Wow, what a read. I've always enjoyed Megan Miranda'd books and would say this is my favourite so far.
A fantastic story about family, lies, guilt all driven through a mystery that comes to light when the patriarch of the family dies.
Some great red herrings in the story that kept me guessing right to the end!

#DaughterOfMine #NetGalley
Awesome.
When Hazel Sharp, daughter of Mirror Lake's longtime local detective, unexpectedly inherits her childhood home, she's warily drawn back to the town - and people - she left behind almost a decade earlier.
But Hazel's not the only relic of the past to return: a drought has descended on the region, and as the water level in the lake drops, long-hidden secrets begin to emerge, including evidence that may help finally explain the mystery of her mother's disappearance .
Loved it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for giving me an advance copy.

I want to say 4.5 rather than a 4 - I’m so pleasantly surprised by this book. I don’t automatically go for anything American. I often struggle with Americanisms and find US thrillers unrelatable. I hadn’t heard of the author either which surprised me. But it was such a good read! I found it completely immersive. The language and description was bordering on literary at times and I adored how each chapter began with the level of rainfall and how long it had been dry for - this really added to the atmosphere and the change in weather charged the environment for the explosive conclusion. The characters were beautifully drawn and I could picture every scene in my minds eye. I really did find it hard to put down. Will absolutely be looking out for this author to read more and more.

Hazel Sharp left behind a complicated family history in the small town of Mirror Lake to relocate in a city where none of that would follow her. The problem is, the ghosts of Hazel's history are about to, quite literally, surface from the wreckage of her past.

Abandoned by her drifter con artist of a mother, who moved on abruptly from her marriage to the town's well-known detective Perry Holt, Hazel was left with only a note addressing her as "daughter of mine" which begged for her forgiveness.

Bewildered and angry, Hazel remained in their blended family with her stepfather and two step brothers, whom she considers her father and brothers, even though she has a fraught relationship with one of the brothers, Caden. Now, there's tension with her other brother, Gage, because their father has died, leaving his house only to Hazel. But why?

Meanwhile, as a drought drags on, water levels drop to reveal all kinds of hidden secrets. Including the car belonging to Hazel's mother, which she was assumed to have left in...

This is a small town mystery which is a decidedly slow burn. But the character development is very strong, and Miranda draws you in as you try to figure out what exactly is going on here. And as plot elements begin to emerge, the dexterity of the writing becomes increasingly apparent. This is a very good thriller.

This was an amazing book! I have read a lot of books by this author and I have enjoyed them all but this one is probably my favourite.

A small town with lots of secrets is a trope I absolutely love - the tense, suffocating atmosphere of Mirror Lake was done perfectly. Each character was well written and I was suspicious of them all. I liked following Hazel as the main character and I thought she was interesting. The exploration of family relationships was really good.

The plot overall moved quite slowly and there were a lot of layers to it but I actually really enjoyed the slow burn, suspenseful style. It definitely had intense, creepy moments and I found it pretty hard to put down at times. The mysteries all came together really well and I was a little surprised at the final reveal!

I didn’t really love the Jamie plotline and I would have liked the ending to have been less rushed - there were so many chapters spent on the rest of the story but only a few on the actual reveals, twists and ending.

Overall though I really loved it and I can’t wait to see what this author publishes next!