This series is pretty good! Can’t wait to dive into book 3!

Margot Phalen continues to try to work her job with similarities to her father’s murders in the past!

Margot is a detective with a terrifying past. Her father, Ed Finch, is a serial killer and in prison for multiple life sentences. I wasn't aware this was part of a series, so I would like to read the first to get some back story. Margot is part of a team investigating an active sniper situation. She is also asked by the FBI to visit her father to see if she can get any admissions bout cases they believe are related to him. This kept my interest and I would like to see more about Margot.

Book two in the Detective Margot Phalen series was a blast to read. After finishing the first one, I knew I wanted more with this detective so I was very pleased to receive this one from Storm Publishing via Netgalley. In the meantime, I also received book 3!

Murders that need to be solved, a sniper who needs to be caught, and then there is Ed Finch as well. A convicted serial killer - who also happens to be the father of detective Phalen. She has several cases to investigate and she works closely with the FBI to find more of Ed's victims. But can she handle it all - the cases she needs to investigate and the one case that hits so close to home?

This book had it all: interesting cases, a great cast of characters, a very intriguing back story interwoven into the main storyline. I truely enjoyed the development of the different characters compared to book one - more in depth and more worked out. Fast-paced but, at the right times, more slowed down - just an absolute thrill to read.

5/5⭐️

After reading the first book in this series, The Killer's Daughter, I was super excited to get my hands on book #2.

I was completely engrossed in the first book and hoped against hope that the second book would be just as captivating... it didn't disappoint!

I loved the continuation on from book #1 and the switching timelines just constantly kept my attention.

Margot Phalen is a well respected Detective in the San Francisco area. Alongside her partner Wes. But Margot isn't just a regular cop, she's also the daughter of serial killer Ed Finch, who is now serving a life sentence for multiple murders, with many more he's willing to divulge, if Margot visits in person.

With all her focus on her most recent cases, a sniper on the loose, killing innocent people and a prostitute bludgeoned to death, as well as still working alongside Leon with the Muir Woods killings, can Margot keep giving little pieces of herself away with every time she sits opposite Ed? How many victims were there really and can Margot keep going back time and time again just to keep the FBI happy?

The character development in this series is amazing, the build up of details and backstory is an absolute pleasure to read.

If you are after a multi layered series that will keep you on your toes and fully immersed from beginning to end, look no further!

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC.

The writing style and the characters of this book drew me in immediately, and I enjoyed that there was focus put on the MC's father, who is a serial killer. About halfway through, I did become a little overwhelmed with the amount of characters to keep track of and to try to remember exactly which case was being worked on at the time. I liked how there were flashback chapters from Ed Finch's perspective, which made me wish that there had been more content about his murders because he seems fascinating - and the title itself is about her father's secret. Overall, not a bad book at all! I was just overwhelmed by all of the information to try and keep track of.

TW: murder, violence, serial killer, slightly explicit, mention of SA

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I have read both books and I thoroughly enjoyed both of them! It follows the homicide detective, Margot Phalen, daughter of one of the the worst serial killers in California (US), as she navigates her identity and tries to solve multiple homicides while avoiding her on death row father who is dangling more victims on a string in front of her to get them to talk.
As much as I loved the plot of these books, I found myself enjoying the actual homicide investigations more interesting than the fathers point of view and the interviews. I will say that I will be continuing to read the series and hope that I get to see Wes and Margot get together at some point!

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FYI: on a 5-point scale I assign stars based on my assessment of what the book needs in the way of improvements:
*5 Stars ~ Nothing at all. Chefs kiss. No notes.
*4 Stars ~ It could us some slight adjustments here and there but pretty solid overall.
*3 Stars ~ Adjustments need to be made and rewriting needs to be done. Good but could be a lot better. I read it once and don’t need to do it again.
*2 Stars ~ This book needs a lot of work. Whether it be rewriting the plot, characters, style or ending. Something or everything needs to be changed.
*1 Star ~ Dumpster fire.

Okay, to start with Oh My Gosh! This was an amazing book!!! I did not ready the first book, but I absolutely will now and cannot wait for the 3th. I found this to be really realistic in terms of the police work that took place through this story. Margot is pulled literally in so many different directions and the drama does NOT disappoint. I was blown away at her father, and the leverage he uses to get to speak with her throughout this story. The different timelines continue to keep you guessing. I HIGHLY recommend this series!! Thank you to Kate Wiley, NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read an advance review copy of this book

Her Father’s Secret by Kate Wiley. Detective Margot Phalen Series #2

Her Father’s Secret is a fast paced crime thriller, or police procedural.

It is told by a Homicide Detective named Margot Phalen. Her dad kept many secrets when she was little, like the fact that he was a serial killer. Now living in prison, he likes to show her just how many secrets he has, by revealing the location of another victim, but only if she plays his game and comes to see him. This reminds me of Silence of The Lambs in some ways.

The book is a fast paced crime drama from beginning to end. This book surprisingly had more action than the first, with A Sniper, murders, as well as Ed’s past all converging at once. This book just had twists everywhere, giving you a constant Oh Wow! Feeling. I enjoyed the story that the author weaved once again. Kate Wiley had me staying up so late as I just had to read a little more.

The characters are very developed. And I enjoyed Margot’s interaction with her fellow detectives the story had lots of questions and I’m sure the next book in the series will answer them. This one showed Margot from a different perspective, and the toll that talking to a man she hates, is having on her.

I have been a crime junkie for a long time, switching between stories, news articles, tv shows and pod casts. I tease my husband that if he ever went missing I would be a suspect based on my watching, reading and listening history.

This book was a fast read, quickly drawing me in and holding my attention. I love the different layers that we are starting to see from Margot. This book had action from beginning to end keeping you engaged and engrossed until the very end.

This is definitely for fans of James Patterson Women Murder Club series, as well as Freida McFadden fans. The twists are dark and the clues are all present as you read.

Thank you netgalley and Storm Publishing for this arc.

Book 2 following detective Margot Phalen and crew. I enjoyed the continuation of Margot's story and her interaction with her serial killer father. I felt the prostitute murder they had was wrapped up kind of quickly especially after the shooting that happened at the boyfriends apartment, but I suppose that is how some of these things go in real life!

I look forward to reading the next book, hopefully we'll get the muir woods case solved in that one.

I liked this story that included several cases, including a seemingly ongoing one dealing with a police officers serial killer father who offers clues as to where he’s hidden the bodies. Look forward to more.

I really enjoy this series, it is gritty and reminiscent of detective novels of a different era. In this one we continue following Dectice Margot as see dives deeper into her serial killer daddy's past and tries to put to bed one of California's most infamous cases.

I loved the journey this one took us on, can not wait to read more!

Margot has her own cases to solve and her father who is a convicted murderer contacts her again about a woman he had killed. Of course she wants nothing to do with her dad, but she needs to solve this young ladies case. It was a great new thriller, highly recommend this series!

I enjoyed the book, but I found that book didn’t bring that intensity that suspense or psychological- thrillers have. I at least thought that there would be some with Margo and Ed, but no. The story did have a fast pace to it in which I did like. There were three cases that Margo and Angel worked that had some bite to them. And Margo’s flashbacks to her farther Ed’s evil deeds were great. These were great adds to the book, but the book for me still felt like it had a flat line to it. What I mean is the book moved without emotion or feelings. It had action. I give the book that. Until next time my fellow readers. Read on! #Netgally #Goodreads #BookBub

Detective Margot Phalen has had a rough childhood but persevered and landed a successful career on the force. Her father, on the other hand, is locked away for the awful crimes he committed. As much as she puts the past behind her, he keeps trying to dig it back up. The story is well-written and gives you a sense of urgency and heart-pounding moments while you solve cases alongside Margot and her partner, Wes. I wished it touched more on the father's POV and history given the title, but I guess the book is not about him, it's about Margot and her present life. She deals with multiple cases at once, has a day-to-day life, and is trying to connect more with her brother. We'll see what happens in book 3 :)

Many thanks to the author and Netgalley for a copy to read for an honest review.

"Her Father's Secret" by Kate Wiley is the second book in the series, and while it digs deeper into character development, it does have its ups and downs. I appreciated the exploration of Megan/Margot, Wes, Ed, Kim, and others, though some of the supporting characters seemed to add little to the overall story.

One aspect that didn’t quite land for me was the sexual tension between Margot and Wes. It felt unrealistic and, at times, a bit corny—though this might be due to my own preferences as someone who's not particularly drawn to romance in thrillers. Margot’s attraction to Wes often had me rolling my eyes, as I felt it detracted from her professional development.

While Margot is portrayed as a competent and well-respected cop, I found it frustrating that her character's depth outside of work remains underexplored and could do a lot given that her own father is the villian here. Given her role in the police force and her involvement with the FBI, I feel there’s a missed opportunity to develop her into a truly powerful figure without leaning into a romantic subplot with her partner. This flirtation, in my opinion, risks reinforcing stereotypes that could undermine her professionalism. However, there’s still hope that Wiley will take a different direction in book three—perhaps Margot will reject her partner's advances and continue to shine as the strong, independent woman she is.

Despite this criticism, I thoroughly enjoyed the book, especially the unraveling of Margot's (Megan's) family dynamic and the deeper insights into Kim’s character. The pacing is spot-on, keeping the story engaging and making it hard to put down. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing where Wiley takes this series next—especially if she considers giving us more from Kim’s POV!

Overall, I give "Her Father's Secret" 4.5/5 stars. Thank you, NetGalley, for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.

#HerFathersSecret #NetGalley #BookReview #KateWiley #ThrillerBooks #MustRead #BookSeries

This is the second book in the Margot Phalen series. I feel like you need to get a better understanding of the characters by reading the first book. Im hoping we get to read number 3. Highly recommend.

Detective Margot Phalen has a secret that most of her colleagues don't know - she is the daughter of infamous serial killer Ed Finch.
She receives a summons to prison to visit him, because he wants to get something off his chest, and will only speak to her.
Reluctantly, she attends and after many manipulating moves on his part, he finally gives up the resting place of one of his many victims...

Dealing with her father's legacy, is just one of the traumas Margot is going through at the moment, as there is a sniper on the loose in the city, seemingly targetting people at random. The streets of San Francisco are empty as fear spreads amongst the residents and tourists alike.
Can Margot and her team find the person behind these terrible attacks?

Margo's mental state is called into question because of all the things going on in her life, at the same time, and she is put on desk duty, which she finds frustrating.

I loved this book, and whilst it is the first one I have read by this author, it won't be the last. As this is the second in a series, I am going to purchase the first book, and the one after it too.
An excellect read, and one that I fully recommend crime lovers to read.

Kate Wiley is back to engage her readers with another Margot Phelan book and this is my thoughts about it.

Last we had seen, Margot had helped the FBI in identifying and locating the remains of a young woman whom her father, the convicted, notorious serial killer Ed Finch, had killed and disposed off. Now after a a couple of months, Ed has asked for Margot again, saying that he wants to convey facts about another murder that was not linked to him originally. But Margot already has to face too many investigations at various fronts and a new urgent investigation crops up, with a sniper killing people at prominent places where crowds usually gather.

In the course of an ongoing investigation, Margot herself gets caught up in the crosswires of the sniper and this leads to an overload of the emotional troubles she already faces. Her new meetings with her father don't help her either. Will she be able to manage the many investigations amidst her growing mental troubles? Who is the sniper? Are the various investigations going to be resolved before things take a bad turn? Read the book to know more.

Kate Wiley is continuing to prove that she is a capable writer of police-procedurals. She sets herself apart from other authors in the way she lines up the story. Unlike other stories, the police in her story almost always face a barrage of cases, as it must be in real-life scenarios. The timeline of the events are also more realistic. However, she has also included an investigation that continues over the course of the series and that helps in holding the reader's interest over the whole series.

This book was as good as the previous book as well and I imagined it immensely. I love the way the many characters in Margot's team have been developed bit by bit. She has given more background for them in this book and so we get to know them more. Margot's interactions with Ed are chilling and intriguing; so much so that there were times I felt nervous for Margot.

However, for all these positives, I had a small problem with this book. The many investigations that the team have to handle, though realistic, felt overwhelming at times. Particularly, the fact that many of them are resolved by the end of the book alone felt unnatural. But still I really liked this book and couldn't wait to read more.

This is the second book in Kate Wiley’s series and it is one of the more realistic police book series I’ve read. The police officer working more than one case at a time and trying to juggle this is a great insight into a real police officers life.
I loved the switching timeline as it gave us more of an insight and a deeper look into the father.
I can’t wait for book 3

Her Father's Secret is book 2 of the Detective Margot Phalen series. The book explores four different cases that Margot is working on with her colleagues Wes Fox and Leon Telly. Other characters play minor roles in the story. Margot helps the FBI solve cold cases related to a serial killer that she knows. The book is interesting in spite of the psychological issues raised by Margot. There is some working drama, as expected.