Everyone loves a good serial killer story these days...except for when it turns out the killer is your father.

Kate Mc Laughlin's 'Daughter' gave me the SHIVERS! This novel could have very easily tipped into a new adult or adult thriller, and it toes the line on a knife's edge.

Scarlet Murphy is completely average. She has awesome, fun friends, a super hot guy she's into, and attends a ridiculously prestigious New England school that thrives on competition and superiority. All of that is regular except for the fact that Scarlet's mother is neurotically paranoid and refuses to let Scarlet go anywhere. When the FBI shows up on Scarlet's door one day, she quickly learns why and her world shatters.

Scarlet Murphy is actually "Baby" Britney Lake, the daughter of a notorious, vicious serial killer: Jeffery Robert Lake. Lake brutally kidnapped, assaulted, tortured, killed, and then revisited his victims. So content warnings are necessary for the following: necrophilia, rape, violence, drug and alcohol use, emotional abuse, and sexual content. As previously mentioned, this novel could have very easily fit into the adult side of the thriller genre.

The FBI has come bearing news: Lake is dying and his final wish is to see his baby girl. Oh, and give up the names and burial locations of his final, unknown victims.
Scarlet reluctantly agrees, and the emotional journey this character goes on while simultaneously grappling with her father's psychopathy is fascinating and grueling. Her father is every bit the monster his crimes make him out to be, but Scarlet stares down the evil lurking in his eyes to try and bring peace to his victims' families.

Overall, I found this read to be fast-paced, thrilling, at times gruesome and chilling, but overwhelmingly a positive experience because as the novel progresses, you see Scarlet focusing less on herself, and moving towards approaching difficulties with an air of adulthood. Similarly, the novel progresses from focusing primarily on Lake and more towards focusing on the victims and their stories. I feel like that is some intense critical examination of our culture and its fascination with true crime and serial killers in general: the stories and documentaries shouldn't be about the Bundys and Lakes of the world, but their victims and their families. It's a well-done novel and will definitely take you on quite the ride! 10/10 highly recommend it!

Scarlet lives a life of privilege in Connecticut with no idea of who the father was that “abandoned” her and her mother. When two FBI agents show up on her doorstep, she learns that her father is a serial killer who wants to see her before he dies of cancer in exchange for names of other victims who’ve never been discovered in Kate McLaughlin’s Daughter.

From the blurb, this sounds like it should be a fascinating novel, especially since I read a similar book recently. However, uneven writing, stilted dialogue, and lapses in logic plus a lack of suspense produce a book that quickly becomes melodramatic and somewhat icky. The beginning of the melodrama hinges on Scarlet’s identity being outed by her father, an event that I noted as soon as Scarlet adamantly declared her current name to her father. Certainly, she would have been briefed not to do that. Nor would FBI agents who have been surveilling her, following her around (why would they do that?), visit her house knowing that her mother wasn’t there. I won’t belabor the point or the dead horse. This one didn’t work for me.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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 fast-paced, highly engaging, and thought-provoking. Honestly, one of my favorite books of the year so far.

Just another white gurl getting excited about a Criminal Minds esque book.

This book was truly wonderful.
I was captivated.
I was skeptical.
I was shocked.
I was proud.

Daughter is an amazing story of how it might be to learn your father was a serial killer, and @alterkates knocks it out if the park.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for allowing me to review this book.

Daughter is came out 3/8 and is now available

Scarlet is a typical teenager trying to live her life with her over protective mom. Her world is turned upside down when an FBI agent comes to their door and explains he is there to see if they are willing to come to North Carolina. Scarlet then learns this trip is to sit down with a serial killer to see if he will divulge any names of women he is responsible for murdering. And this serial killer happens to be her father, a father she’s never know anything about until now.

Scarlet’s father is Jeffrey Lake, a notorious serial killer, who raped and killed at least 14 women in North Carolina. Lake was finally arrested when a body was discovered on his family property. Authorities have always believed there are more victims out there and Lake is finally ready to give up the names of the rest of the women, but only face to face to his daughter. Jeffrey Lake is dying from pancreatic cancer and only willing to cooperate with the FBI if he can finally see Scarlet. Now Scarlet is faced with an impossible decision- let this monster die alone or sit down with him and provide answers for the families missing their own daughters?

This story was fast paced, riveting and chilling. Seeing Scarlet navigate through this nightmare had me absolutely invested. I enjoyed the mother-daughter relationship and how it evolved as Scarlet began to understand more about why her mother is the way she is. There were parts of the story that were far-fetched when it came to the things her father got away with and the content was very disturbing at times too. However, I flew through this one and definitely recommend checking it out.

Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC.

This is actually a pretty interesting story focused on the legacy of a serial killer, more specifically, on how it is growing up being his daughter. She actually didn't know anything about it until much later on, but after finding out, she goes on a quest to try to remember his victims. All the serial killer narratives seem to focus on the killer, instead of the victims, so trying to twist the narrative to focus on remembering the victims is actually an interesting turn.
Since the book is told in the point of view of a teenager, it feels more like a come of age kind of book, right in the transition from high school to college.

Talk about not expecting something in a good way! Sins of the father come to haunt Scarlet when she learns she's the daughter of a notorious serial killer. Her mother has taken painstaking steps to keep her protected but can't keep her from the hellish firestorm that erupts when the media frenzy descends.

For me the novel took a bit to get off the ground. It wasn't until a critical pivoting point that I started connecting with Scarlet and appreciating her character development. What I enjoyed most was the psychological aspects that McLaughlin ties into the plot with ease. This had such a realistic feel from start to finish. Yes, I felt the narrative was longer than I liked but I cannot deny the exceptionally well done way she brings together the emotional and reactive actions of Scarlet, her mother and even secondary characters.

Young adult thriller doesn't do this justice. It's atmospheric, gritty and family drama driven. I recommend to all of my young adult readers who enjoy slower building novels that really get you contemplating difficult situations.

Thank you St. Martins Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this novel for an honest and unbiased review.

This was an incredibly interesting concept, but I do not recommend reading this if you're squeamish- there's descriptions of some pretty messed up things in this.

This was hard to put down, but it did feel like it was missing some spark to make this truly stand up. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed it. Scarlet's interactions with Lake were creepy and unsettling.

One thing I didn't enjoy were Scarlet's interactions with other high schoolers. I know this was a YA book, but some of those scenes felt really immature, especially in contrast with the heavy content in the rest of the book.

Overall, would recommend if you're in the mood for a disturbing YA read.

3.5

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.

Daughter is a fast paced YA thriller with a dash of coming of age and romance thrown in for good measure and I could not put it down.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Scarlett lives with her fiercely protective mom. She doesn't know her father or her extended family, and she's not entirely sure why that is. Then, one day the FBI shows up at her door with details about her family that will forever change her life. Her father is none other than serial killer Jeffery Robert Lake, convicted of killing 14 girls and the FBI are sure there's more victims out there. Scarlett's mother couldn't live with the scrutiny, media storm and death threats that come with being the wife of a convicted serial killer so she packed up her and her daughter's lives, changed their names and disappeared for 15 years. Now Jeffery is on his death bed and his one last request is to meet with his daughter and has something to offer in order to get his wish.. Scarlett is now faced with living with the fallout of being a convicted killer's daughter. She can either go back into hiding or take this opportunity to try and do right.

This story was unique and chilling and will keep readers interested throughout. Recommended to anyone that is interested in a YA/psychological thriller combination! Please do check trigger warnings as there are some sensitive topics discussed!

(4.5/5 stars)
I cannot imagine being a 17-year-old and finding out your father, whom you didn’t know existed, was an infamous serial killer of many women. That’s what happened to Scarlet when she finds an FBI agent at her door and the secret is finally revealed by her mother. Her father is in prison for these horrible murders, is dying of cancer, and requests to see his daughter before he dies in exchange for names of the missing women he killed that were never found. Will Scarlet be able to handle this? Well, she handled it much better than I expected. Scarlet finally understands why her mother was always so overprotective.

I liked the writing and the characters in this book, other than the creepy father. There were parts that were very chilling, but it made it even more of a page-turner. Although I had an idea of what would happen at the end, it was shocking and heartbreaking. I do not read YA books very often but this one is one I enjoyed. If you’re not into YA books, I would recommend giving this one a try.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the review copy.

Happy pub day to Daughter by @alterkates! This YA thriller is perfect for lovers of true crime and anyone who’s ever feared a family member might be a serial killer. Is that last one just me?

Scarlett is a pretty regular teenager except for her strangely overprotective single mom. But aside from a few joking thoughts that she and her mom might be in witness protection, she doesn’t analyze it much. Until the day FBI agents show up at her door and Scarlet learns she’s the daughter of an infamous serial killer. And her mother was the wife some suspected of helping him with his heinous crimes. Her father’s now dying and has agreed to give names of his other victims if Scarlet comes to see him.

Daughter was really well written and engaging, and I think anyone who likes criminology or serial killers will really enjoy this read. I’d definitely recommend it (unless you have a huge problem with teens drinking and smoking and having sex; in which case, you’ve been warned), but it’s not a mystery. It’s really a character-driven narrative about how Scarlett deals with this new knowledge about herself, the infamy that comes with it, and how she changes while trying to help the police give peace to some of her father’s victims’ families. I’m always trying to untangle a puzzle, so while reading, I kept waiting for a twist, but that’s not the point of this book. In fact, the couple things that her father does that surprise Scarlett—and sometimes her mom and the FBI—didn’t surprise me at all (perhaps I’ve watched too many episodes of Criminal Minds, and by too many I mean all of them). At the end of the day, there isn’t a neat explanation for why serial killers do what they do, There’s no motive. It’s a compulsion and it’s evil, but we probably aren’t going to understand the why of it. What Daughter deals with is the why and the how of going on when that evil is related to you, and what choices you can make to help in the wake of the horror he’s caused.

Thank you so much to @WednesdayBooks and @Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

Scarlet leads a fairly normal teenage life - school, friends, boys. She dreams of being a filmmaker but she's worried how her overprotective mom might impact her future - not to mention the embarrassing ways she already acts, such as doing deep background checks on Scarlet's first boyfriend and refusing to allow her to, you know, practically leave the house unchaperoned. Her mom's crazy behavior is explained when Scarlet's world is turned upside down - she's actually the daughter of notorious serial killer Jeff Lake, a man who killed at least 14 young women and is rumored to have murdered even more. Now, he has terminal cancer, and is offering to tell the FBI the names and locations of his other victims - in exchange for meeting his daughter.

What a strong premise, right? I mean, dang - talk about scary. Something I didn't anticipate going into this book was the family drama and coming-of-age elements. Sure, there is plenty creepy to this book, but the story also focuses on Scarlet and her relationship with her mother. There are discussions of resentment, judgment, and anger. Scarlet is angry with the way her mother has been overprotective all of these years, and she also has to sort out her feelings of judgment - how could her mother not know her husband was a serial killer? The book also explores Scarlet's feelings about herself, primarily as she grapples with the decision between proecting herself by not seeing her father and the guilt she'd feel if she abandons possibly the only opportunity for grieving families to know the truth about their murdered daughters. It also has Scarlet dealing with the very strange scenario of wanting to know her father and somehow wanting his approval while reconciling that with who her father really is. Really heavy stuff.

I'm a little torn on this one. [SPOILER WARNING] Scarlet ultimately decides to meet with her father, and I wish there were more discussion about how it would have been totally okay if she had decided not to. I don't love the message to young women that "of course you have to do this thing, it is the right thing for other people and that's what young women are supposed to consider the most important thing." On the other hand, it shows Scarlet, this total badass teen who can hold her own with a dang serial killer, and who isn't afraid to hold people in authority (her mother, an FBI agent) accountable.

Overall, this is a strong thriller and a good entry, I think, into the genre for folks who are new to thrillers or like their creeps with a bit more depth.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and of course the author, for early access to this title in exchange for my honest review.

“I have no choice but to be his daughter. I don’t have to be his puppet.”

4.5 out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5) I admit I’m one of those people who loves serial killer stories. I know there are more like me, we’re weird! The psychology behind them is intriguing. When I read the synopsis of this book I knew I needed it.

Scarlet learns her father is the famed “gentleman killer” and is requesting to see her as his dying request. He will trade names of unknown victims for this chance.

Poor Scarlet has her world completely upturned in the matter of hours. It is now up to her to visit her dad and get him to spill the names of more victims.

While this is a thriller, it’s not quite as twisty as I’d expect. It’s very much a family drama with all the thriller vibes. Honestly I loved it. It was fascinating to see this play out, to hear her thoughts and to read the interactions with her father. She took this situation and put a positive spin on it. I love that she did that and focused on the victims and not her father.

“You and I can spend the rest of our lives feeling guilt that isn’t ours, or we can do something to fight it.”

Also added in the story were details about serial killers that my criminology brain loves;

“Today, we know that many serial killers have reduced gray matter in the limbic system of their brains—the part that controls emotional response. As with an injury, this reduction can also result in a lack of empathy, backing up the theory that psychopaths are quite simply unable to feel for their victims, and that also, they have a higher tendency toward violence and impulsive behavior.”

“These killers are largely an American phenomenon, which begs the question, what are we as a country doing wrong? Almost 70 percent of serial killers are American, and just as high a percentage of them experienced some sort of abuse in their childhood.”

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the gifted copy!

The book releases March 8, 2022.

Scarlet's life is uprooted when not only does she learn she is the daughter of a serial killer, but that he wants to see her before he dies, and he will only release the names of more of his victims directly to her. Therefore, if she wants to provide closure to murdered girls grieving families, she is going to have to face her evil father. This book is both chilling and heartbreaking. McLaughlin does an excellent job of personifying evil in the character of Jeffrey Robert Lake. He is every bit as horrifying as any real-life serial killer. It is also heartbreaking not only in the stories of the murdered girls but also in the way, his family gets caught up in the blame for his crimes even though they had nothing to do with them. It will remind you that we are not indeed our brother's keeper and we can neither control nor are we responsible for every action of anyone else. Finally, this book is a plea to glorify the victims of crime rather than the criminals, this is something that the world has yet to learn how to do, but definitely should.

Fabulous story!
Where has this author been all my life?!!!
I loved this book. The mental play between Lake and his daughter is insane.
I can’t WAIT to read more by this author.
Great character build up and just all around fabulous! A must read.

Scarlet is a teenage girl with a serial killer father who she's never known. He's dying in prison and will only give her the names and locations of his remaining victims.

I really enjoyed this YA psychological thriller. It focuses on the family of the serial killer and, ultimately, his victims. Through the well-developed characters, particularly Scarlet and her mom, we can see how this surreal experience impacts them and they rise above it.

The actual thriller part of this story is riveting. Scarlet "gets to know" her Ted Bundy-like killer father in hopes that he will follow through on his promise to provide more victim information. His manipulation from his death bed and beyond is intense and chilling!

I liked the evolution of the mother-daughter relationship in Daughter. Scarlet grapples with the unimaginable truth about her father and what her mother hid from her. How she processes the information is realistically portrayed -- Scarlet is understanding and insightful one minute, snarky the next. Without the secret between them, the bond between mother and daughter grows even stronger, and they affirm they can rely on each other as they always have.

Scarlet's resilience and determination to be seen as more than a monster's daughter make Daughter an excellent read!

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the early copy of this book. This voluntary review represents my honest, unbiased opinion.

Wow, so good and look into the lives of a mother who is saving her daughter from the world and her serial killer father. Scarlet always wonders why her mother is so paranoid and clingy and won't let her do anything that her friends do without checking in and checking into her friends background. We understand why later when Scarlet turns out to be Britney Lake the daughter to death row serial killer Jeffrey Lake who tortured, raped and visited and had sex with is dead victims. Jeffrey Lake is dying and tells the FBI that he will give them more names if he can meet and speak to his daughter. Scarlet who is shocked to learn who her father is and that she actually has family that her mother has fled NC to protect baby Britney. Liked Scarlet, Taylor, Luke and Darcy.

Scarlet is in high school and worrying about the typical stuff, who likes her, how her grades are, if she will be able to go on spring break with friends. When the FBI show up to her house asking to be let in, she doesn't know what to think. Her mom is forced to tell her that her father is the famous serial killer. The FBI want her to visit him so that he will give them the names of the rest of his victims. Scarlet is forced to decide what to do.
Opinion
What grabbed my attention about this book was the fact that Scarlet is the daughter of a serial killer. Though there are few serial killers (at least in comparison to the rest of the population), the ones we do have obviously had/have some family. I was fascinated by the idea of reading about a fictitious daughter of one. This book certainly runs the gamut of emotions that I would expect of a child of a serial killer. I just could not put this book down. I think with our current obsession with serial killers, this book will become a favorite of many.
Kate McLaughlin definitely has a way of writing books that may shock you. Well done.
Many thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Scarlet is used to life with her overprotective mother– so used to it, that she knows just how to keep secrets about the parties she’s actually attending. She’s counting down the days until she can go to college somewhere far away and finally be free. Then, the FBI shows up at Scarlet’s house and she discovers that she’s not the only one who’s good at keeping secrets. It turns out that Scarlet’s father isn’t actually some random guy who ditched her mom– he’s actually a notorious serial killer, and Scarlet’s mom took her and went into hiding during his trial. Scarlet’s whole life, including her name, is a lie. But now, her father is dying and promised to give the FBI the names of more of his victims– but only if Scarlet will visit him.

At first, I thought this book sounded interesting, but I wasn’t sure how original it would be. It seems like a plot I’ve read before. There’s a serial killer in custody, someone comes in to interview/speak with them, forms some type of relationship, the killer escapes, and so on. But I was pleasantly surprised! This book does not go down a cliche path. It focus on the murders or Scarlet’s father. It focuses on Scarlet and her inner struggle. She’s furious at her mom for hiding so much from her, but she also understands why she did it. She’s never had any family other than her mom, and now she’s able to connect to the family her mom left behind. She finally knows who her father is, but how can she reconcile the fact that he is a monster? Did her mother really not have any suspicions about her father? Some people think she was in on it, but that can’t be true, right?

This book focuses on the women in the story: Scarlet, her mother, and the victims. It really focuses on the importance of recognizing the victims of serial killers. Everyone remembers Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy, but what about their victims? Why are these killers’ names everywhere, but the victims are forgotten? This book examines this question as Scarlet tries to cope with the aftermath of learning her father’s identity.

The relationships in Scarlet’s life are worth noting as well. She has friends who stand by her no matter what, and makes new friends who are genuine and caring. I loved that this book doesn’t lean on common YA tropes of friend or boy drama. It’s really about Scarlet, her mother, and their support system.

This book definitely hits hard when discussing the extent of Scarlet’s father’s crimes. It clearly states that he sexually assaults his victims both before and after murdering them. It doesn’t go into too much detail, but it’s enough to turn your stomach, so proceed with caution.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It subverted my expectations and was an interesting and powerful read!