The Devil's Daughter by Katee Robert was a good read. The opening chapter had this reader's eyes popping out of my head. Scary, chilling reading to say the least. I've read many of author Katee Roberts books previously, and The Devil's Daughter was a change of pace, tone and genre in general for this reader. A story that brings a multitude of reactions as the story progressed. Heart-pounding, alarming moments in a story that did not quit in a who-done-it novel.
Review copy received from Montlake Romance via Netgalley

I wanted to read this book because I'm a huge fan of other books written by Katee. The idea of her writing a more serious suspense book intrigued me. She has a way of writing very compelling characters that even if you don't like them, you want to know more about and that was true in this book as well. I feel like this is more a suspense book a touch of romance than a romance novel with some suspense. 

I liked Zach and Eden both separately and eventually together. They're both very strong people who are tortured by their own demons.  They have to learn to trust each other and themselves in order to find who is killing local girls. To make matters harder Eden's mother, the leader of a cult that Eden ran from when she was a teen is suspected. 

This is a definite must read. I was  on the edge of my seat and was shocked when we found out who the bad guy was. Excellent writing and a great plot and characters makes this a fantastic read! 

I was kindly provided a copy of this book via Netgalley

I was a mystery reader before I was a romance reader, and I love that one of my favorite authors just took me on a rollercoaster of a story that kept me guessing. I thought I knew who had done the very bad things in this book, but I might've been wrong. There's a little bit of sexy times and romance, but it's the thrill of a good mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat. A great start to a new series, and I'll be waiting (im)patiently for the next one!

The devil's daughter by Katee Roberts is a romance and general fiction  (adult) read. 
Growing up in a small town isn’t easy, especially when you’re the daughter of a local cult leader. Ten years ago, Eden Collins left Clear Springs, Montana, and never once looked back. But when the bodies of murdered young women surface, their corpses violated and marked with tattoos worn by her mother’s followers, Eden, now an FBI agent, can’t turn a blind eye. To catch the killer, she’s going to have to return to the fold.
Sheriff Zach Owens isn’t comfortable putting Eden in danger, even if she is an elite agent. And he certainly wasn’t expecting to be so attracted to her. As calm and cool as she appears, he knows this can’t be a happy homecoming. Zach wants to protect her—from her mother, the cult, and the evil that lurks behind its locked gates. But Eden is his only key to the tight-lipped group, and she may just be closer to the killer than either one of them suspects…
This was a absolutely fantastic read with brilliant characters.  Eden and Zach were my favourite characters.  It definitely wasn't who I thought it was. Full of twists and plots.  It had me thinking. Highly recommended. 5*. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley.

Zach Owens is the police chief in the small town of Clear Springs, Montana. When a local teenage girl is found murdered and another goes missing, suspicion falls on the local cult. Then Eden Collins shows up claiming someone sent her a crime scene picture of the murdered girl. Eden is no random stranger, though. She is an FBI agent who specializes in cults, and she’s also the daughter of the local cult leader. Eden escaped her mother’s clutches years ago, and being back in town is frightening and painful for her, but she feels compelled to help catch the murderer and stop it from happening again. Zach isn’t sure he can trust Eden, but because of her inside knowledge of the cult he needs her help. The closer she gets to the truth, though, the more it seems like Eden herself may be tied up in the case in ways she never expected.

This was an exciting book that kept me hooked till the end. I admit I’m sort of darkly fascinated by cults, so for me the plot of this book was creepy and engaging. The cult leader, Martha Collins, was a great complicated character. She’s a twisted, Machiavellian genius, and Robert kept me guessing about Martha’s motivations right up to the end. Even better, Eden was kept guessing, too. She would think she knew the truth, but then she’d talk to her mom and suddenly have a small seed of doubt. Her mom was a master of gaslighting, so Eden was constantly questioning her judgments and reminding herself that her mom was a manipulator. It made for a tense story, and it highlighted the challenges Eden faced coming back to Clear Springs.

Eden was definitely my favorite part of the book. She didn’t just have a bad childhood; she had a horrific childhood. As one would expect, she has a whole lotta emotional problems as a result, like a compulsion towards perfection and a severe fear of intimacy. But the fact that she was able to rise above her childhood and lead a fairly successful adult life was awesome. What I liked best was her confidence in herself. Given her mother’s tactics and manipulations, it would have been perfectly understandable if Eden was plagued with self doubt. While she can’t escape some of that, overall she trusts herself, which is what allows her to mostly avoid the emotional traps Martha sets for her. She’s not TSTL, and she works hard to put aside her personal issues in order to look at the case objectively. For instance, when she starts to suspect that the case somehow relates to her personally, she doesn’t just brush it off. She acknowledges that maybe she’s too close to look at things clearly and calls in outside help, even though it means admitting to her boss that she’s in over her head. I loved her intelligence and professionalism!

The romance was...fine. I liked Zach well enough, and I did like that right off the bat he doesn’t see Eden as a quick lay. He isn’t dreaming of marriage or anything, but he wants to get to know her and explore whether there might be something more there than simple lust. Because the murder plot was fast paced and tense, though, there wasn’t as much time as I would have liked for Eden and Zach to get to know each other. The ending is definitely a HFN, which I thought made sense. I wasn’t entirely convinced that Eden and Zach could make it work, however, at least not without some major compromises that I’m not sure either would be prepared to make. That left me feeling a little bittersweet about the ending.

This was a fairly dark, gritty book, but it was fast paced, complex, and exciting, and it worked for me.

Grade: 4 out of 5

This book follows Eden Collins who grew up in a small town called Clear Springs in Montana.  Eden’s mother was a cult leader names Martha who has a large following in town.    Eden left as soon as she could get out from her mother’s control and joined the FBI.   The book also follows Sherriff Zach Owens who is in charge of the police in town when a murder occurs.   The story is told from both Eden’s point of view and Zack’s point of view so we get a solid look at the case while reading. 

Eden is such a strong and closed off character at the same time.  She has had a rough childhood growing up in the cult and it doesn’t seem like she really has faced her issues from the past until she is drawn back into town due to an image that was sent to her about a murder.   Eden doesn’t really share much about her past with anyone including her FBI partner or boss.  I feel like she could have used years of therapy and help, but instead she just was able to block it out until now.   I liked that the author gave us bits and pieces of what happened to Eden in the past that helped to build up the suspense.  

Zack Owens seems way over his head when the first murder occurs, but once the story gets moving you can see a different side of him.  Zack also has some skeletons in his closet that we don’t get that great of a look at, but we just need to know that something horrible happened to him to know he is also trying to recover and is slightly closed off.   Zack is a very strong and determined character.    

My one issue was the romance that came out of this book.  As I reflect back on it now I would have loved to stick more with the cult ideas and what actually happened to Eden while she was there.  I sort of felt like we didn’t really need any romance in this book as it took away from the suspense.  I felt like that was almost pulling away from the build up to the climax.  

All I can say on the ending is I did NOT see that coming at all.  Sometimes an author gives you a hint here or there in their writing so you sort of know what is going to happen, but with this book I had no idea what was going to happen.  The ending is completely shocking and I loved it!! 

I would suggest this as a weekend read.  I felt like while I was reading this book there were parts I just couldn’t put down and I wanted to keep on reading to see what was going to happen.  The author did such an amazing job with the suspense it will keep you on your toes. 

I received this book from Barclay Publicity for the purpose of proving an honest review.  This does not affect my opinion of this book.

The best suspense novel I have read in a long time. Will keep you guessing to the very end. Expect the unexpected. Crazy cult. Kinapped girls. A sheriff and FBI agent get cozy. I'll be honest the ending blew me away!
Eden left Clear Springs when she was 18. Her mother is the leader of a cult and is crazy with power. A girl is found dead and Eden receives a picture of her. She is being drawn back to her hometown because the girl had tattoos just like she had. Her mother had them put on her when she was young. She takes some vacation and heads there.
Zach is the sheriff and former Marine. He knows the cult is involved in the murder but proving it will be hard. Now another girl is missing and it's no coincidence that they resemble Eden. Zach and Eden are racing against the clock to find the missing girl before she's killed. They have a whole group of suspects but no evidence against them. Can they find the girl before another is taken?

Who else was jumping up and down with excitement when they heard Katee Robert was trying something new? And when I heard her new series, Hidden Sins, was darker and more suspenseful than her previous work...oh, count me in! Robert had already proven to me that she could go a dark place without sucking all the hopefulness out of life (Exhibit A: The Wedding Pact) so I knew trying something new with her was more of an adventure than a gamble.
 
 
 
The Devil’s Daughter is like a romantic suspense and Criminal Minds mashup. This book made my heart race and made me double check that my house door locks were bolted. It stretched my reading comfort level and made me branch outside of my romance norms. It was wonderful. Really, really wonderful.
 
 
 
The Devil’s Daughter is the story Eden Collins an FBI agent who grew up the daughter of a cult leader. She left the cult and Clear Springs, Montana ten years ago. But, when a murder takes place that points towards her mother and the cult, Elysia, Eden can’t stay away. Once back in Clear Springs she find the Sheriff, Zach, trying to investigate the murder with extremely limited access to the cult compound. Eden offers up use of her full access to Elysia to help solve the case and keep the murderer from killing once more. Since her knowledge of the cult’s traditions, rituals and secrets is unparalleled she’s Zach’s best hope of blowing the case wide open and, reluctantly, Zach agrees to allow Eden to help and put herself in harm’s way. Of course, Zach and Eden start a little thing and, of course, Eden puts herself in WAY too much danger.
 
 
 
Robert’s writing style completely shines in this book. She shows us a little bit of the plot and the mystery in the beginning and keeps opening up our world. For me, it felt like I jumped out of a plane and was racing towards the ground. I saw a little glimpse of the Clear Springs world at first and as the end became closer and closer and grew bigger and bigger my nervousness for a successful landing only increased. I shouldn’t have been nervous since I thoroughly believe in Katee Robert, but come on, it was near impossible to forsee this ending! The set-up and plot of The Devil’s Daughter made it super hard to just go with the flow.  Adding to the suspense, in The Devil’s Daughter we meet the characters of Clear Springs (inside and outside of Elysia), we see Eden’s memories of her time in the cult and we get to see Zach and Eden’s continual investigation; the three components of the story play together to make for one wild ride.
 
 
 
Although The Devil’s Daughter has strong romantic elements, in my mind it would be a stretch to categorize it as a straight romance. Eden and Zach certainly have some chemistry and they do become close as the book progresses, but the mystery and suspense of The Devil’s Daughter is front and center at all times. The romance could be removed entirely from the book and you would still have a very good, complete book. Also adding to the non-romance vibe, this one doesn’t end with a definitive HEA, we get a tentative HFN at the close.
 
 
 
I’m rating The Devil’s Daughter at 4.5 stars. Although I loved the book, I did feel like a few more loose ends could have been tied up in regards to the cult’s symbolism and Eden’s mother’s role in the murders. I wanted all the answers to the mysteries of The Devil’s Daughter, but I just didn’t get 100% closure. Even so, for romantic suspense fans, this book should not be missed. Go ahead, one-click it, lock your doors, dive into this book with a cup of tea and prepare to be nervous wreck :)

I've been eager to read something from Katee Robert for a while now and The Devil's Daughter was definitely the right choice! Mystery and romantic suspense blends into a read that will keep readers up all night. The first novel in the Hidden Sins series is a showstopper.

Eden Collins is returning home to help, unofficially, in a case that is sure to lead back to her mother's cult. As an FBI agent she's willing to put her experience and skills to use. Sheriff Zach Owens is at first suspicious of Eden, thinking maybe coming back to Clear Springs, Colorado is part of an elaborate ruse to deflect his attention away from Elysia. Eden escaped the cult as soon as she turned 18 and is less than enthusiastic to relive the horrors of her childhood. But, young girls are showing up dead and it may be the killer's way of drawing Eden back to Elysia.

The Devil's Daughter is one thriller that you do not want to miss. Between Zach and Eden I don't know who made the story the most appealing. They both had dominant personalities that made the other think differently and both had pasts that forged the strength readers will see. Not only is the mystery complicated enough to keep you guessing, but the depth of darkness will drag chills down your spine. Just when I thought I knew who the killer was, the story takes me by surprise. That's always a plus in any book!

I'm so happy that this is only the beginning of a series. I can't imagine what comes next, but I look forward to reading more from Katee Robert!

*ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Where to start! A roller coaster of a book. I was surprised by the ending because I didn't expect the killer/rapist to be that person! I would try to guess as the story went on but I was never completely right. Throughout the book I got a JD Robb, Eve and Roarke vibe and I loved it. This being one of my favorite on going series. Completely blown away by the fact this was Katee's first mystery/murder book. Would have love a bit more of a connection/chapters on Eden and Zach, things were left a little unclear but hope to read more about them as the series continues. 

The book is written from Eden's point of view and Zach's. You'll get the victim's point of view a couple of times. 

Overall greatly enjoyed this book and looking forward to the next one. Definitely interested in Vic and what he's about.

Some suspense but I felt like this was a plot I have read before. A bit too graphic for me in parts with the two main characters sex life.

Unlike Katee Robert’s other books that I’ve had the pleasure of reading, ‘The Devil’s Daughter’ is mystery-driven, set in the suffocating confines of a small-town that sits in the shade of a cult whose influence is larger than perceived. It’s a book that’s very different from what I’ve come to associate with Robert and not knowing what to expect, I find myself firmly caught between giving a 3- and 4-star review. There’s a guess-the perpetrator, whodunnit question throughout and the cult, built around the myth of Persephone and Demeter (combined weirdly with some Christian undertones), its proceedings and its shady people, act as the smokescreen concealing the truth from being discovered. 

Not that the writing isn’t good (it is), or that the suspense isn’t sufficient (it is), but that the romance takes such a back seat to the story that it could have actually been superfluous because it felt like an addition only for the sake of bringing 2 leads together, even when their chemistry didn’t seem there at all. The romance could have not existed and the book would have worked; consequently, Eden’s and Zach’s pairing seemed forced, as both seemed rather snippy to each other—but not something I’d really mistake for sexual tension when it felt more like the case wearing on them—so the mild case of attraction that first bloomed into a kiss early on took me by surprise and disbelief, because both hadn’t moved past the ‘unwilling co-worker’ stage yet. The potential romantic interest, in short, barely came across and the later sex scene felt more like an obligatory prerequisite rather than a natural progression.

The ending almost mirrors the grim subject matter: an abrupt, a happy-for-now kind of resolution, like a scene in a crime movie when it end as with the police cruiser driving away while the good guys are left staring at the villain’s dead body on the ground. I think I had a problem with how rushed and incomplete it all felt—even when the big reveal came which wasn’t too hard to guess—even when it ended. If this is the start to a series, then I’m eager to see how it goes and how the arc set up here is going to end. But if it isn’t, then ‘The Devil’s Daughter’ might just be a tad bit disappointing.

This is a really good book, one that I really enjoyed because it kept me interested the whole way through. It's got a great mystery that will causes goosebumps to cover your skin, and very intriguing (and sometimes scary) characters. What I also found interesting about this story is the past that essentially consumes the main characters - this was not only unexpected, but a fantastic plot point-. I have to hand it to the author, she certainly turned something truly disturbing into a thrilling read that kept me guessing until the very end. So kudos to her as I have heard this book is much different than her other books. I now cannot wait to see where the author goes with this series and I will definitely be picking up the next one once it is released!

This was a huge departure for Katee Robert, but it was very well done! This story focused 95% on the mystery/thriller aspects, and maybe 5% on romance. 

Eden escaped the cult she grew up in, and her mother who created it, as soon as she turned 18. That was 10 years ago. She's become an elite FBI agent with the Behavioral Analysis Unit, and she's built a brick wall around her emotions to protect herself. 

Zach is the sheriff in the small town where the cult resides. He grew up there and left for a while when he joined the Marines, but he always planned to return. Usually the cult doesn't cause him any issues, and mostly keep to themselves. But, a local teenage girl has been found murdered, and now he has to figure out if someone from the cult is involved. 

Eden returns to the town where she grew up, to try to help. Someone sent her a leaked photo of the dead girl, and there are some things in the photo that tell her the cult is involved. She takes some personal time from work and shows up in town to help Zach. Of course, he's very suspicious of her at first, but then he realizes he really will need her assistance. 

The mystery aspects of the story were great! It constantly kept me guessing, and I had no idea who the killer was for sure until it was revealed. It was very thrilling, and quite upsetting at times. You were really put in the dead girl's shoes, and it was quite disturbing, and drew you even further into the mystery. Also, the psychological aspects of what Eden and Zach were both dealing with from their pasts really wrapped you up and got you invested in them as well. 

I truly wish there had been a *little* more focus on the romance. I know it's not exactly the ideal circumstances to start a relationship, but I really would have loved to have seen more of them in that context. I also would have liked to see more of them after it was all over. I know she's planning a second book, but I have no idea if the same characters will appear. I really hope we see more of Eden and Zach in the future!

Overall this book was fun, scary, suspenseful, and spooky, with a little sexiness thrown in. I'm very much looking forward to what's next!

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Really enjoyed reading this crime and mystery book. Going into the world of cults and historical myths, very good plot, easy to read and know the characters well, the plot twisted and turned so you wanted to read it all. I even read an extra hour at bed! Love the character of Eden and the story of how she has come on, would love to read a saga with the story from Marthas point of view and life.