It takes real skill to keep interest piqued when DNA analysis narrows the suspect list to only three possible candidates- and all from the same gene pool to boot. Thankfully Gytha Lodge has this skill in spades and uses it to our great advantage in A Killer in the Family. More than just a murder mystery-A Killer in the Family explores the ties that bind, but can also tear people to shreds. When two women are murdered in similar circumstances the police suspect a serial killer-and fear more deaths will follow. DNA blood evidence found at the second murder site points to a close male relative of Aisling Cooley-and since she has no siblings the blood could only come from her father or two sons. But Aisling's father has been missing for decades, and she's certain neither of her sons could be a killer. By necessity the plot of A Killer in the Family goes into scientific detail that is both essential and distracting. And the story becomes somewhat convoluted when dealing with what led to Aisling's father's disappearance. There's also a subplot involving a stalking ex boyfriend of one of the detective's assigned to the murder investigation. Taken individually the multiple layers of A Killer in the Family seem disjointed, but they blend together beautifully into an intense and satisfying story. A Killer in the Family is the 5th installment in the DCI Jonah Sheens series, but it can be read as a stand alone novel. And that ending...bring on the 6th book quick!!

Okay, I was super excited to get approved for this one but it just kind of fell a bit flat for me if I’m being honest.

A methodical police procedural that starts slowly but exponentially picks up speed about halfway through. This is the fifth book in the Jonah Sheen series and I have enjoyed the evolution of the characters and the significant changes in their personal lives. Due the the personal issues faced by some of the characters, this one didn't have the same decree of light banter between them that I've come to expect from these novels, although it wasn't completely absent. It can be read as a stand alone but I highly recommend starting with the first book, She Lies In Wait, and reading them in order. Strongly recommended

In this installment, DCI Jonah Sheens and his team are trying to track down a serial killer. Dubbed the 'bonfire killer' because of the circumstances in which the victims are found, the killer shows no signs of slowing down. Thanks to a DNA registry compiled via a UK-based ancestry website, the investigators have a strong lead. It takes them to the doorstep of single-mom, Aisling Cooley. The events that happen next will leave both the investigators and Ms. Cooley scratching their heads. Is there a murderer in the family??? I got invested in this book and read it in one day! This was my first book by Gytha Lodge and now I will go back and read the others. #NETGALLEY #AKILLERINTHEFAMILY

Yearning to reunite with her long-lost father, Aisling Cooley submits her DNA through an online ancestry website. She gets more than she bargained for when local law enforcement suspects one of her sons a serial killer. As the investigation broadens, buried family secrets surface that turn Aisling’s world upside-down.

An intriguing premise, though some readers may find the pacing too slow, the distinction between the minor characters lacking, and a few too many breadcrumbs sprinkled along the way–resulting in a disappointingly premature resolution for diehard mystery fans. I found A KILLER IN THE FAMILY much better suited for those who enjoy family drama and a slow-build mystery, and I'm delighted to see so many enjoyed it!. Much appreciation to the author, Random House, and NetGalley for the ARC, granted in exchange for my honest opinion.

This blurb had me hooked instantly, but the book kind of fell flat for me. Maybe if I had read the previous books in the series, it would have made more sense. But I feel like the author gave us a good bit of info to catch us up if we hadn't, so I don't know. I do know the premise of this book was 5 stars. However, the execution was not.

I felt like there were too many characters - who were sometimes called by their first names and other times by their last names, with no real clarification as to why this switch up happened. And I wouldn't have considered Jonah the main character of this book. I would have bet it was equally about all of the detectives if I hadn't seen that the series is named after him.

Yet despite the confusion I felt throughout a lot of the book, I did keep reading. I wanted to know who the Bonfire Killer was. How he was related to Aisling. And there were twists that I didn't see coming (all of them really). I just wish the writing had been a bit more organized or clear. But that ending. Goodness. It left me wanting me more...in a good way!

**Thank you @netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is my second book from this series, as I DNFed book 1. I did not even realize this was book 5 in a series. Though there were some things happening that I had to infer on, it did not take away from the main plot/mystery.

What I liked:
The overall plot was well thought out. There were enough twists that you had to piece things together and the end result was satisfying. I like the team of officers in this series and found myself really enjoying the time we were with those characters the most. In part 2 of the book the plot picks up tremendously and that is what kept me in.

What I didn't: Just like the first in this series, there are times when the storytelling drags. Over descriptions at times, and to be honest I did not like Aisling. Her characters choices-- especially at the end of the book-- were just ridiculous. I am tired of the I have a secret past and no one can find out trope that is used to cliffhang chapters. Listen we all are going to find out, so just tell us in less pages.

I have read all five of the D.C.Inspector Jonah Sheens police procedurals. I admire the way they describe a detailed police investigation. They show the painstaking, skillful, and tedious work involved by a dedicated, cooperative team leading to a successful conclusion and justice. This was a more complicated crime case than in the previous books in the series, where the crime was more straightforward. The premise of using a genealogical DNA site to trace family members after the regular method of DNA analysis failed to find a match in the database was unique.

This was a very tangled story of family secrets and dynamics. The plot was complex and somewhat convoluted, with a vast array of characters. Some characters are adopted and unaware of their biological origins or have changed their names in the past. The story introduces us to siblings, half-siblings, estranged fathers, unacknowledged biological fathers, adoptive fathers, adopted children, a missing baby, and cousins. This twisted, complicated plot must be untangled to solve the murder mysteries. There is plenty of misdirection and twists to keep the reader guessing.

Aisling Cooley submits a sample of her DNA to an Ancestry site in an effort to locate her father, who vanished years earlier. She lives with her two beloved teenage sons and believes she forms a close unit with them. However, she withholds a secret from them. The DNA test fails to locate her father but leads to the police showing up at her home.

The police are searching for a killer who burned a woman's body on a pyre. Then another woman was murdered, her body placed on an unlit pyre where blood was found and analyzed for DNA. Both women were loners and in their 40s. From the test results, Aisling's father and her two sons are suspects in the police investigation because of the blood match. Aisling fiercely defends her two sons but is worried because they are keeping something important from her. Next, a mare is found burned on a pyre at a place where horses are bred and raised. This leads us to the owner, his two sons, and hired help who would know their way around the stables and grounds. Has someone been practicing burning bodies? Aisling is relieved when her two sons and father are ruled out as suspects.

The search is now on to identify and locate other blood relatives, and the search becomes more detailed and intricate. There is plenty of twists and misdirection to keep the reader guessing during the untangling of family secrets and dynamics.

The mystery plot works well as a stand-alone, but the detectives' personal problems are continued from previous books. To understand these, the reader should have read earlier books and remembered their problems outside their work. These diversions can be ignored as unnecessary to the unravelling of the mystery. The conclusion was a shocking cliffhanger, and I am waiting impatiently for the next book in the series.

This was a solid 3.5 Star book for me. I thought it was better than a 3, and have raised it to 4 Stars despite some reservations due to its complexity. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the exciting and fascinating early digital ARC. Publication is due August 8.

A Killer in the Family is a fast paced detective novel, following multiple POVs and leaving the reader guessing until the end. As a novice when it comes to murder mysteries, I may have an uneducated opinion, but I did not see the final reveal coming and was intrigued as each potential killer was crossed off throughout.

I found the writing to be clean and direct, and it kept the action moving along at a great pace. Even with so many characters, each one was unique and had details revealed that made them feel like real people. This was the part I liked the most and sets this book apart from other murder mysteries.

The only part I struggled with was the technical aspects of DNA tracing. As it was part of the plot and outcome, it was important to understand, and I was left more confused about how it all worked.

Overall, I thought this was an engaging and well written story!

“A Killer in the Family” is the fifth installment in Gytha Lodge’s DCI Jonah Sheen’s series. A single mom gets more than she bargained for when she uploads her DNA to an ancestry service in attempt to discover her who her father is. Expecting to her back from her father, Aisling is shocked when a detective contacts her instead. It turns out Aisling’s DNA is a close match to the the much sought after Bonfire Killer. Is it possible her unknown father is a serial killer?

I haven’t read the other books in the DCI Sheen series, but this book definitely made me want to go out and read them. I loved the idea of an ancestry DNA site to catch a killer. This is something that I feel is really relevant to current news and forensics. I would happily recommend this novel to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC of this novel. “A Killer in the Family” publishes on August 8th, 2023.

I tried to get into this book but it just wanted drawing me in. I DNF’d it pretty early but the overall premise had seemed like it was right up my alley.

A Killer in the Family is another excellent book in the DCI Jonah Sheens series.

The team are working frantically together, racing the clock after a woman in found left on a bonfire.

Then another body.

Aisling Cooley a single mom has just uploaded a DNA sample to an ancestry site and shockingly there is a familial match.

It cant be her boys. Can it be her long lost dad.

The story picks up pace quickly, is well written and a fantastic police procedural that will have you holding your breath.

Highly recommend you get your copy of A Killer in the Family and settle in for a I cant stop reading session.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random Publishing House Group - Random House Trade Paperbacks for a page turning read.

A new author for me. While the premise of the story was good, I found it very slow reading , it took me 16 days to get through it. In had trouble following the characters, because the author frequently uses a character’s first name and at other times their last, requiring the reader to stop and figure out which one she/he was. I thought the plot was good, but spent too much time, going back to figure out who was who.
I found the characters interesting and it did keep me guess until the end, who the murderer was.
My thanks to NetGalley, the author and Random House for the ARC.
I’ll give it 3 1/2 starts, because the plot was worth it.

The synopsis hooked me right away and I loved the premise of using an ancestry website to work in a thriller angle. It’s a topic I’ve always been interested in and it brought something unique to the genre I hadn’t read before. The characters and their relationships felt very authentic to me and I enjoyed switching between POVs and timelines as it kept me engaged, turning the pages into the early hours of the morning. The descriptions were grisly without glorifying the violence, something I also liked. It wasn’t until after I finished reading that I realized this book is part of a series. The writing was so smooth it eased me into the setting and characters, making it an enjoyable read without knowledge of the other books before it. I found the pace steady and the dialogue flowed with ease, holding my attention as I pieced everything together. I would like to read the rest of the books in order to get a feel for all the characters properly. Not a critique on the book, just a personal preference.

3/5⭐️⭐️⭐️
For readers who enjoy multiple POVs, twists, and dark subject matter.

Overall, I enjoyed the story line of this but the twist and turns gave me borderline vertigo and not necessarily in a good way. The premise was brilliant, but I thought the execution was too much and could have played out in a more concise/ less confusing way.

I had a bit of a hard time following the “family tree” presented. ( I won’t go into detail to avoid spoilers). Things got a little convoluted and there were a few things that I found too “convenient” to make the plot work. I enjoy a good red herring but this had WAY too many!

Giving it 3 stars for creativity in the plot, and interesting suspense build up around the DNA and family dynamics, but some room for improvement in the mechanics!

I made it about 25% of the way through the book and I was bored. I did not connect with the characters and lost interest in the plot. The summary did really interest me I did not know it was a series so maybe that is where my problem lies. Maybe it just was not for me, thank you for giving me the chance to read it early I do appreciate it I just could not finish it, but I do believe if you are into thrillers and mysteries this is a perfect book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this eARC.

The idea behind this novel was super interesting. Uploading your DNA to find family and then learning from the police you may be the key to some unsolved murders - yikes!

However, I did not know this was part of a series and that was a bit challenging to navigate at times. Plus, sometimes in depth police procedurals are difficult for me to get through.

Procedural thrillers are typically not my thing. This one wasn’t bad. Not bad at all. It’s a quick read full of twists and turns that - for me - are unexpected. And look forward to the ending - it is a doozy. Highly recommended to those that enjoy this sub genre.

In the latest installment of the DCI Jonah Sheen series, a woman uploads her DNA online, searching for her father—instead, she is contacted by the police. In recent months there have been two murders, and DNA from one of the crime scenes, may be from a very close family member of her's. This twisty crime novel follows DCI Sheen's and his team in the hunt for a serial killer, known as the "Bonfire Killer".
I really enjoy this series, and this may have been the best yet! Thank you to Gytha Lodge, the publisher, and NetGalley for the complimentary e-galley.

I didn't realize this was a detective series. If I'd known that, I wouldn't have read it. Nothing happened for the majority of the book. It was boring and I didn't care about the characters.