VBT# The Daughter - Alesha Dykema

Review: The Daughter - Alesha Dykema - January 2026

You know those moments when you're reading about wealthy families in thrillers and you find yourself grateful for your own upbringing? That's exactly where I found myself while turning the pages of The Daughter . Though I'll admit, some aspects hit a little close to home in ways I wasn't expecting.

Alesha Dykema weaves together two compelling storylines that kept me reading late into the night with my tea going cold beside me. At the heart of the story is Shayla Hartmann, the eldest daughter of a tyrannical father whose idea of discipline would make most of us shudder. The wealth and privilege of her childhood came with a terrible price, paid in fear and harsh punishments for the smallest missteps. Now as an adult and mother herself, Shayla is desperate to break the cycle before her father's cruelty touches her daughter Skyler and the next generation.

Her solution? Poison. But as often happens when we take matters into our own hands, things go horribly wrong when her mother drinks from the wrong cup. This twist had me gasping aloud, much to the confusion of my cat who was napping on the armchair beside me. Now Shayla must find another way to protect her family and honor the vow she made with her siblings that their children would never suffer as they did.

Running parallel to Shayla's story is Demi's heartbreaking search for her son James, who was abducted as a baby by his father. Demi is convinced she knows who's responsible, but she's looking in the wrong direction. The truth lies closer to Shayla's family than anyone realizes, and when these two storylines converge, the stakes become impossibly high.

Alesha Dykema doesn't shy away from the uncomfortable questions about family legacy, inherited trauma, and how far a parent will go to protect their children. The tension builds steadily as Shayla races against time to save her siblings, help Demi find her son, and stop her father before he can start this cycle of abuse all over again with a new generation.
 

The Daughter is a gripping domestic thriller that reminds us that sometimes the most dangerous monsters are the ones who sit at the head of the family table.

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/244470311-the-daughter