The Second Son

by Martin Jay Weiss

Twin brothers Ethan and Jack Stone have built the ultimate transparency app―Stalker―and it’s going to make them rich. But when Ethan’s girlfriend dumps him and his brother bails for their biggest competitor, Ethan is convinced they ran off together. He uses Stalker to find out, tracking them from Silicon Beach to Silicon Valley, and the secret he reveals is even more twisted than he imagined. Between his faith in people and the technology he designed to expose the truth, Ethan is forced to rethink everything he had believed regarding privacy, freedom, and trust.

A poignant and timely novel, The Second Son deftly asks how far is too far when it comes to business, romance, and the intersection of technology in every aspect of our lives.

Genres: Fiction

232 pages, Paperback

First published August 14, 2018

About the author

Martin Jay Weiss (aka Marty Weiss) was born and raised in Chicago. He earned a BS in Journalism from the University of Illinois and an MFA in film and TV from New York University. He has written, directed, and produced numerous commercials and films, and has worked throughout North and South America, Eastern and Western Europe, and Southeast Asia. He's garnished several film festival accolades, won Clios, Cannes Lions, Addys, One Show Pencils, and Amazon Studios' $20,000.00 Best Screenwriting Award. Some of his commercials have premiered on the Super Bowl and are displayed in the permanent collection at The Museum of Modern Art (NYC). His new novels "The Second Son" (2018) and "Flamingo Coast" (2019) are published by Rare Bird Books. He lives in Southern California with his wife and children.

Reviews

[William Sirls · Rating 5 out of 5]

To the best of my knowledge, I have never used the word "gripping" when discussing anything. It always struck me as a cheesy and overused arrow from the quiver of Book and Movie Marketing 101. And is it me ... or is it almost always in quotes, yelling at us in bold capital letters with an exclamation point from some billboard or newspaper?

Still, I can't think of a better word to use here because the book truly is gripping.

The Second Son is the best book I have read in a long time. If you are into thrillers, you've probably already heard about the author and read it ... if not, this is truly one of those proverbial must-reads. For those that are concerned about modern technology and the role it potentially plays in your privacy, this book won't help you sleep, but again is a must-read.

A good book has a good hook ... something at the beginning of the story that grabs (not grips) your attention to make you keep reading. Martin Jay Weiss is a master at this. In The Second Son, he sets the hook quickly and you will bite. And when you put the book down for the first time (108 pages for me) to get on with your day, you will find yourself still thinking about the story, anxious to get back to it to see what happens next ... fully unaware that not only have you bit the hook, but swallowed it. And when you get back to it, just when you think Weiss is letting you come up for air, he does what great authors do. He hooks you again ... and again ... and again ... and again, making The Second Son what will surely be one of the most "gripping" novels you have ever read.

[Pam Cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I received the book from Goodreads, I wasn’t sure if I would like it. Boy, I was wrong. It is really a good book. It’s a fast read so I read it in a few hours. Very intriguing! It has a very nice twist to it. I would totally recommend for everyone to read this. I can’t wait to read more by the author.

[Bryan Clark]

Was a very good read. Had a hard time putting it down.

[S.Z. Estavillo · Rating 3 out of 5]

While The Second Son wasn’t quite as gripping as I had hoped, it still had some compelling elements that kept me turning the pages. The concept of the stalker app was particularly intriguing, offering a chilling and thought-provoking take on the potential future of social media. It added a layer of modern tech-driven suspense that felt relevant and unsettling.

However, the ending didn’t live up to the buildup—it felt anticlimactic and veered into cheesy territory, which undercut the intensity of the story for me. Despite that, the book had its moments of tension and creativity, making it worth the read, even if it didn’t fully meet my expectations. Fans of tech-thrillers might still find it an interesting ride.

[Kiri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am impressed. Never heard of the author, and I usually stick to crime fiction and thrillers, but i can’t say I’m disappointed. This was a really good book, and there were a lot of great things in here. The author was really good at describing the characters, and there was a lot of great character development going on. The fact that some of the subject matter was very unrealistic didn’t really bother me. I mean, the Stalker app alone would never be approved in real life, but it was great for this particular book, and I enjoyed it a lot. Good read, 4 stars from me.

[Jim Alkon · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review:
https://booktrib.com/2018/12/the-seco...

[Lobstar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fast paced thriller without a great story.

[Martin Weiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

So it's pub day, the date this book releases. I'm filling out this review, because it would be rude not to. After all, I wrote the damn thing. It was so much fun to write and I hope readers will enjoy the read.

All my best,

Marty Weiss