More of creepy serial killer Ed out to torment his daughter. Great story that kept me trying to figure out who was Ed’s copycat. Eager for the next in the series.

.In the third installment of the series, Detective Margot Phalen returns to confront a case that is too close to home for her comfort. In the deep forests of Muir Woods, California, bodies keep piling up and time seems to be running out. Follwing the murder of a woman is murdered in Chinatown, Margot is realizes that the crimes bear uncanny similarities to those of her father, Ed Finch, an infamous serial killer now behind bars.

As she delves deeper into the investigation, we go along with her and watch as Margot grapples with her darkest fears: could her father still be pulling strings from his prison cell, or is there a copycat who knows more about the killings she does?

Following Margot from book 1 we see her internal struggle and fear of the darkness lurking inside her become too much to handle as she struggle to keep all the secrets from bursting out. Throughout the book Margot is very much on the edge and we, the readers are also forced to take a look behind us in search of hidden dangers.

The mystry is compelling and the connections between Margot and Ed is riveting as the all the threads start to become untangled.

Pros:

Complex Protagonist: Margot Phalen is a well-developed character with a unique backstory, making her a compelling lead in this dark tale. Her past is constantly haunting her throughout this book, never too far away from the light of day. Her introverted nature as a direct result of her time with her father and his subsequent arrest is well developed in this book.

Suspenseful Plot: The mystery is engaging, with plenty of twists which is one of the strongest point in this novel. A mystry novel is often judged by how well the crime was planned out and how the protagonist follows the leads. In this regard, Kate Wiley did a truely fantastic job.

Psychological Depth: The novel explores themes of inherited evil and the psychological impact of living in the shadow of a serial killer. The nature vs nurture is a central theme explored in this book.

Cons:

Graphic Content: The novel’s descriptions of violence and the killer’s depravity may be too intense for some readers. Readers who are easily disturbed should stay away from it. This might as well be an attractive point for some but for most the content is very disturbing.

Repetitive Themes: By the third book, the recurring theme of Margot’s struggle with her father’s legacy may feel a bit repetitive. While her upbringining with a serial killer father is a unique selling point for the book especially at the begining, but the third book the repetitative mention of the fact may be boring.

Conclusion

The Killer Instinct is a compelling addition to the seires, offering a thrilling mystery and a deep dive into the psychological struggles of its protagonist, Margot. While the graphic content may not be for everyone, fans of dark and chilling serial killer novels will likely find this book hard to put down.

Thank you so much to Storm Publishing, Netgalley and Kate Wiley for the arc of this fantastic book.
Blurb
Detective Margot Phalen knows the mind of a serial killer better than most. She learned from the her father, Ed Finch.
When bodies keep appearing in the tranquil Muir Woods, California, and a woman is killed in Chinatown, Margot begins to realize these are no ordinary homicides. The eerie similarities to her infamous father's crimes send chills down her spine. But Ed’s been behind bars for years now – surely he couldn’t mastermind this from his cell, could he?

This book was gripping, so much so I read it in one sitting, a total binge read. It had me on the edge of my seat wondering how Ed could be conducting these heinous crimes from behind bars. Did he have a protegee on the outside? Was it someone that Margot actually know?
All the characters are interesting and it was fascinating to get behind Ed's mind with the way that Wiley takes you back to Ed's childhood and how his serial killer fascination all started.
This read was chilling at times and had shivers running up and down my spine as I kept waiting for something to happen to Margot.
The best bit is that her story continues in the next one and I loved the cliffhanger at the end of this book. Brilliant.
There is also a mild hint of a romance between Margot and her inspector partner, Wes. It doesn't hurt that he is rather handsome. Just saying
Kerry Kennedy Author

Twisty, Turny and VERY chilling!
I've read the other Margot Phalen books in series and they all gave me "Silence of the Lambs" vibes, but this one sealed that.
Margot's father is a serial killer, and she is back "working" with him, but in this one we get a TON of backstory and it's brilliant!
While I recommend reading the first two, this could be good as a standalone for his storyline alone.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read and review!
#TheKillerInstinct

Detective Margot Phalen knows the mind of a serial killer better than most. She learned from the worst: her father, Ed Finch! When bodies keep appearing in the tranquil Muir Woods, California, and a woman is killed in Chinatown, Margot begins to realize these are no ordinary homicides. The eerie similarities to her infamous father's crimes send chills down her spine. But Ed’s been behind bars for years now surely he couldn’t mastermind this from his cell, could he?! Great book and series! They can be read as standalone but the series has been awesome! This book has great suspense, intriguing, action packed, murder, mystery, serial killers, a fantastic who done it and some crazy twists and turns! The story was very interesting and kept me glued to my kindle! I highly recommend reading this one! Thank you NetGalley, the author and the publishers for sharing this book with me! Definitely don’t miss out on this book!

Whew! What a chilling ending. There are lots of twists and turns. The beginning of the book Margot seemed not as tightly wound. There’s a lot happening in this book. Her serial killer father casts a king shadow over Margot. This series has multiple layers to it. It’s very interesting and keeps me turning the pages. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

4* Another good read in this series, which works fine as a standalone, I think - I've read books 2 and 3, and there's enough history alluded to that a new reader wouldn't be lost.

So, the 3rd book in this series continues in the same vein as its predecessor, with Detective Margot Phalen at the beck and call of her serial killer father and the FBI, as the latter try and locate/record/cold case his killings. In between, she uses her instincts - as the bothered-by-her-conscience daughter of a serial killer, and as a kick butt cop - to track down the killer of a 70-something Chinese grandmother who's been brutally murdered in a home invasion. Beware, it's gruesome and graphic and sad, and the killer is shockingly depraved. I can't say more or I'd spoil this part of a very decent tale.

Secrets are revealed to both Margot and her father, and we learn about his sociopathy from an early age and the start of his killing spree. If only teachers had been more attuned to kids' psyche and mental health in those days...! She seems more human than in the previous tale but I'm surprised once again that we don't see her in therapy though we see her looking at herself through comments her therapist has made. I think her work partner (maybe more in book 4?) is in part a defacto counsellor, too, knowing when she needs to be supported and when she needs to leave work behind. It's nice seeing her have a tiny bit of a private life, even if she's always alert to danger and protecting herself. I think I'm a tad surprised, too, that she doesn't have a work-mandated therapist because of the ongoing trauma of the prison visits.

Book 4 will no doubt continue similarly. I'm not sure how much more mileage there'll be in her encounters with her father and his word games. The guy's old and at the rate things are progressing, it'll be years before his 74 - so far - victims are known about, found and/or laid to rest. Hopefully there'll be a change of plans to allow her the upper hand once again, as as the book ends, her father's the one who's gotten what he'd been angling for. In any case, I'm up for it.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley aand Storm Publishing for my reading pleasure.

Detective Margot Phalen is the daughter of a brutal serial killer.
Bodies are discovered in nearby woods, and a woman is killed in Chinatown, and there are similarities to the murders her father carried out.
Is there a copy cat?

A fantastic third book in this series! The book is suspenseful and the subject dark. Imagine serial killers having fans!
Margot is a cautious and introverted character because of her father, but her partner Wes seems to bring out a different side to her.
This definitely is well worth a read for those that like gory and chilling serial killer novels.
I could hardly put this down, it kept me rapt to the last page.

Oh is that what time it is? I devoured this book straight through dinner, didn’t put down once! (Yay for ebooks)

It is without fail that I get sucked into these books every time! This is the third book in the Detective Margot Phalen series & each book just gets more and more addictive.
I think in my review of book 1 that I said this reads like a Criminal Minds episode and that continues to be true!

The chapters of the past with Ed give us so much more to the story I find myself obsessing over them! There’s still so much we have to uncover but I’m loving making notes to see if what I think comes true!

Wes is one of my favorite characters, as Margot’s partner and one of her close friends we get a lot of him and I live for their banter and back and forth!

There is so much to unpack in the book and everything that it’s so hard to talk about without spoiling.
It’s insane the connections that unravel between Margot’s cases and Ed

Simply put you’ll become obsessed with not only the sneak peeks into Ed’s past, but also Margot, and the cases and connections you uncover!
I have yet to find another true crime thriller/series that I obsessive over like this one, because that’s what it boils down to. An obsession.

And the ending doesn’t help with my obsession if anything it has me saying “holy shit” over and over again.

TLDR:
If you love true crime thrillers and you haven’t started this series yet then what are you waiting for?
This will have you obsessed trying to find all the connections and quite frankly wanting to get into the mind of Ed. I cannot wait to uncover what’s next.

I’m SO FOREVER grateful to Storm Publishing, Kate Wiley herself, and NetGalley for this ARC copy!

Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of The Killer Instinct by Kate Wiley due to be published October 28, 2024.
I had previously read the first two books in this series and loved them, so I was thrilled to read this one.
More murders in California – Muir Woods and Chinatown. Surely her father, the infamous serial killer, Ed, can’t be the mastermind behind these. Patterns seem to say otherwise, but Ed is incarcerated, so who could be committing these similar murders?
The Killer Instinct was just as good as the first two. Margot’s continuing relationship with “Ed” continues as does her wannabe relationship with her partner, Wes. This time, though, she must make more visits to Ed to figure out who killed a wonderful older woman in Chinatown. This book also alternates between Ed’s adult life and his as a child to reveal more insight into his gruesome history.
I can’t wait for the next book in the series!
#NetGalley #KateWiley #StormPublishing #TheKillerInstinct