Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

There must be a new trend in books to have the main female character, an ordinary citizen, risk their life doing reckless things, trying to solve dangerous crime situations on their own, after being warned to seriously, back off.

The main character, Liz, receives DNA testing from her cousin, as a gift.
She discovers she is adopted and is stunned when the FBI show up at her home and they tell her a serial killer shares her DNA. She begins her own investigation into the new biological family members she has just come into contact with.

Two distracting things stand out about this book:
There is a relative that is introduced and this story line goes nowhere ( a red herring?)
Also, two new characters are basically introduced in the epilogue (prepping for a sequel?)

Some might enjoy reading about a female character that is brash and headstrong without regard for commonsense or safety. This is not my cup of tea.

Okay so let me start with the good. This book sounded very promising. I loved the alternating POVs and the book sucked me in from page 1 but I found myself quickly losing interest. Honestly, my favorite part was the chapters on the victims this self. Does this make me sadistic? Maybe 🤷🏼‍♀️. The main character Liz pissed me off because she just made the dumbest decisions and kept putting herself in unnecessary danger. I was not a fan of the ending at all. New character introduced in the epilogue? No thanks. I also didn’t like who the killer turned out to be, I mean come on. Not to mention there is one shady character that literally just falls off and we have no closure on the character. Alright that’s all I will say so I don’t give away spoilers. Even though this book wasn’t for me, it might be for you.

This was a great read, I had a hard time putting it down. The author’s style of writing made the words flow very nicely and it was easy to read. I really enjoyed reading Liz’s story; I can’t even imagine how difficult it would be to have your whole family lie to you about being adopted for the 20+ years of your life, only to find out that most of your biological family is not only deceased but that you’re also related to a 40+ year still active serial killer?! Wow. Very interesting storyline.

That said, I have to say that Liz’s attitude through much of the book drove me nuts! She was taking way too many risks with her own safety and also putting her roommate Andie at risk too with her reckless actions. Pretty much everyone in her life, including the FBI, told her to back off and stay safe, let the professionals handle the investigations. But noooo, Liz couldn’t drop it. She just had to get involved and stick her nose where it didn’t belong. Ugh. Drove me nuts, I wanted to smack her so hard lol.

Overall, I really liked this book. I plan to check out other books by Mullin in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley, Avon and Steph Mullin for allowing me to read and review this book for me.

As a big fan of thrillers, this one hit the spot with its plot twists and turns. I am pretty sure almost everyone has wondered at one time or not about DNA testing for their family tree. And here is a book that reveals a side no one would think of! If you are a thriller fan, you need to read this.

Thank you #NetGalley and Harper 360 for giving me the opportunity to read this. #TheFamilyTree

Liz completes a 23andme test that was gifted to her and is shocked to find out she’s not only adopted, she’s related to a serial killer that’s been haunting young women for over 20 years. Liz holds a deep desire to find out as much as she can about her relatives and if possible, solve this mystery that’s left everyone stumped.

I liked this book! The writing was pretty good-it didn’t feel overly refined and at times was a bit cheesy. But overall the premise was great, it kept me interested and reading. I believe a large part of that is due to the dual POVs, Liz and the victims of the serial killer. This was done really well, describing the crimes just enough. There are twists and turns and I didn’t expect the ending at all. I don’t think the ending was completely successful, it was a bit lacklustre because it was so short. It just laid it out quickly, then expanded in a way that wasn’t related enough to the story. I thought Liz was a tad annoying and she always pushed herself to know more despite the danger, but this was obviously necessary for the story. This is a good read! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free preview in exchange for an honest review.

This is a pretty good book, very suspenseful! I’m always intrigued by family secrets, and this one is a doozy! Some twists and turns keep it interesting. It’s got some action, and good characters. A great, satisfying ending!

Thank you for the advance access to this title.
The cover and the description are fantastic.
This one did not grab me from the get go, and I have put it aside for now. DNF. Will try again another time. Mandatory Star rating reflects DNF - will update when I complete if the system allows.

The Family Tree reminds me of the B-rated horror movie you keep watching even though the characters are shallow and the dialogue is flat. While I did not like the characters or their childish behavior, the plot piqued my curiosity enough to finish the book. Was it worth it? Well…I liked the ending. A different outcome than I expected and leaves room for a sequel.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper 360, Avon, and Mullin & Mabry for the advanced copy of The Family Tree. #NetGalley #TheFamilyTree

The Family Tree was so well done. I adored the characters who were sharply defined, as well as how the authors combined their writing powers to describe everything. Emotion came through well. I adored the premise most of all, something I had personally previously researched. So smart to pull that into a novel. Would recommend.

This book was a big let down considering how intriguing the premise is (and the fact that it was co-written by two authors).

The characters are not likeable at all - with the exception of possibly Rosie and Travis (although does he never need his car), but given the fact that we don't see a whole lot of them it's hard to say for certain. We spent the most time with Andie and Liz, who for supposedly being 27 years old, certainly don't act like it. Instead they act like spoiled teenagers, although I have to say that Liz definitely wins the award for most self-absorbed character who is determined to die via sheer idiocy. I hated the way she treated her adoptive family, who only wanted the best for her.

It doesn't matter how many times she is warned away from getting too close to her biological family at this point (knowing one of them is a potential serial killer), not only does she continue to visit with them, but she even snoops through their things in an effort to "prove or disprove" if they are in fact a serial killer, going so far as to travel ALONE to a remote cabin in the woods.

And of course, even though we are given two perfectly good suspects, one is made to look more likely than the other. I'm also kind of confused as to what happened with Adam. Did Liz ever meet up with him? What was his deal? He was there for a minute, and then gone never to be heard about again.

What is worse is that even though we are given these two perfectly logical suspects, it was so glaring obvious who the killer was that I'm surprised the FBI didn't clue into the possibility sooner given that all the clues were right there. I'm also rather surprised at how open they were with sharing details of an active case with someone they knew was related to the killer. How did they know they could trust her?

The plot seemed like it was all over the place, partly due to the fact that the chapters jumped not only years, but also who was telling the story. We got to hear from Liz and Addie in the present, and then each of the different "victims" that had been taken over the years. Even their chapters, while less whiny didn't leave me on the edge of my seat the way I had hoped. And that epilogue? Yeah, was not a fan of the way they added that in, although it seems like they are leaving the possibility open for a sequel, it is not one that I will be reading anytime soon.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

An outstanding premise to this delightfully twisted thriller. This is a well-written, suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat thriller will leave you breathless at times in anticipation of the next twist in the plot. Don’t start reading this book if you are not prepared to stay up all night.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 who provided me with a copy of this book. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This was an interesting concept. It started off really intriguing for me but after awhile I started to lose interest. It just moved really slow, and I found the main character a bit annoying. She kept putting herself in danger over and over again. I had a hard time believing it.

I knew from the first few chapters that the way this book was written was going to come together in a satisfying way. I had to suspend belief a bit more than usual to get into the story, but overall, it was great! The pace of the story kept me wanting to read the next chapter and the clues were dropped in a way that I THOUGHT I knew what the twist would be but I was still second-guessing myself until it happened.

After receiving a DNA test kit as a gift from her cousin, Liz discovers, in her 20s, that she is adopted. She sets out on a quest to find her biological family. On a whim, she allows law enforcement to access her DNA results, and she is contacted by the FBI as her DNA is a familial match to a serial killer who has been active for decades. She then sets out to solve the case herself, despite warnings from friends, family, and the FBI not to do so.

While the premise of the book itself is not necessarily that strange, some of the story is nowhere near realistic. For example, the FBI would not provide case details to a civilian as they did in this book, and the shelf life of ketamine is too short for a large quantity to have been stolen and used for several years. Perhaps a spoiler, but there''s a reason serial killers work alone, so it's very unlikely that multiple people could participate in secret. The absurdity of these things turned me off immediately. It's as if no research was done. This book tries to be a thriller but doesn't get there.

When Liz finally gets the results back from her 23 & Me DNA test, she is shocked to learn that her roommate and cousin Andie, really isn't her cousin. She then finds out from her parents that she is adopted.

In an effort to find her birth family she uploads her DNA profile to GED Match and checks the box that says GED Match can share her profile with law enforcement. Later some family gets in contact with Liz and everything is going pretty good until Liz gets a phone call from the FBI letting her know that her profile has a familial match with a serial killer. YIKES!!!

This book is part genealogy and part Genetic Detective ( great TV show!!). It is fast paced, well written and is a good thriller. 3.5⭐

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper 360/ Avon, Steph Mullin and Nicole Mabry for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Though she comes from a big and loving family, when Liz finds out she's adopted her curiosity leads her to providing her DNA to ancestry kits, including one linked to the FBI. As she attempts to get to know her biological great uncle, she is shocked to find out she is also linked to a serial killer who has never been captured. Needing to find out the truth about her ancestry and against the FBI's advice, she is determined to do whatever is necessary to disprove the theory it could possibly be her great uncle.

I thought the book was interesting with an intriguing plot. It was a bit slow paced for me and was frustrated with Liz and her stubbornness. Even though she was mad at her parents for keeping her adoption a secret, they've only shown her love and kindness, yet she was quick to ignore them and not tell them what she discovered through the ancestry kits. I liked the different POV's, which gave you a better idea what was going on in the mind of the killer and victims. Overall a good read and looking forward to reading more from both authors.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper 360/Avon for the opportunity to read this book.

Liz was excited to do the DNA test that her cousin gave her as a gift. When they sat down to compare their results they find that they do not share any familiar relatives. She was shocked to find out at 27 years of age that she was adopted. Angry with her parents for keeping this from her she reaches out on several ancestry sites to find her biological family. She clicks the button to share her DNA with the police and the next thing she knows the FBI are on her doorstep telling her she is a match to old DNA from a serial killer. What ensues is Liz trying to get to know the two matches she finds while wondering which one is the serial killer.

This book pulled me in quickly and I didn’t want to put it down until I found the truth. Most of the characters were likeable and realistic with the exception of Liz. Nothing she did seemed to be what a real person would do and that detracted from the story. The book is not overly violent which was a nice exception to most crime stories. The ending was great and overall it was a great book full of intrigue and red herrings.

Thank you to Harper 360 and NetGalley for the chance to read this suspenseful book.

Awesome. Loved this. Great writing and story line. Keeps you interested from the first page.
Anything murder,FBI serial killer is right up my alley. Quick read.

Ever wonder who’s in your family tree? This is the worst nightmare of that! Finding out you’re related to a serial killer! Great alternating POV kept this story hopping! Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for review

This review was originally posted on <a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2021/10/02/the-family-tree-by-steph-mullin-nicole-mabry/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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<i>Review copy was received from Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i>

When I got this for review and still on Netgalley, it says October 5th.  But now everything on Goodreads says June.  I read the blurb and had to read.  The concept sounded so fascinating and certainly suspenseful.

I have to say I wasn't too happy with Liz, the main character.  Certainly, she had some shocks in learning new things about her family.  But she acted rather immature for 27, more like a college age student.  She wasn't very kind to her parents. Liz was angry, impulsive and lied to people.

Liz also did many TSTL things, particularly sharing confidential information with lots of people she didn't know,  after she promised not to talk about it.  I mean, not just one, more like 6 or 7.  She put her roommate in danger, not just herself.   I understand her need to get information but there are ways to do that without the things she did.  Travis was awesome - lending her his car and also offering several website options for various information and being on hand when she met with the FBI.

Her connection with the relatives she met was weird because she worried about whether they were safe and judging them.  But at least she did connect with some of them.  I would have liked to have a little more on the ones she barely met at the end.  And the end,  it was good for Liz but overall, it was kind of depressing.