*This book was sent to me for review. All opinions are my own.

I’m not the biggest fan of the thriller genre but when L. A. Detwiler reached out to me about reviewing her book, The Serial Killer’s Daughter, I was intrigued. The synopsis sounded interesting so I decided to give it a chance. Did a thriller finally impress me? Keep reading to find out! This review will be spoiler free.

Synopsis:

If you knew your father’s darkest secret, would you turn him in?
What if his secret was connected to you?

Ruby Marlowe’s always been a daddy’s girl. Her mother died when she was two, and her single father has ensured she has everything she needs. However, everyone has dark secrets, and Ruby’s father is no exception…

When she’s young, she doesn’t understand the weight of her father’s killing game. However, as she ages, she realizes her obsessive tendencies aren’t the only elements that separate her from her peers. After she begins to investigate her mother’s life and death, Ruby starts to believe there are some secrets even she doesn’t know about the serial killer she calls Daddy.

As her father’s killing grows rampant, the secrets get harder and harder to hide—and she fears it will all come crashing down.

Will Ruby seek a different life for herself and betray the only person who has ever loved her, or will she get wrapped up in his sinister path?

My Thoughts:

As I said above, I’m not the biggest fan of thrillers. I understand why people enjoy them, sometimes I do too, but I typically don’t seek them out. Fortunately, The Diary of a Serial Killer’s Daughter was one I enjoyed. However, I would be lying if I said this was my favorite book.

I’m a pretty anxious person and I tend to avoid things that will make me more anxious… books included. A well written and suspenseful thriller is guaranteed to put you on edge and this book accomplished just that.

This is an epistolary novel; written in a diary entry format. The diary belongs to Ruby Marlowe and is FILLED with secrets about her serial killer father and her own misguided, but dark, desires. The diary follows Ruby’s life from ages seven to sixteen. It’s never clarified but Ruby has some kind of mental disorder, possibly autism or OCD. She processes the world around her and the horrific things she witnesses in a totally different way than most people would. I loved reading this book from Ruby’s point of view because she never reacted to things in a “logical” way. This kept me interested and wondering what would happen next.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It isn’t really scary but it is very suspenseful and has a few slightly gory moments. My only criticisms are that some of the diary entries were a little repetitive and Ruby’s “voice” didn’t change much as she aged. The ending also wasn’t quite what I wanted but as a whole, it was an entertaining read.

Final Thoughts:

I definitely recommend this book to any thriller fans or anyone in the mood for some suspense. Do you like thrillers? If so, which one is your favorite? Thanks for reading and have a great day!