Disclosure: Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book. Opinions shared are mine.

STRANGERS WE KNOW, the third novel by Portland OR-based author Elle Marr, was inspired by the author’s experience growing up in Sacramento in the shadow and fear of the Golden State Killer. The story centers on adoption, DNA forensic evidence, and what happens when the main character discovers she’s related to a serial killer.   Its strongest message is about the strength of family ties, but it also plays with solving a serial killer cold case while dabbling in cult worship. Sounds fun, right?

It’s worth the read. I finished it while sitting at several wrestling practices, so I especially appreciated the wrestling references thanks to Carson.

The story drags in some parts. Too many characters doing too many things to mentally keep up with — plus the alternating timelines and viewpoints make it a bit confusing. There were also some moments when I wanted to shout at main character Ivy for making exceeding dumb choices, but I excused her due to her young age and enthusiasm for her mission.

STRANGERS WE KNOW by Elle Marr
Thomas & Mercer; May 1, 2022  

“Elle Marr’s newest novel, Strangers We Know, due out in May, has just about everything a suspense reader could want; family secrets, serial killers and even a controlling and pervasive religious cult. From one pulse-pounding, page-turning plot twist to another, Strangers pulls you in and does not let up.” —Mystery and Suspense magazine  

The search for a serial killer leads a woman into the twisted tangle of her own family tree in a chilling novel by the #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Missing Sister and Lies We Bury. Adopted when she was only days old, Ivy Hon knows little about her lineage. But when she’s stricken with a mystery illness, the results of a genetic test to identify the cause attract the FBI. According to Ivy’s DNA, she’s related to the Full Moon Killer, who has terrorized the Pacific Northwest for decades. Ivy is the FBI’s hope to stop the enigmatic predator from killing again. When an online search connects Ivy with her younger cousin, she heads to rural Rock Island, Washington, to meet the woman. Motivated by a secret desire to unmask a murderous relative, Ivy reaches out to what’s left of a family of strangers. Discovering her mother’s tragic fate and her father’s disappearance is just the beginning. As Ivy ventures into a serial killer’s home territory, she realizes that she may be the next victim of poisonous blood ties. Learn more at https://ellemarr.com/