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!

Thank you to @RandomHouse and #NetGalley for the digital ARC of #AKillerintheFamily. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

I love a good mystery. Even better is discovering a new mystery writer whose plots are the believable yet the right kind of twisty. And the best thing is realizing the book you just finished (and really enjoyed) is part of series!

The plot revolves around the search for a serial killer. While the police are trying to protect the women of Southhampton from the Bonfire Killer, Aisling Cooley is trying to locate her long-lost father. When Aisling uploads a sample to a DNA site, the two searches collide.

This was the perfect mix of police procedural and family trauma/drama for me. The ancestry angle added a "true crime" vibe. Can't wait to read book 1 to see where Jonah Sheens and his team of inspectors started!

This is the 5th book in the DCI Jonah Sheens series and although it can be read as a stand alone, I wouldn’t. I’m assuming there’s a lot of character development I’ve missed in the first 4 books as at the beginning of this one, I often was questioning if I’d missed something and why seemingly important things were being skimmed over. I definitely was missing too much back story. The author often brought up smaller things that I’m sure were discussed in the previous books that just left me confused. Sometimes I request books on NetGalley not realizing that they’re a part of a series… this is completely on me.

This book took me so long to read; It’s definitely a slow-burn type of story.
Sometimes It felt way longer than it needed to be, with a bit too much almost unnecessary detail. The first 30% of the books was kind of slow building and repetitive. It got better but I was only really intrigued to read by 60%.

70% and on of the book was a wild freaking ride that I loved! I liked that all the small details came together slowly. And good God was it so messy but in the best way. The ending was a solid 4 stars. Unfortunately, that was only 25% on the book, but it really did finish with a bang.
It was also very well written!

I’d love the read the first books to see how I would feel about this one after having all the necessary info. I feel like me even giving it a rating is unfair without reading the first few!

Thank you @netgalley @penguinrandomhouse & Gytha Lodge for the DRC in exchange for a review!

A Killer in the Family had me on the edge of my seat from page one. Talk about a page turner! I couldn’t read fast enough to figure out what was happening. I read a lot of novels like this, and this storyline was extremely creative and unique.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free ARC of this title in exchange for my review. And many, many thanks to Net Galley for introducing me to Gytha Lodge and her Johan Sheens series in the first place. My life has forever been changed, and I have a new favorite author to look for each year!

OK, this book. It's great, isn't it? The story line was a bit of a surprise as it unfolded - how many people can really be related to each other? But the story moved quickly and you can feel Sheens' mind working as he breaks down each of the suspects. This is a page turner like no other!

Dislike, however, for Jonah/Michelle relationship story line. That was distracting.

But the overall story, the case - total page turner. Can't wait for the audiobook to be released so I can buy that and experience the story again!

4.5 stars - "really, really liked this one."

I'm generally not one to pick up a book that's a part of a series, and I never jump in after the beginning, so it's totally out of character to start at the fifth installment of something. That said, I couldn't say no to the premise of this and I enjoyed it so much I plan to go back and start from the beginning with book 1.

Thank you so much Netgalley for approving me to read this arc in exchange for a review.
This was such a fast paced read! Absolutely devoured this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House for the copy of A Killer In The Family by Gytha Lodge. This is the first book I have read by this author and in this series and it started out great, then it slowed down so I started to lose interest. I also couldn’t keep track of the characters. The pace picked up and the book got really good. I loved the reveal and when I thought about it I could see it made perfect sense! If you don’t mind some slow parts and you love lots of characters/suspects. This is the perfect book for you! 3.5 rounded up to 4.

A KILLER IN THE FAMILY by Gytha Lodge is a rollercoaster ride with dips and peaks throughout.
As the police are on the hunt for the Bonfire Killer, they cross paths with Aisling, a single mother of two teenaged sons. When the Bonfire Killer leaves behind some blood at one of the crime scenes, the DNA leads them to Aisling’s sons. Fearful that they are going to pin the murders on one or both of her sons, she contacts an ex-beau, Jack O’Kean, who is now a private investigator. The relationship with Jack never really closed as she just disappeared when her family suddenly moved away. She hasn’t seen Jack in thirty years but as they race to find the answers they realize that their feelings for each other remained. Their hunt leads them to a vast array of characters; victims, suspects, police, biological parents, adoptive parents, ranch owners, ranch hands, etc.
As the police close in Jack and Aisling are in a race against time to clear her sons.
I enjoyed this story. It taught me a few things about DNA, ancestry, adoption, and astronomy that I didn’t know. I couldn’t give it 5 stars however because I felt that there were just TOO many characters. I was even writing them down and still had trouble keeping up with who was who. That made things a bit distracting for me and it felt like more work than I wanted to do while I was reading instead of working. I’m not sure what characters could have been cut for they were all integral to the story and it wouldn’t have been the same without them. Overall though, I do recommend this one, just bring some paper.

I had no idea going in that this was part of a series, and I was pleased that I never really picked up on that either. It was easy to follow along and feel like "all the pieces" were there.

The multi-POV didn't seem entirely necessary, but I wouldn't say that it detracted from the story either. There did seem to be a slow-down in pace in the middle of the book, which is odd because that's where we find out the DNA tests are causing some intrigue. Overall, the conclusion seemed relatively easy to guess, but it was still nice to see some red herrings thrown in to keep readers engaged towards the end.

Overall: 4 stars

I'll tell my students about: language, sex, death, mental health/trauma

**Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the free DRC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

Thanks NetGalley for an ARC of this wonderful mystery in exchange for an honest review. This book is the 5th in a series but Lodge doesn’t make you feel like you are coming in on something you have no clue about. An earlier case is mentioned in passing but in such a way that you want to read that book (as if you haven’t) and not stop this book. This story is about family and how we treat them. Aisling Cooley hasn’t always lived in England. After uploading her DNA on an ancestry site, she finds out that she is related to a serial killer who is setting women on fire. She has two teenage sons and DNA confirms it is not either one of them. DNA doesn’t lie, so who is it? This is a fairly fast paced book. Not too many characters to make it confusing and enough mystery to keep things interesting. Enjoy!

A Killer in the Family by Gotham Lodge

Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Mystery/Thriller:5/5
Overall: 5/5

This one was a great read because it focused on the one thing we all want to use in order to find out about ourselves and our family, DNA. The interesting part is that this is told first by a serial killer and then by a mother Aisley Cooley who uploads her DNA into an ancestry site. She receives a call about the findings but not by who she expects. Detective Chief Inspector Jonah Sheens informed her that her DNA is a match for someone called the Bonfire Killer.
After about halfway through the book you realize who the killer is but the other characters have not realized it yet. The characters are very well developed and somewhat cynical but still likable.

This book will be released on August 8, 2023 and is sure to be a hit.

Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.