Daughter by Kate McLaughlin is a fast-paced young adult novel with many twists and turns. The reader is immediately hooked when a body is discovered in first couple of pages of the book. Fast-forward to 2006 to meet Scarlett and her overprotective mom. It's tough being a teenager with so many restrictions and zero freedom. Then Scarlett's world is turned upside down when an FBI agent shows up. Everything she knows about her father is untrue. The reality is worse and the FBI needs her help. What would you do if you found out your father was a famous serial killer? Scarlett pushes her fears aside and attempts to turn horror into something meaningful. This book is about dealing with life's challenges and figuring out who to trust, including yourself. Daughter is a book you won't want to put down till the very last page!

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.

I really liked the idea of reading a novel from the perspective of the serial killer's daughter, who didn't know who her father was. However, I grew a bit bored of the teenager-y stuff (smoking weed, parties, boyfriends, etc.) and while I get that it was to make Scarlet seem like a normal teenager, those parts didn't hold my interest. Her interaction with her dad and the changes in her relationship with her mom were well-written though and I overall liked the novel.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Scarlet is a teen fed up with her overprotective mom when she finds out that she is the daughter of a serial killer. Her father makes a bargain to give up names and locations of his unknown victims in return for time with his daughter. Scarlet must decide what she's willing to put herself through to get this information.
The pacing of the story was good and I enjoyed most of the characters. Parts of the story get pretty dark, but not too gory. I'm not sure that her mom's change throughout the story was believable, but it didn't detract from the story. I would recommend this to older Ya readers due to language, sex, and certain aspects of the killer himself.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read for review.

Stephannie's 5 Star Review

Scarlett Murphy a 17 yr old girl, discovers that everything she thought was true wasn't. Her name isn't even Scarlett and her father is the notorious serial killer: Jeff Lake. Lake is dying and negotiates a deal to see his daughter and then he will name his remaining unknown victims. Scarlett agrees to meet him to get the names. Read this one to find out what happens next.

This is such an amazing told story. There are twists and turns that had me hooked. I felt how Scarlett was feeling and how she was dealing with all of this plus being a teenage girl. I enjoyed this thrilling story that kept me on the edge of my seat. One-click this one today!

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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.

*Thank you to Wenesday Books, Kate McLaughlin and Netgalley for providing me with a E-ARC of "Daughter" in exchange for an honest review.*

This was definitely a thrilling book and not something I've read before. I liked Scarlet's POV. I definitely feel like this has cross-over appeal for adults as well.

In Daughter we meet Scarlet the daughter of a serial killer and Gina the ex-wife. Scarlet’s father was caught and sent to prison after a hiker discovered a body buried on his property. She was just a baby when his trial started so she doesn’t remember him.
Allison Michael’s left with her baby changing both their names to start a new life away from the judgement of people hating her for her husbands crimes. She was harassed and sent death threats so she ran away never to be found until Agent Logan knocked on her door sixteen years later.
Scarlet never met or knew about her father. She read about the Gentleman serial killer but she never knew him to be her father. All that is about to change since Jeffrey bartered for visitation rights with Scarlet in exchange for names of more victims. Scarlet wouldn’t have bothered to meet him if the FBI hadn’t asked.
Scarlet never understood why her mom was overprotective of her growing up. Over the years that protectiveness caused an unsettling feeling of anxiety. She took sleeping pills, drank alcohol, and smoked weed to help calm her.

I love the concept of a seventeen year old teenager finding out her father was the Gentleman serial killer. Even more interesting when they are reunited in prison.
This is my first read by Kate McLaughlin. I request one thing when reading a new author, I need to find a writing voice that speaks my language. By that I mean I need a book to be dialogue driven. I need the words to propel the story forward. The story isn’t bad, but I do find it a bit wordy. At times it’s just doesn’t hold the excitement I was hoping for. The curiosity is strong especially when Kate delves into the different layers of studying a serial killer and the effects it has not only on Gina’s life as a mother, but as a person who was married to a monster while proclaiming her innocence.

There were aspects of the story that were extremely informative and interesting especially the research Kate provided on serial killers. The most interesting aspects is getting inside the mind of a killer and hearing firsthand why he killed. This was an easy read. The characters were likable and well developed.
I liked the mother and daughter dynamic. Scarlet can’t changed the fact that her father is a serial killer nor the fact that she is his daughter, but she can prove in her actions that she’s not afraid of him.
I definitely got to give Kate mad props for originality. Her take on sharing this side of a serial killer was fascinating.

I remember really enjoying this author’s book called What Unbreakable Looks Like and am so glad that the publisher sent me an email with early access to her latest! One thing that strikes me about her books are the topics that she decides to write about. They are harsh and can at times be hard to read because of it. It may not be for everyone and with certain topics I like to know beforehand what I am getting myself into when it comes to reading. So, here are the content warnings for this book: the usual when it comes to talk of serial killers, mentioning of necrophilia, and mentioning of rape.

The one thing that intrigued me before starting this book was how the blurb mentioned that the main character was the daughter of a serial killer. I have never read a book with that as a plot. Usually we get everything that is happening as it happens with a confession at the end. What about the aftermath of the events? What about the families that have been torn apart? What about the family who has to live their life in fear of someone retaliating against them for the crimes of someone they knew? This book deals with all of that and tries to start the narrative of bringing more light to the victims instead of the killer.

Scarlet Murphy is your typical teen who parties with her friends and tries to make it through life while having an overbearing parent. I can definitely see teens relating to her on that level. She deals with anxiety and although it was minor I at least liked that it was mentioned. Her relationship with her mom can be strained at times like any parental relationship and obviously fuel is added to the fire when she finds out who her father is. I think that a lot of Scarlet’s actions would be what any teen would do in a tough situation. She seeks parties and friends to help cope with the bad which is the meetings with her father. It definitely takes guts to try to take him on even when he is on his death bed.

Although she is new to the spotlight, her mother and family who she has never met are not. We get to read about dealing with the press and those who are obsessed with killers. Sometimes the incidents can be very intense! This is seen in our own society. There are websites dedicated to serial killers, women who want to marry them, and people who just want to know what it would be like to be them. The fascination of serial killers isn’t a new thing. I do think that with podcasts and YouTube it has become even more widespread than it was years back. I’ve often found myself intrigued by certain killers but obviously not on an unnatural level. It has always bothered me how killers get all of the spotlight, even on their deathbed, while their victims never get near enough. It’s honestly sad. It is one thing that I wish would change about the news or social media. I do like that the author feels the same and Scarlet does try to change the narrative.

I would say that my favorite part of the book was the meetings with her father. The author does a good job of painting him the way that many see Ted Bundy. He was charismatic but also calculated with his behavior. There aren’t very many meetings between them and although I would have liked to see more, I can understand the balance between them and the rest of the story. There has to be some relief to the tense moments.

The book has an interesting beginning and it does become slow as it builds up Scarlet and her life before it changes but I was still hooked and found myself at 56% in one sitting. If it wasn’t for sleep calling my name I would have stayed up to finish.

Overall, this was another fantastic book by this author! I’m so glad I was able to read it ahead of publication so I can share my thoughts. I hope some of you decide to pick it up because I want to talk about with another person, haha.

Thank you NetGalley, Wednesday Books and Kate for this outstanding novel!

Daughter by McLaughlin was flowing with greatness!
The writing was fabulous with outstanding characters that just poured out of the pages!
This well written story will leave you reeling in emotions.
It was fast-paced with a lot of action and suspense.
I had a hard time putting this book down after I got started. I kept thinking "just one more chapter" and as usual I kept reading...... That is this book right here!

One of my favorites this month!

Again thank you for the opportunity to read this amazing story!

*Thank you Netgalley and publisher for allowing me the chance to read DAUGHTER in exchange for an honest review.*

DAUGHTER is flippin' good.

It's about Scarlett Murphy, a seventeen year old, who learns her father is the notorious killer of 14 (and counting) victims: Jeff Lake. When Lake is found to be dying from pancreatic cancer, he negotiates with the FBI to give them the remaining unknown names to victims, possibly connected to him during 1996-2006, but on one condition: he will only tell these names to his daughter who he hasn't seen since she was two years old. Scarlett unwillingly does the right thing by meeting him and tries, during each visit, to get at least one or more names. As the news gets out about his future passing, the news/media turns into a frenzy and puts Scarlett and her mom (a victim of being married and manipulated by Jeff Lake) in danger.

Kate McLaughlin puts in so much effort to create such a cinematic and engaging story and nails it! I absolutely enjoyed reading this book and seriously felt like I was watching one of those Netflix docs./films. Scarlett is our narrator and feels so real and genuine. For those looking for romance, there is a tiny bit but it's not at the forefront of the story (honestly I'm glad with how McLaughlin handled each situation and keeping Scarlett's thought process as real as possible.)

I loved reading the articles at the end of a few chapters, and the conversations between Jeff Lake and Scarlett were spine-chilling. I definitely plan on buying this book later and reading more from this author in the future.

The book is haunting and spine-chilling and I hope more people will catch on to this intriguing read.

5 stars!

This book was different, it was interesting, it was a quick read, it was engrossing ..........and it was disjointed.

A teenager finds out that her father is a famous serial killer, and she is not who she thought she was all of her life. So I though I knew what to expect but I was way off.

On the plus side, it was a quick read. I was truly engrossed and wanted to know what happened next. However, it was also a little disjointed. She starts the book with lots of anxiety, but after meeting her serial killer father she seems to improve? That struck me as really odd.

Then she has meetings with her father. He is a monster, a sociopath and a killer, yet she is stands up to him? Then again, I really thought their meetings were interesting. I enjoyed reading them. But on the other hand, she meets with her father, she goes back to partying, she sees him again, she goes back to partying.. It didn't felt like there was a real synergy between the two stories... On the other hand (how many hands is that??) I couldn't put the book down.

She meets new friends who are amazing - maybe TOO amazing? It felt almost too easy - yet again, I was engrossed and kept reading.

Not sure if this review is helpful. I think maybe if you can not overthink it, you will love this book.

What a great book! Scarlet has barely survived her teen years with a super paranoid and aggressively over protective mother, and then she learns why. Her and her mother are living undercover and she learns her father is serial killer Jeff Lake. Confronted by the fbi to help find more victims, Scarlet and her mom dig deep to find it within themselves to return to NC. Full of emotion, fear, and family. Kate McLaughlin gives a cast of characters you love to hate and more that you love and root for. Entertaining and quick paced.

I really enjoyed the authors other work, so I was really excited to receive this eARC from the publisher. It did not disappoint. From the minute I picked it up I was captivated. I do wish there was a little more focus on Scarlett and her dad.

I had read the authors previous work, What Unbreakable Looks like, and I was anxious to dive right into this book. I was so intrigued and the first 25% of the book was a really good set up. Scarlet going to the party, the black SUV car, her mom's paranoia.
I loved it, read so fast, I had to put it down for a second.
Then the 25% to 80% was about meeting the infamous dad. I was intrigued and really wanted to learn more about him and how he would approach his daughter.
And this is where the book really lagged for me.
There was NOT that much time spent with the dad. The dialogue was very strained and disjointed.
The author spent more time on the partying and sex scenes then the actual plot of the story.
I was really disappointed.
Then the ending seemed rush and tied up in a happy little bow.
The thing that REALLY turned me off on this book was.....SPOILER ALERT!
When Scarlet, the serial killers daughter, decides to make a FILM of the victims.
Everyone supports her efforts.
For me, I was like WHAT THE HECK?!
First she didn't know she was the child of a serial killer, then she decides to help the FBI get more victims names, then she decides oh yeah, I am a film maker and I will make a film about the victims?!
It didn't seem plausible nor did it seem appropriate.
The reaction I had was disgust. Like oh, let me cash in on my infamous dad by doing this film because everyone will want to see what the daughter says.

Overall, the book started off strong, but ended in a mush.