Title: A Killer in the Family

Author: Gytha Lodge

Genre: Thriller/Mystery

Publisher: Penguin Michael Joseph

Publication Date: 4th January 2024 (Paperback)

Rating: 4.5/5

Cover:

Book Summary:

Aisling’s family has never been picture-perfect: abandoned as a child by her father, and still grieving her mother,
Aisling’s two sons are all she has left. For years, they’d felt like enough.

Now, she needs answers.

Desperate to find the truth – about her family, and herself – Aisling uploads her DNA to an ancestry website. She soon finds a match.

But instead of her father, she’s faced with Detective Jonah Sheens.

He’s investigating the latest in a string of murders by a serial killer. Aisling’s DNA is a match for the crime scene, leaving the police with three suspects: her long-lost father, and her two sons.

Aisling always swore she’d do anything to protect the little family she has left.

But would she protect a murderer?

Review:

A Killer in the Family takes a look at a really fascinating modern aspect of policing which seems to be just beginning to become more utilised here in the UK – that is the use of DNA databases that are generally used to find long lost family or ancestors but instead using them to identify the family of criminal suspects. It’s an incredibly intriguing topic which involves all sorts of ethical conundrums with regard to privacy. Add to that a mysterious and twisty serial killer investigation for Jonah and his dedicated and likeable team and you’ve got a fabulous police procedural story!

Part of what makes this series so enjoyable is Jonah Sheens himself and the small team he has around him. I love that they are a true team, with little duplicity or tension between them. They support each other and work hard to apprehend dangerous criminals in a way that makes the reader almost feel like part of the team themselves. A Killer in the Family is an addictive and gripping read which delivers some serious twists and turns, ending on an extremely dramatic note which has me impatiently awaiting the next book in this brilliant series!

Highly recommended.

✶✶✶✶.5

Thank you to Kallie and Michael Joseph Books for having me on the readalong and sending me a copy of the book. My review is entirely my own honest opinion.

Buy the book:

Waterstones | Blackwell’s | Amazon