Review: One of the Family by Jess Ryder

I quite enjoyed One of the Family. It was an entertaining mystery read. However, for me, it lacked that shock value that I like in a thriller.

Rachel is a helicopter mum continually texting and calling her two daughters, Liv and Meg. Rachel thinks she is being a good mum connecting with her girls but she was even annoying me as she was checking in with them every 5 minutes.

Liv and her new boyfriend have recently graduated university and Rachel invites them to live with her and Liv's father. She is so happy to have Liv back in her old bedroom and to also have a new person to spoil.

One day Liv disappears and the boyfriend continues to live with the family. This causes a lot of arguments between Rachel and her husband and daughter Meg.

There is a separate plot of Meg being bullied and the story concentrates on this until the bullying is resolved before heading to Liv's disappearance and non-communication. This is where I had to suspend my disbelief as 'helicopter mum', who doesn't let her kids have a minute to themselves, doesn't demand the police check her daughter's phone instead giving her time (weeks) to return home.

Putting these little annoyances aside I was completely pulled into both mysteries which kept me invested in the story eager to see if the bully would be uncovered and also if Liv would be found..... alive.

One of the Family is a light entertaining read with a few unexpected twists that will have readers eagerly turning the pages to see what happens next.

My rating 3.5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐½

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication date: 30th October 2025

Genre: Mystery / Thriller

Pages: 366

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley