In The Blood
About the book
Tessa is a high school senior. When she turns 18, her best friend El gives her an Ancestry test. Ever since they were kids, El and Tessa have wondered about Tessa's biological parents.
Tessa eventually figures out who her mom is, but her dad is a complete mystery. When she uploads her DNA on GEDMatch, law enforcement is alerted. While they don't know her biological father's name, they know what everyone calls him: The Portland Phantom. He's a serial killer who has strangled seven young women in the past sixteen years.
Inspiration
Years ago, I read an interview with a young woman who was adopted, and later discovered she was the daughter of Diane Downs, an infamous woman who shot her children and claimed a bushy-haired stranger had done it. I wondered what it would be like to discover a terrible truth about your biological parents. After I finished the book, I found the story of Kathy Gillcrist, who got the surprise of a lifetime when she began researching her birth family and learned that her biological father was once one of the FBI's Most Wanted Fugitives for killing his entire family. (Kathy was the child of a previous relationship.) With the help of a third cousin who was also a genealogist, Kathy tracked down her birth mother. When the researcher finally figured out her birth father, she said, "'All I'm going to do is give you his name.'" Kathy asked, "Is it someone famous," and the researcher said, "Um, yeah."
Reviews
"Intrigue surrounds likable Tessa, who’s complex and well developed. The story’s multiple perspectives keep readers engaged as the tension builds. ... Henry captures both the hope and idealism surrounding reunification. Seeing how Tessa and her family members engage with her adoption highlights the beauty and challenges of creating identity and family in an honest and emotional way. A sensitive and insightful adoption story that sits uneasily alongside a shocking thriller."
—Kirkus
"A suspenseful thriller told in three perspectives. Tessa, freshly 18, is gifted an AncestryDNA testing kit for her birthday by her best friend and fellow senior classmate, El. With her brown hair and eyes, Tessa has never felt as though she fit with the rest of her blonde-haired, blue-eyed family. In her hometown of Portland, an unknown serial killer has been linked to murdering at least six women in their homes over the past 16 years. When Tessa takes the test, the police receive a notification that there is a potential DNA match. Tessa, El, and Victor, a Latine boy in Tessa’s biology class, are great representations of a loyal friend group. Beside Tessa’s, the second point of view is Keisha’s; a Black detective and police officer assigned to the Portland Phantom’s case, she is shown to be driven and self-motivated. The last point of view is Quentin’s, the Portland Phantom, who is presumed white. Quentin, an unsettling character, is a police officer who groomed a student as a school resource officer and targets young women to kill. Though it is not gory and his murders are all closed door, the inside of his mind could be unsettling to students who have not been exposed to crime books—though it could also be a good introduction. There are also components of grooming, cults, racism, and violence, as well as a closed-door reference to sexual encounters."
—School Library Journal
Tessa is a high school senior. When she turns 18, her best friend El gives her an Ancestry test. Ever since they were kids, El and Tessa have wondered about Tessa's biological parents.
Tessa eventually figures out who her mom is, but her dad is a complete mystery. When she uploads her DNA on GEDMatch, law enforcement is alerted. While they don't know her biological father's name, they know what everyone calls him: The Portland Phantom. He's a serial killer who has strangled seven young women in the past sixteen years.
Inspiration
Years ago, I read an interview with a young woman who was adopted, and later discovered she was the daughter of Diane Downs, an infamous woman who shot her children and claimed a bushy-haired stranger had done it. I wondered what it would be like to discover a terrible truth about your biological parents. After I finished the book, I found the story of Kathy Gillcrist, who got the surprise of a lifetime when she began researching her birth family and learned that her biological father was once one of the FBI's Most Wanted Fugitives for killing his entire family. (Kathy was the child of a previous relationship.) With the help of a third cousin who was also a genealogist, Kathy tracked down her birth mother. When the researcher finally figured out her birth father, she said, "'All I'm going to do is give you his name.'" Kathy asked, "Is it someone famous," and the researcher said, "Um, yeah."
Reviews
"Intrigue surrounds likable Tessa, who’s complex and well developed. The story’s multiple perspectives keep readers engaged as the tension builds. ... Henry captures both the hope and idealism surrounding reunification. Seeing how Tessa and her family members engage with her adoption highlights the beauty and challenges of creating identity and family in an honest and emotional way. A sensitive and insightful adoption story that sits uneasily alongside a shocking thriller."
—Kirkus
"A suspenseful thriller told in three perspectives. Tessa, freshly 18, is gifted an AncestryDNA testing kit for her birthday by her best friend and fellow senior classmate, El. With her brown hair and eyes, Tessa has never felt as though she fit with the rest of her blonde-haired, blue-eyed family. In her hometown of Portland, an unknown serial killer has been linked to murdering at least six women in their homes over the past 16 years. When Tessa takes the test, the police receive a notification that there is a potential DNA match. Tessa, El, and Victor, a Latine boy in Tessa’s biology class, are great representations of a loyal friend group. Beside Tessa’s, the second point of view is Keisha’s; a Black detective and police officer assigned to the Portland Phantom’s case, she is shown to be driven and self-motivated. The last point of view is Quentin’s, the Portland Phantom, who is presumed white. Quentin, an unsettling character, is a police officer who groomed a student as a school resource officer and targets young women to kill. Though it is not gory and his murders are all closed door, the inside of his mind could be unsettling to students who have not been exposed to crime books—though it could also be a good introduction. There are also components of grooming, cults, racism, and violence, as well as a closed-door reference to sexual encounters."
—School Library Journal