You’re meant to know family the best, but what if the man you know as Dad isn’t the man you believe he is and then you discover that you’ve been shielded from his true nature and even then, no one actually knows the true extent of this man’s personality.

Don, he is a character and a half. He’s a smooth talker, ladies man but he can move from smoothie to bully without a breath. Suzanne has her dad on a metaphorical pedestal until his visit to her during her uni years, she only saw the smooth talker, loveable dad in Don. But then everything changes when she finds a photo of her best friend from that time in her late father’s possessions and she wants to know why. It becomes an itch she needs to scratch. And I don’t think she’s prepared for what she finds.

The writer has a great writing style, its uncomplicated but packed with intrigue – I wanted to know what was going to happen next to Suzanne and Don. The story has a fantastic climax and for a change, I got to see some of the aftermath to the climax, the “What happened next” to our antagonist!

I really wish I could tell Lesley that she’s written a brilliant twisted thriller that I have really enjoyed and I would have loved to have read more from her.

Huge thanks to Kim Nash of Bookouture and Netgalley for my copy of The Serial Killer’s Daughter.

I do love a good serial killer book so was delighted to be given the opportunity to read and review this book, published by Bookouture and released by the late Lesley Welsh. I was hooked from the first few pages right through to the end as I needed to see what was going to happen.  It really is a rollercoaster ride of a book.  Just a warning that some of the language used is quite graphic along with some of the scenes described will put some readers off but if you can get past that (and it is in keeping with the story) it will definitely be a book for you. 5 stars from me for this one.  The book was released on the 14th June so you can grab your copy now.

'The Serial Killer's Daughter' is such a sick, twisted, and severely uncomfortable read. Did I stop reading it? Er no, course I didn't. Yes, I grimaced a lot. Yes, I thought I 'what the actual f.....' more times than I care to admit. Yes, I had to stop reading every now and then, swiping my Facebook for those couple of minutes before returning to the book.

Don, the main characters father, reminded me of a puppet master, with all of the other characters being his puppets. His daughter, Suzanne, seemed to be caught in the middle of the whole debacle, and rightly enough, she wants to get to the bottom of the secretive information which was thrown her way. 

Whilst there were a lot of 'oh my god' chapters, I did feel as though some parts of the plot was missing the realistic feel. I felt like a couple of the circumstances weren't as believable as I would have liked them to be, which meant that I ended up with more unanswered questions than ever. Don't get me wrong, Lesley Welsh's novel had me gripped, it's just a shame that a few of the events weren't completely believable.

The serial killer theme overall was really well executed, especially as the author seemed to know what would make her readers tick and latch onto the plot. I'm not going to lie, this book was really intense. I didn't want to read it, yet I couldn't tear my eyes away, yet I thought my heart was going to explode. 

Thank you Bookouture.

I found this a very tense thriller and one that was very difficult to put down. I found I was reading it at every opportunity. This book is based around Suzanne and the relationship between her and her father Don, who she finds out to be a serial killer. As the plot unravels I found the book more disturbing with very graphic descriptions of events which some people might find offensive. The Serial Killer's Daughter was not an easy read but one which I soon became intrigued with and I would definitely recommend it to serious thriller fans! Thanks to Net Galley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

First of all I have to say...That cover! After seeing that I couldn't wait to read The Serial Killer's Daughter which is exactly what it says on the title….A dark and warped story about Suzanne Tyler who’s life changes the day she meets Rose Anderson and is given a series of secret diaries and eight photographs of women. One of the photo’s is her friend Sophie who died in a fire 10 years ago. The big question is why did her Dad Don have that photo when he only met her once. We follow Suzanne on a twisted rollercoaster ride to find out the truth.And when I say twisted I mean twisted! There are descriptions in this story that made me cringe. But Don wouldn't be the bad guy if that didn't happen, he is one very evil character.

But I did feel sorry for Suzanne she is a strong character. Imagine finding out that your dad was a serial killer that is the unthinkable.

For me this is a slow burner and not your normal fast paced read that I normally read but kept my attention until the end wanting to know the truth about Sophie.

This isn't for the fainthearted with it being jam packed full of disturbing scenes.

Thank you to Bookouture for an advanced reader's copy and inviting me to take part in this special blog tour.

This was a really chilling read- some horrific scenes are relayed. Suzanne is horrified to discover that her estranged dad was a serial killer. His partner at the time of his death wanted her to have his last effects which included photos and journals. As the truth unravels the situation becomes more and more disturbing . Suzanne is warned to stop investigating the matter- but she feels drawn to finding out more so that she can help someone. There is a real dark, sense of danger running through the book and the journal entries reveal just how evil her dad really was.
There is a mystery element that makes you want to scream at Suzanne and urge her to run away somewhere really remote and just get on with a life away from all this history.
It makes you think about those people who must discover that a relative has been responsible for similar crimes and how difficult it must be to initially hear it and then how it would affect the rest of your life.

This book is dark and somewhat intense. The main character, Suzanne, has been estranged from her father, Don, for just about her whole life. She saw him just a few times over her life time. But after he dies, his partner, Rose, contacts her to give her some of his belongings. This starts a journey that no one wants to do. It appeared that her father may have been a serial killer. How do you process that? Suzanne had lots of issues with this. It was especially unsettling when she finds a photo of her friend, Sophie, in his belongings. This starts her journey to find out more about her father and what he did and who he was. There were so many questions and twists, it makes for a great mystery! It is not a cute, jovial story, but rather dark and at time intense. But I enjoyed it.

Unfortunately I couldn’t finish this book. I found it a struggle from the beginning but the story was somewhat holding my interest. But halfway through I realised I just didn’t care enough to battle through reading the remainder. I’m very disappointed because I rarely give up on a book. Having read other reviews I think this one just wasn’t for me.

This was a slow starter and I was starting to wonder when it was going to heat up.I am more used to books dropping me straight into the action ,and patience is not something I have in abundance so I was getting a little fidgety wanting it to get going,and then it did.I wasn't sure about Suzanne at first she seemed a little ordinary and not that interesting but that changed as I read more, her father Don was a monster who had some how got away with killing people at random so it seemed.I would say that this is not a book for anyone who is going to get upset by quite graphic descriptions but it is well written and quite different to anything else I have read recently.I am so sorry that this was the authors last book before her untimely death and that she died before it was published.I think she wrote a winner and I hope other people enjoy it if they stick with the slow start and are prepared for some unpleasant scenes it is a good read.Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for an honest review.

After Lesley Welsh's editor at Bookouture read The Serial Killer's Daughter for the first time, she turned to the author and said, "I do sometimes worry that Don Tyler came out of your head".

As a reader and lover of psychological thrillers, I've often wondered about that. And not only for Lesley Welsh, but for numerous other well acclaimed authors as well. What is going on in your head for you to make up characters like these? And what is wrong with me for liking these books and characters so much?

Now just imagine that you are related to such a character. Directly. The force of genes might be strong in you....

Suzanne was raised by her mother and only have a few recollecting memories of her father. She remembers his on and off visits as a little girl and the lavish gifts and spoils accompanied by these visits. After her mother got remarried, the visits and gifts stopped. Until one final visit 10 years ago that left her with a new kind of "gift". The gift of loss and despair. But her father didn't really have anything to do with it. Did he?

When she was contacted by a strange, rather neurotic lady claiming her father's death, Suzanne wasn't much bothered. Until she had a look at the possessions he apparently wanted her to have. A few diaries and a couple of photos stacked in locked chest. Pandora herself couldn't have placed more evil in there.

You get serial killers who have a certain modus operandi. They think, they plan, they search, they wait. They slay. And then you get Don. Up to the very last page, there is not much method in his madness. Unless you count the twists and turns his own mind creates as method.

The Serial Killer's Daughter was an intriguing read with some great characters. I enjoyed the connection between the different characters and it rounded the story in a compelling way. It really is a tragedy that Lesley Welsh passed away earlier this year. I'm sure we could have expected a few more great thrillers from her pen.

The serial killers daughter by Lesley Welsh.
Charmer, liar, father… Killer.

Suzanne’s life changes forever the day she receives a visit from Rose Anderson, the woman who has been living with her estranged father, Don.

Don is dead, but Rose wants Suzanne to have his possessions – including a series of intimate diaries and a mysterious collection of photographs of women.

To Suzanne’s shock, one of the photos is of her friend Sophie, who died ten years ago in an unexplained and devastating fire.

But Don only met Sophie once, on an unsettling visit he paid Suzanne just days before Sophie’s death... So why did he have a picture of her?

Unable to let Sophie’s memory alone, Suzanne begins to dig into her father’s life. What horrors is she about to unearth in his journals? And who is it that’s out there, watching her every move?
A fantastic read with brilliant characters. What a page Turner. Chilling too. Don't was so creepy. Gave me chills. 5*. Netgalley and bookouture.

When I first saw that Bookouture were to publish The Serial Killer's Daughter I must admit that I was immediately intrigued and it went straight onto my pre-order list. The premise just sounded really interesting, the title intimating there was more to see than the blurb would suggest. And I am very glad that I did as this book was good. Really, really good.

From the very off we are drawn into a dark and murky world, into the thoughts of someone who has seemingly little compassion and who treats women who frequent a travelling circus as though they were merely there for their personal amusement. But just who this person is and how they, and this passage, fit into the story isn't immediately clear. But it does set the tone and underpins the whole theme of the novel perfectly.

Then we meet Suzanne. Teacher and wife she is anything but satisfied with her life but it is the one she has chosen after being devastated by the loss of her friend Sophie many years before. Not everything that led from the fire was bad - it is how she met her husband - but it is not what she had wanted for herself. When Rose enters the picture, bringing with her memories of the father Suzanne would rather forget she soon comes to regret wanting a little more excitement in her life. I won't say any more about the plot other than from reading her father's diaries Suzanne embarks on what becomes quite the journey of discovery, one which will irreparably alter everything she has ever known.

This is a very well crafted novel, varying in pace between high stakes drama and a slightly more staid look into the past. There are so many twisted secrets to be unearthed and characters who will both engage and appall you. Some of the scenes are can be hard to read and the language quite hard and unforgiving. But then, as the title suggests, we are not talking about people taking high tea in a rose garden. It is only natural that we should be shocked and even disgusted by the characters we meet in the book, and believe me when I say that there is more than one person here who will make your skin crawl. There is also an almost sinister tension throughout the first half of the book as we know that first Rose and then Suzanne is being watched, but we don't know by who or why.

There are scenes in the book that, while not necessarily graphic in detail, are definitely more so in language and there is no doubt as to what has occurred. Some elements will shock and surprise you for sure. I can't say that I found any of the characters particularly easy to warm to but I did feel for Rose, for the confused and paranoid state she had worked herself into courtesy of Don's manipulations. Suzanne in particular I wasn't sure about at first, but her strength and tenacity grew on me and the way in which Lesley Welsh slowly developed the character was very effective. She moved from being someone who appeared to merely moan about her lot to a woman who took control in the most dire of circumstances and I couldn't help but respect her for it. But it was her mother, Joan, who I liked the most. She had an understated strength which radiated from the page. A great character in my eyes.

If you like a twisted thriller full of long buried secrets and startling revelations then I would definitely recommend giving this book a whirl. It certainly drew me in and the more I read, the wider my eyes became. The audacity of some people know's no bounds and Don is the character who truly took the biscuit.

This is not a book for the faint hearted as it contains scenes of both violent and sexual nature, so be warned.

The character of Don is a twisted, evil individual who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. His main goal, as we discover quite quickly, is to reunite with his estranged daughter Suzanne. This plan is seemingly put in jeopardy as Don dies quite early on in the story. But, as is always the case in stories like this, all is not as it seems.

The story picks up pace after a bit of a slow start and races toward its conclusion. The ending leaves it open to more in the future, but due to the sad passing of the author earlier this year I'm not sure if that is possible.

This wasn't an easy read to the nature of the crimes described within the pages, but it was one which I would definitely recommend to lovers of murder and gore. Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for providing a copy.

When Suzanne finds out her estranged father Don is dead she's not exactly heartbroken. The last time she saw him was an uncomfortable and unnerving experience. But Rose, the woman he has been living with says he left behind diaries and photos that might lead Suzanne to unknown siblings. But what she finds is  pictures of several young women, one of which is her friend Sophie who died 10 years before in an unexplained fire. Right around the time of Don's last visit. As she begins to delve further into her father's life she realises there was more to Don than she could ever wanted to find out. As his horrifying legacy unravels she also find out she's not the only person who wants to get their hand on Don's diaries.


This starts a bit slow. If you're anything like me you'll wonder how the story will stretch out over a novel. But then the story really kicks off and becomes action packed. Suzanne starts as quite a timid character but becomes more ballsy in every chapter. Don is possibly one of the nastiest creatures you'll ever read about. He's a British Patrick Bateman....but without the class. His recounting of his crimes are remorseless and almost gleeful. Once we really get into Don's story this book really finds its feet. It's entertainingly thrilling and sometimes a bit grisly but never overly so. There are moments of logic defying plot jumps and twists but as I've said before if you're looking for reality you're in the wrong place (true crime is two aisles down). 


Full of twists and surprises, a novel that's seriously difficult to put down.


Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Suzanne inherits her estranged father's journals when she learns of his sudden death. She is compelled to find out if what he writes is the truth. She needs to know if her father was the monster portrayed in the pages. Suzanne follows the clues and finds herself in mortal danger and fears she might not get out alive.

This was a great book. I loved how the police followed the evidence to solve the cases. The readings in the journals were a bit graphic, but not so much that it distracted from the plot. In fact, it might have been just enough to portray the heinousness of Don's acts. This was a real page-turner and I highly recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley.com for this copy which was given to me in exchange for an honest review. Thank you also to Bookouture and to Lesley Welsh.

Suzanne is the main character here being the 'daughter' and she is certainly a character that is in turmoil. She receives a visit from Rose Anderson who had been living with Suzanne's father. Suzanne was nothing but relieved when she received the news that her Father Don was dead. Having not seen her Father for years she felt unconcerned about her non-relationship until Rose gives her the possessions that belonged to him.

Suzanne discovers a number of diaries and notebooks which are about to make her question everything she had ever known about Don. It's hard to review this without giving spoilers away so on that front I'll say no more about the storyline as it's more interesting to let it unfold as you read. Initially I found this a little hard going, however it picked up pace a few chapters in and once it got going it held my attention.

The story certainly doesn't hold back in terms of how sickening some things were and it certainly holds a dark and evil edge. For that alone it makes for pretty interesting reading, however it may not be to everybody's taste. There were a few twists and the story certainly picked up pace and the second half was a lot more engaging than the first half. That aside, it was a solid read and one that I enjoyed, it certainly felt very different to what I have been reading of late.

Great story! Looking forward to reading more by this author! Highly recommend!

Suzanne grew up being raised by her mother having few memories of her father’s visits over the years after he’d left them when Suzanne was very young. Don had stopped visiting Suzanne completely when her mother had decided to remarry until a weird visits when Suzanne was in her twenties and trying to become an artist.

Now however Suzanne’s life is changed completely when she receives a visit from Rose Anderson, a woman who claims to have been her father’s girlfriends and was with him in his last days. Rose insists that Suzanne should have her father’s things which includes a multitude of handwritten notebooks detailing his life and what Suzanne finds within the pages would shock anyone.

The Serial Killer’s Daughter by Lesley Welsh was one of those reads that left me slightly disappointed when finished. The book isn’t bad but I personally felt it never really delivered on the promised twists and turns that were advertised within the pages. The story seemed to me to be a tad predictable other than a few details here and there.

On the other hand however even with the predictability there’s a certain pull to reading about a serial killer and finishing it out to find out all of what he had done and just what would happen. Suzanne seemed to be a pretty strong character with what she’s going through which had me curious was her toughness from her father? In the end this one turned out to just be an OK read for me, would have preferred a major twist or two I hadn’t seen coming but the story was interesting enough.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Did not finish. Couldnt get into this book at all.

I enjoyed the book, just as i imagined when I read the description. I couldnt put it down once i begun, so that is always a huge plus for me. It was fast paced and interesting