Book description
A storm-struck island. A blood-soaked bed. A missing man. In this captivating mystery that's perfect for fans of Knives Out, Senior Investigator Shana Merchant discovers that murder is a family affair.
Thirteen months ago, former NYPD detective Shana Merchant barely survived being abducted by a serial killer. Now hoping to…
Why read it?
3 authors picked Death in the Family as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Secrets always intrigue me. Shana Merchant has secrets, and she’s spent years running from them. Shana’s past writhes around her like a poisonous vine. She can’t break free from it, and if she’s not careful, it will suffocate everything around her.
The first book in this series establishes Shana as a smart, once-successful big-city cop, but this isn’t a simple redemption story. I found Shana’s path over the course of this series insightful as she tries to overcome PTSD after being held by a serial killer—not just any serial killer. The connection between the two blew me away and it…
From James' list on The best books with kickass women characters.
Death in the Family (book one of the Shana Merchant series) hooked me from the start.
Living and working in New York, Detective Shana Merchant barely survived being abducted by a serial killer. Hoping to leave grisly murder cases behind, she's taken a job in her fiancé's sleepy hometown in the Thousand Islands region of Upstate New York.
Faced with a murder on an isolated island owned by a wealthy family, Shana knows nothing about life on the water and the wealthy locals are not about to let her in on their secrets. As a brutal nor’easter storms into the…
From Danielle's list on The best thrillers set in small towns with big secrets.
Death in the Family is the first book in the Shana Merchant series and my personal recommendation due to the island setting, which I clearly love. This novel takes place in The Thousand Islands region of Upstate New York on an island owned by a wealthy family, not so different from the setting of my own novel. Senior Investigator Shana Merchant is called out to the island when someone turns up dead at a family gathering. A big storm prevents anyone from leaving and it quickly becomes clear that there is a killer in the midst with no possible escape.…
From Jessica's list on The best novels with creepy settings.
If you love Death in the Family...
December on 5C4
Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!
On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…
Want books like Death in the Family?
Our community of 13,000+ authors has personally recommended 75 books like Death in the Family.
Share your top 3 reads of 2026!
And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.
183
readers submitted
so far, will you?
📚 If you like Death in the Family, you might also like...
Child of Vanris
At five years old, Kasiel was found with the pointed ends of his ears cut off. Despite that brutal start, he’s lived twelve peaceful years with the man who took him in. Keeping his hair long over his mutilated ears helps him hide the fact that he is Vanrian, a…
Almost Home
Almost Home is a fictional retelling of the last great tragedy of the Civil War.
In late April 1865, almost 2,000 newly freed Union prisoners of war are packed onto the steamer Sultana, in poor repair and with a listed capacity of 376 passengers. Among them are four Indiana soldiers…
