Audiobook: It Runs in the Family by Denise Grover Swank

September 24, 2026

Synopsis:

Seeing the future is a questionable gift. Seeing your own murder? That’s a problem.

Iris Gardner has been dealing with psychic visions her whole life—a “gift” from the father she never met and a burden her chaotic Texas family loves to exploit. Working the graveyard shift at a Stop-n-Go in Chaffney, Texas, helps keep her away from most of the drama.

Until she sees herself dead.

When a dangerous stranger walks into her store, he triggers a vision of her own murder while her cousin Selena pleads for Iris’ life. But when the Iris tries to warn Selena, she discovers that Selena is missing.

Iris has changed the future before, but she’s never had to prevent her own murder. With a family who treats her visions like a party trick, rumors of a cartel moving into town, and a man who’s a little too interested in her, Iris must figure out who wants her dead—and why—before her vision becomes reality.

Because in her family, trouble doesn’t just run in their blood. It runs them down.

Review:

If you like your books to be a bit over the top, with characters who take themselves slightly too seriously, a weird family dynamic, and everyone being very interested in everyone else’s business, this is the one for you. Add a bit of the supernatural on top of that, along with dead people and a handsome stranger. No clue what that actually means? Me neither, but I was glad I had the pleasure of listening to this as an audiobook, which worked extremely well in bringing this insanity of a story to life in a unique and highly engaging way.

Iris has had visions all her life. Usually, they don’t reveal much, and some of her family members are a bit too interested in forcing her to have one (especially if money is involved), so she has stopped trying to push it. When she has a vision one day that shows her own death, it is one she cannot ignore and is obviously not particularly interested in seeing become reality. With her cousin being part of it, she is eager to find her and change her fate.

No one could have prepared me for the family dynamic I got. They love each other, they hate each other, and they come with a charming weirdness, some more than others. They can be very blunt and honest with each other, but also hurtful. At the end of the day, they will always show up for each other when needed, or avoid each other like the plague. It can change every few minutes. I embraced that part of the story and these characters. Was it a bit cliché here and there? Absolutely.

When she meets a handsome stranger who isn’t entirely honest with her, but whom she trusts anyway, everything becomes connected, and the story turns into a murder mystery as they try to uncover what happened and make sure Iris comes out alive.

It’s different and certainly a very unique experience, and I enjoyed every minute of it. It won’t be everybody’s cup of tea, but it definitely was mine. If you embrace it for what it is and don’t take it too seriously, you’ll have a lot of fun with it.

🌙 Recension: It Runs in the Family (Iris Gardner Mystery #1) by Denise Grover Swank
📚 Genre: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller
📅 Release Date: September 29, 2026
👤 Narrator: Piper Goodeve
📗 available in various formats – included in Kindle Unlimited
📱 Read as: Audiobook
💸 I received a free copy and am voluntarily leaving a review.
🗣️ Language: English
📆 Pages / Listening Length: 12h 10min
⭐️ 4/5