Second to Cry

Avalon #2

by Carys Jones

Sometimes, behind the simplest cases…Lawyer Aiden Connolly’s new case seems to be a run-of-the-mill paternity dispute. Millionaire Sam Fern suspects that his son is not his own flesh and blood, and he wants a paternity test to prove it. Fern’s wife Deena, a glamorous former model, is desperate to convince Aiden of her innocence…and she will go to any lengths to prove it.…hide the darkest truths.Meanwhile, Aiden is haunted by the memory of another beauty – Brandy White, who he worked to free from a murder charge. The woman he unwittingly fell in love with…and the woman who will once again draw him into a tangle of love and lies. With more than his reputation on the line, can Aiden hold his nerve – when nothing else seems certain?

Kindle Edition

First published September 8, 2014

About the author

Carys Jones is a thriller writer based in Shropshire where she lives with her husband, daughter and dog.

When she’s not writing she can often be found either walking round the local woodland or catching up on all things Disney related.

Carys also writes speculative thrillers with Harvill, Vintage as Carys Green. Always on My Mind is out now and The Other You will be released in March 2026.

Her favourite authors are Megan Abbott, Amy Engel and Taylor Jenkins Reid.

Carys is represented by Liza DeBlock at Greenstone Literary.

For more information about Carys please visit www.carys-jones.com or follow her online; @CarysJAuthor

Reviews

[Maxine (Booklover Catlady) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am gutted that I did not like Second to Cry, the second book in the Avalon series as I did the first, this book went in a totally different direction and I didn't like it one bit, for many reasons.

The first book has Aiden Connelly move his wife and young daughter to the small US town of Avalon, escaping the fast pace of Chicago and taking up a role in a much less frantic local legal firm. The book tackled a really interesting case and had a strong legal element to the book.

This book had none of that legal element really. It read like a relationship angst novel. I wanted to throw this book against the wall numerous times.

Aiden picks up a paternity test case from a man called Sam Fern, a local millionaire who is convinced his youngest son is not his. In this book Aiden breaks so many rules of confidentiality I was stunned, was he trying to get himself disbarred? He discusses things with Sam Fern's wife who indulges secrets to him that he agrees to keep. What? Your CLIENT is Sam Fern, talk about sleeping with the enemy in a roundabout way.

It gets worse, our Aiden had a crush on Brandy White (Now Brandy Cotton) from the first book, a woman who he helped out of a legal and personal mess. She now lives in Chicago, with a new life. Aiden pines for her and can't stop thinking about her and mulling her over in his mind. It's all very teenage hormones out of control and crush material. Meanwhile his wife Isla, in Avalon is receiving threats to leave town of which upon showing her LAWYER husband he ignores and says it's all in her head and maybe SHE wrote them. Nice.

Isla, his wife is miserable in Avalon, struggling to make friends and fit in. Aidan does not care really, he finds her complaints tiresome. YET he flits off to Chicago, lies to his wife saying it's work to follow his feelings for Brandy. So he is flitting back to Chicago but resents his wife having yearnings to move back there, it's all about him really, selfish beyond description.

I despised Aidan's deceptive and dishonest character, why? Because in the first book he is painted as the opposite and he was a really likeable character, now he is keeping secrets both professionally and personally and breaking a lot of rules, but it's kind of pathetic. He's a selfish twit in this book and it put me off the whole book hugely. There is a massive focus on his time with Brandy, then coming home and actually being annoyed that his wife accuses him of lying about it being a work trip. Bare faced lies, whilst his wife is distressed. He has a young daughter too. But the guilt is not enough to have him do the right thing.

'That's not my problem,' Aidan told her tersely. 'I've been working my arse off, as I told you I would be. The least you could be is supportive, but instead you give me all this crap, as usual. I was even thinking of flying back early so I could be with you tonight.' The final part was a fabrication but Aiden hoped it would be enough to placate his wife.

Aaaaaaaaaaargh! Punch him in the nose!

There was very little legal angle in this book compared to the first, I found the plot quite far fetched in places and it made me irritated reading it, why did this stray so far from the original character representations? I felt really sorry for Aiden's wife and child in this book. What a lying bleeeeeeep he is. Urgh! Awful. If I wanted to read a book on relationship dynamics and deception I could have read something else. It was like watching a soap opera.

As for Brandy, she who is so sickly sweet and perfect, and pure. I don't want to go there. I was wanting Aiden's wife to confront her and give her a good bop on the nose to be honest. I had NO sympathy for Aidan's love and attraction to this other woman. None. I think a few fans of Carys Jones may feel the same as me, that's my prediction anyway.

So he cares nothing for his wife's feelings, not much about keeping confidentiality in his legal cases, flits everywhere depending on his hormones and mood, blames his wife for needing him, ignores the fact that his wife has received threats. This book was so far removed from the strong legal themes and characters presented in Avalon #1. This second installment has lost me on this series. I have no idea why the author decided to veer away from what was getting good ratings and reviews.

I did not like this very much. I wanted to rate it higher, two of the author's previous books I had rated a 4 and I was really open minded about taking this one in, but I just did not like it at all. There are a few typos in this as well I picked up, but it is an ARC so perhaps they will be corrected.

I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the second book we return to Avalon and Aiden is given his second case to investigate for his new company. It is a paternity suit and lots of the characters from the first book return.

When his wife keeps getting threatening messages delivered, Aiden thinks she's started a campaign to get them to move back to Chicago and doesn't believe her. He wants them to settle into small town life- and they start to watch the local football team games. His daughter loves the atmosphere. But is he ignoring a real threat to his family- is he as committed as he should be to their new life or is part of his heart in Chicago?

When he returns to see Brandy- the girl he got released from her murder charge in the first book , is he ever going to be able to forget his true feelings and move on.

I loved the description of the parties at his bosses house- they sounded like good fun!

I will definately read more from this author and have already bought her book Prime Deception. She's a new favourite author to add to my list.

Many thanks to the publisher Carina Uk and Net Galley for a copy of this book.

I've reviewed both of the books I've read through Net Galley on my blog.
http://kims366.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09...

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second part in the Avalon Series which follows around a lawyer called Aiden who lives in Avalon. This book follows Aidens second case and the problems during this case and those problems that follow him from the case before. This looks to be a simple paternity case, trying to determine the father of a local boy. However, people have reasons for both wanting the truth and not wanting the truth and some people have different motives. Aiden is bombarded by family, love and work troubles.

The book is written really well with a clear link to the first book in the series and this is a great second instalment. I cannot wait to read a third!

[Heatherly Hardin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The thrilling story of Aiden's struggle to return to his hometown, recapture his happiness, balance work and family, all the while taking on a case that involves some of the most powerful, high-profile members of the community!

[Tizmehr · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first book in this series and really looked forward to reading this one. I just didn't enjoy this one and had to keep pushing myself to keep reading. I won't continue on with the series.

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Posted originally http://www.reviewedthebook.co.uk/2014...

Second to Cry is the second in Carys Jones’ exciting new Avalon series and I’d really been looking forward to reading it after I finished First to Fall recently. First to Fall was gripping and unpredictable and Second to Cry carried on in a similar fashion. Aiden’s case in Second to Cry is very different to the brilliant case in First to Fall yet still really interesting. I like that I never know where Carys is going to take things and what looked like a simple paternity case became so much more than that. It was complex and a lot more personal than it should have been – making it captivating to read.

As Aiden is drawn into his latest case, it starts to take an effect on his marriage and life too and rather than Second to Cry focusing too much on the case or focusing too much on Aiden and Isla, everything links together well and this story is strongly put together. We learn a lot more about Aiden and Isla’s characters here and though their personalities leave a lot to be desired, Isla’s involvement especially was very fascinating. The case itself was absorbing and unexpected for me – I’d originally thought it was going to go one of two ways and yet it went somewhere else altogether. It’s hard to detail any of the case without spoiling the book but I think writing the individual cases is where the author excels.

My only issue with Second to Cry is my feelings on Aiden and Isla. I really hoped after First to Fall I’d be able to connect with Aiden a little more but in Second to Cry, he started to irritate me and I’m really not a fan of his or his wife. Aiden felt judgmental and selfish and though I wasn’t expecting him to be the easiest to like character in the world, most of the time I spend struggling to care about him at all. He’s fascinating and intriguing but if his whole world fell to pieces right in front of him, I don’t really think I’d be too concerned… Which doesn’t help when I don’t particularly like Isla either. What works is that their story is believable and Carys writes this strongly – I find myself shouting at the book (in a good way) at all their unspoken words and it’s easy to relate to because one thing going unsaid can lead to so many other issues and I feel that’s represented in their marriage.

The first thing I did as soon as I finished Second to Cry was tweet the author to see how many Avalon books were lined up because I’m really enjoying and want more from this series. The characters aren’t the most likeable but it’s Carys’ writing of the legal cases which has me hooked and as they build up throughout the book, they keep on getting better. As Second to Cry went on, I found myself less focused on my dislike of Aiden and Isla and more hanging off Carys’ every word – so drawn into the story and in anticipation of more. I loved the ending – it was a great way to keep my attention for the next book in the series and I’ll be impatiently waiting for book three.

*Book gifted for honest review.

[Jane Hunt · Rating 3 out of 5]

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The second in the Avalon series is a continuation of Aiden's story. To give his young daughter a better quality of life, he leaves Chicago and takes his family to start a new life in Avalon. I haven't read the first book in the series but the storyline and relationships were easy to follow, but you would understand the underlying emotion in this story better if you read 'First to Fall' #1 Avalon.

Aiden's first case made him powerful local enemies and integration into the close knit community proves problematic for Isla, Aiden's wife. Making excuses for his own shortcomings, Aiden magnifies Isla's selfishness and shallowness. He ignores her loneliness because his mind is elsewhere with Brandy the woman he saved from a murder conviction. Aiden falls from his knight in shining armour pedestal in both his private and work life. These human frailties make him an interesting but not always likeable character.

There is an undercurrent of suspense and menace in this story but maybe not enough to make it page turning. There are some interesting flashbacks scenes that illuminate Aiden's actions well and enough unanswered questions to make me want to see what happens next.

I received a copy of this book from Carina UK via NetGalley in return for an honest review.



Carys Jones

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main reason I did not give this more stars is because a lot hinges on the first book in the series, which I have not read. This informs the actions, motivations and loves of the current cast, making it difficult for a new reader to get into the story.

The second reason is that the leading character, a lawyer, is rather an antihero than a hero. His wife is not making friends due to his uncovering small town secrets, and when she brings herself to tell him about the threatening letters, he assumes she has written them herself because she wants the family to leave town. Quite. He's already emotionally compromised and seems to become more unsure of his loyalties as the tale progresses.

The story centres on an accusation by a rich husband that his former Playboy model wife has been playing around, as their two sons are different in appearance. He asks the lawyer to take a paternity case which may become a divorce case. This is more a work of crime fiction than a murder mystery or procedural and nobody comes out looking all that innocent. There is some good character sketching and anyone who has read the first book may be keen to follow the people introduced there through their dilemmas.

[ReadAlongWithSue ★⋆. ࿐࿔catching up · Rating 3 out of 5]

We watch these TV shows don't we, the Chat Shows like Jeremy Kyle, and certain ones like that where this couple come on and they want a DNA test to prove that the child is his and he is the Father.
Well, this is how this starts out, with the Lawyer Aiden Connolly’s new case.

Easy peasy, straight forward case, get the swaps/blood tests done, hey presto.....

Its not as straight forward as you think, there is money involved, love, past loves, events and a whole heap of things that come out.

I haven't read the first book, but I believe that the woman Aiden is pinning over is mentioned a lot in the first book of the series.

I found it more in line for YA than for an adult of my age as its a bit like college students and love affairs although the case of paternity was interesting.

It just didn't keep my attention for long.

Thank you to the author and Carina UK via Net Galley for my copy to review

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second in the Avalon series is a continuation of Aiden's story. To give his young daughter a better quality of life, he leaves Chicago and takes his family to start a new life in Avalon. I did not enjoy this book as much as the first one, but will continue with the series because the story is well written.

This book follows Aidens second case and the problems during this case and those problems that follow him from the case before. This looks to be a simple paternity case, trying to determine the father of a local boy. When Aiden finds out how this case ties in with "Brandy" his secret love, he heads off to Chicago to see her. Meanwhile back at home Isla continues to receive notes telling her to leave town. She is worried that Aiden is falling out of love with her. This book is more of Aiden's personal story than a crime or mystery story. The ending of the story leads into the next book.