The Family Business: A Psychological Thriller

by John Corwin, Austin Rising (narrator)

A FAMILY'S DARK SECRET

When Jack's friend is murdered, he's one of the prime suspects. But that's the least of his worries. Because if the police dig too deeply into his life, they might discover the family's dark secret. A secret that has been maintained by generations of Ironwoods. If it's exposed, it will destroy his family's legacy.

The murderer left a note on the body. A note hinting that they know the family secret and are going to expose it. Jack will do anything to keep that from happening. But he has no idea who the real killer could be or how they could possibly know the family secret.

It could be a family member. It could be someone the family dealt with in the past. Or it could simply be someone who wants to play mind games with Jack and destroy the family from the inside out.

Jack will do anything to preserve the Ironwood legacy. He will do anything to make sure their secret remains forever in the dark.

Even if it costs him his life.

Genres: Thriller, Audiobook

471 pages, Paperback

Published October 16, 2024

About the author

John Corwin is the bestselling author of the Overworld Chronicles.

He enjoys long walks on the beach and is a firm believer in puppies and kittens.

After years of getting into trouble thanks to his overactive imagination, John abandoned his male modeling career to write books.

He resides in Atlanta.

Reviews

[Brittany Ault · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started out fast paced and draws you in. But it lacks depth. The middle is very slow and focuses on the couple and their puppy love. The premise of the book is interesting and the end has a nice twist, but for the most part you see it coming. Interesting idea, not well executed.

[waithaileyreadwhat · Rating 1 out of 5]

The ONLY reason I didn’t stop reading this is because I hate starting something and not finishing it. With that being said, I should have stopped reading this at the 30% mark. Undoubtedly the worst book I’ve read this year so far. Way too much conversation. Too much unnecessary detail about the characters’ personal lives. No real suspense. And the ending plainly just sucked. The only intriguing part of this was the copycat killer and you find out who it is in one paragraph at the end. Boo. 🍅🍅🍅

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the concept, but the dialogue was weak. The final unveiling of the twist was a bit contrived.

[Autumn Rimer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cheesy Romantic Suspense

I really wanted to like this book… but it had errors, the storyline was rushed, and it focused more on the main character’s romances than it did on the family business.

[Helen ASHTON · Rating 2 out of 5]

It would have received 3 stars from. Me if I hadn't been continuously irritated by one of the main characters 'biting her lip' every 5 pages.

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

This started off strong and I was so excited for the premise, but it quickly devolved into a ridiculous love story filled with the most lovey dovey, cringeworthy stuff. Hardly any of the emasculating was done, and that was only in the beginning and touched upon a little at the end. What a disappointment.

[Taylor Younger · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing kind of drives me insane along with the love story in the book. The love story is very cringy imo. Good twists but book got dry in the middle.

[Lisa Berkley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big “thank you” to my wonderful brother in law who gave me this psychological thriller to read. The Family Business was a great read, full of twists and turns and lots of torturous retribution. Thanks Tim Rounce for another great reading suggestion. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Derralyn Monahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars! It was truly a great read

[Jennifer Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

The true definition of family therapy, wasnt expecting one of the twists, kept you intrigued, lagged in some places but over all a good read

[Cathy Gamble · Rating 2 out of 5]

Came in like a wrecking ball, ended like a tumbleweed!! I think the author may have written for Mills & Boon at some point! It was beyond cheesy and quite icky in too many places. I gave two stars for the premise of the book, karma and all that!

[Selaina Hopkins Rhoads · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few good twists but I couldn’t stand how the main character just went off on tangents

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Family Business

By: John Corwin
Narrated by: Austin Rising

Dark, Perfectly Balanced and Enthrallingly Genius! I loved It!

Overall: 5 of 5 stars Performance: 5 of 5 stars Story: 5 of 5 stars
Reviewed: 02-02-25

After hearing about a heinous crime, a naughty imp on my right shoulder’s been known to mutter “if I had my way, those who commit “certain offenses” would receive “fitting justice” … justice a court would NEVER mete out … justice polite society would NEVER admit to being … well, justice! When Jack Ironwood joins “The Family Business” … he finds that’s EXACTLY what happens … and Jack’s okay with it … until things go askew and the authorities start suspecting him of a “justice” he DIDN’T mete out! Tense, riveting, and GENIUS, this story just might be my listen of the year! The writing and plotting are masterful, with a plethora of “twisty shockers” along the way to the reveal, insuring my interest was immediately grabbed, and then held as if in a vice ~ from the brilliantly narrated opening words to the dynamically fulfilling closing lines! The scene setting is clear with any necessary “background information” seamlessly integrated INTO the story. The dialogue is brilliantly believable, running true to each character’s personality! The cast of well varied, interesting and intricately defined characters reveal themselves organically as the story plays out, providing more than a few eye opening surprises ~ which I won’t be revealing here! I WILL tell you, I was stunned more than once, as I saw none coming, AND I was completely DELIGHTED with the way ALL was resolved at story’s end! Another thing that had me completely delighted was the narration! This is a “new to me” narrator, and I am an instant fan! He is AMAZING! Every character, male or female, is distinctly and believably voiced! I could recognize who was speaking just by their voice throughout! Every accent and inflection … perfect! Timing, emotion and pacing … perfect! An absolutely PERFECT and delightful presentation, beautifully bringing the authors vision stunningly alive! This story and performance had everything I look for, AND long for in an audio presentation! Five fabulously brilliant stars, across all categories! I loved “The Family Business”!

[Tim Crump · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Family Business had an interesting and disturbing premise that immediately pulled me in. The idea of a wealthy, respected family secretly hunting down pedophiles and rapists and permanently punishing them is dark, unsettling, and definitely attention-grabbing.

Unfortunately, the execution did not live up to the concept. The book felt all over the place. What could have been a focused and intense story about the family’s vigilante justice quickly turned into a messy mix of murder mystery and an awkward love story that felt poorly written and out of place. The romance in particular came across like it was written by a high schooler and completely killed the tension for me. Overall, the writing quality was not strong.

That said, the final part of the book did manage to pull me back in. The twist near the end was genuinely interesting and saved this from being a one-star read. Without that ending, I probably would not have finished it.

In the end, this book had a great premise but suffered from weak writing and a lack of focus. Interesting idea, disappointing execution.

[Sea Caummisar · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a good minute to get into the story. I can't put my finger on it, but the writing felt different to me. I can't say exactly what, but it took me a bit to adjust to the writing style. Maybe it was my mood? I'm sure it was a me thing, and not in any way a flaw of the story.
Once I got into the story, I found myself looking forward to my next reading session and wondering what would happen next.
It is about 700 pages, and some of it felt repetitive to me, but I still enjoyed the journey.
I did have half of the 'mystery' figured out before the ending, and it's not as violent as I expected, because I saw someone rec this book in a FB post looking for violent books.
With all that being said (or typed I suppose) I'm glad I read this book and rec it to people who want something longer and psychologically thrilling

[Jeff Bradford · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable mystery read with many twist and surprises. I feared it may be graphic and gory based on the premise of the family business but the intervention scenes were tastefully written. I also apprecieate the minimal use of foul language that I believe some authors overuse.

The story itself is a little far fetched but has an eye for an eye theme. The family business is getting justice for the victims of sexual predators by capturing them and removing the body part that drives them to commit these sex crimes.

The book was not only about that but included relationships, life in a college town and drama found there. There was a surprise murder, lots of lies and some general crazy times. It was a fresh new way of writing And I would highly recommend it.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been reading John Corwin books for around 20 years. I’m surprised I like this one as much as I did since it is very different than John’s other works. There are plot twists throughout and the family business is a bit cringe worthy. At first I was a little on the fence but I enjoyed it more and more as the story progressed. I can usually figure out the ending / bad guy in most thrillers. I was only 1/2 right with this story since the conclusion included some twists I didn’t see coming. For me, not being able to figure it out before I get to the end is a plus.

[Natasha Peixoto · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read! couldn’t put it down

The Family Business by John Corwin is a gripping, high-stakes thriller that kept me hooked from start to finish. The suspense builds with every chapter, and the twists are genuinely surprising. The characters are sharp and well-developed, and the pacing is perfect. If you’re a fan of thrillers with a dark edge and smart storytelling, this one’s a must-read!

[Kate W · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is much longer than it needs to be, in my opinion. There is a lot of repetition. The narrator/main character tends to talk in circles at times. However, every chapter was engaging. I stayed up way too late reading it. And it's about a family that hunts down sexual predators who've escaped justice. So... this still gets five stars from me.

This is the only standalone novel by this author that I could find, but I'll keep my eye out for new ones!

[Rachel Maynard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book grip you from the very beginning. The main character, Jack, is relatable. The heartache he feels at the beginning is something people go through everyday.

The Family Business is definitely gruesome, but deserving to those who are on the receiving end.
The love story throughout the book is so cute. There are parts that will make you smile/chuckle.

This book will make you think, and keep your heart pounding!!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Corwin hit it out of the park with this one!

I’ve loved reading the Overworld series and its offshoots, but this one surpassed even my favorite of them! The twists and turns kept me turning pages! Plus the added bonus of a story everyone wishes were true! I hope there will be more adventures with the Family Business crew!

[Zoe Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book, couldn’t put it down and read it very quickly. The character development was done pretty well, and I loved the provided newspaper articles to round out certain plot points; however, the ending felt a little rushed. I wish this were a movie, I’d be snackin on popcorn at the edge of my seat.

[Ty Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

unique

This thriller was definitely a page turner. I believe that reading it from the main characters point of view made it very interesting. I think this story turned out to be a dark romance more than a thriller. The plot twist was kind of predictable, but I still enjoyed the read.

[Ashley Wirth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why does it feel like this book was written in a HS creative writing class? I was hopeful in the beginning but man did it go downhill quick. So many noticeable errors and writing style was cringy. I stuck with it because I don’t like not finishing books, but the only reason I finished was to just make it stop.

[Rosina Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book for the most part. I found Jasmines way of flirting incredibly annoying and if she stuck her tongue out one more time i was going to scream. I like the twists at the end , there’s a type in the book where the author writes Sarah but it was definitely supposed to say Jasmines name.

[Megan Zelones · Rating 2 out of 5]

The idea for the story was interesting and it could have been great, but the writing style was juvenile and the story lacked depth. I always finish the books I start but it was a struggle to get through this one.

[Jennifer Frazier · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pardon me for how I am about to write, but this is similar to how this book is written. I really wanted to like this book. How each sentence was written is painful. It was all short sentences. There were many mistakes in the storyline.

[Henry Cosgrove · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing

You read stories or see them online about child abuse and think those people should be punished. Meet the punishment family. Vaguely reminds me of the Addams Family without comedy.

[cre8tive_reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

📖

The Family Business A Psychological Thriller by John Corwin

😍😍😍😍😍

Wow. I mean I thought I knew, but I did not. Just wow. 🤯
My only complaint was the 701 pages. Other then that great story, great twist, great characters. All in all an amazing read.
I'd definitely recommend this to people.

[Mercy Dykema · Rating 3 out of 5]

😑 man look, it took me a month to read this.
Chapters are long as sh!t, went off topic
Most of the book.. more about relationship problems then taking care of business(the real reason why we wanted to read this).. meh