This book was made entirely of diary entries and the reader follows Ruby as she learns about her father’s murderous obsession at a very young age. Ruby’s mother also died when she was very young and Ruby herself appears to be a high-functioning autistic. For whatever reason Ruby never really seems afraid of her father or thinks that what he is doing is very bad. The story follows Ruby as she gets older and things continue to escalate. To me the story seemed very repetitive and although we were reading what are Ruby’s deepest, secret thoughts, I never felt very connected to her. Overall for me this one fell pretty flat. Three and a half stars.

I was disappointed. It was a tedious read. There was nothing to it, it did not even feel like a diary. The character is supposed to be fixed on routines. Same foods. Same clothes. Same times. Yet the entries are sporadic. For me that was annoying because right away the character is not being true to herself. I get that the author had to stretch this over a period of time to have Ruby watching her father all these years. A more realistic diary would have led to hundreds and hundreds of pages. The diary is the vehicle for telling the story. It just did not work. Like I said, it was tedious to read. She tried too hard to sound like a child. Too many cliches. Of course the favorite English teacher of the "girl who was different" ended up being a pedophile. Ruby's dad was also the cliche serial killer. I was rooting for a twist in the end. That her dad never killed anyone. What Ruby saw was not reality but one she created around her mothers mysterious death and killing her rival shattered her illusions. I was expecting the police to only find one body in that field. But that was not the case. The ending was a huge let down.

Really great read. I got sucked in. You kinda know where it’s going but you hope it’s not. Different take on writing but really liked it.

FASCINATING!

Little Ruby Marlowe’s life came alive in my hands. With each diary entry I was pulled into her very limited, very dark world.

The apple of her father’s eye, Ruby is a very different little girl. She’s a loner because she had to be. It’s her job after all to protect her daddy’s terribly secrets. After all, “we all have our obsessions. Daddy and mine happen to be death these days” ...

This book was expertly and brilliantly written. As Ruby ages, so too does her account of her troubled relationship with her father.
I found it truly captivating to watch Ruby grow from a sweet, naive child into a dark and disturbed young woman.

This story asks us to examine and consider ... how monsters are made. Is it nature or is it nurture?


Thank you to #NetGalley and #Xpressobooktours for providing me with an advanced copy of this book to read and review.

#TheDiaryOfASerialKilleraDaughterAChillingDarkThriller

I'm not quite sure how to rate this book. The premise was a very interesting one but , for me anyway, the narrative dragged considerably at the beginning - then it picked up the pace somewhat. It was very weird and to be honest I wasn't invested in the characters. Writing style was good though it was macabre and dark. It wasn't what I was expecting having read the blurb but I did manage to finish it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

A fantastically dark page-turner!!

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

IF you like reading diary books, and enjoy serial killers you might find this interesting. Ruby was quite the interesting character. She was definitely a recluse, and her favorite color was red. Hmm... I wonder why... ;-)

I liked this book, although it's not a page turner for me. I would read a 4-5 entries and then stop. I needed time to think about what I read. But, mostly because it's a diary, and I stop and want to turn back to see what date I'm on, but I refrained (most of the time). That's a memory thing for me, and I didn't want to take the time to write them down.

The age of Ruby versus some of the words she wrote in the diary were a bit of a distraction sometimes. I think because some of them seemed like she should be older, but she was abnormal, so I let it go. Her point of view is interesting as she grows older. I kept reading it because I wanted to find out how it ended. I wanted to see if she too started her own garage "game", or if she refrained. I won't give away the ending in this review. Sorry, you'll have to read it to find out for yourself. :-)

Thank you to Netgalley, and L.A. Detwiler for allowing me to read this book for my honest review.

To say this book was disturbing would be an understatement. I couldn't really sympathize with the characters because they were so sick and twisted but that being said I couldn't wait to hear about ruby and her father's next night. It was definitely worth reading! Thank you netgalley

Wowowowowowowowowowow. This book. This book was a complete mind fuck. Excuse my language.
I cannot even begin to describe my thoughts and feelings as I ventured through the dark and twisted life of Ruby and her relationship with her father.

The author plays the sympathy card very well. I emphasized with poor Ruby, her being bullied and struggling to fit in when she was so clearly different. At times, I found myself rooting for Ruby and her father and then I’d remember, “he’s a serial killer!” It really threw me for a loop. I can’t even fathom discovering someone close to me was a disturbing psychopath.

Being in Ruby’s head, seeing what she thought of her father and his murdering ways, was really difficult. I had a myriad of thoughts and emotions flowing through me and even now, after finishing this book, I still cannot fully express how I feel. I have this sort of inexplicable sadness weighing on me. I do recommend this book for EVERYONE! It was a fast read for me too, I devoured the pages. It was truly an incredible read.

An odd book. And not in a good way. I did not finish this book. I feel like other books exist like this and movies. I didn't feel wowed by it.

I enjoyed how this book was written from the child’s point of view as a journal. Unique read and very interesting!

A dark but captivating book. A unique inside look into the mind of a serial killers daughter told through her diary entries. The author really goes deep into the mind and thoughts of Ruby. If you loved the show Dexter, I think this book is for you.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for ARC.

Wow.. this book..

If you are interested in stories following serial killers and the crazy, mind-boggling worlds they see themselves in, you NEED to read this thriller! 

We follow the main character who starts out as a young girl who's father has more secrets than she ever realized. 

This is told in the form of diary entries which escalate as she grows older. It's the perfect inside scoop on how an environment forms a person's personality from such a young age. The author does a tremendous job in exploring the mindset of not only someone in that situation but of a growing child year after year. 

It has everything that I would love to see formed into a movie, and the psychological bond the characters have just blows me away. This book is such a different take than we typically see in this genre.

A 5 out of 5 star thriller if there ever was one!

If you enjoy anything crime related, you're in for a treat. I enjoyed this book a lot. It is very dark so it may not be suitable for everyone. Reading Ruby's diary, through the eyes of a child, was intense. Reading about her dad and the things she saw? So good.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A huge thank you to NetGalley for letting me review this read!

Synopsis:

Ruby is a daddy’s girl through and through. She was raised by her father after her mother died when she was two. Her father tries to give Ruby all she needs but there is a darkness inside him. A darkness Ruby witnesses when she watches her father kill. Ruby becomes obsessed and fascinated with these killings and the methodical way her father works. But when secrets about her own life begin to unfold, she has to chose between standing by or betraying the only man who has ever loved her.

Review:
I have to say, the title of this book had my interest instantly, it sounded exactly the kind of read I would be into. Then after reading the intriguing synopsis, I could not wait to get started! The book had mixed reviews and I was eager to make up my own judgement- and I was not disappointed!

I enjoyed how the book was written as a diary and from the first entry I had chills. Especially as I was also reading from a child’s perspective that gives the book an eerie feeling. When I read the diary entries of Ruby witnessing the murders, my stomach honestly gave a little twist, despite knowing this was just fiction. I was honestly left feeling quite scared for Ruby and her well-being.

The story to me felt quite disturbing at times, especially when you can see the physiological impact the father is having on the daughter. I felt it quite tense that stories of evil were being told through an innocent’s child’s voice and you can see the darkness creeping in. Some of the disturbing behaviour shown by Ruby was quite sickening at times and you just knew this would build up to something.

The author did a fantastic job at highlighting sensitive issues that go on in our society today. Bullying (which was quite saddening in places), self-harm and mental health was all addressed in this and it was not sugar coated which gives quite a powerful message.

I was reluctant to put this gripping book down despite it being a very dark read and I felt that throughout I was left with questions I wanted answering. It was gripping and brought to light the battle between good and evil. Despite guessing and expecting what events would unfold, it was still chilling which highlights how powerful this read is. Honestly, this is a thriller that thrills, the book does its job!

I chose this book because I really love the voyeurism of reading someone's diary...but this one was a bit too disturbing for me. I just couldn't get past the first few diary entries. Just not my cup of tea subject-wise, though I thought it was well written and enjoyed Detwiler's writing style. Sorry, did not finish but am thankful for the opportunity to preview.

Thank you NetGalley and LA Detwiler for the opportunity to read the ARC of The Diary of a Serial Killer's Daughter.
This certainly was a different read, it was written in diary form by a girl who's father is a serial killer. The diary starts when Ruby is the young age of five and she discovers that her daddy has a secret. Ruby is described as a child with a condition, she likes to be by herself, does not like to be hugged or touched, she knows her daddy loves her. She has not had her mother since she was two.
Through reading this novel or diary, we learn of Ruby's father's killings. Ruby sneaks out to watch when her father arrives home late at night when he thinks she is sleeping.
Ruby obviously is a sick and twisted child who grows up believing what she sees her father doing is normal and ok and she does her best to protect him
I recommend this book if you are ok with some gruesome details and unfortunate twisted ways that some people have. I found certain parts a little unrealistic when reading Ruby's journal entries, but overall a good book.

Wow this book definitely took me through some emotions. I couldn't imagine having a father that was a serial killer. In the beginning I felt the book started off a little slow but the pace did pick up and needless to say I was hooked. I wondered what I would feel like watching these murders and even more so what decisions would I make. I like the way it was written as a diary. This book was definitely one if the best reads I've had this year!!!

The Diary of a Serial Killer's Daughter presents a unique perspective of a character raised by a serial killer. I liked this book a lot, my only gripe is that this felt repetitive and slow at the start. Nonetheless, it was fascinating to see the characters and how they developed. While a few more things about this book bothered me, I'm glad I picked this up, because this gave me so much to think about! The tone of this book is dark & creepy; it gets really suspenseful towards the end and has the ability to make you squirm uncomfortably.

Ruby Marlowe is a lonesome girl who's only friend in the world is her daddy. Raised by a single parent, Ruby comes to worship her father and admire him to a great extent. Unknown to her father, Ruby has witnessed him kill and dismember many women in his garage. Ruby's fascination with her dad and the 'garage game' that he plays mounts over the years as she secretly watches him murder many women. Unlike everyone else, Ruby's fascination with the color red leaves her wishing for her dad to play the 'garage game' more often. As she grows up, she must decide if she wants a different life for herself and betray the only person who has ever loved her, or will she get wrapped up in his sinister path?

It took me a long time to finish this book because the early chapters of Ruby's diary entries were repetitive and there was not much new information being revealed. I also found it very hard to reconcile with the fact that Ruby had such a great vocabulary at such a young age. A child, even a well-read one, using terms like 'belligerent' don't make the entries feel genuine. But aside from these, the premise of the book was very good. I found myself turning the pages despite everything. If you can get past the first few chapters, this is one very good book!

Thank You, NetGalley & L.A. Detwiler for an arc!

This was such a unique read, as the premise alone was so different from anything else I have read! Ruby's dysfunctional relationship with her father after discovering that he is a serial killer had me hooked. Ruby's mother died when she was 2, so her father is her only surviving parent. The dilemma becomes one of loyalty to the parent that is still alive and the repulsion at what he is doing. It is an internal battle that was interesting to read play out. This was a great read!