The Book:
It’s One Of Us by JT Ellison
Published February 21, 2023 by Mira
Date read: March 1, 2023
The Characters:
Olivia and Park
Buy it on Bookshop.org | Amazon
This page contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this site.
The Plot (from Goodreads):
Olivia Bender designs exquisite home interiors that satisfy the most demanding clients. But her own deepest desire can’t be fulfilled by marble counters or the perfect rug. She desperately wants to be a mother. Fertility treatments and IVF keep failing. And just when she feels she’s at her lowest point, the police deliver shocking news to Olivia and her husband, Park.
DNA results show that the prime suspect in a murder investigation is Park’s son. Olivia is relieved, knowing this is a mistake. Despite their desire, the Benders don’t have any children. Then comes the confession. Many years ago, Park donated sperm to a clinic. He has no idea how many times it was sold—or how many children he has sired.
As the murder investigation goes deeper, more terrible truths come to light. With every revelation, Olivia must face the unthinkable. The man she married has fathered a killer. But can she hold that against him when she keeps such dark secrets of her own?
How did It’s One Of Us end?
The Reveal:
Park had donated sperm, and the fertility clinic gave it to way more families than they were supposed to.
Scarlett and her brother Peyton were both Park’s kids, although Darby thought they were from two different donors.
I guessed from Darby’s first phone call with Peyton that he was the killer, and I was right. When he was a child, he was hospitalized for his aggressive behavior towards Scarlett. The doctors thought it was drug reactions causing his behavior, but really he just learned how to control his urges to appear normal. He had found Park when trying to find out who his father was and became obsessed with Olivia. He thought he was in love with her and would regularly sneak into her house.
Olivia had slept with Park’s twin brother Perry on prom night. She got pregnant and had an abortion.
When Olivia found out that Park had known about his offspring, she freaked out and left him. She went to stay at a friend’s house while remodeling it. Perry came to find her and they decided to be together. They called Park to tell him and to try to get him to tell them the truth about the murders he was suspected of being involved in.
Park hadn’t killed Annie as a child, but he did find her body. He was young so he panicked and buried her and never told anyone.
As the three were having it out, Peyton showed up. He had a gun and said he wanted to speak to Olivia alone or else he’d shoot her. Park and Perry fought him and were able to get control of the gun and kill Peyton.
Olivia had killed Melanie. She went to Park’s college to surprise him and try to get back together and overheard them fighting about Melanie’s pregnancy. She followed Melanie, they fought, and Olivia punched her and Melanie fell and hit her head. Peyton found a confession in Olivia’s journals and hinted at the truth before he died.
The Ending:
Park and Darby got married. So did Lindsey and Lucia. Perry and Olivia were not in touch. Olivia got pregnant with Perry’s son while they were hooking up after she left Park. She didn’t tell anyone about the baby.
The Review:
@emilybookedup promised us that this book would be a wild ride, and she was certainly right! A huge thank-you to Emily and @htpbooks for this gifted copy as part of Emily’s first book club pick.
TW: Infertility and miscarriage. Check out the author’s note for why!
I always enjoy these DNA test thrillers. The premise here is that Park donated sperm to a clinic that sold his sperm way more than the contractual amount, leaving Park with around 30 offspring he didn’t know existed. When the DNA of one of his offspring is found at a crime scene, Park’s world is turned upside down.
The POV of It’s One of Us jumps all over the place: Park, his wife Olivia, one of Park’s daughters, the daughter’s mom, and the murderer. It’s a lot to keep straight, but all of the perspectives come together beautifully to create a very interesting domestic suspense story.
JT Ellison is a master of her craft, and I always look forward to new releases from her!
Follow me on Bloglovin’!
For more DNA test thrillers, check out this list.
