The plot synopis appealed to me right away and sounded like a fresh take on the familiar family-gathering-at-a-secluded-location setup. Sadly, I didn't connect with this story as much as I'd hoped I would.

Psychology student Olivia Eriksen’s family is notorious among true-crime buffs. Faced with a legacy of psychopathy that spans generations, Olivia has spent much of her academic life trying to answer one chilling question: Nature or nurture?

Overall the book was well written, but felt a little slow in the beginning. Once the story started to roll it didn’t stop and came together nicely at the end. I personally wasn’t surprised with the ending (I read way too many mystery/thrillers), but some may be. Definitely a book for fans of true crime, podcasts and thrillers.

I want to thank NetGalley, Elle Marr and Thomas & Mercer for the e-ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are honest, my own and left voluntarily.

I reeeealy wanted to like this. I love dual timelines, I love added media (like the articles and journal entries here), but overall this was just too difficult for me to stick with plot and writing wise. I also couldn’t see the family tree at the beginning properly (it was tiny on my kindle and I can’t zoom or anything), which may have helped with my understanding and following of characters. The storylines felt a little disjointed overall.

I loved the setup of this one: family of psychopaths, sign me up! I also loved the dysfunctional family reunion setting. I could tell the author did her research for the book and included more clinical information on psychopaths than I expected. There was plenty of suspense and I liked reading the book from Birdie and Olivia's POVs. There were a good amount of surprises throughout the plot and the ending was exceptional. My main issue was there were way too many characters, so I found a lot of it hard to follow.

This was an excellent audiobook! It starts with a family reunion. Olivia isn't excited to go and, as you get to know the family, it's easy to understand why. And the bodies start to pile up pretty quickly. And wow, were there a lot of suspects!

But there are 2 other perspectives to this story. One is a journal - telling the struggles of a new relationship and worries. The other is of a armchair sleuth that is mother by day, true crime hound at night. I loved the different perspectives. At first they were confusing but I liked how it broke up the tension by flipping to another POV. It rounded out the story and didn't slow down the pacing of the mystery. I have to be honest and say I had no idea who was doing what. I was completely sucked into the family drama and the unsolved crimes. I liked the detective and the tenacity of the amateur sleuth.

As soon as I started this one, I was sucked in. So glad I flipped to audio. The narrator did a great job, really adding flavor to the story!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

#TheFamilyBones #NetGalley

I would like to thank the author, Thomas & Mercer publishing and NetGalley for providing me a copy in exchange of an honest review.

Elle Marr spins a delightfully twisty tale using two of my favourite tropes, 'locked room mystery' (here, the victims are trapped in a remote place with the killer) and 'solving a cold case'. Just like Olivia's ( the protagonist) study of psychopathy, the book is a good character study into what makes a psychopath and the impact it has on family. I couldn't stop reading till the end, and through the use of dual POVs, the twists are both unexpected and seem to fit right into the narrative. I recommend this book wholeheartedly! I personally look forward to reading Marr's backlist and all her future works.

I give this book: 4 out of 5 stars!

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Family Bones by Elle Marr is a gripping psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end...

Olivia Eriksen, a psychology student, has always been intrigued by the question of nature versus nurture when it comes to psychopathy. Her family is notorious for its history of psychopathic behavior, and when she attends a family reunion with her fiancé, she hopes to interview her grandfather about their family traits. However, things take a menacing turn when Olivia’s cousin is found dead and another family member disappears.

As the storm isolates them further, Olivia’s fears escalate and an uninvited guest arrives - true-crime podcaster Birdie Tan. Birdie has uncovered a disturbing mystery in her investigation and follows it right to the Eriksens’ mountain resort. The plot twists and turns as Olivia tries to uncover the truth behind her family’s past and present.

Overall, this book was well written with a fast-paced plot and plenty of twists and turns. The characters were intriguing, but there were a lot of them to keep track of which could be slightly confusing at times. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Family Bones and highly recommend it to anyone who loves psychological thrillers or true crime stories.

**ARC Via NetGalley**

I have been on an absolute mental health-reading bender, with a good mix of fiction and non-fiction. One of those reads was The Family Bones, which, as a thriller, gave me a bit of a scenery-change from the heart-breaking non-fiction accounts I had been reading. It was definitely a thrilling ride! Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I think I first became aware of the nature vs. nurture debate in my last year of high school, when it came up during both my English Literature and in my Religious Education/Ethics classes. I was intrigued straight away and see-sawed between the different sides frequently. Reading We Need To Talk About Kevin for English Lit made me unsure in a way I both enjoyed and was a little frightened off. What if a kid could be born "wrong", would that be worse or better than a parent having somehow "messed up" their raising of the child? In Ethics we discussed various philosophies over the Nature of Man (a very lofty topic for 17-yr olds) and the idea that at birth we are a tabula rasa, an empty slate upon which society then draws a personality, really took a hold. When I think about it, these ideas have had a strong impact on how I view societal issues nowadays. I have become highly aware of the way life is skewed from the start, how the place into which you are born defines much of your life. I had the "luck", I guess, to be born into a highly-educated, middle-class, white family in Europe and many of the opportunities I have had in life were made possible by this origin. Being born female, however, also restricted my life in certain ways. Now add a parental divorce and some familial acrimony, and things become a little muddled. How much of my behaviour is caused by how I was raised and the things that happened during my childhood, and how much of it is just my nature? If there was an easy answer to this question, it wouldn't still be such a hot topic. But now imagine that, like Olivia, you know there is a psychopathic trait running through your family. How can you be sure in your own identity with such a proverbial sword of Damocles hanging over your head?

Olivia has 6 weeks to finish her doctoral thesis, which is a mess currently. She wants to figure out if psychopathy starts at birth, if it is truly all nature. The question is not a purely academical one, because Olivia is an Eriksen, and the Eriksen's have had many psychopaths across the last few generations. Edging closer to 23, the age at which her family's "twitch" tends to show, Olivia feels on the edge of something. When an invite to a family retreat arrives, it is at once the perfect opportunity to finish her research and a dangerous path into the dark. With her fiance Howard at her side, Olivia braves the family retreat, which descends into chaos almost immediately. As the tension ratchets up and as conflicting and combative personalities come to the fore, Olivia has to ask herself if it is her or her family who are losing it. Alongside Olivia's narrative, we also get to know Birdie, a young mother who hosts a True Crime podcast about forgotten minority victims. After a mysterious email, Birdie is on the hunt for a missing woman whose disappearance may or may not be linked to the Eriksens. Add to this mysterious diary entries and you have yourself a pressure cooker of a novel. Olivia was an intriguing main character, even as she gets herself further and further into deep water. The novel is something of a coming-of-age, finding out who you are, experience for her and I definitely enjoyed being along for the ride. The other characters are not quite as worked out as I maybe would have liked, but in a way this makes sense due to Olivia's own blinkered approach.

This was my first novel by Elle Marr but I was intrigued almost immediately by the blurb. I really enjoyed Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian, which is a thriller told from the point of view of a psychopath. Admittedly, my recent non-fiction reading on serious mental illnesses, schizophrenia specifically, made me a little more hesitant to dive into a fictional novel which relied on mental health themes. It is too easy to sensationalise these issues and paints everyone with a criminal brush, or make people seem "insane" or "crazy" without diving deeper. What I enjoyed about The Family Bones, however, is that since the nature vs. nurture debate is at the heart of it, it definitely tries to be quite nuanced in its portrayals. While it definitely gets more thriller-y towards the end, and therefore also includes more shocks and twists since the tension needs to be ramped up, the build-up of the novel spends enough time to make the reader aware they need to be a little critical of what they see and not jump to conclusions. I enjoyed the way the three different narratives, Olivia's, Birdie's and the diary's, come together and interact, and there definitely were some surprises. Marr's writing also flows very smoothly and the way in which she builds tension, moves between different narrators, and creates a scene, were all very enjoyable. I will definitely be reading further thrillers by Elle Marr!

I very much enjoyed reading Elle Marr's The Family Bones. It does exactly what you'd hope from a thriller, which is keep you intrigued till the end, but also makes sure to handle its subject material relatively sensitively.

The Eriksen family has a dark history full of violence and psychopaths. Olivia Eriksen has distanced herself from her family and is finishing her dissertation on whether psychopaths are born or created by their environment. The Eriksens are having a family reunion and Olivia thinks this is a great time to get some first-person interviews with people who have been around psychopaths since birth. Of course, this means spending a long weekend trapped at a resort with her family and the violence will follow them there.

I found this book extremely interesting and very twisty. It took a while to understand who the characters were and how they were related because there is such a large cast. The underlying element of violent and non-violent psychopaths made me want to dive deeper into every character. A great psychological thriller!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC of this book.

What happens when a family of psychopaths decide to have a family reunion? A locked room type of mystery that takes place in the wooded mountains.
Olivia Erickson has done everything possible to keep a distance between her family and her. She’s even going to college to try to get an understanding of what causes a psychopath and sociopath to be the way they are. This will be her dissertation , and she’s even started her own online following by discussing her families history and the science behind their actions. So to her surprise when she receives an invitation to the Erickson family reunion she decides to go with her fiancée Howard. It’s soon obvious this won’t be a regular family reunion, and when a possible murder appears to have taken place , Olivia begins to wonder if she will make it out of this reunion alive!
Birdie is a true crime podcaster she discusses the cases that don’t get a lot of attention like people of color, she decides to dig into a missing woman’s case , and she soon realizes that there maybe more to this missing persons case than what she first thought. What happened to this woman?
We also are shown pages of a woman’s diary and we begin to wonder how everything is connected! I truly enjoyed this book I loved the alternating POVs and the ending was shocking!

Elle Marr's "The Family Bones" is a chilling and atmospheric psychological thriller that will keep readers guessing until the very end. The story follows a woman who returns to her hometown and becomes entangled in a dark family secret. Marr's writing is haunting and evocative, creating a sense of unease that lingers throughout the narrative. With its well-crafted suspense and twists, "The Family Bones" is a gripping read that will leave readers on the edge of their seats.

A truly original, scary, and fun book about a family of diagnosed psychopaths...who want to have a family reunion. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, a lot. I love Elle Marr's writing, and the plot is original and intriguing. You will likely have some ideas at the outset about where the plot may go and where our narrator might figure into it, and you won't be disappointed. This book requires a bit of suspension of disbelief (there is a plot point relating to a crime that the police couldn't be bothered to investigate that I had a bit of a hard time with), but it is artfully handled and the subject matter and characters are always intriguing.

Elle Marr is a fresh, intelligent, and creative voice in thriller fiction and I have come to look forward to her books. This was well-plotted, narrated, and executed! 4 plus stars

The Family Bones by Elle Marr is a thrilling read that explores the dark inheritance of a family's generations of psychopathy. The protagonist, Olivia Eriksen, is a psychology student who has dedicated her academic life to understanding the nature versus nurture debate when it comes to her family's notorious legacy.

While Olivia has kept her distance from her family for years, she agrees to attend a family reunion with her fiancé, hoping to finally get information on the family traits from her elusive grandfather. However, the reunion takes a turn for the worst when one of Olivia's favorite cousins is found dead in a nearby lake.

The plot of The Family Bones is undeniably complex, which unfortunately can make it confusing at times. There are a multitude of characters introduced, which can also make it challenging to keep track of who's who. These factors may detract from the book's realistic portrayal of family dynamics. However, despite these drawbacks, the story remains engaging and is sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Marr's writing style is suspenseful and expertly crafted, drawing the reader in with vivid and detailed descriptions of the settings and characters. The author has a knack for creating tension and successfully maintains it throughout the novel, leaving the reader feeling anxious and invested in the outcome.

Overall, The Family Bones deserves a solid 3.5 out of 5 stars. While it may not be the most realistic or easy-to-follow read, it is undoubtedly enjoyable. If you're a fan of true crime or psychological thrillers, this book is definitely worth picking up.

I received an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy of the book.

This is going to be hard to write without giving anything away. It's a quick paced, keep you on the edge of your seat book with the lights on all night book. You have a family of psychopaths, and they're resort by influenster weather at an secured hideaway. And your thinking, hmm, what could POSSIBLY GO WRONG? Here the story is told in dual storylines, both speeding towards an eerie finish. This book is such an anxiety filled, tense, must read thriller. I swear, I needed a Xanax at this point! I found myself cheering for Olivia and Birdie... until I realized... I was cheering for the wrong team. What a book!!!

This book is soooo good. Elle has surpassed herself with this book. A family of psychopaths meet for a family reunion. Soon the bodies begin to pile up and Olivia, our protagonist, lives in fear that she will become psychopathic as she gets older and also wants to find out the answer as to who is responsible. Many twists and turns keep the reader on the edge of their seat.

A crisp, well written thriller that grabbed me from the start. Recommend to anyone who needs a thriller to get out of a funk.

I usually like books by this author. This one I struggled to finish.

Olivia Erikson is a PHD student in psych. She plans her thesis around her families history which is full of sociopaths. Good premise. She is invited to a famly reunion which she thinks will help in the writing of her paper. Her story is interspersed with newspaper articles and a diary. We don't find out who's diary until the end.

I found all the characters to be basically unbelievable including Olivia's fiance who does not have the genetic trait for sociopathy. The inserts of the diary and newpaper articles, I found to be more confusing than helpful.

All this being said, the ending did wrap up nicely, it was just a slog to get there.

A family of psychopaths getting together for a family reunion, what could wrong?? This is a fun, twisty thriller that proves a lot can go wrong. The information on psychological conditions is well-researched and fascinating. The characters are unreliable, the setting appropriately eerie, and with a few surprises along the way this is a book you just can't put down.

A psychological thriller about an entire family of psychopaths and killers? Count me in. What makes a psychopath? Olivia is a grad student who delves into her family’s shadowy legacy, challenging the age old question: nature or nurture?

It took me a while to get into this locked room mystery with its dual POVs- interwoven with journal entries and newspaper clips- but towards the second half I started to see it for its clever and unique take on a normally formulaic genre. And the ending... the ending was truly worth the read. A definite yes for psychology students and fans of True Crime Podcasts. Could have done with a few less characters as it was hard to keep track of so many people. Three and a half stars rounded up to a four.

Thank you, Netgalley, for giving me an ARC of this book!

*Family bones is a story focusing on Olivia Eriksen, a psychology studen*t studying her family’s history and mental health disorders, particularly antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). She is faced with psychopathy that spans generation and she wonders whether psychopathy is evident from birth. Is it nurture or nature that influence these kinds of behavior and mental health disorders?

An uninvited guest joined the party. Birdie Tan, a true-crime podcaster, uncovered a disturbing mystery in her latest investigation and she’s following it right to the Eriksens’ mountain resort.

I wanted to like this book as I am a psychology/counseling student. It interested me when I read the blurb of this book. I liked this book around 15-20%. However, it started to become dragging and didn’t keep my attention.