Daughter of Mine by Megan Miranda is a Slow Burn Family Suspense Story. I’ve been a fan of Megan Miranda since she was writing YA. Can a suspense story be too slow-burn? Let’s discuss. This review contains protected spoilers for Daughter of Mine by Megan Miranda, and the ending of Daughter of Mine Explained.
Jen’s Quick Take on Daughter of Mine
- Slow burn suspense
- Family feud elements after the death of a patriarch
- Interesting family dynamics and Dark Family Secrets
- Claustrophobic, atmospheric small town (with a lake that hides stuff!)
- Missing persons case(s)
- A lot of revelations at the end
- Great Goodreads rating of (at this date) 4.15
Review of Daughter of Mine with Spoilers
Published on April 9, 2024 by MarySue Ricci/Simon & Schuster. Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance review copy. I read this book in March 2024.
I am a longtime Megan Miranda fan. Back in the day, I reviewed all her YA books, including Fracture (a 2011 paranormal suspense), Hysteria (a 2013 YA psychological thriller), and Soulprint (a 2016 sci-fi).
And little did most of us know that Megan Miranda was also working on an adult thriller, All the Missing Girls (2016). I’ve since read and reviewed most of her books, including Fragments of the Lost (2017), The Girl from Widow Hills (2020), The Last to Vanish (2022), and The Only Survivors (2023).
I found Daughter of Mine a very slow burn story that was worth it in the end!
The day Hazel Sharp returns home to Mirror Lake for a memorial service for her stepfather, a car is dredged out of the lake that gave the town its name.
I am a sucker for a thematic book. These two events — the reading of Hazel’s stepfather’s will and the hidden car — are telegraphed as thematic elements that will define the whole book: LONG-BURIED SECRETS ARE BEING UNEARTHED. But slowly.
When Hazel was fourteen, her mother Libby vanished, leaving only a cryptic apology note addressed to “Daughter of Mine.”
Hazel was then looked after by the Holt family: Perry, a police officer; Roy, his lawyer brother; and Perry’s teen sons, Caden and Gage.
But years have passed and as Hazel returns to town for Perry’s memorial service, her welcome is decidedly chillier. Perry Holt has left his house to her, and his biological sons are not too happy about it.
The overall vibe in Daugher of Mine felt like the lake: deep yet murky.
There were a lot of things left up in the air until the very end:
- What happened to Libby
- The accidental (?) death of Audrey, Perry’s first wife.
- Hazel’s relationship with attractive neighbor Nico.
- The recent disappearance of Caden’s wife Jamie. (Bad things seem to happen to every wife in the Holt family.)
- The reason Perry left the house to Hazel.
- Why a student from the local school is also missing.
- Why two cars were pulled out of the lake
Are you a fan of slow burn suspense?
At times I felt impatient. There was definitely minor intrigue (missing smoke detector batteries in the house, and Hazel’s feeling that someone keeps coming in there).
At the end, ALL was finally revealed!!!
If you need a fast-paced book, this one might not work for you.
But if are willing to be patient reader, you will enjoy Daughter of Mine. There are vaguely sinister happenings, a bunch of family bickering, and then finally a whole bunch of murder-y revelations.
Quick Ending Explained for Daughter of Mine by Megan Miranda?
I’m going to do a quick recap of the ending, but also link to my FULL Spoiler Discussion that has no email required. Enter if you dare!
SPOILERS BELOW! To protect readers who HATE being spoiled you will need to click on the blue “Show Me” box below and log in with a Grow account, Facebook, or Google. By doing so, you will be added to my email list and receive weekly updates about new books! For more information on why I protect my spoilers, please read this post! If you are having any issues check this tutorial OR leave a comment below as I want to help!
What is the Ending of Daughter of Mine: a quick explanation
If you’ve read this, you must have other questions. I had SO many!
If you have the following questions, I have tried to answer them in my FULL Spoiler Discussion for Daughter of Mine. NO email required. Pop on over there and let’s get into it!
The Full Spoiler Post for Daughter of Mine Will Discuss:
More details on what happened to Audrey Holt
What Happened to Libby Sharp and Why?
Who Killed Sonny and Why?
Where is Jamie Holt?
Did Nicholas Pritchard Sr (Nico’s dad) really take his own life?
What Happened to Max Falkner, the missing student?
Why did Perry Holt leave his house to Hazel?
My Questions for you:
Have you read other Megan Miranda books and which was your favorite?
Do you have answers to any of the above questions? Drop me a comment!