Thank you to NetGalley, the Publishers, and Gytha Lodge for an ARC of A Killer in the Family! This book had a slow start, about 30% in it picks up and it’s hard to put down after that! Not originally realizing it’s part of a series, I was able to pick up and enjoy this one. I absolutely loved the writing, especially how it went very hard for family and the struggles people go through. It’s eye opening and showing how much we need to help out each other. I will definitely be starting at the beginning for this series now!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for my copy of A Killer In The Family!

The start of the story was really strong. Getting the POV of the victim before she died was an interesting read which got me hooked. But then Part One happened and it felt a little flat and dragged on. I feel like there' are so many unnecessary information that was added just to make a page count. I get that it is a series of some sort so there needs to be some updates on the other characters but it's just the way it was written that felt flat to me. So, Part One was a bit dull to me but then Part Two just changed my whole perspective. It became like an actual thriller - fast paced and twist and turns everywhere. I got into the whole story again. I very much enjoyed the back and forth of the situation that I was just going bananas every time something happens. Also that ending? No, no, no. Because of that ending, I for sure would pick up the rest of this series.

What happens if you find out one of your own children may be a cold blooded murderer? This is the tale of one woman's quest to find out the truth and to search who may be responsible for these deadly slayings of middle aged woman and setting them on fire . She explores the past she left behind which may be the key to finding out the truth . A gripping tale that races against time to find out the killer before it is too late . Will another victim be killed ? Will an ex boyfriend from the past be tied to her finding out the truth . This is also a police tale with a department that never stops their search all while working together . Couldn't put this book down once I started !

I received this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion and review. I STRUGGLED to get through this book. It was very difficult for me to get into and I didn’t enjoy the plot line. I feel as though this is somewhat my fault, for not reading the other books in the series before starting this one.

fast paced thriller that i couldn't put down

thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the copy for review

After finding blood at a crime scene, the investigating team uses a DNA Ancestry-type website to locate a nearby relative of the supposed murderer. Aisling is contacted by someone she thinks is a relative and turns out to be police letting her know that either one of her sons or her estranged father is involved. This was good, if a little confusing with all the jumbled relationships. I didn't realize this book was in the middle of a series before I started it. The backstory was filled in enough that I didn't feel too lost by it though. The ending made me want to come back for the next book, and I think I will try to start back at the beginning also. 4 stars.

Well I loved this book. It had twist after twist after twist, it was quick read, and held my attention. However, the ending was lackluster. I was so confused by it, why did it end with that Hanson stuff? I felt the story lines with Damian and then Jonah’s wife were not important to the story and found myself wants to skip over them and go back to aisling’s story, which was much more interesting. Because of all the awesome twists, I thought the end would be one last sucker punch, however, it left me disappointed

Unique police procedural that did a great job building a solid storyline, keeping you guessing throughout the entire book. The DNA profiling was a very unique take to this story, and I enjoyed reading about the details it all entails. Parts of the story was a slow build, but overall a solid thriller that I enjoyed.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Pub date August 8, 2023

I love the cover and the premise of this book. A woman uploads her DNA to an ancestry website and is contacted by a detective saying that she is related to a serial killer.

I didn’t realize this was part of a series, that’s my bad for not checking before I requested it. It was fine as a stand alone but I do think knowing the characters and their relationships would have made it a little more interesting.

I almost DNFed it, the beginning was soooo slow. I read some other reviews that said it picked up around 40-50% so I stuck with it, and I’m glad it did because I really enjoyed the end. I liked the twists and the cliffhanger, I just wish it hadn't taken so long to get there.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

This wad absolutely fantastic! I loved this! I can't stop thinking about this book! It is definitely a book that will live on in my head for a very long time!
I just reviewed A Killer in the Family by Gytha Lodge. #AKillerintheFamily #NetGalley
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Found on netgalley and I love true crime (idk if this is based on that but it gave off feelings that it might be) but anyways I abostly loved reading this book. Was instering as heck but man was so good to read. 5 star book. Highly recommend it and already told a few people that they need to read this book and I'm hoping they do.

A Killer in the Family is the 5th in the Jonah Sheens series. But while the series is named after Jonah, I found this book to truly be a team effort with much more focus on Ben and Juliette.
With DNA so much in the news these days, this is a very timely plot. Aisling Cooley uploads her DNA onto a genealogy website, in hopes of finding her father, only to be contacted by the police. There’s a hunt for a serial killer going on and a drop of blood from a crime scene shows a close match to her. As the mother of two teenage boys, her heart is wrenched. Could one of them be a killer?
Lodge has written a fast paced, tense, realistic police procedural. She threw in enough red herrings that I had no idea how this would play out. And I thought the way Lodge wrote the resolution was perfect.
Her characters are real - not just the police team but the pool of suspects.
Heads up, for those of you that don’t like cliffhangers, this one ends with a doozy.
This is one series I believe is best read in order. The books focus on the private lives of each of the team and reading them out of order will cause both spoilers and some lost context.
My thanks to Netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.

5 stars!

OH MY GODDNESS i absolutely LOVED THIS!!! from start to finish i was intrigued and immersed from the very first page. Never felt like this book had a dull moment, the plot was so fun and I felt like there was so many possibilities to keep the audience engaged and I really appreciated that. This read very similarly to a Gillian Flynn novel to me, the writing was above and beyond and I had no issues trying to keep up with what was happening. So greatly pleased with how everything played out and the reveal AND THAT ENDING!!!! I will definitely will looking in and reading the other books in the Jonah Sheens universe/series/ world. Can't wait to start from the very beginning with this one and I can see myself reading more of what this author decides to put out. I may have just found a new favorite crime/thriller writer.

If you enjoy the following THEN YOULL LOVE THIS and i recommend you pick it up!
RELEASE DATE: AUG 8 2023

- Easy, thought out plot that will keep you guessing till the end
- TWISTS AND TURNS, shocking plot twists
- drama and suspense till the very last page
- good family support system
- Detective/police work
I'd lastly like to thank Random House Publishing and Netgalley for allowing me to read an easily arc of this book.

Review posted on goodreads

Okay. I didn’t realize this was a whole series- and while I didn’t feel like I missed much, and it could stand alone- I think I missed the mark with the authors way of story telling.

I was a bit confused in the beginning, but I got the hang of it, this was a neat thriller!

I think I’ll go back and read the others to really decide where I’d fit this one- will it be one I recommend to friends, book clubs, or online or all of the above?

Thanks to NetGalley for giving an arc in exchange for an honest opinion! I’d say 3.5 rounded up. (As i feel I need to get a broader view on this authors way of this series?)

This started out a bit slow for me, took me a bit to get into it, but once I did I was glad because it picked up quite nicely. I was invested, short chapters made it hard to put down.

I liked the characters, the writing, the plot. This is #5 in a series, that I didn't realize, but can be a standalone so phew! I was not confused at any point because that. I thought the author did a good job with that.

I want to read the other books now.

I struggled at the beginning because it was so slow, luckily it picked up and ended up being good! It kept me guessing! I liked that it has short chapters!

I will start by saying that I haven't read the other books in this series, but it didn't seem necessary. This was a fast paced thriller that I enjoyed reading.

This was a strange one for me. I found the first half so slow and almost put it down several times, but I did want to find out whodunnit. The second half felt really chaotic; I love twists and turns but there seemed to be too many and just for the sake of it. There were parts I really liked, and had a hard time putting it down, but others that dragged and dragged. I haven't read anything else by this author but they seem to be setting it up for a series.

"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 forest, 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.

After much debate, she decides to upload her DNA to an ancestry website. 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...."

I love how ancestry sites have changed crime solving and storytelling.

this was riveting and very well paced! i enjoyed it a lot and i will be looking forward to future releases from the author!