The multiple point of views made this book a little difficult to read. But it is a really great mystery. I did find the middle of the book dragged a little. I unfortunately haven’t read the others in the series but this was good!

Thanks Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley. Sometimes I've wondered what would happen if my DNA was linked to a killer. AKIF answers those questions. I thought the writing was a bit confusing which made the story hard to follow along, but beneath all of that was a great story!

This was a great read! I really enjoyed the characters and the plot. It held my ATTENTION and kept me on my toes! A sold 4 star read!!

I could not get past 20% of this book as I was utterly confused. There are multiple different third person POVs, switching each chapter, but not clearly detailed, so you have to use a lot of context clues of who’s who. And then it’s very unclear who the people are, minimal explanation of them and why I should care. Lastly, the killer is introduced at the beginning - while we don’t know who he is, we know he’s always around, so I just feel like it will be predictable. Not going to waste my time finishing this book as I don’t want to jump through hoops to understand what’s happening.

A Killer in the Family is the 5th-book in the DCI Jonah Sheens series. This is a top-tier Police Procedural Mystery series for me and I have anxiously awaited each new release.

As with many Adult Mystery series, these books don't necessarily need to be read in order. Personally though, I would recommend it, mainly due to the interesting character development involving the group of detectives. With this being said, any of the books in this series would also make great standalone novels. However, I feel like once you read one, you'll want to read them all!

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.
The area of Southampton is on edge. It's recommended women not walk alone after dark. Extra precautions should be taken, but not everyone is listening.

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. For Aisling, it's a puzzle almost too devastating to want to figure out.

Could there be a killer in the family?

Y'all, this book doesn't release until August, but I couldn't resist picking it up. I normally never, ever, ever pick up ARCs months before their actual release, but for this one, I was willing to break my own rules.

Right out the gate, Lodge shocked me with an epic Prologue. Like, that's how you start a story. Jaw on the floor, yikes, what am I getting into?! I got super invested in this mystery. I had so many different theories, but I actually hoped I wasn't correct, as I really liked all the characters involved.

In addition to this new case, I enjoying reading the continuing storylines involving our main group of recurring characters, DCI Jonah Sheens and his team. Particularly Juliette and Ben, I love them and their friendship so much.

One of the things I love most about this team is how well they work together. I feel like in a lot of stories involving people that work together, there's always some sort of drama or contempt amongst the characters.

That doesn't happen in these books. They support one another, they treat each other with respect and the camaraderie is frankly, workplace goals. Each one of them has their strengths and Sheens recognizes that and assigns them tasks accordingly. I love a happy, supportive, cohesive team, working on one myself IRL, so appreciate that representation here.

I also really enjoyed the concept of using consumer DNA services to track a killer. I just read a fantastic nonfiction book, The Forever Witness: How Genetic Genealogy Solved a Cold Case Double Murder, about that very topic, so it was fun to see its fictional use here.

This investigation was perfectly paced and the plot was structured so well. Lodge kept me guessing, and second-guessing myself, at the edge of my seat, until the exciting final scenes. Overall, A Killer in the Family is a sensational addition to the Jonah Sheens series. I absolutely loved this one. Lodge has successfully created another enticing page-turner.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Random House, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This is one of my favorite series and I hope it continues for a long time to come!!

A Killer in the Family by Gytha Lodge is the fifth book in the DCI Jonah Sheens series. This book is about a serial killer, who is known as the "bonfire killer." When a woman uploads her DNA online, the police realize that she is related to the killer, and she may be in danger herself. This was a very well-done mystery, and I enjoyed it just as I have the previous books in this series. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me review this book. I honestly found it to be all over the place with too many characters to keep track of. The middle portion dragged a bit. It was a decent read, but I don’t think I will be reading any more.

I received a free Advanced Reading Copy via NetGalley in exchange for a complete and honest review.

One of the best books I've read in a long while!!

A Killer in the Family by Gytha Lodge is the 5th installment in a UK based crime series, and while you don’t have to read all the prior in the series before reading this one, there are some plot points that won’t make sense if you jump in here. The crime story itself is standalone, but the lives of the detectives are the backdrop that continues across the series so if you understand their relationships, you may enjoy the book a bit more.

In this story, the detectives are looking to solve a string of murders involving single women in their 40s who are burned on a pyre. It’s a grim premise, but there are not a ton of visual details, so it doesn’t get too gruesome. Their break in the case (this is not a spoiler) comes when a woman uploads her DNA to an ancestry site and is a match with the killer. From there, it’s a procedural crime novel with a few twists and turns.

For me, the twists were somewhat predictable, and the delivery could have been less roundabout, BUT I was into the story and enjoyed the ride. I’m not typically drawn to procedural crime mysteries, but I keep finding myself pulled to this author and series. I’m already anticipating the next in the series, especially with that ending.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the complimentary copy, I really appreciate you!

Content warnings: Murder, Violence

ARC provided by NetGalley and the author in exchange for an honest review.

WOW! What a wild ride that was! Suspenseful, edge of your seat. The family DNA part of the mystery just kept on giving every time you thought you had it figured out!

Aisling Cooley after uploading her DNA to a genealogy website is faced with the knowledge that her DNA is a close family relation to some blood found at a crime scene of serial killer. Told through multiple POV between Aisling and the police staff we go on a journey through solving this crime and meeting it’s many many suspects.

This is part of a series of books surrounding police chief Jonah Sheen, but what I loved about it especially was that even without having read the preceding 4 books I was still able to love this book!

First, let me say I had never heard of this book series or this author, but I will certainly be hitting her backlist!

I love genealogy so when I saw this on NetGalley, it was the cover and title that first pulled me in. But it was the mention of DNA that kept me there.

It is set across the pond, but there are nods to the United States various law enforcement agencies using DNA technology to solve crimes successfully. This has really been a huge win for some of the country’s more prolific cold cases.

I have also read about people uploading their DNA and finding long lost relatives or those they never knew about.

SO, what would you do if you got a DNA match for a very close relative that you didn’t know about? What if they might be involved in a horrific crime?

Book 5 in the DCI Jonah Sheens series seeks to answer these questions and more, with twists at every turn.

I was intrigued by the synopsis of A Killer in the Family by Gytha Lodge. However, the book was slow in parts, making it hard to get invested in the story. There were a lot of characters, and, at times, it was hard to remember them all and how they fit all together.

I kept reading because I wanted to find out how this all resolved and how things would be wrapped up, but aww, man, there was a cliffhanger ending, which bummed me out.

I rate this a 3.25 out of 5 stars (3-star rating).

#AKillerintheFamily #NetGalley @randomhouse

"A Killer in the Family" by Gytha Lodge is a gripping and intricately plotted crime novel that delves into the chilling world of a serial killer hidden within a family. With its clever twists and suspenseful narrative, this book will keep readers on the edge of their seats, questioning the true nature of familial bonds and the lengths individuals will go to protect their own.

I enjoyed reading this book - it was fleshed out well and all the mysteries were neatly resolved. I didn't realize though that this book was a series - there were several references to past issues that the main characters (cops) were dealing with. The book intrigued me enough to go back and flip through the entire collection

The synopsis for this book is more intriguing than the full story. The first 30% of the book really drags and I truly contemplated not continuing. While this has suspenseful elements, this is more of an investigative mystery to me than a thriller. After the 50% mark it did get much more interesting and I finished it that day. I did enjoy the characters and the end result. Overall it was a good book, but the beginning really tests your endurance to keep reading, hence the 3 star rating.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC.

This was an okay police procedural but it was a little too many characters and storylines to keep up with and feel it could have done with more editing because it really dragged in middle . It was just ok
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book

Thanks so much to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC copy of this book!

I have scheduled promotional posts around release day for this book and I will provide a full review on my Instagram once I am able to get to this read.

Rating 5 stars on Netgalley as a placeholder for me to update later once the review is complete.

Will also complete a review on Goodreads once read.

Thanks again!

I didn't realize that this one was apart of a series, but I am still thankful for the access to this digital installation and look forward to the publication day celebrations to come on August 8, 2023. I am so thankful to the publisher and our lovely author for the consideration.

Thank you Random House Publishing and Netgalley for my ARC of A Killer in The Family. I’ll be honest, I haven’t read any of the previous books in the series and I think that is a disservice to my review. There are A LOT of characters in this book and it got kind of confusing to keep track. I think if I had knowledge of the detectives from the previous books it would help. Anyways, this book definitely kept me reading to figure out the whodunnit. Aisling was likable as a main character but I feel as if her back story could’ve been fleshed out more. The ending was convoluted and that is why I give it 3/5 stars ⭐️

Spooky and thrilling! What a good story by Lodge. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Four stars. Families are complex and this book shows that off!