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Daddy Dearest
An estranged father’s weekend with his beloved five-year-old daughter turns into a nightmare when she gets into the lift of a city centre tower block and goes down without him. She vanishes without a trace. It sets off a race against time, and a nationwide manhunt, to find her. As the police investigation closes in, suspicion falls on those closest to her - with devastating consequences. Daddy Dearest is a terrifying story of love, obsession and psychological meltdown.
'My daughter has always had a thing about lifts. There’s something about the thrill of pressing a button and seeing the lift doors close which excites her imagination. It terrifies me. Every time she walks in, I imagine it’s the last time I’ll see her. What if she hits the button before I get there? What if the lift doors close and I can’t get her out? It drives me nuts. There are eight floors in the Sears building, nine if you count the basement, and the lift is fast: more like a fairground ride, really. It does top to bottom in twelve seconds. I’ve timed it. Taking the stairs, I’ve done it in forty-two. That leaves a gap of thirty seconds. You’d be surprised what can happen in that time. I was.'
'My daughter has always had a thing about lifts. There’s something about the thrill of pressing a button and seeing the lift doors close which excites her imagination. It terrifies me. Every time she walks in, I imagine it’s the last time I’ll see her. What if she hits the button before I get there? What if the lift doors close and I can’t get her out? It drives me nuts. There are eight floors in the Sears building, nine if you count the basement, and the lift is fast: more like a fairground ride, really. It does top to bottom in twelve seconds. I’ve timed it. Taking the stairs, I’ve done it in forty-two. That leaves a gap of thirty seconds. You’d be surprised what can happen in that time. I was.'
245 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2016
1 person is currently reading
107 people want to read
About the author
Paul Southern
11 books11 followersFollowing an induced labour some time in the 1960s (due date: Halloween night), I had my subscription to a normal life revoked by itinerant parents, who moved from city to city. Lived in Liverpool, Belfast, London and Leeds, then escaped to university, where I nearly died of a brain haemorrhage. After an unexpected recovery, formed an underground indie group (Sexus). Met the lead singer through standing on a bee. Made immediate plans to become rich and famous, but ended up in Manchester. Shared a house with mice, cockroaches, and slugs; shared the street with criminals. Five years later, hit the big time with a Warners record deal. Concerts at Shepherd’s Bush Empire, Melody Maker front cover, Smash Hits Single of the Week, Radio 1 and EastEnders. Mixed with the really rich and famous. Then mixed with lawyers. Ended up back in Manchester, broke. Got a PhD in English (I am the world's leading authority on Tennyson's stage plays), then wrote my first novel, The Craze, based on my experiences of the Muslim community. Immediately nominated to the Arena X Club (the name Arena magazine gave to a select group of creative, UK-based men responsible for shaping the way their readers lived and enjoyed their lives). Wrote a second novel, Brown Boys in Chocolate, which predicted the London bombings. Fell foul of the censors and subsequently gagged by the press. Got ITV interested in a story on honour killings and inter-racial marriages and was commissioned to write a screenplay (Pariah) based on my life story. ITV balked at the content. Subsequently, trod the Wasteland before finding the grail again: a book deal with children's publisher, Chicken House. Killing Sound, a YA horror set on the London Underground, was published by them in 2014. The book, originally written for older teens (16+) and adults, was edited by the publishers to fit a much younger demographic, and inevitably failed to reach either market; the grail proved elusive and I returned to writing something it was impossible to dilute. Daddy Dearest, a dark, psychological thriller, was released in 2016. A new novel, Pendle Fire, will be published by Bloodhound Books in Spring, 2018.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
June 30, 2016
I was approached by the author to ask if I would like to read this.
I haven't been accepting many books at the moment as I am laden down but you know us readers, its like a kid in a sweet shop, temptation reigns.
I am glad the temptation got the better of me though as I found this book different. Its written in a way that is quite intriguing.
Its based around a city center tower block, a Father and his daughter.
He only looks after her on the weekend. but then his daughter goes missing.
Its a book that is written only from the Fathers perspective and you really get into his head.
I can't give more away than this, I'd be revealing too much, I need you to read this for yourself.
The ending is certainly not what I was expecting.
My thanks to Paul Southern for the chance to read this. I had a sixth sense I would enjoy this and I have.
My blog
http://sueandherbooks.blogspot.co.uk/...
June 17, 2017
Read in a few hours, totally impossible to put this incredible novel down. Astonishing slick and addictive writing style and one hell of a plot. This was something quite different and I loved every single word of it. So much so that it's shot to my short reads list for my best books of 2016.
Why is it brilliant? It totally messes with you. In the most spectacular manner. Never more have I loved being in the mind of one dysfunctional, bruised, damaged and complex man. A character I despised one minute, pitied the next and sympathised with here and there. Daddy Dearest.
The plot? Nothing can be shared without spoilers. For me it dazzled with subtle twists and turns with a few major shocks thrown in that really shook me up. The first one hit me upside my head and had my jaw hanging open. Surely I saw that coming? No bloody chance!
The writing is exquisite.You know sometimes you just read a book where the style is different? A new voice? Unlike the boring crowded bookshelf books that could almost have the same author penning them. This was one of those for me. I loved what the author did with the psychological aspects of this book. An author to watch.
I read and read, nothing lost my interest. Peripheral and leading characters are all interesting and detailed and delicious. Not all likeable. God I love flawed characters. Plenty of them here. The author has a way of expressing basic human instincts in such a disturbing way. Brutally honest at times, possibly shocking to some.
As it weaved its magic on me I was lost. I didn't even want the book to end but end it did and again I didn't see a thing coming. A book I'm very impressed with and contending for a place in my top ten reads of 2016.
5 well deserved stars. Unforgettable.
The mixed reviews don't surprise me as you will either "get" and love the writing format and journey or not.
Huge thanks to Paul Southern for a copy of his book to read and review.
Why is it brilliant? It totally messes with you. In the most spectacular manner. Never more have I loved being in the mind of one dysfunctional, bruised, damaged and complex man. A character I despised one minute, pitied the next and sympathised with here and there. Daddy Dearest.
The plot? Nothing can be shared without spoilers. For me it dazzled with subtle twists and turns with a few major shocks thrown in that really shook me up. The first one hit me upside my head and had my jaw hanging open. Surely I saw that coming? No bloody chance!
The writing is exquisite.You know sometimes you just read a book where the style is different? A new voice? Unlike the boring crowded bookshelf books that could almost have the same author penning them. This was one of those for me. I loved what the author did with the psychological aspects of this book. An author to watch.
I read and read, nothing lost my interest. Peripheral and leading characters are all interesting and detailed and delicious. Not all likeable. God I love flawed characters. Plenty of them here. The author has a way of expressing basic human instincts in such a disturbing way. Brutally honest at times, possibly shocking to some.
As it weaved its magic on me I was lost. I didn't even want the book to end but end it did and again I didn't see a thing coming. A book I'm very impressed with and contending for a place in my top ten reads of 2016.
5 well deserved stars. Unforgettable.
The mixed reviews don't surprise me as you will either "get" and love the writing format and journey or not.
Huge thanks to Paul Southern for a copy of his book to read and review.
December 31, 2016
A parent's worst nightmare .... the disappearance of their own child.
The story is told by a father ... a weekend father ... who has a 5-year-old daughter. His weekend doesn't turn out the way he expected ... she gets into the lift and *poof* she's gone. It only takes a moment when you aren't watching.
The police are notified .. there is a city wide hunt for the missing child ... and then the police start to look more closely to home.
This is a story of a father's love .... but what really happened to his little girl?
The beginning of this was suspenseful, and as a parent, scary. The father, who is never identified by name, is beside himself with worry. While alone, he thinks of many things ... his own childhood, his ex-wife .. sometimes he still loves her, sometimes he hates her, the ex's new boyfriend... I felt so much empathy and sympathy for him....
Until the real story comes out.... and there I will stop.
This is a well-written book. There are twists and turns, especially in the first half of the book. The second half is rather a bit mundane with a surprising ending. I gave it 5 stars for the first half, 4 stars for the second and split the difference ... a 4.5 overall.
I wish to thank the author / Booklover Catlady Publicity for the digital copy of this novel. The opinion expressed here is unbiased and entirely my own.
The story is told by a father ... a weekend father ... who has a 5-year-old daughter. His weekend doesn't turn out the way he expected ... she gets into the lift and *poof* she's gone. It only takes a moment when you aren't watching.
The police are notified .. there is a city wide hunt for the missing child ... and then the police start to look more closely to home.
This is a story of a father's love .... but what really happened to his little girl?
The beginning of this was suspenseful, and as a parent, scary. The father, who is never identified by name, is beside himself with worry. While alone, he thinks of many things ... his own childhood, his ex-wife .. sometimes he still loves her, sometimes he hates her, the ex's new boyfriend... I felt so much empathy and sympathy for him....
Until the real story comes out.... and there I will stop.
This is a well-written book. There are twists and turns, especially in the first half of the book. The second half is rather a bit mundane with a surprising ending. I gave it 5 stars for the first half, 4 stars for the second and split the difference ... a 4.5 overall.
I wish to thank the author / Booklover Catlady Publicity for the digital copy of this novel. The opinion expressed here is unbiased and entirely my own.
June 1, 2016
When I first saw this cover, it reminded me of the twin girls and the blood pouring lift in The Shining. When I look at it again now, I have to think of Little Red Riding Hood, which is actually kind of appropriate after reading the book.
This is one of those books where you can’t really say anything about the story because it will take away the element of surprise for the new reader. The Goodreads synopsis nails it this time, though!
We’re reading a father’s thoughts on life and his little girl, written in the first person. Now, I honestly hope for the author’s sake that his writing skills are simply superb because I felt like these were the thoughts coming from a real person the whole time. It was as if I was reading the memoir of someone who could use a little CBT.
So yes, daddy’s a bit of a nutter. That doesn’t mean he’s unable to love his daughter, though. If anything, he loves her more than is good for him. Maybe it’s not her personality he loves so much, but merely her existence, which makes him feel good about himself. Take that away and what will be left of him?
Daddy Dearest is a fast-paced psychological thriller with twists and turns I never saw coming. Even though our nameless protagonist is a despicable human being, I can’t help but sympathise with him (I was secretly even hoping they would never find his daughter…). Now that’s craftsmanship people! Paul Southern takes those horrible little thoughts that sliver into the back of our own conscience sometimes; ones we don’t like or dare to think about, let alone speak out loud because they’re completely unethical. He takes them and puts them out there throughout the mind of a middle-agedwanker man.
The only reason I’m not giving this book five brownies is that, even though the story is fast-paced, some parts were dragged out too much. Then again, it could just be my lack of patience and oestrogen while I was reading it, we’ll never know unless I read it again sometime when I’m not PMSing.
I can highly recommend this book to people who aren’t afraid of learning about the dark undercurrents of the human mind. This is Psychology 101, baby! Some accompanying quotes with this are:
“All parents mourn their children; whether it is the premature grief of miscarriage, or abortion, or the bitter sight of them in their prime, thrown through a windscreen, reduced to bone in some isolated hospital ward.”
“You’d be surprised the things people tell you; once they start, there’s no stopping them. For some, it’s a bit like confession; they want someone to absolve them; for others, it’s a cry for attention.”
I personally went “*reads up closer* FUCK YES! This is SO true!” after reading these quotes and many more like them.
Daddy Dearest has been published today. I strongly suggest giving the book a go if it sounds like something up your alley. It’s getting four shiny brownies with extra dark cocoa from me, and I’m looking forward to reading other books by this author (I already happen to have a signed copy of The Craze lying on one of my many bookshelves *cheers*!)
A big thank you to Paul Southern for providing me with a copy of his book in exchange for an honest opinion!
This is one of those books where you can’t really say anything about the story because it will take away the element of surprise for the new reader. The Goodreads synopsis nails it this time, though!
We’re reading a father’s thoughts on life and his little girl, written in the first person. Now, I honestly hope for the author’s sake that his writing skills are simply superb because I felt like these were the thoughts coming from a real person the whole time. It was as if I was reading the memoir of someone who could use a little CBT.
So yes, daddy’s a bit of a nutter. That doesn’t mean he’s unable to love his daughter, though. If anything, he loves her more than is good for him. Maybe it’s not her personality he loves so much, but merely her existence, which makes him feel good about himself. Take that away and what will be left of him?
Daddy Dearest is a fast-paced psychological thriller with twists and turns I never saw coming. Even though our nameless protagonist is a despicable human being, I can’t help but sympathise with him (I was secretly even hoping they would never find his daughter…). Now that’s craftsmanship people! Paul Southern takes those horrible little thoughts that sliver into the back of our own conscience sometimes; ones we don’t like or dare to think about, let alone speak out loud because they’re completely unethical. He takes them and puts them out there throughout the mind of a middle-aged
The only reason I’m not giving this book five brownies is that, even though the story is fast-paced, some parts were dragged out too much. Then again, it could just be my lack of patience and oestrogen while I was reading it, we’ll never know unless I read it again sometime when I’m not PMSing.
I can highly recommend this book to people who aren’t afraid of learning about the dark undercurrents of the human mind. This is Psychology 101, baby! Some accompanying quotes with this are:
“All parents mourn their children; whether it is the premature grief of miscarriage, or abortion, or the bitter sight of them in their prime, thrown through a windscreen, reduced to bone in some isolated hospital ward.”
“You’d be surprised the things people tell you; once they start, there’s no stopping them. For some, it’s a bit like confession; they want someone to absolve them; for others, it’s a cry for attention.”
I personally went “*reads up closer* FUCK YES! This is SO true!” after reading these quotes and many more like them.
Daddy Dearest has been published today. I strongly suggest giving the book a go if it sounds like something up your alley. It’s getting four shiny brownies with extra dark cocoa from me, and I’m looking forward to reading other books by this author (I already happen to have a signed copy of The Craze lying on one of my many bookshelves *cheers*!)
A big thank you to Paul Southern for providing me with a copy of his book in exchange for an honest opinion!
June 26, 2016
A massive thanks to the author, Paul Southern, who gave me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The setting of this book mainly takes place in a large city centre tower block, as outlined in the synopsis. Various themes can be found within the pages of this book and include such things as: guilt; a father’s love for his child; loss; betrayal; obsession; love and OCD.
When I started reading this book I felt a little lost. For me, the first chapter felt disjointed and by the end of the book I still had no idea of where it fit in. The #killerhook for me came a few chapters in, and if I am honest, had the book started here I believe it would have made me struggle a little less.
The pace is quick and the plot interesting. I did figure out the twist fairly early and well before the big reveal. The story is told from first person POV and I struggled a bit with that as I felt there were gaps that could have been filled if the story had been told in third person POV.
I thought the character development was good in the main, but again had this nagging feeling that I wanted to know more. I was especially intrigued by Rashelle and really hoped I would learn more about her. I loved the daughter as well and at times was reminded of #Room by Emma Donoghue -even though we never had the daughter’s point of view. The way she was written was clever and intriguing.
My emotions were run ragged throughout. I felt fear, anger, despair, worry — so many emotions!! Very tense at times but also moments where I felt relieved. It all felt a little bit odd and the mixture of emotions was an added bonus making the overall story feel more believable.
Despite my mixed emotions, I felt this was a good book. I will definitely be checking out more from this author.
The setting of this book mainly takes place in a large city centre tower block, as outlined in the synopsis. Various themes can be found within the pages of this book and include such things as: guilt; a father’s love for his child; loss; betrayal; obsession; love and OCD.
When I started reading this book I felt a little lost. For me, the first chapter felt disjointed and by the end of the book I still had no idea of where it fit in. The #killerhook for me came a few chapters in, and if I am honest, had the book started here I believe it would have made me struggle a little less.
The pace is quick and the plot interesting. I did figure out the twist fairly early and well before the big reveal. The story is told from first person POV and I struggled a bit with that as I felt there were gaps that could have been filled if the story had been told in third person POV.
I thought the character development was good in the main, but again had this nagging feeling that I wanted to know more. I was especially intrigued by Rashelle and really hoped I would learn more about her. I loved the daughter as well and at times was reminded of #Room by Emma Donoghue -even though we never had the daughter’s point of view. The way she was written was clever and intriguing.
My emotions were run ragged throughout. I felt fear, anger, despair, worry — so many emotions!! Very tense at times but also moments where I felt relieved. It all felt a little bit odd and the mixture of emotions was an added bonus making the overall story feel more believable.
Despite my mixed emotions, I felt this was a good book. I will definitely be checking out more from this author.
May 26, 2016
To give it to your straight? It was a bit of a mindfudgery. Paul Southern has a knack for taking humanity and presenting it on a truth-colored torture tool with a dash of added realism and gag-reflex inducing details. I also blame PMS’ing, the abundance of empathy trolling around rent free in my nervous system and the acrobatic powers of this author’s writing genie.
Paul Southern, with the opening sentence of Daddy Dearest gripped my heart in his skillful writing hands and squeezed with iron grip until the last page. And there was some funny bits in there too… Like, wtf. Like the part with Miss Saigon and talking to pregnant stomachs.. I swear I was laughing so hard… Or maybe I was just losing it, because it all made me so confused… not because I didn’t know what was happening but because I didn’t know how to perceive the characters! I felt as tired as a highway whore with 20 years of service under the belt.
Daddy Dearest is an experience of a slow burn of new revelations, new truths with every chapter. As you keep turning the pages you get to know more and more about each character. As you keep turning the pages you become to hate the ones you love, and love the ones you hate… No, scratch that- I don’t think I had any love for anyone in this book. Not the adults anyway. What I had was pity and pain and a lot of “Why?”‘s
So, let’s have a little chat about the Daddy Dearest himself… There isn’t much I can say without giving away the whole storyline- there really were endless opportunities and endless chances of everything turning out completely differently… until you reach the end. Anyway, I’m confused about the man. So friggin confused… I pity him, I hate him, and with pity you want to protect him because we all have had our share of pain and loneliness and bad decisions next to selfless/selfish acts and I can’t blame him the thoughts he had (which can be related or totally unrelated to the story at hand, up to you) no matter how gross they were at times. But I dig it… I scoop up the shit portrayed in novels, because it’s the extreme that makes me tick. Books are art and anything is possible. Whether we can stomach it is a different story. And our thoughts and actions can only be tamed by ourselves. Well done Paul Southern, you wrote the whole world with it’s good and bad and evil and innocent into one book.
I do recommend checking this book out. It will make you question people, and at times it will test the boundaries of what is and isn’t acceptable in your mind.
Paul Southern, with the opening sentence of Daddy Dearest gripped my heart in his skillful writing hands and squeezed with iron grip until the last page. And there was some funny bits in there too… Like, wtf. Like the part with Miss Saigon and talking to pregnant stomachs.. I swear I was laughing so hard… Or maybe I was just losing it, because it all made me so confused… not because I didn’t know what was happening but because I didn’t know how to perceive the characters! I felt as tired as a highway whore with 20 years of service under the belt.
Daddy Dearest is an experience of a slow burn of new revelations, new truths with every chapter. As you keep turning the pages you get to know more and more about each character. As you keep turning the pages you become to hate the ones you love, and love the ones you hate… No, scratch that- I don’t think I had any love for anyone in this book. Not the adults anyway. What I had was pity and pain and a lot of “Why?”‘s
So, let’s have a little chat about the Daddy Dearest himself… There isn’t much I can say without giving away the whole storyline- there really were endless opportunities and endless chances of everything turning out completely differently… until you reach the end. Anyway, I’m confused about the man. So friggin confused… I pity him, I hate him, and with pity you want to protect him because we all have had our share of pain and loneliness and bad decisions next to selfless/selfish acts and I can’t blame him the thoughts he had (which can be related or totally unrelated to the story at hand, up to you) no matter how gross they were at times. But I dig it… I scoop up the shit portrayed in novels, because it’s the extreme that makes me tick. Books are art and anything is possible. Whether we can stomach it is a different story. And our thoughts and actions can only be tamed by ourselves. Well done Paul Southern, you wrote the whole world with it’s good and bad and evil and innocent into one book.
I do recommend checking this book out. It will make you question people, and at times it will test the boundaries of what is and isn’t acceptable in your mind.
August 27, 2016
After reading a couple of mixed reviews by blogging friends, I really had to give this novel a go for myself.
The description and the wonderful cover totally captured me from the moment I first noticed this novel. Even the start of the book was all very promising and it looked set to be a great read.
Now to be fair there isn't really anything wrong with the story itself, it is told in the first person by the father of the missing girl. My issue is more how the book is being sold. Everything about it screams out thriller/mystery/suspense and to start with it very much is. When we get to find out exactly what has happened to the little girl, it all sort of lost it's appeal for me.
It is really hard to say to much about the story line without giving to much away and spoiling it for other readers. I think if maybe it was pushed and looked more differently, readers wouldn't be as mislead about what sort of genre they were reading.
If I was reading the story more for what it is, it would probably fair better on the ratings but as it stands I can only review it on what I thought I would be reading which wasn't quite what I got.
Daddy Dearest really is not a bad read at all once you can get past it not really being the genre that you thought it was. It is a story very much of parental love and how far one would go for that love. Even though I had some empathy to what the father was going through, overall I found his actions selfish and by the end had lost any respect for him that I had. I certainly think it is one that will split peoples views which isn't always a bad thing when a book gets people talking about it.
The description and the wonderful cover totally captured me from the moment I first noticed this novel. Even the start of the book was all very promising and it looked set to be a great read.
Now to be fair there isn't really anything wrong with the story itself, it is told in the first person by the father of the missing girl. My issue is more how the book is being sold. Everything about it screams out thriller/mystery/suspense and to start with it very much is. When we get to find out exactly what has happened to the little girl, it all sort of lost it's appeal for me.
It is really hard to say to much about the story line without giving to much away and spoiling it for other readers. I think if maybe it was pushed and looked more differently, readers wouldn't be as mislead about what sort of genre they were reading.
If I was reading the story more for what it is, it would probably fair better on the ratings but as it stands I can only review it on what I thought I would be reading which wasn't quite what I got.
Daddy Dearest really is not a bad read at all once you can get past it not really being the genre that you thought it was. It is a story very much of parental love and how far one would go for that love. Even though I had some empathy to what the father was going through, overall I found his actions selfish and by the end had lost any respect for him that I had. I certainly think it is one that will split peoples views which isn't always a bad thing when a book gets people talking about it.
February 6, 2016
It is very hard to tell you about this novel without telling you too much. I was certainly intrigued by the premise when I saw the author talking about it on Twitter and I knew I would be hooked from page 1. I am a big fan of books like these, books that make you think, books that make you tick and I love when the author introduces twists and turns just as you believe that you have worked it all out.
I haven't read any of the authors previous work so I was really going into this novel blind and I am so glad I did. It gave me the opportunity to base my thoughts on the book I was reading and not basing my opinions on previous work as it is all too easy to do if reading from an author you have encountered before.
The main character is hard to describe. He is simple yet complex, a hero yet an anti-hero, a loving father yet a father who doesn't really have confidence in his parenting skills. You never learn his name, or in fact most of the characters names. The story revolves around a father, with shared custody of his child, who goes missing after stepping into a lift one day. Where did she go? Who took her? What happened?
This is a gritty look at the subjects of divorce when a child is involved, shared custody, parenting, kidnap and so much more. Just when you think you've worked it out, the author throws yet another curve ball at you, completely knocking you off kilter. This was a great read and I am looking forward to reading more from the author.
I was sent a copy of the book for an honest and unbiased review.
I haven't read any of the authors previous work so I was really going into this novel blind and I am so glad I did. It gave me the opportunity to base my thoughts on the book I was reading and not basing my opinions on previous work as it is all too easy to do if reading from an author you have encountered before.
The main character is hard to describe. He is simple yet complex, a hero yet an anti-hero, a loving father yet a father who doesn't really have confidence in his parenting skills. You never learn his name, or in fact most of the characters names. The story revolves around a father, with shared custody of his child, who goes missing after stepping into a lift one day. Where did she go? Who took her? What happened?
This is a gritty look at the subjects of divorce when a child is involved, shared custody, parenting, kidnap and so much more. Just when you think you've worked it out, the author throws yet another curve ball at you, completely knocking you off kilter. This was a great read and I am looking forward to reading more from the author.
I was sent a copy of the book for an honest and unbiased review.
May 31, 2016
Find this review at Forever Lost in Literature!
If you like to have your mind messed with a little bit, then settle in and get comfortable, because this is the book for you.
Daddy Dearest tells the story of a man whose daughter disappears one day while traveling alone down an apartment elevator. The entire apartment building is searched, but she is gone and no one has any clue what has happened to her.
To preface, much of the thriller aspect of this book relies on the unknown and the reader being held in suspense, so I'm not going to go too in-depth content-wise so as not to spoil anything. First, it is essential to read Daddy Dearest very carefully so as not to miss anything, because many details are not explicitly stated and instead left to the reader to infer and understand. I'll admit that at first I felt slightly annoyed by this, but as I progressed into the story and became more acquainted with the writing style, it began to become rather enjoyable and actually helped me make sure I was paying close attention.
Southern does an excellent job of creating the main character's narration. The main character, who remains nameless throughout the story, has a very distinctive personality that is both off-putting and intriguing. Our protagonist is brutally honest about his opinions, and he certainly comes off as semi-racist and sexist at times, which accounts for the off-putting part, but somehow Southern creates such an intricately multi-layered character that you find yourself enraptured in his storytelling and continuing to enjoy the character regardless of these offensive characteristics. His honestly is endearing and gains my respect, but it is also because of what he says and does that makes me lose my respect, leaving me with an overall conflicted feeling regarding the protagonist.
The narration appears, at times, to go off onto many tangents. The main characters gets caught up explaining his opinions or experiences about something, leaving the reader to wonder the what the point of these ramblings are, but then it hits you: these 'tangents' are telling extremely important information about the main character and his own actions - they also show how easily distracted he can be. Halfway through the book, I found myself wondering who I was 'rooting' for. This isn't a black and white book with a straight up good and bad character, but instead involves an ever-present grey area that leaves the reader to develop their own ideas and opinions, which I personally found enticing.
Overall, this was a solid thriller for me, and I would certainly recommend it for anyone looking for something a little different from your average thrillers. It's still high-paced, but it's not overtly high-paced, so there is plenty of room to breathe.
If you like to have your mind messed with a little bit, then settle in and get comfortable, because this is the book for you.
Daddy Dearest tells the story of a man whose daughter disappears one day while traveling alone down an apartment elevator. The entire apartment building is searched, but she is gone and no one has any clue what has happened to her.
To preface, much of the thriller aspect of this book relies on the unknown and the reader being held in suspense, so I'm not going to go too in-depth content-wise so as not to spoil anything. First, it is essential to read Daddy Dearest very carefully so as not to miss anything, because many details are not explicitly stated and instead left to the reader to infer and understand. I'll admit that at first I felt slightly annoyed by this, but as I progressed into the story and became more acquainted with the writing style, it began to become rather enjoyable and actually helped me make sure I was paying close attention.
Southern does an excellent job of creating the main character's narration. The main character, who remains nameless throughout the story, has a very distinctive personality that is both off-putting and intriguing. Our protagonist is brutally honest about his opinions, and he certainly comes off as semi-racist and sexist at times, which accounts for the off-putting part, but somehow Southern creates such an intricately multi-layered character that you find yourself enraptured in his storytelling and continuing to enjoy the character regardless of these offensive characteristics. His honestly is endearing and gains my respect, but it is also because of what he says and does that makes me lose my respect, leaving me with an overall conflicted feeling regarding the protagonist.
The narration appears, at times, to go off onto many tangents. The main characters gets caught up explaining his opinions or experiences about something, leaving the reader to wonder the what the point of these ramblings are, but then it hits you: these 'tangents' are telling extremely important information about the main character and his own actions - they also show how easily distracted he can be. Halfway through the book, I found myself wondering who I was 'rooting' for. This isn't a black and white book with a straight up good and bad character, but instead involves an ever-present grey area that leaves the reader to develop their own ideas and opinions, which I personally found enticing.
Overall, this was a solid thriller for me, and I would certainly recommend it for anyone looking for something a little different from your average thrillers. It's still high-paced, but it's not overtly high-paced, so there is plenty of room to breathe.
June 2, 2016
Originally posted on citygirlscapes.com.
When Paul Southern contacted me about his book Daddy Dearest, I was immediately intrigued. I haven’t read a good thriller in a little while and this sounded a bit different than what I was used to and certainly ended up much different than I was expecting. In a good way.
First off, the written voice is quite unique. It might not work for a lot of people, but I loved it. It kind of bordered a stream of consciousness, though it didn’t go all the way down the rabbit hole, and it was certainly all over the place. Our narrator is telling us his story about the day his daughter went missing, but as he goes along, he keeps revealing small confessions or little details that have a huge impact on the case or where you thought the story was going. It’s not difficult to follow, it’s not too complicated, but it’s certainly not a straight ahead read and I really liked this challenge, it kept me on my toes and really made it so it was hard to pinpoint exactly what was happening. This was done incredibly well.
It’s hard to speak to anything in the story without giving anything away. Like I said, there’s a lot of small details that weigh heavily on the overall who-dunnit, so I want to give as little of that away as I can. But I will say this was very addicting. Around every corner was another surprise and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I loved how this kept me on my toes; I loved how I foolishly didn’t expect the unexpected. It all seemed pretty simple, but also so unlikely that it never crossed my mind. This book totally sucked me in and spit me out and now I don’t really know what to do with myself.
When Paul Southern contacted me about his book Daddy Dearest, I was immediately intrigued. I haven’t read a good thriller in a little while and this sounded a bit different than what I was used to and certainly ended up much different than I was expecting. In a good way.
First off, the written voice is quite unique. It might not work for a lot of people, but I loved it. It kind of bordered a stream of consciousness, though it didn’t go all the way down the rabbit hole, and it was certainly all over the place. Our narrator is telling us his story about the day his daughter went missing, but as he goes along, he keeps revealing small confessions or little details that have a huge impact on the case or where you thought the story was going. It’s not difficult to follow, it’s not too complicated, but it’s certainly not a straight ahead read and I really liked this challenge, it kept me on my toes and really made it so it was hard to pinpoint exactly what was happening. This was done incredibly well.
It’s hard to speak to anything in the story without giving anything away. Like I said, there’s a lot of small details that weigh heavily on the overall who-dunnit, so I want to give as little of that away as I can. But I will say this was very addicting. Around every corner was another surprise and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I loved how this kept me on my toes; I loved how I foolishly didn’t expect the unexpected. It all seemed pretty simple, but also so unlikely that it never crossed my mind. This book totally sucked me in and spit me out and now I don’t really know what to do with myself.
June 1, 2016
This is a very psychological tale told from the viewpoint of the dad when his daughter goes missing after getting in a lift
I never give away spoilers but I can say for certain this is has a very clever plotline with some very interesting developments that happen throughout the course of the book
There is a underlying tone of love to the tale and I think the author did a great job in making the reader understand the motives behind certain actions.
Emotion played a big part in the tale and the emotion made the tale real for me
For me the best thing about the book had to be the storyline itself. After reading one chapter Paul Southern hooked me in enough that I had to keep reading to see how the story would finish
Overall I felt this was a very well planned and written, raw and real. The storyline is so smart I could easily envisage this one being made into a TV programme.
I very much enjoyed the book and I’ll be looking out for the author’s next release
I really do wish I could give you more to go on but if I say anything else it would give the whole plot away.
My advice is that if you enjoy psychological thrillers or mysteries then you’ll enjoy this one
I never give away spoilers but I can say for certain this is has a very clever plotline with some very interesting developments that happen throughout the course of the book
There is a underlying tone of love to the tale and I think the author did a great job in making the reader understand the motives behind certain actions.
Emotion played a big part in the tale and the emotion made the tale real for me
For me the best thing about the book had to be the storyline itself. After reading one chapter Paul Southern hooked me in enough that I had to keep reading to see how the story would finish
Overall I felt this was a very well planned and written, raw and real. The storyline is so smart I could easily envisage this one being made into a TV programme.
I very much enjoyed the book and I’ll be looking out for the author’s next release
I really do wish I could give you more to go on but if I say anything else it would give the whole plot away.
My advice is that if you enjoy psychological thrillers or mysteries then you’ll enjoy this one
April 1, 2016
A fabulous psychological thriller! One of the best I’ve ever read! “Daddy Dearest” takes the reader deep into the mind of a very troubled man. A man who will do anything to keep his daughter in his life. The story is being told by the father about the events surrounding his daughter’s kidnapping. But this is much more than a father’s grief and worry.
I found this story to be deeply engrossing. I especially liked the descriptions the narrator gives of the inner workings of his OCD. I really felt like I was inside this guy’s head, feeling his mental anguish as his “visitors” taunt him to perform a task over and over and over. The daughter is an absolute delight, though at 5 years of age, completely oblivious to the troubling circumstances she finds herself in. This is a must-read for lovers of the psychological thriller.
Alinefromabook’s recommendation: TWO THUMBS-UP!! Everything about this book is compelling. One caution: some of the subject matter may not be appropriate for younger audiences.
Happy Reading!
I found this story to be deeply engrossing. I especially liked the descriptions the narrator gives of the inner workings of his OCD. I really felt like I was inside this guy’s head, feeling his mental anguish as his “visitors” taunt him to perform a task over and over and over. The daughter is an absolute delight, though at 5 years of age, completely oblivious to the troubling circumstances she finds herself in. This is a must-read for lovers of the psychological thriller.
Alinefromabook’s recommendation: TWO THUMBS-UP!! Everything about this book is compelling. One caution: some of the subject matter may not be appropriate for younger audiences.
Happy Reading!
June 1, 2016
This is the first book I have read by Paul Southern and definitely wont be my last. This is one twisted dark read which I couldn't put down. I really enjoyed it.
Written from the fathers point of view which I have to say I loved. Building up the tension throughout this story. Where we totally get inside the fathers head, he is a little screwed up to say the least but loves his 5 year old daughter dearly. She gets the lift in the block of flats that he lives in while he takes the stairs, leaving his daughter for all of 30 seconds she vanishes without a trace. Which starts an investigation to find her with devastating consequences.
This is one very clever story which totally got in my head. Just when I thought I had worked it out another twist is throw in. The author took me on one hell of a journey with this page turner novel.
I highly recommend this dark warped Psychological thriller giving it 4 stars.
I would like to thank Paul Southern for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review
Written from the fathers point of view which I have to say I loved. Building up the tension throughout this story. Where we totally get inside the fathers head, he is a little screwed up to say the least but loves his 5 year old daughter dearly. She gets the lift in the block of flats that he lives in while he takes the stairs, leaving his daughter for all of 30 seconds she vanishes without a trace. Which starts an investigation to find her with devastating consequences.
This is one very clever story which totally got in my head. Just when I thought I had worked it out another twist is throw in. The author took me on one hell of a journey with this page turner novel.
I highly recommend this dark warped Psychological thriller giving it 4 stars.
I would like to thank Paul Southern for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review
December 11, 2016
This book is written from the fathers point of view after his daughter goes missing after getting in a lift.
Daddy has his daughter at weekends one weekend she jumps in the lift and presses the buttons something she loves to do, but when the lift comes to a stop his daughter is gone.
As daddy tells his story we see he struggles with psychological issues and suffers from OCD.
The police are called and the girls parents appears on the television but the days pass and she is not found.
I don't want to say to much without spoiling the plot.
I found the book a bit hard to get into if you are the same don't give up or you will miss a great book.
Thank you to the Author and to Maxine (Booklover Catlady) for a copy of this book to review.
Daddy has his daughter at weekends one weekend she jumps in the lift and presses the buttons something she loves to do, but when the lift comes to a stop his daughter is gone.
As daddy tells his story we see he struggles with psychological issues and suffers from OCD.
The police are called and the girls parents appears on the television but the days pass and she is not found.
I don't want to say to much without spoiling the plot.
I found the book a bit hard to get into if you are the same don't give up or you will miss a great book.
Thank you to the Author and to Maxine (Booklover Catlady) for a copy of this book to review.
March 3, 2020
Daddy Dearest
A great psychological story full of twists, some you see coming, others you really don't.
Daddy Dearest is a story about a parents worst nightmare, a five year old daughter steps into the lift and presses the buttons, the !fit closes, and when it reopens, she's gone!I
The story is told throughout from the fathers point of view, divorced from his wife and has his daughter only at weekends.
It's hard to say much more about this book without giving away spoilers, but I do recommend you read it.
A great psychological story full of twists, some you see coming, others you really don't.
Daddy Dearest is a story about a parents worst nightmare, a five year old daughter steps into the lift and presses the buttons, the !fit closes, and when it reopens, she's gone!I
The story is told throughout from the fathers point of view, divorced from his wife and has his daughter only at weekends.
It's hard to say much more about this book without giving away spoilers, but I do recommend you read it.
August 28, 2017
My daughter has always had a thing about lifts.
Every time she walks in, I imagine it’s the last time I’ll see her.
That leaves a gap of thirty seconds. You’d be surprised what can happen in that time. I was.
Daddy Dearest is written a bit differently than most books you read. It is told from the first-person perspective of a father who remains unnamed. Right at the beginning we learn that his worst fear has come true. While enjoying his custodial visit one weekend, his beautiful little girl got into the elevator and the doors closed before he made it in. When daddy gets to the bottom floor, his daughter is nowhere to be found. As the police investigation into his little girl’s disappearance unfolds, daddy goes back in time to tell us more, more about himself, more about his daughter, more about his distinctive view on life.
I want to thank the author Paul Southern for providing me with a copy of this book through the BookLikes Giveaways program for an honest review.
July 27, 2016
I have been meaning to read this for a while and finally got around to it recently. The main character in this book is a Dad who is currently divorced and looking after his daughter at weekends. Essentially his daughter goes missing in the short space of time it takes for her to enter a life, but she isn't seen again. The synopsis sounds interesting but when you start reading the story it feels like the author has taken a different spin on what could be a bog standard missing child tale. First up probably one of the things that is strange and set my teeth on edge a little is that the father is clearly a complete headcase.
Written in the first person, the narrative can sometimes leave you feeling a little disturbed because you are right inside the Dad's mind and thoughts, which when the character clearly has issues can become unsettling to say the least. What becomes clear quite early on is that although Dad may be a headcase, he clearly loves his daughter and wants to find her. The book is paced well and although this isn't your bog standard thriller, the fact that it's quite different makes it feel more tense than some other books.
This is quite a difficult book to review without plot spoiling so I will say no more about the story itself. What I will say is that I was pleasantly surprised with what the book ended up becoming. I think its a really clever and well thought out novel which has certainly made me like to read more of Paul Southern's work. If you are looking for something a little outside the box from your bog standard thriller then this may be worth taking a look at, just don't let it crawl too far into your mind!!!
Written in the first person, the narrative can sometimes leave you feeling a little disturbed because you are right inside the Dad's mind and thoughts, which when the character clearly has issues can become unsettling to say the least. What becomes clear quite early on is that although Dad may be a headcase, he clearly loves his daughter and wants to find her. The book is paced well and although this isn't your bog standard thriller, the fact that it's quite different makes it feel more tense than some other books.
This is quite a difficult book to review without plot spoiling so I will say no more about the story itself. What I will say is that I was pleasantly surprised with what the book ended up becoming. I think its a really clever and well thought out novel which has certainly made me like to read more of Paul Southern's work. If you are looking for something a little outside the box from your bog standard thriller then this may be worth taking a look at, just don't let it crawl too far into your mind!!!
January 28, 2016
I find it hard to review without divulging too much. I want to share it all. Daddy Dearest was definitely refreshing and not what I expected, but then most solid stories ever are. I discovered myself swimming in the narrators head- sometimes too much. I wanted to ask him questions and talk him out of some of the choices he was making. I was rooting for him, but I was conflicted. The story stirred many emotions. The narrator is the protagonist in the rarest form of the word. A hero, but not a hero, the narrator is meticulous and calculating-he scared me. But, I understood him. Battling over children can be scarring and in this book the extreme love of a child is revealed in a obscure way. Predictable, the story is not, and a couple of curve balls are thrown out at the readers. As a parent the story made me really think about how desperate a parent can become over a love of a child. Desperation is powerful. Love is strong and the combination can be volatile. Overall, the writing is precise and direct and the author is skilled at building suspense and tension. Southern likes to shake it up in this psychological thriller. If this type of genre is your cup of tea, then I suggest you pick it up and drink it. -M.Espinola
July 6, 2017
This is an interesting story with twists and turns. A 5-year-old girl gets into the lift at her father's flat, and the doors close before he can join her. She is all alone. She doesn't appear on any floor again.
A frantic search begins, with the police assisting alongside the father. Every parent's nightmare.
He is quite an obsessive man, and the lift scenario is something that has been on his mind before. He always told his daughter to be careful about entering the lift in case this happened.
It is difficult to say much about the plot without giving it away.
The written voice of the father shows he adores his daughter and his happiness is bound up with her presence. Whilst the questioning and searching go on, it brings his own experiences to light. It is his own childhood, failed marriage, and current relationship with his ex that goes through his mind.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are all my own and completely unbiased. My thanks to Booklover Catlady for this opportunity.
A frantic search begins, with the police assisting alongside the father. Every parent's nightmare.
He is quite an obsessive man, and the lift scenario is something that has been on his mind before. He always told his daughter to be careful about entering the lift in case this happened.
It is difficult to say much about the plot without giving it away.
The written voice of the father shows he adores his daughter and his happiness is bound up with her presence. Whilst the questioning and searching go on, it brings his own experiences to light. It is his own childhood, failed marriage, and current relationship with his ex that goes through his mind.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are all my own and completely unbiased. My thanks to Booklover Catlady for this opportunity.
October 20, 2017
This book is about an unsocialable man who has his five year old daughter for a visit. For whatever reason they go to the Sears tower where there is a elevator. The daughter is totally excited about the elevator, her father....not so much. Anyway, she gets in it without him and the door closes. Not sure how that happens, then he can't find her. Who took her? Why wasn't he holding her hand to make she he knew where she was is beyond me. I received a copy of this book from Booklover Catlady Publicity. I voluntarily reviewed this book and this is my honest review.
May 25, 2016
*Full review at napoleonsplit.wordpress.com
“Flats bring out the worst in people; all their selfishness and fuck thy neighbour attitude is magnified there.”
“Flats bring out the very worst in people: me, more than most.”
Few books have an introduction that so perfectly encompasses the essence of the book and its characters, an introduction that simultaneously reveals the core of a narrator and a horror and tension that seems to continuously follow the reader throughout the rest of the book. Southern provides a central piece to the puzzle that is Daddy Dearest in his incredible first chapter.
When our nameless narrator’s daughter mysteriously disappears on a trip in the elevator the only people panicking are her parents. But when the five year old girl remains missing, alarm bells ring and suddenly her face becomes a message- “that could be my little girl”. As the police become more involved and the spotlight is placed on the narrator and his ex wife, walls begin to crack, and a downward spiral, scarier than the plot itself, occurs right in front of the reader’s eyes.
Southern absolutely masters the first person narrative- from the dialogue, to the gestures, to the thoughts. I can only imagine how deeply Southern had to delve into this character to imitate him so realistically. The narrative voice is really best described as strong- there is a perfect balance of consistency in character traits and growth and change, which corresponds perfectly with the plot.
Not only does Southern master the characterization, but he is in complete control of the plot. He is definitely the one pulling the strings. The places where Southern chooses to place twists and turns are perfect and fit into the plot naturally. All twists are extremely believable, but also very surprising- I’m really not sure how Southern pulls them off. In some ways I feel that it all goes back to the first person narrative- Southern’s characters are so fleshed out that maybe at some point (under Southern’s careful watch and guidance) the plot progressed and took off by itself. Anytime a twist appeared, due to the mounting suspense, my jaw really did drop.
A lot of the story is filled with our narrator’s ramblings, which often include racist, sexist, and homophobic thoughts- these are more than mildly offensive and very far from politically correct. For example:
“She’s already getting that female thing, the art of deflecting blame.”
However our narrator is also incredibly self pitying and is often cognizant of his bigotry. In this way, Southern is able to create the impression that our narrator is helpless and hopeless when it comes to changing and inspires this pity-sympathy for an honestly odious character.
“Is there a racist gene, or a homophobic gene, or a disablist one? Have I got all three…”
There is an element of psychological illness (obviously) which Southern displays very creatively. Alongside these “insights” following certain events, Southern describes the main character’s OCD in an incredibly interesting way. Another theme explored deeply throughout the book is attraction and love. Our narrator is attracted to almost every woman he meets, but also has incredibly complicated feelings for his ex-wife. This adds to the sense of hopelessness and pity for the main character. Although the story is outrageous, these small strings and messages create sympathy and understanding amongst readers.
The narrative voice (I know I can’t stop talking about this!) mirrored the plot in the best way possible. As the situation becomes more desperate and tension runs rampant, the narrative voice mimics the downward spiral, making the latter part of the book an absolute page turner. The sense of failure and the smell of distress in the plot and the narrative voice creates an anxiety in the reader and a desire (but at the same time an aversion) to know the ending of the story.
As the plot comes to a close, Southern switches to third person. This was my favorite thing about the book. It was absolutely masterfully done, and in my mind it represented the main character who was so closely connected to the plot finally giving up and letting go. After such a long journey, and such an intricate scheme the narrator gives up and simply views the ending instead of being an active participant. It was a brilliant technique and made the ending of this thriller absolutely phenomenal.
Many thanks to Paul Southern for sending me a free copy of this book; I was so impressed by it, and really enjoyed the peek into the mindset of the narrator.
Best,
-NS
“Flats bring out the worst in people; all their selfishness and fuck thy neighbour attitude is magnified there.”
“Flats bring out the very worst in people: me, more than most.”
Few books have an introduction that so perfectly encompasses the essence of the book and its characters, an introduction that simultaneously reveals the core of a narrator and a horror and tension that seems to continuously follow the reader throughout the rest of the book. Southern provides a central piece to the puzzle that is Daddy Dearest in his incredible first chapter.
When our nameless narrator’s daughter mysteriously disappears on a trip in the elevator the only people panicking are her parents. But when the five year old girl remains missing, alarm bells ring and suddenly her face becomes a message- “that could be my little girl”. As the police become more involved and the spotlight is placed on the narrator and his ex wife, walls begin to crack, and a downward spiral, scarier than the plot itself, occurs right in front of the reader’s eyes.
Southern absolutely masters the first person narrative- from the dialogue, to the gestures, to the thoughts. I can only imagine how deeply Southern had to delve into this character to imitate him so realistically. The narrative voice is really best described as strong- there is a perfect balance of consistency in character traits and growth and change, which corresponds perfectly with the plot.
Not only does Southern master the characterization, but he is in complete control of the plot. He is definitely the one pulling the strings. The places where Southern chooses to place twists and turns are perfect and fit into the plot naturally. All twists are extremely believable, but also very surprising- I’m really not sure how Southern pulls them off. In some ways I feel that it all goes back to the first person narrative- Southern’s characters are so fleshed out that maybe at some point (under Southern’s careful watch and guidance) the plot progressed and took off by itself. Anytime a twist appeared, due to the mounting suspense, my jaw really did drop.
A lot of the story is filled with our narrator’s ramblings, which often include racist, sexist, and homophobic thoughts- these are more than mildly offensive and very far from politically correct. For example:
“She’s already getting that female thing, the art of deflecting blame.”
However our narrator is also incredibly self pitying and is often cognizant of his bigotry. In this way, Southern is able to create the impression that our narrator is helpless and hopeless when it comes to changing and inspires this pity-sympathy for an honestly odious character.
“Is there a racist gene, or a homophobic gene, or a disablist one? Have I got all three…”
There is an element of psychological illness (obviously) which Southern displays very creatively. Alongside these “insights” following certain events, Southern describes the main character’s OCD in an incredibly interesting way. Another theme explored deeply throughout the book is attraction and love. Our narrator is attracted to almost every woman he meets, but also has incredibly complicated feelings for his ex-wife. This adds to the sense of hopelessness and pity for the main character. Although the story is outrageous, these small strings and messages create sympathy and understanding amongst readers.
The narrative voice (I know I can’t stop talking about this!) mirrored the plot in the best way possible. As the situation becomes more desperate and tension runs rampant, the narrative voice mimics the downward spiral, making the latter part of the book an absolute page turner. The sense of failure and the smell of distress in the plot and the narrative voice creates an anxiety in the reader and a desire (but at the same time an aversion) to know the ending of the story.
As the plot comes to a close, Southern switches to third person. This was my favorite thing about the book. It was absolutely masterfully done, and in my mind it represented the main character who was so closely connected to the plot finally giving up and letting go. After such a long journey, and such an intricate scheme the narrator gives up and simply views the ending instead of being an active participant. It was a brilliant technique and made the ending of this thriller absolutely phenomenal.
Many thanks to Paul Southern for sending me a free copy of this book; I was so impressed by it, and really enjoyed the peek into the mindset of the narrator.
Best,
-NS
May 31, 2016
(originally reviewed at
thelibraryladies.com
)
I thought I had this book all figured out when I read the description. What is it that Han Solo says? “Don’t get cocky”? I got cocky. I never should have assumed that I knew everything going into this book, because it ended up making me feel very sheepish indeed. I went in with preconceived notions, and “Daddy Dearest” proved me wrong. I like being proved wrong, folks, especially if it works out in my favor, ultimately. I think that part of it is that I’ve read so many thrillers as of late that have big crazy outlandish twists, I am always on the lookout for curves and swerves, and while “Daddy Dearest” does have some twists and turns, I didn’t guess any of them. So BRA-VO, Paul Southern.
I feel that while I would like to keep some of the major plot points tucked away, there are themes that I want to address in this review that could be seen as spoiler-y. So fair warning.
At it’s heart, “Daddy Dearest” is a character study of a man who is grappling with a lot of stress and problems in his personal life. Our unnamed narrator and his unnamed daughter have a pretty decent relationship, one that seemed fairly realistic given the circumstances. He��s divorced from her mother, she only seems him every once in awhile, and he is clearly quite terrified of losing her. While this manifests in a fear of her getting caught in an elevator (or lift in the book, as it takes place in the U.K.), the fear is far broader than that. When she disappears behind those doors, it makes all of his fears a reality, as it seems that she has disappeared from his life without any way to get her back. Our Narrator is an interesting conundrum in and of himself, as while he loves his (also unnamed) daughter very much it becomes clear from early on that he does not like, or at least respect, women as a whole. I honestly had a hard time with some of the ways that he would describe women in this book, and how he would interact with them as well. It took some time to peel back the layers of our narrator, and the more we peeled back the more disturbing he became. At first, when I went in thinking that Our Narrator was going to be a heroic type trying to save his daughter from some unknown threat, I thought that the writing was very sexist and was having a hard time with it. As I kept going, however, it slowly became apparent that all was not as it seemed, and I have to say that it was achieved in a clever and satisfying way. I can’t say that I liked Our Narrator, but I was very invested in how things shook out for him and his missing daughter.
Sometimes when I was reading it I would get tripped up over some of the phrasing. While the story itself was pretty well done and kept me interested, there were times that the writing felt a little choppy or awkward. There were a number of times that I would get hung up on a sentence because of the language that was chosen to convey it. It doesn’t break the book, but it did take me out of the story whenever it did happen. I usually saw what their effect was supposed to be, but mostly they just didn’t quite bring me to where they were meant to. There were also a couple of tangential moves in the story that were a little bit confusing for me, and even after trying to go back and discern what had happened, I was still left scratching my head. I also did, ultimately, have a hard time wrapping my head around the women characters in this book. I know that we were seeing them through the eyes of Our Narrator, who has a lot of contempt for women in general, but I had a hard time understanding the motivations of those who were present, at least when it came to having a relationship with him. This was the most apparent with Our Narrator’s ex-wife. Sure, we know that she got out of the marriage, but I never really understood why she got in it in the first place. I should mention that it’s a first person narrator who is unreliable at best, so this could be me nit picking, but I wanted to see some idea as to why she would have had associated with this man, much less had a child with him!
I was pleasantly surprised by “Daddy Dearest”. I think that if you are a fan of thrillers and can overlook some fumbling writing quirks, this may be one to check out. It definitely left me guessing, which is really what one wants in a book like this.
I thought I had this book all figured out when I read the description. What is it that Han Solo says? “Don’t get cocky”? I got cocky. I never should have assumed that I knew everything going into this book, because it ended up making me feel very sheepish indeed. I went in with preconceived notions, and “Daddy Dearest” proved me wrong. I like being proved wrong, folks, especially if it works out in my favor, ultimately. I think that part of it is that I’ve read so many thrillers as of late that have big crazy outlandish twists, I am always on the lookout for curves and swerves, and while “Daddy Dearest” does have some twists and turns, I didn’t guess any of them. So BRA-VO, Paul Southern.
I feel that while I would like to keep some of the major plot points tucked away, there are themes that I want to address in this review that could be seen as spoiler-y. So fair warning.
At it’s heart, “Daddy Dearest” is a character study of a man who is grappling with a lot of stress and problems in his personal life. Our unnamed narrator and his unnamed daughter have a pretty decent relationship, one that seemed fairly realistic given the circumstances. He��s divorced from her mother, she only seems him every once in awhile, and he is clearly quite terrified of losing her. While this manifests in a fear of her getting caught in an elevator (or lift in the book, as it takes place in the U.K.), the fear is far broader than that. When she disappears behind those doors, it makes all of his fears a reality, as it seems that she has disappeared from his life without any way to get her back. Our Narrator is an interesting conundrum in and of himself, as while he loves his (also unnamed) daughter very much it becomes clear from early on that he does not like, or at least respect, women as a whole. I honestly had a hard time with some of the ways that he would describe women in this book, and how he would interact with them as well. It took some time to peel back the layers of our narrator, and the more we peeled back the more disturbing he became. At first, when I went in thinking that Our Narrator was going to be a heroic type trying to save his daughter from some unknown threat, I thought that the writing was very sexist and was having a hard time with it. As I kept going, however, it slowly became apparent that all was not as it seemed, and I have to say that it was achieved in a clever and satisfying way. I can’t say that I liked Our Narrator, but I was very invested in how things shook out for him and his missing daughter.
Sometimes when I was reading it I would get tripped up over some of the phrasing. While the story itself was pretty well done and kept me interested, there were times that the writing felt a little choppy or awkward. There were a number of times that I would get hung up on a sentence because of the language that was chosen to convey it. It doesn’t break the book, but it did take me out of the story whenever it did happen. I usually saw what their effect was supposed to be, but mostly they just didn’t quite bring me to where they were meant to. There were also a couple of tangential moves in the story that were a little bit confusing for me, and even after trying to go back and discern what had happened, I was still left scratching my head. I also did, ultimately, have a hard time wrapping my head around the women characters in this book. I know that we were seeing them through the eyes of Our Narrator, who has a lot of contempt for women in general, but I had a hard time understanding the motivations of those who were present, at least when it came to having a relationship with him. This was the most apparent with Our Narrator’s ex-wife. Sure, we know that she got out of the marriage, but I never really understood why she got in it in the first place. I should mention that it’s a first person narrator who is unreliable at best, so this could be me nit picking, but I wanted to see some idea as to why she would have had associated with this man, much less had a child with him!
I was pleasantly surprised by “Daddy Dearest”. I think that if you are a fan of thrillers and can overlook some fumbling writing quirks, this may be one to check out. It definitely left me guessing, which is really what one wants in a book like this.
March 21, 2016
A father and his five-year-old daughter wait for an elevator in their apartment building. The doors open and the girl steps into the elevator. The father is distracted for only a second, but long enough for the elevator doors to close. The elevator descends with the daughter as the only passenger. In a panic, he races down the stairs to catch the elevator when it opens on the ground floor. To his horror, he finds an empty elevator. The child has vanished without a trace.
Police sweep the building, but find nothing. As the disappearance becomes nationwide news, several residents of the apartment building are taken in for questioning to no avail. As days pass by, the dejected father descends into a psychological meltdown.
Daddy Dearest by Paul Southern has a release date of June 1, 2016 on Amazon and Smashwords.
This psychological thriller is told in the first person narrative as are many modern mystery/crime novels. The novel starts out with long sections of narrative, with small clips of dialog sprinkled in now and then. These sections are tedious to read and slows pace of the story. But after finishing the book and looking back at the beginning, it is easy to understand that those sections were necessary to develop a complex character. This isn’t an issue throughout the book. As the story progresses the narrative become smaller, with more action and dialog.
At times, It seems like the author goes off in a different direction that has nothing to do with advancing the story. However, you soon realize that you are learning something about the character - a small piece of info that shows the character’s oddness. The author is telling a story, but also taking the reader inside the head of a very troubled man
As with some first person narrative stories, the secondary characters were not fully developed, but in this case, I don't think it matters much. The story is about a man and his personal demons, with secondary characters being only speed bumps along the way.
The ending seemed a little rushed. Tension built throughout the scenes, but then dropped without a big bang that you would expect. The climax was small, and then the story was gone.
It is my opinion that only after finishing the book and looking back at it as a whole, you start to understand the depths, and horror, of a very troubled individual.
One interesting note – you never learn the main character’s name.
Overall, I enjoyed Daddy Dearest. The story is compelling and is told in a unique way.
Readers that like to solve the mystery of a story may not like this book. It's not that type of book. However, I think that crime and suspense readers may enjoy this book.
The author of this book provided a copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Police sweep the building, but find nothing. As the disappearance becomes nationwide news, several residents of the apartment building are taken in for questioning to no avail. As days pass by, the dejected father descends into a psychological meltdown.
Daddy Dearest by Paul Southern has a release date of June 1, 2016 on Amazon and Smashwords.
This psychological thriller is told in the first person narrative as are many modern mystery/crime novels. The novel starts out with long sections of narrative, with small clips of dialog sprinkled in now and then. These sections are tedious to read and slows pace of the story. But after finishing the book and looking back at the beginning, it is easy to understand that those sections were necessary to develop a complex character. This isn’t an issue throughout the book. As the story progresses the narrative become smaller, with more action and dialog.
At times, It seems like the author goes off in a different direction that has nothing to do with advancing the story. However, you soon realize that you are learning something about the character - a small piece of info that shows the character’s oddness. The author is telling a story, but also taking the reader inside the head of a very troubled man
As with some first person narrative stories, the secondary characters were not fully developed, but in this case, I don't think it matters much. The story is about a man and his personal demons, with secondary characters being only speed bumps along the way.
The ending seemed a little rushed. Tension built throughout the scenes, but then dropped without a big bang that you would expect. The climax was small, and then the story was gone.
It is my opinion that only after finishing the book and looking back at it as a whole, you start to understand the depths, and horror, of a very troubled individual.
One interesting note – you never learn the main character’s name.
Overall, I enjoyed Daddy Dearest. The story is compelling and is told in a unique way.
Readers that like to solve the mystery of a story may not like this book. It's not that type of book. However, I think that crime and suspense readers may enjoy this book.
The author of this book provided a copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
June 4, 2016
Daddy Dearest is a psychological thriller with a difference and one where you never find out the protagonists name.
Daddy is divorced and a weekend father to his five-year-old daughter. At first he seems like any other regular guy but that couldn't be further from the truth because Daddy is a headcase!
When his daughter goes missing from the lift in his apartment building it leads to every resident being scrutinised. Surely a young girl can't just disappear into thin air during a short journey in a lift? Someone must have seen something?
As we follow the search for the young child, through the TV appeal with his ex-wife and watch as residents are hauled in for questioning, it becomes apparent that our protagonist is a tormented soul.
Written in the first person throughout, it's like you're swimming through the narrator's head, hearing his thoughts and emotions, some of which are unfathomable. This is a man who is struggling in his life on so many different levels and the reader is privy to every battle.
Paul Southern has written a mesmerising novel that will grab you right from its outset. I found myself swinging between loving and loathing the narrator but I was soon empathising with him as everything he does is because he loves his daughter and he just wants what's best for her. I did find it took me a few chapters to get used to the authors writing style and for a while I couldn't understand the random tangents the main character would veer off on but things soon started to fit into place and the ramblings made perfect sense. I was stunned, when about a third of the way through the novel everything I thought I knew was thrown completely out of the window and a whole new scenario came into play. Very clever Mr Southern, I sure as hell didn't see that one coming!
If you're looking for a thriller that thinks outside the box then this is the book for you. It will make you question your own thought process and I recommend that you give it a try.
With kind thanks to author Paul Southern for the review copy.
Daddy is divorced and a weekend father to his five-year-old daughter. At first he seems like any other regular guy but that couldn't be further from the truth because Daddy is a headcase!
When his daughter goes missing from the lift in his apartment building it leads to every resident being scrutinised. Surely a young girl can't just disappear into thin air during a short journey in a lift? Someone must have seen something?
As we follow the search for the young child, through the TV appeal with his ex-wife and watch as residents are hauled in for questioning, it becomes apparent that our protagonist is a tormented soul.
Written in the first person throughout, it's like you're swimming through the narrator's head, hearing his thoughts and emotions, some of which are unfathomable. This is a man who is struggling in his life on so many different levels and the reader is privy to every battle.
Paul Southern has written a mesmerising novel that will grab you right from its outset. I found myself swinging between loving and loathing the narrator but I was soon empathising with him as everything he does is because he loves his daughter and he just wants what's best for her. I did find it took me a few chapters to get used to the authors writing style and for a while I couldn't understand the random tangents the main character would veer off on but things soon started to fit into place and the ramblings made perfect sense. I was stunned, when about a third of the way through the novel everything I thought I knew was thrown completely out of the window and a whole new scenario came into play. Very clever Mr Southern, I sure as hell didn't see that one coming!
If you're looking for a thriller that thinks outside the box then this is the book for you. It will make you question your own thought process and I recommend that you give it a try.
With kind thanks to author Paul Southern for the review copy.
July 12, 2016
Daddy Dearest by Paul Southern takes you on a roller coaster of madness and emotions. It's a suspenseful book, a psychological thriller, and Daddy Dearest by Paul Southern. He creates a suspense by exploiting the misgivings over characters motives, honesty, and the characters their view of the world. Think of being at a play, and a single character walks out, sits on a stool and starts to tell you a story….like a soliloquy Daddy Dearest starts off with a single narrative from a single character we know as the father but we do not know his name. Again like.. Now, We get to learn a bit about him, progressively through one chapter at a time, and then the bigger picture comes in…the day his daughter goes missing.
The narrator, the father is open about who he is and about the events that unfolded when his daughter went missing…he also tends to leave a lot out about himself. He also leaves a lot out about the story as if either there is something to hide or there's just another part of the story that has yet to be told…
With psychological thrillers the focus is on the story, on the “character development, choices, and moral conflict; fear and anxiety drive the psychological tension. Withunpredictable ways which drives a sense of realism, drive as much possible into a fictional character (s).
We know he has OCD, we know about about his being a single divorced man who also has no luck with woman. With his daughter missing there is no shortage of suspects, neighbors, friends, including himself. As much as one is a open book, it means you need to look just as close or closer to what they may have to hide. And when it may seem obvious you may want to take a step back and rethink or check your facts cause you never know.
For any fan of mystery, thriller, suspense, psychological thrillers…there is no shortage. In the way the narrative is written it is catching, just when you think you have it figured out, there is another twist. If you are a fan of novels like Shutter Island or movies like Hide And Seek, or any in between or similar, you will enjoy Daddy Dearest.
The narrator, the father is open about who he is and about the events that unfolded when his daughter went missing…he also tends to leave a lot out about himself. He also leaves a lot out about the story as if either there is something to hide or there's just another part of the story that has yet to be told…
With psychological thrillers the focus is on the story, on the “character development, choices, and moral conflict; fear and anxiety drive the psychological tension. Withunpredictable ways which drives a sense of realism, drive as much possible into a fictional character (s).
We know he has OCD, we know about about his being a single divorced man who also has no luck with woman. With his daughter missing there is no shortage of suspects, neighbors, friends, including himself. As much as one is a open book, it means you need to look just as close or closer to what they may have to hide. And when it may seem obvious you may want to take a step back and rethink or check your facts cause you never know.
For any fan of mystery, thriller, suspense, psychological thrillers…there is no shortage. In the way the narrative is written it is catching, just when you think you have it figured out, there is another twist. If you are a fan of novels like Shutter Island or movies like Hide And Seek, or any in between or similar, you will enjoy Daddy Dearest.
December 9, 2016
Well that was a roller coaster ride...... Not at all what I was expecting but who wants predictability anyway? Not me and I loved it! I was gripped from beginning to end. Daddy dearest. The daddy in question is one damaged, desperate middle-aged man. The lengths he will go to to end the nightmare that he and his ex-wife are suffering are incomprehensible to me. The love and loss of his daughter, the inner demons he battles daily, his loneliness and despair watching his wife move on with her new man, leaving him a faded memory that she tolerates only when meeting him for his weekend contact visits with his daughter, who is now missing, all takes it's toll on poor daddy.
Disturbing? Yes. Shocking at times? Definitely, and still I couldn't stop reading it!
Written from the fathers perspective throughout, you are drawn into the inner workings of an obsessive, unhinged mans soul, delving into the unknown dark corners of the psyche no one should ever roam. This book has you by the metaphorical balls from the beginning. Beware. Shit just got real.
A varied mix of eclectic characters, some flawed, all interesting.
It almost feels like a true story and the writing style had me thinking this was perhaps some kind of weird therapy to exorcise his demons. Edge of your seat stuff this one!
Who has taken his daughter? And why? What will become of the little girl and how will he cope if he never sees her again? You will have to read it to find out!
A must read for psychological thriller fans.
Disturbing? Yes. Shocking at times? Definitely, and still I couldn't stop reading it!
Written from the fathers perspective throughout, you are drawn into the inner workings of an obsessive, unhinged mans soul, delving into the unknown dark corners of the psyche no one should ever roam. This book has you by the metaphorical balls from the beginning. Beware. Shit just got real.
A varied mix of eclectic characters, some flawed, all interesting.
It almost feels like a true story and the writing style had me thinking this was perhaps some kind of weird therapy to exorcise his demons. Edge of your seat stuff this one!
Who has taken his daughter? And why? What will become of the little girl and how will he cope if he never sees her again? You will have to read it to find out!
A must read for psychological thriller fans.
June 19, 2016
Daddy Dearest is a story of love and loss as told by a Father. The book opens with a man describing his life to you and through each chapter you get to learn a little bit more about him until the story unfolds and you learn about his missing Daughter.
Whilst the story is told by the Father throughout, you never learn his name and he manages to withhold certain elements of the story whilst being open and honest with the reader the whole time, telling us about his struggles with OCD and bad luck with women. The description of OCD in this book is absolutely fantastic and it gets inside your head in just the right way.
The character development in this story is fantastic, even when characters are doing something which in real life you'd condemn them for you see it from their point of view and feel for them and their situation.
I don't want to say too much about this book because I don't want to spoil it, the temptation is to tell you every detail of the story and how clever the author was in leading us through the story but then you'd have no reason to read it. I very much enjoyed this book and found myself wanting to know more and more as I read.
Definitely give this book a read, it's the best book I've read this year!
Whilst the story is told by the Father throughout, you never learn his name and he manages to withhold certain elements of the story whilst being open and honest with the reader the whole time, telling us about his struggles with OCD and bad luck with women. The description of OCD in this book is absolutely fantastic and it gets inside your head in just the right way.
The character development in this story is fantastic, even when characters are doing something which in real life you'd condemn them for you see it from their point of view and feel for them and their situation.
I don't want to say too much about this book because I don't want to spoil it, the temptation is to tell you every detail of the story and how clever the author was in leading us through the story but then you'd have no reason to read it. I very much enjoyed this book and found myself wanting to know more and more as I read.
Definitely give this book a read, it's the best book I've read this year!
May 12, 2016
The police investigation into the disappearance of a five year old girl in the Sears building has unexpected consequences for a number of the building's residents, as the police investigate them one by one, floor by floor.
Meanwhile the girl's parents appear on television and people reach out in sympathy. But the days pass and she is not found. The parents are obviously both cracking under the strain.
This is really one of those novels where I can't tell you much more of the plot without spoiling your journey of discovery as you read it for yourself. In many ways it is a very sad novel. At least twice events take a grim turn, and in the long run there is only one way for it to end.
Meanwhile the girl's parents appear on television and people reach out in sympathy. But the days pass and she is not found. The parents are obviously both cracking under the strain.
This is really one of those novels where I can't tell you much more of the plot without spoiling your journey of discovery as you read it for yourself. In many ways it is a very sad novel. At least twice events take a grim turn, and in the long run there is only one way for it to end.
June 1, 2016
During his weekend with his daughter, a father is put in the desperate position of her going missing, leading to a huge search for her. However, the results of his missing daughter has tragic consequences.
Told from the point of view of the disturbed father, this book is narrated by a single point of view, which makes it all the more chilling. If you believe you know where the story is headed you'll be surprised.
A psychological thriller that will draw you in and keep you rooted and leave you feeling haunted and disturbed.
Told from the point of view of the disturbed father, this book is narrated by a single point of view, which makes it all the more chilling. If you believe you know where the story is headed you'll be surprised.
A psychological thriller that will draw you in and keep you rooted and leave you feeling haunted and disturbed.
June 8, 2016
Daddy's girl goes missing. Is she okay? Will dad be okay? Is everything ever really okay?
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