I was recently accepted by Netgalley for an eARC of this novel, and it certainly did not disappoint!

'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?'

The novel starts by diving straight into Liz finding out that she's adopted, via a DNA ancestry kit gifted to her by her cousin. After this revelation, she takes it upon herself to find her long lost paternal family, and discovers a Great Uncle and his wife only a couple of hours away.

What I really loved about this book is that there's no rambling or inconsequential writing, everything that you read is important to the novel; because of this, I was hooked.

The fact that this book is written by co-authors is brilliant; you really cannot tell as all of the writing flows seamlessly.

I also loved that after every chapter, you get a chapter with the victims of the Tri-State Killer. You read from their perspectives and get a glimpse into the man that Liz is related to.

Without giving too much away, after Liz discovers that her 'Grand Uncle' could be the Tri-State Killer, it's a race against time for her to find out if he really is the man the FBI have been after for years, to not only rescue his current victims, but also to protect Liz as she herself could be in danger.

Knowing nothing about Steph and Nicole, I went into this book blind, unsure whether I would enjoy it. Turns out, they are both incredible writers, that have written an utterly brilliant story.

It is gripping, clever and has plenty of twists and turns!

Definitely recommend!

Liz Catalano shares an apartment with best friend and cousin Andie, works in social media and has a good life. But nothing could have prepared her for the results of the dna test that Andie gave her for a Christmas present.
Liz finds out that she was adopted as a baby and sets out to find her birth family. So far, so normal...although alongside the story of Liz, there are the stories of pairs of girls going missing, later found dead, and finally linked to the Tri-State Killer who has been active for forty years.
Liz finds out that her birth mother possibly had drug issues, so she decides to let her dna be available to police etc. She has a visit from FBI investigators and is horrified to find that she could be related to a serial killer. And there are two girls missing again.
Can she find out who it is - surely it can’t be her long lost grand-uncle, however strangely he seems to be acting?
Slightly creepy, page turning thriller based on a true story - it is chilling and breathless and you will want to finish it in one go.
Thanks #netgalley for the review copy.

Absolutely fabulous book, I could not put it down for wanting to know what would happen next. The suspense and intrigue as to who the killer could be in the newly discovered biological family line was very well set out and detailed. I can imagine how this type of dna testing has brought to the forefront a lot of family secrets and I found this book to give a realistic portrayal of this and led the story to a well done suspense.

Liz Catalano is devastated when an ancestry kit her cousin gave her as a gift shows that she was adopted. But there is more shocks to come when she put her DNA on an national website and the FBI come calling looking for a serial killer in her family. A brilliant read, very gripping as Liz decides to investigate who the killer could be in her new family. Told in points of view from Liz then switches to the victims of the serial killer. I found this unputdownable and loved the new take on serial killer themes. This is a must read.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Liz and her cousin decide to do an ancestry kit. When they do they open a can of worms Liz finds out she is adopted which comes as a shock. Liz later learns that a family member from her adopted family murdered many women. This book was both gripping and well written.

I found this to be a superb thriller, it is very unusual in its format, in that chapters of a serial killers' victims are interspersed with chapters of Lizzie searching for, and finding, her birth family after a DNA test revealed she is adopted. (no further spoilers)
I found this book really interesting and the writing really gripped my attention and didn't let go!
All is not as it seems, and there is a delicious twist too, a really absorbing thrilker which is clever and intelligently written, which I thoroughly enjoyed!

Well, the cover originally drew me in here. I am a sucker for a blood red background and haunting trees in the foreground.... Sign. Me. Up.

So once I'd been persuaded visually, I read the blurb and the deal was sealed. What I can say at this point, is that I was very much looking forward to reading this and had VERY high hopes.

I wasn't disappointed! :) This is a fantastic story, one I won't forget for a long while. The writing is intense and thoughtful. The tension is ratcheted up so high you can feel your heart in your throat at times. I loved following along with this normal girl and her quest for the truth.

Plenty of twists and turns to keep you hooked throughout, this one will haunt your dreams.

Do you have a serial killer lurking in your past? Or maybe in your future??

Absolutely recommended to fans of serial killer thrillers (obviously) anmd tense scenes that unfold over a dual timeline narrative.

I really enjoyed this book. The premise is good about the mysteries you might unveil when you use new technology and science to do an ancestry check. The storyline and style drew me in from the beginning and kept me reading to see how it ended. Would recommend as a good crime read for fans of the genre.

I felt that this was a good idea, following a newly discovered birth family and the possible criminal activity within it as the adopted daughter discovers suddenly revealed truths! However, the ease of access to the new information in the first half of the story seemed rather unlikely. Very little searching was required. For me, the second half seemed more authentic.
I found that the historical stories of the abducted girls running along with the present day illustrated the scary behaviour of the killer!

When I read the blurb for The Family Tree I knew that I had to read it. I love a good serial killer story and the twist in this one was brilliant. It was everything that I had hoped it would be and more - highly recommend it.

When Liz receives a DNA testing kits for her birthday from her cousin and roommate, the last thing she expects is to learn that she is adopted. As devastated as she is, she knows she needs to find her birth family. Who is she really? She finds a Grand Uncle not too far away from where she lives in New York and is thrilled. But it is not long before the FBI come knocking with more information on her family - her DNA matches that of a serial killer who has been abducting and killing women for 40 years and they need her help.

Tell me that does have you excited to read this.! It is as good as it sounds and you need to get your hands on it ASAP. Released June 10th, this is a must read for all you crime book lovers

Thanks to Avon Books UK and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read.

Liz Catalano is shocked when an ancestry DNA 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 - just bodies. Can Liz figure out who the killer in her new family is?

Liz Catalano gets an ancestry DNA kit from her cousin. When the results come back, Liz discovers that she was adopted as a baby. She wants to find out all about her biological family but she won't like what she finds out. Then the FBI turn up at her door to tell her that someone in her DNA FAMILY is linked to a serial killer.

This is why I wouldn't do a DNA test in case I didn't like what I find out. This turns out to be quite a dark read. The pace is steady and the plotline gripping. The story is told from Liz and the serial killers points of view. This is an interesting read that held my attention throughout.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #AvonBooksUk and the author #StephMullin for my ARC of #TheFamilyTree in exchange for an honest review

It's no secret that I have a weak spot for thrillers with a serial killer angle, so as soon as I read the blurb of The Family Tree I knew I had to read it. The premise of this story is fantastic: imagine yourself doing an ancestry kit, only for the results to come back to tell you that you are not only adopted, but also related to a serial killer... Talk about an explosive stepping stone to build your thriller on! And I most definitely liked the story this author duo created for us.

The first thing that probably stands out is the structure of the plot. The story starts with a bang when we get a glimpse inside the head of the serial killer, and afterwards we switch between main character Liz Catalano and the POV of the numerous victims of the Tri-State Killer to show us how the serial killer takes and treats his victims. I found those chapters particularly fascinating and they were without doubt what made this story stand out for me. They were perfect to both get a glimpse inside the head of our killer and useful to give us little hints as to his identity... And they added a healthy dose of tension too.

The chapters from Liz' POV were likewise interesting, although she could get on my nerves and some of her actions were not that credible. I still like the idea behind her background and how she deals with suddenly realizing she is adopted and having a serial killer in her biological family to boot. I do like that she is nosy and wants to discover all there is about her biological family. BUT. The repetition of her feeling betrayed and her stubbornness to keep investigating and putting herself in danger even if the FBI warned her off? And her potentially harming the case against the killer by obstructing justice as well as possibly alterating evidence? Quite frustrating indeed. There was just something about her personality that didn't work that well for me, but I do get why she was written this way.

The writing itself is engaging and made it really hard to put down my kindle until I reached that final page. While I do have to say that I guessed the identity of the killer right, I didn't see that ending coming at all. It does seem doubtful that the FBI would leave the investigation without tying up the loose ends though... But as a whole, there is no doubt that The Family Tree both starts and ends with a bang.

In short, if you are looking for an engaging and suspenseful thriller with a serial killer angle, and like the sound of hearing the POV of the victims as well as an unofficial investigation into the killer's identity, The Family Tree is a great choice.

This book has a really interesting premise; a young woman finds out that she's adopted and begins to search for information about her blood relatives. Alternating chapters tell the story of young college friends being abducted and killed, from the killers perspective, alongside the experience of the main character in searching for her family. Then, these two stories collide as the FBI make contact with Liz (the main character).

However, despite it's promise, it just didn't work for me and I found the second half of the book a difficult read. It comes to a reasonable conclusion, just didn't live up to my initial expectations.

A 2* OK read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview.

Very creative premise! It feels like more and more people are taking these DNA tests every day, so while the idea of a serial killer being tracked through your family tree sounds far-fetched - could this advancement in technology make these situations uniquely possible?

I especially liked the investigation focus of this novel, which was surprising because that's usually my least favorite part. The forensics and few science bits we got were really interesting and worked for an investigation that was focused years in the past.

One thing that I wish would be more of a line-up of suspects, I think a few more characters added into the mix could add even MORE suspense. So for the whodunit aspect this lacked a little bit more for me, but still didn't take away my full enjoyment.

Thank you Avon Books and Netgalley!

I could not put this book down!! It had me hooked. I always know I like a book when it’s something I’m thinking about all day and I can’t wait to get home to carry on reading.

It was gripping, scary, dark and it kept you on edge.

The way it told the story through the cases, moving forward a little each time was so clever and really worked.

Then flipping back to the present.

When it ended, I was slightly disappointed as I felt it didn’t live up to the rest of the book and then the ultimate twist happened! Then it all made sense.

Amazing read and would highly recommend! Thank you NetGalley and Avonbooks for allowing me to read this book.

Liz takes a DNA test for a family tree but the results will not only shock her but also her cousin Andie.As a lover of police/csi i loved this book and will be reading more from this author.5*

Well this book had me turning the pages with a knot in my stomach, the tension simmering and getting stronger as the story progressed. It was too obvious who the culprit was but as the plot went along I had serious thoughts that it was a double bluff.
I enjoyed it even though the tension was pulsing from the pages. I would recommend this book to friends as it certainly is a page turner with a range of heart racing emotions you are sure to feel while reading it. Great read!!!

Liz's life is about to do a 180°turn. When her cousin and best friend Andy gifts her a DNA kit for her 27th birthday, she not only discovers that she was adopted, but she ended being contacted by the FBI about a possible genetic association to a serial Killer.

I loved the originality of the story. It's a refreshing change from the usual chase after serial killer stories. however, I couldn't fully enjoy the book because of many reasons. first I couldn't bound with the main characters.I kind of felt that most of liz decisions and reactions were immature for her age and I found Andy to be more on the annoying side than the cute one.
The first unfolding of the story was interesting, a little slow paced for my liking. The ending was ok but my biggest disappointment was the epilogue. I wish the authors would have stopped at the last chapter.

After receiving an ancestry DNA kit as a gift from her cousin, Liz discovers her parents are not her biological parents and she was adopted as a baby. On a search to find out as much as she can about her biological family, she finds more than she bargained for, when the FBI turns up on her doorstop, telling her someone’s DNA in her family is linked to a serial killer case.

This book was such a unique concept and I loved it! Liz, although she often rushed into situations she really shouldn’t have, was an interesting and multifaceted character. The mystery was so well done and I was guessing (incorrectly) at the outcome all the way through. The story was told from several points of view – Liz’s, the Tri-State Serial killer and each of his victims. The victim accounts really added to the feeling of urgency throughout the story.

A dark, twisted and intense murder mystery with a twist, I would highly recommend this one to anyone who enjoys this genre!

Great and twisted throughout leaving you on a fantastic cliffhanger and hoping there will be a sequel...