Scarlet is living the life of a typical, privileged, teenager in suburban Connecticut - even if her mom is extremely overly protective. When two FBI agents show up at her front door, Scarlet's life is turned upside down. Her life as she knows it, from her family history right down to her name, is a lie. Her absent father didn't abandon the family, he's an infamous serial killer in prison in North Carolina. He's also dying and wants to meet her in exchange for giving up more information on the women he killed.

The premise of this book sounded great, a slightly different take on the "my relative is a serial killer" story from what I had read recently. However, the more I read the more I realized that this was essentially the Ted Bundy story told from the point of view of his daughter. Given that the author was inspired by "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile" isn't too surprising, but it does feel a little like McLaughlin dramatized the Bundy story (which already was dramatic enough) by changing a few names and changing his manner of death from execution to cancer. Because of this, there didn't seem to be a lot of impetus moving the plot along, if you knew the Bundy story you pretty much knew what was coming. I wish she had used her own idea for the crimes of the father instead of co opting Bundy.

There were also times that bits of the story came off as, to use a phrase from other reviewers, "icky". I realize this is written for an older teen audience, but the way sex, though completely consensual, was described given that it involved a minor made me feel gross. Yes, she was "barely" a minor but she was still a minor. A lot of the drama felt fabricated, and almost melodramatic. Of course her father was going to out her identity as soon as he knew her "real" name. Of course! Why wouldn't he? Other small things also were irksome, like two FBI Agents who had been surveilling Scarlet and Gina coming to the house to speak to her, again a MINOR, when they knew her mother wasn't home. That...just wouldn't happen.

I liked that there was an attempt to focus on the victims and their lives not attached to Jeffrey Lake, but the included articles and transcripts still focused on their relationship to the killer and/or their deaths more than their lives outside of him. It was a nice attempt, it just didn't quite get there.

Kate's books are always fantastic and this one is no different. It was a fascinating read, and one of those that stay with you long after the last page has been read.

I really enjoyed Daughter, It was more coming of age than I expected.

Scarlet's world is turned upside down when she discovers who her father actually is. I was completely hooked from the start and I liked the focus on the family of the serial killer rather than the killer himself. There's a lot about the way the public perceives serial killers and how cruel the media can be to their families.

Jeffery Lake was a monster and the author did a fantastic job of displaying this. His interactions with Scarlet were creepy and gross.

I highly recommend this book. I loved all of the characters. I thoughts this was a creative story that I had not heard before, a very original storyline.
I received this galley from NetGalley.

DAUGHTER
By Kate McLaughlin

This is an intense and propulsive psychological thriller read that had an amazing story line and pacing that I really enjoyed.

The story revolves around Scarlet whose life upends when she is faced with the FBI showing up at her door and realizes that the father she has never known happens to be an infamous serial killer Jeffrey Lake dying with cancer on death row. As it happens, Lake will only disclose the victims locations to his daughter.

The writing of the story, along with the choices that Scarlet had to deal with despite her condition, and what her mother has kept hidden from her all these years to protect her, really made this read very suspenseful and thought provoking.

Fantastic writing I recommend.

A truly gripping psychological thriller that had me up reading well into the late night. If the synopsis peaks your interest I recommend reading this one.

What do you do when you find out the father who you've never known is a serial killer, on death row, dying from cancer, and wants to see you? That is Scarlet's dilemma in Kate McLaughlin's Daughter. This is a hard to read book only because as an empath, I can't even imagine what Scarlet must feel when her original identity gets leaked to the press and she now is looked at so much differently. The book's pacing is great and the characters believable and interesting. I really liked how Scarlet dealt with the cards she was given. I would recommend.

This book was not exactly what I was expecting. I was expecting more of a mystery/thriller vibe based off of the description. And while there was definitely murdery aspects, it felt more of a romance/coming of age story about a teenager girl (and her mom) finding herself and learning how to overcome a really tragic family history.

I liked it. It definitely hit me in the feel quite a few times (I lost count of how many times I cried), seeing the interactions between the daughter of a serial killer and the families of the victims was just this deep dive into the way people work. Which I think is part of the reason why people can be so obsessed with serial killers in the first place.

This would have rated higher, but that cover is an utter atrocity.

I do recommend this if you like that deep dive into the inner workings of the human condition and are okay with the teenage drama/romance aspect as well.

I don't know where to start with this book maybe if i enjoyed reading it or what and the answer to that is yes i really enjoyed this book. Daughter is about scarlet and she the daughter of a murder, and this is her story. Now with most murder books it either the killer or the wife of the killer or a surviving victim this goes to how does it effect a child. with twist and turns this book follows scarlet as she finds out to her doing something cool. In the end I enjoyed the book a lot and gave this book 4 stars

I was provided a print and audio arc of this book via Netgalley. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this awesome thriller! I loved it! I highly recommend the audiobook, the narrator did a wonderful job with the different characters. Justis Bolding certainly made Lake extra creepy!

Scarlett is your typical 17 year old, she wants to hang out with friends, go to parties, date boys, make mistakes, and live her life. Her mom on the other hand is a bit overprotective and keeps her on a tight leash. We learn early on in the book why Gina, Scarlett's mom, has been so paranoid and protective, when two FBI agents knock on their door. Scarlett is thrown into a world she didn't know she was a part of when she finds out she is the daughter of a famed serial killer, who happens to be on his deathbed. His parting wish is to meet is estranged daughter in exchange for information on previously undisclosed victims.

If you are like me and you enjoy shows like Criminal Minds, crime documentary shows, and Unsolved Mysteries just to name a few, I think you will really enjoy this book. This reads a bit like a documentary, where you are learning about the killer and the people in his life. We learn about the people he charmed and fooled, those he hurt, the trial, and about the people he is still impacting in his final days. I really thought it was well done and enjoyed it!

I thought Scarlett had decent character development. There is some normal 17 year old teenage angst which is only magnified by the drama that ensues when she and her mother come out of hiding. Scarlett already deals with anxiety and she has to deal with that and the other emotions that come with the revelation that she has a serial killer for a father. Not only that but she has to deal with the repercussions of her mother's decision to hide away from the aftermath of her father's deeds and trial, reporters begin to follow her and people want to ask her questions about him and what he tells her when she visits. Fortunately Scarlett has a good support system and is quickly able to figure out who her real friends are. Scarlett very much has to deal with her father's antics as he comes to terms with is looming death, and has to cope with him wanting her to be his final prize and victim before he goes. The character of Jeff Lake was really creepy I thought the author did a good job weaving the coming of age story in with the thriller aspects. As Scarlett gets to know her father, she quickly has to get to know herself and figure out what to do with the knowledge she has quickly been given and figure out how to process it and what to do with it.

This is marked as YA, but it does have some mature themes. There is alcohol and drug use both recreational and prescription. There is sex but it is closed door and not very detailed, but it is mentioned.

CW: underage drinking, anxiety attacks, cancer, murder, past mentions of sexual violence (rape, necrophilia)

Scarlet has lived a normal, average life. She surrounds herself with a great friends and even has someone she is interested in. Her father has never been a part of her life then one day the FBI show up at her door and turn her life upside down. Turns out, her father is an infamous serial killer who is now dying and will only give the names of his victims to her.

I was so intrigued with the summary of this story. When I started reading it and didn't want to put it down? I was even happier.

Positives:
- talks about making sure to have safe sex
- remembering family and victims of the serial killers instead of the serial killer

Daughter is a well-paced book. It drew me in and I didn't want to put it down. McLaughlin did a good job of pacing it so that it's not so fast paced all the time. It ebbs and flows to give the reader the perfect chance to catch their breath a bit before the next uptick in tension.

There is a lot about this plot that I enjoyed, but what I really loved was the focus on the family. Yes, Scarlet's father played a big part in it, but the focus was on how his actions really affected Scarlet, her mother and all the families of the victims. I really appreciate that McLaughlin wanted to focus on them and have them be remembered more than him.

Scarlet is a character who, due to her mother's helicoptering parenting, is an anxious mess. Be warned, that it does talk about her medicating for it, with prescription drugs and weed. Along with that, she does engage in sexual acts and while one of my positives is it discusses safe sex, for someone who is not a teen, it is odd to read about her engaging in such behavior.

That warning aside, I do think that she has some good growth throughout the story. After dealing with a father, she really gained a lot of courage throughout. We get to see this new zeal she has for life. How much she begins to appreciate something that she didn't before, while also still being young. She still is fixated on boys and thinks about them a lot. Throughout everything that she is going through, she makes a point to keep in contact with her friends and leans on them.

In fact, the friendships here were truly wonderful. They looked out for Scarlet and kept in touch with her to make sure she was doing okay throughout it all. It didn't make that she was a couple of states away, they checked in on her and she made sure to keep them updated too. With what Scarlet was going through, this easily could have been a one-way street, but it wasn't which shows just how much they all cared about one another.

Gina, Scarlet's mom, we see go through a drastic change. She is uptight at the beginning. Always worried about Scarlet and making sure she is always more than safe. But, once the secret is out and once Scarlet starts interacting with her father, she changes. Gina no longer is the helicopter parent that she once was. She does make sure that Scarlet is okay, but she no longer seems concerned with Scarlet's whereabouts and what she is doing all the time. While the change did make sense in some manner, it did feel like a very sudden and drastic change. I would have loved to see a slower change of things.

Daughter was a gripping tale of a family who are trying to move on and live their life as Scarlet and Gina instead of the ex-wife and daughter of an infamous serial killer. It is a gripping story that I recommend for anyone who could handle the content inside.

Scarlet’s dad, Jeffrey Robert Lake, is a convicted serial killer. The worst part is Scarlet is in high school and JUST found out.

And now he wants to meet her in exchange for the names and whereabouts of his victims. Scarlet’s mom kept her safely hidden for years… Now what?

I loved how this story was told from Scarlet’s perspective and I found the premise extremely intriguing.

I wish there had been some more details regarding each of the main characters’ pasts, and I was hoping for a bit more with the ending.

However, overall, and easy and entertaining read

Daughter is a good YA thriller that I really enjoyed. There were a lots of twists and turns that really surprised me. The characters were well written and fleshed out. The end REALLY surprised me. I will look for more books by this author. I really enjoy YA thrillers and this one hit all the marks!

A fun read about a young girl who learns that she is the daughter of a serial killer----how creepy and intriguing is that?!

I enjoyed the detailed and descriptive writing from the author, it definitely helped with the creepy vibes.

This is definitely a book for the YA readers, but it was still enjoyable.

Drawing inspiration from Netflix's Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile, Kate McLaughlin asks the question of what would it be like to be the teenage daughter of a notorious serial killer.

As Daughter begins, Scarlett has never known her father and her mother isn't too keen to give her any details. As Scarlett balks at what she sees as her mother's overly restrictive rules, she worries about the things many teenagers worry about -- school, relationships, etc. Until one day when the FBI shows up at her house with news that Scarlett isn't really her name and that she's the daughter of a notorious serial killer who is dying and will only share details of some of his victims with his daughter. Suddenly, Scarlett's life is less about the question of whether she should sleep with her potential new boyfriend and is about the question of if and how willing she is to help the FBI, all while being thrust into the media spotlight.

The portions of Daughter that detail Scarlett's being thrust into the role of a reluctant celebrity and how the media wants to shatter her and her mother's life (mom was married to said serial killer while he did the killings and even brought her home trinkets from his various victims) are among the novel's more compelling. However, the novel falters a bit when Scarlett makes her decision and decides to meet with her father in prison to try and get any information she can in order to give the victims' families some peace and closure. At this point, Scarlett seems far more mature than the character we're presented with early on in the story and almost unnaturally calm n the face of a guy that McLaughlin wants us to buy as Hannibal Lecter if he had kids.

The novel also seems a bit unfocused in the second half when Scarlett meets up with the hot teenage son of the FBI profiler working on the case and the two seem to start hitting it off. McLaughlin has a lot of threads running through this one, though I honestly found the parts focusing on Scarlett's turmoil of who her father is and what he did more compelling than the pages that feel grafted out of a young adult novel.

In the end, it all adds up to a solid start let down by a finish that doesn't quite stick the landing.

I received a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When you hear that a book is about a character finding out she's the child of a serial killer, you expect a thrilling plot. We're expecting physical danger or deep psychological exploration. But that's not hat McLaughlin gives us here. While Scarlet has some "am I like my father" moments, she comes to conclusions about her own identity pretty quickly. In fact, there's far more exploration of how the public perceives killers and their families than there is introspection. The plot is fairly simple and doesn't actually dig very deep.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for opportunity to read and review this arc.

This is a YA story about a girl who discovers that she is the daughter of a serial killer. It focused primarily on the victims and closure which made for an enjoying read and a different perspective of most thriller type books. Overall I would recommend this book to others.

*3.5 stars*

I finished this book super fast, and it was the perfect book to read in the airport and on the plane - fast and exciting too! This is great for true crime fans, especially anyone who likes the psychology behind serial killers. Told from the perspective of a 17-year-old girl who finds out she is the daughter of a serial killer. Some pretty gruesome/dark parts, but nothing too descriptive.

Would have rated higher but the ending was kinda blah for me. Still overall enjoyable!

I selected this book because of the serial killer aspect and I was expecting a dark thriller. This was so much more emotional and more of a drama than I was excepting but I loved it! I was thoroughly invested in the daughters story as she unraveled the truth in regards to her parents. This was fascinating and I couldn’t put it down! Full of heart, this story tackles a tough subject but it really made my heart happy. I’m excited to read more from this author!

Thank you Netgalley for this audio edition of Daughter by Kate McLaughlin.

Scarlet is just an average teenaged girl. She's boy crazy, loves to get a little wild on the weekends, and a mom who is just a bit too protective for her taste. But Scarlet's life takes a wild turn when the father that she never knew makes an expected turn in her life. But it's pretty rare to find out that your dad is a well known serial killer on his death bed...

This was ok as far as a YA drama goes. My number one complaint, besides the OTT dialogue and overall unbelievable plot was the pace. This goes on FOREVER. It took what could have been a nice six hour read into a ten hour read that never quit.