A KILLER IN THE FAMILY

4 stars out of 5

To be honest, this - the fifth book in a series featuring Detective Chief Inspector Jonah Sheens - just didn't grab me. I'm pretty sure much of that comes because it's the first in the series that I've read, and what background was included wasn't sufficient for me to be able to really "connect" with any of the characters. That the story was very complex, with quite a few people to keep track of, made it even harder to process.

That said, once I got the lay of the land, so to speak - with burning pyres topped by women murdered by what appears to be a serial killer - the story itself kept me turning the pages (well, okay, thumbing the edge of my e-book reader). Before I get to the murders, though, I'll mention that the aforementioned Jonah is experiencing some kind of marital upset; that, too, most likely was an issue in a previous book or books. But here, too, there wasn't enough explanation for me to say, "Jonah, you're an idiot - grow up!" or sympathize with what he's going through.

The murders, though, are the primary focus. Finally, detectives catch a break when human blood is found at a partially burned pyre and it doesn't belong to the victim. At that point, they decide to try a new-to-them DNA search to identify the owner - or very close relatives of - the killer. About the same time, local resident and single mother Aisling Cooley sends her DNA to an ancestry website in hopes of finding the father who left with no warning when she was a teenager some 30 years earlier. She gets more than she bargained for when the police come to say that she's a close relative of the so-called "Bonfire Killer." But the only relatives she knows about are her father - who may not even be alive - and her two mostly-grown sons. Could one of them possibly be a murderer?

The rest of the book follows the complex investigation, with leads that turn out to be dead ends even though they have a DNA link. The ending didn't thrill me because I'm not a fan of cliffhangers - and there are two gobsmackers here. I'm pretty sure most fans of this series will enjoy this one, though, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to become one by way of a pre-release review copy.

A Killer in the Family by Gytha Lodge (Random House, August 2023); 405 pp.

UPGRADE

5 stars out of 5

Save a dying world by surreptitiously installing DNA "upgrades?" Let me think on that for a bit. When it means a billion human beings will be collateral damage? Um...

There's plenty more food for thought in this fascinating tale of a radical plan to keep the human race going for more than the century some experts insist it's got left. Problem is, it's illegal. Following a colossal disaster brought on by Logan Ramsay's brilliant geneticist mother Miriam, the Gene Protection Agency was formed and the practice of so-called gene-editing became a federal crime. Now, Miriam is long gone, Logan is all grown up, married with a young daughter and working for the GPA. When they learn about an illicit gene lab, a team that includes Logan heads out to shut it down. And that's when everything goes haywire and the nonstop action begins in a setting in which half of New York City and Miami are under water, Lake Mead has dried up and the outlook for the rest of the planet looks bleak at best.

When the lab explodes, you see, Logan is injured by sharp objects; soon, it becomes apparent that he's changing. Suddenly, he's physically stronger, has a noticeably sharper mind and somehow has acquired the ability to "read" other people and their thoughts. In other words, his genome has been altered - but by whom? And perhaps more importantly, why?

The answer, at least to Logan, is absolutely mind-blowing and changes his life forever - even more so when he learns of a plan to "save" civilization by way of the aforementioned genetic upgrading. What should he do? Clearly, the world won't survive much longer if nothing is done - but is this the only solution? Should there be a solution at all? Heavy questions with no easy answers for Logan (or for readers, except maybe for climate deniers). Whatever he decides to do, it won't be easy; of course, I'll save the details for those who want to tackle this intriguing and thought-provoking story that I'm glad I had the chance to read. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the pre-release copy to read and review.

Whew!

Upgrade by Blake Crouch (Ballantine Books, July 2022); 341 pp.