I have been a big fan of the DCI Sheens books and was excited to catch up with one of my favorite detectives again. Even better, in today's society of uploading DNA, etc., this plotline is truly fascinating. As always, DCI Sheens doesn't disappoint. Another great book to add to the list!

Women are being murdered and left on a fiery funeral pyre. There are no leads, but the murderer got sloppy and left his DNA. In a radical new policing method, the DNA is run alongside a genealogy website, finding the family of the murderer. Will this work or will the police be left in the dark with another unsolved crime.

Even though this was the fifth in a series, I didn’t really feel I needed the back stories. It was easy to keep up with the story. The story elements stayed focused and the twists were a bit twisty. While some of the twist elements were predictable, some were not. The ending perfectly sets up the next book. All of this still makes A Killer in the Family a worthwhile read.

I enjoyed this for the most part. It just seems to be a bit slow in places.
The story itself is entertaining and it has some suspenseful areas. But just couldn’t keep me captivated as I would have liked.

I've been really enjoying this series and I have to say this was the best in the lot!
I am a bit pissed with the ending, what kind of copper procedural ends on a cliffhanger???
Annnywho.
This had a beautiful pace and I loved that it centered more on Juliette and Ben; they have been my favourites throughout the series.
Well fleshed out story with vibrant characters. Highly recommend!
While this is book 5 in a series, any of them can be read as stand alone's since each book is a separate case.
Much love to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group doe my ARC.

This twisted psychological thriller kept me reading into the night.
The story started when the main character, Aisling Cooley (a game developer with 2 teenage sons) uploaded her DNA in order to find her father who disappeared about 30 years ago because he couldn't deal with the guilt anymore. Soon afterwards she is visited by 2 detectives who traced the blood at a crime scene to her, indicating a match to either her father or son.
This police procedural is well developed as the police delve into potential suspects of the "Bonfire Killer" who builds a pyre and uses kerosene to burn his victims. The author methodically developed the background stories for each suspect, and draws a logical link between the victims and the perp.
I thought that I figured out who the killer was (but I was wrong). I thought that the hunt for the killer and the resolution were well described with a lot of twists and turns (and a few red herrings), which brought the story to a heart pounding climax. I liked the way the author brought out secrets from the past and linked the present day relationships to the characters pasts.
I didn't see the need for several of the secondary story lines or their tie-in to the main story. Several characters were introduced but I didn't see their relation to the mystery. The ending was a cliffhanger that I felt was unnecessary.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Random House and am leaving this review voluntarily. The opinions expressed are entirely my own and I highly recommend this book.

This started off promising and I was hooked from the beginning. However, the book eventually lost it’s way and I had trouble finishing it. There were so many red herrings and twists that it was a bit overdone. The writing was good, as usual for the author. But the execution and pacing were off for me in this one.

I was able to read about 17% of the way through this book before I realized that this book isn’t for me. The book itself isn’t bad it’s just more of a slow paced thriller while I prefer to read more fast paced reads. It didn’t capture my attention like I had hoped so that doesn’t mean the book was bad, it just wasn’t for me. The main character’s didn’t have anything captivating or unique to me that made it stand out. I was able to read a few other books and finish them. Usually I try to pick up books I can’t get into right away after a book or two or even a chapter at a time because some books need to be slowly read to enjoy. I just couldn’t with this one. While I didn’t enjoy it it doesn’t mean you won’t.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This was an excellent read! I have read Lodge's work before and loves it. The description hooked me right away. The DNA matches you to a serial killer? Yes please!! One twist after another this read kept me on my toes and reading way past bedtime. Highly recommend

I am my own problem sometimes 🤦🏼‍♀️. I love a good crime/detective novel, but this wasn’t the book for me. I usually read a series start to finish. I picked this one up and felt no kinship with the characters. I was missing this, as this is a series. It was a good mystery but I couldn’t connect.

I enjoyed A Killer in the Family enough to really want to give it 6 stars. The author weaved an excellent thriller with lots of twists and emotions. There is a serial killer, ready to kill again. DNA shows that the killer could be related as a father or family member. This was book five inthe series so mow I’ll need to read the rest.

A KILLER IN THE FAMILY
Gytha Lodge

This is the first book by Gytha Lodge that I have read. From the experience I had reading A KILLER IN THE FAMILY, I can tell we’re going to be great friends.

A KILLER IN THE FAMILY stars DCI Jonah Sheens. We catch up with Sheens on the case of THE BONFIRE KILLER. The killer is watching as the crime scene unfolds. They are playing with the detectives: leaving objects at crime scenes, moving Sheens’ personal items around, and inserting themselves in the investigation.

Meanwhile, somewhere across town, a woman uploads her DNA to a website that helps its members locate family members. She is looking for her father and hopes this website will lead to him and provide closure for her and her sons.

What she finds is something else entirely.

Lodge sets an incredible pace in the beginning and carries it the whole way through. It’s quick and the killer is in your face, their exploits frustrating and provoking. There wasn’t a dull moment. The second the action slows down in one POV you’re switched to another perspective with different variables, keeping the excitement going.

In A KILLER IN THE FAMILY, there are intriguing shifting perspectives that converge in the best way. That was probably my favorite thing about the book. I liked the use of DNA but could’ve used a more updated storyline. Perhaps a new and inventive way of using DNA that is innovative. That is my only complaint and it’s minor.

Thanks to Netgalley, Penguin Random House Audio, Random House Publishing Group - Random House, and Random House Trade Paperbacks for the advanced copies!

A KILLER IN THE FAMILY…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4 stars! Somehow, this was a crime thriller that felt... slow. I'm going to say that's because there's a lot of actual police work, and a lot of well developed subplots that take up a majority of the book. All of the action really starts at a bit past the halfway point, and I can genuinely say I did not know where this was going. The story intentionally misleads the reader, and I had to say, "Aha! He's the killer! No, wait.... he's the killer!! No, wait... he's the killer!" several times lol.

This is the 5th book in a series, but can function as a standalone! Kind of how Law and Order is a series, but you can watch any episode without watching all the previous episodes. You get enough information about the characters, and even though the series follows Jonah Sheens, other characters in this story are just as developed as he is, so it didn't even really feel like Jonah was the "main" character.

Fair warning, this book DOES end on a cliffhanger, though it wasn't one so compelling that I think I'll be racing to pick up the next book, and I think the "cliffhanger" could have been forgone. It wasn't necessary for the story, and felt like it was trying to grab you so that you pick up the next book.

Overall, the story was good and kept me entertained!

Not a fave of mine - just couldn't get over the tone and slow-moving plot. I was looking forward to a serial killer novel but this one just didn't click for me!

No one is more surprised than Aisling herself, when she’s visited by the police after sending in a DNA sample to an ancestry site. Someone very close to her is a killer. Could it be her dad? He’s been missing for years, and even though he was a gentle soul, does she really still know him? Could it be one of her sons? Sons that are keeping something from her, but could they be killers? When an old flame comes to town to investigate an unrelated case, Aisling puts aside the past and asks for help, even if she’s afraid of what she might find out. Once again, Lodge had written a cleverly put together police procedural with her endearing characters from her previous four Jonah Sheens novels. While the story itself was wrapped up with some nice twists only the way, the book itself ended on a cliff hanger, one that has me waiting on pins and needles for the next installment of The Jonah Sheens Series! Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Which family member is guilty?
Thank you @randomhouse + @prhaudio for the gifted copy of A Killer in the Family {partner}

Genre: Mystery
Trope: Serial Killer
Format: 🎧
Audiobook Narration: ☆☆☆☆
Pub Date: 8.8.2023
Star Rating: ☆☆☆.5

“He’d watched the ever since that first fire back in October. Followed their little team from scene to scene as they tried to unpick it all.”

Have you ever taken an Ancestry DNA (or other similar) test? I have, but luckily, I haven’t come across any potential homicidal family members.

A Killer in the Family is technically the fifth book in this series, but it can be read as a standalone (because that’s what I did, and I didn’t feel like I missed anything). I did choose to listen to this one on audio as I was in the mood for something with a police procedural component. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t recommend listening, and I’ll explain why below.

I know police procedurals aren’t always a ‘page-turner,’ but I thought A Killer in the Family was the slowest of slow burns. It could’ve been much shorter if the author hadn’t opted to have so many twists toward the end of the book. It honestly gave me whiplash and left me completely confused. And this is why I don’t recommend the audiobook; maybe if I had chosen to read this one, I would have a better grasp on who was who. But it was challenging to keep everyone straight when all suspects were seemingly male and all related (or were they?).

🧬 Interesting premise
🧐 Too many confusing twists
📖 Recommend reading
📚 The fifth book but can be a standalone

warning: There is a graphic death of a horse that contains details that may be disturbing.

It had the potential to be exciting, but due to the length and character confusion (likely on my part), I ended up lost in the weeds. I would definitely give this author another try and plan to read any future books in this series.

What did I just read? I read the blurb, then decided I doubt I will like this book. I couldn't have been more wrong! I was almost instantly taken in by the characters. Totally invested after 1 page. You definitely will not be disappointed by the twists and turns that had me saying WHAT?!?!?!?
Thanks to netgalley, the publisher and mostly the author for the chance to read this advanced copy of a great book.

I received as an electronic Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.
Gytha Lodge has written a captivating story that follows the life of Aisling Cooley, a single mother and video game developer. Her life takes a dramatic turn when she finally decides to submit her DNA, hoping to find some answers about her father's disappearance from her life many years ago. However, the DNA she submitted is discovered at a crime scene, and this revelation implicates either her father or one of her two sons.
The author's writing style is engaging, and the plot is skillfully crafted to keep the reader hooked. While reading, I eagerly turned each page, curious about what would happen next. The author has expertly plotted the story, keeping the reader guessing and providing several twists and turns. Even when I thought I had figured out the culprit, I was proven wrong.
The novel's conclusion is nothing short of mind-blowing. It left me speechless, and I was left reeling from the unexpected turn of events. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this novel, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an engaging and suspenseful read.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of this one, but I’m thinking that it’s because I hadn’t read the other books in this series. It got a bit complicated to follow at times with the varying perspectives as well

This book is another featuring DCI Jonah Sheens and his team of detectives. While it was a slow burn, it is a fascinating police procedural involving a possible serial killer. This is a stand-alone detective novel, but you learn more about the police and their history in the previous books.

Ainsley Cooley, a single mother of two teenage sons, decides to register with a DNA ancestry website. She is hoping to find information regarding her long-lost father. This however, leads the detectives right to her door while they are looking for a possible serial killer. The killer is known to kill women and set them on fire in the fields. As they are looking for the possible “Bonfire Killer”, Ainsley has her own issues with her hidden past.
This is a very messy family, with lots of secrets and betrayals. Can Ainsley believe that her sons are not involved? Who is the match to the DNA? This is a complex storyline, one in which is easy to get lost in. You may want to keep a list of the characters to refer to.
This was my second book involving Jonah Sheens and his team. Gytha Lodge does a great job involving the team and getting to know them a little bit more each time. This book introduces a great deal on how DNA is used to solve crimes. There are lots of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end!

Many thanks to Random House Group and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of A Killer in the Family in exchange for my honest thoughts.

A Killer in the Family, the fifth book in the Jonah Sheens Detective series came out this week, but even if you haven't read the first four books, you'll still enjoy this thrilling whodunit.

There's a serial killer on the loose, and Jonah and his team must figure out who is doing the killings before another victim turns up. They turn to DNA technology to find their perp, and what they end up finding is a link to a local woman and her two sons. The woman, Aisling Cooley, just uploaded her DNA to a site called Globalry, and now the police know, based on blood left at the crime scene, that a man related to Aisling is the killer. But is it one of Aisling's sons or her long-lost father? Or is there something or someone else from Aisling's past?

This novel kept me guessing. Once I reached the halfway mark, I didn't want to put this down! Things were getting exciting. The detectives were finding leads. Things were starting to fall into place.

If you like detective stories, especially those set in England, then you'll really enjoy this new novel.

A Killer in the Family is published by Random House and is available to purchase now. I received a free e-ARC from the publisher.