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Second Skin
Five years after witnessing murder on the Aegean island of Paros, Alistair Haston receives a call from Greece, from a man claiming to be his son's grandfather, but Alistair has no knowledge of a son... until now.
Desperate to find out more, Alistair heads to Athens to track down Amara, an ex-girlfriend. On arrival he is ambushed by MI6, who confirm the existence of his son Max, and reveal that he is the target of a kidnap plot by Greek mafia with their eyes on Amara's substantial inheritance. Shaken and determined to find Amara and Max, Alistair reluctantly agrees to help the British and Greek authorities. But there are so many questions to be answered. Is Max really his son? What is the role of Xander, Amara's playboy husband? How involved is Amara's seedy half-brother? Who ultimately can Alistair trust?
As the chase to find the kidnappers moves from Athens to Zakynthos, and on to Cyprus, in the searing heat, it dawns on Alistair, that this abduction could well be related to that deadly summer on Paros five years previously...
Desperate to find out more, Alistair heads to Athens to track down Amara, an ex-girlfriend. On arrival he is ambushed by MI6, who confirm the existence of his son Max, and reveal that he is the target of a kidnap plot by Greek mafia with their eyes on Amara's substantial inheritance. Shaken and determined to find Amara and Max, Alistair reluctantly agrees to help the British and Greek authorities. But there are so many questions to be answered. Is Max really his son? What is the role of Xander, Amara's playboy husband? How involved is Amara's seedy half-brother? Who ultimately can Alistair trust?
As the chase to find the kidnappers moves from Athens to Zakynthos, and on to Cyprus, in the searing heat, it dawns on Alistair, that this abduction could well be related to that deadly summer on Paros five years previously...
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Published May 10, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 2, 2024
This is the second book that features Alistair Haston of which this one takes place five years after the previous events which saw Alistair in serious danger. Even though he has no interest in returning to Greece, life has other plans for him and it isn’t long before he is on a plane destined to Athens.
You can’t help but admire the beautiful setting and it will have you wanting to pack your bags and follow Alistair, although after finishing the book I think I would be on the next plane out of there! What awaits him there is deception from all sides that will have you not knowing who to trust. I kept swapping my mind constantly only for certain characters to take me by surprise. Trust is a big issue for most of the characters in the story also and it makes it taught with tension.
Second Skin was full of twists that had me on the edge of my seat. There’s plenty of action and never a dull moment which ensured my attention was held throughout. The danger levels intensify the further into the story you go and the climax was everything I had hoped for and had my heart rate soaring. There is definitely scope for another book of which I really hope there is as this has left me very intrigued as to what else could be in store for Alistair. Thrills and chills a plenty await readers in this gripping novel.
My thanks to the publisher for a readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
You can’t help but admire the beautiful setting and it will have you wanting to pack your bags and follow Alistair, although after finishing the book I think I would be on the next plane out of there! What awaits him there is deception from all sides that will have you not knowing who to trust. I kept swapping my mind constantly only for certain characters to take me by surprise. Trust is a big issue for most of the characters in the story also and it makes it taught with tension.
Second Skin was full of twists that had me on the edge of my seat. There’s plenty of action and never a dull moment which ensured my attention was held throughout. The danger levels intensify the further into the story you go and the climax was everything I had hoped for and had my heart rate soaring. There is definitely scope for another book of which I really hope there is as this has left me very intrigued as to what else could be in store for Alistair. Thrills and chills a plenty await readers in this gripping novel.
My thanks to the publisher for a readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
October 19, 2024
Thriller set mainly on ZAKYTHOS
We first met Alistair in The Lizard, set mainly on Paros and The Lizard is set a few years after his first outing.
Alistair is currently whiling away his life in a call centre in London when he gets a call telling him that Amara, with whom he had a brief and intense fling in Greece in the late 1980s, has been in an accident and both she and her son Max, to wit HIS son, are in hospital. The call is seemingly from Amara’s father, but even more concerning is the fact he had no knowledge of the son.
He is a spontaneous guy and on a whim he decides to head for Athens to find out more. Going back to Greece is not altogether easy, as on his last visit he got into quite some trouble and spent time in Parikia Jail. This time he has hardly set foot in Greece and already there is a whiff of MI6, Mafia activities and Interpol floating around in the warm and sultry breeze.
Contrary to the reports of the accident, he soon claps eyes on Amara in their family villa above Gerakas Beach on Zakynthos, who is clearly well and living with her husband, Xander, and her son, Max. Upon seeing her for the first time on this visit, he sees a vision of beauty described as a Robed Venus de Milo (well, if you remember this statue, it may be beauty incarnate but it has no arms, so it’s a bit of a curious analogy).
This is very much a Boy’s Own kind of romp across the Mediterranean, from Zakynthos (where it is mainly set) to Cyprus. There is much gunning and killing of car engines, chases, guns, shooting and pert observations of sexy women.
Suddenly Alistair finds himself at the heart of a kidnap operation.
The emotional journey of discovering a son about whom he knew nothing – and how he simply walks into Amara’s life again, with a quick DNA test arranged at the drop of a hat – feels far-fetched and oblivious to the inevitable concomitant and complex human emotions involved. If you want to know whether Alistair is Max’s biological father, you will have to buy the novel.
Anyway, overall this is a story of well written and seamless action, with a good sense of place.
We first met Alistair in The Lizard, set mainly on Paros and The Lizard is set a few years after his first outing.
Alistair is currently whiling away his life in a call centre in London when he gets a call telling him that Amara, with whom he had a brief and intense fling in Greece in the late 1980s, has been in an accident and both she and her son Max, to wit HIS son, are in hospital. The call is seemingly from Amara’s father, but even more concerning is the fact he had no knowledge of the son.
He is a spontaneous guy and on a whim he decides to head for Athens to find out more. Going back to Greece is not altogether easy, as on his last visit he got into quite some trouble and spent time in Parikia Jail. This time he has hardly set foot in Greece and already there is a whiff of MI6, Mafia activities and Interpol floating around in the warm and sultry breeze.
Contrary to the reports of the accident, he soon claps eyes on Amara in their family villa above Gerakas Beach on Zakynthos, who is clearly well and living with her husband, Xander, and her son, Max. Upon seeing her for the first time on this visit, he sees a vision of beauty described as a Robed Venus de Milo (well, if you remember this statue, it may be beauty incarnate but it has no arms, so it’s a bit of a curious analogy).
This is very much a Boy’s Own kind of romp across the Mediterranean, from Zakynthos (where it is mainly set) to Cyprus. There is much gunning and killing of car engines, chases, guns, shooting and pert observations of sexy women.
Suddenly Alistair finds himself at the heart of a kidnap operation.
The emotional journey of discovering a son about whom he knew nothing – and how he simply walks into Amara’s life again, with a quick DNA test arranged at the drop of a hat – feels far-fetched and oblivious to the inevitable concomitant and complex human emotions involved. If you want to know whether Alistair is Max’s biological father, you will have to buy the novel.
Anyway, overall this is a story of well written and seamless action, with a good sense of place.
July 2, 2025
I absolutely loved the look of this book from the second I spotted the cover.
I hadn't read anything by this author before but couldn't resist diving into this one with both feet!
I had spotted that this author had written another book - The Lizard - as stated on the cover - but it wasn't clear that this, Second Skin, was actually a sequel to this!
I'm glad that I only noticed this after reading as I usually hate reading books out of order.
However, although there was mention of the past in this read, I actually think this read absolutely fine as a standalone.
There was enough background for us to follow this story along with Haston as he heads back to Greece after finding out he has a son there.
Although this involves a high stakes espionage mission - not a genre I read too often - I was totally invested right from the start.
I was really intrigued by Haston as a character and I feel that I really got a sense of his past and present motivations just from reading this book - however, I definitely want to go back now and read book 1 to really see the original presentation, events and development of our younger main character.
This storyline was packed with action - there was always something going on and moving the story forward.
I love a storyline that keeps us guessing and this certainly had me not trusting anyone and changing my theories throughout.
This was a tense read that had me hooked from the start and had me racing through the pages and on edge throughout - but in contrast to this was the wonderfully descriptive writing which transported me to the wonderful landscapes of each setting - although I'm not sure I could relax there just yet...
A brilliant read that has definitely got me racing to add The Lizard to my basket .....and I can't wait to see if there could be another book to follow soon?
I hadn't read anything by this author before but couldn't resist diving into this one with both feet!
I had spotted that this author had written another book - The Lizard - as stated on the cover - but it wasn't clear that this, Second Skin, was actually a sequel to this!
I'm glad that I only noticed this after reading as I usually hate reading books out of order.
However, although there was mention of the past in this read, I actually think this read absolutely fine as a standalone.
There was enough background for us to follow this story along with Haston as he heads back to Greece after finding out he has a son there.
Although this involves a high stakes espionage mission - not a genre I read too often - I was totally invested right from the start.
I was really intrigued by Haston as a character and I feel that I really got a sense of his past and present motivations just from reading this book - however, I definitely want to go back now and read book 1 to really see the original presentation, events and development of our younger main character.
This storyline was packed with action - there was always something going on and moving the story forward.
I love a storyline that keeps us guessing and this certainly had me not trusting anyone and changing my theories throughout.
This was a tense read that had me hooked from the start and had me racing through the pages and on edge throughout - but in contrast to this was the wonderfully descriptive writing which transported me to the wonderful landscapes of each setting - although I'm not sure I could relax there just yet...
A brilliant read that has definitely got me racing to add The Lizard to my basket .....and I can't wait to see if there could be another book to follow soon?
May 10, 2024
Alistair Haston's world turns upside down in 1994 when he discovers a son he never knew existed.
He travels from London to Greece where a traumatic encounter five years earlier put him in prison.
Before Haston is reunited with Amara, love of his life, an MI6 agent recruits him to infiltrate a mafia blackmail plot to grab newfound son Max.
This tale starts slowly but accelerates into a fast and twisty thriller that moves between Athens, Zakynthos and Cyprus.
Small and colourful details bring time and places alive in a classic action adventure, follow-up to The Lizard which is being filmed.
He travels from London to Greece where a traumatic encounter five years earlier put him in prison.
Before Haston is reunited with Amara, love of his life, an MI6 agent recruits him to infiltrate a mafia blackmail plot to grab newfound son Max.
This tale starts slowly but accelerates into a fast and twisty thriller that moves between Athens, Zakynthos and Cyprus.
Small and colourful details bring time and places alive in a classic action adventure, follow-up to The Lizard which is being filmed.
September 7, 2024
Second Skin by Dugald Bruce-Lockhart is a tense thriller that draws readers into a web of secrets, betrayal, and unresolved pasts. The story follows Alistair Haston, who is unexpectedly drawn back to Greece after discovering he may have a son he never knew about. As Alistair races to protect his son Max from a kidnapping plot orchestrated by the Greek mafia, he is forced to confront old enemies and navigate a dangerous landscape of espionage and family intrigue. With themes of trust, deception, and long-buried secrets, this novel promises a gripping journey across Greece and Cyprus.
June 25, 2025
Oh my goodness my heart is racing when I’m thinking of this book, what a ride!
Fast paced and hard to put down once you start reading.
A beautiful setting and a storyline that builds in tension and suspense throughout.
Alistair Haston is first seen in the Lizard, I feel you would benefit from reading that one first before starting this one, but regardless a great thrilling read.
@randomthingstours @dugaldbrucelockhart @muswellpress #secondskin #bookstagram
Fast paced and hard to put down once you start reading.
A beautiful setting and a storyline that builds in tension and suspense throughout.
Alistair Haston is first seen in the Lizard, I feel you would benefit from reading that one first before starting this one, but regardless a great thrilling read.
@randomthingstours @dugaldbrucelockhart @muswellpress #secondskin #bookstagram
August 27, 2024
Has its moments but ultimately left me disappointed
The book started off well and the character development was decent but it veered out of control with a bad guy whose motivations were not well enough developed to make sense and ultimately proved a huge distraction for the story.
The book started off well and the character development was decent but it veered out of control with a bad guy whose motivations were not well enough developed to make sense and ultimately proved a huge distraction for the story.
October 11, 2024
Wow just wow, the fast paced of this number and a great carry on from the first book, nothing like a good revenge book... Poor Alistair and Amara, thought they have gotten rid of that arse !
March 30, 2025
Should have been called The Lizard II. Don't read this book unless you loved the first.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews