Daughter by Kate McLaughlin
Published: March 8, 2022
Wednesday Books
Pages: 334
Genre: Thriller
KKECReads Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.
Kate McLaughlin likes people, so much so that she spends her days making up her own. She likes writing about characters who are bent, but not broken – people who find their internal strength through friends, strife, and sometimes humor. When she’s not writing, she likes studying people, both real and fictional. She also enjoys playing board games with friends, talking, and discovering new music. A proud Nova Scotian, she’ll gladly tell you all about the highest tides in the world, the magical creation known as a donair, and people who have sofas in their kitchens. Currently, she lives in Connecticut with her husband and four cats.
When the FBI show up at Scarlet’s door, she is shocked to learn her father is infamous serial killer Jeffrey Robert Lake. And now, he’s dying and will only give the names and locations of his remaining victims to the one person, the daughter he hasn’t seen since she was a baby.
Scarlet’s mother has tried to protect her from Lake’s horrifying legacy, but there’s no way they can escape the media firestorm that erupts when they come out of hiding. Or the people who blame Scarlet for her father’s choices. When trying to do the right thing puts her life in danger, Scarlet is faced with a choice—go back into hiding or make the world see her as more than a monster’s daughter.
“I’ll be there whenever he wants.”
Scarlet thought her life was pretty average, except that her mom was overprotective. As in background checks on boyfriends overprotective. Until the past comes crashing down and rips old wounds open.
I enjoyed this book. I found the plot and writing engaging and interesting. The characters were all well developed, and I loved many of the themes.
I applaud making a huge point in making things about the victims, giving the victims their voice, and not focusing on their murderer. That was beautiful, powerful, and is spot on.
Scarlet was well written. Her development throughout the novel was fantastic. She found her strength, her voice, and her purpose. Gina also had excellent development, and you almost feel the weight get removed from her shoulders.
I found the premise of this book original and entertaining. I loved that it was less about Jeff Lake and more about Scarlet, Gina, and the victims. That was beautifully presented. This was a hard book to put down; the pacing was decent, the emotions were authentic, and the experience felt genuine.
It was evident that a lot of research brought this story to life, and the attention to detail was superb. There were a lot of very Bundy moments, which were well executed.
A definite must-read for any true crime fan!