Aisling Cooley is trying to find her father through a DNA website in the latest British police procedural in the DCI Jonas Sheens series. The detectives are searching for a local serial killer when the crime scene DNA is linked to Aisley’s DNA. Could Aisley’s long-lost father be the killer? Is it one of her two teenage sons? Or could someone else be A Killer in the Family?

The hook of using a DNA website is a great elevator pitch. Unfortunately, the book is rather slow and perhaps slightly too long. Overall, it is a serviceable procedural. However, I hate books with a cliffhanger ending. I want to read your next book because I’m interested in the characters—not to discover the ending of the previous book. For those reasons, A Killer in the Family rates 3 stars.

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

Could round up to 3.5 just because I am invested in this detective group.

This book started off super solid and kind of creepy and unsettling. It slowed down a little and felt a little repetitive about 30-40% but the pacing picked back up towards the end. The ending has me STRESSING! I’m going to need the next book asap and with a happy resolution!! 😩😩

While not my favorite in this series and a little slower paced than i expected, I still enjoyed this overall !

Though I wish for a lot less Michelle. Honestly, the Michelle storyline is my least favorite thing in this entire series… Jonah deserves a better individual storyline/arc than this.

I received an advanced copy of this ebook from the publisher for a honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. This book is set in the England. This book mentions Ireland. The style of the writing is great. It is very twisted like a great thriller should be. The story will have you on the edge of your seat, from the first page trying to figure out, who it was. I really enjoyed this book. This book will be in stores on August 8, 2023 for $17.00 (USD).

“𝑰𝒕 𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝑱𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒉 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒈𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅.”

The cover and title of this book had me intrigued right away (sometimes we should pick up a book from its gorgeous cover!), throw in a nicknamed “Bonfire Killer” and I knew I had to pick this one up.

Gytha Lodge is a new-to-me author, but this book is the fifth in a series about a team of British police officers of various ranks, with Detective Chief Inspector Jonah Sheens, Detective Sergeant Domnall O’Malley, Detective Sergeant Ben Lightman, and Detective Constable Juliette Hanson. Not having read the other books was not a problem; the characters are well explained and references to other books are made in passing, more like Easter eggs for readers. I liked the team atmosphere (especially as they all seem to respect each other and work well together) and the glimpses into their personal lives, making me want to go back and spend more time with them through the first four books. I found myself very invested in the scenes without the detectives too; Ainsling, alongside her sons Ethan and Finn, added a different feel as they question why Ainsling’s DNA matched with some found at the scene and pull back the layers of secrets. Nothing is black and white - many of the characters (including the killer) fall in a grey area, highlighting how human beings are incredibly complex. This book is long, and I wanted it to move along a bit faster in places, but when it does, it flies (especially the last 25%)! Lodge placed some great reveals that I was pleasantly surprised at, changing where I thought the story was going.

A Killer In The Family is a story of secrecy, doubt, despair, the perspective of betrayal and the meaning of family. If you like police procedurals and Clare Mackintosh’s Ffion Morgan series, you should check this one out. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC!

Police procedural thrillers are always interesting for me and this was an enjoyable story with some unique plots. I also love seeing how an investigation plays out. There were a few moments where the characters made silly decisions (a pet peeve of mine!) but I was able to get past them. This is the fifth book in the Jonah Sheen series but definitely can be read as a standalone as I haven’t read any of them and wasn’t missing any information.

DNF @ 25% - this one just really wasn’t for me. I wanted to love the crime aspects mixed with the popular DNA websites such as 23 and me, but the way that the concept was approached was just not working. it felt just rushed and not cohesive at all.

In my opinion this was a slow burn. Got interesting about 1/2 way through. Was sort of repetitive in the beginning. I have always been intrigued by online ancestry DNA. So that was a good story line.

Personally, it was not my cup of tea, but I would recommend to someone.

Loved it! I have read three out of the five books in the series, somehow I missed the second and the third book. This book definitely didn't disappoint. There were so many twists and turns. I was suspicious of so many people as the possible "Bonfire Killer." Would the police have been able to solve the crime if Aisling never uploaded her DNA to an ancestry website? Ailing wanted to find her father but ended up discovering so much more. Does anyone really want to be related to a serial killer? Aisling's family was full of secrets. She spent twenty-nine years never knowing the truth. I loved the relationship Aisling had with her two sons. Jonah and his detectives have a great dynamic together. Juliette and Ben seem like they would be perfect together. I hate how the book ended because I need to know what happens. It was so sad and unexpected. Some people never change and will always be an abusive psycho. I feel bad for Jonah, he tries his hardest with Michelle but nothing seems to help. He's such a wonderful dad. Michelle seems to constantly want to party with her friends.

Definitely recommend the book. It was a great mystery/thriller that will keep you guessing until the end. Loved the characters, story and writing style. Can't wait for the next book in the series, because I need to know what happens. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Random House Publishing Group - Random House through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I'd not read the earlier books in this series but that didn't matter. This is a complex and topical take on the use of DNA in crime solving, Det. Jonah Sheens surprises Aisling, who uploaded her DNA into a commercial site in the hopes of finding her father. Turns out her DNA was a match for a serial killer but is it her father or one of her sons who is the villain? There are secrets and lies aplenty here, as well as twists, I like Jonah and Aisling was complicated enough to make this all work. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC, A very good read (and now I'm going for others in the series!)

A Killer in the Family is the fifth book in the DCI Jonah Sheens series, but works well as a standalone mystery/thriller. The plot is centered around the timely topic of the police using DNA that has been submitted to ancestry sites in their investigations. One of the detectives on Jonah's team has an American contact knowledgeable about DNA matching and they take advantage of her expertise as a Forensic Genealogist.

Aisling Cooley wonders what happened to her long-lost father and uploads her DNA to a popular ancestry site. The divorced mother of two teenage boys is shocked when she is contacted by the police because DNA left at a crime scene of a murder committed by a serial killer can be linked to a close relative of hers!

I love the premise of the book and I enjoyed getting to know Aisling and wondering what secrets she was hiding. Jonah Sheens and his team work well together on this complex case as they also deal with their own complicated personal lives. As a result of their hard work, the case comes to a satisfying conclusion, but then I was shocked by the ending of the book. I don't love cliffhangers, but I have to say I cannot wait to find out what happens in the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the advance copy of this ebook. I received it at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

Women are urged not to travel alone at night, and constant vigilance is encouraged among the local residents, as someone the press calls the “Bonfire Killer” has been killing women and setting their bodies on fire. Single mom Aisling Cooley hasn't been paying a lot of attention to the news. She is busy developing her next video game to sell, parenting her: two teenage sons and lately she has been on a quest to find her long-lost father, whom she hasn’t seen since she was a teenager. She has just sent in her DNA to a DNA registry hoping to find him. But to her horror, it’s not her father who’s found her. It’s a detective. And they say her DNA is a close match to the Bonfire Killer. .

This is the fifth book in the DCI Jonah Sheens series. I have read them all and they are all great. This one definitely kept me guessing - I think I suspected almost every male in the book before the big reveal at the end. Every time I was sure I had it right, there was another twist. That is the hallmark of a good mystery. If you are mystery buff, then you should add this one to your TBR pile.

I couldn't put this book down! The characters are complex and engaging. The mystery kept me guessing and completely gripped. There were so many twists. I also liked the multiple viewpoints. It really helped to make me feel like I was right there alongside the characters. And that ending! That left me wanting more.

Another fantastic installment in the DCI Jonah Sheens series! This police procedural is realistic, engaging and thrillingly written. Each leaves us with a cliffhanger making it difficult to await the next one!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC!

A killer in the Family is the fifth book in the series. I have read two of the previous books but not all of them. I didn't feel like that has taken away from this book at all.

There's a serial killer on the loose. He's taking women in their 40's and killing them.

Single mom Aisling submits her DNA to an ancestry site in hopes of finding the father that abandoned her family long ago. What she gets instead is the knowledge that her DNA has a close relationship to the blood found at the crime scene of one of the murders. What could be more terrifying than learning that your father or sons could be a murderer?

There are many twist and turns throughout the story. What I liked best about the book was the relationship between Aidling and her two sons. Fantastic portrayal of a loving family.

Thanks to netgalley and Random House Publishing for the arc.

There’s a serial killer on the loose! He likes to abduct lonely middle aged women and then burn them on a pyre…ew. Anyway, where there is evil there is also good guys trying to stop it. That’s where this book comes in as it showcases a detective team searching for the murderous creep before he can strike again. But the killer has been watching them and his POV is a unique one…ugh that creep.

A lot of yelling rather than showing writing style - might work better though for this story since there are numerous characters with backstories and personalities to learn.

This had a unique and modern twist on the traditional crime mystery novel. I loved the inclusion of DNA ancestry used to try and narrow down the suspects.

This book had me wondering how much a mother’s love could withstand. Would I love my child if they were a serial killer? Would I love my parent or sibling if they were? How far can the love of one’s family stretch before it snaps?

Although on the slow side for my taste, I think fans of crime novels and shows like CSI and Criminal Minds will have fun with this one.

Golden State Killer with a twist.

A single mother uploads her DNA into an ancestry website and is contacted by a detective saying her DNA matches a known killer.

This is good BUT I didn't realize? that the detective is part of a series. I hate coming into a series mid-way.

Thanks to netGalley and the publishers for the opportunity.

A Killer in the Family by Gytha Lodge

I've read this series from the beginning with A Killer in the Family being the 5th book of the series. What makes it one of my favorite series is the camaraderie of the team of Detective Chief Inspector Jonah Sheens. These aren't people suffering burn out, they enjoy their jobs, they enjoy working with each other, and the team is like a family. These are the people they spend the most time with and they know what is important to each of them and the best ways to support each other.

The story has a terrifying start. A woman has made the wrong choice and she's going to pay for it. That's one of the worst places for me to be in a story, in the head of a victim. Now the team is trying to solve another murder and this one makes it clear they are probably dealing with a serial killer. As luck would have it, there is DNA at the scene.

That is where single mom, Aisling Cooley, comes in. She has a wonderful, open relationship with each of her teenage sons but she still feels the hurt of being abandoned by her father long ago. Aisling uploads her DNA to an ancestry website at about the same time DCI Sheens' crime scene DNA sample is submitted in a search for a match. If a close relative, preferably two close relatives, can be matched to the DNA sample, there is a chance of narrowing in on who might have left the DNA at the murder scene.

A theme to this story is family. Sheens made a decision for the sake of family and even with the best intentions it may have been the wrong decision. We meet so many characters that have been abandoned, some suffering greatly in one way or another. And then there is the sense of real family with people who may not be blood relatives. Blood ties can let a person down but there is still a chance for "family".

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Random House, and NetGalley for this ARC.

I enjoyed the twists and turns of this book. It definitely keeps you guessing throughout the whole thing. There was a bit of a slow build but hang in there. It gets wild. I did not realize that it's in a series of books. I don't think I missed anything by not reading the first few, but I definitely would have liked to know that with the way it ended. Guess I will have to wait for the next book to see where we go from here. The killings in this book do get solved so that is good. Recommend if you like a good mystery.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

What a twisted web this story was! A very very large web. I will be the first to say that I did not know where this story would end up but the ending was really good. I love a good serial killer thriller but I was skeptical about the police procedure aspect. I think I had a bit of a hard time following some of the detective aspect since it was set in England so that’s on me. But the author does have a glossary of the terms used at the end which was a great touch.

I really enjoyed the DNA element being such a big part. And adding in the ancestry site to help solve the crime was really genius. The character development was really well done but there were A LOT of characters. I loved (Ansling) and her sons relationship.

The only thing was the beginning was extremely slow. It took about halfway through for me to really get into the action. This was a longer book but the ending was really worth it.

In this mystery/thriller from Gytha Lodge, we follow the life of a mother and her two teenage sons. Both well mannered boys that are extremely involved in their communities.

Mom sends away for a DNA swab kit to find out more about her family history and ends up with a visit from the police. Turns out, her DNA has matched as a possible serial killer in the family. Trouble is, the DNA states it can only be one of your two sons, or your estranged father.

This book kept me HOOKED from the very beginning. I honestly didn’t see the ending coming & I thoroughly enough when a book can trick me.

Amazing writing by the author. Will definitely pick up another novel!