I happen to like most books that are written in the form of a diary. This when I was about 10 years old and I am always on the lookout for good books in this genre.
This diary is... something else. I was immediately engrossed in the story because of the excellent way the author used the voice of a young girl. A girl 'with a condition' as her parents and teachers say. A weird girl, as her school mates say. But actually, a girl that just sees the world in a different way. Ruby loves simple things, and an orderly life, and she hates noise and unexpected happenings. So, lots of people could agree with her, you'd think. But then: Ruby knows of a secret her father has, a strange hobby, a hobby that gives her pleasure to look at because of all the beautiful colors and patterns.
We soon understand that this hobby is quite gruesome. And what's more gruesome, Ruby thinks she could help her father, make beautiful patterns just like he does. The older she gets, the more she understands, but not the way we would understand.
A great read and I would have loved to give it the full five stars, except that I thought the end not as good as the rest of the book and frankly, a bit rushed.

Thanks to Netgalley and the author for this digital review copy.

Imagine seeing your daddy commit the most horrendous murders. With obvious glee in his face. And you have the opportunity to record all of this in your special diary.... What a thrilling read! Can't wait to read some more by this author! Recommended.

I liked how the main character, Ruby, was written as different from other people and how the diary entries were able to convey that through the way they were written. The writing was smooth and the plot had some moments of suspense. I thought that the book could have used some twists to help amp up the atmosphere. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this via NetGalley and the publisher.

This was a very quick, intriguing read, and only took me a few days.
This story is the diary of a very young Ruby Marlowe, and follows her father's killing spree throughout the years into her teens. I held my breath every time she got close to being caught watching him. Would he have hurt her too? Or did he realize she was watching and enjoyed having an audience? This question was never really answered, but with his temper, you kind of wondered, especially the part where he caught her reading one of his books about poison. He hated even his own daughter invading his personal space, but with him telling her the garage was "dangerous" to keep her away, he should have known the older she got, the more curious she would become.
Ruby ended up being a very well developed character. You could feel her personality leap from the pages. She was definitely an extrovert (so am I), and was constantly bullied because she was different (I was bullied in school too, simply because I was shy and wouldn't speak up). I won't ruin the book, but I could definitely feel empathy for certain scenes in which the bullying went to the extreme. It was easy to put myself into her shoes during those times, but the difference is, she thought it was okay to be like her dad and hurt others. His evil definitely runs through her veins. Most people would not go to this extreme to defend themselves.
What I did not like about this book, what happened to her mother was highly predictable, like no one would have seen it coming.
Overall, great book! Thanks for a pleasant read NetGalley.

I love thriller so much I chose this book because of the title! This book was told in a diary format from the POV of Ruby, the killer's daughter. It was fun to be in Ruby head but it's freaking dark and disturbing. I mean you know how dark and twisted it is from the title itself. Ruby describing all her father killing game. He don't even know that she knows what he did asdfghjkl

I love Ruby and her father relationship! He love her in his own way. Ruby love her father so much he wanted to protect her father's secret.

Thank you Netgalley, author and publisher for The Diary of A Serial Killer's Daughter ARC!

When I first requested this book I thought it was a memoir for some reason. Once I started it, it became obvious it wasn't but I was still intrigued.

The book is written in diary form. It is the diary of Rose who is "special". She attends school with normal kids but doesn't like to talk to kids and be touched. It never stAtes it in the book but I am assuming she's autistic. Her talent is writing which she enjoys so her dad gives her a diary to keep all her secrets and write her feelings. Little does he realize she's writing his secrets.

As Ruby ages, she realizes her daddy who she loves more than anyone is a serial killer. She will do anything to protect him even if it means killing herself.


Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rather a unique thriller that flows quickly. Ruby is a daddy's girl and wants to be around him all the tiime, even to the point of watching daddy with the girls in the barn through a hole in the wall. Written in diary form it holds your attention too see what this does to Ruby.

"We'll believe what we want to...People will believe the story we sell to them, even if it clearly isn't true."

Ruby Marlowe knows all about secrets. She's grown up keeping them -- from age 7 she realizes that something about her father is not normal and very scary. He doesn't know that she's watching him very carefully and learning a lot about what he is doing although she has no way of understanding why he's doing it. But Ruby loves her daddy and he has always taken care of her. It's been the two of them, alone in their isolated house by the fields and the woods. The two of them, alone, don't need anyone else. But Ruby is growing up and her being "different" is making things hard. Daddy has taught his daughter well. NO SPOILERS.

This is some sick stuff here. Told in diary format, Ruby details her thoughts and feelings about her life as the daughter of a serial killer who's driven by a darkness that engulfs Ruby as well. I don't really care for the style, especially the entries Ruby makes at an age where most children can't express themselves very well or write at that level. It's definitely twisted and sad and awful and I couldn't help but wonder how the family avoided any protective services intervention. It was an extremely fast read and I found myself unable to put this horror story down, hoping that somehow Ruby would be able to be saved. Nothing about this was predictable, which was different for me, but I can't say I enjoyed it. I also can't say I liked any of the characters but I did feel quite sorry for Ruby growing up as she did, keeping herself to herself, and also being privy to her father's secret life. That father-daughter bond was unbreakable since all they had was each other.

I am not sure what type of psycho chiller thriller fan would like this with its very dark subject matter. Be warned! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-book ARC to read and review.

Ruby Marlowe is a daddy's girl. Her mother died when she was only two and has no real memory of her. But that's okay, because daddy is always there for her.

As a young child of 5, she discovers that her daddy has secrets ... secrets that run deep and dark. She calls it the killing game.

As she ages into a teenager, she knows why she's always been a little different from everyone else .. her daddy's blood runs through her veins.

(BOOK BLURB) As her father’s killing grows rampant, the secrets get harder and harder to hide—and she fears it will all come crashing down. Will Ruby seek 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?

Ruby's story is told through the pages of her diary .. her thoughts, her actions. She becomes obsessed with the color red ... especially the way it takes shape on the garage floor. It's a fascinating look at a child raised by a serial killer.

Many thanks to the author / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

The title alone screamed at me that I needed to read this and I’m so glad I did! This book is written entirely from the pages of the daughters (Ruby) diary entries. It starts when she is 7 years old and goes on until she is 16. Ruby and her father live alone on secluded property. She secretly watches what her Daddy (that’s what she calls him the entire book) does in his garage and she becomes utterly fascinated by it.. I just don’t want to give away anything so I’ll just leave it at that.

This book is extremely dark, chilling, very different (in a good way) and I couldn’t put it down. I did not care for all the bullying Ruby endures, honestly at some points this book is just heartbreaking. The book also does get a little a repetitive but it didn’t slow me down because I just had to know the ending!

Very interesting to read. I really enjoyed it. Twists and turns and some stomach churning moments. It was very well written and very easy to read.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Diary of a Serial Killer’s Daughter appealed to my more morbid reading interests, as I loved the idea of exploring what it’s like to grow up with a parent who’s also a serial killer. And this did not disappoint: it’s a slow burn, going through several years in a young girl’s life as she comes to maturation and a true realization of her father’s crimes and her potential to be like him.

I could not help but be struck by the fact that, even though, as an outside observer, you can see the dysfunction in the lives of Ruby and her father, I also found myself rooting for them in a weird way too, because of how messed up they both are. I love how the way his killing spree is hinted at from her perspective through her gradual growing awareness is written, and it perfectly, along with the constant torment she faces from a school bully due to her developmental disability, foreshadows her own dark act pushing her toward the point of no return.

And while it is mostly her voice conveying the narrative, there are some other perspectives that come in toward the end, to balance it out, and it made me feel sorry for her for what she became and contemplate what could have happened had her circumstances been different.

This is obviously quite a dark book, with a ton of sensitive content (CW: bullying, graphic violence), so I would keep that in mind when considering if you’re. However, if you’re among the many who also enjoy reading crime stories, especially those that center the killers themselves, I recommend this one highly.

To be honest, thrillers aren't my go to genre. HOWEVER, this book 'captured' me from the beginning all the way till the end. I wanted to know what happens.
I liked the writing format in diary entries.
The main character Ruby writes in her diary since she doesn't speak much throughout her childhood. Ruby is a great writer and takes time to put her thoughts down and what happened that day. It's her safe place. She also loves to write poetry which is dark because of what she lives with. Her father is a serial killer. They both like the color red.
This book was interesting too and I would recommend it to others!

I will admit that this one started out a bit slowly for me. A good portion of the beginning was written from the POV of a seven year old. It got repetitive and, to be honest, seven year olds just aren’t all that interesting.

However, once our girl started growing up, I was invested.

This is definitely a dark tale. While I’m not sure I liked any of the characters, we really aren’t meant to. But it’s a good look at the inner workings of a psychopath!

Once it got going, this was a very good story!

*ARC Provided via Net Galley

I started this book not knowing much about it and ended up loving it! It is written from a child's point of view in a diary format. So different from anything else I've read and I loved the creativity of the writing style. Very chilling and somewhat disturbing, this book will hook you from the first page. Definitely recommend!

Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review

This book is written in a diary format initially by young Ruby growing into a teenage Ruby. It is obvious that Ruby is different from her peers, this is cleverly portrayed by Ruby herself and her in writing in her diary but never a diagnosis.

Ruby’s mother died when she was two and Ruby loves her father who brought her up. However Ruby has trouble with the rest of the world. In Rubies world her father can do no wrong .Early in the story we discover what her father really does in the garage when he thinks Ruby is safely asleep in bed , The truth is that Ruby misses nothing and details her fathers actions both in her diary and dark poetry. Ruby loves the colour red the colour of blood!.

This book was a dark unputdownable read ,waiting to find out what happens next . Read this book the title speaks for itself you will not be disappointed.

I read a lot of books about serial killers. I'm not sure what that says about me, but it's become a niche for me and I'm always amazed by how the genre manages to come up with new twists on a familiar narrative.

This provides two new elements. First, it's written from the perspective of the serial killer's daughter versus the POV of the investigating detective or the killer himself. It's quite interesting to see how she interprets the situation. The book provides a new perspective on how a murder can be witnessed, without being overt on the gory details.

Furthermore, it's written as a series of diary entries over a span of about ten or so years (aside from the epilogue), which is a novel approach. We get to see how the main character progresses as a person and as a conflicted daughter.

There were some elements that seemed not fully fleshed out, but overall I definitely enjoyed this book!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

i have to honestly admit that this book was so different than all the other books I've read in my lifetime. I'm so glad I decided to read this one because it has turned out to be my best read of this month so far.

The book is about the diary of a serial killer's daughter (Ruby) so it is fully written in first person's perspective. It was very heart-rendering to read her story from when she was 7 years old. I feel so sorry for her, for everything she has undergone at that young age.

This book is such a book that will pull you inside it right from the beginning and keep you immersed till the very end.

If you are looking for a shocking and extremely different book, then without a second thought, pick this one up. You will not be sorry.

Thanks to NetGalley for my copy.

Oddly written from a child’s point of view but deeply disturbing and also incredibly engrossing. I could not stop reading this book even though it made me mildly uncomfortable.

Prehaps the fault is my own, the blurb describing 'The Diary of a Serial Killer's Daughter' was slanted more as if the Ruby, whose father she knows to be a serial killer, wrestles with the weight of this knowledge and what action, if any, she should take to make it stop. From this decription my expectation was that 'The Diary of a Serial Killer's Daughter' would vibe similiarly to that of 'Room' by Emma Donoghue, where a child is trapped into an exsistance of horror, even if that child is yet somewhat innocent of such knowledge. I had expected Ruby to express a more profound naivete towards her normal, rather than understanding from a very young age that her life, and the doings of her father were indeed far from normal, or right.

I found this read to be much from gruesome, and twisted than I had expected, that being said, I suppose my disappointment from this book stems more so from the let down of my own expectations, which arose from the description, than the actual reading of 'The Diary of a Serial Killer's Daughter'. That being said, I personally did not enjoy this read nearly as much as I thought I would.

I would, however, recommend 'The Diary of a Serial Killer's Daughter', if you're looking for gruesome, for the darkness that comes about from a child being raised on secrets, for angst that pleagues those who feel misplaced amongst society, for an understanding of going to any lengths to stop the pain even if that means doing something you swore you would never do. This book is for you.

Thank you so much for both NetGalley for an advanced copy for 'The Diary of a Serial Killer's Daughter' in exchange for my honest review.

2.75 stars / 5