When Aisling Cooley uploads her DNA online to find her father, she ends up being a match to a serial killer and finds herself in the middle of a crime scene investigation. The police think this DNA belongs to a close male relative and she is suddenly forced to question everything she knows about her family and prove that her two sons are innocent.

I really liked the premise of this book and the idea of following the DNA evidence to catch a killer. When I got approved for this arc, I hoped it would be a page turning thriller. While the story did keep me reading until the end, I found it to drag on. The first third of the book was very slow and even when it picked up, it felt like it was taking too long to finish.
There were definitely parts of the book that kept me reading and wanting to know more. I also liked that I kept changing my mind about who the killer was and I love when a book surprises me in the end. For people who enjoy books that follow detectives solving crime scene investigations, then this is a good book for you.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pub Date: 8/8/23

Thank you to @netgalley and @atrandombooks for this ARC copy.

This is book 5 in a cracking series that is best enjoyed started from book one and read in order... Jonah Sheens is a brilliant character and his development through the series is worth experiencing properly.
So... in this book we meet Aising who gets more than she bargained for when she uploads her DNA to an ancestor site. She wants to know more about her long-lost father but instead gets attention from a very different place. It appears that she is a close relative to someone the police are hunting for. One who has a connection to a series of heinous crimes...
And so begins a rather nifty twist turny story that sucked me in from the start, played with me for the duration, spitting me out at the end shocked but also wholly satisfied... The Bonfire Killer is a bit of a villain and has been quite successfully leaving no trace of their crimes. Until this one time, where there was blood. Not necessarily from the killer but definitely someone the police need to talk to... Aisling has no idea who... and her world, and that of her family, are turned upside down with the inference...
What I like best about this series is the fact that the majority is about the case in question. There is enough surrounding the series characters to make it worth being a series of books, but that stops well short of being intrusive. Apart from at the end... after all has been concluded with the case. On a night out... oh my...! Bring on book six... as soon as possible... don't like leaving things like this...
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

They really need to start labeling when a book is part of a series. I felt like I was missing something while reading this and I looked it up and it's the fifth in a series!! I haven't read the others and I DNF this one because it was so slow.

I'm literally only writing this review to alert others to the fact it's part of a series and so Netgalley doesn't ding me for not leaving a review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Killer in the Family
Author: Gytha Lodge
Source: NetGalley ARC
Publish Date: August 8, 2023
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A Killer in the Family by Gytha Lodge is a serial killer thriller. When you send your DNA to a national search registry to find family members, remember you never know what you will find, if anything. But this time, there is a serial killer on the loose, and the only person who has a connection to the killer is Aisling Cooley through her DNA. After two gruesome murders of lonely women, Aisling becomes the focus of the investigation because someone related to her (father, son, or brother) is the murderer. I started this novel, and I did not stop until I finished the book. The story is a delicious anxiety-inducing story, and for a 400-page novel, the reading time flies by because each chapter leaves you wanting more. This will be published next Tuesday, and I highly recommend you get on this quickly. Gytha Lodge is an excellent writer, and her stories are always a blast to read. This is a standalone read, although part of a series. #thriller #mystery #fiction #funeralpyre #crime #murder #UK #detective #DNA #adultfiction #stalker @netgalley @randomhouse @gythalodge #AKillerInTheFamily
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I received a complimentary copy of this ARC. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to Random House, NetGalley, and the author for the opportunity to read this novel. Pub. Date: August 8, 2023.
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#book #books #bookaddict #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #bookstagramer #bookshelf #reader #booklove #bookreader #reader

When aisling enters her DNA on a site to find long lost family the last things she expects to hear back from is the police. Her DNA matches that of a killer, as in the killer is her father, her brother or her son.

A very slow police procedural frying to solves the crimes of two murdered women, a bunch of strategically lit fires, and a dead horse. Aisling is unsure if she should believe her sons about their innocence, question her father who ran out on her over 20 years ago even though she remembers him to be a good man, or is there someone else in this DNA bubble?

Slow with multiple perspectives from aisling to the unsub, to different people on the police force. There isn’t as much relating to Jonah as the previous books as more people on his team are given more time for their live stories than he is. Lots of back story from the previous books, not 100% needed to know for this story but it definitely helps.

It’s like an old friend telling you a story, warm and inviting. There are multiple POV’s that have distinct voices. It is a slow burn with a lot of buildup and character building. I wish there had been less mundane character building involved. I didn’t feel a connection to any of the characters. It should have been a very engaging and captivating storyline. Not even the killer POV kept my attention and made me want to know more. I had a feeling extremely early on that I knew who the killer was. So that may have prevented my immersion and enjoyment. I had to keep pushing myself to get through it to give it a fair review. If Netgalley hadn't provided me with an ARC for a review I wouldn't have finished it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy of A Killer in the Family. I hadn’t realized this was the fifth in a series based on DCI Johan Sheens. In all honesty, I think it would have helped to have read previous books in the series as I had some difficulty keeping all the members of the force—names and jobs—straight. The story takes place in the early days of a serial killer known as the Bonfire Killer. Coincidentally, Aisling Cooley has submitted her DNA to try and find the father who had abandoned her family many years before. These two stories collide when DNA from the bonfires is matched to someone in Aisling’s family.

There were multiple sub-plots, some of which served to lengthen the book and not really serve the story. While I thought the premise of the book was a really good one, I was disappointed in the denouement. The book was confusing for me and not as compelling in its execution. I liked it but it could have been better.

Okay full disclosure, I kinda think I knew the twist early one. Further disclosure, I think the author knew most readers would figure it out a little bit. But like I've said, sometimes knowing the twist doesn't decrease the enjoyment of the story itself and that is the case here. You know where the story is going, you don't know exactly where it is going to end up, but in the meantime you get to see what havoc is wrecked on the characters. I was also glad to see that we got a bit more of DCI Sheens and his team's personal lives. That is always my favorite part of reading a series and this one includes a great diverse cast of characters that feel so true to life and I want to get to know them more. In addition to including a great complex mystery, I feel like this installment set up a couple good arcs for upcoming stories. I look forward to continuing to read the series!

Jacqueline Clarke, a 40-something year old woman, is found dead, her body burned on a pyre. The case has all the earmarks of a serial killer, dubbed by the media as the "Bonfire Killer." But months go by without another killing. Instead the police are following pyres - three more popping up at random places. That is until Lindsay Kernow, another woman in her 40s, doesn't come home after a New Year's Eve celebration. The pyre was present, but not lit. And this crime scene had blood that was not the victim's...

Aisling Cooley, a 40-something woman, is plugging along at life. Living with her two sons, 17 and 19, she is trying to keep things together but she is struggling. Her father left her family when she was a teen, and in an attempt to find him, she submits her DNA to an ancestry site. The results she gets are not what she anticipated though - according to the police, her DNA is a familial match for the Bonfire Killer. The killer could only be her father, brother, or sons. And she has no brothers...

There are very few modern mystery series that I read, but since I read her first book, Gytha Lodge is a must buy. As a police procedural, it is not over-bearing, bogging the reader down with terms and policies. It has just enough police work, mixed in with the lives of the officers as well as the main characters of each story. They are always well-written and enjoyable, and this one was no different.

This is the fifth book in the DCI Jonah Sheens series and I had to pick it up as I've followed this series from the beginning. This book can easily be read as a stand alone, though with any series it's always good to have the backstories of the characters. I do enjoy good detective series and Jonah Sheens has become a favorite, although this book is more about their team effort with Juliette and Ben more upfront.

Description:
A woman uploads her DNA online, searching for her father--but the man who contacts her is Detective Chief Inspector Jonah Sheens. From the acclaimed author of Little Sister, this endlessly twisty crime novel asks: What might a family do to protect or expose a serial killer in its midst?

When the police found the first body, left on a bonfire in the fields, they worried it had the hallmarks of a serial killer.

Now, as they find the second, they know for sure.

Panic about the "bonfire killer" quickly spreads through the sedate, suburban area of Southampton. Women are urged not to travel alone at night, and constant vigilance is encouraged among the local residents. But single mom Aisling Cooley has a lot to distract her: two beloved teenage sons and a quest to find her long-lost father, whom she hasn't seen since she was a teenager growing up in Ireland.

After much debate she decides to upload her DNA to an ancestry website, and when she gets a match she is filled with an anxious excitement, that her questions about her father's disappearance from her life might finally be answered.

But to her horror, it's not her father who's found her. It's a detective.

And they say her DNA is a close match for the bonfire killer...

My thoughts:
This is a fast-paced, well-plotted police procedural which provides satisfying tension and the investigation progresses. This one kept me guessing and I kept on being wrong. And dang - there's quite a cliffhanger! I love the way Jonah, Ben and Juliette work together so seamlessly and their friendship. I recommend to anyone who likes a good detective/police procedural with lots of twists and surprises.

Thanks to Random House through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on August 8, 2023.

I was so excited when I was invited to read Gytha Lodge’s latest; A Killer in the Family. This book is everything I look for in a thriller; tense and dark atmosphere, lots of twists and mystery. Each time I thought I knew where this book was heading, it twisted again. If you have enjoyed the other books in the Jonah Sheens series, you will love this one too.

I will say this; the ending left me with some serious whiplash! I literally gasped out loud. What a way to end this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC.

This is a perfect example of how to grab your readers attention and hold it throughout the book. I didn't know this was part if a series but I don't feel it affected the story for me at all. This was a very gripping tale and kept me guessing throughout.

Will definitely need to check out the other books in the series.

**Received ARC through NetGalley. Voluntarily reviewed**

Wow! This was a great suspense read. The family drama and in-depth look in their history makes it hard to put down. Even though this is a series, this is the first one I have read. I’m looking forward to starting from book one.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

The ability to log and track your family's DNA on a public forum since it became a thing has fascinated me. I’ve heard of, and know of, a few entertaining (and embarrassing) revelations based on this public test site.
Gytha Lodge’s new novel, following DCI Jonah Sheens, is a new angle on the results of DNA testing. Aisling Cooney would love to find her biological father for several reasons, but she’s shocked to be contacted by a DCI instead of a potential father donor. DCI Jonah Sheens is following up on a lead from the Bonfire Killer, who has struck twice and will definitely strike again if given the time. Aisling’s shock quickly turns to horror when her two sons are arrested and highly suspected of the crime.
The pace moves quickly as the investigation continues, and the murders continue unabated. I love being able to follow the details of life and criminal investigations in Britain. Their laws differ from American laws. The police appear to have much better manners and stricter procedures that they must follow and I’m fascinated by this. That’s why I love Ms. Lodges’ books about DCI Sheens: he’s an interesting character, and her knowledge of police procedurals is in depth. I can live vicariously through her books; she keeps the tension high, the characters believable, and the plots are always hard to guess.
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group- Random House for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is August 8, 2023.

"A Killer in the Family" is a really well written detective mystery. I have not read any of the other books in the Jonah Sheens series but I was still able to enjoy this. While the family tree/DNA storyline got a bit confusing at points I really liked all the characters and the story was very interesting with a good pace.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in advance of publication.

A totally gripping story that left me winded from lack of sleep. It is unlike any novel I’ve read before so, I’m at a loss to compare it to anything else. This book is both a new author and series for me. I’ve read and watched stories about the results of wonderful family reunions from DNA discoveries. The unexpected criminal relative in your family tree is also a possibility. Which one will be the outcome for Aisling as she tries to locate the father who’d walked out on her long ago? His betrayal still stings and she wants answers from her childhood in Ireland. Aisling Is divorced, raising two teenage sons. She’s big on honesty, sharing, communication and openness with them. They have no idea her past is built on omissions, secrets and dark truths. It isn’t the truth that hurts, it’s all the lies it takes to conceal the truth. I found the sons relatable and believable. There are many characters involved in the plot. There is DNA, a serial killer, an estranged father and law enforcement scrambling to piece a complicated array of evidence into a prosecutable case. It’s a tangled web of family dynamics, theories and hypothesis regarding the suspected identity of a killer. Even the DCI’s have considerable amounts of domestic drama in their lives. There are many, many twists in this story. About half way through I stopped guessing who the villain was, too many false leads and red herrings. Dare I say almost too many revelations and twists to be believable. That didn’t keep me from enjoying the plot and I would read more in the series.
Thanks to NetGalley for the digital advance reader copy of “A Killer in the Family” DCI Jonah Sheens Detective Series #5, by Gytha Lodge and to the publisher Penguin Random House. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

A Killer in the Family by Gytha Lodge is a gripping and suspenseful thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The novel opens with a chilling discovery - a body left on a bonfire in the forest, raising concerns of a potential serial killer on the loose.

As the police uncover a second victim, the fear intensifies, and the atmosphere in the tranquil suburb of Southampton becomes tense and fearful. Amidst this turmoil, Aisling Cooley, a single mother, is determined to find her long-lost father, a mystery that has haunted her since her teenage years.

The plot takes an unexpected turn when Aisling uploads her DNA to an ancestry website, hoping for answers about her father. Instead, she is confronted with a shocking revelation about her DNA match. This twist throws Aisling's life into disarray, and the suspense escalates as she seeks to prove her innocence and uncover the truth.

Gytha Lodge skillfully weaves a complex web of suspense, mystery, and family secrets, drawing readers deeper into the story with each page. The pacing is masterful, keeping the tension high and the reader guessing until the final, unexpected conclusion.

With well-developed characters and a riveting plot, A Killer in the Family earns its five-star rating, delivering a thrilling and thought-provoking read that will stay with readers long after the last page is turned. Gytha Lodge's writing prowess shines brightly, making this book a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and murder mysteries

Aisling Cooley would have never dreamed that submitting a DNA sample to try to find her father would turn into a nightmare.

The Bonfire Killer was on the loose, and unknown to Aisling someone whose blood type matched blood at the newest murder scene belonged to a close relative of hers. It could be her father, brother, or son.

A KILLER IN THE FAMILY has a bit of a slow start, but as the tension grows, as we wait for the results of the DNA samples from Aisling’s sons, and as surprises pop up, you will be glued to the pages.

The premise for this book really captured my attention, and the opening chapter opened with a huge bang and really had me hooked. From there, it just went downhill for me. I didn't realize this was a series of sorts, however it is reported to read ok as a stand alone novel. Even though I was able to follow what was going on, I felt like I missed out on a lot of background information and character building. I also think it made it harder for me to follow along and keep each character straight. The story really dragged for me and I had a hard time staying interested, If you have read prior books in this series, I'm sure you would enjoy the continuation of this detective story, however if you are a newcomer like me, I don't think I would recommend jumping in here.

I haven’t read any of the other books in this series. The premise sounds great but the way it was executed was not. I’m kind of tired of the DNA trope. I just read another book about that.