A Killer in the Family: The gripping new thriller that will have you hooked from the first page

Product Information

I really enjoyed this journey through Southampton and was surprised by both the killer and the family. As Detective Sheens investigates further, he begins to question the loyalty of everyone in the Cooley family. Anyways, I thought this was a unique premise for a police procedural and it could spark some great book club debates over privacy issues.

Meanwhile, Lyndhurst single mother Aisling Cooley is spending New Year's Day with her two teenaged sons, Ethan and Finn.

Gytha Lodge is the author of She Lies in Wait, Watching from the Dark, Lie Beside Me, and Little Sister. I'm pretty sure most fans of this series will enjoy this one, though, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to become one by way of a pre-release review copy. She has signed with Penguin Random House worldwide for the first three books in her crime series featuring DCI Jonah Sheens. From detective to victim – and everything in between – each character leaps off the page: real, rounded and relatable. Read more about the condition New: A new, unread, unused book in perfect condition with no missing or damaged pages.

I normally never, ever, ever pick up ARCs months before their actual release, but for this one, I was willing to break my own rules. Aisling had two sons, but she told the police they are both mild mannered and would never have killed anyone, but could it have been her estranged father's blood? I think there is potential and definitely some hidden pasts that you want to uncover and find how everything is connected, but for me I have to pass. I enjoyed the plot, the idea of using DNA to find the killer is a unique concept one which I have only seen in one other book (the match by Harlan Coben). Aisling Cooley is desperate to find her father, who disappeared years before, and she decides to send a DNA sample to an ancestry site, hoping that her father had done the same.Generally, I only like romance series novels and not police procedural series or thriller series novels. It’s an incredibly intriguing topic which involves all sorts of ethical conundrums with regard to privacy. The Bonfire Killer was on the loose, and unknown to Aisling someone whose blood type matched blood at the newest murder scene belonged to a close relative of hers. What makes this twisty, intelligent, heart-throbbing psychological thriller series so unique is the way Gytha Lodge delves into deep layers of characters, allowing us not only to connect with each of them but also become a part of their world. The chance mention of a name from her past prompts her to finally look through the boxes of photographs and papers she put aside in her spare room after her mother died.

Even better, just when I thought it had all come to a head there were more revelations yet to be had. That was, of course, even before I got to the conclusion, which had me shouting in horror and shock. I had so many different theories, but I actually hoped I wasn’t correct, as I really liked all the characters involved.Having spent most of my summers in and around the New Forest, a lot of the places were familiar, which really helped to bring the story to life as I could visualise everything clearly. I feel like in a lot of stories involving people that work together, there's always some sort of drama or contempt amongst the characters. This had a beautiful pace and I loved that it centered more on Juliette and Ben; they have been my favourites throughout the series. On top of everything I’ve already gushed about, I was also thrilled to find just a dash of romance and a heaping helping of poignant themes.