Thank you Random House and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. IYKYK, my reviews are always honest.

Super interesting premise but the execution was a little shaky for me. I think the idea of using DNA from an ancestry site to solve crimes will spark some great and passionate book club debates.

It was okay, but I had to force myself to keep reading on at times. Still, the concept for the story was pretty cool. I'd consider reading more from this author in the future.

I didn't realize this was part of a series and I have not read books 1-4. That said, I still found this really enjoyable! Great writing, compelling characters and a terrific story! I look forward to reading the ones I missed!

This was a bit of a slow burn with a little twist and satisfying ending. I didn't realize until after the fact that this is the fifth book in a series but it can be read as a stand-alone as I was still able to follow along, although it would of been better with a little more backstory. That said, this wasn't the book of the year for me but it was still entertaining and enjoyable, just a bit slow. Three Stars.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC.

This was a really fun read! I get very tired of police procedurals, but this made it interesting and compelling. I was invested in the characters and felt like I was there. She is such a great writer and I really enjoyed this story! It kept the twists coming!

First of all, thank you to NetGalley in allowing me o read this twisty, story Killer in the Family by Glytha Lodge..
Imagine loading your DNA on line looking for your father and instead a detective comes to your door. They are looking for the “bonfire killer” and your DNA happens to match the killer. There is panic looking for someone who kills and burns the body on a pyre. This is a twisty, nail biting story and it will keep you up all night reading. I did. You also might want to check out Ms Lodge’s Little Sister book. Another mystery and twisty story.

I devoured this so fast. I am so grateful to have been given this arc. I really loved it and will come back for more from this author.

Good British whodunnit 3.5 stars. I read this as a stand-alone book and just found out that it was a series. It probably would have made a little more sense if I knew some of the characters going in. I still enjoyed the investigations and potential suspects. I will have to read some of the previous ones. Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy.

I actually had a copy and wasn't aware I read this until I started reading the kindle version. of the book. This book wasn't my favorite. Nothing kicked off until the remaining 25% for me. I think it would make a great movie, though! Other works are much better!

"A Killer in the Family" by Gytha Lodge is book 5 in the Jonah Sheens Detective series follows a women who uploads her DNA to find out more about her family but finds a serial killer.


I would give "A Killer in the Family" by Gytha Lodge a 2-star review.

With a gripping plot and a cast of characters that you won't likely forget "A Killer In The Family" is a book that I would recommend to anyone who loves a good Mystery Thriller.
The author weaves together a well crafted tale of suspense and intrigue that will keep you turning pages until the very end.

Thank you Gytha Lodge , Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC of this book!

This was just an okay book. Characters, dialogue, mystery were fine. Nothing in particular really stood out to me. I wouldn't pick it up again.

A Killer in the Family by Gytha Lodge is the fifth book in the Jonah Sheens Detective series. I’ve read the first four books and absolutely loved them. So I had very high expectations for this one. Well, my expectations were met…it was everything I hope for in a Thriller. I really didn’t know the direction things were going held the time. When I thought I had guessed everything, I was oh so wrong! And that cliffhanger!!! Does that mean we’ll have more of Jonah?
Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me an electronic copy in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was just an okay book. I felt it was a very slow mystery but I still hung in there and the book got better about half way thru . The writing and the storyline were good . I would recommend this book just be prepared for the slow start to the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read "A Killer In The Family" by Gytha Lodge in return for a fair an honest review.
This is the fifth in the DCI Jonah Sheens thriller series, and boy is there a lot to unpack here!
At its core this one is about the investigation into a series of killings of women in one of the strangest ways that this reader has yet to encounter - burned upon a pyre out in the wilderness! And it's also about family - the one you're born to and the one you might not know you even have.
Who is Aisling Cooley? A mother and computer games creator, almost at the end of her rope: she's running out of money after having been deserted by her husband and paid less than she should have been for a game she created. But her past is something that's secret - even from her children.
Juliette Hanson, one of Jonah's team, seems to have acquired a guardian angel - one who leaves her little tokens at crime scenes. Just when she thought she'd gotten rid of her stalker ex.
Jonah and Michelle are trying to make a go of it with their daughter - conceived in less than optimum circumstances - even though their hearts might not be in it.
When it turns out that someone related to Aisling Cooley might be the perpetrator of these murders, she and her two sons are drawn in to the mystery - the aftermath of which will forever change their family dynamic.
Gytha Lodge has created - in my mind anyway - one of the most complex stories so far in this series and I for one cannot wait to see where she goes next with these characters. Absolutely recommended - and you don't even have to read the four other books in the series (but you really, really should).

Rating this 3.5 stars, but rounding down.
This was a great read full of in-depth police work and a surprising mystery. It was a bit of a slow-burn whodunit, but with short chapters and exceptional writing, it kept you guessing. I love how the author tied all the characters together in the end. It made for a wonderful plot twist. Most of the action happens in the last 25% of the book, and Lodge does an amazing job zig-zagging you between suspects.
My biggest issue was how I couldn't connect to any character and felt completely distant from the scene. I couldn't invest in any story, even Jonah's, whose side story was the most emotional. This mainly had to do with the fact that a lot of the DCI team's side stories are told in the previous books, and we aren't given much detail into their backstories. I have read the previous book in thie series, 'Little Sister', and yet still found myself either not caring about the side plots, or completely baffled as to why it was necessary.
Definetely a good vacation read, or if you're in the mood for a slow-burn mystery!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the eARC.
This book has a lot of interesting facts about DNA.
The story is about a woman who sends her DNA in to see if she can find her father. Imagine her shock when DCI Jonah Sheens contacts her informing her that her DNA matches that of a serial killer: two women and a horse have been burned on a funeral pyre.
An intricate and absorbing mystery, it had my nose buried in the book for 2 days and at the end my mouth agape! Definitely recommended!

Great police procedural set in Ireland
This is actually book 5 in the Jonah Sheens series. It is not marked as such and I think this may confuse some. Once I started reading, I remembered many of the characters and was quickly immersed in the story, I love a detective procedural that includes the social dynamics of the station as well and situations at home!

It's an exciting premise - Aisling uploads her DNA to an ancestry website and is contacted by the Irish police - she is related to a newly minted serial killer. Aisling is afraid for her sons and wonders about her long lost father. Who could this be? As she half heartedly and guardedly works with the police the Bonfire Killer is still at large. Who will be next?
#RandomHouse #AKillerInTheFamily #GythaLodge

A huge thank you to Netgalley and Random House for my Advanced Reader Copy of “A Killer in the Family” by Gytha Lodge!

I requested this novel after reading the blurb, not realizing that I was picking up an installment in the DCI Jonah Sheens books! I breezed right through anyways, easily able to follow along despite characters already in development. There were definitely some story lines that I felt a little out of the loop with having not started with book one, but all that did was make me want to pick up Lodges previous works!

As for the story itself, I NEVER SAW THAT ENDING COMING! Lodge crafts some wonderful twists and turns that had me guessing right up until the big reveals. I also loved the banter with Aisling and her boys, as it felt believable and sweet. The ending tied up the main story line well and didn’t leave me feeling like anything was unfinished. Already looking forward to the next book, and seeing what happens to our detectives with the cliffhanger they’re left in.

4.5 Stars

Fantastic storyline- engaging and likable characters. The plot twists were believable and exciting. If you love the works of Frieda McFadden or Lucinda Berry, you will enjoy this story.