This book did not disappoint. I found it quite intriguing and a definite page turner. Thank you Avon books and NetGalley for the chance to read this book! Excellent!

Pub Date: June 2021

This was brilliant! I couldn't put it down, it was a fast paced, page turner. First book I've read by these authors, but most definitely not my last. I love books that have several POV set in past & present as you can get a clearer picture of what's happening & why.

I haven't unearthed anything like this in my family tree yet, but can you imagine finding out you were an adopted child & you now had to work closely with the FBI as it seems one of your new found relatives is the Tri-state Killer 😱

Many thanks to Netgalley for my ARC in return for my honest review

𝗜 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 5 ⭐ 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴

Utterly captivating, dark and twisted an excellent read that I couldn’t bear to put down. The idea behind it is stunning, current and ingenious, that a killer is tracked down due to a genealogical DNA testing result. We follow the highs and lows of the main character, discovering all is not what it seemed with her current family, the excitement of discovering her real roots and ‘new’ family members to bond with and then the horror of the family secrets she might really discover. The narrative is believable, terrifying and edgy and there are red herrings along the way. I loved the ending, if indeed it is the ending, much as it was chilling.

A great book with loads of twists and turns and shocks galore. This was an absolute roller-coaster. Amazing. Loved it. Xx

I can really recommend this thriller, I am an avid family historian and have done my DNA. I can imagine this happening in real life.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book for review. The story centers around a woman who discovers she is adopted and begins searching for her birth family. She discovers a serial killer... the FBI becomes involved and the whole scenario seems to be missing something . Few surprises. The stories about the missing girls was quite disturbing and really did not fit into the whole plot of adoption and birth families. This was a struggle .

Fantastic read that I found to be a real page turner, it was a gripping thriller with a different narrative than the stereotypical POV of the serial killer, or a detective. I thoroughly enjoyed the originality within this book, not only a different style of POV but also a different storyline than one may expect from a serial killer/ thriller. I found that taking the approach of focusing on ancestry and online DNA websites that now exist was an original and thought provoking idea in the modern world, which was enjoyable to see in fiction.

The book was brilliantly written and at times created so much suspense that I was anxious for the characters wellbeing to the point I had to take a break, showing the authors great ability to draw in the audience. Between chapters the author switched to be from the POV of the victim, the killer, or the main protagonist which was unusual and enjoyable as it helped the reader create a more well rounded understanding of not only the life of the main character but also the related crimes, and the killers personality. Furthermore the victims were portrayed as fully rounded characters, and despite there being 25, all in similar circumstances, they were written to show their different experiences. I believe this took great skill to show their different outlooks, thoughts and personality rather than just a generic "victim" identity so I greatly enjoyed the scenes from their point of view.

I enjoyed the relationships and different character personalities that were demonstrated throughout the book, showing how they interacted and reacted off each other as fully rounded individuals. Furthermore I enjoyed that there was developed cultural representation, with the main character being raised in an Italian family, and learning about her Mexican roots. Despite this I did find the protagonist, Liz, annoying and difficult to like at times. I found that she made at the least questionable, and regularly unsafe and stupid decisions which made her character frustrating. However, given the fact that she was undergoing the stress of discovering she was adopted, and that her biological family may have a serial killer in it, it is easy to believe that she may make some irrational and unsafe choices as a reaction to these stresses.

There was intensity throughout the book however the ending truly had me gripped, with a shocking twist. Following this the epilogue had me on the edge of my seat with another unexpected twist, as well as leaving room for the chance of a sequel, which I would immediately read. Overall I truly enjoyed this book and would recommend it, I could find only minor flaws whilst reading none of which detracted from my overall enjoyment of the story.

A big thank you to Avon Books and Netgalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting and somewhat unique story. The writing is also not bad and did not make me want to stop reading after a few pages, which a lot of novels make me want to do these days.

However, I found the detailed scenes from the viewpoint of the victims quite spine chilling and I did not want to read those parts. They remind me of the CSI TV series.

I hope to see more of these authors' books.

I was so intrigued by the premise of this book, and this book did not disappoint! .  Imagine finding out you're adopted by doing a 23andMe test, and then having that test lead to finding out you're related to one of the most notorious and unidentified Serial Killers in your area.  This is what happens to Liz Catalano, when she is gifted a test by her cousin Andie.  Liz deals with a number of startling revelations and betrayals by deciding to face them all head on, and help identify the killer. 

I really enjoyed this story for so many reasons.  The plot was twisty and unusual with a satisfying ending.  Liz, her cousin Andie and her family were thoughtful and respectful people who worked together to heal when family secrets lead Liz to feel betrayed.  Most importantly, I really appreciated how the victims of the killer, are humanized and thoughtfully portrayed.  So often in books with serial killer villains, the killer is glamorized and the victims largely forgotten, and I like how the authors took their story in a different direction.

When Liz takes a dna test, the results shock her and her cousin, Andie. Liz learns there is a family link to a serial killer which leads her to an ongoing fbi investigation. Is Liz putting her own life on the line.

This was such a great read. I enjoyed having the two chapter points of view which really gripped without going into anything too horrific.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

The Family Tree has a great premise - who wouldn't be hooked by such an intriguing idea?

Sadly, though, I struggled to gel with this book. I loved the concept and the originality of the storyline, but I'm sorry to say that it just didn't live up to my initial hopes.

The pacing throughout the story felt strange. The start was exciting, with Liz uncovering the secret of her adoption and her connection to the shadowy serial killer. The ending was tense with a shocking twist. However, between these two points, not much happened at all. The middle part of the book felt very uninspired and aside from the flashbacks to the killer's previous victims, it just wasn't very exciting to read.

I also found it difficult to engage with a lot of the characters. Liz made several questionable, frustrating decisions. Her cousin was over-the-top and the rest of her adoptive family sadly fell flat. The suspects were the most interesting characters - partly due to the question of the killer's identity, but also due to the fact that they seemed much more fleshed out and three-dimensional than the other characters.

Although the case reaches its end, a number of loose threads were left unresolved at the end of the book. I struggle with unresolved plot points and a lot was left hanging by the time I reached the last page of The Family Tree. I wonder if a sequel is on the cards?

I really wanted to love this book, but sadly it just wasn't for me.

The Family Tree was a partly entertaining  and partly disturbing psychological thriller. While the premise was excellent, an annoying protagonist and a botched climax, made this novel hard to like.

Liz Catalano finds herself in the midst of an FBI investigation, when a DNA kit result reveals that she is related to a serial killer. The Tri-State Killer has wreaked terror in the lives of women in the area for about forty years and Liz's DNA is the first breakthrough that the FBI has obtained in as many years. Curiousity about her new family and apprehension regarding the identity of the killer, forces Liz to throw caution to the wind and conduct her own solo investigation.

The first half of the book was engaging and a real page-turner. In direct contrast, the latter half of the book was a sore disappointment. The way Liz turns against her loving adoptive parents and goes in search of her serial-killer biological family was something that I could not identify with. After a great beginning and a suspenseful build-up, the climax fell horribly flat. Though the author managed to tie up all the loose ends, even giving Liz a possible romance and a budding career at the end, there was a certain sense of closure that was still lacking. And let's not even talk about that epilogue.

Overall, an interesting book that started off great but ended poorly.

A big thank you to Avon Books and Netgalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was such a fun ride I had a hard time putting it down! I was immediately interested in it because it focuses on using DNA results in a public database to find a serial killer. This is a story that I had just started hearing about in the news/true crime genre (Golden State Killer - Gone in the Dark) but thought would be an interesting premise in fiction. Turns out it was a page turner for me which is exactly what I needed after being in a year long reading slump.

I loved how the chapters went between the serial killer’s POV and Liz in the present. Typically I hate dual timelines but the way it unraveled felt very clear and easy to follow chronologically. It also added to the story by helping me to piece it together from two perspectives in a unique way that felt unlike other dual timeline stories I’ve read before.
This book also features a normal girl who gets thrown into a criminal investigation as it happens. Since she came from such an ordinary world it helped to ground the shocking things going on around her. I also thought she and her cousin were well developed and had great banter between them that felt realistic. Especially for later scenes in the book as Liz begins to research and interact with her blood family.

As thrilling as this book was my favorite part had to be the cultural representation - Liz being raised in an Italian family then learning about her Mexican roots. A main protagonist is rarely ever a Hispanic woman so it was refreshing for me to read since I am Hispanic and hardly ever see representation in a lead character from this genre.

Overall, I think it’s great if you enjoy thrillers and if you are interested in a fast-paced read about how a DNA database could be crucial in a decades long ongoing case.

This book had an interesting concept and I was quite excited to read it however, I found that it is very poorly written. It should have gripped me but unfortunately I struggled to stick with it. I was very disappointed overall.

#TheFamilyTree #NetGalley
A good read.
Liz Catalano is shocked when an ancestry kit reveals she’s adopted. But she could never have imagined connecting with her unknown family would plunge her into an FBI investigation of a notorious serial killer…
The Tri-State Killer has been abducting pairs of women for forty years, leaving no clues behind – only bodies.Can Liz figure out who the killer in her new family is? And can she save his newest victims before it’s too latey.
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for giving me an advanced copy of this book.

Fantastic read. I have been completely unable to put this one down. I cannot wait to read more by this author.
Full review to follow on publication.

The cover and the blurb sets an ominous tone, hooking you right in. Liz Catalans takes a DNA test and learns she is adopted. But that’s not the only shocker, she discovers she is related to the Tri-State Killer! The Tri-State Killer has been abducting pairs of women for forty years, leaving their bodies but no clues. Liz has so many questions and is full of emotions. The story is good, I like the blending of true crime within a story. It’s fast paced and has a lot of action! Thank you to the authors, Avon Books, and NetGalley for a gifted copy. This is my honest review.

This is not the most original thriller. However, it was a page turner and I kept reading to find out how it ended up. I also really enjoyed the formatting which were the two separate plot lines told in alternating chapters.

Possibly one of the worst written books I have read so far this year. In fact, it was almost kind of painful for me to try and get through this book because the writing was that bad.
I'm not sure what I expected, but from the beautiful cover and the promise of the premise, I was sorely let down. And let me tell you, this book had potential.

I think the biggest issue for me in this book was the writing. I felt like I was stumbling through a poorly written draft from a fourteen year old with run-on sentences, childlike dialogue and an excruciatingly painful written characters.
We're supposedly following a story of a girl who finds out she's adopted - and to top it off, she's connected to a serial killer who kills women. I was expecting a mystery, some element of a thriller, but all I got was bland nothingness. The only commendable and semi-interesting part of this book was the chapters told from the point of view of the killer.

I hate to rate something one star, but I really found this book hard to get through and if it wasn't for a review, I would have DNF it.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.