The cases for Margot and Wes keep coming and with horrific consequences. While concentrating on bringing closure for the victims, Margot struggles with family ties and finds herself leaning on Wes more than she wants to. An excellent read from start to finish.

Having read all of these books as ARC's, I was very excited to be reading this one and this did not disappoint! This was a fast paced book with several plot lines throughout! It kept on from the previous books and had me hooked! This would have been finished in no time had I not fallen ill around the date of release! This is a definite recommend!

Kate Wiley delivers a haunting and deeply layered psychological thriller in In the Blood—a gripping exploration of identity, inheritance, and the secrets that refuse to stay buried. With unflinching prose and razor-edged tension, Wiley draws readers into a story where the past is never quite over and the truth cuts deeper than anyone is prepared for.

At the heart of the novel is a protagonist whose search for answers collides with the shadows of family legacy and personal trauma. As the story unfolds, Wiley masterfully weaves suspense with emotional depth, crafting characters whose vulnerabilities and secrets feel as real as the danger surrounding them. The narrative pulses with dread and discovery, unraveling truths hidden in plain sight and asking how far blood ties truly reach—and how much they cost.

With atmospheric detail and a voice that lingers, In the Blood is both a taut thriller and a poignant meditation on what we carry within us. Kate Wiley proves herself a compelling new voice in suspense fiction, capable of both chilling and moving her readers in a single breath.

Perfect for: Fans of Lisa Jewell, Gillian Flynn, and Tana French—readers who crave emotionally intelligent thrillers with psychological bite.
Rating: ★★★★★

I am so sad this is next to the last book in this series. I love that her brother has come more into the mix in this book. There is definitely a lot of mystery and intrigue with him. I also am thrilled to see her open herself up more (especially to Wes), and I am here for the fact she is not only finding her voice with her father but also with those who continue to force her to interact with him.

I feel personally invested in Margot's journey and can't wait to see what is next. She is such a complex person and a brilliant detective.

|:: In The Blood 
By Kate Wiley
Chapter Forty - Seven Page 241
1993
Petaluma, California.
5/5  🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

{ Justin sat next to Ed in the front seat of the family car, staring out the window, but not really seeing anything. He was focused on the middle distance, like he would rather just disconnect from the world instead of being present in it. 

Ed angled the car into the parking lot of a grocery store - their mission, in theory, was to go and collect some bits and bobs that Kim was missing to make dinner - but Ed had another reason for wanting to bring Justin along with him.

The boy’s behaviour since they'd returned from the trip was starting to make Ed uneasy. He didn't like how unreadable he had become, how he acted like he was sleepwalking through his days.}

Margot has always had a secretive side, it's always been there like a constant friend, always a companion that helped to wrap up her feelings, memories, and ghosts, and store them away for another day, for a time when she can unpack them all, maybe with her therapist. Margot only wants to move on with her life, away from her past, away from /him/ but it seems no matter what she does, it always comes back to the one person she has tried so hard to run away from.

No, she isn't running. She's choosing to walk away from him and put that part of her story behind her...  But how can she do that when he pulls a string, he knows she can't ignore, to engulf her in his.. mind games, mental games, cruel, intentionally planned games of attack, forced to cause her as much pain for his enjoyment only..

Her role as a police officer, in a way, was born from that fear of /his/ legacy, the family she thought she grew up in fractured, fantastical.. ripped from her by the one person who should have helped her feel safe.. her dad. Eric Finch.

This is about way more than Eric Finch however,  this is about a victim who was horrifically assaulted in the worst way and it seems that Wes and Margot are never going to solve this case when it seems like the whole world is fighting with them, hiding the pieces of the puzzle they need to find. As it slowly becomes more complicated and the past refuses to stay buried we see Margot struggle, blossom, overcome, sink, and handle situations any normal person would collapse from. She needs this more than she realizes it.. but can she do it?

Margot/Megan is so amazing to follow on her heartbreaking story of love, pain, trauma, darkness, struggle, and loyalty. I was captivated from the very first page and more than once found myself up late reading into the night with -just one more chapter. I loved Wes instantly and felt their relationship was so genuine. With Margot's past, you can tell Kate really understood the complexity of feelings revolving around romance and it was handled with care. 

Even though I hadn't read the first 3 books in the series, I easily slipped into the storyline and it honestly felt like I hadn't missed anything. I still bonded with Margot and now I feel like I need to read the series to see how her journey began. I love it when you find authors like Kate, who make you feel included even though you haven't read the other books. There were enough clever details to let me believe this was the first book! 

I genuinely cried out in shock about Uncle Jimmy and I felt the weight of what happened after. I also felt a dip in my stomach when the book ended. I legit kept looking for more pages hoping there would be more but there wasn't. I need to know what happens next.

Will Wes and Margot ever become something? Will Margot become Megan again? How can they ever take down the powerful family? Will Margot have to honour the deal she made for Jimmy's name? Was it really paint? Who dumped the body in the trash? What is Eric's reaction when he finds out what Megan agreed to do with Justin? CAN WE KNOW MORE ABOUT THE DOG?? 

So many questions. I will be signing up for the next instalment. And reading the previous books that came before this one. I need my Margot fix. Amazing book. I absolutely loved it!

A huge thank you to Kate Wiley, Storm, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and relay my honest feedback. ::|

I feel like I’m giving this book a disservice by only giving it 3 stars especially as I really enjoyed it and was hooked reading it! However, despite the gripping storylines there was no resolution to the storylines so as a reader I feel cheated, hence the score I’m giving it.

In The Blood was another great thriller by Kate Wiley! This book is a good combination of mystery thriller and Margot’s personal journey navigating being the daughter of a serial killer. I have enjoyed every book in the Margot Phalen series and book 4 did not disappoint! This is one of my favorite series that I always manage to finish in a couple days. I can’t wait to read the next one. Thank you to Kate Wiley, Storm Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book prior to publishing.

Margot Phalen returns in Kate Wiley’s IN THE BLOOD. This is Book 4 in the Margot Phalen series and it proves to be just as good as the previous three.

Margot, the daughter of notorious and prolific serial killer, Ed Finch, continues to live a very controlled, isolated life. When her brother, Justin shows up wanting her to participate in a documentary about their father, Margot is reluctant to put her life and anonymity on the line for entertainment purposes. When she is called in to investigate a spurt of murders, she grudgingly returns to the prison to see her father, hoping to get information from him. When she learns that he had an accomplice who is still out there and then sees blood on her brother’s shoes, she is again confronted with the question of nature or nurture and the genetic link she has to a serial killer. Working with her partner, Wes Fox, and rolling around in the gutter with mob bosses and sex traffickers, Margot and Wes begin to put the pieces together.

I love this series. The slowly evolving relationship developing between Margot and Wes is interesting to watch, but that is merely an aside. Margot is one tough lady who has overcome many obstacles to make a life for herself. The fact that she needs to return to her father, no matter how reluctantly, is an interesting twist to the standard serial killer stories. The writing is clear and concise which leads to a very enjoyable read. I could feel my heart pounding as the tension rose and they got closer to the truth. I can’t wait to see where Kate Wiley takes Margot next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

A fast paced, edge of your seat read that had me hooked from the first page. Cleverly plotted and impossible to put down. One of the best thrillers I’ve read in a while, it really did have everything I'd want from a book. The split timeline and povs make it feel really fast paced and like its always moving forward. I also liked that it has not jist the crime, but also the investigation and a bit of police procedural and then also the MCs personal life which is a story in itsself! Really enjoyable

Margot is the daughter of a serial killer, but also a homicide detective in San Francisco. Now women are being found dead, seemingly related to the criminal underworld . Margot is an unusual person with her own problems and as the series progresses, you come to understand her more. Saying that the book is OK as a stand alone, though you appreciate it better if you have read more of the series.
The crimes are well described, the investigation is OK. Margot's personal life is complicated. Not sure about the ending (I won't say more) . This book is mostly fast paced and definately kept my interest.
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC

In the Blood is a gripping, fast-paced thriller that had me hooked from the start. Margot is a compelling character, and the tension between her past and present kept me turning pages. The twists were smart, the suspense was real, and the emotional depth made it more than just a crime story. I highly recommend this book and can’t wait to read more from Kate Wiley.

I have been greatly enjoying this suspenseful series! The concept of a woman who grew up to be a San Francisco homicide detective —after finding out only as a teenager that her father had been killing young women for years— is addictive. The fourth book of the series, In the Blood is best read after the earlier titles, in my opinion. Even as a standalone, though, this book has a great plot, full of emotion as well as thrills and mystery. I’m looking forward to the final installment, which I hope will be published soon!

I enjoy this fast paced series. I really like the main character and her partner. The way she works through her trauma seems genuine.


The pages move quickly with the back-and-forth between the timelines and the different points of view.

I really was intrigued by the addition of Justin to the story to explore his childhood and relationship with Ed and Margot. Also the surprise with Uncle Jimmy was wow factor !

I always look forward to another installment of this series.

This is the fourth installment in the Margot Phalen series and like the previous books, it can be read as a standalone.
The novel is filled with unexpected twists and intense moments. I particularly enjoyed Justin's inclusion in the story.
That said, the interactions between Ed, Margot and Andrew felt somewhat repetitive, reminiscent of book three. I’m feeling ready for the series to end, as I've had enough of the back and forth with Ed Finch.
So I am looking forward to the conclusion with, Out of the Woods and hope Wes and Margot finally take their relationship to the next level.
Thank you to the publisher/author for the opportunity to read this complimentary advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Detective Margot was Megan Finch in her previous life, daughter of a serial killer.
While solving her own homicide cases she is prompted by the FBI to continue to interview her father in prison helping them find closure in his murders.
Margot is a great character, strong on the outside and flawed within.
Women are still being murdered and Margot and her partner are on the hunt, strong powerful people will try to stop them. The next book will hopefully wrap up the loose ends in this book and I can't wait.

FBI agent Margot Phalen is such a badass woman. She has been through a lot of trauma and survived. Her father, a notorious serial killer who is locked away for unspeakable crimes, tries to exert psychological control over her even from behind bars. He finds ways to manipulate her, pulling her back into his twisted schemes despite her attempts to break free and move on with her life.

Though haunted by her past, Margot refuses to surrender to it. Every encounter with her father forces her to relive the pain, yet she pushes forward, confronting both her emotional scars and the criminals she faces in her work. My stomach was in knots. I felt every ounce of tension right alongside the characters. This series reminds me of the Prodigal Son, a tv series on Netflix that explores family ties, psychological conflict, and crime.

This is definitely one of my favourite thriller series this year! The plot is intense and addictive. After devouring two books by this author, I can’t wait for the next installment.

"In the Blood" by Kate Wiley is a suspenseful 5-star read! SFPD homicide detectives Margot Phalen and Wes Fox are back in the fourth installment of this gripping series. The duo is called to a chilling scene where a victim has been set on fire. With time working against them, they race to bring the attacker to justice. Meanwhile, the Redwood Killer remains at large, and Ed—Margot’s serial killer father—dangles new information that he knows will draw her back to visit him in prison.

If you're a fan of the series, you'll love this book just as much as the first three. If you haven’t read the earlier installments, you’ll miss a lot of important background by starting here—so I recommend beginning with “The Killer’s Daughter.” Like the previous books, most of the story unfolds in the present, but there are also chapters set in the past that explore Ed’s disturbing relationship with Justin, Margot’s brother.

Margot continues to wrestle with emotional trauma, though at times her internal struggles are mentioned a bit too often. She and Wes are juggling multiple cases, and the author does an excellent job of keeping you guessing about the killer’s identity. Now all that’s left is to wait for the next book—which will bring this amazing series to a conclusion!

Thanks to Storm Publishing, Kate Wiley, and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read this ARC and share my honest review.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #StormPublishing for the book #InTheBlood by #KateWiley. I am a huge fan of this series and hope it keeps going. I cannot imagine being a serial killers daughter, but this book capture what I think it would be like. Margot’s brother, Justin is in town and wants her to participate in a documentary about their father. About the same time, her father admits to having an accomplice, which worries Margot that it could be someone close to her. Can she persuade her father to give up who it is but also wonder if her or her brother carry some of the same tendencies.

I am loving this series and this one is no exception, in this one Margot finds herself pushed into visiting her serial killer father Ed Finch again, something that she said she would never do again but when he dangles clues she must get the answers and then her young brother turns up on her doorstep asking her to do a documentary with him about their father, not to mention the murders from the park that she is still working on and then another horrific attack on a woman, this one will keep you turning the pages.

Margot is struggling big time in this one and there seems to be more and more happening, her partner Wes Fox is a rock someone that she knows she can lean on, could there be more to the relationship other than a work one, Margot is way too busy to find out at the moment, the tension mounts and Margot never stops uncovering clues to solve the cases, and of course meeting her father is very hard, where will it all end?

I loved this one and I do highly recommend it and the series, Margot is a fabulous character, there is so much, it is filled with suspense and so many emotions, Wes is the best partner for Margot and the next one will be the last, and I can’t wait to read it, I can’t wait to see how everything turns out. A fabulous story.

My thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for my copy to read and review.

Detective Margot Phalen is back with a bang. Matgot and Will come across a young woman burning alive, she's alive but can she reveal her attackers identity. Plenty of twists along the way especially when her killer father whats to tell her more about his murders and her drunk brother turns up. A lot going on for Margot can she solve the case. Highly addictive read can't wait for the next book. Thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for this review copy.