The third book in the Margot Phelan series and I have read and enjoyed them all. Fast paced, easy to read and gruesome. Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

Be prepared to read into the wee hours of the morning if you start this one at night because you will keep promising yourself "just one more chapter". I am officially hooked on this series.

Margot Phalen is a detective with the San Francisco Police Department. She is very good at her job. Unfortunately for her she happens to be the daughter of an infamous serial killer, Ed Finch. This guy is evil incarnate. He gets great joy out of playing games with law enforcement, and he has no problem mentally torturing his daughter with his sick games. She has to visit him so he can give her information on the location of another lost soul so that a cold case can be settled.

It appears someone may be copying Ed's crimes, and Margot knows only too well how some people are obsessed with her father.

The supporting cast with Margot are an interesting bunch and are very engaging to me as the reader. This is a captivating mystery/thriller/police procedural full of palpable suspense and tension. So much so that I felt like I could feel it myself. That is how much I fell into this book - hook, line and sinker. It is chilling, thrilling, dark and dangerous, but it so well written that I could not put it down. Kudos to the author for another five star thriller in the Detective Margot Phalen series.

Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Killer Instinct by Kate Wiley is the third in the Detective Margot Phalen  series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Storm Publishing for sending me a widget, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
  

Series Background: (Warning – Contains spoilers from previous books)
Detective Margot Phalen is a homicide detective with the San Francisco Police Department.  She was born Megan Finch, but her father is the notorious serial killer Ed Finch, and she wants no part of his name. Only three people on the force know her identity -- her Captain (Gordon Tate), her partner (Wes Fox), and another detective, Leon Telly.   Margot's anxiety sometimes rears its ugly head.  Over twenty years have passed, but Margot is still trying to forget the fact that her father is a serial killer.   Margot also has a brother (now called David), who has not faired well either.  Recently, her father was transferred from New York to San Quentin, and will provide Margot with information on more of his victims -- if she visits him.  She is working with FBI Special Agent Andrew Rhodes to deal with Ed.

 
My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Margot and Wes are called to investigate the death of an elderly Chinese woman, who had been stabbed 22 times....the same number of times as Ed Finch's first victim.  More evidence emerges that this may be a copycat killer.

Meanwhile, a third body is found in Muir Woods, and Margot and Leon are no closer to finding the perpetrator.  If only they could connect the three women.

Margot is continuing to visit Ed in prison, in hopes of finding more victims so that their families can find peace.  However Margot is getting tired of trying to placate her father.  Then she finds out that Ed has been hiding something else from her.


My Opinions:
This was a great addition to this series.  Everything flows very well.  The book is told from Margot's perspective, interspersed with chapters from Ed's perspective as a child.  We learned a lot about Ed's up-bringing, and how early his psychopathic tendencies started.

I continue to love Margot.  Although a strong, independent woman, she is starting to show a softer side, mainly because of Wes.  I love their relationship, which is becoming deeper with each book.  No, I'm not a romance reader, but I could see them together.

Margot's anxiety and panic attacks make her human, and I think the author is right in giving her these characteristics, because she would not come through her childhood unscathed.

I am definitely looking forward to the next book....but I hope it doesn't come out too soon....3 in a year is more than enough.  This author should realize I have other books to read!

An enjoyable read set in and around San Francisco including the famous Muir Woods, currently a little less spiritual and tranquil than you'd expect.

A variation on the tortured detective to the norm with Margot being the daughter of a prolific serial killer.

The storyline kept me interested throughout although the ending felt a little rushed. I look forward to the next installment.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC.

Firstly thank-you to @netgalley for this ARC! I have been so lucky to receive all of this series as an ARC throughout the publishing of it! As you are all aware, I struggled with the first book but soon moved onto the second and I am so glad I did as I have really become invested in this series! 🥰 we continue to follow Detective Margot Phalen as she tries to uncover more murders by her already locked up Dad as well as trying to solve a murder that very much looks like one of her Dad's first victims murders 😳this was so quick paced and obviously you are following the character development along the way too! I would definitely recommend this book! 🥰

This book is total my vibe with the crime fiction and serial killers. This book had me from the beginning. It didn’t even matter I never read the first two; this book is perfect as a stand-alone. The way the characters developed; so much detail and a really big fan of the writing style. The twist at the ending literally gave me chills! I never saw it coming

As with the other 2 I loved it. And on a cliffhanger… killing me here. I love Margot’s character and I’d love to see how her and Wes relationship turns out.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me the arc of the 3rd in this series.

Book 3 of the Detective Margot Phalen series finds Margot and her partner Wes investigating the murder of an elderly woman in Chinatown. The case yields a chilling clue that ties back to Margot’s serial killer father’s crimes, forcing her to confront a disturbing possibility: could her father be orchestrating these murders from his prison cell, or is someone out there continuing his bloody legacy?

As progress is made in the investigation into the Muir Woods murders, Margot finds herself struggling with her emotionally fraught prison visits to her estranged father. Simultaneously, she grapples with her feelings for her partner Wes.

Margot remains a complex and well-written character, deftly navigating the dark and twisting paths of her professional and personal life. The storyline is compelling, and I cannot wait to see where her journey leads next.

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and author Kate Wiley for the opportunity to review the advance copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is book #3 in this series and yes I would definitely suggest reading all three books! This book focus's more on Ed and his past. I really like this book and series all books are quick reads. If your looking for a well written mystery then I would recommend this series!

I realize now that this is #3 of a series. While you could definitely read it as a standalone like most crime novels, having more background on the characters would have made it less of a slow start for me. I was also mad the book ended as it did, thinking it was just over like that.. but there’s more books coming! Her relationship with her dad will continue! If I read the first 2 or realized it was a series going into it, I would have processed it differently and rated higher. I will read the others!

Thanks to Storm publishing and netgalley for this arc.
I love this series. ....
Margot Phelan is a detective, her father Ed Finch is a serial killer and is serving life behind bars, but to keep his daughter close by, he bargains with the police saying he will tell them where more bodies are, but he will only tell Margot.. When bodies are appearing,, they bare the resemblance to Eds original crimes... how is this happening? Who ? How?
This is a great crime thriller, I'm really into this series. Hope there's more to come, I highly recommend.

Detective Margot Phelan is on her third case to solve the murders the Bay Area of San Francisco, California. Fairly gory as usual and there are many similarities to murders committed by Margot's father, now safely ensconced in prison. She and sidekick Wes are not sure whether it's a copycat murderer or whether her father is pulling the strings from inside. As usual there are two timeframes - she growing up and then she and her father today. I'm afraid that this is essentially a repeat of the second book in the series (I never read the first) with different murders to introduce new aspects. It's not badly written and there is plenty of angst with her struggles about her past. Looking at the other reviews, I'm clearly in the minority. So be it. In addition, cliff hangers do not draw me in. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

3.5

I am having a difficult time reviewing this book because it feels the exact same as Her Father's Secret (book #2 in the series). It revolves around Margot assisting the FBI with her serial killer father's case and the crimes that she is assigned to investigate with her partner Wes. Along with those 2 main storylines, this book continues the Muir Woods bodies case from the book before.

It doesn't seem like we got a lot of new information in the 2 continued storylines (Muir + Ed)--there were new bodies identified, more backstory with Ed, and not a ton else. It makes me wonder where these plot points are going to go. Ed's story doesn't seem like it will have an ending as he likely murdered dozens of women, so at the rate of identifying 1-2 per book this will take many more books to conclude. I thought the Muir Woods case could be concluded in this book, as Margot discovered more information through one of the bodies, but alas, no ending for it either.

I thought the case that was solved in this book was fairly interesting, Margot and Wes are certainly proficient detectives and were able to identify the killer quickly. The end revelation for this case was unusual and I thought that it was a unique ending for an otherwise straightforward case.

Overall, this felt so similar to book 2. If you loved Her Father's Secret and the rest of the Margot Phalen series, you would enjoy this book. If that isn't your cup of tea, I wouldn't recommend continuing the series with this one. It follows a similar format as the other book and 2/3 of the storylines are the exact same.

Thank you to NetGalley + Storm Publishing for this ARC

Detective Margot Phalen, daughter of notorious serial killer Ed Finch is back!

Margot and team have numerous bodies appear in the woods nearby, and oddly, the mo seems similar to her father's. But how can that be when he is locked up for life in San Quentin? I particularly love this series as it takes us through areas local to me from years past. Thoroughly enjoyable, and as always, I was unable to put this book down!


Thanks to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Kate Wiley for the eARC.

This book has it all crie fiction with serial killers. Well written chacters and a story that draws you in from the start. I will defanitly be going back to read the first two books of the series. I didn't relize it was a series but the story held its own as a stand alone too.

Thank you netgalley and Storm Publishing for this arc.

We are back with Detective Pahlen for the 3rd installment. This time the murder hits a little too close to home with immediate connections to her serial killer father, Ed.

It was interesting to get a childhood POV from Ed in this book, but also slightly terrifying given what he did at such a young age.

Margot and Wes as usual get the bad guy and are even closer to cracking the Muir woods cases.

I have to admit I didn't see that twist coming. The ending leaves me wanting more. I can't wait to see what is in store for Margot now with that twist at the end!

A well written and engaging, psychological thriller. When murders occur, are they linked to a jailed killer, Ed Finch or is there another serial killer on the loose? Margot heads the case, while her father Ed, manipulates her and others from his prison cell. A great ending with unexpected revelations. I received an ARC copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I just love this series so was especially excited to read The Killer Instinct where we meet again detective Margot and her imprisoned serial killer father, Ed. The characters just get more layered and we become more invested in Margot, who is realistically portrayed, neurosis and all. In this book Margot is investigating a brutal murder of an elderly Chinese lady in Chinatown but at the same time helping the special task force within the FBI to uncover more of Ed’s victims. This is another cracking read from Kate Wiley and I can’t wait to read what she writes next.

This is the 3rd awesome book in the Detective Margot Phelan series. With the past/present timeline, we learn more about Ed and his childhood in this story. The chemistry between Margot and Wes heats up. The past few chapters were explosive!
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. OMG! This book is a fast paced, action packed thriller which doesn't let up. The 3rd book in the series about DI Margot Phalen, that has a cliffhanger ending. I can't wait to read more.
Kate Wiley has a very good writing style. Her characters are developed and feel real, sometimes threatening. The scenes and depth of research she must do into police practices, crime scenes, post mortem, and the psychological make up of those who commit crime, feels second to none.