I've seen a lot of praise for Elle Marr's books so was eager to try one.

The Family Bones is a locked-room mystery, a family reunion, a remote location and a family history of dark secrets, mental illness and psychopathy. Reading the ingredients list this sounded very tasty.

There's a lot of characters, a lot of background, sadly I found it a little too slow to really get dragged along by it.

An interesting idea which didn't quite hit for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer

Here we have a great example of how decent writers, armed with creative juice to spare, can take a well-worn plot and rework it to make it seem fresh. Just when you think you've got the next twist figured out, you're surprised!

3.5 stars

The Family Bones by Elle Marr is a thriller about a family of psychopaths.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Thomas & Mercer, Beata Garrett from Wunderkind-pr, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Olivia Eriksen is a psychology student.  Her family history is why she decided on psychology as a career.   She fears that she will soon inherit the traits that her family is known for.

The Eriksen's are notorious among law enforcement agencies and true-crime buffs.  They have a higher than normal number of psychopaths in the family, spanning generations.  A number of them are in jail at the moment, Olivia's father Ephraim among them.

Olivia, is writing her dissertation on neurodivergent cognitive conditions and is, for her own sanity, concerned with the nature vs nurture theory of psychopathy.  She reluctantly agrees to attend a family reunion at a mountain resort so that she can speak directly to her grandfather.   This will help her school-work, introduce her fiancé to her family, and hopefully set her own mind at ease that she will not become like them.

But on the first night of the reunion, during a wicked storm, her favorite cousin Alfred is found dead in the lake.  Then another member of the family is missing.  All evidence is starting to point toward Olivia.  Is she being set up, or is mental illness taking over?

Eventually, true-crime podcaster Birdie Tan ends up at the resort as well, where she followed a lead in the cold case of a missing woman.


My Opinions:
First, there are a lot of characters.  It's a big family, and although there is a family tree at the start of the book....it is much too small to read on an e-reader.

The atmosphere was quite interesting.  A family of psychopaths get trapped in a mountain resort when a storm hits.  Tensions and attitudes are bound to collide.

The book is about nature vs nurture.  It is about strange family dynamics, where anger, selfishness, attention-seeking, and lack of emotional understanding seems to be normal.  It is, above-all,  about mental illness/cognitive disorders.

The story is told from both Olivia's and Birdie's perspectives, as well as that of an "unknown" diarist, and the occasional newspaper article.  Even with a red herring, I did guess the author of the journal.   However, that didn't really detract from the information gleaned.

The characters were really "out-there".  I had some early suspicions about Olivia, was rather surprised (although I shouldn't have been) about Howard, and most of the other Erickson's were just strange, and often scary. I also didn't like Birdie's story...who kept professing her love for her little girl, but seemed to ignore/forget about her much too much.  I don't think she was necessary to the plot, unless the author was saying she may be a psychopath too.  I didn't really relate to any of the characters....which in hind-sight is probably a good thing.

Overall, it was a rather dark book, with a rather sad look at mental disorders.  It was, however, a rather fast read, and it did hold my attention.  So overall, better than average.

Elle Marr has done it again. The Family Bones is a dual POV following Olivia as she is trying to understand her family's psychopathic ways. You see, she comes from a family of killers and as she approaches her 23rd birthday, she is wondering if she will also "snap." Birdie is a podcaster who is interested in finding out what happened to Asian-American, Ming Li Na. She disappeared 10 years ago, leaving behind her young daughter and hasn't been heard from since. On her quest to discover what has happened to her, she may have just solved the greatest mystery of all.

This book had me on the edge of my seat trying to figure it all out. Withing the 2 POVs, there are also journal entries and new articles related to both the missing woman and the Erikson family. At about 50% in, I thought I had it all figured out...but I was completely wrong.

Definitely read this one if you enjoy family drama. I mean, who doesn't? The Erikson's are known for their psychopathy and are having a family retreat...but people are popping up dead! The drama of trying to uncover the killer is well-done. At one point, I didn't trust anyone.

Overall, this was a solid thriller and my second from Ms. Marr. A definite 4.5 stars out of 5 stars.

I highly recommend going into this one knowing as little as possible. I think it would make the thrill of it all much more enjoyable!

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this one. It was okay. I have a hard time reading Agatha Christie retellings of ' Then there were none" but this one was full of psychopaths. It kept me reading but that retelling makes my skin scratch. It just too drawn out for me and I really do not want to know the end.

Wow! This is how you write a page-turner. I was completely immersed in the story. Olivia and her family fascinated me. There are plenty of twists and I found myself constantly questioning everything. The pacing is fast. The mystery intense. The characters are complex. I loved it!

Thank you to the author, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story is told from two alternating POVs - a psychology student who comes from a family rife with pyschopathic tendencies, and a true crime podcaster - and is interspersed with news articles. The timeline of the articles jumps around quite a bit, and the cast of characters is immense, but with shallow depth. Both of these factors make for a confusing reading experience. Apart from that, it's a bit of a hot mess with continuity and credibility problems, and twists that weren't. Sorry, but this was not for me.

Marr really digs into this thriller–unearthing twists, tension, and plot twists galore. If you thought your family was nuts…you haven’t met the Eriksons. Highly recommended, especially for readers who question nature vs. nurture and like surprise endings that have your mind reeling.

Elle Marr returns following Strangers We Know with her latest psychological thriller, THE FAMILY BONES — exploring what makes a psychopath. A young woman delves into her family's dark past, mixing in a spine-chilling locked-in deadly family reunion and a crime podcaster.

Olivia Eriksen is working on her dissertation in psychology at U.C. Davis after gaining awareness through her social media videos regarding her family's history of psychiatric disorders.

It requires a certain number of primary and secondary sources. The primary is evident from birth and harder to come by. Nature or nurture?

Olivia's father is currently in prison for crimes he committed. He was never violent. Insider trading within the insurance firm where he was a partner. He has been there for fifteen years. Many uncles, aunts, and cousins have schizophrenia and other mental problems. Way too many characters to keep track of.

Olivia attends an upcoming Ericksen family reunion with these primary sources at a remote Oregon resort, Horsefly Falls Resort. Her boyfriend, Howard Ngo, an administrator at U.C. Davis, agrees to go along, hoping that Olivia will announce their engagement to her family and he can meet everyone.

The author shows an extensive family tree graphic at the front of the book. A mountain getaway with the Erikensens. What could go wrong?

A storm approaches. The entire family and relatives are locked in. Isolated. Someone dies. Who is the culprit? Motive? Is Olivia a psychopath?

Meanwhile, we meet amateur detective and podcaster Birdie. She is investigating a cold case of the disappearance of Li Ming Na, last seen 10 years earlier in Oregon, leaving behind a small child and on/off boyfriend.

Alternating between dual points of view (Olivia and Birdie) with newspaper clippings and journal entries, the author builds tension until both storylines merge for an explosive, jaw-dropping chilling climax.

Dark and twisty. What a dysfunctional crew! An entertaining locked room mystery. My favorite character was Birdie, the podcaster.

THE FAMILY BONES is for readers who enjoy exploring— science, psychopathy, antisocial deviance, criminal behavior, and mental illness in families. For fans of authors: Megan Collins, Alice Feeney, and Robyn Harding.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for a gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Blog Review Posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Mar 7, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars
March 2023 Must-Read Books

The Family Bones by Elle Marr is an insanely terrific book. What do you think will happen when a family of psychopaths come together for a weekend family reunion!?!? Better yet, what do you think makes a psychopath……nature or nurture?!?!?! This is the premise of Ms. Marr’s latest book. Told in dual points of views with journal and newspaper entries in addition to them. The characters, although many, are well developed, extremely fascinating, distinguishable and very memorable. Ms. Marr is a great storyteller, she weaves multiple plots together with many twists. A dark intense story that will keep you guessing throughout the whole book. This is a fast paced story that will keep you on the edge of your seat with the book glued to your hands. A shocking story to be read by all!

Thank you NetGalley, Thomas and Mercer and Elle Marr for this mind blowing story to read and review. The opinions expressed are very much my own.
#netgalley #thomasandmercer #ellemarr
#thefamilybones. #arc

Family Bones was like a crazy escape room from a family of psychopaths trapped on a resort. A pretty suspenseful read told from a few different points of views. A true crime podcaster searching for a missing woman. A a family reunion that’s literally crazy

A family of psychopaths, The Eriksens, Olivia has. Even avoiding family reunions but with encouragement from her mother decides to attend this one in the hope that she will gather some useful information for her university work. Olivia is bringing her fiancé with her to announce their engagement after she has told her grandfather, as she wants him to be the first to know her good news.
I struggled reading this book, nothing enticed me to read, just one more chapter. The characters were dull, Olivia was irritating and the story went from bad to worse, one dead family member, then another dead in Olivia’s room, the family members continued on with the scheduled activities as if nothing was amiss I found the story baffling, complicated and dull.
Others may enjoy this read but this one just wasn’t for me.
Thanks to Net Galley and Thomas & Mercer for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest. review.

I couldn't finish this title for some reason. I read the first quarter and just couldn't connect with the characters or story itself at all. I know it's all my fault because lately i have been a very moody and picky reader . Hopefully i can come back to it and read it another time when i might see the characters in another light and will enjoy it at its full potential.

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy

The story constructed in “The Family Bones” by Elle Marr was engaging, with a sizzling twist. I enjoyed her character development of the Ericksen clan & seeing how the plot played out. Wasn’t one of my favorite thrillers of the year, but a solid, easy read!

3⭐️

A story of serial killers and psychopaths combined with a closed circle mystery. Firstly I feel that there’s a lot divulged in the blurb.

Olivia Eriksen’s family has a notorious history of psychopathy and personality disorders spanning generations. Olivia a psychology student is looking for answers to the nature verses nurture question using her own family history. The perfect opportunity for her is a family reunion.
Running alongside is a second thread of Birdie Tan, a true crime podcaster has uncovered a disturbing mystery which she follows to the Eriksen family retreat.
It gets off to a good start, it opens with the outcome. I’m a sucker for a good hook.

We get a group of people with a dark shared history together in an isolated location with the additional trope of a treacherous storm. So yep expect it all to kick off.

There are so many characters to keep track of, there’s a family tree at the start which I screen shot to refer to. You really need to be able to concentrate reading this book. I found that the number of characters made it confusing to keep track,and it added to really slowing the pace.

The premise of psychological theories mingled into a storyline really intrigued me, but it kind of lost me once they arrived at the retreat, I wasn’t keen on my of their characters Birdie was my favourite.
This one missed the mark for me I’m afraid.

My thanks to Thomas and Mercer Publishing, The Author Elle Marr, as well as NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of The Family Bones.

WHOA!! Buckle your seatbelts, because this is going to be a wild ride! I just finished it and loved it! I didn't quite know what to expect when I picked up this book. I was initially intrigued by the family of psychopaths together on a retreat. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down.

This book is told from three POVs. Olivia, who is a graduate student, researching psychopathy for her dissertation and also because it is a strong part of her family’s history. We also have Birdie, a podcaster, looking into a cold case that is connected to the same family. Then there are journal entries of an unknown woman who seems to be well-connected to the story. The author did a great job of creating the scene of the resort where Olivia's family was staying, it felt like I was there. Olivia was a fascinating character. I enjoyed all of the breadcrumbs left throughout the book as well, it was very intelligently done The setting has a locked room mystery, people dying, going missing, and being trapped there by a storm. It is difficult to give a storyline without giving too much away. I will tell you that if you enjoy the locked room, psychological thriller, and suspense… this one is for you.

I will definitely be recommending this one. I really liked the nature vs nurture aspect/ thought in this book. The twists were fun, and the ending was very satisfying. I was truly surprised by the end. I thought the twist was obvious… and then it turned out that I was completely wrong! Well done Elle Marr well done!

This book is available to Kindle Unlimited readers on Pub Day!

I was immediately drawn into The Family Bones when I read the story combines a true crime podcast and an insider look at a family known for crime and the 'nature versus nature' argument. I am always curious about that aspect (nature vs. nature) and how the family of perpetrators handles the aftermath of their crimes. The first half of the story read like two different books and I was curious how they were going to tie together and I was not prepared for when they did. I'm pretty sure I read the second half of The Family Bones with my mouth open as I got deeper into the Erikson family history and wrapped up in the current family retreat. This was a quick read that held my attention to the very last page. Fans of Marr, or those who might be new to this author should add this to their TBR and grab their copy on March 7th!
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Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
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Instagram review posted March 1, 2023 https://www.instagram.com/p/CpPxCJ3L08g/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Thank you Thomas & Mercer, Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for this crazy psyho in a good way, great alc. I loved many different points of view. All together made such a great reading.

I was intrigued by the mystery, and obviously suspected the narrator was unreliable, but still felt satisfied and a little surprised by the way the book ended. I found her sexual obsession with her fiancé a little jarring and out of place—all of a sudden, out of nowhere, she’d seem sexually obsessed by him. But the story definitely kept me turning pages and I really liked the tidbits where we learned about characters of psychopaths and sociopaths, that was very interesting.

The Family Bones by Elle Mar
My rating: 2/5
⭐️⭐️

A family full of psychopaths are invited to a family reunion in a secluded mountain resort.

This story was very hard to get into and I was very confused for most of it, even when it was all explained in the end. Sadly there was too many characters to try to remember and multiple storylines to try and figure out how everything comes together. In the end, the book did explain everything, but it was not very satisfying and I still have questions, hoping I understood what actually happened in this one.

This is my first book from this author. It was very educational and had lots of factual content for psychopathy and diagnosed conditions. The end did come as a shock for me, but overall I was just not invested in this one and was ready for it to be over. Thank you netgalley for the ARC!