“Holly seems like the perfect girlfriend. Clever, funny, beautiful – Patrick feels like he’s hit the jackpot.
Until he meets her family.
Her dad has a mysterious new girlfriend. Her sister is unwelcoming. Her brother is clearly lying about something. And Patrick gets the sense all of them share a dark secret – even Holly.
When he finds out about the body that was found nearby on their last family holiday, Patrick sets out to find the truth.
But as skeletons tumble out of the family’s closet, Patrick realises he needs to be careful. Because in this family, loyalty is everything – and at least one of them is willing to kill to keep their secrets…”
Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of One of the Family by Mark Edwards. One of the Family was published by Penguin Michael Joseph on 18th June 2026 and is available in hardcover, audio and digital formats with the paperback to follow. I chose to read a free eARC of One of the Family but that has in no way influenced my review.
I’ve been a fan of Mark Edwards since I read The Magpies way back in 2015. That was before I had a blog. Before I probably even knew what a book blog was! Since then, I’ve been trying very hard to keep up with his new releases but, y’know, even with the best intentions, sometimes even the best intentions slide. So despite being one of my favourite authors, there are still a number of his more recent books that I have yet to read. However, going forward I’ve made it my mantra to keep up to date. One of the Family is this author’s most recent publication, his second book with his new publisher. And it’s a corker.
Meet the Grant family. You’ll wish you hadn’t! Patrick is absolutely smitten with his girlfriend, Holly. Things are getting serious so it’s time to take things a step further and *deep breath* meet the family. A nerve-wracking time for any new partner, but Patrick knows who the patriarch of the family is, along with the power and influence he holds. Charles Grant is a formidable businessman. Known far and wide for his wealth and connections, getting on good terms with Holly’s father is a truly intimidating prospect for a nervous Patrick. Particularly as the entire family, including siblings and their partners, will be there for the weekend, along with the added complication of Charles’s new fiancée being introduced to the family. Things don’t start well. It’s clear the locals aren’t keen on the Grant family, and they’re not shy in sharing that with an already tense Patrick. The more time he spends at Applecross, the more unsettled he becomes. What secrets are the Grant family hiding? How far does family loyalty really go? It’s down to Patrick to discover exactly what happened in 2006. But at what cost….?
Set in a small village in the Scottish Highlands, One of the Family oozes isolation and atmosphere. The chill in the air is impossible to ignore as the tension mounts, and long-held Grant family secrets come spilling out. Holly and Patrick have a great relationship. Holly comes from privilege and wealth, but you wouldn’t know it, having made a conscious effort to make a life for herself, rather than rely on her father’s handouts. Her siblings, on the other hand, come across as cosseted and spoilt. The Grant family are rather unpleasant really; it’s no wonder Patrick is immediately put on his guard. I do love a character, though, that makes you feel something. Whether that be a positive emotion or just plain anger or frustration. Pretty much all of the Grants (except Holly) wound me right up! And I loved it! I wasn’t particularly enamoured with Patrick either, but I found his determination and drive to find the truth very compelling.
The author uses a dual timeline to show how the events, and the death, of 2006 came about. In the present day, following the introduction of Charles’s new fiancée, we watch the fallout of a new, much younger Mrs Grant unfold. Because Jasmine, the fiancée, is closer in age to Holly than she is to Charles. She also looks unnervingly similar to the Grant children’s deceased mother, Elizabeth. If you’re a fan of the twisted family dynamic, then what are you waiting for? You need a copy of One of the Family in your life!
Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. There is a lot going on in One of the Family (more than I’ve spoken about here) but I thoroughly enjoyed the suspense of the novel, along with the perfectly pitched atmosphere. A small village in the Scottish Highlands during inclement weather is the perfect setting for family secrets to come crashing down, and the author has used the location with aplomb. The secretive nature of the characters, along with the locals never really giving the full story, builds the tension beautifully. All in all, One of the Family is an unsettling, intricate, twisty thriller that I found thoroughly entertaining. A family unit where loyalty is worth more than life, where dark, long-held secrets are kept tightly bound, alongside an impending sense of inescapable dread, all add up to a highly readable tale from a favourite author. Recommended.
I chose to read and review a free eARC of One of the Family. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.
Mark Edwards writes psychological thrillers in which scary things happen to ordinary people.
Mark has sold over 5 million books since his first solo novel, The Magpies, was published in 2013 and has topped the bestseller lists numerous times. His other novels include Follow You Home, Here To Stay and The Psychopath Next Door. He has also published six books co-authored with Louise Voss.
Mark lives in the West Midlands, England, with his wife and their three children.
