Daughter of Mine by Megan Miranda is a deliciously dark story about a fractured family in which everyone is suspicious of one another and each scene is full of tension. When the narrator inherits her childhood home, she’s pulled back into the small town she escaped and immediately feels a simmering threat. What happened here over a decade ago? What just happened to her best friend? What is still happening?

I particularly liked the narrator’s voice and her way of seeing the world, how she pays attention to others around her and takes in all the details. Although this isn’t a speculative story, a mysterious undertone pervades the novel, giving it an extra layer of suspense. I recommend it to lovers of family dramas and dark fiction.

Hazel Sharpe comes back home after the death of her father, and as a surprise to everyone he has left her the house in his will. What follows is a very intricate story about love, friendship, family and just how far you would go to keep secrets buried.

That was an absolutely captivating story!! It did take me awhile to get into it, unsure of what exactly was going on. And then all of a sudden it was just rolling from one suspension to the next! It really hooked me in and I couldn’t wait to see how everything unfolded. And it did not disappoint I had no clue about who was behind it all and was left completely shocked!
Thanks so much to netgalley and Quercus Books for the ARC!!!

3.5

I love anything and everything Megan Miranda. While her work is sometimes predictable, it's comforting for me. I've been reading her stuff for so long and I love when she releases something new!

A family mystery that unfolds in slowly released deft stokes of information behind a long hidden disappearance and apparent evidence of criminal activity. A daughter returns for a father’s funeral to discover sibling animosity, secrets and lies. The ultimate betrayal resulted in withdrawal from the family home and everything she had believed in.. Festering hurt is replaced by Anger and desperate for the truth she returns home intent on leaving no stone unturned to solve a longstanding series of family events, fraud and tragedy. A catalyst of suspicious actions , an awareness she is under surveillance and verging on hysteria she realises that a dangerous force has been released that leaves the entire family at risk with no one safe from the trauma of the past. A well written storyline, finely defined and believable characters , a steady stream of unfolding facts and panic all building up to a conclusion that satisfies on every level. Many thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for this hugely entertaining and rewarding ARC.

Another twisty thriller from Megan Miranda. This was a dark and unsettling tale of a family's dark history. A slow burner but it's well worth it. Recommended xx

I love Megan Miranda books and I’m so happy I got an early copy of this book!

This slow burn thriller got me hooked from the start. The tension that rises between Hazel and her brothers had me holding my breath for what’s going to happen next. The descriptive writing makes it easy for you to imagine the setting vividly and the tension creeps up on you without even realizing it, the secrets get revealed one by one which makes it hard to put the book down and I love Hazel’s determination to find out what truly happened and didn’t let anyone stop her.

Family troubles, siblings rivalry, a small town full of lies and hidden truths… Megan Miranda did it again! I highly recommend reading this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Marysue Rucci Books for a digital ARC copy.

#DaughterOfMine #NetGalley

This is the second book from this author that I’ve read and unfortunately I just don’t think her writing style is for me. I find them to be very slow paced with little pay off. The ending was pretty predictable and I’ll be honest forgettable for this kind of genre. Sorry it’s a 2 star from me.

Thanks to netgalley for providing an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Megan Miranda has a unique story telling style that I very much enjoy. However, 'Daughter of Mine' fell a bit short of expectation for me.

The premise & overall storyline was great & made for an atmospheric & enjoyable read; with plenty of twists to keep you hooked, plus decent character development & an interesting insight into family dynamics throughout.

However, it was too much of a slow burn; especially at the beginning. The first 100-150 pages really dragged & I struggled to feel enticed enough to continue. I did persevere & liked it in the end, but the start just dampened the overall enjoyment of the book.

Whilst I didn't love this book, I did still like it & appreciate that where I found it a bit of a slog, others would find it interesting (it's all about personal taste!). I also look forward to reading more from Megan Miranda in future!

Thank you to Netgalley, Megan Miranda & Quercus Books for allowing me to review the ARC of 'Daughter of Mine'; all views are honest & my own.

wow!! was not disappointed by this book at all. such an easy read and definitely kept me on my toes. usually thrillers and mystery’s you can easily work out everyone’s secrets before the end but with this i really didn’t expect the twist that pulled the whole story together.

This is a very good thriller with family dynamics right at the heart of it. The pace is slow and steady but filled with tension and atmosphere. I like the setting of drought filled North Carolina, which is beautifully described. As Hazel returns for her father's funeral, the atmosphere at home builds up to a crescendo with past events catching up to a surprise finale. An enjoyable read. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

I loved this book so much! I was hooked from the start and couldn't put it down until the end.
After the death of her stepfather, Hazel returns to the small town of Mirror Lake, discovering not only that she inherited her childhood home and everything inside, which leads to tension with her stepbrothers, but also that two old cars have been submerged in the lake - do they have something to do with the disappearance of her mother many years ago? What did her stepfather want to tell her by leaving her the house? And did her former best friend really leave town voluntarily shortly after Hazel came back, or is there more to her disappearance?
There are some elements that I already loved in All The Missing Girls and The Last Houseguest: a former love interest who is probably hiding something, a parent who knows more than they let on, the local police making less of an effort than they probably should.
A small town where you think everybody knows each other - but everybody has secrets. And as the book progresses, more and more of them come to light.
You can't trust anybody - my favorite type of thriller.
Megan Miranda writes fantastic, gripping thrillers and this one is my new favorite. I highly recommend it.
I am so grateful to NetGalley and Quercus that I got the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review.

This was a really impressive novel from a brilliant author. The best word to describe this would be atmospheric and the author does a great job of describing the sense of place and weather

Hazel Sharp unexpectedly inherits her childhood home in Mirror Lake and is drawn back to the town. As the water levels of the lake drop, mysteries of the past are uncovered. Old friendships are rekindled but not everyone is happy to see her and as she begins to dig into her mother's disappearance, years ago, secrets emerge.
Once Hazel returns, everyone knows that the local detective, Perry Holt, left her the house, the only question is why.

This was another fascinating and twisted tale. I love a small town setting and strong female character and this one had both. The author kept the tension high and as always, I thoroughly enjoyed the way she weaved the various threads running through this. There's so much more I could say about what I enjoyed in this one but not without spoilers! 4.5*

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Quercus books for this gifted review copy.

4 stars - a thrilling read that was a bit slow but once it got going was brilliant. It is atmospheric, with characters that we well written and are, in the main, enjoyable to read about. I loved the plotline, and found it to be really engaging, There were however a few points where not all of the questions raised were answered but this did not detract from my enjoyment. I did solve this one, but the journney to th solution was worth it.

4 stars - a slow burn mystery with lots of twists and turns set in a tight knit community.

Hazel returns to her childhood home after her step father passes away and leaves his house to her other than his two biological sons. At the same time her sister in law disappears and there is a drought causing the lake to drain revealing some hidden secrets including Hazels missing mother’s car.

I really enjoyed this book and the foreboding tension kept me intrigued and up well past my bedtime. I felt a connection to Hazel straight away and felt bad for her as she deals with her two step brothers not so subtle attitudes regarding the house.

The different mystery’s all came together to a satisfying conclusion and I didn’t suspect the real culprit until revealed.

One thing I felt a little under-developed was Hazel and Nicos relationship - even though they knew each other growing up it felt like they got pushed together for the sake of it with no real relationship building.

I’ve read nearly all of the authors past works and this is up with one of my favourites.

4.5

Daughters are different ….

It’s 62 days and counting since it’s rained in the Carolinas. The drought begins on the West Coast and gradually affects the east too. As the water levels drop in the west, it reveals submerged bodies, not so in Mirror Lake where it reveals a car. Whilst a crane raises it to the surface, the funeral of detective Perry Holt is taking place. Although Perry has been important in the day-to-day events of Mirror Lake, even those attending the proceedings are distracted by what’s happening at the lake. Two apparently unrelated events, but taken together seem to warn that changes are coming. As Hazel Holt leaves her father‘s funeral to return home to Charlotte, she receives an astonishing call, informing her that Perry has bequeathed her his Lakeside home and not shared with her brothers. The house is hers. This is just the start as Hazel realises she’s been wary for years, waiting for something to happen and she’s certainly right. Hazel narrates the tale.

One of the Queens of intense atmosphere strikes again in this well told suspenseful read. The atmosphere in Mirror Lake has chills in the warm air immediately. You know from the get go that things are going to go bad as the visual writing leaves you in no doubt, as tension swirls in the air. Everything feels off kilter, it’s eerie, there are ghostly hints to the storytelling that has a haunting tone to it which sends shivers down the spine. As if the atmosphere isn’t intense enough, it’s heightened by the awkward, if not openly hostile, family dynamics, specifically between Hazel and brothers Gage and Caden. As the novel progresses, the understanding grows of why there’s hostility and these undercurrents deepen.

The town and Mirror Lake itself further adds to the atmosphere. This is a town where multi generations live or have lived, it’s steeped in tradition and it feels claustrophobic, especially for Hazel. This heightens the oppressive spiralling down of the situation that she is facing and she needs all her wits and attention. She has difficult memories to navigate, but also the multitude of secrets and lies with further shocks to come. She feels justifiable paranoia, will the truth break free of its tether of lies? Who she should trust is the million dollar question. The situation builds and builds and at times the suspense is the scarcely able to breathe kind with fear that is palpable. The ending is a good one and a genuine surprise.

Overall, Megan Miranda has knocked it out of the park once again, as this is another cracker of a read. It grips me from beginning to end, and it’s one that I can recommend to fans of the genre.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Quercus Books for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

I’m a bit late to the party as this was my first book by Megan Miranda but most certainly won’t be the last it had me gripped.
What I loved about the read was how it slowly crept up on me and the more I read the deeper I became in the story feeling the heat and waiting desperately for the rain. The story is full of atmosphere and the sense of menace gradually creeps into the story as the main character of Hazel Sharp, daughter of the town’s deceased police detective tries to get to the bottom of the disappearance of her mother. Oh my there are secrets upon secrets in this story, shady characters that seem to want Hazel out of the way and as the story progresses the darkness becomes claustrophobic and Hazel feels threatened by everyone and doesn’t know who to trust.
The book was much more than a mystery thriller and very different to what I was expecting and I loved that. It’s a read that I thoroughly enjoyed and can highly recommend it.
My thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the sixth book I have read by Megan Miranda, and probably my favorite. This one stands out as it has everything I enjoy: atmospheric, family dynamics, slow building tension, secrets and disappearances.
I loved the "days without rain" count at the beginning of each chapter adding to the tension.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for an advanced copy in exchange for my review.

I have loved the other books I have read by Megan Miranda and this one was no different with the perfect build up of suspense and tension throughout.

My first five star read of the year and I'm devastated that this novel has come to an end. Few authors can build tension and atmosphere like Megan Miranda and her female characters are always strong but flawed.
Hazel Sharp returns home after the death of her father only to find a mystery left behind and the answers to questions left untold. A creepy but gripping story