This was a weird but really well done book. I thought it started kinda slow but once it got going it was a quick read! I really. enjoyed this book and would recommend.

The twist towards the end I didn’t see coming. Iris and her daughter move in to her new boyfriend’s mother’s house. When they get there, they are shocked by how run down the place really is. Iris learns more about Hugh’s family and doesn’t understand why he never mentioned them before and little by little they make her feel like she is crazy. She keeps trying to tell her boyfriend she wants to leave and he won’t let her..ummm red flag! When her daughter goes missing his brother laughs like it’s not big deal..they won’t help find her either. Strange things happen and there are a few twists that made all the craziness seem reasonable!

The Family Inside is a masterclass in psychological suspense—a relentless rollercoaster that kept me second-guessing at every turn. Just when I thought I had the plot figured out, it would twist in an entirely unexpected direction. The author’s sharp writing and layered narrative structure elevate this story beyond the typical thriller.

Told through dual perspectives, the novel gives us access to a wide cast of complex characters, each hiding something beneath the surface. The atmospheric setting amplifies the tension, crafting a sense of unease that lingers throughout. I especially appreciated how the haunting backdrop worked hand-in-hand with the emotional stakes.

The ending? Utterly satisfying. Not flashy or overdone—just the right mix of resolution and restraint.

What an incredible sophomore to her also incredible debut. Katie Garner has definitely established her place in the thriller genre and I cannot wait to read what she comes out with next,

4.4/5 ⭐️ Stars - Thank you to NetGalley & the publishers for the ALC of ‘The Family Inside’ by Katie Garner! Although I didn’t get a chance to listen before the release date, I still highly recommend this one. If you’re in the mood for a solid psychological thriller, this book checks all the boxes—suspense, mystery, tension, secrets, and plenty of dysfunction. Fans of John Marrs will likely enjoy this ride!

The story unfolds through two different POVs, and I’ll admit—the layers of dysfunction and all the secrets really started to wear on me about halfway through. One of my personal thriller pet peeves is when characters just refuse to communicate, and this story definitely had a lot of that. Too many secrets …

But let me tell you—those twists absolutely knocked me sideways. I literally had to rewind several times just to make sure I caught all the jaw-dropping details. I kept visualizing the scenes in my head, thinking I should have seen the twists coming—but I didn’t, and that definitely bumped my rating up. The ending? Absolute chef’s kiss. Now that I’m reflecting on it while writing this review, I’m giving it an extra 0.2 stars just for how well it all wrapped up.

All in all, a fantastic psychological thriller I’d absolutely recommend!

Iris meets Hue. He seems to be such a good boyfriend. He even offers Iris and her daughter a place to stay when he learns that Iris has lost her home
When Iris and Elory arrive at Hue's home they find out that the entire family lives there Brothers and sisters and their spouses whom Hue failed to even mention he had.
All these relatives are strange and some things just don't add up
Iris doesn't feel comfortable and wants to leave but will she be able to do so of her own free will or is she trapped in this house with this family

I would like to start off by thanking netgalley for the arc of this book.

When I saw that this book was perfect for readers who enjoyed Knives Out, I knew I had to get my hands on it. I love nothing more than a perfect twist and this book brought it. I always think I know the answers and then Garner came in and turned it on its head. This story follows Iris and her teenage daughter Ellory. After the tragic and untimely death of Iris' husband she is struggling to make ends meet especially when. her mortgage is due. Then comes in her new beau Hugh Smoll who of course has the perfect answer. They can move into his mother's old estate. What Iris did not know was that Hugh had siblings, let alone that they would be living together in the estate.

If you love murder mysteries, dynamic and intense familial issues and twists and turns than this book is perfect for you

This was a good story with an interesting twist. I felt something was off, but what I thought was off was not even close. The author keeps you guessing with each passing chapter. I appreciate that the plot was not what I expected and what has been done so much before. I don't feel like I can say more without giving anything away, but I definitely feel like this book is a solid 4.5 stars.

Katie Garner’s The Family Inside is a gripping psychological thriller that masterfully intertwines gothic suspense with domestic drama. What begins as a hopeful fresh start quickly unravels into a chilling tale of secrets, deception, and unexpected twists.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin for this book.

Ugh. I wanted to really like this one as the premise was so interesting, but I just couldn't get into it. I may have not been in the right frame of mind, so at some point I may try it again. But for now, two stars

It was a good story at first and I was very into it but at about 65% it was taking too long to get to the final twist. And then the last 10% was long.

Thanks for opportunity to read this arc.

This was a really engaging book. Iris is down on her luck and loses her house. She decides to move her daughter and herself in with her boyfriend. But this house and this family don’t seem to be what they appear and secrets are everywhere.

This one is crazy! Late review but still, coming in hot!

Twisty and shocking, there’s no drama like family drama!

Iris is struggling. Struggling with finances, grief, and her relationship with her daughter. Her husband was murdered three years ago, the killer never caught and since then, everything has went downhill. Now, her new boyfriend, Hugh, has swept in to save the day, offering a place to live for Iris and Ellory. Moving in to Ravencliff seems like a dream at first and Iris eagerly accepts but when she gets there, she finds that Hughs eccentric family is also living there, something he never mentioned. Things get stranger and stranger as the days pass and as more secrets are revealed.

What a mystery and the secrets! So much to reveal and the atmosphere in Ravencliff is just the chef’s kiss to this escapist thriller! Bravo, Katie!

My thanks to HTP books for this gifted copy!

Iris Blogette, a recently widowed woman, finds her life in a state of despair when she loses her job and home. Her new boyfriend invites Iris and her daughter to stay at his mother’s century-old home while it undergoes renovations. Upon their arrival, Iris is shocked to discover that the extended family of her boyfriend is already residing in the house. As the narrative unfolds, the family’s unsettling dark secrets and the house’s chilling past swiftly transform Iris’s life upside down.

The narrative presents a multitude of simultaneous events, which may be perceived as adhering to a generic thriller or suspense trope. Overall, I would rate it as 3.5 overall.

I love the spooky vibe of the entire book. It's a haunted mansion, a weird family, and an ulterior motive all combined in one. I loved the individual personalities of each character and the house itself.

This was a solid 4 star read! I enjoyed the story and pacing, but some of the story was unbelievable and a little confusing. Putting that aside, a solid fun read.

Thank you Netgalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA and Katie Garner for the arc of Th Family Inside.


This is the first book Ive read of Katie Garner and I throughly enjoyed it! The Family Inside is a slow burn, psychological thriller which has some great twists and turns. It really surprised me as I expected the narrative to go one way and it definitely went in another. I loved the foreshadowing as It gave me ways of getting my theories of what was happening. I loved the ending.


Ill be looking out for more books by Katie Garner

4 stars

I love the mystery/thriller books that include unexpected twists and turns to surprise you and this book has many!

Dive into the Twisted World of The Family Inside!

Get ready to be utterly captivated by Katie Garner's latest thriller, The Family Inside. This isn't just a novel; it's a chilling descent into a gothic nightmare where family secrets lurk in the shadows of an ancient mansion.

Imagine this: Iris Blodgett, reeling from her husband's unsolved murder, is offered a lifeline by her new beau, Hugh. The solution? Move into his family's centuries-old mansion, Ravencliff. Sounds perfect, right? Wrong.

Garner masterfully cranks up the tension as Iris and her daughter, Ellory, step into a world where nothing is as it seems. The house itself seems to breathe with malevolence, and Hugh's family... they're not exactly the welcoming committee.

Just when you think you've figured it out, Garner pulls the rug out from under you.

This book is your next obsession. It's a stay-up-all-night, page-turning experience that will leave you breathless.

Don't just read a book; experience a thrill ride. Pick up The Family Inside and prepare to be haunted.

Check out this teaser :

It takes a special family to turn a home into a nightmare.

Since her husband’s unsolved murder three years ago, Iris Blodgett’s life has unraveled. Awash in grief and buried in debt, she can’t pay her mortgage—and now that she’s lost her job, she has no idea how she’ll provide for her unruly teenage daughter, Ellory.

Facing eviction, Iris turns to her new beau, prominent architect Hugh Smoll, for a shoulder to cry on. But the seemingly perfect Hugh offers her something more: an invitation to move in to his mother’s centuries-old mansion while he renovates the property.

It seems like the perfect solution, but when Iris and Ellory arrive at Ravencliff, the family inside isn’t quite what they expected. Iris didn’t even know Hugh had siblings, much less that they’d all be living together.

With repairs underway, the house gives up its dark secrets one by one. Before long, Iris unearths a chilling family history—and the terrifying reason she and Ellory were invited in the first place…

This is a Domestic Thriller/Psychological Thriller. WOW...this book is creepy and that twist I really did not see it coming. There was so much craziness and drama packed into this book. The end wrapped everything up, and once the big twist was revealed everything made sense. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.