Second Thoughts

by Kristofer Clarke

As a young boy, Patrick McKay knew his father had a heart. What he didn't know was that his heart was not only cold, but made entirely of stone. Patrick found this out the hard way when he was awaken by the punishment his father was inflicting on him after finding out the one secret Patrick had only shared with one other person, Taylor Duncan. This was the just punishment his father had decided on after finding out the boy he was raising as his son, wouldn't grow up to be the man he envisioned. Now Omar Duval has been released from his ten year prison term and is about to cause trouble in the lives of those he once claimed to love. The secrets he holds will not only test the relationship Patrick has developed with the woman he's known as his mother, but also the close bond he has with his younger brother Chance, a professional athlete who can't seem to keep his distance from trouble. Patrick is overwhelmed cleaning up the mess Chance always finds himself in, while trying to keep secrets from destroying his relationships. But for Patrick, it may already be too late. Everywhere Taylor goes, her indiscretions seem to follow. She has found herself in another precarious situation, this time with Dillon, her sister's husband. After having another close encounter with Dillon, Taylor has confided in DaMarcus, her son's father, thinking she has no one else to turn to. Has she just sealed her fate? DaMarcus, the man who is secretly plotting to destroy her just as she destroyed his relationship, was just handed the information he needed to make her pay. But Taylor hasn't told all her secrets, and this deepest, darkest secret will change the lives of everyone around her. Just how will this play out.

300 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 2012

About the author

Novelist Kristofer Clarke was born in Jamaica and raised in Hartford, Connecticut. He received his undergraduate degree from Middlebury College in Middlebury, VT, and a graduate degree in Education from Bowie State University. He currently resides in Maryland.

Reviews

[Carmen Blalock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patrick McKay is haunted by his past in so many ways that every time he thinks that he is correct one wrong two more pop up. When Patrick try to turn to the one person in the world who is supposed to make everything alright, his mother Colleen, she just adds one more piece to the puzzle of his life that is not fitting correctly. Who will Patrick turn to now?

Chance Parker is Patrick's younger brother and second round draft pick in the NBA. He is popular with the ladies and trouble in the making. Chance has always looked up to Patrick and that is the way that Patrick wants to keep it, but when family secrets start falling out of the closet will Chance and Patrick be able to keep that close relationship or will this tear them apart.

Colleen Parker, Patrick and Chance' s mother is not the woman that they thought that they knew. She is supposed to protect her children and keep them safe but it seems like Colleen has put them in more of harm's way than anything. Will this revelation be what is needed to make the family stronger or will this tear them apart once and for all?

DeMarcus Nealon is a very promising NFL star and was very much in love with his wife Belinda until his accountant Taylor happened and sent his life into a tailspin. Now DeMarcus is trying to piece his life back together but thanks to Taylor it is not going as planned. So now DeMarcus has to come up with a plan to make Taylor feel exactly the way that he is feeling.

Taylor Duncan is a woman who knows who she is and what she wants. When Taylor decides what she wants, nothing or no one is going to stop her from getting it and watch out if you get in her way. The one thing that Taylor hasn't counted on was anyone else having just as much determination as her to bring her world down.

Second Thoughts is a book filled with twists that keep you interested to the very last sentence! I enjoyed the six degree of separation aspect that was used in here and it linked the characters and made you say "OH, I SEE!" I truly enjoyed this book by Clarke and I look forward to more of his work. Great Job!