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The Daughter
Sometimes a killer comes along who will make your blood run cold...
When the body of a young woman is found with her hands and teeth missing, Detective Inspector Phil Morris struggles to identify her.
The evidence initially suggests she is local missing girl, Alex Waters, whose mother, Tricia, comes armed with a psychic gift she would rather not possess.
As Phil and his partner, Detective Donna Barclay, try to untangle the web of mystery surrounding the body, it appears that Alex had more secrets than even her psychic mother knew.
As the hour glass empties, Phil and Donna are pushed to their limits trying to unravel the disturbed mind behind the sick game playing out around them.
Welcome to a new chapter in domestic noir.
When the body of a young woman is found with her hands and teeth missing, Detective Inspector Phil Morris struggles to identify her.
The evidence initially suggests she is local missing girl, Alex Waters, whose mother, Tricia, comes armed with a psychic gift she would rather not possess.
As Phil and his partner, Detective Donna Barclay, try to untangle the web of mystery surrounding the body, it appears that Alex had more secrets than even her psychic mother knew.
As the hour glass empties, Phil and Donna are pushed to their limits trying to unravel the disturbed mind behind the sick game playing out around them.
Welcome to a new chapter in domestic noir.
255 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 18, 2017
26 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Billy McLaughlin
15 books64 followersBilly McLaughlin is a 38 year old writer from Glasgow who has published four novels in the crime genre.
The first is Invisible, a novelette about a woman who hides the true nature of her private life from a colleague that she's befriended. However, he delves in further under the belief that he can help her with horrible consequences.
The second of his books, and the first in the DI Morris series, tells the story of a young woman who has lost her way and ends up on the streets. As her life continues to break under the rubble, she finds herself at the heart of a murder where she's the obvious suspect.
In the Wake of Death picks up six months after the events of Lost Girl where DI Morris is caught up in a mystery of a more personal nature. When Marc Adams, the brother of an old flame, is left for dead it is up to Morris to get to the bottom of the crime. However, something darker lies beneath the surface.
In March 2017 McLaughlin released The Dead of Winter, a 40k crime novella that tells the story of two missing children, one a baby and one the teenager next door. The ugly truth of a middle class community on the edge of Glasgow reveals how these people react to the crime and how they'll protect their own at any cost.
McLaughlin is working on the third DI Morris book The Daughter which will see a 2017 release.
Get updates from Billy McLaughlin;
www.twitter.com/bilbob20
www.facebook.com/BillyMcLaughlinBooks
The first is Invisible, a novelette about a woman who hides the true nature of her private life from a colleague that she's befriended. However, he delves in further under the belief that he can help her with horrible consequences.
The second of his books, and the first in the DI Morris series, tells the story of a young woman who has lost her way and ends up on the streets. As her life continues to break under the rubble, she finds herself at the heart of a murder where she's the obvious suspect.
In the Wake of Death picks up six months after the events of Lost Girl where DI Morris is caught up in a mystery of a more personal nature. When Marc Adams, the brother of an old flame, is left for dead it is up to Morris to get to the bottom of the crime. However, something darker lies beneath the surface.
In March 2017 McLaughlin released The Dead of Winter, a 40k crime novella that tells the story of two missing children, one a baby and one the teenager next door. The ugly truth of a middle class community on the edge of Glasgow reveals how these people react to the crime and how they'll protect their own at any cost.
McLaughlin is working on the third DI Morris book The Daughter which will see a 2017 release.
Get updates from Billy McLaughlin;
www.twitter.com/bilbob20
www.facebook.com/BillyMcLaughlinBooks
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
September 25, 2017
I have become Billy McLaughlin’s fan a long time ago. The thrillers he writes never failed to keep me on the edge of my seat from the beginning to the very end, and the mystery aspect in each of them is so well thought through that I can never guess who stands behind the murder until the very end. “The Daughter” was no exception, with its compelling plot and the characters that feel so real that you will find yourself rooting for some and despising the others, and I love stories that make me feel this involved!
A body of a young woman is found with missing hands and teeth, and detectives Phil Morris and Donna Barclay (already familiar to the readers from the previous books in the series) come to the conclusion that someone is trying to cover something up. When Donna’s cousin Tricia contacts her in regards to her young daughter Alex who is missing, the detectives fear the worst; however, the truth that reveals itself in the end of this incredibly riveting mystery is much worse than anyone could possibly suspect.
If you love dark reads, mysteries and thrillers this story should definitely be on your to-read list. Very well done, as always!
A body of a young woman is found with missing hands and teeth, and detectives Phil Morris and Donna Barclay (already familiar to the readers from the previous books in the series) come to the conclusion that someone is trying to cover something up. When Donna’s cousin Tricia contacts her in regards to her young daughter Alex who is missing, the detectives fear the worst; however, the truth that reveals itself in the end of this incredibly riveting mystery is much worse than anyone could possibly suspect.
If you love dark reads, mysteries and thrillers this story should definitely be on your to-read list. Very well done, as always!
November 28, 2017
I really love this author's crime stories and this is another great read. Like previous books, this is a bit dark and gritty. This author writes crime stories that draw you into a dark place where most of the characters have been damaged by life. They are not very likable but they share a believable realism. The story starts with a macabre murder and there are various twists until the surprise ending. You won't want to put the book down!
September 22, 2017
THE DAUGHTER by Billy McLaughlin is a gripping and dark story filled with haunting twists and unexpected turns. The third book in the DI Morris series, I imagined that reading the previous books would be necessary but I was wrong, and this book can easily be read as a standalone.
When a young woman's body is discovered in a shed with her teeth missing, and parts of her body hacked off, Detectives Phil and Donna are put onto the case to discover who the victim is and find the perpetrator. But this case may be a little too close to home when everything seems to point to the fact that the victim is the missing local girl, Alex Waters. As secrets float to the surface, and families are torn apart by deceit, it appears that this murder may be just the beginning, will they be able to stop the killer before they strike again?
THE DAUGHTER by Billy McLaughlin is not a fast-paced, energetic crime thriller, but rather a composed crime novel as the clues and characters slowly slot into place as the narrative continues. Phil and Donna are great characters and there is a real air of authenticity when you read about all aspects of their job, which can often be dull and boring.
THE DAUGHTER by Billy McLaughlin is a great read and I recommend it to all readers who enjoy an evenly paced crime thriller.
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the author
October 6, 2017
Brilliant read I highly recommend to fans of suspense and thrillers.
This author gets better and better. Another unusual story which highlights parental grief and the complex mother/daughter relationship. I was intrigued from the start although it did take a while to work out the large cast of characters and the connections between them. Suspense is cranked up in the last third of the book and I had to stay up late to finish the read.
My sort of crime mystery/thriller.
This author gets better and better. Another unusual story which highlights parental grief and the complex mother/daughter relationship. I was intrigued from the start although it did take a while to work out the large cast of characters and the connections between them. Suspense is cranked up in the last third of the book and I had to stay up late to finish the read.
My sort of crime mystery/thriller.
September 19, 2017
Rating 3.5/5
This book was a tricky one for me, it is the third book in a series and I hadn’t realised that, so for a little bit of the book I felt like I was missing something. I’m not sure if with these kind of books you should really read them out of order as I was concentrating on the story and trying to figure out the blanks and that maybe detracted from the story overall.
I didn’t really warm to any of the characters except Phil and Kate and as I said because I felt like I was missing a lot of backstory I didn’t feel as invested as I would have liked. It also took me a while to figure out who was who, I’ll admit to getting a bit confused at points.
The setting was really good, as was the writing, I really got this dark atmosphere from the descriptions and I did feel very chilled from the story.
I don’t think I can say I enjoyed the story, it was good but in that scary creepy way. It was very suspenseful, I did figure out what was happening fairly early on, so I can’t comment on how it will be with keeping others guessing but it had all the right ingredients. Even though I had worked it out it was still nice to see how the pieces fit together and I did have that feeling of having to keep going to find out how it would play out.
I definitely think my reading experience meant that I wasn’t very connected to this book and that whilst I’ve maybe not enjoyed it as much as I thought that has nothing to do with the writing or the storyline. I would still recommend it, but maybe from the start of the series.
Originally posted on everywhere and nowhere
This book was a tricky one for me, it is the third book in a series and I hadn’t realised that, so for a little bit of the book I felt like I was missing something. I’m not sure if with these kind of books you should really read them out of order as I was concentrating on the story and trying to figure out the blanks and that maybe detracted from the story overall.
I didn’t really warm to any of the characters except Phil and Kate and as I said because I felt like I was missing a lot of backstory I didn’t feel as invested as I would have liked. It also took me a while to figure out who was who, I’ll admit to getting a bit confused at points.
The setting was really good, as was the writing, I really got this dark atmosphere from the descriptions and I did feel very chilled from the story.
I don’t think I can say I enjoyed the story, it was good but in that scary creepy way. It was very suspenseful, I did figure out what was happening fairly early on, so I can’t comment on how it will be with keeping others guessing but it had all the right ingredients. Even though I had worked it out it was still nice to see how the pieces fit together and I did have that feeling of having to keep going to find out how it would play out.
I definitely think my reading experience meant that I wasn’t very connected to this book and that whilst I’ve maybe not enjoyed it as much as I thought that has nothing to do with the writing or the storyline. I would still recommend it, but maybe from the start of the series.
Originally posted on everywhere and nowhere
January 20, 2020
D.C.I.Phil Morris and his partner Detective Donna Barclay are on the hunt for a cruel, vicious killer..A woman has been found with both hands and all her teeth missing..When Tricia Waters contacts Donna ..she is shocked to hear from Tricia ..her cousin who the family cut all ties off years before ..and now Tricia's daughter is missing..Tricia has the gift of second sight ,that can at times be both a blessing and a curse ..and now she believes her daughter Alex to be in grave danger.As Phil and Donna hone in on a suspect they believe they are getting closer to the truth .Elsewhere a woman is making plans to leave the country, when strange events happen in her home..But what happened to Alex...? This is A Dark ,Gripping thriller that will take you into the heart of darkness..Billy McLaughlin is a rising star in Scottish crime .Tense Dark Storytelling all the way through ....
October 14, 2017
A gripping, fast-paced thriller. The book has a big cast of characters and while it could occasionally be a little tricky to keep track of who was who, I really enjoyed the way McLaughlin was able to make everyone interesting and multi-layered. I particularly enjoyed the slightly paranormal edge. The end was fantastic, with a twist I never saw coming. Great read!
September 22, 2017
EXCITING BOOK
This book, the second I’ve read in this series was a great read and besides ‘Detective’ stories being one of my favourite genres it was particularly good as it kept me guessing until the last couple of chapters. In my opinion that makes it a good book. Try it and see if you can guess the whole story before you turn the pages near the end.
This book, the second I’ve read in this series was a great read and besides ‘Detective’ stories being one of my favourite genres it was particularly good as it kept me guessing until the last couple of chapters. In my opinion that makes it a good book. Try it and see if you can guess the whole story before you turn the pages near the end.
February 27, 2018
Having read the author’s previous novel, The Dead of Winter, I was intrigued to read another one of his works, and was not left disappointed.
This was a very dark, but smart mystery book. I think the author’s work has a specific atmosphere and once you get into it, you begin to appreciate it more and more. It’s an engrossing and exciting story. I like how the mystery is interwoven with the detective’s personal life and struggles. I look forward to read more books by this author.
This was a very dark, but smart mystery book. I think the author’s work has a specific atmosphere and once you get into it, you begin to appreciate it more and more. It’s an engrossing and exciting story. I like how the mystery is interwoven with the detective’s personal life and struggles. I look forward to read more books by this author.
October 29, 2019
Phil Morris and his partner, Detective Donna Barclay, are looking for a killer, one who kills with horrendous means. This book combines mystery, spiritual connections and great suspense. The author foes a great job with the feel of this story. Readers will find themselves drawn into this story and unable to stop reading.
September 24, 2017
I have had the pleasure of reading books by this author before so I knew I was in for a dark, gritty delight. The Daughter follows the same style of writing which I find refreshingly down to earth.
There are grisly finds, an old man discovers a body in the woods bordering his allotment. I could sense his horror and shock purely by the writing and this is how the book continues. Detective Inspector Phil Morris and his partner Detective Donna Barclay are on the hunt to identify the body, the only clues initially are her teeth and hands are missing.
After many years of silence Donna’s cousin Tricia makes frantic attempts to contact her, her daughter Alex has gone missing. Tricia is of psychic persuasion can she fathom where she is, or if there is a link to the murder? All she seems to get are vivid images of flames.
Another mother and daughter seem to be harbouring secrets and a web of deceit is forming. There is a race against time to solve this case.
Both Phil and Donna are realistic coppers, there is a good balance between their work and personal life. The reader gets plenty of glimpses into their family and relationships while they remain good old fashioned professional platonic colleagues.
The Daughter is chilling, atmospheric and absorbing. It’s a quick read, but don’t be fooled by the speed it can be read, because it contains a well paced crime mystery.
My thanks to Billy and Emma Mitchell for inviting me onto the tour. I read and reviewed voluntarily.
There are grisly finds, an old man discovers a body in the woods bordering his allotment. I could sense his horror and shock purely by the writing and this is how the book continues. Detective Inspector Phil Morris and his partner Detective Donna Barclay are on the hunt to identify the body, the only clues initially are her teeth and hands are missing.
After many years of silence Donna’s cousin Tricia makes frantic attempts to contact her, her daughter Alex has gone missing. Tricia is of psychic persuasion can she fathom where she is, or if there is a link to the murder? All she seems to get are vivid images of flames.
Another mother and daughter seem to be harbouring secrets and a web of deceit is forming. There is a race against time to solve this case.
Both Phil and Donna are realistic coppers, there is a good balance between their work and personal life. The reader gets plenty of glimpses into their family and relationships while they remain good old fashioned professional platonic colleagues.
The Daughter is chilling, atmospheric and absorbing. It’s a quick read, but don’t be fooled by the speed it can be read, because it contains a well paced crime mystery.
My thanks to Billy and Emma Mitchell for inviting me onto the tour. I read and reviewed voluntarily.
September 19, 2017
Many thanks to the author and Emma Mitchell for my eARC received in return for this unbiased review.
This is the third book in Billy McLaughlin's DI Phil Morris series but the first I have read and it can definitely be enjoyed as a standalone thriller - although as always with a series there are some elements that will be clearer to those who have read the books chronologically. The book opens with a prologue featuring a girl's last moments following an explosion. As the story begins however, she is not the victim whose death is to be investigated. Instead a man has discovered the body of a young woman in the trees at the allotments where he lives in a shed. Her teeth have been removed and the old man is further horrified to discover both her hands have been cut off. DI Phil Morris is called in to investigate but it looks like this case could become personal for his partner, Donna Barclay. Her cousin, Tricia Waters contacts her after many years to report her daughter, Alex is missing. The dead girl was found with Alex's bag and was wearing her pendant, will Donna have to give Tricia the devastating news that her daughter has been murdered?
Tricia is psychic and after a brief moment of fame now shuns the spotlight. She holds meetings at her church where she gives messages from the dead to their loved ones. She hasn't received any such message from Alex but has been having distressingly real hallucinations of a fire. Meanwhile another local mother, Monica is clearly troubled. Is her daughter, Sarah a calming or controlling influence on her, and could they be in danger too?
This is a frustrating case for Phil and Donna, they can't confirm the identity of the victim, have no suspects or motives, and fear that this may be only the start and somebody else is also in terrible danger. They might just be facing a race against time to prevent another murder. As the story progressed I found myself questioning if anybody was telling the truth, The Daughter is packed with shocking secrets and thrilling twists. Family relationships are ripped apart by lies and tragedy, and as the book races towards an explosive conclusion it may be that more people are going to die before there can be any sort of justice, let alone redemption and forgiveness.
Phil and Donna are refreshingly believable police officers, there is nothing flashy about them, their investigation reflects the often mundane, tiring and frustrating work of real police officers. It was particularly good to read a book where there is no hint of romance between the investigators, instead Phil's relationship with his girlfriend, Kate, and Donna's family history provide some colour to their characters without detracting from the plot. As a sceptic I did have to put aside my prejudices about psychics a bit but found Tricia to be a fascinating character, her gift often seeming to be more of a curse than a blessing. The other characters are equally well written, especially the murderer who is a truly frightening and evil individual.
I wasn't immediately gripped by The Daughter, it's a slow burner to begin with. However, I still enjoyed the gradual introduction of the various characters and the complex plotting. As the pace increased though, it became a compelling page turner and I raced towards the end of this chilling psychological thriller. Billy McLaughlin is a new name to me but one I will be looking out for in the future.
This is the third book in Billy McLaughlin's DI Phil Morris series but the first I have read and it can definitely be enjoyed as a standalone thriller - although as always with a series there are some elements that will be clearer to those who have read the books chronologically. The book opens with a prologue featuring a girl's last moments following an explosion. As the story begins however, she is not the victim whose death is to be investigated. Instead a man has discovered the body of a young woman in the trees at the allotments where he lives in a shed. Her teeth have been removed and the old man is further horrified to discover both her hands have been cut off. DI Phil Morris is called in to investigate but it looks like this case could become personal for his partner, Donna Barclay. Her cousin, Tricia Waters contacts her after many years to report her daughter, Alex is missing. The dead girl was found with Alex's bag and was wearing her pendant, will Donna have to give Tricia the devastating news that her daughter has been murdered?
Tricia is psychic and after a brief moment of fame now shuns the spotlight. She holds meetings at her church where she gives messages from the dead to their loved ones. She hasn't received any such message from Alex but has been having distressingly real hallucinations of a fire. Meanwhile another local mother, Monica is clearly troubled. Is her daughter, Sarah a calming or controlling influence on her, and could they be in danger too?
This is a frustrating case for Phil and Donna, they can't confirm the identity of the victim, have no suspects or motives, and fear that this may be only the start and somebody else is also in terrible danger. They might just be facing a race against time to prevent another murder. As the story progressed I found myself questioning if anybody was telling the truth, The Daughter is packed with shocking secrets and thrilling twists. Family relationships are ripped apart by lies and tragedy, and as the book races towards an explosive conclusion it may be that more people are going to die before there can be any sort of justice, let alone redemption and forgiveness.
Phil and Donna are refreshingly believable police officers, there is nothing flashy about them, their investigation reflects the often mundane, tiring and frustrating work of real police officers. It was particularly good to read a book where there is no hint of romance between the investigators, instead Phil's relationship with his girlfriend, Kate, and Donna's family history provide some colour to their characters without detracting from the plot. As a sceptic I did have to put aside my prejudices about psychics a bit but found Tricia to be a fascinating character, her gift often seeming to be more of a curse than a blessing. The other characters are equally well written, especially the murderer who is a truly frightening and evil individual.
I wasn't immediately gripped by The Daughter, it's a slow burner to begin with. However, I still enjoyed the gradual introduction of the various characters and the complex plotting. As the pace increased though, it became a compelling page turner and I raced towards the end of this chilling psychological thriller. Billy McLaughlin is a new name to me but one I will be looking out for in the future.
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September 25, 2017Originally published on My Eclectic Reads
This was the third book in a series, which I hadn't realised when I started, so there was an element of trying to catch up with the storyline and fill in the gaps. However it is still possible to read as a standalone book.
I found the book a little difficult to get into at first, but as the story began to unfold it became easier to figure out who everyone was.
The setting was really good and the writing was brilliant. There was a superbly dark undertone with some extremely chilling descriptions throughout the story. There was plenty of suspense throughout the book and, although I had a idea of what was happening, it didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book. In fact I kept me reading to see how everything fit together.
I would definitely recommend this book, however for the full reading experience I would maybe suggest starting from the beginning of the series.
Many thanks to Billy McLaughlin and Emma Mitchell for my advanced reader copy and inviting me on the tour!
This was the third book in a series, which I hadn't realised when I started, so there was an element of trying to catch up with the storyline and fill in the gaps. However it is still possible to read as a standalone book.
I found the book a little difficult to get into at first, but as the story began to unfold it became easier to figure out who everyone was.
The setting was really good and the writing was brilliant. There was a superbly dark undertone with some extremely chilling descriptions throughout the story. There was plenty of suspense throughout the book and, although I had a idea of what was happening, it didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book. In fact I kept me reading to see how everything fit together.
I would definitely recommend this book, however for the full reading experience I would maybe suggest starting from the beginning of the series.
Many thanks to Billy McLaughlin and Emma Mitchell for my advanced reader copy and inviting me on the tour!
November 21, 2017
I read Billy's previous novel The Dead of Winter which I enjoyed immensely, but The Daughter wasn't quite as good for me. Like The Dead of Winter, The Daughter has an eclectic cast of characters, some of whom mean a lot to the story and some who appear transiently. As a writer I'm jealous of how Billy conjures up his characters! But as the plot revealed itself, the characters involved didn't quite work for me. I would like to have seen more of the antagonist and especially of the antagonists intended victim, before the ending. But other than that, it was a good, genre crime story.
December 4, 2017
The daughter is a suspenseful, was paced thriller with many twists. An old man discovers the body of a young woman. With extreme hesitation, he slowly walks closer to the body and notices the hands and teeth are missing. Detectives Phil and Donna are assigned to the case. Could this be the missing daughter? Secrets will surface, creating a cloud of suspicion. Families will be torn apart by deceit. The story will take an unexpected twist, one that I definitely did not see coming. If you enjoy thrillers with unexpected twists and turns and a bit of paranormal thrown in then this is the book for you.
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December 19, 2019
“The Daughter” by Billy McLaughlin was a thoroughly enjoyable read. It is about mothers and daughters, and psychics and evil. There are different narratives going on, but eventually, they all merge seamlessly to form the climax. Quick pace, and good police procedural without too many long-drawn details.
4 Stars
4 Stars
May 8, 2018
Another great read from Billy McLaughlin
There was so much going on in this book. I loved how he brought the psychic in as a major player rather than an extra. Billy does a nice job of bringing you through the mystery while keeping his cards close to his chest. Highly recommend as book 3 in the series.
There was so much going on in this book. I loved how he brought the psychic in as a major player rather than an extra. Billy does a nice job of bringing you through the mystery while keeping his cards close to his chest. Highly recommend as book 3 in the series.
April 5, 2018
This well-paced engaging thriller is filled with intrigue from the first sentence, “Death came so quickly she barely even felt it,” through till the end of the book. What starts with an explosion and smoke had me wanting to know what happened. A great way to start a mystery story. It then jumps into chapter one and a man in his home who sees a pendant dangling loosely from a human neck. The police are called in and the mystery continues with detectives Phil Morris and Donna Barclay on the case. When Donna gets a message that a cousin is missing, she gets a very bad feeling. No spoilers here but suffice it to say I was surprised. This is not my first from this author and won’t be my last.
December 6, 2017
I hadn't read the others in the series, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of this book. It's a page-turner. A mix of a thriller and crime. It's engaging from the start where you're led down one path thinking one thing, and it all gets mixed up and you're not sure what the endgame is. I was through this book in a couple of day and enjoyed every minute of it. Very beautiful writing and engaging characters. The sub-plots were perfectly paced and placed. I enjoyed it very much and would recommend.
October 25, 2017
Having read the other two other books in the series, I was looking forward to "The Daughter" and it didn't disappoint. Another page turner from Billy McLaughlin and a good story which kept me guessing 'til the very end.
January 8, 2018
2017 really had me shifting reading genres and reading outside my comfort zone - Mystery/Thrillers became some of my favourites - The Daughter is no exception although quite a bit darker. Great writing skills made this an enjoyable read.
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March 15, 20254.5 stars!
holy moly this book is good! it’s rather short but it will definitely keep you on edge! you’re confused, scared and eager to find out what happened to who and who the bad guy is. really enjoyed this!
holy moly this book is good! it’s rather short but it will definitely keep you on edge! you’re confused, scared and eager to find out what happened to who and who the bad guy is. really enjoyed this!
April 28, 2025
It's a little drawn out and seems to drag on in some places. {spoiler alert} It really heats up when one of the detectives working the case gets a phone call.
This kept me wanting to read more and more. I think I'll read the other parts.
This kept me wanting to read more and more. I think I'll read the other parts.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews