The Family Bones

By: Elle Marr

Narrated by: Jesse Vilinsky, Sura Siu, Jennifer Jill Araya, Arnell Powell

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.

©2023 Elle Marr (P)2023 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved

Critic reviews

“Narrated by Jesse Vilinsky, Sura Siu, Jennifer Jill Araya, and Arnell Powell, the full-cast recording is perfect for this fast-paced, time-hopping novel. Some may guess the surprise ending, but even so, Marr's (Strangers We Know) latest will keep listeners engrossed until the end. Highly recommended for fans of Lucy Foley, Ruth Ware, and Gillian Flynn.”—Library Journal

“Marr expertly builds tension by alternating between the two narratives, which eventually merge and build to an explosive conclusion. Readers will be captivated from the very first page.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“With a fresh take on the locked-room mystery, Elle Marr weaves a perilous and pulse-pounding tale of nature versus nurture. The Family Bones is a clever, wild, riveting ride that amps up the tension until I couldn’t flip the page fast enough. The interconnected threads, subtle clues, and jaw-dropping twists lead to a whopper of an ending.”—Samantha M. Bailey, USA Today and #1 national bestselling author of Woman on the Edge and Watch Out for Her

Too long, bad narration

I’m on chapter 22, not even halfway done, and there are still 6.75 hours left, so I may just skip to the end. It’s too long. I also got started and realized I had heard the main narrator in something else and didn’t enjoy it — her male voices are silly, and shaky, breathy, anxiety ridden reading is so distracting.

The other narrator — podcast girl — is not great either.

Unrealistic mental health issues

This could have been a decent book but this was overkill. Yes there is a genetic component but what really hurt it was Olivia. Not only her betrayal to Howard but to the reader. That at least could have been a redemption.

Narrators did well with what they had.

Lots of characters to follow

This is a fascinating story with many parts contributing to the overall story. It felt disjointed at times and a little hard to follow. Tough to keep track of all the confusing characters, especially in audio format. In the end it was overall enjoyable and had unexpected twists and turns making it a pretty great listen. Great narration.

Okay

This story was a bit long and drawn out. Lots of characters to keep up with. Okay as a free listen.

Interesting at first, but…

Interesting at first, but way too drawn out with too many twists. Olivia was not a believable character, which was quite problematic to the the whole plot. It might make an I wonder interesting movie if a few of the characters are completely left out and others are more developed.

pathetic

The main character is very much lacking in knowledge and understanding of psychology. If she is working on a doctorate they must have low standards. Continually thinking about whether or not she is or will be a psychopath is really crazy. No surprises here for me.

Too long and hard to follow

I was tempted several times to quit reading but thought it would get better. It doesn’t

Interesting subject matter

Intrigued by the title and subject matter. Held my attend for the most part however hard to follow at times as chapters changed characters and timelines so frequently.

It's got something going for it, but...

So much of the book revolves around discussions of psychology, but the main character sounds like a second-year psych student with knowledge a mile wide and an inch deep, which is tough being that she's meant to be the reader's expert guide on the subject. (It also makes the amount of exposition agonizing.) I genuinely think the author is trying very hard to be respectful, but the generality with which they discuss "psychopathy" just reminded me of that "true crime junkie" you know who vastly overestimates their understanding of criminal psychology.

The conflict surrounding whether the main character has "inherited" psychopathy feels forced (not least because this is a deeply controversial theory.) I think the author is trying valiantly to depict how difficult it can be for a neurodivergent person to accurately gauge their own actions and behaviors by the world's standards, but it didn't stick the landing for me given everything else we've been repeatedly told about the character. The entire third act feels like a futile exercise in convincing us that the seeds for the conclusion were planted.

I don't think this is a terrible book. If I had to pick an adjective it'd be "abrupt." It's a pretty good whodunnit until the last 90 minutes (the "rising action" at the end is more of a sheer cliff face) and it explores some interesting themes, I just feel like the ideas weren't fully realized.

#abrknpoet reviews The Family Bones

THE FAMILY BONES by ELLE MARR is a spine-tingling and intriguing thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The plot revolves around two women trying to uncover the truth about deadly family secrets amid an increasingly eerie setting. The atmosphere of the remote mountain resort where the highly-deranged Eriksen family has gathered for a reunion is chilling and adds to the suspense of the story.

The book is well-written with interconnected threads, subtle clues, and jaw-dropping twists that lead to a whopper of an ending. The characters are well-developed and the pacing is just right to keep you engaged throughout.

Overall, THE FAMILY BONES by ELLE MARR is a must-read for fans of thrillers and true crime. It’s an unsettling and interesting piece of work that will leave you thoroughly satisfied.


@stuartbrknjohns Twitter/Goodreads Author