I read Watch Her Vanish and Her Perfect Bones and so Ellery Kane’s newest release, The Wrong Family, piqued my curiosity. The suspense, engaging storyline, plot twists and interesting characters will have readers glued to the pages as they attempt to unravel the secrets of the Thompson family.
He tells you he’s your father. He welcomes you into his family. And now you’re trapped… I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.
Title: The Wrong Family
Author(s): Ellery A. Kane
Published by Bookouture on August 30, 2023
Pages: 408
Genre(s): Psychological Thriller
Source: Publisher
Format: eArc 
Purchase: Amazon|Audible
Rating: 
I’ve never met my father. It was always just me and Mom, so when she died, I was completely alone. But today, years since I first mailed my DNA to Family Ties, I finally have a match. They’ve found my biological father.
When I meet Robert , he’s warm, dependable, sturdy. I’m desperate for him to like me. I want to be part of his perfect, high-flying family more than anything.
Except, I’m not so sure they are perfect. Every day, strange things go wrong in the Thompsons’ grand Lake Tahoe house. A family photo is found burning. Robert’s car is tampered with. My mother’s necklace goes missing.
Though that’s nothing compared to the horror of finding the huge family portrait violently slashed in its ornate gold frame… But someone is trying to blame me for everything—all eyes are on me. I can’t run now.
And then I receive an email from Family Ties that makes my blood run cold.
Robert Thompson is not my father.
Now I’m trapped in a house full of strangers, with no idea who I can trust. And I’m terrified my life is in grave danger…
The Wrong Family tells the story of Hallie Sherman. Since losing her mom at the tender age of nine, Hallie has been in and out of several foster homes. During this time, the life she lived was plagued with one misfortune after the other. During this time, she searches for the man who sired her. In doing so, she engaged the services of an ancestry/genetic testing company, Family Ties. Now at the age of twenty-eight, her search bore fruit. One of the many Robert Thompson’s responded, indicating he was a match. However, on her arrival in the Thompson’s home, weird things start happening. For some reason, these events always lead back to her. She now needs to unravel the mystery behind the events, before it’s too late.
Hallie was a flawed but likeable character. However, the same can’t be said of most of the secondary characters. Not only were they flawed, bur they were also rotten to the core. One cannot help but feel empathy for Hallie. Having endured so much pain and loss, she is trying to find a place where she fits in. She believes the Thompson’s could provide her with all she had missed out on growing up.
Although the pacing was not as one would expect from a thriller, the suspense on the pages made it a riveting read. Also trying to figure out the source of the strange events along with the family secrets aided in making this a page turner. It was interesting seeing how the series of events leading up to the shocking revelation played out. I had an inkling regarding a particular character and their role in the weird events. However, I never expected the shocking reveal regarding their identity.
Overall, an intriguing read which ended on a satisfying note with justice served. I wholeheartedly recommend The Wrong Family to readers who enjoy psychological thrillers.
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About Ellery A. Kane
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
