The Killer’s Daughter
Written By Kate Wiley
Published By Storm Publishing
Release Date March 25, 2024


Margo Finch as she was once called is now Margo Phalen and she is a great police officer trying to solve a case that has her questioning many things. A family is dead and the person responsible needs to be caught. But can Margo put her past aside to work on this case? Margo’s father was none other than Ed Finch, a serial killer on death row. And he has some things he wants to tell her. Things that she really wants to hear but is not sure if she is ready to hear them from the one man who left her so long ago. Her therapist has told her to count to ten which is exactly what she is doing while waiting outside the prison. She knows he has information about another victim and he won’t tell her unless she sits eye to eye with him.

This is a great novel that is well put together and has a very interesting cast of characters. Some say this is a run of the mill mystery but I disagree. It is easy for some authors to write a book but it is hard for them to write one that keeps the reader engaged and entertained from page one. This was fast at getting to the point and not at all predictable. No bread crumbs here. The twists that the author throws at you are well thought out and the ending is definitely one reason to pick this book up when it is released.

5 stars

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for giving me a copy to read in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

Margot Phalen is a detective trying to solve a case about a murdered family, but everything may not be as it seems… something seems off from the very beginning.. In the meantime, you should know that Margot Phalen was one Megan Finch. And Megan Finch is the daughter of a serial killer.. who has moved right back home to confess things to her. But is she ready to hear it?
I could NOT put this book down!! It had me on my toes the entire time! I really liked the different POVs! (Although her dad is total nut job!!!!) I feel like it added to the story line for Margot! And Wes was a total bonus, as I felt like he was truly there for here! And Andrew was on my sh!t list by the end, but maybe that’s an unpopular opinion 😂 4/5 starts for me ONLY because I feel like certain parts were over explained or over detailed, that didn’t really matter towards the storyline.

This was a great book!
Margot is a cop with a dark past. The story follows her attempts to balance the secret of her serial killer dad with her workload. The premise of the story is an interesting one. I really enjoyed the book and can’t wait for the rest of the series!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Storm Publishing for an advance copy of The Killer’s Daughter, the first novel to feature Detective Margot Phalen of the San Francisco Police Department.

Margot is investigating the brutal murder of a family when she gets a text telling her that her father wants to see her. Her father, serial killer Ed Finch, was sentenced to death twenty two years ago and has recently transferred to death row at San Quentin. She wants nothing to do with him, but he will reveal the identity of another victim to her if she visits.

I enjoyed The Killer’s Daughter to a certain extent, but I would have preferred more police work and less serial killer. In the first half of the novel Margot’s narrative is interspersed with chapters of Ed’s thoughts and actions when encountering a victim. Mercifully there is no description of the actual murders, but as he is a fairly run of the mill fictional serial killer, albeit one with a high body count, there is nothing new on offer for the reader, even his manipulation is standard. I think that the author fares better in her portrayal of Margot and her feelings/reactions. She carries the guilt her father doesn’t feel and it’s wrecking her life, not professionally but personally. She doesn’t sleep well and is prone to panic attacks while liking a drink and eating takeaway. It’s a fresh look on an old cliche. Of course, she’s unwilling to accept help and support in her private hell. Despite all this overwrought emotion she is very likeable and has a good vibe going on with her partner, Detective Wesley Fox.

It’s all going on with Margot and Ed and that takes up much of the novel, but she and Wes also have a murder to solve and that’s a tricky one. I like the setup, which I found unusual, the even more unusual clues found at the scene and the surprising solution. I think the author could have got a lot of mileage from it, but with the emphasis on Margot and Ed it is a bit perfunctory.

The Killer’s Daughter is a good read that I can recommend.

Let me tell you! I could NOT put this book down!!! BEST THRILLER IVE READ SLL YEAR! It was hard to decipher the WHO. I highly highly recommend this!!! I’m actually jealous of all new readers getting to read this for the first time 🤣

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

This is a HARROWING police procedural (and I have a high "gore" threshold. The author did a great job with this book, the writing draws you in, the investigation details are interesting, complex and solid. There is also the relationship between e cop and her serial killer father, a relationship around which the main character's life revolves.

I have to knock a star of for lack of "suspension of disbelief" due to the impossibility of ANY police force hiring someone so rife with emotional issues. I have worked in the field of criminal justice, both as a volunteer and as a professional. To even work for the police as a volunteer, everything from lie detector tests due to character references are checked, in detail. They wouldn't even want someone so dependent on that much medication to be out on the street investigating - character was 15 when her father was arrested, it isn't like she had a long career of being a dependable trustworthy cop on the police force when she discovered her father's history of being a serial killer, that might be plausible (barely, but believable).

Im the real world, no WAY would this main character have been hired on ANY police force, not due to her father's history, but due to her mental illnesses as a result of that history, and the huge amount of meds she is dependent on as a result of that illness.

She can barely function, it just would never happen.

That said, this book was interesting enough to me that I immediately searched for a sequel! ❤️🌹Top quality writing, I was surprised this appears to be this author's first published novel, very impressive.

Trigger Warnings abound, Rape,, Graphically detailed violence against women (goes a bit too far in these details and reliving the entire path of killer, minute by minute).

This is NOT a police procedural for the faint of heart, decomp is described in nauseating detail, etc.

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Book was a surprise to me, as the cover or something about its presentation makes it look like your basic domestic thriller. I would tone down the covers a bit, lighten up on the romance aspect, and market the series as police procedurals, such as: Prime Suspect. Not quite equal to that stellar series, but darn close, and for a first book? Outstanding!

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This book was a really strong kick off for Margot’s story. Her life before and during being a detective in San Francisco is a fascinating and heartbreaking experience that was a pleasure to read. Each character was so well developed, and I’m sure many seeds that were planted in this book regarding certain characters, plot lines, and cases will continue to unfold throughout the continuation of this series. The Bay Area Killer was just as creepy, disturbing, and yet intriguing as you’d want him to be. And so was this book.
The case at the core of this first in the series was so compelling and so gruesome that I found myself wanting to be detective along with Margot and Wes. The wrap up of the case was authentic and I felt the same emotions as them, making me feel very connected to the book itself. Overall, this was a great read and I can’t wait for more of this series to release!

This is the first book in a new series about Detective Phalen. It was a good crime thriller and I am excited to read more in this series.

The Killer's daughter was a really fast paced, enthralling read. I managed to finish it in a day as it was very engaging. Its compelling storylines kept me eagerly anticipating what would unfold next. The main characters were well-developed. I highly recommend it!

The first in a series, Detective Margot Phalen #1

I am so glad I came across this little gem! Honestly, I thought…. Great, another ‘My father is a serial killer so now I'm a detective saving the world’. Nope, this was better! Landing on a great new police procedural is always a great find! Great job, Kate Wiley! I finished this in 24 hours.

I would like to tell you that this mainly focused on the prolific serial killer himself, but it did not. We actually have several brutal crimes being committed here. I liked that my attention wasn’t just focusing on ‘ol Ted Bundy or Gary Ridgeway type confessions.

First gruesome scene is that of a family. All murdered in the bedroom. By the way, this is current times. The scene doesn’t look right. What is real and what is staged? Who in Christs name would kill an entire family? Margot and her partner are on the case.

Of course, ‘ol killer hands wants to see his daughter, 20 years after the aftermath. However, will Margot come running when he calls?

Folks, we have a fantastic police procedural, a broken detective running from her past, other women found recently murdered, and whole bunch of murdery stuff going on. My type of book! I couldn’t put this down! Great character development here. An ending that leaves you wanting more! Can’t wait to read the second one!

I’d like to give a huge thanks to Storm Publishing, NetGalley and Kate Wiley for the opportunity. All opinions are my own
Publication date March 25, 2024
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Killer's Daughter is book 1 in the new Detective Margot Phalen Series by Kate Wiley
This was such a gripping crime thriller. The atmospheric setting, engaging characters, and relentless suspense, this book is sure to keep readers enthralled from start to finish.
I will be waiting for book two.

Thank You NetGalley and Storm Publishing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This book was impossible to put down. It's thrilling, twisty and utterly addictive with characters I was engaging with. It really kept me wondering who the real killer was. Then I would like to read the next book in this series to see if her father did kill more people.

I loved how this story had multiple crime investigations. I loved how the timelines shifted to past and present as the story went. I loved the protagonist and her charcter was well portrayed. If you love murder investigations and psychological thrillers then this one should be in your must read for this year.

This was one that I finished in a day its such a great read.The story never flagged at any point and the police investigations were well written.The relationship between the main characters Margot and her serial killer Dad Ed is one I'm looking forward to delving into more, Ed's storylines are spine chilling and creepy and as this is the first in the Margot Phalen series I'm sure there's lots more to come.
Told through multiple storylines which I do enjoy,
The killer reveal was one that had a little twist that was surprising and unexpected..
A strong start to a new series.
Recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC.

I requested a copy of the ARC from the publisher, Storm Publishing, on NetGalley and was approved in exchange for consideration of a review. All opinions discussed are my own and are subjective to myself as a reader.

Sometimes answers don't provide the closure you hoped they would.

Sometimes the passage of time doesn't heal wounds.

Sometimes people never get better.

Sometimes when you open a door, you just find skeletons...

I predicted this book would be at least a 4 star read as soon as I finished the first chapter. As a long-time true crime junkie, especially content featuring serial killers, I appreciate the depth of research Kate Wiley put into the writing of this book. I admire the way Wiley inserted information about actual, well documented serial killers to give this fictional case an authentic feel and did it in a way that was interesting to read about, not just an info dump.

Oftentimes, law enforcement characters can feel a bit stiff or robotic to me. I usually chalk this up to the character having to learn to close a part of themselves off from their jobs in order to function. I could not begin to imagine the mental toll being a homicide detective would take on a person. Kate Wiley did a great job of "humanizing" Detective Margot Phalen - our main character. Something about this character invoked feelings of concern, made her feel relatable to me. While I've read several books where a victim later became an officer of some type in order to fight against those that hurt them, Margot's experience is unique.

You see, Margot is the daughter of the most notorious serial killer in the Bay Area.

And he's still alive.

Remember I said Margot felt very human to me? While she despises her father and what he did, when he sends a message that he'll reveal another victim to her, her curiosity is piqued. Naturally, she's filled with revulsion at seeing this man, but....there's a chance to learn why. Or, is it a fool's errand, a chance for her father to play games to amuse himself on death row?

None of this touches on the case that Margot is working, the crime scene she's just arrived at when we meet her in Chapter 1. An entire family has been found massacred in their home - clues support a murder-suicide scenario, but those clues don't answer the question of why?

Told in a dual timeline, readers are able to follow along with Margot as she tries to solve this case, while mentally carrying the burden of her father finding out where she was, dangling other possible victims before her. Our other timeline is that of Margot's father - several chilling chapters of his murders that will make your skin crawl. These chapters made me wonder, like Margot, just how many murders we don't know about.

Needless to say, I'm in this one for the duration. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next in the series to see what case(s) Margot works next and to see in what way her father attempts to manipulate her further. What's his end game? Also - I have some theories about a certain character - but I need to scrutinize their actions and behavior further to see if I can decide before it's revealed by the author. (If there's anything to be revealed!)

I would recommend this book to true crime junkies and those who are addicted to mysteries, thrillers and suspense novels.

What an excellent book this was to read. Some really gripping storylines that kept you intrigued over what was going to happen next. Main characters that you could easily get to know/nothing too complicated about them. Highly recommended!

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Killer’s Daughter by Kate Wiley is a dual-POV and timeline police procedural mystery where Margot, a San Francisco detective, is also the daughter of a very prolific serial killer. When a family and a young family friend are found dead, Margot has to track down who killed them while dealing with her father wanting contact with her.

What I liked was how Margot’s past as a daughter of a serial killer connects to her present. She is very careful about who knows her personal information, she doesn’t order delivery food to keep the amount of people who know where she lives small, and she is very wary of others at times. Those connections help Margot feel fleshed out and alive as does her dynamics with her coworkers and other members of law enforcement.

Content warning for mentions of child abuse and mentions of sexual assault

I would recommend this to fans of police procedural mysteries and readers of mystery looking for a dual-POV between a killer and a detective.

I originally swept past this book judging its title and premise as too similar to others I'd read recently with law enforcement officers having serial killer families but a midnight need for a crime novel changed my mind. I'm so glad it did.
I loved this book. While I enjoyed others and the premise had similarities the depth of Margot's character, the incidental descriptions giving it a strong sense of place and dynamics between characters immersed me more. Rather than a quick paced, catch the killer with jump scares for the protagonist novel it delved into her complex emotions surrounding cases and determination to do the right thing. It allowed me to connect with her more than a passing gripping thrill and care for her. I needed to know what happened next and how she'd deal with next challenge. It felt real. Her dynamics with Wes and interactions with serial killer father made this a strong foundation for a series I know I'll be hooked into.
Using the pov of Ed too, while horrifying and added tension it remained on the side of none graphic and allowed the imagination to fill in gaps and feel the fear of the victims. These past murders added to the pace of the book and intrigue. Now I've finished I've a book hangover which hasn't happened since reading Sharon Bolton books. The next one is on top of my watch out for release date list.

This is a DNF for me
I struggled just to get to the half way point and still. no real action. The story is good but for me it is too slow. If you are a reader that does enjoy a slow burn novel then this one is for you.

Thanks for the ARC

mystery/thrillers are not my normal genre, i'm a romance girlie , but this was so good!

i loved that we followed margot but also followed ed, as an audience we saw how margot reacted to the scenes of ed while dealing with her job.

i had a feeling that the murderer was who it was purely based on the words used so i was proud for guessing it, poor emily though but i do wish we knew more about the two in the hiking path