4.5 stars

In The Blood Kate Wiley is the fourth in the Detective Margot Phalen series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Storm Publishing for sending me a widget, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

  

Series Background: (Warning – Contains spoilers from previous books)
Detective Margot Phalen is a homicide detective with the San Francisco Police Department.  She was born Megan Finch, but her father is the notorious serial killer Ed Finch, and she wants no part of his name. Only three people on the force know her identity -- her Captain (Gordon Tate), her partner (Wes Fox), and another detective, Leon Telly.   Margot's anxiety sometimes rears its ugly head.  Over twenty years have passed, but Margot is still trying to forget the fact that her father is a serial killer.   Margot also has a brother (now called David), who has not faired well either.  Recently, her father was transferred from New York to San Quentin, and will provide Margot with information on more of his victims -- if she visits him.  She is working with FBI Special Agent Andrew Rhodes to deal with Ed.

 

My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
They are still on the hunt of the Redwood Killer, and another body has turned up that may be his work, but it's a little different.

When Wes and Margot attend the scene of a burning vehicle, a woman staggers out of the nearby bush.  It is quickly evident that she has been doused in gasoline.  Even identifying this poor woman will be an issue, and she may not live long enough to tell them.  But as they learn more about her, they discover that they may be dealing with people who feel they are above the law.

Then, on a visit to the prison to see her father, he reveals that he had an accomplice.

Meanwhile, Margot's brother comes to visit, and she finds herself wondering if either of them has escaped their father's pull.  Is killing in their blood?




My Opinions:
First, discovering that there is only one more book in this series is both a relief and a disappointment.  Relief because I am reading some series that seem never-ending, and it's hard to stop.  Disappointment, because this is one of the good ones.

Margot is a wonderful character.  She is a woman who has grown up in a horrendous situation, and became a strong, woman because of it.  Yes, her anxiety issues are a problem, but she has learned to deal with them.  She has a problem with intimacy, but is learning to deal with that too.  She continues to be in therapy -- good for her!   I even love and appreciate her relationship with Wes.

The plot was really interesting, as it looks like things are being tied together.  I liked the chapters about Margot's brother and his relationship with their father.

These books are very well paced, fast and entertaining.

Anyway, I am looking forward to the next book, maybe more so because it's the last.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this awesome book

he taught her how to look after herself
to see danger at every corner
to vary her routes home
how to not be vulnerable to attack

but he didnt teach her how to live with the knowledge that he was a psychopath and was now locked away in maximum prison for the rest of his life

margot was now a homicide detective, she had changed her name and became a hunter of murderers... but she also helped the FBI when it came to her father and would try to get information out of him about the murders that happened around the time of his killing spree but he never acknowledged them

margot was also busy with her own job and had numerous cases on the go at any one time... but it was the call to a burnt out car wreck that would haunt her for years to come.... they werent even sure if there was a body in the car as the heat from the fire was keeping everyone back but they were hoping for some hints to who was driving or whose car it was... they just didnt expect what would happen at the scene....

omg this book kept me reading till all hours but its the bigger story line being built for the next book and i for one cant wait, this has been a brillinat series to get into and i have to say i have a soft spot for margot and what she is going through... i have high hopes for her...

In The Blood is the fourth book in this gripping Detective Margot Phalen Series. by Kate Wiley this series has me hooked. While I do read thrillers, I must find the detective or main character to be relatable, Margot is that and more. Just when she thinks she know the worst, there is more for her serial killer father to share. To give anything new, she must visit him in prison. It’s like he holds her hostage figuratively speaking. As I am cringing while reading those scenes, my heart still goes out to Margot. Now he tells of having a partner in his crimes. Is it her brother? Somehow it seems that Margot feels it is her duty to stop other killers but fears what she will discover.

What a story. An addictive series that must be read to fully appreciate all that happens. I am glad to have read the entire series but still think that one could enjoy this story on its own. If you love thrillers where the heroine is struggling with her family’s history while also trying to do what is right than this is the series for you.

Margot and Wes are working on the Redwood Serial Killer Case, which has stalled as there are no leads, when they are requested to go to a park where a car is burning. For everyone's amazement, a very burnt woman, comes out of the woods in the park asking for help - was she in the car? Was she the driver? What happened to her? Whilst they are looking for answers Margot is requested by the FBI to return to speak to her father, the serial killer, as he has let them know he had someone helping him with the killings. As if things could not get worse, Margot's brother (whose phone calls she had been avoiding) turns up on her doorstep. Everything starts to happen fast, eventually her father says the name of the man who helped him, her brother leaves town, she decides to talk to the TV producers who will be making a series about her father's crimes, although she is not able to recognize or to admit she is having feelings again and might be "normal" in the near future. In the Blood is fast-paced, well-written, and one of those books that get you hooked from the beginning. Looking forward to reading the next book in series! Highly recommended!
I thank the author, her publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

Margot Phalen! Dear old serial killer Dad, drunk Brother, a walking corpse and new leads on a cold case. Margot Phalen is one of my favorite female protagonist. We catch up with Margot and Was being calldd to the scene of a homicide, but they are met with a female burnt beyond recognition that walks out of the small patch of trees. She is alive but can barely speak. Her Dad has offered additional information regarding his murders. Margot's brother shows up at her apartment. Full of twists and turns, Wiley never fails to deliver. Very fast paced and quite enjoyable.

Thank you to Storm Publishing for the ARC.

The Redwood killer is still at large, and Detectives Phalen and Fox have been pulled into a brand new case after a woman has been lit on fire - and somehow survived. Desperate to figure out who she is, who did this to her, and how this may tie into her other cases, Phalen crosses paths with an unforgiving crime family, and is pulled back yet again into the grips of her serial killer father.

*****

This is the fourth of five books in the Detective Phalen series. You could read this as a stand-alone, but it definitely is better if you've read the previous books as you miss a lot of history and context without it.

As someone who's come into the series with fresh eyes, I loved how we see how the layers of Margot's past continue to shape who she is today. Her caution, her hyper-vigilance, and her ability to bounce back from trauma after trauma in her life and work showcase how being raised by a prolific serial killer has truly shaped who she is. We also get to see how being her fathers favourite shaped how her younger brother grew up, and we get to experience it through the fathers eyes.

The dual POV between Margot in the present and her father Ed in the past, gave insight into the mind of a killer that was both intriguing and also absolutely chilling. Seeing their interactions in current day and how it pulls from who we know he is inside and who Margot sees him as added so much depth to an already interesting novel. Although the overall progress was slightly slower in this novel, so much happens at once, and sets us up for a massive finish in the fifth and final novel.

*****

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the digital ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Detective Margot Phalen and her partner Detective Wes Fox are in the middle of a case, the Redwood Killer. While also dealing with Margot's father, who is in jail, he is a serial killer. Margot is still trying to find out more about her father. This book smoothly switches between Margot and her father. We get to see what a serial killer thinks and what drives him to kill. Margot also has to deal with her brother coming into her life again and old feelings that have resurfaced. Overall, this book was really good, fast-paced, and enticing. First time reading Kate Wiley, and I am hooked. Will most definitely be reading the other books in this series.

Thank you, Netgalley and Storm Publishing, for this thrilling ARC!

A continuation of Margots amazing journey with a brilliant twist at the end that I had not anticipated. Four books read, looking forward to reading more soon. Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

I am really enjoying the ongoing series featuring Margot, a San Francisco detective who also is the daughter of America’s most prolific serial killer. This is the third book in this series and although it technically could be read alone, I think a reader would enjoy the story and characters more if they had read the previous two books. Margot is certainly a flawed individual but those flaws make her more interesting and more real. She is lured back to San Quentin prison for another encounter with her father who once again dangles tidbits of information as to his previously undiscovered tally of kills, this time mentioning an accomplice for some of them. Margot is drawn back in but has to also deal with her ongoing cases: The Redwood Killer of women who all have a connection to an escort agency and the horrific burning of another woman. Are these connected? Will she get more from talking to her father? Why has her brother turned up unexpectedly? Some of these questions will be answered in this book but some will carry over to the next one. I’ve taken a star away from this book because I find the non resolution irritating. I think I would have preferred a longer book with resolutions rather than having to remember all the characters and details for the interim time between publications.

I really enjoyed In the Blood by Kate Wiley—it’s a smart, layered police procedural with a strong emotional core. Detective Margot Phalen is one of the more compelling leads I’ve come across lately; she’s carrying the weight of discovering, as a teenager, that her own father was a serial killer.

That trauma isn't just a backstory gimmick—it genuinely shapes how she approaches the world, her work, and this particular case, which cleverly mirrors her past without feeling forced. The pacing is steady, more brooding than breakneck, which worked for me because it let the atmosphere and character work breathe.

I liked how Wiley didn’t rush to tie everything up or overexplain—there’s confidence in the writing, and it pays off. I’ll definitely be back for the next one.

Kate Wiley has done it again. Another great chapter for Margot Phalen and her partner Wes.

Fantastic read, absolutely no spoilers, just highly recommend.

Can't wait for the next installment!

My thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy in return for an honest review.

This family's secrets are next level. Being the daughter of one of the most prolific serial killers is hard for Detective Margot Phalen. She even changed her name and appearance to try and sever ties with her sadistic, narcissistic father, Ed Finch. She spends her days catching men like him, but the past still haunts her, and her father is asking for her once again.

The beginning scenes are gruesome when they are called to the scene of a vehicle fire. You can feel the tension knotting in your neck because you just know there is going to be something to tie all of this together. The author is working it all together and things are beginning to make sense in book 4 of this series, but the author is not quite finished.

I suggest that you do not start this book if you have anything else to do with your time, including work, sleep or chores. It is beyond creepy as the story goes back and forth between Ed's early years and the present. There were definitely some shocking twists, goosebumps and chills. There is still a killer on the loose, and law enforcement is baffled. There is so much going on in this book, and I am so ready for resolution. I need book #5 now.

You do not have to read the other three books, but I highly recommend it so that you can more fully understand the characters.

Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is one of my favorite series and this book blew me away. I love Margot. And Wes! The story is intense and my heart was racing several times. I was up way past bedtime, I couldn't put it down. My jaw dropped several times. I loved the ending and I cannot wait for the final book.

This is the fourth book of the Detective Meghan Phalen series and boy I simply couldn't put the book down.

Detective Margot Phalen is the daughter of America's most prolific serial killers Ed. Her father is incarcerated but someone is copying what her father had done many years ago. Meanwhile, Margot and her partner are set to investigate an arson case where a woman was almost burned to death and Margot and Wes must find the person responsible for the arson.

I couldn't follow up with most of the characters since I haven't read the first three books but it didn't really matter to me. I really liked the pacing--it was fast paced and unputdownable in my opinion. There are some twists and turns and I like how the author managed to put the reader on the edge. I really enjoyed reading this book and couldn't wait for the fifth book to come soon.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Storm publishing for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

I cannot get enough of this series!! This is book four & I am just as invested as I was at the end of book 1.
While we are still stuck with no answers from the "Redwood Killer" cases discussed in book 3, it pops up again, possibly being related to the case in this book. Margot & Wes are called to the scene of a burning car, but no body in sight... until a woman burned so badly starts to emerge from the woods. Not only is Margot always drowning in work but her personal life takes a tool on her again when she is requested to go back to visit Ed Finch, her serial killer father. And on top of that her brother, Justin re-enteres her life begging her to do a docu-series. Margot is dead set on not doing it, not wanting to rehash all the memories or waste another breath on the "legacy" that is Ed Finch. While trying to balance her personal and work life, Margot is still balancing her feelings for her partner Wes. While I did love the chemistry between them more in book 3, it lacked her for me but I am excited to see where it could go.
It will be hard to say goodbye to these characters in the next book, the final book of this series. Kate Wiley does an amazing job drawing her readers in. I never want the series to end because of it but I am excited to see how Margots story wraps up.
I want to share some of my favorite quotes;
- "The horrors persist, but so do I."
- "This would not be the first time a witness assumed something was a mannequin." I listen to a lot of Crime junkies podcast and this is a life rule of theirs, IT'S NEVER A MANNEQUIN!!
- "The thing about trauma was, it didn't leave just because you gave it time."
All my true crime-loving people need to grab this book when it's released May 14th!
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Thank you, NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't expect to rate this way, as I was loving this book, but felt like it abruptly ended without any real answers to this books case, which is a shame.
I have a feeling the final book is going to (hopefully) jam packed from cover to cover and I can't wait to get my hands on it.
I did love that Margot is finally finding herself.

I love this author and I love the concept of the daughter of a serial killer. The perspective is so unique. This one was no exception and I enjoyed the side of her father and the way he saw his son and daughter. It brings a real depth and reality to this series. I read this in one sitting it was so good. The creepy serial killer psyche gives me chills

Wow!!!! This one was so good! I was hooked from the start! This is the fourth book in the series so if you read them, start with book one!

That ending and the twist…my mouth dropped open! I cannot wait for book five to come out!! I need it NOW!!

4⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advanced copy of In The Blood.

Detective Margot Phalen and her partner Wes are called to a crime scene to investigate a potential murder. The victim is holding on for dear life and they are trying to get as much information from her as possible. Margot returns home to find her brother drunk at her apartment complex. He wants her to participate in a series about their serial killer father. She wants no part of it because the visits she has with him in prison are difficult enough but she dies them to find his other victims. He reveals that he had a partner for a few of his kills and she does not know if that is true or if he is just trying to keep her coming back.

This is the fourth book in this series and I have enjoyed every book! I love the characters and the storyline. I cannot wait to see what happens in the fifth and final book!

When you are the daughter of a serial killer, nothing is going to be simple. As Margot attempts to deal the the crazy going on around her, and try to deal with her father, she is frazzled.

This case was just as good as the others, and I had a really hard time putting this book down. I am loving the developing relationship between Margot and Wes. I cannot wait to read more in this series.

I highly recommend this one, and of course, the entire series. Hopefully there is another installment coming soon!