Member Reviews

A good story with interesting characters. I enjoyed the 'present day' sections much more than those set in the past. For me they were a bit unnecessary and didn't add to the overall story.
I will be reading more by this author.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed The Killers Daughter by Kate Wiley, it had me hooked and I was really intrigued in the character.

We meet police lady Margot and she is called to a horrific scene involving a family, who have all been slaughtered apart from the son. Margot cant quite put her finger on it but she does not think that it is as straightforward as she first thought.

We then get to know who Margot really is, well who she was in her past, and we learn that she is the daughter of serial killer Ed Finch. Ed has recently come back to the prison where Margot lives and he is asking for her to come and visit with the exchange that he will tell her about number 77 - one of his victims that the police did not know about.

We are taken on a really good adventure but author Kate Wiley, Margot is a likeable character and there are dual storylines in the novel.

I am glad that this looks like it will be a series of books and I am looking forward to reading more about Margot.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley.

Was this review helpful?

Honestly WOW. I don't know why I put off reading this book for so long. Just by the FIRST chapter I knew I was hooked. If you like a really gripping thriller that hooks you in and has you guessing the whole time, and are a lover of crime fiction this is the book for you!!! Thank you so much to NetGalley and Kate Wiley for letting me read this book. It was honestly so good and I would recommend it to others!! I can't wait to read the rest!!

Was this review helpful?

Gah! Cliffhanger.

I did enjoy this book though. The protagonist was compelling and damaged and tenacious and human. The fact that you have three storylines interweaving kept me on my toes and I powered through in under a day.

I'm invested now. I'll definitely read the next installation.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC for this book. It kept me hooked with the dual timeline and the perspective of the child of a serial killer.

Was this review helpful?

This book is a good start to a new Detective series. The characters were introduced well, and we learned a lot about Margot and those close to her. This story is told in dual timelines - Margot in the present, and her father in the past. I would have enjoyed more character development regarding Margot's dad instead of just hearing about his crimes. There seemed to be more focus on her dad's crimes vs the current murder case. The middle dragged on for me, and I felt there could've been more going on during the middle of the book. I will definitely read book 2 and continue the series to see what is next for Margot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

The Killers Daughter is a thrilling novel about Detective Margot Phalen and how far she has gone to detach herself from her serial killer father Ed Finch. But when a lawyer calls and tells her a chilling message from her father, she has no choice but to face him again.

I can not wait to read more books featuring Detective Margot Phalen, her character is really what made the story for me. I really enjoyed her parter Wes and the banter they share while solving the murders. I had a hunch of who I though had done it and I was partly right! This was a really thrilling story, and was written in such a compelling way I did not want to put the book down at all!
Big thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

The Killer's Daughter
by Kate Wiley
Pub Date: 25 Mar 2024

Synopsis: Twenty years ago Ed Finch – America’s most notorious serial killer – used the Bay Area as his hunting ground. Now, his daughter Margot is a homicide detective with the San Francisco Police Department who has spent her whole life trying to forget who she is. But her daddy won’t let her forget.

My Thoughts: A great start to a new series! I was sucked in right from the first chapter. I feel this is a great book with well written characters. I would definitely recommend this 5 star book. I can't wait for the next book!

Many thanks to #TheKillersDaughter #NetGalley and #StormPublishing for providing me an E-ARC of this book.









The Killer's Daughter is Book 1 in the Detective Margot Phalen Series.

Was this review helpful?

This book is a good start to a new Detective series. The characters were introduced well, and we learned a lot about Margot and those close to her. This story is told in dual timelines - Margot in the present, and her father in the past. I would have enjoyed more character development regarding Margot's dad instead of just hearing about his crimes. There seemed to be more focus on her dad's crimes vs the current murder case. The middle dragged on for me, and I felt there could've been more going on during the middle of the book. I will definitely read book 2 and continue the series to see what is next for Margot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC of The Killer's Daughter by Kate Wiley in return for my honest review.
What a great start to a new series, this is a really well written police procedural with great characters. I really enjoyed that there was more than one case being investigated, this book certainly leaves you wanting more, my only critic was the conclusion of the main story line which did feel a little rushed and anticlimactic but that being said I would defiantly recommend reading. Can’t wait for the next instalment.

Was this review helpful?

What a brilliant book! I couldn't stop reading it. It's so well-written. I loved the plot and execution. I wanted more! Hopefully there will be more Margot Phalen books soon.
I really like the main character, Margot. The way she's been written you can't help but like her and relate to her. I also really enjoyed her relationship with Wes. Those two are a great duo. Leon is another great cast member. Kate Wiley definitely has a gift for writing great characters.
The story overall is just great. Gripping and riveting The Kiler's Daughter is a brilliant example of how a good thriller should be written. Highly recommended.

Was this review helpful?

"...I'm many things, but I'm not a victim. Ed has seventy six of those, and I don't deserve to be counted alongside them."

But what happens when Ed's lawyer calls after over 20 years and says, "If she says hello, I'll tell her about seventy seven." Just chills throughout reading the gripping creepy The Killer's Daughter by new favorite brilliant psychological thriller author Kate Wiley.

The premise may not be new but the execution is phenomenally crafted in this all encompassing thriller genre masterpiece. Margot Phalen was once Megan Finch but everything changed when, at 15, her father was arrested for being the infamous San Francisco serial killer of 76 women.

Margot is a homicide detective, now 40, single with a cabinet filled with Xanax and other mental health drugs, and another shelf for the liquor when the fears, the guilt and the PTSD gets control of her mind.

Her sexy partner Wes, knows her secret, that her father is Ed Finch, the notorious now on death row serial killer. They are working a very bizarre case of a murdered family with only 9 year old Mateo, hidden away, a survivor. If this book was just about Mateo's family it would be a worthy murder mystery but this writer has plans; lgiving goosebumps every few chapters with Ed's story about how he killed, why he killed and how sometimes his baby daughter Megan was in her car seat, in the back of the car, while he dragged his next victim to her gruesome death.

Not always an easy read but a fascinating one. The psychological element is prominent as we learn about Margot, Ed and even orphaned Mateo. There's a lot to unpack but The Killer's Daughter slays as book one in the new must read Detective Margot Phalen Series.

I received a free copy of this book from Storm Publishing via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

The Killer's Daughter by Kate Wiley is a captivating psychological thriller long with being a police procedural. The first book by this author that I have read it is a heart pounding read especially the parts when we see into Ed Finch’s head. From the beginning to the conclusion it is filled with shocks and surprising twists.

You will come to admire Detective Margot Phalen as I did. Also you will find it hard to put down this engrossing scary story. I know because I read way to late trying to figure out the four members family home murderers. I had my suspicions but it was even darker than I had thought. Here’s hoping that Margot and co-workers get another story soon.

Was this review helpful?

Many thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was FABULOUS!!! I am so excited to read the next installment in this new series! This story checked all the boxes for me: mystery, suspense, psychological thriller, believable characters, serial killers, police procedure, and murder!

Margot Phalen is a flawed and damaged detective that pursues justice for victims of crimes committed in San Francisco. She is also Megan Finch, the adult daughter of Ed Finch, the notorious "Classifieds Killer". We meet Margot at the scene of the most recent crime, where family of four has been brutally murdered.

Margot also gets a message from her serial killer father requesting that she come see the man who destroyed her childhood. She also discovers that Ed has been moved from prison in the east coast to the west coast and right into Margot's backyard. Her father knows just the right, enticing message to send to Margot that will have her come see him for the first time in 15 years. Together with the FBI agent that arrested Ed, Margot does go see her father in jail, which opens up another pandora's box for her.

The character development was very well done by the alternating story timelines between the past and present and the alternating narrators, Margot and Ed. The reader learns a lot about what makes Ed and Margot tick through the past and present progression.

I just could not put this one down and kept looking for time to continue reading it! HIGHLY recommend!!! 7 stars (if that was possible)

Was this review helpful?

A great book to kick off a new series. I was completely invested. Excellent characters. Plenty of action and suspense. The twists kept me guessing and the ending left me wanting more. I can't wait for the next story.

Was this review helpful?

In this book you follow Detective Margot who is investigating a gruesome mass murder of a family while dark secrets from her own past pop up.

I loveeee me a good detective series when done right! The ending of this book is perfectly set up to begin a great series. I feel if you like SVU, true crime and Karin Slaughter you'll enjoy this book!

Was this review helpful?

Great read. The title is a little misleading. The main character is the daughter of a killer, but the main focus isnt on that story. Its about Margot (the daughter) being a detective and solving a gruesome family murder. It touches on her fathers past here and there, but it's about her current life and career. The story itself was amazing. The plot twists in the middle of the story is a great touch that keeps your heart pumping and makes you not want to put the book down. My higschool English teacher thought me to read the last sentence of a book, and if it catches my interest, the book will be great, and I can tell you that this book was GREAT!

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to netgalley and publisher for supplying this advanced copy for the purpose of review.

I got into this straight away. I found it immediately compelling and found the backstory of the main lead added a little extra to the story. It was definitely a dark story and extremely well written. I'm hoping there is more to come.

Was this review helpful?

This talented author has written a page turner. Realistic characters keep the story moving. The premise of the daughter of a serial killer is scary. Her past…wow…no words…the present…she is helping others…do not try to discern the ending too soon. Not easy…cannot wait to read her next book.

Was this review helpful?

This book was so tough for me to get into. It took me so long to read and I just couldn’t get invested with the characters. I was hoping for more father stories and less today stories and the way the last meeting went should have stayed the end. It showed Margot as a strong bad ass woman and with a second book I assume she goes back on her word which doesn’t sit right with me.

Was this review helpful?