The Serial Killer Gene – ARC Book Review

Quick Review:- A gripping, fast paced page turning thriller that will keep you up all night.

Rating:- 4 stars.

Some scenes of domestic abuse

What if murder is in your blood?

The new dark and twisty psychological domestic suspense from the bestselling author of The Serial Killer’s Wife, about compulsion, betrayal, and whether blood really is thicker than water — perfect for fans of Lisa Jewel, K.L. Slater, and B.A. Paris.

Lily thought she was an ordinary woman with an ordinary life. But when a DNA test seems to reveal she carries the ‘serial killer gene’, she is terrified by the thought of passing it onto her future children. She decides to break off her engagement and move back in with her devoted mother, Eva — until unexpected sparks fly with a charismatic journalist, and Lily finds herself diving into a wild, intoxicating new relationship.

Their obsession soon turns toxic, and as they spiral out of control Lily’s traumatic past resurfaces, leaving her questioning everything she thought she knew. Could she be the monster she fears she is?

Confronted with a sudden, horrifying murder, Lily’s only choice is to turn to the one person who has always protected her mother. But Eva is hiding secrets that could destroy them both…

From the bestselling author of The Serial Killer’s Wife, this is a new gripping psychological suspense about compulsion, betrayal, and whether blood really is thicker than water — perfect for fans of Lisa Jewel, K.L. Slater, and B.A. Paris.

Lily believes she is an ordinary woman with a perfect job and seemingly in a perfect relationship. But when she does DNA testing for fun, she finds out that she has what is called a “warrior” gene. Lily researched about the gene to find that people who has “warrior” gene has serial killer gene in their blood. Lily gets out of her engagement, moves in with her mother Eva and enters into a toxic relationship with a woman named Margo. Soon, Margo seems to be controlling her–from coming to her workplace and basically controlling everything, including trying to find more about Lily’s past childhood. Lily is worried that the past might caught up to her. Then an unexpected murder happened and Lily turns to one person she trusts most–her mother Eva.

From start to finish, this book was fast paced and page turner. The concept of having “serial killer” gene is really interesting though I am not sure if it was biologically proven. The story changes between present and past and part of the story is told in Lily’s POV the rest of the story told in Eva’s POV. The story covers sensitive topics, such as domestic abuse, murder etc. The whole story is well written, with snippets of Lily’s childhood shown in the story, to paint a picture of what Lily is actually like during her childhood. Lily’s own toxic and controlling relationship with her girlfriend Margo was well written and described.

There is tension in the whole story and the tension seems to be building gradually throughout the story and I like how the author manage to create that type of tension. The whole story was gripping and intense read and the ending…the twist at the end and the reveal at the end was quiet unexpected.

This is the third book I have read of Alice Hunter and she certainly didn’t disappoint me with this one. This is a unique thriller with a serial killer gene concept and this book will make you feel like you are on the edge.

Overall I give this book a four star reading and looking forward to read more books from this author.

Thank you Avon publishers for inviting me to review this book. Thank you Netgalley for providing the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.