The Family Tree – ARC Book Review

The DNA results are back. And there’s a serial killer in her family tree…

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 late?

No. of pages:- 412 pages

Published:- will be published on 10th June 2021

Publisher :- Avon

Genre:- Thriller

First of all, thank you Netgalley, Avon Publishers and the authors for inviting me to review this ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

And….WOW!! What did I just read? What would happen when you suddenly discover through your DNA test that one of your family members is a serial killer?? And not just an ordinary serial killer but someone who has been wanted by FBI for almost a decade? That’s what happened to Liz Catalano.

When Liz does DNA family tree test with the urge of her cousin Andie, she finds out that that she was adopted as she did not have any Italian family background like she should be having. Desperate to find more information about her biological family, she uploads her DNA family test into a government site, as apparently her mother did some time for possessing drugs. Then comes the surprise when two FBI agents knocks on her apartment and tells her that from her mother’s side of the family, there’s a serial killer in the family who has been terrorizing the Tri State area for decade. Now Liz desperately wants answers and finds two of the male relatives from her mother’s side who is still alive–her grand uncles Cris who is a vet and Adam. Could one of them be the killer?

This story left me breathless! From the first page onwards, I was hooked into the story and stayed up all night to finish the book! The story is mainly told from Liz’s point of view though there were chapters of the victims of the Tri State Killer, starting from 1974 recounting their final hours in the hands of a demented killer. I couldn’t simply put this book down and shared the same frustration with Liz at her desperate quest to find the answers. The story was unpredictable, with twists and turns and a fast paced–all those qualities of a good thriller book! The authors did a good job drawing the reader into the story. The ending was unpredictable and I truly enjoyed reading the book.

Overall, this book gave me a roller coaster ride with twists and turns you didn’t even expect, staying up all night finishing this fast paced thriller that left me breathless–looking forward to read more from this duo and worth five stars!

Steph Mullin works by day as Creative Director for Townsquare Media, using early mornings, nights, and weekends to write fiction. Steph’s dream of becoming a writer started at age 6, followed by winning scholastic writing awards and crafting articles for her university’s literary magazine. In her 20’s, she became engrossed in true crime podcasts and literature, which later became the perfect source of inspiration to launch her second career as an author writing dark and twisty thrillers. In 2018, Steph relocated from NYC to Charlotte, North Carolina where she currently resides with her husband and her rescue puppy. Outside of reading, writing, and playing with her dog, you may find her sipping on a soy latte, watching a new movie, or trying out new recipes in the kitchen.

Nicole Mabry spends her days at NBCUniversal as the Senior Manager of Photography Post Production. Her nights are reserved for writing novels. At the age of seven, she read The Boxcar Children, sparking a passion for reading and writing early on. Nicole grew up in the Bay Area in Northern California and went to college at UCLA for Art History. During a vacation, she fell in love with New York City and has lived in Queens for the past sixteen years. On weekends you can find her with a camera in hand and her dog, Jackson, by her side. Nicole is an animal lover and horror movie junkie.