3.5 stars. The plot was unique, but at times it stretched to unbelievable. The character arcs were a bit on the weak side - just when I thought I had a sense of the characters, one of them would do or say something that just didn't quite fit for me. This one had quite a bit of potential, but for me it fell short in the end.

Book Title: Her Father’s Daughter
Author: T.M. Dunn pseudonym for Patricia Dunn
Narrators: David Bendera and Cara Swingland
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Genre: Domestic Thriller
Pub Date: July 18, 2023
My Rating: 2.6 Stars
Pages: 272

Story is story from the POV of Linda the daughter and Anthony the father.
Father and daughter Anthony and Linda run ‘Donovan and Daughter Exterminators’. They have been close as Anthony has been the sole parent for Linda. His wife died of an overdose shortly after Linda’s birth. He has never gotten over that and has an unhealthy obsession with his dead wife.

Although Linda has been close to her father, she is ready to leave NY and to go California to attend college at USC; before leaving NY, Linda is called to one last extermination before leaving. When she gets to the apartment at ritzy complex in New York, she finds a woman dead.

The blurb: Skillfully weaving together domestic suspense, a desperate police investigation, a love affair,
and a serial killer on the loose. a raw, edgy, and hard-hitting hero’s journey into a family’s twisted
secrets,
This got my attention however, once I got into the story the parts about rats and cellars I thought this seems more like a horror story than a thriller to me.
I hung in there but I just never got to the point of enjoying it ~ of course, doesn’t mean that you won’t love the story perhaps not rats and cellars!!!

Want to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for granting me this audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 17, 2023.

This was an interesting storyline. The main characters were Anthony Donovan and his daughter, Linda who are both pest exterminators. But all is not necessarily as it seems. The story is told with two narrators in different timelines. One is Linda in the present day and the other is her father. His chapters detail his youth and how he met her mother. Everything in Anthony's chapters lead up to the present day.

This is an interesting storyline with a few surprises along the way. I thought the method that the author used to tell this story was clever. It was definitely unlike any book I've read before in its originality which I really liked. I hesitate to say too much because with a story like this, it's best to read the book yourself and let it all unfold without any spoilers.

AUDIOBOOK: The audiobook narration was okay. I believe the layout of the book lent itself to being read in audio and the narrators did a nice job. 4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for both early copies of the ebook and audiobook. I voluntarily chose to review both of them and the opinions contained within are my own.

There's dark and twisty, and then there's Her Father's Daughter. I always commit to keeping my reviews spoiler free, and so I won't disclose any of the details here, but T.M. Dunn's debut novel is so fiendishly dark and clever, Let's just say it takes method acting to a whole new before now un-thought-about level. Having said all that, I loved it. I started it in the evening, thinking that I would just read a couple of chapters before bed. I ended up binging it in one sitting, alternating between audio and text versions, because I had to know how this dark tale was going to end, and it ended oh so perfectly. Thanks for the opportunity to review!

I always love a book that lets you in the mind of the killer (morbid I know). Getting to see the two sides of Anthony was thrilling and shocking, especially when Linda has to put the two halves of her father together to see him as he really is. One of the things I really enjoyed was how the past was told to the reader using journal entries, getting that glimpse into Anthony's mind and reading in his own works how he fell in love with Rebecca. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves seeing a story pull threads together to weave all the pieces into place.

This book was a fresh and fantastic take on a serial killer thriller.

I greatly enjoyed the two separate narrators in this book. I thought both did a great job encompassing the characters. The only thing I didn't like was the narration for the character, Jess. The tone the narrator used came off as very ditzy. I couldn't tell if that is what the author was going for, because she was a police detective. It threw me off a little bit.

The book is told from the point of view of both twenty-five-year-old Linda and her father, Anthony. The timelines are split between the present and her father's past. I enjoyed the way the past was told as almost a reflection rather than taking us there entirely.

Linda's mother committed suicide days after she was born, leaving Anthony to raise Linda himself. Linda lived a normal upbringing, and the pair own a pest control service called Donovan and Daughter.

The book opens with the death of an elderly woman who resided at one of the buildings they worked for. Linda and/or her father become suspects.

Right up front, we know that Anthony was a serial killer, raised and trained by his father before him. He refers to himself as an actor, who targets and studies and becomes his victims. The whole thing was just so chilling and creepy. He gave all of that up when Linda was born and spent 25 years living a normal life with his daughter.

Being inside the mind of a serial killer was especially chilling because Anthony saw his work as an art. The killing was fully intertwined with his acting studies. You got a sense that he truly came to care for his victims, and he had some sense of morality because if one died outside of his control or timeline, he was devastated. At the end of each victim, he would have a trophy containing their ashes made for himself, with each profession he had mastered in his "acting" career. It was truly insane.

The book is told in a way that we are finding out about the father's full past from his POV at the same time that Linda is finding out in the present. There are no huge plot twists to disappoint you, it is more of a waiting to find out how everything will be revealed, and what will happen in the end.

I really appreciated the fact that the reader is finding out the truth simultaneously with Linda. I tend to not like the "slow reveal" books when it is clear the narrator knows the answer but is hiding it from the reader.

The book culminates in Anthony wanting Linda to take over the REAL family business, but I won't spoil it with her decision. The book begs the question of whether serial killers are born or raised.

Overall, I thought it was a unique read that I was not able to put down. I highly recommend this one.

I could have gone up to 3 stars, but the unnecessary LBGQT agenda thrown into this book I could have done with out. Why couldn't Jessica been Jim?

Books where the reader has insight into the killer's mind, is appealing and interesting, especially with the justifications and way they phrase their behavior. So being inside Linda's dad's mind was an adventure, and whoa he is messed up . Dunn does a great job of creating a creep beyond all creep villains.
His chapters were fun to read....but....(you knew it was coming)
Linda's POV was intolerable. She was not likable, I hate female characters that are written like they behave like men. Sex is just whatever and "tough as nails"I really did not buy Linda. Maybe instead of Jessican being Jim it would have made more sense to have Linda be Larry....I could not (and did not want to) connect with Linda.
Jess was such a "damsel in distress" and an airhead, yet a police detective....again did not buy it!
The story was just "weird". Rats, rodents, weird facts that rats like peanut butter??Rats and mice cannot cohabitate? , crematoriums.....it was actually quite disturbing. Maybe that is what kept me interested, I had to know how all this crazy stuff was going to come together at the end.
I think this may have been TM Dunn's first novel, I would entertain the idea of reading their next one....There is room for growth for sure. But again kept my attention and just needs to build up more likable characters....
Thank you Netgalley for this advanced copy read. These were all my honest original thoughts on this book.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)

"Her Father's Daughter" takes readers on a twisted journey through the life of Linda Donovan, a young woman who works alongside her father, Anthony, at their family business, Donovan and Daughter Exterminators in New York City. On a fateful day, Linda stumbles upon a gruesome murder scene in an upscale apartment building, setting off a chain of events that reveal hidden secrets and a haunting family history.

The story unfolds as Linda's father becomes entangled in the investigation, leaving her to navigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding the murder on her own. Meanwhile, Anthony chronicles his dark history.

The premise of "Her Father's Daughter" holds promise, blending elements of mystery, family drama, and psychological exploration. The inclusion of the notebooks, in which Anthony records his past, adds an intriguing layer to the narrative.

Dunn skillfully crafts an atmosphere of suspense and tension throughout the book, keeping readers engaged with a steady pace and a sense of impending doom. The vivid descriptions of the murder scene and the surrounding events evoke a chilling atmosphere, effectively immersing readers in the story's unsettling ambiance.

While the book succeeds in building intrigue, it falls short in fully capitalizing on its potential. The characters, particularly Linda, lack the depth and development necessary for readers to form a strong connection with them. Linda's journey of self-discovery is hindered by a lack of emotional resonance, making it difficult to fully invest in her experiences and decisions.

Additionally, the execution of the dual narrative—alternating between Linda's present-day struggles and Anthony's recollections—can feel disjointed at times. The transition between past and present could have been smoother, allowing for a more seamless integration of the two storylines.

On the narrators, they did a pretty good job but the voice of Jess is completely annoying. Too high and too fake.

Overall, "Her Father's Daughter" is solid but flawed. The chilling atmosphere and suspenseful plot contribute to an engaging read. However, the lack of character depth and the occasional disjointedness of the dual narrative prevent the story from reaching its full potential. Despite these shortcomings, fans of psychological mysteries may find enjoyment in it.

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed how this book is set up to listen to with the two main characters being a father and daughter, voiced by separate narrators. They are both clear and concise, and I never had to question who was speaking. The story itself is about a father that has hidden much of his life from his daughter until it can’t be avoided any longer. The concept of nature vs. nurture always intrigues me and this book takes it to the extreme! If you like thrillers and mysteries, check this out!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this audiobook. This is a story about a father/daughter duo who have an exterminator business and it went back and forth between the father's story when he met her mother and her finding rats in an apartment building along with a dead person. It was a bit confusing listening to this story but I muddled through it. I enjoyed the father narrator's voice the best.

Thank you Dreamscape Media, NetGalley, and T. M. Dunn for the pleasure of getting to listen to the advance version of the audiobook Her Father’s Daughter. I admit I do enjoy a good serial killer thriller and this one, being told from the perspective of the killer and then flipping through to his daughter is quite exciting. The killer has a rather unique talent of mimicking people and he has learned this skill from his father and his father learned it from his father. He now wants to pass his skill onto his daughter but is she ready to take on the family business that she had no clue her father was hiding?
This is quite thrilling reading and kept me up late anxiously waiting to see how things would turn out. I will definitely keep an eye on this author in the future.

WOWZA! I could not stop listening to this unique and suspenseful thriller. The dual POV and dual timeline created such a great mystery that you will want to keep reading. While some of the parts was rather disturbing, I just couldn’t get enough!

The narrators were great and brought the book to life! If you are looking for something unique and not talked about much, add this book to your TBR. I look forward to see what Dunn comes up with next.

***Many thanks to @thrillerbookloverspromotions, TM Dunn, @dreamscapemedia, and NetGalley for the ALC in turn for my honest review.

I will be posting my review on Instagram (thriller_book_sisters) on 7/14/23.

**Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC of this title!**

Okay, so this one was not my all-time favorite thriller by any means. I did enjoy it as a way to pass the time on my commute, and I did look forward to finding out the ending.

Her Father's Daughter was definitely very confusing as an audiobook, and I feel that it would have been a 4 star read for me as a physical book. I read and listen to a lot of books with multiple POVs and timeframes, but this one was definitely the most confusing. Due to the story being broken up into multiple acts and the way the story progressed, it was extremely challenging to listen to this as an audio.

I liked the story itself even though it was a bit predictable. And to be fair to the narrator - she did a great job with the actual reading and differentiating the characters.

Check this one out as a physical book or ebook if you like domestic thrillers, suspense, mystery, and crime novels!

This was so good! Linda Donovan and her father are exterminators in New York City. Through different acts, we learn about a young boy who had a traumatic childhood and grew to kidnap people to “try on” their persona. So bizarre, and there were so many juxtapositions in the words and the actions of our main characters that it would stop me in my tracks. So fun, twisty, and I could not put it down! The narration was impeccable. Thank you to @netgalley for the chance to review this book!

This was a middle-of-the-road kind of experience for me. Her Father's Daughter is told from the alternating perspectives of Linda and her father (her father's chapters are in epistolary form). Her father tells the tale of how he met her mother and how their love story descended into dark territory, while Linda in the present day carries us through a murder investigation and her complicated dealings with the past. Linda's father's sections were the hardest for me to get through since they were so dialogue heavy with minimal forward movement for the most part. Linda's perspectives were much more engaging, though it took a few chapters to really get into things.

I did find the character development brilliant and the characters were realistic - their actions and motivations made sense for how they were written. The writing made me sympathize with Linda and even Anthony despite everything. Overall, I enjoyed the premise of the book but it was a very slow. There was a lot of unnecessary description and sometimes very confusing. I enjoyed reading the letters, though. 3.5 stars rounded down simply because of my enjoyment level.

Thank you to Netgally for the advanced ARC Audiobook.

This book was so intriguing to me based on the synopsis. I was so excited to listen to it. And it was really engaging and a great read and then I just lost complete Interest in it.
And honestly I am not sure why.

I will have to shelve this for now and give it another go at a later time.

The narrators were good so that was helpful for me.

3 starrs for now but def could change down the line.

The story line is brilliant no boring parts and kept me guessing to the end. Great author Can't wait for the next one!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Narrated well

DNF @ about 50%

I almost gave up on this one a few times, but I kept trying to push through. Ultimately it’s just not my style of story. The breaking point for me was an impending scene with (presumably) a dead pet who would have suffered needlessly, and I just couldn’t do it right now. Others might be able to get to the end and appreciate the book as a whole.

Her Father’s Daughter by T.M. Dunn

Thank you to @netgalley, @dreamscapemedia, and the author, @patriciadunnauthor for the opportunity to read this #advancedlistenercopy in exchange for my #honestreview! This is available for preorder now and will be released July 18.

Linda Donovan has dedicated her life to helping her dad, Anthony. She’s helped keep him together after the loss of her mother and helped him as partner in his exterminator business. But fate turns the wheel hard right when, on the anniversary of Linda’s mother’s death, Linda discovers a dead resident in her apartment as she’s making her rounds spraying with a rat eating her face. When the cops arrive and begin investigating things start looking bad not only for the family exterminator business but also her father. When Anthony disappears the race is on to solve the mystery of who her father really is before any further damage is done.

This was absolutely crazy! I want to say I absolutely love the format of the book, alternating between Anthony’s POV and that of Linda. The dual narrators killed it as well. The subtle romance in this was adorable and I could’ve done with a little more - maybe a sequel? This was delightfully disturbing and beckons the audience to question how far will one go to protect those that they love? I definitely recommend for those with a fairly strong stomach and a thirst for mystery/suspense.

TW: Murder, violence, identity theft, impersonation, kidnapping, torture, CA, abandonment

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 4/5

4⭐
Genre ~ domestic thriller
Publication date ~ July 18, 2023
Page Count ~ 265
Audio length ~ 8 hours 44 minutes
Narrators ~ Cara Swingline, David Bendena
POV ~ dual 1st
Featuring ~ long chapters for the acts, serial killer, murder, suicide, secrets

Father and daughter, Anthony & Linda are pretty close since he raised her on his own from birth, and they work together in an exterminating business. She takes on a job and makes a gruesome discovery, which sets forth an investigation bigger than Linda ever thought possible.
Anthony's chapters were told as 'acts', he is an actor after all, that are written in journals to Linda that explain his life to her. What she reads is unthinkable and quite shocking.

I do enjoy a serial killer plot and just as expected this was pretty dark and disturbing. Despite the long chapters, the pace and the flow were great and kept me engaged. I'd be happy to read what this author writes next in the adult genre (she has written YA under a different name).

Side note ~ although sad, I like why she was named Linda.

I had a kindle and an audio copy to review.
Narration notes ~ David did a wonderful job, his tone was really animated at times and really drew me into the story. Cara on the other hand was not so great. Her voices for other women characters was just awful and cringey.