DNA companies' records for matches to crime scene evidence. This does happen, as does people finding new relatives and whole new families when they have their DNA tested. The buildup of tension was solid and I really liked the way the chapters went back and forth between present day/Liz and past/serial killer's victims. In fact, I noticed that each chapter on the victims was just a little further down the timeline of their imprisonment so the reader could see the killer's usual methodology. I will admit to getting quite frustrated with Liz, the main character, particularly when she would think things like, "the FBI told me not to share this information because it could compromise the investigation but I'm going to do it anyway" or "I shouldn't go there alone but I don't care". There were plenty of similar instances when Liz deliberately did something she knew consciously that she should not do, and it made her sound like a willful toddler.

Overall, this is a good read and the ending will leave you both satisfied and wishing for a sequel.

After doing a 23andMe DNA kit, Liz's life is turned upside down when she learns that not only is she adopted, but there's a serial killer in her family tree.

I am very interested in cold cases being solved with forensic genealogy, so this book seemed right up my alley. Unfortunately, I was let down in the end. I enjoyed the premise, but that was about it. I didn't feel much emotional connection to the characters, and, quite honestly, found many of them to be annoying and unrealistic. The pacing was also very slow. I was curious about the resolution so I kept reading to the end, but it felt like it took SO LONG to get there. While the mystery was wrapped up nicely and fully explained, the ending left me unsatisfied. Should there be a sequel, I'll most likely pass.

I enjoyed this book so much. Maybe because I'm adopted. It made is even more creepy and exciting.
Imagine doing a DNA test and finding you're adopted...after that surprise, you are contacted by the FBI, because you're DNA is tied to a serial killer...who is a close relative!
The book goes back and forth between the killer and his victims and Liz and her search for relatives....and a serial killer.

This book has an intriguing premise: what if you took an at home DNA test and found out you were related to a suspected serial killer? Would you let the FBI handle it or would you try to dig up some information on your own?
The main character, Liz, is faced with this dilemma. She decides to visit some of her newly found relatives to learn more about her family. Her uncle's reluctance to open up to her seems normal at first, but as she learns more about the killer's tendencies from the FBI she begins to suspect that her uncle might fit the profile. I found that the premise of this book was more interesting than the actual book. It took too long to get to the climax, which was underwhelming. I wouldn't recommend this book.

I don’t need my main characters to be perfect. I don’t need them to be completely relatable or like me or like someone I’d have a beer with.

I do need to not hate them. I hated Liz. She was a petulant spoiled brat, a poor friend, and a poorer daughter. Just ick.

Her family members were wonderful, her friends had the patience of saints, and I absolutely did not understand why they didn’t slap her.

The mystery is good – the solution is not. No spoilers here, but it’s all a cheat as far as I’m concerned. Everything comes out of left field and there’s no fair play – the author doesn’t give the reader any chance at even guessing this.

Did. Not. Like.

*ARC Via Net Galley

After Liz does an ancestry DNA test, she finds out she is actually adopted. Then while trying to learn more about her biological family, she finds out that she is also related to an active serial killer. This was pretty good, although of course by the end of the book Liz is recklessly hunting a serial killer on her own. That always irritates me. 3.5 stars rounded to 3.

DNA! DNA! I LOVE DNA stories!! Who is the killer in the family? The thing is, I normally despise procedural investigations in a book. However this ended up being my favorite part? How did y'all do that??

First, huge thank you to Netgalley and Harper360 for this pre-release in exchange for my honest review. I loved this book!! It was so interesting with such a unique storyline. I loved the characters, I felt their heartache, I felt their suspense.. I just loved everything about this one. 5 stars!

Liz Catalano is shaken when a DNA test shows that she's adopted. Just as she's meeting some of her new relatives, she gets a visit from the FBI and learns that her new family tree includes a serial killer. Who could it be, and is Liz in danger?

True confession: if "DNA test" is in the blurb, I'm going to read the book. So how could I resist this one? I loved how the authors took genetic genealogy (ripped from the headlines, see the Golden State Killer case) and merged it with a personal story of identity via the adoption element. Liz was a great protagonist, and her cousin a perfect sidekick! The story's structure also gives space to the killer's victims in between chapters - I appreciated that we got to hear their stories, which are so often overlooked in favor of the killer's perspective.

The plot unfolded in a nice twisty way that kept me hooked, and I didn't see the ending coming. This is a book you can binge in one or two sittings (I did, and I definitely recommend that style!)

Thank you to Harper360/Avon for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review posted to Goodreads and Instagram on UK pub date June 10th.

“The DNA results are back..And there is a serial killer in her family tree..”

Lis Catalano’s life is turned upside down when a DNA ancestry kit reveals she is adopted. As she tries to get to know her new family, she is pulled into an FBI investigation of a serial killer called the Tri-State Killer. Will Liz figure out who in her family is a murderer before he strikes again?


I really enjoyed reading this book! I liked the alternating chapters where we got to see a glimpse of the Tri-State Killer and Liz as she attempts to discover his identity.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Wow!! Crazy book!! But such a riveting story! This book had me non-stop reading, dying to see what happened! Lol thus book had suspense, action, intrigue, and a great who done! I definitely did not see who and what happened to happen lol if that makes sense! I highly recommend reading this great thriller! Its well worth reading! Such a suspense! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

The family Tree. is an entertaining thriller. Liz was devastated to find out after receiving her DNA test results that she was adopted.. Why did her parents of 27 years never tell her? Liz is determined to track down her biological family. As Liz becomes close to new family she is notified by the FBI that one of her biological family members is a notorious serial killer that they are trying to track down.

Liz is insistent to track down family members and spend more time with those she found knowing that one of them might be a killer. She is frustrating, stubborn, and incredibly naive about her own safety. The Family Tree keeps the reader invested in Liz and her quest for family and to help track down a serial killer.