The epilogue of Keep It in the Family delivers a shocking twist, revealing the depths of Finn Hunter's transformation. Set in 2023, fourteen months after the main events, the narrative unveils Finn's embrace of his mother's violent legacy as he perpetuates a cycle of abuse and murder, ensuring the darkness continues.
Finn, 2023
As Finn drives to view a potential new home with Mia, a radio report announces the demolition of the Stewkbury house. Mia intends to watch for closure, but Finn declines, haunted by the media frenzy following his mother, Debbie Hunter's, sentencing and the return of his son, Sonny Hunter. He recalls his fury at learning that Debbie and his father, Dave Hunter, concealed Debbie's connection to the house. This revelation leads to Dave admitting he knew about Debbie's abuse of Finn as a child, causing Finn to lose all respect for him.
Finn reflects on his "good" relationship with Mia, though she still struggles to forgive his past affair and his deception about Sonny's fate. He promises "absolute transparency," a promise he immediately qualifies. He maintains a civil co-parenting relationship with Emma for their daughter, Chloe, and notes that Sonny is in therapy and adjusting well after his kidnapping. Finn then reveals a dark secret: he murdered his uncle and Sonny's kidnapper, George Lewis, by drowning him during the trip to Norway.
Driving to a storage lock-up with Sonny, Finn admits his complicity in Debbie's childhood murders, explaining he helped lure victims but never witnessed the final act. He has moved the suitcase containing his deceased brother—the original Finn—to the lock-up. Among the empty suitcases from Dave’s warehouse, Finn reveals he has already filled two. His first victim was Aaliyah Anderson, a journalist who threatened his family. His second was Lorna Holmes, Mia's friend, whom he overheard trying to convince Mia to leave him. He is also monitoring Mia's texts and considers Detective Goodwin a potential third victim.
The epilogue's most chilling revelation is Finn's active grooming of Sonny, perpetuating the cycle of abuse. He shows Sonny the skulls of his great-grandparents' victims, which he played with as a child, and teaches him they were "naughty people" who had to be punished. He manipulates Sonny by threatening to send him back to Norway if he reveals their "secret" and coaches him on manipulating Mia into wanting the new house. The story concludes with Finn reflecting on Debbie's influence, claiming he won't involve Sonny in his killings the way Debbie involved him, but his final thoughts betray his true intentions: "Not until he’s much older than he is now. Not until he is ready."
Key Events
- The Stewkbury house is set for demolition.
- Finn murdered George Lewis by drowning him in Norway.
- Finn admits his childhood complicity in Debbie's murders.
- Finn has become a serial killer, murdering Aaliyah Anderson and Lorna Holmes.
- Finn is grooming Sonny, teaching him the family's twisted sense of justice.
- The cycle of violence will continue through Finn and potentially Sonny.
Character Development
Finn's transformation is the most significant, as he fully embraces his mother's violent legacy.
- Finn Hunter: He is now a cold, calculating murderer, using violence and deception to maintain a facade. He has become the monster he tried to avoid.
- Sonny Hunter: He is being groomed by his father, taught the same twisted logic that shaped Finn, continuing the cycle of trauma.
- Mia: She remains a victim, unaware that Finn is a murderer who killed her friend and is monitoring her.
Themes & Symbols
The epilogue underscores the novel's central themes with devastating clarity.
- Nature vs. Nurture: Debbie's "nurture" has overwhelmed any innate goodness in Finn, turning him into a killer who is now passing those lessons to Sonny.
- Family Secrets and Lies: The secrets of the past are replaced by Finn's new, darker secrets, constructing a lie to hide his murders.
- The Past Haunting the Present: The past is a blueprint for the present as Finn replicates Debbie's actions, integrating them into his new life.
Suitcases and skulls take on symbolic weight, representing the family's dark legacy. Suitcases, once a symbol of Debbie's evil, become Finn's tool, signifying his adoption of her mantle. The skulls of Debbie's parents' victims become a teaching tool, indoctrinating Sonny into the family's murderous ideology. The demolition of the house represents a false sense of closure, as the true evil resides not in the house but in Finn.
Key Quotes
I promise I won’t involve him in what I do like Debbie did with me. Not until he’s much older than he is now. Not until he is ready.
This chilling conclusion confirms that Finn has not only accepted his mother's legacy but plans to pass it on. The story doesn't just end; it opens the door to a future of new horrors, leaving the reader to contemplate the terrifying, unending cycle of violence that the Hunter family perpetuates.
Why This Matters and Section Significance
The epilogue is the novel's final, devastating twist, reframing the entire story. It transforms what could have been a story of overcoming trauma into the origin story of a new serial killer. By revealing Finn as the true successor to Debbie's legacy, the epilogue subverts all reader expectations for a resolution or happy ending. Its significance lies in its bleak confirmation that the cycle of violence is not only unbroken but is being actively perpetuated. It solidifies the novel's darkest themes, arguing that the "nurture" of a monstrous upbringing can create an even more dangerous monster—one who can perfectly mimic normality. The final lines leave the reader with a profound sense of dread, realizing the horror has not ended but has simply entered a new, more insidious chapter.