Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: August 8, 2023
Gytha Lodge brings Jonah Sheens and his team back again with their newest adventure in “A Killer in the Family”. This is the fifth novel in the series, although I met Jonah back on book three (I have read three, four and five. Somehow, I missed one and two) and I was so glad for his return!
Aisling Cooley is a game developer and single mother of two teenaged boys. For years, she has been haunted by the disappearance of her father, who abandoned both her and her mother one night many years ago, never to be heard from since. Desperate for answers, Aisling submits her DNA and receives a familial hit- but not one she expected. Both of her sons are soon suspects in a string of gruesome murders, based on their DNA, and although Aisling knows, deep down, that her beloved sons couldn’t possibly be suspects, she does have secrets in her past that she will have to reveal in order to keep her son’s innocence. However, the truth will reveal a lot more than who the murderer is, and Aisling isn’t sure if she’s ready for the world to know who she really is.
“Family” is a typical police procedural and, like its counterparts, it’s not necessary to read all of the novels’ predecessors before trying this on one for size, but it’s highly encouraged. The Jonah Sheens series can be read as stand-alones, but the detailed character history and entangled relationships are laid out across the previous novels, and without this information the novel won’t be nearly as engaging.
The story is narrated by Aisling, of course, but also by Jonah and a few of his counterparts at the police department (all introduced in previous novels). The storyline is easy to follow and is told completely in the present day, so there is very little confusion. That being said, there is an enormous cast of characters and some of them actually become vital to the plot, so be prepared to keep track of siblings, half-siblings, estranged fathers, adopted fathers, police detectives and their teams of officers and suspicious teenagers. Obviously, there are enough characters to keep the reader guessing and Lodge adds the right number of twists and turns right until the unexpected end.
Jonah and his team are personable and honest, and I have been a fan since being introduced by Lodge two books ago. Although this plot was far more detailed and intricate than the other Sheens books I’ve read, I was just as entranced by Lodge’s writing prowess and character development in this novel as in her other works. More Jonah Sheens, please!

I made it 29% through and I just couldn’t stay awake. The story started off interesting but I couldn’t keep up. Maybe just not for me. Best of luck and thank you for allowing me the opportunity!

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.

Aisling had two sons, but she told the police they are both mild mannered and would never have killed anyone, but could it have been her estranged father's blood?

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.

Fans of Gytha won't want to miss this one...will you figure it out?

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

Finding out about your family tree and family history can be fun, but what should you do if the family history you discover, is not at all what you anticipated.
On receiving her results back for her DNA, she tries to contact her father who has been out of her life for a long time, but is shocked when the call back she was waiting for,is not her father at all. but a police detective.
I did find this book interesting, but for me, it did seem to drag out..
I thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review

This book I have mixed feelings about… I enjoyed it but could have enjoyed it more

Part 1 was way longer than it needed to be and felt awfully dragged out in some parts.
Part 2 was full of action and twists and I felt that some parts could have been more detailed or involved.

Over all a very suspenseful read with a lot of twists and drama. Would recommend this one even though it starts as a bit of a slow burn.

Also, this is a detective series and I would pick up the next book to see where they go from here as I became invested in their story as well!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

A fun concept! While I enjoyed this book, I think at parts it was a bit confusing. However, I did enjoy the fun twists and turns throughout the book and loved the characters - especially the main character! A solid 3/5 book.

Aisling signs up for a DNA site to see if she can get in touch with family members, her estranged father in particular.  But, it's the police who contact her, saying her DNA is a close match for some blood found at a crime scene.  This means the killer has to be someone closely related to her. Her life is thrown out of balance as she tries to get to the bottom of this and prove her sons are innocent.

This story has an interesting premise.  Could someone related to you be a serial killer and you not even know it?  Should DNA be used in this way? It gives you some things to think about and made for an interesting story.  The first half of the book was slow and drawn out, but if you can keep with it, it really picked up in the second half.  There were quite a few bombshells and twists that kept coming right up until the very end.  I was also immediately drawn in by the first bit of writing (before chapter one), which is the POV of someone about to be murdered. Talk about an opening!

At first, I wasn't sure why we needed the POVs of those investigating the murders and their lives.  It seemed to water down the plot and make the book longer than it had to be. I then realized this is part of a series about these specific individuals, so it makes more sense if it's read in order. But reading it out of order didn't throw me off, and I was able to piece parts together with minimal confusion. Overall, it is a solid murder mystery. 

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Let me just say I really enjoyed this book. Recently, I have come to really enjoy police procedural mysteries/stories. In A Killer in the Family, we follow DCI Jonah Sheens and his team as they try to solve the case of the “Bonfire Killer”. Leaving bodies of women burning on nearby pyres. We all know that even though most serial killers are smart, no one is perfect. This killer has left behind some DNA.
Now bring in Ainsley. Single mother, busy life with kids. Decides to upload her DNA to an ancestry website. Sound simple and innocent enough! Lol yeah, right! As someone who recently just gave in and did the whole “ancestry” thing I was drawn to the character because I too was very anxious to see what I would find out. Ainsley had no clue how this would change her life.
Lucky for me this series did not need to be read in order, though I am somewhat considering starting from book #1 now. From the very beginning, I was tuned in! Safe to say I don’t think I have experienced an opening quite like this one. The book had great pace and character development. The twists will literally make you forget you are reading! Awesome adventure, go in blind, I would recommend this title.
Thanks so much to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for supplying me with an ARC in exchange for a truthful review. I appreciate the experience!

4 stars!

#AKillerintheFamily #NetGalley

A Killer in the Family by Gytha Lodge is another suspenseful and fast paced read.
This kept me guessing all the way through. There were so many twists that I never had it completely right. This book is an easy read with an interesting storyline.
This book kept me absolutely hooked until the very end with a wild ending.
A page turner of a suspense novel that will suck you in quickly so sit down read, and enjoy the ride.
This is a well-written story with an absolute phenomenal ending.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Random House for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

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.