I enjoyed this book. A bit predictable, but still a good quick read. I wish the police were not so dumb though. They should have figured out the killer way before they did.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this e-ARC.

DNF @ 15%
I kept trying to pick this one back up, but unfortunately I couldn't get into this one.

I picked this one up because I am very, very interested in genetic genealogy. The premise was so promising and the plot kept me engaged throughout, though I feel like this one was on the slow end of slow burns. My main problem with this was the nonsensical behavior of the police and some of the adults in the story, which was infuriating at times.

I loved it! thank you for the advanced copy- I will be purchasing to support the author. I loved the character development and never saw the ending coming

Aisling just wants to find her missing father, but instead a DNA match connects someone in her family to a serial killer. The police investigation focuses on Aisling’s two teenaged sons.

This is the fifth book in the series, but it can be read as a standalone. The only carryover from previous books is the troubled personal lives of some of the police officers. Their issues do not approach the complexity of Aisling’s complicated history. Secrets keep getting revealed as the story progresses. This book is a pretty straightforward police procedural, with a little suspense at the end.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher

When the bodies start piling up the police know for sure that they have a serial killer on the loose. Since the victims are found in fires, they are dubbed the “Bonfire Killer”. Word gets out and women are urged to stay indoors after dark based the victimology.

Aisling decides to do a DNA ancestry kit to see if she can find her father. However, after the results come back, she is contacted by the police…her DNA is a close match for the Bonfire Killer.

As Aisling works with the police to find out who the killer is, she can’t help but wonder what secrets her family holds.

Nothing is more complex than family and this book highlights that. This police procedural was rather interesting and really made me think about not only family, but how we are all connected and have secrets. The mystery in this one was on point and kept me guessing until the very end – loved the twists. I did find this book to be rather slow, and very long. I think had the pacing been faster, or even if it were shorter, I would have enjoyed this more.

This is the fifth installment of the DCI Sheens series.

Despite my issues with pacing, this is still an interesting read, and I would recommend it for those looking for an interesting read.

Thank you so much to Random House Publishing, Random House, for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a solid 3.5 star read for me.

I didn’t realize this was a part of a series when I requested this book, but even so I could only get through about 14 chapters before I called it quits. Nothing was happening! It was too repetitive for me! If this is a slow burn, it must be an extra slow one, yikes!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

So good! I was a little lost at first since this was the 5th book in a series but I caught up quickly and this was a great, twisty thriller with a fascinating cast of characters. The DNA genealogy was clever, the setting interesting, and police procedural elements compelling. Released earlier this month. Now to go and read the 1st in Lodge’s series!

Single mother of two teen boys, Aisling Cooley, is haunted by the disappearance of her father who abandoned her and her mother years ago. Looking to connect with him now she takes to a genealogy website. But instead of him showing up with the answers she’s been longing for, it’s local DCI Jonah Sheen at her doorstep.

He and his team are on the hunt for a serial killer dubbed the Bonfire Killer, who is killing women in the area by burning them on funeral pyres. Eventually a killer will make a mistake and in this case it’s just a single drop of blood. Shockingly it’s linked to a close relative of Aisling. Could it be her elusive father, or possibly even one of her own sons? Faced with the cold hard facts, what lengths would you go to to protect your family and its secrets?

It was a slow burn with detailed characters that kept me guessing and second-guessing, making it not only an excellent police procedural but a mind blowing thriller. I also think it’s a great launch for discussion on how our DNA is used (I know there are plenty of theories out there) and how it could become a useful tool in solving cold cases.

And the ending?! I couldn’t believe Lodge left us hanging like that! Considering this is book 5 in the series and I hadn’t read any of her work before, I’m rushing to go back and devour the others in hopes the next one is already in the works.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced review copy of A Killer in the Family.

Wow. More twists and turns and hills than driving through San Francisco. I'm usually good at guessing the whodunit, but not this time. The author provided clues along the way, but deftly worked them in such a way as to throw me off track more than once.

While some things were a bit too coincidental, it all works out. This book is well-worth a read.

Thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for a review. This was a fun premise! A woman uploads her DNA online only to be connected to a murder investigation. The search for her long lost father has just become horrifying. This was a fun read; a bit of a slow burn at first but once it took off, it was great!

I was so torn on how to rate this one. I didn’t know that it was part of a series, so I think that messed things up for me a little bit. I felt kind of lost in the beginning, and there are a lot of characters to keep track of. I kept mixing them up throughout the entire book, and that was frustrating.

I found that the first half was super dull. It took me forever to get through it and I felt that the plot was being dragged out. Fortunately, the second half was a lot more interesting. Things started to pick up and reveals were finally happening, so I loved that. I also thought the ending was pretty cool, especially for someone who plans to keep reading the series.

The characters were a bit annoying for me. They felt very one-dimensional, and Aisling drove me absolutely nuts. I felt like overall, it was a pretty standard police procedural.

I probably won’t continue the series, but I recommend you check it out if you’re a big fan of police procedurals.

Thank you to Random House for my gifted copy!

Had me on the edge of my seat. I really enjoyed this read. Only thing, and this is a totally on me, but I definitely didn’t realize it was part of a series. Since I didn’t know the character, I thought the detective was dumb. Maybe I’ve read too many mysteries but I find it hard to believe a detective could just not think HA. Anyway, good idea, great cover, decent execution.

I didn't realize this was the fifth in a police procedural series, but I liked it enough that I will try to find the prior books in the series.

A Killer in the Family is a DNA-themed mystery. When a series of burned bodies are found in Southampton (UK) the police are able to gather some DNA from one of the bodies. They gain the help of an American forensic genealogist, who narrows the DNA down to a trio of men, all related to one woman, who is a narrator.

I liked the almost locked room/limited suspect feel of this one and the story really kept me guessing about which man was the guilty one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I didn’t enjoy the writing style, and was bored by the story. I don’t think this is a bad book, it was just not the book for me.

Really fun book!! I really liked the concept of the book and it was very interesting!! Its such a fast read, everyone should read it!!

A Killer in the Family by Gytha Lodge is my first book by her, despite this book being part of a series. It was great. This is made up of anyone’s worst nightmare when it comes to doing genetic testing. The characters were engaging and the twists made the ending payoff totally worth it.

This honest review is being written in exchange for an advanced reader copy of this book.

So many different plots all woven into one fast paced, intriguing book. I could not stop reading and never wanted it to end. The characters are well developed and I felt as if I knew the entire family. Some family members made me mad and others made me feel like I wanted to comfort them.

This book is worth reading. I loved the intrigue and many turns the story took until the truth was revealed.

Well written,

This was my first read by Gytha Lodge and it did not disappoint. I enjoyed this one so much and I can’t wait to read more by the author.

I really enjoyed this one! It has a ton of twists and turns! I figured out the twist towards the end. Very clever!! Chapters are shorter so makes for a quick read. I felt like it could’ve been shorter. Some of the story lines weren’t needed.