Daddy Darkest

This was a quick, but entertaining read. The plot follows a daughter in the present, and her mother in the past, and then both threads conclude together in the present. The premise struck me as a combination of Taken with Silence of the Lambs, and then as if to confirm this, the book references Silence of the Lambs in one of the later chapters.
I would caution against this book if anyone cannot read about sexual assault, or molestation, as it quite frequently depicts the language, actions and mindset following the abuse of a teen girl. This does not come across as gimmicky, or cliche, but seems realistically portrayed, and shapes the actions of the character it affects for the rest of her life. A lot of the "surprises" of the book are easy to guess at, but still hit emotionally, as the reader hopes that their guess is wrong for the benefit of the character.
I really liked the author's voice, and would consider reading other books by her. The dialogue seemed natural and not weird teenager speak. The daughter's love interest seemed a bit rushed, but no different than a typical action movie. I would have preferred more of the daughter's story, than watching the mother treat a prison like a high school through flashbacks, but obviously the backstory is needed. It's good to put emphasis on the humanity and worth of prisoners, especially to the people who work with them, but I was a little uneasy at how much of the book was devoted to how hot a multiple murderer is while forgetting about his murders. A lot of the mother's story rotates around men objectifying her for her looks, which given the news lately, may be more interesting to the reader. I didn't really connect with the mother's character, but she felt flawed enough to be realistic for her circumstances, and I respected the complex psychology that drove her decisions, even if I was repulsed by them.
Overall, I really enjoyed it. The flashbacks weren't obnoxious, and the material was suitably dark for the genre without going overboard. I would recommend it to people who enjoyed The Silence of the Lambs and want to try to get in the head space of the people who work in prisons, and some of the emotional traps they can fall into.

The author did a great job of combining past and present with alternating chapters to give the background story of Sam's mom Claire. Suspense as Sam and her friend Ginny go on a girl's get-away to San Fran and Ginny immediately disappears. Sam teams up with Levi a young man she met on the airplane to find Ginny. Along the way Sam discovers many things about her mother's past and moms ties to an escaped convict named Clive.

The premise is interesting- post graduation weekend trip, energetically opposed by mom, starts off with a disappearance and an all too convenient 'friend' close by. Things get weirder and scarier as things suddenly change and the ground beneath her feet shift quickly and dramatically.

For me, it was pretty clear what was going on, horror after horror. The secrets we know we have to keep can't ever seem to stay hidden, they bubble up in the worst and most untimely ways.

For the mom, her life was awful and she buried it, along with a few other things she got along the way.
Its is a complex and at times painful read, but well written. The switch back between then and now takes some getting used to, but it deepens the story.

The story line is refreshingly different and so is the narrative style. Ellary Kane has done a good job of the first book in a series. Characters are entertaining especially the teenagers. This book had the potential to be more gripping .While the first half drew me in, the story especially ,the mothers" had some unbelievable twists. The last few chapters where the action takes place is overdone with too many characters and shootings . It read like a movie script, which is something I detest in a book . Also the character Cullen could have been better defined by giving insight to his childhood etc. Looking forward to reading other works by this author.

I really enjoyed this. It reminded me a lot of Chelsea Cain’s Gretchen Lowell series in terms of the incredibly dark and twisted relationships that the book explores.

<b><i> Thank you NetGalley and Ellery Kane Publishing for generously providing the ARC of the book in exchange of my honest review. </i></b>


The story starts with 2 young girls,Samantha and Ginny, on a flight flirting with a young man, Levi.They talk about a serial killer Cut-Throat-Cullen (who literally cut's throats) who recently escaped from prison and the newspapers are headlining it everywhere. Soon, the girls disembark at the destination and Ginny goes to the washroom to get "beautified" (her words!) wearing Sam's jacket (basketball championship jacket with Sam's name on it)!! When Sam goes to check on her, she finds that her friend has disappered. And now Levi is there whereever she goes. The plot revolves around a prison, it's politics and Dr.Keely. Why is Dr.Keely so special ? And who is trying to get her attention by this kidnapping ?

My thoughts : I didn't know whether to like or dislike the story.Dr.Keely is a very dark character, too damaged to be a psychiatrist. Infact, she was even darker than the Daddy. I feel both sympathetic and annoyed with her. <i>Some lines are never meant to be crossed.</i> And Dr.Keely crossed them all, getting pulled deeper and deeper into a whirlpool.You know you cannot come out unscathed from that !! The author did an extra special work with Cullen's character. I mean, you know he has slit throats and that he is a BAD BAD man. But, you cannot stop yourself from liking him. How can we blame Dr.Keely then? But, Dr.Keely goes one step too far getting involved in a lot of things way above her pay grade, if you know what I mean. But, I guess the prison environment had a big part to play in this darkness. I think it helped habour and even nurture the darkness already present in Dr.Keely's mind. I think that's why part of my mind wanted to dislike the story. Because, hell, the plot gave me some dark thoughts !! But, that means, job well done by the author, I guess !

Why, I won't give it 5? Because the event that triggered a lot of actions, was sorted out in 5 minutes towards the end. Cause of Dumas's death was sidelined throughout the book and in the end became a very important part of the prison politics, which kind of blindsided me. Looks like Cut-Throat-Cullen is not the worst there is out there ! And doesn't that give me the creeps !! I felt the end was too abrupt.

I won't deny that I want to read the next book. What is Cullen going to do next ? Is there any personal vendetta that he is going to take care ?? How is Sam going to be affected ?? Only time will tell !!

Best friends Samantha and Ginny take a trip to San Francisco. It was supposed to be their pre-college trip of a life time, but things go awry shortly after landing: Ginny is abducted from the airport bathroom. Armed with her luggage and Ginny's cell phone, Sam is on the run for her life after realizing that she was the target, not Ginny. Told through rotating narrators, we learn about Sam's mom, Clare, and why her secret past just caught up with Sam.

I love when authors have rotating narrators, so it was exciting to see that the book is written from Ginny's perspective in the present as well as Clare's perspective in the past. The closer we get to the end of the book, the closer the events in both perspectives collide. Clare has no idea about her mom's true past. She just knows her as her strong doting and protective mom who also hates psychology. However, Clare's past reveals that she was once a green psychiatrist working at a prison. She's a survivor of abuse who feels broken and blames herself for what happened to her and for the way men respond to her. What Ginny knows of her mother clashes with the life that Clare shed when she fled and started a new life.

Ginny and Clare are very different characters, so it's interesting to jump back and forth between the two and see what's going on in their minds. Clare's young, getting ready to enter college, and is terrified while running for her life and trying to save her best friend at the same time. She went from living the small town life that she's always known to being thrown into this whole new world where she has to trust a guy she just met, try to save Ginny before she gets killed, and face the fact that her father is far from who she thought he was. Meanwhile, we jump into the past every couple of chapters and read about Clare's life, the long term havoc that her attacker has left her with, and how she fell for the charming murderous man, Cutthroat Cullen. It's also interesting that Cullen is so charming because it echoes reality. We're taught to get away from the people who look like "weirdos" when the suave guys are often the ones who we should be weary of.

It was an interesting mystery to get sucked into because the true mystery is not what it appears to be at the beginning of the book. I thought I had everything figured out when one final mystery, one that has been fueling Levi for years, is the one that pulled the wool over my eyes. It is a difficult read because of the nature of Clare's chapters, which are very dark as well as sad, but Kane put together a story worth reading. I will definitely be back for the second installment in the series.

Daddy Darkest
by Ellery Kane
Ellery Kane
Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 01 Jun 2017
I am reviewing a copy of Daddy Darkest through Ellery Kane and Netgalley:
Just a month after High-School graduation Samantha (Sam) Bronwyn a small town girl boards the plane for San Francisco with her best friend Ginny. But Sam disappears into an airport Bathroom wearing Sam's jacket. Sam quickly realizes she was the attended target. Sam finds herself on the run, alone in a strange city, on the run for her life. She soon finds herself in the midst of not so buried secrets from the past.
Who is Sam? Who can she trust? The mysterious stranger with a gun in his backpack? The guilty ex-con, her Mother, the FBI agent?
The only thing she knows for certain is she is in danger.
I give Daddy Darkest five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!

Daddy Darkest starts off in a fairly standard YA thriller format: introducing eighteen year old Samantha Bronwyn and her boy-crazy best friend Ginny on their way to San Francisco for a weekend trip. Soon Ginny disappears and it becomes clear that she was kidnapped, targeted because she was wearing Sam's high school letterman jacket. The boy Ginny had been chatting to on the plane, a cute and mysterious boy only a few years older than them, offers to help Sam.

Then the book veers off into much more adult material via flashbacks to 1996. Dr. Clare Keely, Sam's mother, is a therapist starting at San Quentin. We quickly learn that she was sexually abused and raped by a friend's father over a period of years in her early teens and that this has had a deep impact on her sexuality. She is unable to really connect emotionally to others and has internalized the words of her abuser so deeply that she believes herself responsible for the way men react to her.

Ellery Kane plays these narratives off each other well, with Sam's first person perspective almost chaste. Even at her most confused Sam is a confident if inexperienced young woman, drawing on her basketball training to keep her grounded in even the most extreme situations. Comparatively, Clare is an educated woman in her twenties, a doctor even, yet her third person narrative is splintered and unsure, the voice of her abuser often overtaking her own. In many ways Clare is the more interesting character, her dangerous fascination with a serial killer with a slew of female victims is compelling, but I began to look forward to Sam's chapters as I needed a break from Clare's constant bad decisions.

My biggest problem with Daddy Darkest is that I hated Clive "Cutthroat" Cullen, the serial killer that Clare is so captivated by. He charms her completely and they embark on a toxic love affair that brings her abuser's voice to her head more and more often. I'm not sure if I was supposed to find him charming or compelling or just feel repulsed but whatever it was, I spent most of the novel wanting to shake Clare and scream at her that he's a misogynist that kills women.

I enjoyed the way that Kane peppered the novel with different sorts of predatory men, from the obvious like Cullen and the misogynist prison gangs with their violence and slurs, to Clare's abuser and the way he manipulated her emotions to make her feel as though she was to blame for his vile actions, and even to Clare's colleagues and the way they undermined her, persistently asking for dates despite her lack of interest.

All in all, Daddy Darkest was an enjoyable read, a wild ride from start to finish with tension never really letting up. The plot is far-reaching, starting with kidnapping and expanding to prison gangs, child abuse, infanticide, FBI conspiracies, drug running, secret parents and many, many gunfights. It's a decent thriller to curl up with on a cold night while you're warm under a blanket with a warm drink and a pet on your feet.

DADDY DARKEST SHORT REVIEW

"I wish my first plane ride had ended in a crash. An unforeseen plunge to Earth. A few minutes of white-hot terror, followed by a rising ball of fire. And no survivors."

Samantha is a small town girl who just graduated from high school. She has her entire future ahead of her and she can't wait. Her best friend, Ginny surprises her with a weekend in San Francisco.

Samantha knows her Mom would not approve so she waits until she is already on the plane before answering her mother's texts and calls.

Samantha and Ginny may be best friends, but they are polar opposites of each other (except in physical appearance since they look so much alike, they could be sisters.

Samantha is quiet. Ginny is loud. Samantha does not like to flirt. Ginny seems to have learned to flirt in the womb. Samantha is careful, Ginny is not. Ginny likes to go with the flow, Samantha would rather have a plan. But, despite their differences, or maybe because of them, they compliment each other and their trust in each other is complete.

What neither of the girls know is that the amazing and fun weekend they'd planned is about to turn into a nightmare. One in which Samantha will discover that everything she thought she knew about her life, has been a lie.

Fast paced, heart-thumping action that will appeal to her new target readership of Young Adults and will not disappoint her adult fanbase.

This book, however, should come with a warning and could be a trigger for survivors of violent crime; including, but not limited to, stalking, mugging, domestic violence and especially to survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

I enjoyed most every part of this book and am glad author Ellery Kane has chosen to bring the issue of childhood sexual abuse into the light. She has included a description of one of the ways that pedophiles groom their victims. I believe this is important. The more information that is distributed to people, the less likely they or their loved ones will fall victim to this type of crime.

Tackling a sensitive subject while crafting an unforgettable thriller could not have been easy, but Ellery Kane has done exactly that. It is for that reason that I chose to rate this book as 5 out of 5 Stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

** Thank you to NETGALLEY for providing me with a free copy of this book.**

Daddy Darkest started off with Samantha and Ginny going to San Francisco , two young 18 year old girls alone. They meet a handsome young man on the plane. At the airport Ginny goes to the restroom and never comes out. Samantha embarks on finding her friend. Lots of twists and turns and secrets that come to light. Definately could not put it down.

This book grabbed a hold of me gently and by the middle of the book I was hooked and speeding to the end to see how it all ended. The characters are well written and interesting enough that you can picture everything occurring in your mind. I found this book very interesting not just for the story itself but the insights to what these people are actually thinking and feeling as the story unfolds. I definitely will be looking for more to read from this author, thank you Ellery Kane for a very good book!

This one surprised me, because I didn't have any idea what it was about. I actually picked it up because of the title and the cover, surprisely it was better then I thought it was going to be, love how you got both sides of the stories , it's a must read. With that said I would love to say thinks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review it, in change for my honest opinion.

Excellent read and highly recommended. Could not put it down.

Samantha and her best friend goes on a trip to San Francisco after their high school graduation. Ginny, wearing Sam’s varsity jacket, goes to the bathroom and ends up getting kidnapped. Sam, all alone now, has no idea how to find her friend. She runs into trouble with the Mexican mafia and a mysterious man named Marco. She receives help from a stranger who she sat next to on the plane to SF. Suddenly her trip turns into a nightmare and she finds out she might not know her mother as well as she believes.

The story is told from two different time periods: past and present. The past tells the backstory of Clare Keely, Sam’s mother, and her time as a psychologist in a prison.

I think the author did a great job developing the characters, Clare and Cullen. I really see into Clare’s mind and how years of experience can lead her to where she was. The past backstory is very detailed and I think it overpowers the current plot line. The first 85% of the story was interesting and I kept reading to know more about Clare’s past. It was slow but it was necessary to develop the plot. However, the ending was a huge disappointment. I felt like the whole backstory of the past was building up to this very point where Cullen meets Clare again and Sam will meet her dad. However, I was left hanging and wanting more. The main storyline (present time) only consists of 10% of the entire book. It didn’t serve any purpose, in my opinion; like the author had a great idea and explanation for the story but lacked a strong point. Overall, it was a good book but ending left me unsatisfied.

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

One of the best thriller read I've read. The back and forth POV really helped me understand the story even more and I love how the author tied the two stories together. I can't wait to read more!

It was a good book. It was darkish and it kept me interested. I found some of it confusing. It goes between the daughter and the young version of the mom. Towards the end it got confusing between the past and the present and the daughter.

Excellent start to a new series. Clare Keely is too beautiful for her own good. Men cannot resist her, and in spite of herself she can't help responding. Even when the man is dangerous....especially not then.
Years have passed, and Clare has a new life, but the past won't stay buried long.
Perfect for thriller lovers--dark, twisty and so immersive you won't be able to put it down!

I enjoyed the suspense in this book. The characters were interesting and I could see them as three-dimensional chacters. The storyline was interesting. I plan to look for more books by this author.

I voluntarily read an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review

A great crime thriller which i read in a few days, couldn't put it down

Daddy Darkest was a fun twisty mystery thriller. I wasn't sure if I liked the flashing back and forth until near the end but it actually fit and made sense as the revelations came forth in the past and the present for each woman. No spoilers so can't say much more. Even when I thought I had figured out what exactly was going on I would have to revise my theory. The one thing I didn't understand was how Clare told a special someone something that would end up risking her daughter's life. If you are hiding why be so stupid? I did like how the story showed everything is not always as it appears. This was shown time and time again. Also you do not choose who you fall in love with but can choose who you stay with. Overall I would say I look forward to reading another Ellery Kane book.

I received a free copy of this book for an honest review.

Plenty of twists make this a riveting and unforgettable book. I absolutely loved this! There are few suspense authors that I love, and now this one is ranked right up there with my favorites. Yes, there is disturbing subject matter in here. The entire plot works here, and it's page-turning suspense.

Right from the start, we have Samantha's friend Ginny being abducted. There are no clues as to what happened. Samantha must decide if there is anyone she can trust or if she's on her own. A killer is at large and the hunt is on.

This is a dark psychological thriller that will have you on the edge-of-your-seat. Be prepared to be up all night. Is book two ready yet?

Reviewed by Janet of the GothicMoms Review Team

Daddy Darkest was my first book by Ellery (Author). I hadn't actually seen any of her previous work, so I went into this with a clean slate and no precognitions or expectations. I do love a good thriller but I'm not a huge fan of police/FBI crime books, so hoped this one would work out for me, luckily it did.

This book is a huge, 'Who can you trust?' story. I was captivated from the get go and liked Sam as a character. But admit, the chapters in the past of Clare are what I really enjoyed. I felt at times Sam could be a little weak, too naive although thinking of her as 18 and only just about to head to college that made sense. I feel though of the two characters I probably bonded more with Clare. Clare was the one with the interesting story, the past that was both shocking and dark. I wanted to know what had happened to her, why it had happened and what was going to happen. See there is a lot happening just from that sentence. There isn't a strong romantic theme either which I found refreshing. I did wonder how Ginny and Sam were even friends at times although Ginny isn't a huge featured character in the book. I don't want to talk about the other characters mentioned in the synopsis. I feel any information I could give on my thoughts on them could be conceived as spoilers (I do not post spoilers).

Daddy Darkest is fast paced flitting between the past with Clare and the present with Sam. As the story enfolds there is some confusion but in the end all is made clear. I did love those final pages of the story with the flower, that made me smile. After everything I kind of want to know what happened next. This isn't a who done it style book, but I can say the characters I thought were good/bad were correct. It was the line the story took that I didn't get right.

If you like a good thriller without a heavy police/fbi investigation I feel this book is one you should look out for. I thoroughly enjoyed Daddy Darkest and read this almost in one sitting (I was at 89% but it was gone midnight and even I need sleep). It totally reeled me in and kept my focus for the whole book. I give Daddy Darkest 4 stars and look forward to reading The Hanging Tree next. I did have one niggle with this book which I don't want to say as it could come across as a spoiler, I am going to look at other reviews to see if its mentioned. If you do want to know what it is, please drop me a message as I am not leaving it here for others to see which made spoil their reading pleasure.

Ok, I was not sure about this book in the beginning, but the description piqued my interest so I decided to read it. Oh my gosh, the twists & turns, the mental abuse, the physical abuse. The things this woman was put through it is amazing that she pulled through as well as she did in my opinion. The strength of her daughter was amazing also.

The characters were written in such a way that you were not completely sure which was the bad guys & which were the good guys & even the good guys were not all that good. You need to read this book if you like mystery, thillers, with a bit of "Oh my gosh!" mixed into the story lines.

The book starts with two girls Ginny and Samantha hopping on a plane to San Francisco, and Ginny gets kidnapped and Samantha goes searching for her. In her search for Ginny, Samantha ends up finding the real truth about her mother Clare's background.
The book is written in the present time about Samantha's predicament and in the past about Clare's life, her sexual abuse as a young girl, her interactions with a sociopath in the prison as a psychologist, and her love affair with him, a toxic serial killer.
The book by Ellery A Kane, started off well, the plot was intriguing, a case of mistaken identity till the mother Clare's story touched the pages. Then it took an ugly turn, and I lost all interest. I skimmed parts of the book to get to the gist of the story. With a title like Daddy Dearest, I did expect the story to have darker overtones, but I wanted the main characters to be well etched, generating pathos. Unfortunately, they come across as annoying. Both the mother daughter duo are not likable. Samantha is too naive and Clare insecure. Where the characters should have been bold and strong, they come across people who need therapy themselves. The book does come together for the ending, but by then I have lost interest, and it is more of a case of too little too late.

This is a decent mystery. I did find that the constant back and forth on the time line was at times rather choppy and took away from the flow of the story. Otherwise, a good read that I would recommend.

An enjoyable read! I was hooked looking for a suspenseful thriller, but not the typical kind where a guy hacks up a girl in a shack in the woods. This hit the mark. I guessed some of the plot twists ahead of time, but that didn't stop me from being sucked into the book and wondering what would happen next. Can't wait to read the next in this series!

Daddy Darkest was my first book by Ellery Kane. It was a fairly quick read. I went into the book hoping for more. It just felt like something was missing. I think its just the case as it wasn't my cup of tea. Writing was good and I liked the world she created. I would definitely recommend!

A few interesting spacing between words but this could be due to the download.

The story is fantastic and gripping. The characters are well rounded and interesting. The story is fast past which is great, its nice not having to wade through chapters of description which is not entirely necessary.

I really like the two sides of the story, the current and the background, it'd good to get the background to the story. There is a lot of strong content and I would advice caution for readers who have suffered similar situations.

Overall a really good read. It deals with a lot of issues and has a really good story line.

It would be nice to have had a chapter at the beginning to give a little more information of the main characters as the story drops you in without much explanation of how or why or the bond between the girls. A little more explanation around them would have been good as the start felt like it jumped in the middle of a story.

A great book for those who enjoy crime/thrillers. I would recommend this to matures YA to.

So color me surprised because I really enjoyed this book a lot. I'll be honest after reading a bunch of the reviews I wasn't expecting to like it much as it seems to have a lot of mixed reactions. But I was pleasantly surprised. Was it the most fantastic book I have ever read? No. But the writing was very good. The pace was perfect. We jump back and forth from Clare's story in the past to Levi and Samantha's in the present. I found the past the more intriguing narrative as Clare was undoubtedly the most interesting of all the characters. The present could have been a bit more fleshed out, and I was left with some unanswered questions and loose ends. But this looks like it is going to be a series so perhaps these characters will be seen again in later books. All in all, it was a very enjoyable read, and I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for the next book. Plus the cover is very cool as well. Therefore this one is getting a solid two thumbs up from yours truly.

wow this was wonderful. it had twists and turns.. it had scary times and good times.. it had suspense and had things i didnt see coming.. some of the story was very normal.. i knew what was next but then something would happen and id be like holy crap i didnt see that coming lol. it was good

This book had an interesting blurb, and there were parts of it that I really enjoyed.

Reading about Clare’s experiences as a psychologist working in a prison was very interesting, and there were so many times I wanted to shake her and tell her she was making bad choices. To me, that indicates a good story being told and an investment in the character. I also liked the parts happening in the present, where Ginny was mistakenly kidnapped and Sam learns more about her mother’s past to explain what’s happening in the present.

The part where I got a bit lost in everything was with the gang rivals and he drugs, and Rodney Taylor’s involvement in all of that. I felt like the author tried too hard to tie everything together and to make the story more intricate, but at the expense of the parts that worked really well.

A thrilling read with complex and sympathetic characters. I was able to better understand the characters motivations because the author offered detailed insight into their thought processes. I especially loved the author's similes and metaphors because they were so creative helping to paint an even more vivid mental picture. I look forward to reading more books by this author!

This thriller started off very strong, and the writing was strong the whole way through. I definitely found it gripping, but as I went on, I did find myself a bit confused by some of the choices one character in particular made, which resulted in an ultimately lower rating.

When Sam’s best friend, Ginny, disappears in an airport bathroom while wearing Sam’s letterman jacket, it soon becomes clear that the kidnapper intended to take Sam. As she struggles to find Ginny, she starts to question whether everything she’s ever known is a lie…

The book alternates between chapters in Sam’s first-person POV and her mother, Clare’s, bacak in 1996, when she worked as a prison psychiatrist. I enjoyed Sam’s chapters, I thought her voice was really authentic. Even if it did sometimes stray into YA tropes such as kissing the hot guy you’ve known for two days, despite the fact he seems to be pretty shady.

Clare’s chapters were well-written and unraveled the details of Clare’s past at a good pace. It was Clare herself I couldn’t figure out. I couldn’t work out whether her messed up upbringing could be blamed for her bad decisions, or whether she was just completely irresponsible. While the author was going for the former, I expect, the more I thought about it, the more it felt like the latter to me.

There were a few aspects of the plot that I had predicted, but it wasn’t completely predictable overall. It was interesting to see how all the characters were tied to one another, not just in obvious ways. The ending was intriguing, but I felt it fitted the events of the book. I think it is just an ambiguous ending, and that there will be no follow-up, but it works that way.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publishers for a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Really enjoyed this book; would recommend to others.

On the cover there is a scene in the night forest with a shovel backed to a tree, a hole in the bottom with the title of the book indicated in the hole. A catchphrase is below the title: "Bury your secrets, bury them deeply"

The Hispanic takes place in the present with Samantha who graduated a month ago who after a plane flight to San Francisco sees her friend Ginny disappear into a bathroom at the airport. Because she was wearing Sam's jacket, she knew right away that she was the target. Who is she really, who can she trust? Who's hiding a gun in his backpack? Someone's mad at him, want to make him drool. A race against the clock is going to get her to find the truth.

I loved this first book with endearing characters a story that holds the road, too anxious to read the sequel that comes out soon.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

Samantha Bronwyn leads a normal, albeit boring life in a small town in Texas, where she lives with her mom. She never knew her dad since he died when she was a baby. Sam’s a basketball wiz on the court and will be heading to Baylor soon.

Her best friend, Ginny, has talked her into going on a girls trip to San Francisco before they head off to college. A trip that Sam’s mom was against. Shortly after getting to San Francisco Sam wishes she had listened to her mom as a nightmare unfolds before her. Ginny went into the bathroom at the airport and disappeared. Her phone was found in the trash with a message to Sam’s mom displayed to ‘come find me’. Ginny was wearing Sam’s Letterman jacket (with Sam’s name on the back) and they soon realize that the kidnapper had intended to grab Sam instead!

Sam is alone in a strange town while trying to find answers and running into trouble at every turn. She knows Ginny is quickly running out of time with an escaped serial killer, Clive ‘Cutthroat’ Cullen on the loose and he’s the most likely suspect for the abduction. Sam does find an unexpected ally in Levi, who sat next to the girls on the plane. But can he be trusted? He did carry a gun on the plane after all.

Sam’s mom is making her way to San Francisco, but she is acting strange. What do you do when everything you’ve ever known about your life turns out to be a lie? And when the sins of your parents truly do come to haunt you …

I actually really enjoyed this book! I liked it a lot better than I was expecting to as it sucked me in from the very beginning. I do love an exciting mystery and this one kept me on the edge of my seat. I liked that I didn’t know who to trust. Is Levi a good guy or will he lead Sam to those that want to do her harm? Although I quickly, fell in love with him and his humor, I would have been devastated if he’d been a bad guy!

“Levi didn’t seem surprised by my accusation. “I guess that bedsheet wasn’t as soundproof as I thought.”



I also actually liked the flashbacks to Claire’s past as the truth was revealed to us bit by bit. I enjoyed watching the interactions between her and Clive and how things developed. Clive was definitely a charmer and you could see how he reeled women in to do exactly what he wanted! I was definitely rooting for him and desperately wanted to see him be redeemed in this book! I do love my bad boys! But Claire was a bit nuts herself and kind of a slut so maybe they were meant to be … crazy does attract crazy.

The timing of reading this book couldn’t have been better. My oldest daughter is getting ready to start college this year and we’re making all those plans now. She has fallen in love with her psychology class in her senior year of high school and has decided to major in psychology in college. She absolutely loved doing the case studies and criminal profiles of known serial killers so this book made me think of her. I have already recommended the book to her. I think Kane’s background in forensic psychology shines through in her writing and makes this book even more interesting and it has a ‘real’ feel to it. I think this series on serial killers could be rather fun.

My only complaint about this book is that the story doesn’t feel complete to me and I saw that the next book is about completely different characters. It feels like there should be another book with these characters because there is more story to tell. The relationship between Levi and Sam has just begun, not to mention I would love to see more of Clive and Claire as their story has a lot of potential as well. I so want to see their happily ever after. Besides, Clive needs to meet his daughter!

I absolutely loved this book and hope to get my hands on the next book, The Hanging Tree once it’s released! If you love dark and slightly twisted psychological thrillers, you should definitely give this series a try!

*OBS would like to thank the author for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

This was an ok thriller, and if you need a holiday read, that is easy reading, then this is perfect. Unfortunately, it was not for me.

loved the way the characters was written,the personality and their background stories,the dillema and challanges faced by them when it comes to issues such as trust,betrayal,love etc.loved the plot and the shifting between the past and present.overall loved the book,and it had me hooked

Definitely loved the beginning aspect; girls go on one fun trip and one gets taken. This book suckered me in and held my attention well enough. There were a few parts I was meh about, but overall it was a great novel. The author really kept me on my toes with a few surprises.

With a title as Daddy Darkest I suspected a book about this very wrong dad, doing things that no dad should ever do. In some way, that expectation was met when Samantha flew to San Fransisco with her best friend Ginny. On the plane Sam and Ginny met Levi; a handsome stranger warning them about the dangers of SF..
Shit hit the fan pretty quickly in this one, Ellery A. Kane does not play around. From the moment Sam and Ginny land and retrieve their luggage, things go south.

In Daddy Darkest we follow Sam and Levi in the present and Clare in the past. We find out why Ginny is abducted, why her abductor calls Sam Clare and why someone got abducted in the first place.
After a few chapters it becomes painfully clear that mommy dearest hasn't been completely honest with her daughter, which eventually lead to crazy adventures including maffiawars, drugs and a - very- obsessed serial killer.

I never expected daddy darkest to be thát dark. To be so manipulative, creepy and yet.. so polite. It frightened me a little to finally figure out what was what and who was who in the end. The plottwists did not dissapoint!

I'm really looking forward to the next book in Doctors of Darkness.

A suspenseful, page-turning thriller, Daddy Darkest is the story of teenager Samantha Bronwyn, who is trying to sneak away for an adventurous little vacation with her flirty friend Ginny before the two of them graduate. Ginny disappears before the two girls even leave the airport, however, and Samantha is left trying to convince the police that something has gone very, very wrong. When the police won't listen, Samantha is forced to call her mom, Clare, and fill her in on the details - but things only escalate when Clare enters the picture.

The narrative shifts between the present-day story of Samantha and Ginny and Clare's hidden, complicated past as a prison psychologist. I appreciated the attention and accuracy of certain details about prison life in this novel, but was skeptical about some of the devices that made the plot possible - for example, an inmate in a locked office with the psychologist? I had a lot of trouble buying that one.

I did appreciate the complex picture of Clare's own psychology, as a victim of childhood sexual assault, and the fact that her abuser does get his comeuppance. There are a few threads in this plot that are a little too neatly resolved, and some of the writing is clunky - there were a lot of basketball metaphors that really didn't work for me, and one fishing metaphor that really put me off. I'm going to have to find that one to update this review, because it was unfortunate enough that I made a specific note about it.

Overall, though, this was a fast-paced and relatively satisfying thriller - it's just not one I would be likely to read again.

I received access to this title via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I got this book through Netgalley to read and review. This was an interesting story that drew me in right away. The characters were well written and capturing. A definite read for anyone who likes to blur the lines of good and evil.

Downloaded through Netgalley to read for an honest review!


It's an interesting story that starts in the present day with Samantha Bronwyn. As the story progresses it's discovered that Samantha's current problem has something to do with her mother's past. Once we find this out we jump to 1996 following her mother Clare down her path that leads us to Samantha's problem.



Some of the information that, to me, could have been shocking reveals are told to us and then we learn how that information came to be in later chapters. Usually in the flashback chapters with Clare.



We go between the past and the present to explain how and why we are where we are. It's well written and fun to read. Some parts I wish she wasn't that great at writing because holy shit vivid imagery was not something I needed for certain scenes.



As everything happens Samantha learns that she doesn't know her mom like she thought she did. When the book ends she still has learning to do and wonders if her mother will ever open up about everything that went down.



This was a fun and different read I bought the next book after finishing this.

There's so much I want to say about Daddy Darkest but after giving it a LOT of thought I'd hate to spoil anything for current and future readers. Ellery Kane and James Patterson make a good combination. All of the elements of a good psychological suspense are included in this book.

Daddy Darkest is the first book I've read by Ellery Kane. I do love a good thriller but I'm not a huge fan of police/FBI crime books, so hoped this one would work out for me, luckily it did.
When Sam’s best friend, Ginny, disappears in an airport bathroom while wearing Sam’s letterman jacket, it soon becomes clear that the kidnapper intended to take Sam. As she struggles to find Ginny, she starts to question whether everything she’s ever known is a lie…
This book is a huge, 'Who can you trust?' story. I was captivated from the get go and liked Sam as a character. But admit, the chapters in the past of Clare are what I really enjoyed.
The ending was intriguing, but I felt it fitted the events of the book. I think it is just an ambiguous ending, and that there will be no follow-up, but it works that way.

Well done Ellery Kane, this book had everything for someone who loves a good mystery thriller with so many twists, its hard to keep your head on straight! Between a serial killer, a prison psychologist, a suspended police detective, two soon to be college students....every twist and turn had me wanting more, could not put it down, it was a case of I have to know....A dark thriller about murder and deception in the San Francisco Bay Area. Great plot with intriguing characters make this a MUST read!

Many thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to review same in exchange for my honest opinion.

Daddy Darkest

Samantha and BFF Ginny head off from Austin to San Francisco without telling their parents where they were going. Secret #1. On the plane a cute guy, Levi sat between them. Ginny thought here is a guy I would love to know. Sam did not want to know him at all. She knew the type. So sure if himself, and that turned her off.

Back home Sam's mother,Claire, had a past she didn't share with her daughter . Secret #2. The seat mate on the plane had something to hid too. Secret #3. This book is about uncovering those secrets and many more.

Ginny has on Sam's High School Jacket and heads to the lady's room and never comes out. Sam looks for her and Levi joins the search. And off we go reading what just happen and will happen

This book was more for Young Adults, but I kept with it. It contained sexual abuse, murder and bad behavior. Choose wisely who should read it. I have it a 4 star rating because the author Ellery Kane made it a interesting read.

Downloaded through Netgalley to read for an honest review!

Shortly after graduation, Sam and her best friend Ginny take a flight to San Francisco. On the plane, Sam meets Levi a suspended law enforcement officer. She is unaware that he has a personal interest in her and her psychologist mother Claire.

Ginny disappears shortly after the plane lands and Sam teams up with Levi to search for her. When they discover she has been abducted the signs indicate it was by mistake as she was wearing Sam’s jacket at the time.

This story switches between Sam and her mother. One side covers the present and the other explains the past and the reason for Ginny’s disappearance.

There are many secrets buried in the past and they will not stay there much longer.

Claire is a mother with a huge past who seemed melodramatic at times eg thinking she was a monster with a hole where her heart should be. I was hypnotised by her story even though I found her a bit of a drama queen.

Without giving too much away, I wondered if a psych would risk everything in real life for life with a murderer. I did a little research and discovered there have been quite a few cases where this has happened. Claire certainly seemed to fit the victim profile and she appeared quite vulnerable at times.

I wondered a little about the likelihood of a suspended officer retaining his firearm. In Australia, officers have to hand their firearm in when they are not in their usual role. It is possible for someone to slip through the loop even if they shouldnt.

Fans of mystery thrillers will find themselves ‘trapped’ by this book. Be prepared for a good read.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free digital copy of this book. I was happy to give an honest review.

Das Buch ist solide geschrieben und packt auch unangenehme Themen an. Schöner Schreibstil, spannend und nachvollziehbar.
Habe ich sehr gern gelesen.

This was fantastic. fast but so entertaining and captivating. I started this book and would not so anything until I finished it. This followed a mother and daughter and two different times and points in their lives. The way the author structured and developed the story was brilliant and different then what I have read before. I enjoyed every second of this book. Thank you for allowing me to read and write about it.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.
This book immediately hooked me from the beginning. I loved the characters and I loved the storyline. But then I got more into the book and I honestly got kind of bored. I was having a hard time bouncing back and forth between the daughter and the mother's point of view. The writing style was great but I didn't care for the run on in certain points.
The book is about Samantha who goes on a trip with her best friend Ginny to San Francisco despite her mother not wanting her to go. When they land and Ginny goes to the bathroom to freshen up, she never comes back out. Samantha and a guy she met on the plane, Levi, must find what happened to her and secrets from the past erupt. Turns out Samantha's mom has not always been honest with her daughter and Samantha is in for the shock of her life.
The ending was great and that's the only reason I made it through the middle of the book was curiosity. I am excited to read the next book in the series, hopefully the entire book is great.