I usually really enjoy this authors book, but this one was just a bit too slow paced for me. Too much meandering around.

I liked Hazels character, but thought her brothers and romantic interest were a bit wooden.

I will definitely read more books by this author, but this one wasn’t my fave.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for providing me an arc of this book to read and review.

Megan Miranda can simply do no wrong in my mind. Every single book she knocks out of the park and is unputdownable with crazy twists and turns.

This one was SO good. I had no idea how it was going to pan out and literally until the very last second couldn’t have guessed whodunnit until it was revealed and everything made so much sense.

If she writes it, I’m gonna read it and love it and tell y’all all about it.

Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada & netgalley for the chance to read this one early in exchange for an honest review.

Out April 9th!

This took me almost 75% of the book to be engaged. This moved incredibly slowly, lacked suspense, and had too many long pieces of speculation.

There were things the MC made strange reasoning with, and others she blatantly avoided. This could've been done a lot better. I know she's not a detective, but it was difficult to read.

Thank you for letting me read it....

If you like:

✨️ murder in a small town
✨️ family drama
✨️ whodunnit, can't trust anyone vibes
✨️ past secrets coming back to haunt people

Then this might be for you!

I think the writing just didn't click for me and made this one quite difficult to get through. Overall, I do think it had some good pieces, and I wanted to know how it would play out, but I struggled to stay captivated and was let down by the end.

Rating: 2.75

If you know me. I love Megan Miranda but unfortunately I was very disappointed with this book.

This book follows Hazel, as cars are showing up at the bottom of lakes and her father has recently passed away.

The characters were very unlikeable in this thriller which sometimes works for me but this one did not. The messy sibling dynamics were not believable. I didn’t believe any of the relationships actually. It felt like the characters were not real and there was no hatred or love. Some twists and turns were predictable and some unpredictable. Overall it was quick paced but I didn’t feel the same love as I did for her other novels.

I’d recommend if you’re just looking for a quick read.

4.5 ⭐️
I absolutely loved this book. I read it in 24 hours. It had me hooked from the beginning.
Family drama is always my favourite especially when everyone seems suspicious.

Daughter of Mine is a suspense/mystery that follows Hazel Sharp back to the small town of Mirror Lake following her father’s death. There’s a lot to unpack in this story, and the first half of the book moved at a slow pace.

Tension grows as we learn more about Hazel’s family and origin story, including the disappearance of her mother many years ago. As Hazel uncovers more about her father, brothers, and what’s been happening in the town, she doesn’t know who to trust or where to turn. The ongoing drought, unexpected finds in the lake, and break-ins contribute to Hazel’s unease, worry, and paranoia as to what’s happening.

I felt pretty neutral about this book due to the slow burn pace, a few too many characters without a lot of substance, and an ending that was simultaneously convoluted and rushed.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada + NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Megan Miranda has done it again and has solidified herself as one of my auto-read authors! This book was fabulously twisted and kept me on my toes the entire time I was reading through it. You can't help but want to know whodunnit. I also just love that there were so many pointed fingers and yet none of them were correct! I was shellshocked at the end and was honestly kind of devastated that the book had come to.a close!

This one was a good slow burn thriller. And the cover is perfect, setting the scene. Hazel is home for the funeral of father, the police chief of Mirror Lake. An idyllic small town set in the mountains and popular with the vacation crowd. But the whole area is in the middle of a severe drought. And as water levels drop unexplained vehicles - and secrets- begin to surface.

I loved the realistic and complicated familial relations between the Holt siblings. And of course because its a small town, everyone may know your business, but everyone also has something to hide. As more and more secrets are reveled the deeper the mystery gets. What really happened to Hazel's mother all those years ago? How did those vehicles end up in the lake? And who keeps sneaking into Hazel's house?

Despite the slow burn pace, this one was a quick read that I flew through in 2 days. Chock full of suspense and intrigue, with an ending I didn't see coming. Definitely recommend this one for the suspense/thriller lovers!

An intense mystery thriller which was well written and intoxicating. While the build up is slow, the ending was action packed, suspenseful and had my blood pressure going. It is sooo worth the read.

Main character Hazel Sharp returns to her childhood home after the passing of her father. Her return is not welcomed as a warm and friendly one and the tension increases when it is learned her father has left the family home to her in his will instead of her two brothers. With a drought happening, water levels have been decreasing and two cars are discovered in the river. The discovery of these open old memories, suspicions and theories. Who do the cars belong to and do any of them have anything to do with her mom’s disappearance when she was a young girl?

A small town with big secrets, this book folded everything in perfectly. With all the mystery, theories, and red herrings. I was giving everyone the side eye in this book. The character development was top tier, and I could vividly envision what was happening on the pages. The house, the river, the drought, the heavy rain, it all came together perfectly. I will be thinking of this book for a while!

5 solid stars. Keep in mind, it is a slower beginning but stick with it. Trust me on this!

4.5 star

Pub Date: April 9th

I found this mystery so addictive! There were a few moments where I was holding my breath and got pretty creeped out, which all thrillers will recognize means it’s a good one lol

Our main character, Hazel Sharp, has had a seemingly tumultuous time of it since she was a kid. There’s a few things that we find out near the beginning of the book that go into that and it makes a ton of sense… as well as creating SO much drama. Love to see it!

There’s a lot of family drama and small town creepy & eery mystery vibes. CONFESSION! I’m terrified of large bodies of water that aren’t pools lol so the fact that this focuses SO heavily on a creepy lake holding a ton of secrets at the bottom led me to be a bit of an anxious mess at times. But hey! It’s all part of reading a good thriller/mystery.

I read this so quickly and could not put it down. It’s super addictive so keep that in mind if you have other obligations other than sitting on the couch with snacks and reading for hours on end lol

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada and Marysue Rucci Books for my copy of this!

Love a small town mystery. This was well paced family thriller with many layers that kept me guessing the entire read. Pretty much suspicious of everyone and turning the pages quickly to find out what was going on.
The atmosphere of Mirror Lake and the town was so well written that I could actually visualize everything as I was reading, TBH, some creepy moments that had me a little jumpy when my flood lights lit up outside while reading.
I found this to be very developed with really good characters making it very entertaining.
Can’t wait to read more by author!

Who says you can't go home again? For Hazel Sharp, returning to Mirror Lake is anything but simple. I loved this premise of the daughter of a detective who returns home after his death, only for long buried secrets to come to light.

Hazel idolized her father, and when he dies and leaves her the coveted family cabin, she finds out she has more to contend with than just her ill-tempered brothers. There's estranged family and friends, chilly receptions, nosy bystanders and a long lost love. Oh, and there's the old car mysteriously drudged up from the lake and another discovered underneath the dock of the family cabin, days apart.

I have been a fan of this author since All The Missing Girls and eagerly await her new releases every year. Miranda excels at small town mysteries, the secrets that lie beneath them and the tight knit communities that protect them. I found myself so engrossed in the many interesting characters and complex family dynamics. This is one messy family too- I love how Miranda played with legacies here, found family, and the differences between sons and daughters. Tense, well-layered and atmospheric - you don't know who to trust and those are my favourite kinds of suspense stories.

The lead-up to the reveal was fantastic and the ending had me at the edge of my seat! A great thriller read that I could see being adapted into a Netflix movie- and it should! Thanks Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an early review- go get your copy when it pubs April 9!

I finally finished this book after much delay. I found this book to be a bit awkward and slow in the beginning. However, after the first two chapters it picked up speed. I found myself concerned for the main character and troubled by her brothers behaviours towards her at times. I must admit, I suspected the uncle for something from the start, he was too helpful and involved in the community to not be a part of the mysterious deaths and disappearances of Audrey and Libby. I found this book captivating, heartwarming and heartbreaking, even frightening at times. It was an honour and pleasure to read this book as an early release.

Thank you, Simon & Schuster Canada for this advance copy in exchange for my review.

Megan has never let me down, there’s a reason she’s my absolute favourite author.
Daughter of Mine was perfectly suspenseful and small town claustrophobic. A slow-burn at first but around half way through I literally couldn’t put it down. There were some heart pounding moments for me towards the end and I live for those.
I can’t wait to to-read this one with my ears when the audio is available.

A slow-burn suspense, I can see this being a big hit and enjoyed reading it. A solid plot, interesting characters, and legit twists add up to a good read.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC to read and review.

3.5 stars
A drought, a lake full of secrets, and a family full of more secrets—the new Megan Miranda novel is full of suspense and small town tension! Hazel returns home after her father's death, and her family is unhappy with how their father left the will. Things are amiss at his house, and the drama amongst the Holt family builds.
This is a tightly packed mystery that slowly builds. The narrative is well constructed, and the characters are easy to get to know. There were a few predictable twists and turns, but it was a satisfying read, and I am sure Miranda fans will devour it.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for review.

“It seems to me that not everyone makes it out of Mirror Lake so easily.”

This was an absolutely phenomenal mystery! I rarely re-read a book, yet I can’t wait to make time to re-read this one.

This is my fourth book written by Megan Miranda and I believe it’s her best yet. She really excels at (1) showing the power and benefit of a small town as a setting for her murder mystery and (2) utilizing the weather as a plot device showing its pervasive effects.

Small towns are deeply troubled in their own unique way, and the township of Mirror Lake is no different. Miranda uses this to accentuate her themes and provide the foundation for the mystery surrounding the Holt family. Mirror Lake is a perfect place to hide. The townsfolk are protected by the mountains and a lack of cell service means they’re cut off from the outside world. As Hazel Sharp suggests, it’s “like we were cut off from the past that was looking for us.” Until her father, Detective Perry Holt, died three weeks ago, the town simply relied on its setting to cover up any secrets. Perry’s absence and the timely discovery of a submerged car in the lake is the undoing of the town. All of a sudden, everything is exposed.

Hazel points out “how quickly the past could grasp on to you here, and pull….” and that’s exactly what happens next.

The fact that the town is experiencing a drought, adds to the story. As the water levels in the lake decrease, it reveals the town’s “secrets and ghosts.” Each chapter reminds the reader how long the town has gone without rain. As the novel progresses, the secrets keep piling up. Will the rain ever pour down again? Are the weather gods waiting for all the secrets to be revealed first?

Miranda examines hidden things, abandonment, betrayal, and isolation. Her characterization and word choice, even making the weather a plot device, creates a sense of unease and her masterfully crafted ‘take no prisoners’ female main character plans on sweeping the secrets out from under the metaphorical carpet.

I’ll be the one shouting the accolades of this book from the rooftops. Make sure you have this one on your radar. This twisty tale is worthy of ALL THE STARS.

I was gifted this copy by Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

4.5/5 - Hazel Holt returns home to Mirror Lake after the death of her father. Her relationship with her brothers is rocky, made even more rocky when her father names her as the sole beneficiary of the family home. Add to that a serious drought hitting the area, uncovering plenty of secrets in the area. Hazel is shocked to find some secrets from her past start to unravel, maybe answering questions as to how her mother disappeared all those years ago.

This thriller was so tense from the very beginning. The first chapters are chilling, with the author setting the scene and developing the relationships. I found myself suspicious of everyone, and this built as we went through each portion of the book.

Megan Miranda gives us pieces of the puzzle allowing us to slowly pieced together what happened and who was responsible for what. This thriller isn't fast-paced, but she builds up the tension through each chapter as more secrets are unravelled and the drama intensifies. There was a certain amount of claustrophobia I felt in this small town, where everyone knows your business.

I thought this was an excellent, quiet thriller that was page-turning and kept me engaged the whole way through. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

🏡 D O M E S T I C T H R I L L E R Thursday 🏡 featuring “Daughter of Mine” by Megan Miranda!

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

Hazel Sharp reluctantly returns to her hometown of Mirror Lake after her stepfather’s passing. Her Stepfather was the town’s longtime police chief and was well loved within the community. Soon Hazel finds out that the family home has been left entirely to HER over her two brothers. The shock and animosity starts to turn ugly between the siblings .. WHY would he leave it to her OVER them??

While staying at the house to pack up her father’s things, Hazel begins to uncover many twisted town secrets. When her runaway mother’s abandoned car gets found in the lake behind the house, Hazel decides to stick around longer to find out WHY the car was ditched and WHERE her mother disappeared to when she was a young girl.

But someone is watching Hazel and is determined to make sure that she does not find out the truth 👀!

Megan Miranda can do no wrong!! I loved the claustrophobic small town setting, the tangled web of secrets and the creepy/unsetting occurrences inside the house!

Thank you kindly to @meganlmiranda @marysueruccibooks @simonschusterca @netgalley for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review! This book releases on April 9, 2024!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you enjoy a dark family drama, in a gloomy police family setting the this book will definitely be your vibe.

It unfortunately wasnt mine. I wasn't invested at all in Hazel, much less her quest for the truth and so I found myself not enjoying this read.