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Book Review: The Family Bones by Elle Marr @zhongxia246 @ellemarr_

The Family Bones
by Elle Marr

Amazon  / B&N / BB

 

What makes a psychopath? A young woman delves into her family’s shadowy legacy in a terrifying novel by the #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author of Strangers We Know.


Psychology student Olivia Eriksen’s family is notorious among true-crime buffs. Faced with a legacy of psychopathy that spans generations, Olivia has spent much of her academic life trying to answer one chilling question: Nature or nurture?

Although she’s kept a safe distance from her blood relatives for years, Olivia agrees to attend a weekend reunion. After all, her fiancé is eager to meet his future in-laws, and the gathering may give her a chance to interview her elusive grandfather about the family traits.

But nothing is ever peaceful among the Eriksens for long. Olivia’s favorite cousin is found dead in a nearby lake. Then another family member disappears. As a violent storm isolates the group further, Olivia’s fears rise faster than the river.

And an uninvited guest is about to join the party. True-crime podcaster Birdie Tan has uncovered a disturbing mystery in her latest investigation―and she’s following it right to the Eriksens’ mountain resort. There’s a deadly twist in the family plot that even Olivia doesn’t see coming.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Nature or nurture? Is it genetic that so many of my family members seem to fall along the spectrum of personality disorders? Or simply circumstantial because we’ve been swimming in the same toxic fishbowl our entire lives?

It struck me as unusual and a little scary, but the rest of the household went right on eating cake.

Strange to think you could grow up knowing someone, yet know only the life they chose to share with you.

My Review:

 

This toxic collection of relatives was all kinds of creepy and had a family tree that was rotten and diseased to the roots. The storylines were taut with tension and populated by vile and disturbingly black-hearted human beings. I was on edge yet deeply intrigued and unable to let the story go, even when I put my kindle down and went about my day. I also found that I was so invested in the story I was occasionally fretful during perusal. Elle Marr is a sly minx, her tale sucked me in, tossed me around, and spit me back out all disheveled and exhausted. Her word voodoo is strong and held me captive. I now need a spa day and a vat of wine to relax my shoulders from my ears. I’m running back to check her listing to see what else she has conjured.

Elle Marr is a #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author of thrillers. Her latest book THE FAMILY BONES earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly, which called it a “mesmerizing psychological thriller.” Originally from Sacramento, Elle graduated from UC San Diego before moving to France, where she earned a master’s degree from the Sorbonne University in Paris. She now lives and writes in Oregon with her family.

Coming in Spring 2024, her next book THE ALONE TIME is available for pre-order now. YOUR DARK SECRETS, a thriller in the vein of Flight Attendant meets I Care A Lot, will publish Summer 2024.