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Daughter
Scarlet’s life is pretty average. Overly protective mom. Great friends. Cute boy she’s interested in. And a father she’s never known – until she does.
When the FBI show up at Scarlet’s door, she is shocked to learn her father is infamous serial killer Jeffrey Robert Lake. And now, he’s dying and will only give the names and locations of his remaining victims to the one person, the daughter he hasn’t seen since she was a baby.
Scarlet’s mother has tried to protect her from Lake’s horrifying legacy, but there’s no way they can escape the media firestorm that erupts when they come out of hiding. Or the people who blame Scarlet for her father’s choices. When trying to do the right thing puts her life in danger, Scarlet is faced with a choice – go back into hiding or make the world see her as more than a monster’s daughter.
Kate McLaughlin’s Daughter is a novel about trying right deadly choices that were never yours to begin with.
When the FBI show up at Scarlet’s door, she is shocked to learn her father is infamous serial killer Jeffrey Robert Lake. And now, he’s dying and will only give the names and locations of his remaining victims to the one person, the daughter he hasn’t seen since she was a baby.
Scarlet’s mother has tried to protect her from Lake’s horrifying legacy, but there’s no way they can escape the media firestorm that erupts when they come out of hiding. Or the people who blame Scarlet for her father’s choices. When trying to do the right thing puts her life in danger, Scarlet is faced with a choice – go back into hiding or make the world see her as more than a monster’s daughter.
Kate McLaughlin’s Daughter is a novel about trying right deadly choices that were never yours to begin with.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published March 8, 2022
35 people are currently reading
9798 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 412 reviews
May 11, 2022
Happy pub day! 🥂🥳🎈🎉
Daughter is blazing, haunting, disturbing!
One of the most psychological thriller I’ve lately read!
Poor Scarlet feels so trapped in her life , cocooned by the outer world’s great dangers. Think about to be a seventeen years old girl, living with her over protective mother who has extreme ways to provide her daughter a secure life, hanging out three close friends, having a crush for a popular boy for a long time. It seems like she’s a regular teenager who is looking forward to be 18 to declare her freedom and leave for the college for pursuing filmmaking career.
Missing the curfew, finding the smart ways to deceive her mother, convincing her to the trip for Myrtle Island were the least of her problems till two FBI officers knock their door to request her cooperation to talk with a serial killer to learn where he buried some of his victims who have been never found by the authorities!
Why the hell FBI needs a seventeen years old girl’s help? Why her mother acts so friendly with one of the FBI agents as if they’ve been long time friends!
And they already threw the bombs in her lap: she’s not the person who thinks she’s! Her father is Jeffrey Robert Lake, a serial killer, necrophile who kidnapped, raped, murdered numerous young women between 1990 and 2006, possibly earlier. He was trialed for murder of 14 women in NC after their bodies were found in his family property. The authorities believed there were more. He also insisted there were, too. And he is ready to cooperate with the officers if they bring his daughter to see him because he can only tell her the names. It’s his dying wish: he suffers from pancreatic cancer and he doesn’t have much time left!
Scarlet is in deep shock: Her real name is not Scarlet! She’s named after one of his father’s victim as Britney and her mother got gifts from her husband who belonged to the victims. After her mother found the ugly truth about her husband, she’s been harassed by reporters and the hostile townies which forced her to change their IDs and left the town along with her baby daughter to start over but now the secret is out and Scarlet has to confront with the real evil to bring the peace to the families of victims by learning where he hid them.
But her father is still chasing fifteen minutes fame, playing mind games with her, even he’s still in pain at his dying bed.
As soon as Scarlet’s identity reveals, her full life completely changes. Her friends looks her from different perspectives, the press starts camping in front of her house, chasing her at everywhere and when she has a road trip to NC with her mother, things don’t get horrifying as she’s expected. She meets her grandparents, cousin, aunt, befriending agent Logan’s kids ( actually she has a new crush for his son)
As the life brings new twists and turns, is she brave enough to face them?
How could she survive at the visiting times of her murderer father who talks about his victims with graphical, gory details in expanse to give her a new victim’s name? Can she endure the pressure as she suffers from her own anxiety issues?
This was fast pacing and hooking experience from the beginning till the end, giving a realistic psychological approach to not only a criminal’s mind but it gives extra genuine perspective about the murderer’s family: how they handle things as they are the only living victims of the evil man who have to live with their guilt feelings till the day they die.
Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Wednesday Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
Daughter is blazing, haunting, disturbing!
One of the most psychological thriller I’ve lately read!
Poor Scarlet feels so trapped in her life , cocooned by the outer world’s great dangers. Think about to be a seventeen years old girl, living with her over protective mother who has extreme ways to provide her daughter a secure life, hanging out three close friends, having a crush for a popular boy for a long time. It seems like she’s a regular teenager who is looking forward to be 18 to declare her freedom and leave for the college for pursuing filmmaking career.
Missing the curfew, finding the smart ways to deceive her mother, convincing her to the trip for Myrtle Island were the least of her problems till two FBI officers knock their door to request her cooperation to talk with a serial killer to learn where he buried some of his victims who have been never found by the authorities!
Why the hell FBI needs a seventeen years old girl’s help? Why her mother acts so friendly with one of the FBI agents as if they’ve been long time friends!
And they already threw the bombs in her lap: she’s not the person who thinks she’s! Her father is Jeffrey Robert Lake, a serial killer, necrophile who kidnapped, raped, murdered numerous young women between 1990 and 2006, possibly earlier. He was trialed for murder of 14 women in NC after their bodies were found in his family property. The authorities believed there were more. He also insisted there were, too. And he is ready to cooperate with the officers if they bring his daughter to see him because he can only tell her the names. It’s his dying wish: he suffers from pancreatic cancer and he doesn’t have much time left!
Scarlet is in deep shock: Her real name is not Scarlet! She’s named after one of his father’s victim as Britney and her mother got gifts from her husband who belonged to the victims. After her mother found the ugly truth about her husband, she’s been harassed by reporters and the hostile townies which forced her to change their IDs and left the town along with her baby daughter to start over but now the secret is out and Scarlet has to confront with the real evil to bring the peace to the families of victims by learning where he hid them.
But her father is still chasing fifteen minutes fame, playing mind games with her, even he’s still in pain at his dying bed.
As soon as Scarlet’s identity reveals, her full life completely changes. Her friends looks her from different perspectives, the press starts camping in front of her house, chasing her at everywhere and when she has a road trip to NC with her mother, things don’t get horrifying as she’s expected. She meets her grandparents, cousin, aunt, befriending agent Logan’s kids ( actually she has a new crush for his son)
As the life brings new twists and turns, is she brave enough to face them?
How could she survive at the visiting times of her murderer father who talks about his victims with graphical, gory details in expanse to give her a new victim’s name? Can she endure the pressure as she suffers from her own anxiety issues?
This was fast pacing and hooking experience from the beginning till the end, giving a realistic psychological approach to not only a criminal’s mind but it gives extra genuine perspective about the murderer’s family: how they handle things as they are the only living victims of the evil man who have to live with their guilt feelings till the day they die.
Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Wednesday Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
March 11, 2022
I feel like this is the year of Little Miss Cranky Pants book reviews. Seriously. I hate to be so harsh but I have read some real duds since the start of 2022.
I had high hopes for Daughter and the 4.19 average Goodreads rating led me to believe that this would be a worthwhile reading experience.
This book had great beginning and I was digging it. Scarlet is your typical 17 year old hanging out with friends and crushing on a boy. Her overly protective mother keeps her on a tight leash for reasons Scarlett can't understand. One day she receives a knock on her door only to find two FBI agents standing there. Here she finds out that she is, in fact, the daughter of infamous serial killer Jeffrey Robert Lake. Lake was convicted of raping and murdering 14 women even though authorities believe there are many more bodies undiscovered.
Lake, now dying in an infirmary with pancreatic cancer has asked that Scarlett come visit him and to her he will reveal the whereabouts of the other victims. She is hesitant, her mother is hesitant, but the FBI urge her to do this in order to bring peace to the other families and so they all agree and Scarlett and her mother make their way from Connecticut to North Carolina.
And here's where it should have gotten super juicy but instead just became problematic.
Scarlett is allowed to sit by a convicted serial killers bedside without anyone around. I realize it's her father but he's a stranger to her since he was put in prison when she was 2 years old. I just can't believe the FBI would allow this and that there wouldn't be more protection provided. Not to mention I would think someone would be recording these conversations rather than rely on a anxious 17 year old who just had her world turned upside down to relay precise details.
Then there is Lake himself. He is nothing more than a caricature of a serial killer. I just did not buy into him, I didn't find him creepy, at best I found him cheesy. Did I mention he's a necrophiliac? Because why not, right? It isn't bad enough that he raped and murdered these women but he liked to go back for seconds and thirds after the deed was done. Gross, yes indeed, but what's even more gross is listening to him talk to his daughter about these things.
Let's move on the the mother now shall we. Gina, our helicopter mom to the extreme, has been dealt a bad hand in life by being manipulated by Lake into falling in love, marrying him, and eventually having a baby with him. She stood by his side until the evidence became too much to ignore and she divorced him. She whisks Scarlett away to another state with new identities to make a life for themselves without scrutiny and prying eyes. Once her huge secret is revealed to her daughter she goes from helicopter mom to a free spirit who couldn't give a crap what her daughter does anymore. She's smiling, she's laughing, she's drinking bucket loads of wine without a care in the world. So it was really her secret that kept her so paranoid and looking over her and her daughters shoulders. Not the actually safety of her daughter. It just didn't make any sense at all.
Another thing I didn't enjoy was the teen sex. Scarlett is constantly lusting after this dude like he's the last man on earth. His smile, his shoulders, his muscular thighs, what she would give to run her hands down his abs. Yuck, yuck, yuck, yuck. I think I am too old to be listening to the details of teenagers having sex.
Speaking of being old, this book is definitely YA and Scarlett and her friends come across as very immature. I'm not totally against YA fiction, I've read some great ones (Dangerous Girls is amazing), but I prefer the characters to lean to the more mature side.
I could probably go on a little longer but I won't. You all get the gist of my issues with this. As usual I am in the minority so if this sounds intriguing to you then by all means give it a try. 2 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my complimentary copy.
I had high hopes for Daughter and the 4.19 average Goodreads rating led me to believe that this would be a worthwhile reading experience.
This book had great beginning and I was digging it. Scarlet is your typical 17 year old hanging out with friends and crushing on a boy. Her overly protective mother keeps her on a tight leash for reasons Scarlett can't understand. One day she receives a knock on her door only to find two FBI agents standing there. Here she finds out that she is, in fact, the daughter of infamous serial killer Jeffrey Robert Lake. Lake was convicted of raping and murdering 14 women even though authorities believe there are many more bodies undiscovered.
Lake, now dying in an infirmary with pancreatic cancer has asked that Scarlett come visit him and to her he will reveal the whereabouts of the other victims. She is hesitant, her mother is hesitant, but the FBI urge her to do this in order to bring peace to the other families and so they all agree and Scarlett and her mother make their way from Connecticut to North Carolina.
And here's where it should have gotten super juicy but instead just became problematic.
Scarlett is allowed to sit by a convicted serial killers bedside without anyone around. I realize it's her father but he's a stranger to her since he was put in prison when she was 2 years old. I just can't believe the FBI would allow this and that there wouldn't be more protection provided. Not to mention I would think someone would be recording these conversations rather than rely on a anxious 17 year old who just had her world turned upside down to relay precise details.
Then there is Lake himself. He is nothing more than a caricature of a serial killer. I just did not buy into him, I didn't find him creepy, at best I found him cheesy. Did I mention he's a necrophiliac? Because why not, right? It isn't bad enough that he raped and murdered these women but he liked to go back for seconds and thirds after the deed was done. Gross, yes indeed, but what's even more gross is listening to him talk to his daughter about these things.
Let's move on the the mother now shall we. Gina, our helicopter mom to the extreme, has been dealt a bad hand in life by being manipulated by Lake into falling in love, marrying him, and eventually having a baby with him. She stood by his side until the evidence became too much to ignore and she divorced him. She whisks Scarlett away to another state with new identities to make a life for themselves without scrutiny and prying eyes. Once her huge secret is revealed to her daughter she goes from helicopter mom to a free spirit who couldn't give a crap what her daughter does anymore. She's smiling, she's laughing, she's drinking bucket loads of wine without a care in the world. So it was really her secret that kept her so paranoid and looking over her and her daughters shoulders. Not the actually safety of her daughter. It just didn't make any sense at all.
Another thing I didn't enjoy was the teen sex. Scarlett is constantly lusting after this dude like he's the last man on earth. His smile, his shoulders, his muscular thighs, what she would give to run her hands down his abs. Yuck, yuck, yuck, yuck. I think I am too old to be listening to the details of teenagers having sex.
Speaking of being old, this book is definitely YA and Scarlett and her friends come across as very immature. I'm not totally against YA fiction, I've read some great ones (Dangerous Girls is amazing), but I prefer the characters to lean to the more mature side.
I could probably go on a little longer but I won't. You all get the gist of my issues with this. As usual I am in the minority so if this sounds intriguing to you then by all means give it a try. 2 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my complimentary copy.
March 21, 2022
Fair YA book about a girl who discovers she is the daughter of a serial killer.
I wanted more of a mystery but it wasn’t really that. Some parts were really not believable and others were kind of gross. Did we really need the information about necrophilia and it repeated over and over? No. Her dad gave me the absolute creeps and I suppose that was what the author was going for--showing us that glorifying these killers and making them out to be misunderstood rather than evil psychopaths is the wrong way to look at it.
The idea that we need to remember victims more than killers is very important, we need to remember the victim's names and who they were. It was also an interesting perspective of the family of a serial killer and how many people reacted negatively even to Scarlet, who was essentially a baby when all of this took place with no memory of her father.
I got really really tired of all of the pot smoking and drugs and pot smoking and pot smoking. Ok we get it they are teenagers, move on. Overall, this book could have been better than it was, but it wasn't all bad.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
I wanted more of a mystery but it wasn’t really that. Some parts were really not believable and others were kind of gross. Did we really need the information about necrophilia and it repeated over and over? No. Her dad gave me the absolute creeps and I suppose that was what the author was going for--showing us that glorifying these killers and making them out to be misunderstood rather than evil psychopaths is the wrong way to look at it.
The idea that we need to remember victims more than killers is very important, we need to remember the victim's names and who they were. It was also an interesting perspective of the family of a serial killer and how many people reacted negatively even to Scarlet, who was essentially a baby when all of this took place with no memory of her father.
I got really really tired of all of the pot smoking and drugs and pot smoking and pot smoking. Ok we get it they are teenagers, move on. Overall, this book could have been better than it was, but it wasn't all bad.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
March 6, 2022
Daughter by Kate McLaughlin is a young adult novel that really needs it’s own genre but I’ll toss this one in as a thriller read. The story though is part coming of age, part romance and then with some psychological elements thrown into the mix all with a serial killer as the cherry on top.
Scarlet has grown up being raised by her single protective mother and at almost eighteen she is a normal teenager worried about that cute boy and hanging with her friends. That is until the day two FBI agents show up at Scarlet’s house asking for her mother.
Scarlet’s mother then gives Scarlet gets the shock of her life, Scarlet’s father is none other than convicted serial killer Jeffrey Robert Lake. When Lake was convicted of fourteen murders Scarlet’s mother ran and changed their names. Now Lake is dying of cancer and wants to meet his daughter with the promise of giving up the names of even more of his victims.
After starting Daughter by Kate McLaughlin I had a horrible time trying to put this one down. The story really picks up pace once diving into the killer side of it and the pages flew by. I couldn’t possibly imagine what it would be like to get the news you’re related to this dark dark man and it was interesting seeing how the family dealt with that fact over the years and how the main character handled the news and the events happening afterwards. After this one I’ll definitely have to return to this author again.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Scarlet has grown up being raised by her single protective mother and at almost eighteen she is a normal teenager worried about that cute boy and hanging with her friends. That is until the day two FBI agents show up at Scarlet’s house asking for her mother.
Scarlet’s mother then gives Scarlet gets the shock of her life, Scarlet’s father is none other than convicted serial killer Jeffrey Robert Lake. When Lake was convicted of fourteen murders Scarlet’s mother ran and changed their names. Now Lake is dying of cancer and wants to meet his daughter with the promise of giving up the names of even more of his victims.
After starting Daughter by Kate McLaughlin I had a horrible time trying to put this one down. The story really picks up pace once diving into the killer side of it and the pages flew by. I couldn’t possibly imagine what it would be like to get the news you’re related to this dark dark man and it was interesting seeing how the family dealt with that fact over the years and how the main character handled the news and the events happening afterwards. After this one I’ll definitely have to return to this author again.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
December 14, 2021
I was given an ARC of this book, and I had no idea until a chapter or so in when everything was "AF" and parties, cute boys, and pot were the main focus, that this was a YA book. I am definitely not the target audience here, so take my review for what it's worth.
Teenage Scarlet finds out from an FBI agent (in a black SUV nonetheless) that she and her mother are basically in the witness protection program, and that she is the daughter of a famous serial killer, Jeff Lake. He is dying and tells the FBI that he will reveal where more of the victims are buried if his daughter will agree to meet with him. What ensues is several father/daughter meetings, some teen romance, and as much resolution as the daughter of a serial killer can find.
There was nothing inherently wrong with this book, but there is no real drama, no twists, etc. After an intriguing opening, the plot slowed way down, and I'm not sure the conclusion was worth the work it took to get there. It seemed to be very strongly influenced by all of the recent Netflix documentaries on Ted Bundy, with many parallels to Bundy's story. The writing, while good, also had that very melodramatic quality that seems to be inherent in all YA books - every single emotion is the most intense emotion ever experienced! It's just over-the-top. My other gripe (which is also one of my pet peeves about YA stories in general) is that the teenagers here acted more like college students instead of high school students with drinking parties, sex, pot, and talks of spring break road trips. I did like that the serial killer was not the focus of the storyline, but rather a minor plot piece. The focus really stayed on the victims and honoring their memories.
Overall, an interesting look into the life of a teenaged daughter of a serial killer, but it's just a little too heavy on teenage angst for my taste. 3 stars.
Teenage Scarlet finds out from an FBI agent (in a black SUV nonetheless) that she and her mother are basically in the witness protection program, and that she is the daughter of a famous serial killer, Jeff Lake. He is dying and tells the FBI that he will reveal where more of the victims are buried if his daughter will agree to meet with him. What ensues is several father/daughter meetings, some teen romance, and as much resolution as the daughter of a serial killer can find.
There was nothing inherently wrong with this book, but there is no real drama, no twists, etc. After an intriguing opening, the plot slowed way down, and I'm not sure the conclusion was worth the work it took to get there. It seemed to be very strongly influenced by all of the recent Netflix documentaries on Ted Bundy, with many parallels to Bundy's story. The writing, while good, also had that very melodramatic quality that seems to be inherent in all YA books - every single emotion is the most intense emotion ever experienced! It's just over-the-top. My other gripe (which is also one of my pet peeves about YA stories in general) is that the teenagers here acted more like college students instead of high school students with drinking parties, sex, pot, and talks of spring break road trips. I did like that the serial killer was not the focus of the storyline, but rather a minor plot piece. The focus really stayed on the victims and honoring their memories.
Overall, an interesting look into the life of a teenaged daughter of a serial killer, but it's just a little too heavy on teenage angst for my taste. 3 stars.
March 11, 2022
Thanks to St. Martin's Press for an egalley in exchange for an honest review
Imagine being a teen and finding out that you and your mother are in witness protection and your father is a serial killer.
I am sure that most of us would say that would be a shocking and terrifying experience. For our protagonist Scarlet Murphy that is exactly what she discovers the day the FBI arrives at her home. Her biological father is dying and he promises to tell the FBI about the names of other victims never unearthed if they let him see his daughter.
This premise is definitely what encouraged me to choose it as an ARC I wanted to read in 2022. I was deeply immersed in the narrative and finished it in one sitting. The story was just too good to put down and so I didn't. 😁
One of the aspects I enjoyed is exploring how the perception of the media and the general public towards Scarlet and her mother. Most especially, how the people around them even some of Scarlet's friends felt that her mother must have known everything. It's definitely a situation where you find out who are your real friends. Another aspect I appreciated was the newspaper clippings spread throughout the book. Although I must admit that some of the conversations between Scarlet and her father were deeply traumatizing and felt so realistic.
A solid thriller
Publication Date 08/03/22
Goodreads review 11/03/22
Imagine being a teen and finding out that you and your mother are in witness protection and your father is a serial killer.
I am sure that most of us would say that would be a shocking and terrifying experience. For our protagonist Scarlet Murphy that is exactly what she discovers the day the FBI arrives at her home. Her biological father is dying and he promises to tell the FBI about the names of other victims never unearthed if they let him see his daughter.
This premise is definitely what encouraged me to choose it as an ARC I wanted to read in 2022. I was deeply immersed in the narrative and finished it in one sitting. The story was just too good to put down and so I didn't. 😁
One of the aspects I enjoyed is exploring how the perception of the media and the general public towards Scarlet and her mother. Most especially, how the people around them even some of Scarlet's friends felt that her mother must have known everything. It's definitely a situation where you find out who are your real friends. Another aspect I appreciated was the newspaper clippings spread throughout the book. Although I must admit that some of the conversations between Scarlet and her father were deeply traumatizing and felt so realistic.
A solid thriller
Publication Date 08/03/22
Goodreads review 11/03/22
December 18, 2021
~👑Special thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!👑~
I just found my new favorite author and I'm not even ashamed to admit that she made me cry.
Internally.
In amazement.
Rating: ✨✨✨✨✨ 4.5
I'm basically a walking corpse with decent hair and intense opinions. So this book was one of the last options I had before giving up on YA (adding a dramatic flair for special effect) and lo and behold, I was hooked and reeled in without any care for my mental health.
Put in a serial killer, someone with an ultimatum (that could kill them) and a smart (ish) main character, and you bet I'll be there! With donuts, a chainsaw and a clan of vikings ready to lead the war.
I'm nothing if not efficient, pfft.
Since I read What Unbreakable looks like, a story about a human trafficking survivor that had to deal with the aftermath of such horror written by the same author, I've been somewhat... I don't know the word- oh yes, consumed with the need to read more books of this author. (that is indeed a word, just separated)
And consumed is a little too light a word as well. Perhaps- absolutely, completely drenched with the urge to get my hands on more stories such as this one, would be a better choice.
The plot was magnificent. If I could sacrifice a fictional person for it, I would. (just take any of the books from the pile of 'MC should off herself' (kindly of course) rip out some characters and watch them burn) I threw the book across the room (in my head), yelled at the twists and turns (actually happened), gasped in amazement with glittering eyes and all (uh-huh I looked high on faerie dust. Either fictional worlds supply me with it or I create my own) and basically died fangirling too many times to be proper.
Because of course, the proper feminine urge to hug some dead trees to death (the syntax needs work but roll with it please) was too much to resist! So instead I had to squeeze my e-reader between my palms in rage, grace and a kick to the face? I'm pretty certain someone kicked someone in this book. Mainly with words, I think. Alright, the pace was excellent, I was in to finishing this book in a day and I kind of did (the bags under my eyes could rival a cliff). The whole atmospheric devices added in to create a sort of vicious landscape of hardened emotions and smiling blades left me with a sort of feeling inside because... what the heck was I going to read after such a masterpiece???
I wouldn't classify this as a horror, nor as a contemporary, thriller doesn't ring right with me either. Maybe a crime- psychological torture device that grips you from the start by the wings and threatens to rip them apart while maniacally cackling?
Okay, yeah, let's go with thriller.
(If they added the words 'based on a true story' oh nuh uh, this girl would've been OUT. As in, not present. Flying away while the song 'we're going on a trip on my favorite rocket ship, soaring through the skyyyyy' plays in the background)
(don't lie, that ish was so lit)
Then we have the writing. If I were to classify it in a sane and logical category *cough* where I could nitpick it to hell come and fangirl over it till pigs have tails-- I would say that it was an A+ on every level. I liked how it added the necessary details to represent what was occurring, loved the dialogue-- nay, adored it. Would kneel for it.
I *exaggerated Briticism accent when it's actually a person with an American accent speaking* thought incredibly highly of such a work.
The conversations y'all... do you ever just feel like closing a book, inhaling really deeply, judging your life decisions and then opening it again? Because that's how I was the whole entire novel. This author has the gift of bringing my obsessive book devourer out to the light when I don't even know when it's supposed to be, out of the cage I clearly left that alter ego in.
The way the characters spoke, how they were written to sound, I felt each note spreading across my skin so agonizingly slow I swear I think I died during their convos.
Am I writing whole paragraphs dedicated to the way conversations were *written* in a book? Pfft, absofreakinglutely.
How could I not???
Dudes, the conversations with the serial killer.
WHAT THE H-E DOUBLE HOLY WATERS WAS THAT????
AND WHERE CAN I GET IT- hold up, let me clarify. Not me having satisfying convos with killers, I mean the characters- Alright, I'll stop digging the hole for myself and maybe actually let the characters do so for me.
Why?
Because as the beginning stated, y'all are looking at a corpse.
Through a screen.
Shhh, it makes sense.
The main character was ultimately an entire bloody (no pun intended, but actually yes) piece of cake infused with sassy comebacks, remarkably placed threats and just enough sprinkling of 'I want that guy dead' to make me relate.
Does that sound like a good piece of cake?
Because yes, yes it is.
(minus the bloody, I'll leave that to Mr. 'You're my drug' Edward C, pfft)
I loved how even when she was clearly on the verge of breaking, she held herself up using toothpicks and, along the story, stitched herself back into a decent being. I have no idea what I would've done if I had been in her place (probably ingnote everything until that 'everything' dies off and I can look at oxygen particles again). Her charisma, her confidence, THE WAY SHE OWNED THAT ISH WHEN SPEAKING TO A MONSTER LIKE HER DAD. *sigh* It's been a while since I've felt satisfied when reading a confrontation between parents and their kids. Mostly, I'm like... bro. Punch each other (please don't follow this poor judgement).
The background characters lent my lifeless being a portion of light, so my soul could absorb it and be a lantern for some time.
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The love interest was adorable and even though unneeded, the added romance and the guy's PERFECTION (all caps, it was necessary) was everything I could've hoped to have. (that is a lot to say when I usually abhor romances in thrillers)
Am I swooning right now? Why yes, yes I am.
What gave me away? The fact that I'm clutching a pillow to my chest while sighing to the heavens in adoration and despair, or the way I'm picturing those scenes where that man left my heart for dead on the side of the road? The way he leaned against walls was so hot.
On a closing note, I need more books, y'all. More books like this. More books that make me frustrated and happy and consumed by feelings I can't begin to comprehend. More books that put that line between good and bad blurry yet agonizingly clear. This book is one that I'm looking forward to re-reading. The plot was so amazing (*cue me dying 'dramatically' all over again*), the writing was awesome, THE CHARACTERS LEFT A GAPING HOLE ON MY CHEST THAT IS BEING HELP UP WITH CRAPPY CLEAR TAPE.
And if I have to put myself through the (looked for) torture of having to deal with a poophead of such big dimensions the guy could block the sun and make Hades feel like a pebble, to feel as if it's the first time I'm reading it...
I will do so.
Can somebody hand me a tissue now? My dead eyes are secreting a watery substance, and in this grave there ins't a faucet to clean my face.
...........................
The only thing I'm capable of doing right now, is staring in 'HOLY FREAKING NAPKIN, WHAT WAS THAT?!?' at basically everything that moves.
I'll come back when my thoughts catch up with my fingers and I find a stable way of processing stuff.
............................
Netgalley: Here you go, child. You requested it-
Me: NOO, HOW CAN YOU DO THIS. TAKE IT BACK. NOW.
Netgalley: W-how- what the heck-
Me: I AM NOT READY. I AM NOT.
Netgalley: Do you want me to take it away-
Me: NOW, WHO TOLD YOU TO DO THAT.
Netgalley: ....
Me: I would like it now please, thank you.
I just found my new favorite author and I'm not even ashamed to admit that she made me cry.
Internally.
In amazement.
Rating: ✨✨✨✨✨ 4.5
I'm basically a walking corpse with decent hair and intense opinions. So this book was one of the last options I had before giving up on YA (adding a dramatic flair for special effect) and lo and behold, I was hooked and reeled in without any care for my mental health.
Put in a serial killer, someone with an ultimatum (that could kill them) and a smart (ish) main character, and you bet I'll be there! With donuts, a chainsaw and a clan of vikings ready to lead the war.
I'm nothing if not efficient, pfft.
Since I read What Unbreakable looks like, a story about a human trafficking survivor that had to deal with the aftermath of such horror written by the same author, I've been somewhat... I don't know the word- oh yes, consumed with the need to read more books of this author. (that is indeed a word, just separated)
And consumed is a little too light a word as well. Perhaps- absolutely, completely drenched with the urge to get my hands on more stories such as this one, would be a better choice.
The plot was magnificent. If I could sacrifice a fictional person for it, I would. (just take any of the books from the pile of 'MC should off herself' (kindly of course) rip out some characters and watch them burn) I threw the book across the room (in my head), yelled at the twists and turns (actually happened), gasped in amazement with glittering eyes and all (uh-huh I looked high on faerie dust. Either fictional worlds supply me with it or I create my own) and basically died fangirling too many times to be proper.
Because of course, the proper feminine urge to hug some dead trees to death (the syntax needs work but roll with it please) was too much to resist! So instead I had to squeeze my e-reader between my palms in rage, grace and a kick to the face? I'm pretty certain someone kicked someone in this book. Mainly with words, I think. Alright, the pace was excellent, I was in to finishing this book in a day and I kind of did (the bags under my eyes could rival a cliff). The whole atmospheric devices added in to create a sort of vicious landscape of hardened emotions and smiling blades left me with a sort of feeling inside because... what the heck was I going to read after such a masterpiece???
I wouldn't classify this as a horror, nor as a contemporary, thriller doesn't ring right with me either. Maybe a crime- psychological torture device that grips you from the start by the wings and threatens to rip them apart while maniacally cackling?
Okay, yeah, let's go with thriller.
(If they added the words 'based on a true story' oh nuh uh, this girl would've been OUT. As in, not present. Flying away while the song 'we're going on a trip on my favorite rocket ship, soaring through the skyyyyy' plays in the background)
(don't lie, that ish was so lit)
Then we have the writing. If I were to classify it in a sane and logical category *cough* where I could nitpick it to hell come and fangirl over it till pigs have tails-- I would say that it was an A+ on every level. I liked how it added the necessary details to represent what was occurring, loved the dialogue-- nay, adored it. Would kneel for it.
I *exaggerated Briticism accent when it's actually a person with an American accent speaking* thought incredibly highly of such a work.
The conversations y'all... do you ever just feel like closing a book, inhaling really deeply, judging your life decisions and then opening it again? Because that's how I was the whole entire novel. This author has the gift of bringing my obsessive book devourer out to the light when I don't even know when it's supposed to be, out of the cage I clearly left that alter ego in.
The way the characters spoke, how they were written to sound, I felt each note spreading across my skin so agonizingly slow I swear I think I died during their convos.
Am I writing whole paragraphs dedicated to the way conversations were *written* in a book? Pfft, absofreakinglutely.
How could I not???
Dudes, the conversations with the serial killer.
WHAT THE H-E DOUBLE HOLY WATERS WAS THAT????
AND WHERE CAN I GET IT- hold up, let me clarify. Not me having satisfying convos with killers, I mean the characters- Alright, I'll stop digging the hole for myself and maybe actually let the characters do so for me.
Why?
Because as the beginning stated, y'all are looking at a corpse.
Through a screen.
Shhh, it makes sense.
The main character was ultimately an entire bloody (no pun intended, but actually yes) piece of cake infused with sassy comebacks, remarkably placed threats and just enough sprinkling of 'I want that guy dead' to make me relate.
Does that sound like a good piece of cake?
Because yes, yes it is.
(minus the bloody, I'll leave that to Mr. 'You're my drug' Edward C, pfft)
I loved how even when she was clearly on the verge of breaking, she held herself up using toothpicks and, along the story, stitched herself back into a decent being. I have no idea what I would've done if I had been in her place (probably ingnote everything until that 'everything' dies off and I can look at oxygen particles again). Her charisma, her confidence, THE WAY SHE OWNED THAT ISH WHEN SPEAKING TO A MONSTER LIKE HER DAD. *sigh* It's been a while since I've felt satisfied when reading a confrontation between parents and their kids. Mostly, I'm like... bro. Punch each other (please don't follow this poor judgement).
The background characters lent my lifeless being a portion of light, so my soul could absorb it and be a lantern for some time.
R
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The love interest was adorable and even though unneeded, the added romance and the guy's PERFECTION (all caps, it was necessary) was everything I could've hoped to have. (that is a lot to say when I usually abhor romances in thrillers)
Am I swooning right now? Why yes, yes I am.
What gave me away? The fact that I'm clutching a pillow to my chest while sighing to the heavens in adoration and despair, or the way I'm picturing those scenes where that man left my heart for dead on the side of the road? The way he leaned against walls was so hot.
On a closing note, I need more books, y'all. More books like this. More books that make me frustrated and happy and consumed by feelings I can't begin to comprehend. More books that put that line between good and bad blurry yet agonizingly clear. This book is one that I'm looking forward to re-reading. The plot was so amazing (*cue me dying 'dramatically' all over again*), the writing was awesome, THE CHARACTERS LEFT A GAPING HOLE ON MY CHEST THAT IS BEING HELP UP WITH CRAPPY CLEAR TAPE.
And if I have to put myself through the (looked for) torture of having to deal with a poophead of such big dimensions the guy could block the sun and make Hades feel like a pebble, to feel as if it's the first time I'm reading it...
I will do so.
Can somebody hand me a tissue now? My dead eyes are secreting a watery substance, and in this grave there ins't a faucet to clean my face.
...........................
The only thing I'm capable of doing right now, is staring in 'HOLY FREAKING NAPKIN, WHAT WAS THAT?!?' at basically everything that moves.
I'll come back when my thoughts catch up with my fingers and I find a stable way of processing stuff.
............................
Netgalley: Here you go, child. You requested it-
Me: NOO, HOW CAN YOU DO THIS. TAKE IT BACK. NOW.
Netgalley: W-how- what the heck-
Me: I AM NOT READY. I AM NOT.
Netgalley: Do you want me to take it away-
Me: NOW, WHO TOLD YOU TO DO THAT.
Netgalley: ....
Me: I would like it now please, thank you.
April 5, 2022
I listened to this on audiobook and thought the narrator was great. Unfortunately, the book not so much. I had high hopes for the premise which was really intriguing. However, it was very graphic at times and it didn’t seem to go anywhere.
Scarlet is dumbfounded when she learns that she is the daughter of serial killer Jeffery Robert Lake. Her mother tried to shield the truth from her however, now that Jeffery is dying he wants to reveal the names and locations of his victims to one person; Scarlet.
Between the media coverage and the people coming out of the woodwork blaming Scarlet for her father’s actions, Scarlet will need to decide if she will hide or prove to the world she’s not her father’s daughter.
Thank you to Netgalley and and RB Media for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
Scarlet is dumbfounded when she learns that she is the daughter of serial killer Jeffery Robert Lake. Her mother tried to shield the truth from her however, now that Jeffery is dying he wants to reveal the names and locations of his victims to one person; Scarlet.
Between the media coverage and the people coming out of the woodwork blaming Scarlet for her father’s actions, Scarlet will need to decide if she will hide or prove to the world she’s not her father’s daughter.
Thank you to Netgalley and and RB Media for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
March 31, 2022
I don't read alot of YA fiction but this one had me intrigued. I saw that alot of my trusted reviewer friends had enjoyed it so I was thrilled when I was approved for an audio copy of Daughter.
I love a good serial killer story and this was a cracker. What would you do if you found out your whole life up until the age of 17 was a lie? That is what happens to Scarlet when the FBI come knocking. She discovers that her Scarlet is not her birth name and that he father who she believed has just abandoned them, was actually notorious serial killer Jeffery Robert Lake. He is in prison and dying. And he has more name for the FBI - but only if his daughter comes to visit him in prison.
Her life is uprooted and changed forever. It was an interesting look at what a the family left behind have to deal with and suffer. Scarlet was a strong girl and I really enjoyed reading her journey. There was a bit too much of the romance side for me to give it 5 stars but that is just me.
The narration was fantastic, and I could not stop listening. Highly recommend. Thanks to RB Media for my audiobook copy to listen to. Daughter is out now and well worth a read or listen.
I love a good serial killer story and this was a cracker. What would you do if you found out your whole life up until the age of 17 was a lie? That is what happens to Scarlet when the FBI come knocking. She discovers that her Scarlet is not her birth name and that he father who she believed has just abandoned them, was actually notorious serial killer Jeffery Robert Lake. He is in prison and dying. And he has more name for the FBI - but only if his daughter comes to visit him in prison.
Her life is uprooted and changed forever. It was an interesting look at what a the family left behind have to deal with and suffer. Scarlet was a strong girl and I really enjoyed reading her journey. There was a bit too much of the romance side for me to give it 5 stars but that is just me.
The narration was fantastic, and I could not stop listening. Highly recommend. Thanks to RB Media for my audiobook copy to listen to. Daughter is out now and well worth a read or listen.
February 20, 2022
A gripping read from start to finish!
March 18, 2022
Seventeen year old Scarlet is a typical teenager dealing with school, boys and parties while trying to get her overprotective mom to loosen the reins a bit. She doesn't have a clue that her world is about to be shattered until two FBI Agents show up to talk to her and her mother. The conversation that follows leaves Scarlet reeling, angry and in shock. How is it possible that she is the daughter of serial killer Jeffrey Robert Lake aka the Gentleman Killer? How is it possible that her entire life is a lie? That she's been living in a witness protection program most of her life? This revelation leaves her questioning who and what she is - a daughter with a serial killer's DNA. What does that make her?
Daughter is the story of a young, confused teenager facing difficult choices after being side-blinded with life-altering news. Scarlet is led to question everything and everyone in her life while dealing with the information that her father is dying in prison and will speak only to her. He'll only reveal the location of the bodies of more victims if she comes to see him. The story that ensues is highly emotional as Scarlet struggles to accept reality and find her own way forward. Through her point of view, readers will feel her confusion, pain and frustration.
Several questions about how families left behind cope when serial killers are incarcerated or killed are raised in Daughter. It speaks of families, in this case a daughter, dealing with unwanted media exposure, being spurned by friends, and eschewed by society for things beyond their control like the sins of a father. But most of all, it speaks of becoming a survivor, of a young girl finding her own identity and voice and finding a way to leave the past behind. While I expected more thriller scenes between father and daughter, I feel like this book is meant to be an inspiration for those learning to live with reality while claiming their own space and future in this world as Scarlet does. Daughter is a bit heavy in teenage high school party scenes with sex, drugs and alcohol that I honestly feel are more appropriate for a college age crowd, but I'm admittedly way out of touch with this particular age group. It is, however, sad to think these things are now common in this age group.
For this reader, Daughter is more of a coming of age and romance story than a thriller although it does have some suspenseful scenes. McLaughlin is a skilled writer with a talent for delivering emotional characters who grow and develop throughout the story. She sets a pace that keeps the plot moving forward and paired with short, concise chapters, keeps readers flipping pages seeking answers. Fans of young adult, coming of age stories will enjoy Daughter.
Many thanks to Wednesday Books for an arc of this book.
Review published in Mystery & Suspense Magazine
Review posted at Cross My Heart Reviews
Daughter is the story of a young, confused teenager facing difficult choices after being side-blinded with life-altering news. Scarlet is led to question everything and everyone in her life while dealing with the information that her father is dying in prison and will speak only to her. He'll only reveal the location of the bodies of more victims if she comes to see him. The story that ensues is highly emotional as Scarlet struggles to accept reality and find her own way forward. Through her point of view, readers will feel her confusion, pain and frustration.
Several questions about how families left behind cope when serial killers are incarcerated or killed are raised in Daughter. It speaks of families, in this case a daughter, dealing with unwanted media exposure, being spurned by friends, and eschewed by society for things beyond their control like the sins of a father. But most of all, it speaks of becoming a survivor, of a young girl finding her own identity and voice and finding a way to leave the past behind. While I expected more thriller scenes between father and daughter, I feel like this book is meant to be an inspiration for those learning to live with reality while claiming their own space and future in this world as Scarlet does. Daughter is a bit heavy in teenage high school party scenes with sex, drugs and alcohol that I honestly feel are more appropriate for a college age crowd, but I'm admittedly way out of touch with this particular age group. It is, however, sad to think these things are now common in this age group.
For this reader, Daughter is more of a coming of age and romance story than a thriller although it does have some suspenseful scenes. McLaughlin is a skilled writer with a talent for delivering emotional characters who grow and develop throughout the story. She sets a pace that keeps the plot moving forward and paired with short, concise chapters, keeps readers flipping pages seeking answers. Fans of young adult, coming of age stories will enjoy Daughter.
Many thanks to Wednesday Books for an arc of this book.
Review published in Mystery & Suspense Magazine
Review posted at Cross My Heart Reviews
March 29, 2022
This has an intriguing, gripping and very unique storyline. A teenaged girl learns that her father is an infamous serial killer and she must visit with him in trade for the names of his unknown victims. The character development is outstanding. The characters are well-rounded, flawed and relatable on many levels. The descriptions are so vividly drawn that I found that my heart was pounding in certain instances. I found the outcome to be fitting and very satisfying.
Many thanks to Netgalley, Edelweiss, Wednesday Books and Kate McLaughlin for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Many thanks to Netgalley, Edelweiss, Wednesday Books and Kate McLaughlin for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
August 8, 2021
Scarlet is living the typical life of a teenager in high school. She loves her friends, has a highly protective mother, and has a boy that she’s currently interested in. However she never had a father in her life, and unfortunately, that is about to change. The FBI show up at Scarlet’s house to inform her that she is the daughter of the serial killer Jeffrey Robert Lake. And that Lake is incarcerated but has a terminal illness and not much time left. Lake has agreed to give up the names and locations of his victims that were never found with one condition. He will only talk to his daughter, Scarlet. Will Scarlet be able to handle this shocking discovery?
Kate McLaughlin has created a near perfect story that was disturbing, engaging, and fascinating, all at the same time. I loved this book and it deserves each and every star! The subject matter here crosses over from YA to Psychological Thriller territory and will likely appeal to wide audience.
Many thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.
Kate McLaughlin has created a near perfect story that was disturbing, engaging, and fascinating, all at the same time. I loved this book and it deserves each and every star! The subject matter here crosses over from YA to Psychological Thriller territory and will likely appeal to wide audience.
Many thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.
January 11, 2022
It feels a little weird giving my own book 5 stars, but if I don't love it that much who else will? lol This book was definitely born in my own fascination with serial killers, in particular Ted Bundy. Don't get me wrong -- I don't think Bundy was attractive. I think he was a monster with a pleasant face who managed to fake it well enough to fool people, sometimes even himself. Jeff Lake, my fictional killer looks a little like Bradley Cooper in my head, but more chiseled and full of Southern charm.
The idea for DAUGHTER came to me while watching 'Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile' on Netflix. There's a scene where Carole Ann Boone (Bundy's wife) is sitting in the courtroom just after he's been sentenced, and she's obviously pregnant. I remember thinking, "Can you imagine having Ted Bundy as your father?" Then, I watched an interview with Bundy's former girlfriend, Elizabeth Kendall and her daughter, Molly. Bundy actually was a father to Molly for a few years of her childhood. After that, I couldn't shake the idea of having that knowledge -- that your parent is a monster and half your DNA came from them. That's when I started watching interviews with Kerri Rawson, the daughter of Dennis Radar, also known as BTK (bind, torture, kill). These women were *so* affected by these men. I mean, there's very little known about Rosa Bundy, the daughter who was born while Bundy was in prison. She has to have changed her name, and probably lives a quiet life. Who can blame her? And she has to do this, not because she's a horrible person, but because her father was. Also, because he still has 'fans.' How creepy is that?
In DAUGHTER, Scarlet doesn't know the truth about her father until two FBI agents show up at her door, but she learns fast. When they meet face to face, she thinks she can handle it. Sometimes she's right, but for the most part she's completely over her head. He doesn't see her as his child, but as someone else he can use to get what he wants. She's like a living trophy for him, and he treats her as such.
The book is really about finding your own voice. None of us are our parents, or are responsible for the 'sins of the father' so to speak. But, people tend to judge us based on where -- and who -- we come from, DAUGHTER is about forging your own identity, changing the narrative and showing that 'nature' is only a small part of who we are.
Oh yeah -- it's also pretty creepy in places. Lake is dying and wants to play one last game. He'll only give up the location and names of his remaining victims to Scarlet, and sometimes he likes to reminisce. Scarlet wants to do the right thing, but with reporters watching her every move, and people treating her and her mother like they're the criminals, how much can one girl take?
The idea for DAUGHTER came to me while watching 'Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile' on Netflix. There's a scene where Carole Ann Boone (Bundy's wife) is sitting in the courtroom just after he's been sentenced, and she's obviously pregnant. I remember thinking, "Can you imagine having Ted Bundy as your father?" Then, I watched an interview with Bundy's former girlfriend, Elizabeth Kendall and her daughter, Molly. Bundy actually was a father to Molly for a few years of her childhood. After that, I couldn't shake the idea of having that knowledge -- that your parent is a monster and half your DNA came from them. That's when I started watching interviews with Kerri Rawson, the daughter of Dennis Radar, also known as BTK (bind, torture, kill). These women were *so* affected by these men. I mean, there's very little known about Rosa Bundy, the daughter who was born while Bundy was in prison. She has to have changed her name, and probably lives a quiet life. Who can blame her? And she has to do this, not because she's a horrible person, but because her father was. Also, because he still has 'fans.' How creepy is that?
In DAUGHTER, Scarlet doesn't know the truth about her father until two FBI agents show up at her door, but she learns fast. When they meet face to face, she thinks she can handle it. Sometimes she's right, but for the most part she's completely over her head. He doesn't see her as his child, but as someone else he can use to get what he wants. She's like a living trophy for him, and he treats her as such.
The book is really about finding your own voice. None of us are our parents, or are responsible for the 'sins of the father' so to speak. But, people tend to judge us based on where -- and who -- we come from, DAUGHTER is about forging your own identity, changing the narrative and showing that 'nature' is only a small part of who we are.
Oh yeah -- it's also pretty creepy in places. Lake is dying and wants to play one last game. He'll only give up the location and names of his remaining victims to Scarlet, and sometimes he likes to reminisce. Scarlet wants to do the right thing, but with reporters watching her every move, and people treating her and her mother like they're the criminals, how much can one girl take?
March 28, 2022
Wow, this was SUCH an intriguing plot! It’s categorized as a YA Thriller but it’s really so much more than that!
It’s a dark story that’s certainly disturbing but it’s complicated and equally captivating. I was truly absorbed from start to finish and felt like I was reading a real true crime story and had me constantly questioning what I would think of Scarlet and her mother if it was in fact a non fiction read.
The characters felt incredibly realistic and I totally connected to them. I loved reading that McLaughlin was inspired after watching ‘Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile’ and have always been curious how someone gets involved with a serial killer and the many different angles and perspectives that can follow.
I flew through this clever and extremely thought provoking story and I highly recommend it!
It’s a dark story that’s certainly disturbing but it’s complicated and equally captivating. I was truly absorbed from start to finish and felt like I was reading a real true crime story and had me constantly questioning what I would think of Scarlet and her mother if it was in fact a non fiction read.
The characters felt incredibly realistic and I totally connected to them. I loved reading that McLaughlin was inspired after watching ‘Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile’ and have always been curious how someone gets involved with a serial killer and the many different angles and perspectives that can follow.
I flew through this clever and extremely thought provoking story and I highly recommend it!
April 11, 2022
I devoured this book in a day.
Society, in general, or at least a large section of it, tends to have this sort of morbid curiosity about serial killers. Criminal profilers, psychologists, and the like can spend their entire careers trying to understand and psychoanalyze these monsters made flesh. While I myself have never seen the appeal in the sometimes seemingly endless stream of killer documentaries/mock-u-mentaries. I do sometimes enjoy the occasional mystery or thriller. I like to see the truth unraveled and wrongful parties brought to justice.
In this case, the man in question was put behind bars long before his daughter ever learned who he was or what he'd done. But like a true anti-social narcissist he isn't content to die without another shot in the spotlight. And so, he strikes a deal with the FBI to give them the names of his remaining victims. But he'll only reveal those names to his daughter. A daughter who up until this point had no idea he existed.
Thrust into a national spotlight, she never asked for, our heroine Scarlet is forced to confront her father's past. Suddenly, her mother's obsessively overprotective behavior makes perfect sense. And while she wants nothing to do with the father she's never known, she feels as though it is her duty to help get answers for the families whom her father destroyed. Returning to her mother's hometown, Scarlet meets the man whose very existence has unfortunately colored her life in ways that left her anxious and resentful.
Jeffrey Lake is as awful as they say. And of course, rather than surrendering the names of his victims, he decides to play games with his daughter. Scarlet's seemingly peaceful life is turned upside down.
But it isn't all bad. Turns out, she and her mother aren't alone after all. She has relatives she'd never known about or met. Despite some having reservations, Scarlet quickly bonds with the family she never knew she had and finds a close ally and friend in her cousin Maxi. Scarlet also forms fast friendships with Luke and Darcy, the children of the FBI agent who worked her father's case all those years ago. Though with Luke it develops into much more. Honestly, Scarlet and Luke's relationship was one of my favorite parts of the book. Luke is so sweet, charming, understanding, and supportive. I think we all deserve a Luke in our lives.
Anyways, being thrown into the limelight Scarlet comes to realize in high-profile cases such as these the killer is always the one that takes center stage with the public. The killer is the one that is remembered, the one whose name is known, and the victims are often forgotten. So Scarlet takes it upon herself to learn about the victims and puts effort toward sharing their stories.
This book is well-paced, highly engaging, and thought-provoking. Honestly, it's one of my favorite books of the year so far.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Wednesday Books for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Society, in general, or at least a large section of it, tends to have this sort of morbid curiosity about serial killers. Criminal profilers, psychologists, and the like can spend their entire careers trying to understand and psychoanalyze these monsters made flesh. While I myself have never seen the appeal in the sometimes seemingly endless stream of killer documentaries/mock-u-mentaries. I do sometimes enjoy the occasional mystery or thriller. I like to see the truth unraveled and wrongful parties brought to justice.
In this case, the man in question was put behind bars long before his daughter ever learned who he was or what he'd done. But like a true anti-social narcissist he isn't content to die without another shot in the spotlight. And so, he strikes a deal with the FBI to give them the names of his remaining victims. But he'll only reveal those names to his daughter. A daughter who up until this point had no idea he existed.
Thrust into a national spotlight, she never asked for, our heroine Scarlet is forced to confront her father's past. Suddenly, her mother's obsessively overprotective behavior makes perfect sense. And while she wants nothing to do with the father she's never known, she feels as though it is her duty to help get answers for the families whom her father destroyed. Returning to her mother's hometown, Scarlet meets the man whose very existence has unfortunately colored her life in ways that left her anxious and resentful.
Jeffrey Lake is as awful as they say. And of course, rather than surrendering the names of his victims, he decides to play games with his daughter. Scarlet's seemingly peaceful life is turned upside down.
But it isn't all bad. Turns out, she and her mother aren't alone after all. She has relatives she'd never known about or met. Despite some having reservations, Scarlet quickly bonds with the family she never knew she had and finds a close ally and friend in her cousin Maxi. Scarlet also forms fast friendships with Luke and Darcy, the children of the FBI agent who worked her father's case all those years ago. Though with Luke it develops into much more. Honestly, Scarlet and Luke's relationship was one of my favorite parts of the book. Luke is so sweet, charming, understanding, and supportive. I think we all deserve a Luke in our lives.
Anyways, being thrown into the limelight Scarlet comes to realize in high-profile cases such as these the killer is always the one that takes center stage with the public. The killer is the one that is remembered, the one whose name is known, and the victims are often forgotten. So Scarlet takes it upon herself to learn about the victims and puts effort toward sharing their stories.
This book is well-paced, highly engaging, and thought-provoking. Honestly, it's one of my favorite books of the year so far.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Wednesday Books for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Read
March 24, 2022Scarlet leads a pretty average teenage life, except for her very overprotective mother. Her mom has always watched Scarlet's every move and kept her from engaging in a lot of activities. When FBI Agent Logan shows up on their doorstep, it all starts to make sense. He reveals her mother was once married to notorious serial killer Jeffrey Robert Lake, known for killing and burying many women at his family's lake house. And Scarlet? She's his daughter. Now Lake is dying, and he will only reveal the names and locations of more victims to one person--his daughter. Scarlet is suddenly faced with a horrible decision, as well as the burden of learning about her troubled past.
"Her father's crimes will haunt her for the rest of her life. God help her. I don't reckon she'll ever get a moment's peace."
This is a captivating story that I breezed through in one day. If you like shows like Criminal Minds, this is the perfect book for you. Does it simplify a lot of things? No doubt. Is it completely entertaining? Yes.
Just imagining what it would be like to learn Scarlet's news is pretty insane, and McLaughlin, as always, does a wonderful job of capturing Scarlet's teen voice. She's an engaging narrator and it's quite easy to get sucked into her world. The book also features articles and new pieces about Scarlet's father (and mother) back in the day, so we learn about Lake's evil side and all his horrific crimes and are led to wonder--what sort of role did Scarlet's mother play in his crimes?
There are certainly some simplified pieces to this story. Scarlet and her mom deal with the same FBI Agent as she did nearly twenty years ago, even stay with his family at their home, and, of course, Scarlet develops a crush on his son. One has to question the wisdom of sending a teen in to meet with an infamous serial killer... but, hey, it's mesmerizing in the story. The book also does a great job of illustrating how society focuses on killers and not the real victims.
Overall, this is a quick read, even though it covers a lot of serious topics. Its narrator is excellent, and I would have loved this book as a teen. (I quite enjoyed it now!)
I received a copy of this book St. Martin's Press / Wednesday Books and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
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"Her father's crimes will haunt her for the rest of her life. God help her. I don't reckon she'll ever get a moment's peace."
This is a captivating story that I breezed through in one day. If you like shows like Criminal Minds, this is the perfect book for you. Does it simplify a lot of things? No doubt. Is it completely entertaining? Yes.
Just imagining what it would be like to learn Scarlet's news is pretty insane, and McLaughlin, as always, does a wonderful job of capturing Scarlet's teen voice. She's an engaging narrator and it's quite easy to get sucked into her world. The book also features articles and new pieces about Scarlet's father (and mother) back in the day, so we learn about Lake's evil side and all his horrific crimes and are led to wonder--what sort of role did Scarlet's mother play in his crimes?
There are certainly some simplified pieces to this story. Scarlet and her mom deal with the same FBI Agent as she did nearly twenty years ago, even stay with his family at their home, and, of course, Scarlet develops a crush on his son. One has to question the wisdom of sending a teen in to meet with an infamous serial killer... but, hey, it's mesmerizing in the story. The book also does a great job of illustrating how society focuses on killers and not the real victims.
Overall, this is a quick read, even though it covers a lot of serious topics. Its narrator is excellent, and I would have loved this book as a teen. (I quite enjoyed it now!)
I received a copy of this book St. Martin's Press / Wednesday Books and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Smashbomb ~ Instagram
Want to read
January 25, 2022Wow, let me catch my breath a second.....
Daughter, by Kate McLaughlin, is sure to bring in a large audience. McLaughlin, does not skip a beat when it comes to making you feel like you personally know these characters. I found Scarlet to be relatable as I also had an insanely overprotective mother growing up. At 17 years old, the reigns should be loosened a bit. That was not the case here. Not only is Scarlet's mother extremely over protective but her father, Jeffrey Lake, is a serial killer. Maybe that is the reason behind Scarlet's mothers madness?
Now, Jeffrey Lake, sitting in prison is dying . Jeffrey Lake is looking to negotiate. He wants to meet his daughter and in turn he will provide the names of his victims that no one has been able to identify yet.
Cue the wild media circus this unleashes and the internal struggle Scarlet is faced with.
This book was insane, I have never read anything like it. Not only was the story line unique but the entire book from start to finish was mind blowing.
Everyone needs to pre-order this book. I will be thinking about this book for months to come.
Daughter, by Kate McLaughlin, is sure to bring in a large audience. McLaughlin, does not skip a beat when it comes to making you feel like you personally know these characters. I found Scarlet to be relatable as I also had an insanely overprotective mother growing up. At 17 years old, the reigns should be loosened a bit. That was not the case here. Not only is Scarlet's mother extremely over protective but her father, Jeffrey Lake, is a serial killer. Maybe that is the reason behind Scarlet's mothers madness?
Now, Jeffrey Lake, sitting in prison is dying . Jeffrey Lake is looking to negotiate. He wants to meet his daughter and in turn he will provide the names of his victims that no one has been able to identify yet.
Cue the wild media circus this unleashes and the internal struggle Scarlet is faced with.
This book was insane, I have never read anything like it. Not only was the story line unique but the entire book from start to finish was mind blowing.
Everyone needs to pre-order this book. I will be thinking about this book for months to come.
July 18, 2021
Daughter by Kate McLaughlin is a young adult novel. What if you had grown up with a single mother but always wondered what it would be like to have a father? What if you found out you do have a father and he's a famous serial killer on death row? Scarlet's father is so famous there was a popular movie made about him. She watched it with her class at school. Except for a short creepy first chapter, this story is told from Scarlet's point of view. And for much of the novel, Scarlet's attention is on her own social life: girls she shares secrets and vapes with, boys she hooks up with, and her mother who is too controlling. When the FBI asks Scarlet to visit her father in prison, because he says he will tell her, and only her, about his unknown victims, she begins to grow up, and is able to face the killer down better than anyone could have expected. Well written with some unexpected twists. A little too much graphic sex for my taste, but should appeal to teens, the intended audience.
November 23, 2021
Whenever I read a true crime story about creepy killers, I always think how would their family feel, what plays in their mind to learn that one of their own is a killer?! Author McLaughlin has provided a wholesome answer to my question in the form of this book — Daughter. Thank you Wednesday books for the e-arc.
Saying anymore things about this book will release the tension, so I’m just gonna say if you like the synopsis, get reading. Daughter will not disappoint you! She is fast paced, brave, suspenseful and her actions will shock you.
Saying anymore things about this book will release the tension, so I’m just gonna say if you like the synopsis, get reading. Daughter will not disappoint you! She is fast paced, brave, suspenseful and her actions will shock you.
March 21, 2022
What would you do if you found out you were the daughter of a serial killer? And how far would you go to help find the rest of his victims? That is what Scarlet is faced with when the truth is revealed.
This new YA book is told from the perspective of Scarlet, Jeffrey Lake's daughter. Growing up she had no idea who she was and it isn't until he is dying of cancer that the truth comes out. Her mother did a great job of protecting her, but maybe too good of a job since she is blindsided by the truth and it turns her life as she knew it upside down. To make things worse, he has told the FBI that if they bring his daughter to visit him, he will reveal more of the women that they didn't find that he murdered. What a quandary for Scarlet, does she help bring peace to the families that don't know what happened to their daughters, or does she continue her life such as it is?
This book reminded me of a series by another author that deals with how the families of serial killers are perceived by others. If you look at what we see in the media today, people are presumed guilty just by association and that isn't fair to the innocent. However, the media likes to stir up controversy so this really isn't anything new.
I was very surprised at how many times Scarlet and her friends would smoke pot and get high. I realize she has an anxiety disorder, but she does have medication for that. But by the end of the book, I wondered if the anxiety was caused by her mother and the lengths she went to in protecting Scarlet. And the fact that her mother could smell it on her and just let it slide was surprising considering she ran background checks on everyone that came into their lives.
This book made me think about how I would handle myself if placed in the same situation. Would I meet my father to quell the curiosity I have about him? Would I do this for the victim's families to give them closure? It would not be an easy situation because you have to be on guard when dealing with a psychopath.
There is some information about the killings and what Jeffrey Lake did with these women that is a little hard to read, but sadly, is not uncommon when it comes to serial killers. There are some sick people in this world.
I felt that this was a somewhat realistic view of teen life and how people treat those that they have presumed to be guilty even if you were only 2 at the time. I admired Scarlet for wanting to bring the victims out and have people remember them for who they were, not just that they were a victim of her father's.
We give it 4 paws up.
This new YA book is told from the perspective of Scarlet, Jeffrey Lake's daughter. Growing up she had no idea who she was and it isn't until he is dying of cancer that the truth comes out. Her mother did a great job of protecting her, but maybe too good of a job since she is blindsided by the truth and it turns her life as she knew it upside down. To make things worse, he has told the FBI that if they bring his daughter to visit him, he will reveal more of the women that they didn't find that he murdered. What a quandary for Scarlet, does she help bring peace to the families that don't know what happened to their daughters, or does she continue her life such as it is?
This book reminded me of a series by another author that deals with how the families of serial killers are perceived by others. If you look at what we see in the media today, people are presumed guilty just by association and that isn't fair to the innocent. However, the media likes to stir up controversy so this really isn't anything new.
I was very surprised at how many times Scarlet and her friends would smoke pot and get high. I realize she has an anxiety disorder, but she does have medication for that. But by the end of the book, I wondered if the anxiety was caused by her mother and the lengths she went to in protecting Scarlet. And the fact that her mother could smell it on her and just let it slide was surprising considering she ran background checks on everyone that came into their lives.
This book made me think about how I would handle myself if placed in the same situation. Would I meet my father to quell the curiosity I have about him? Would I do this for the victim's families to give them closure? It would not be an easy situation because you have to be on guard when dealing with a psychopath.
There is some information about the killings and what Jeffrey Lake did with these women that is a little hard to read, but sadly, is not uncommon when it comes to serial killers. There are some sick people in this world.
I felt that this was a somewhat realistic view of teen life and how people treat those that they have presumed to be guilty even if you were only 2 at the time. I admired Scarlet for wanting to bring the victims out and have people remember them for who they were, not just that they were a victim of her father's.
We give it 4 paws up.
October 9, 2025
***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me complimentary digital and audio copies of DAUGHTER by Kate McLaughlin in exchange for my honest review.***
4.5 STARS
Scarlett discovers she’s the daughter of a notorious serial killer when on his deathbed, he agrees to give the names and locations of other victims if she visits him.
I wanted to love DAUGHTER as much as I liked Kate McLaughlin’s THIS IS WHAT UNBREAKABLE LOOKS LIKE. DAUGHTER starts off slowly with party scenes not central to plot or character. Once Scarlett learns her identity and that of her mother, the pace picked up a bit and I finished the story in one sitting.
Scarlett should be a more compelling character, but I never *felt* her pain, anger or fear. The minor characters had more personality and nuance. I did root for her. Her father was felt more like a character than an actual serial killer.
Scarlett’s narration grabbed me more than the articles and letters, which felt more like info dump than useful additions to the story. McLaughlin didn’t do a lot of research about death row, prison security or prisons in general. Her father wouldn’t have his own room in an infirmary and Scarlett would have never been left alone with him etc.
DAUGHTER had more potential than the story, which made the book disappointing, though I still enjoyed it.
I raised the review a full two stars after listening to the audio ARC. The narrator engages me more into the story than the reading experience. I was better able to notice the quality of McLaughlin’s writing and her word building. I felt more engaged in Scarlet as a character and her experience. I even listened to the audiobook twice before writing the review.
4.5 STARS
Scarlett discovers she’s the daughter of a notorious serial killer when on his deathbed, he agrees to give the names and locations of other victims if she visits him.
I wanted to love DAUGHTER as much as I liked Kate McLaughlin’s THIS IS WHAT UNBREAKABLE LOOKS LIKE. DAUGHTER starts off slowly with party scenes not central to plot or character. Once Scarlett learns her identity and that of her mother, the pace picked up a bit and I finished the story in one sitting.
Scarlett should be a more compelling character, but I never *felt* her pain, anger or fear. The minor characters had more personality and nuance. I did root for her. Her father was felt more like a character than an actual serial killer.
Scarlett’s narration grabbed me more than the articles and letters, which felt more like info dump than useful additions to the story. McLaughlin didn’t do a lot of research about death row, prison security or prisons in general. Her father wouldn’t have his own room in an infirmary and Scarlett would have never been left alone with him etc.
DAUGHTER had more potential than the story, which made the book disappointing, though I still enjoyed it.
I raised the review a full two stars after listening to the audio ARC. The narrator engages me more into the story than the reading experience. I was better able to notice the quality of McLaughlin’s writing and her word building. I felt more engaged in Scarlet as a character and her experience. I even listened to the audiobook twice before writing the review.
December 28, 2022
I've really been intrigued by these "serial killers in the family" stories. I like the different perspectives possible - the children, the ex-spouse/partner, etc. And this one was good, I just didn't love it.
First, I didn't love the MC. I think maybe because this is YA, she was just over-the-top on every emotion and it got a little old. There were also a lot of in your face teenage behavior that also got distracting. I had wanted this to feel a bit more thriller, with me on the edge of my seat and a mystery of how it would all turn out, but I didn't quite feel sucked in enough to feel it.
But the story still was interesting. I was entertained and curious how it would all go even if I wasn't holding my breath to get there.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
First, I didn't love the MC. I think maybe because this is YA, she was just over-the-top on every emotion and it got a little old. There were also a lot of in your face teenage behavior that also got distracting. I had wanted this to feel a bit more thriller, with me on the edge of my seat and a mystery of how it would all turn out, but I didn't quite feel sucked in enough to feel it.
But the story still was interesting. I was entertained and curious how it would all go even if I wasn't holding my breath to get there.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
March 31, 2022
This book was straight up crazy! The author’s debut was incredible so I had high expectations for this one and she blew this one out of the water too! Kate McLaughlin has the rare ability to take super taboo topics and weave them into a riveting and unique young adult story. This one is captivating, haunting and quite uncomfortable. Scarlet was a great character who had a lot of growth throughout the novel. It was wonderful to see her really come into her own. She dealt with many things young adults deal with but with the added knowledge that she is the daughter of a serial killer. I’m pretty into true crime but I must say the way Scarlet’s father was portrayed was deeply disturbing. All of the secondary characters added great dimension to the story. The love interest was sweet. It did stall a little bit in parts. I did listen to the audiobook on this and the narrator was excellent. This author can do no wrong in my eyes. Cannot wait to see what she writes next! Definitely recommend.
March 20, 2022
Daughter is a darkish YA psychological thriller.
The narrator is 17 year old Scarlet. She has an overprotective mom. But she doesn't really understand why.
The book is about a famous serial killer. And we find out how he is relevant to Scarlet's story.
This book is Young Adult because the narrator is a senior in high school. But the topic is fairly disturbing. The book isn't overly graphic. But the overall story felt slightly mature. There is sex, drugs and a psychopath/serial killer.
The story was definitely interesting. And it kept my attention. Overall a good psychological thriller.
Thanks to netgalley and Wednesday books for allowing me to read this book.
The narrator is 17 year old Scarlet. She has an overprotective mom. But she doesn't really understand why.
The book is about a famous serial killer. And we find out how he is relevant to Scarlet's story.
This book is Young Adult because the narrator is a senior in high school. But the topic is fairly disturbing. The book isn't overly graphic. But the overall story felt slightly mature. There is sex, drugs and a psychopath/serial killer.
The story was definitely interesting. And it kept my attention. Overall a good psychological thriller.
Thanks to netgalley and Wednesday books for allowing me to read this book.
March 9, 2022
Daughter is such a compelling and unique book, and I loved every minute. I was initially drawn to the story for personal reasons (no, I promise, my dad definitely isn't a serial killer), and I felt it delivered on that aspect as well (we'll delve more into that later). Scarlet is just living her life, getting annoyed with her overprotective mom, when suddenly, the FBI is at her door with an absolute bombshell: She's not Scarlet, everything she thought she knew was a lie, and by the by, her dad is an infamous serial killer on death row who wants to see her, as he's terminally ill.
I mean, that is a lot, but the author did a great job of not making it seem too overwhelming for the reader. It's obviously overwhelming for Scarlet, who now must decide whether she will agree to see her father, who promises to give her the names of victims the police were unable to tie him to if she does. Talk about a hard ask! Especially for someone who just found this information out. Add to it, she's now found herself in the spotlight as the daughter of a notorious murderer, and just... wow.
One of my favorite (and most infuriating) parts of the story is how people react to Scarlet's life-changing news. Because this is such a high profile case, it's a pretty big story. And because it's the age of social media, Scarlet cannot escape the media circus, and the awful people who feel like they've earned the right to comment on her life, or her mother's choices. Because here's a thing that most people don't stop to think about from behind the anonymity of their computer screens: family members are not responsible for their relative's crimes (unless they are actually responsible). And Scarlet was a literal baby at the time, so how exactly can they use this against her? But they do, because of course they do. The vitriol targeted at Gina, Scarlet's mom, was even more awful. At least most people understood that Scarlet was a baby. But the court of public opinion demonized Gina nearly as much as they did her ex-husband, and it was appalling.
The how could she not know? and the well she must have suspected and the how was she so stupid to marry this guy hit me hard. They hit Scarlet hard too, which I applaud the author for. Because two things are very true: Gina was hurt by Jeff too, and the reason people don't see the truth isn't because they're stupid, it's because the criminal is a manipulator and a psychopath. Gina hid the truth from Scarlet for one reason: she was so afraid to have Scarlet's life marred by this as her own was.
I adored Scarlet's whole journey, and Gina's too. They are trying so hard to rebuild and pick up the pieces, while dealing with this huge adjustment. Scarlet has to decide how much she is willing to tolerate in order to get answers for the dead women and their families, and it's no easy task. She also has to reconcile her old life with her new life, and figure out where people fit into the life she wants moving forward. She's not only introduced to the bad parts of Jeff's existence, but she's introduced to some of the wonderful parts of her old life that she missed out on by having to hide. I loved seeing her learn the good along with the bad.
Ultimately, the story was incredibly satisfying and well done, and I loved reading about Scarlet and her mom and all the people they met along the way. I also was so, so happy to see such a responsible and positive portrayal of this sort of situation. I will be buying this book for my own kids, especially my daughter, who worries all the time that she will be defined by some people for her father's actions. I am so thankful to the author for giving me a story to encourage her to read that will not only give her a wonderful character to feel connected to, but assure her that there are people out there who understand, who won't erroneously and cruelly judge, and that she is unequivocally not a reflection on someone else's poor choices.
Bottom Line: Moving and incredibly hopeful despite the context, I absolutely fell in love with both Scarlet's story and the messages it provided.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
I mean, that is a lot, but the author did a great job of not making it seem too overwhelming for the reader. It's obviously overwhelming for Scarlet, who now must decide whether she will agree to see her father, who promises to give her the names of victims the police were unable to tie him to if she does. Talk about a hard ask! Especially for someone who just found this information out. Add to it, she's now found herself in the spotlight as the daughter of a notorious murderer, and just... wow.
One of my favorite (and most infuriating) parts of the story is how people react to Scarlet's life-changing news. Because this is such a high profile case, it's a pretty big story. And because it's the age of social media, Scarlet cannot escape the media circus, and the awful people who feel like they've earned the right to comment on her life, or her mother's choices. Because here's a thing that most people don't stop to think about from behind the anonymity of their computer screens: family members are not responsible for their relative's crimes (unless they are actually responsible). And Scarlet was a literal baby at the time, so how exactly can they use this against her? But they do, because of course they do. The vitriol targeted at Gina, Scarlet's mom, was even more awful. At least most people understood that Scarlet was a baby. But the court of public opinion demonized Gina nearly as much as they did her ex-husband, and it was appalling.
The how could she not know? and the well she must have suspected and the how was she so stupid to marry this guy hit me hard. They hit Scarlet hard too, which I applaud the author for. Because two things are very true: Gina was hurt by Jeff too, and the reason people don't see the truth isn't because they're stupid, it's because the criminal is a manipulator and a psychopath. Gina hid the truth from Scarlet for one reason: she was so afraid to have Scarlet's life marred by this as her own was.
I adored Scarlet's whole journey, and Gina's too. They are trying so hard to rebuild and pick up the pieces, while dealing with this huge adjustment. Scarlet has to decide how much she is willing to tolerate in order to get answers for the dead women and their families, and it's no easy task. She also has to reconcile her old life with her new life, and figure out where people fit into the life she wants moving forward. She's not only introduced to the bad parts of Jeff's existence, but she's introduced to some of the wonderful parts of her old life that she missed out on by having to hide. I loved seeing her learn the good along with the bad.
Ultimately, the story was incredibly satisfying and well done, and I loved reading about Scarlet and her mom and all the people they met along the way. I also was so, so happy to see such a responsible and positive portrayal of this sort of situation. I will be buying this book for my own kids, especially my daughter, who worries all the time that she will be defined by some people for her father's actions. I am so thankful to the author for giving me a story to encourage her to read that will not only give her a wonderful character to feel connected to, but assure her that there are people out there who understand, who won't erroneously and cruelly judge, and that she is unequivocally not a reflection on someone else's poor choices.
Bottom Line: Moving and incredibly hopeful despite the context, I absolutely fell in love with both Scarlet's story and the messages it provided.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
October 28, 2021
What a read this was!
Super suspenseful, chilling, and just non-stop feels. I was so engaged in our main character and her very creepy father!
This is the kind of psychological thriller that just keeps you reading. While much of what happens isn’t action-oriented, the book is still fast paced and as you read, you realize you don’t really know what might happen next.
I enjoyed every page of this one and will happily read the author again!
*ARC via Publisher
April 9, 2022
Scarlet is a normal teenager with an overprotective mom. She is smart but a little shy and sneaks around so she can attend parties etc. She knows nothing about her father except that they are better off without him, until the FBI show up at their door. She learns that her father is the infamous serial killer Jeffrey Robert Lake, aka the Gentleman Killer, and her mother took her, changed their names and went into hiding during his trial. They were located by the FBI when he said he would reveal the names of other victims and the whereabouts of their bodies only to his daughter, Brittany. With their true identity revealed, they now have to deal with the media and public opinion as well as facing a man that she has no desire to claim as her father.
Daughter is identified as a YA thriller, but it is also has romance, coming of age, and psychological suspense all tied together by a serial killer father. There are a lot of secondary characters that had me confused at times, but the main characters were well drawn. This was a quick read that I zoomed through to find out what was going to happen next. There is a huge storyline about media, both mainstream and podcasts. The way they treated Scarlet and her mom was terrible. Innuendo and supposition were a huge part of their "reporting". I liked that once they were outed, Scarlet gets to meet family she didn't know she had. Seeing her navigate her way through everything was made easier by a couple of friends and family members that stood by her. I also liked how she does what she thinks is right even though it might hurt her. The ending doesn't pull any punches and had me taking a few deep breaths. Another theme in this book deals with how families left behind cope when serial killers are incarcerated or killed. This is not a book for young teens as there is a lot of mention of partying, drinking, drugs and sexual activity. I would suggest 17 and over. Overall, I enjoyed this story and the narration by Justis Bolding was enjoyable. I enjoyed listening to this one.
Daughter is identified as a YA thriller, but it is also has romance, coming of age, and psychological suspense all tied together by a serial killer father. There are a lot of secondary characters that had me confused at times, but the main characters were well drawn. This was a quick read that I zoomed through to find out what was going to happen next. There is a huge storyline about media, both mainstream and podcasts. The way they treated Scarlet and her mom was terrible. Innuendo and supposition were a huge part of their "reporting". I liked that once they were outed, Scarlet gets to meet family she didn't know she had. Seeing her navigate her way through everything was made easier by a couple of friends and family members that stood by her. I also liked how she does what she thinks is right even though it might hurt her. The ending doesn't pull any punches and had me taking a few deep breaths. Another theme in this book deals with how families left behind cope when serial killers are incarcerated or killed. This is not a book for young teens as there is a lot of mention of partying, drinking, drugs and sexual activity. I would suggest 17 and over. Overall, I enjoyed this story and the narration by Justis Bolding was enjoyable. I enjoyed listening to this one.
February 16, 2023
This book was a great lighter read... started off right for my serial killer reads week! Scarlet Murphy is your normal girl with a helicopter mom, Gina. Except Gina is all concerned about serial killers... Scarlet knows more than the common girl about serial killers. Scarlet's world gets flipped upside down when Agent Murphy shows up with news about serial killer Jeffrey Lake. Scarlet wants to make things right and decides to travel see Jeffrey who is also her father. This will flip their world upside down after being in hiding for so long. Can you make things right?
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September 16, 2021The writing is gripping and the chapters are short. The romance and the found family were perfection. This really is such a well done book, but my problem comes from the book pitch (as I interpreted it) not lining up with the story I read. It talks a lot about the father/daughter angle and the murders, but that took up relatively little page time. Instead, it fed out into how that impacted Scarlet and her mother, more than anything else. Which makes a lot of sense, seeing as it is a pretty huge thing to have happen in your life, but it didn't make it any less of a let down for me, personally. I wanted more of the thriller aspect than I got.
If you like an emotion driven story and stories about family, this is a great read. It was hard to put down. But if you're looking for something with more thriller vibes, you might need to look for another book.
If you like an emotion driven story and stories about family, this is a great read. It was hard to put down. But if you're looking for something with more thriller vibes, you might need to look for another book.
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