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The Other Daughter
In Huntsville, Texas, a man goes to the electric chair for the kidnap, torture and murder of six small children. In Boston, Massachusetts, a nine-year-old girl has been admitted to ER, unconscious and full of morphine. When she comes round, she remembers nothing about herself or her past. This girl – twenty years later – is the heroine of THE OTHER DAUGHTER. Melanie Stokes has been adopted and raised by Dr Harper Stokes and his wife, following the tragic murder of their four-year-old daughter, Meagan. Now someone is targeting the family, sending grotesque signals and messages, suggesting that it is they, not the executed serial killer, who may have been responsible for Meagan’s death. In an even more horrible twist, a journalist approaches Melanie and tells her that her birth father was the executed murderer. David Riggs, Special Agent, sent in under cover to investigate a medical scam in which Dr Stokes is implicated, becomes romantically involved with Melanie, and then with the whole tangled mystery of her past.
410 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 1999
2672 people are currently reading
13451 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Gardner
66 books20.7k followersLisa Gardner is the #1 New York Times bestselling thriller author of the Frankie Elkin series, as well as the Detective D.D. Warren, the FBI Profilers and the PI Tessa Leoni series.
Her current suspense novels feature Frankie Elkin, an everyday, average person who specializes in finding missing people. When the locals have given up, when the media has never bothered to care, Frankie takes on the challenge. From looking for a missing teen in inner city Boston to searching for a missing hiker in the wilds of Wyoming to rescuing a possibly kidnapped girl on a remote island in the Pacific, Frankie is on the case!
Lisa lives in the mountains of New Hampshire with two crazy pups. When not writing, Lisa loves to hike, play cribbage, and, of course, read!
Her current suspense novels feature Frankie Elkin, an everyday, average person who specializes in finding missing people. When the locals have given up, when the media has never bothered to care, Frankie takes on the challenge. From looking for a missing teen in inner city Boston to searching for a missing hiker in the wilds of Wyoming to rescuing a possibly kidnapped girl on a remote island in the Pacific, Frankie is on the case!
Lisa lives in the mountains of New Hampshire with two crazy pups. When not writing, Lisa loves to hike, play cribbage, and, of course, read!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,846 reviews
September 27, 2016
What a great read this author always delivers, so glad I chose this one when I did. I read a lot during a holiday commute and could not put it down.
Melanie has been adopted into a troubled, rich family who hold many secrets. Most of which could she be the daughter of a serial killer? She’s always felt loved by her grieving mum, her troubled brother, her hard working but gruff father, and lastly her seemingly loving Godfather. She’s taken the place of the ‘other’ daughter, Meagan who was brutally murdered at 4 years of age. Refusing to believe there could be trouble in this weird paradise.
The moment things start going pear-shaped we meet FBI Agent David Griffin, the character I most loved to read about. I could see him having his own series, I love my cool broody protagonists.. He has a past all of his own (as don’t they all?!) and patiently helps Melanie work out the murky waters that are her adopted family. This was a fabulously un-put-down-able thriller of a read, and as I type this review on a balcony at the beach, this was a perfect read for me. Recommended reading, absolutely!
Melanie has been adopted into a troubled, rich family who hold many secrets. Most of which could she be the daughter of a serial killer? She’s always felt loved by her grieving mum, her troubled brother, her hard working but gruff father, and lastly her seemingly loving Godfather. She’s taken the place of the ‘other’ daughter, Meagan who was brutally murdered at 4 years of age. Refusing to believe there could be trouble in this weird paradise.
The moment things start going pear-shaped we meet FBI Agent David Griffin, the character I most loved to read about. I could see him having his own series, I love my cool broody protagonists.. He has a past all of his own (as don’t they all?!) and patiently helps Melanie work out the murky waters that are her adopted family. This was a fabulously un-put-down-able thriller of a read, and as I type this review on a balcony at the beach, this was a perfect read for me. Recommended reading, absolutely!
May 18, 2016
4.5/5
A real page-turner!
The Other Daughter was my first Lisa Gardner's book and I was utterly pleased with it. This book had me glued to every single page from the very start to the end.
This was a great and entertaining suspense story, full of suspicion, danger, and many puzzles to solve. It kept me curious and edgy almost the entire time. The plot was exceptional and the characters were appealing, especially the hero, David Riggs, who has such a strong character. He’s consistent, clever, courageous, and most of all, he never gives in. This book gave me the chills while I was reading far into the night and the storyline kept me guessing constantly all the way through. Moreover, there were a lot of twists and turns that never stopped surprising me again and again.
The Other Daughter had everything I could possibly want in suspense story: great plot, interesting and well-developed characters, and good twist ending. The story was very engaging, perfectly paced, and thoroughly gripping.
All in all, this was an amazing suspense-mystery-thriller story with a slight touch of romance, one of the most incredibly intense reading experiences I’ve ever had. I absolutely enjoyed reading this book!
A real page-turner!
The Other Daughter was my first Lisa Gardner's book and I was utterly pleased with it. This book had me glued to every single page from the very start to the end.
This was a great and entertaining suspense story, full of suspicion, danger, and many puzzles to solve. It kept me curious and edgy almost the entire time. The plot was exceptional and the characters were appealing, especially the hero, David Riggs, who has such a strong character. He’s consistent, clever, courageous, and most of all, he never gives in. This book gave me the chills while I was reading far into the night and the storyline kept me guessing constantly all the way through. Moreover, there were a lot of twists and turns that never stopped surprising me again and again.
The Other Daughter had everything I could possibly want in suspense story: great plot, interesting and well-developed characters, and good twist ending. The story was very engaging, perfectly paced, and thoroughly gripping.
All in all, this was an amazing suspense-mystery-thriller story with a slight touch of romance, one of the most incredibly intense reading experiences I’ve ever had. I absolutely enjoyed reading this book!
April 22, 2011
I purchased this book for my Nook because it was only $5. I feel like I completely overpaid. I'm really shocked to read all the rave reviews on this site. It's as though I've read a totally different book. The writing is amatuerish. The dialogue is awful and often awkward. The characters are melodramatic and whiney. The mystery isn't really much of a mystery at all. I had all of the "twists" figured out before they were revealed.
The characters in this book are unbelievable. Their development pretty much stops at Dad is a greedy yet spineless old man; Mom is a weak, dependent, alcoholic, etc. There is repetition around these characteristics, but nothing deeper ever emerges. The main characters are awful as well. I had a really hard time with David (the cop) because in one paragraph he is made out to be this aging ex-athlete with a degenerative spine, which doesn't paint a pretty picture in my mind. And then on the next page Melanie will place her hand on his "lean stomach" or notice the musculature of his pectorals or something horribly cheesy like that. Attention authors: you can't take an aging, out of shape, old guy and then make him some sort of sex God in the following chapter. It doesn't work. My mind just had a really hard time creating a picture of him because there were so many details about him that were at odds with each other.
The drama surrounding Melanie and her quest to find out who she really is just made me gag. I understand the desire to find out your true parentage and all of that. But everyone acting like, "oh, poor Melanie, we should have protected her. How could we have treated her this way?" The girl is 29. She isn't 7. yet everyone feels some sort of need to "protect" her. I don't know. it was just really odd to me. Like I said, very unbelievable.
I really thought this was an awful book. There's no two ways about it. But I did finish it, which says something. Granted my reason for perservering every time I picked it up was so I could move on to something better eventually. But I did continue to go back. Even after putting it away for awhile to read a different book. i went back to The Other Daughter. So there had to be something there that brought me back. For that reason, and that reason alone, I granted two stars. Otherwise I would have given one.
The characters in this book are unbelievable. Their development pretty much stops at Dad is a greedy yet spineless old man; Mom is a weak, dependent, alcoholic, etc. There is repetition around these characteristics, but nothing deeper ever emerges. The main characters are awful as well. I had a really hard time with David (the cop) because in one paragraph he is made out to be this aging ex-athlete with a degenerative spine, which doesn't paint a pretty picture in my mind. And then on the next page Melanie will place her hand on his "lean stomach" or notice the musculature of his pectorals or something horribly cheesy like that. Attention authors: you can't take an aging, out of shape, old guy and then make him some sort of sex God in the following chapter. It doesn't work. My mind just had a really hard time creating a picture of him because there were so many details about him that were at odds with each other.
The drama surrounding Melanie and her quest to find out who she really is just made me gag. I understand the desire to find out your true parentage and all of that. But everyone acting like, "oh, poor Melanie, we should have protected her. How could we have treated her this way?" The girl is 29. She isn't 7. yet everyone feels some sort of need to "protect" her. I don't know. it was just really odd to me. Like I said, very unbelievable.
I really thought this was an awful book. There's no two ways about it. But I did finish it, which says something. Granted my reason for perservering every time I picked it up was so I could move on to something better eventually. But I did continue to go back. Even after putting it away for awhile to read a different book. i went back to The Other Daughter. So there had to be something there that brought me back. For that reason, and that reason alone, I granted two stars. Otherwise I would have given one.
October 1, 2019
“She should have let it be. Everyone deserves their walls.”
First Lisa Gardner book for me and I’m impressed! As of September, It is the best mystery/thriller I’ve read this year, we’ll see if it will hold until the year ends.
I really enjoyed the audiobook as well, somehow it just got released last year even though the book has been published since 1999 but I’m happy it did - another terrific performance from Brittany Pressley.
January 7, 2016
Another great book by Lisa Gardner. Likeable characters, a believable love interest and an intriguing mystery make this a very readable book! It was very hard to put down. A nice little twist at the end meant that even though I had guessed the person who had committed the crime, the crime was not what I thought it was. Very clever! Highly recommended if you enjoy a good crime story.
December 27, 2018
An addictive story you will not want to end.
SUMMARY
The Other Daughter was published over 20 years ago, but was only now released in audio. Melanie Stokes was nine years old when she was abandoned in a Boston hospital with a narcotic overdose. She was subsequently adopted by a young wealthy couple, who had earlier suffered the tragic loss of their four year old daughter. Melanie’s grew up knowing she was loved by her parents, her older brother, and her favorite uncle. She has no memory of her life before the adoption, but now at age 29, someone wants her to remember. One night she received a threatening message: “you get what you deserve.” As she struggles to figure out who she really is, danger is lurking around every corner.
“The truth did not always set you free. sometimes it bound you to dark, bloody deeds and costs you the people you love.”
REVIEW
The Other Daughter was the winner of the 1999 Reviewer’s Choice Award and winner of the 2000 Daphne’s Du Maurier Award for suspense. And I now know why it is being republished in audio. It’s a mystery full of twists that will have you holding your breath till the end. The writing was fluid and listening to the story was addictive. Lisa Gardner’s character development was robust and narrator Brittany Presley did a fabulous job with the various voices. My favorite part was the tension created by Melanie’s amnesia of her life before being abandoned in the hospital, and I really loved the David Riggs character, he was so full of feelings, emotions and strength.
“A parent’s approval always mattered, regardless of age.”
Publisher Brilliance Audio
Published December 2019
Narrated Brittany Presley
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com
SUMMARY
The Other Daughter was published over 20 years ago, but was only now released in audio. Melanie Stokes was nine years old when she was abandoned in a Boston hospital with a narcotic overdose. She was subsequently adopted by a young wealthy couple, who had earlier suffered the tragic loss of their four year old daughter. Melanie’s grew up knowing she was loved by her parents, her older brother, and her favorite uncle. She has no memory of her life before the adoption, but now at age 29, someone wants her to remember. One night she received a threatening message: “you get what you deserve.” As she struggles to figure out who she really is, danger is lurking around every corner.
“The truth did not always set you free. sometimes it bound you to dark, bloody deeds and costs you the people you love.”
REVIEW
The Other Daughter was the winner of the 1999 Reviewer’s Choice Award and winner of the 2000 Daphne’s Du Maurier Award for suspense. And I now know why it is being republished in audio. It’s a mystery full of twists that will have you holding your breath till the end. The writing was fluid and listening to the story was addictive. Lisa Gardner’s character development was robust and narrator Brittany Presley did a fabulous job with the various voices. My favorite part was the tension created by Melanie’s amnesia of her life before being abandoned in the hospital, and I really loved the David Riggs character, he was so full of feelings, emotions and strength.
“A parent’s approval always mattered, regardless of age.”
Publisher Brilliance Audio
Published December 2019
Narrated Brittany Presley
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com
December 8, 2012
Melanie Stokes was found in an empty Boston hospital room at the age of 9 with no memory of her life before then, or knowledge of her name. She was adopted by Dr. Harper Stokes and his wife Patricia who were still reeling over the loss of their daughter Meagan 5 years earlier.
Flash forward to the present and Melanie is accosted by a report Larry Digger who claims she is the daughter of the serial killer who killed the Stokes's first daughter. DUN DUN DUN....
And then you need to relax our mind and forget that you will question the rest. ;) Or maybe it is just me.
The story got completely crazy and out of control and I predicted half of it but it was mindless and a quick read.
I just can't really handle the: I smelled him and now I love him / I must protect the girl / let's become crazy close fast / Let's break the laws and/or rules of my job because I just met you and OMG I LOVE YOU / Or alllll the people conspire to be bad people and well you get the hint...
But in the end, I did read it and it did keep my attention and I only rolled my eyes a couple times. ;)
I also used to read stuff like this all the time between the ages of 12-21 haha
Flash forward to the present and Melanie is accosted by a report Larry Digger who claims she is the daughter of the serial killer who killed the Stokes's first daughter. DUN DUN DUN....
And then you need to relax our mind and forget that you will question the rest. ;) Or maybe it is just me.
The story got completely crazy and out of control and I predicted half of it but it was mindless and a quick read.
I just can't really handle the: I smelled him and now I love him / I must protect the girl / let's become crazy close fast / Let's break the laws and/or rules of my job because I just met you and OMG I LOVE YOU / Or alllll the people conspire to be bad people and well you get the hint...
But in the end, I did read it and it did keep my attention and I only rolled my eyes a couple times. ;)
I also used to read stuff like this all the time between the ages of 12-21 haha
January 6, 2020
WOW! I have no clue how I missed this audiobook!!! I was literally glued to my iphone and then synced it to my audio night mask. I loved it! THE OTHER DAUGHTER will keep you on the edge of your seat to the very end. Twisty and shocking!
I have read all Lisa Gardner's new books, (one of my favorite authors) but now I am quickly buying all her older audiobooks to catch up! I just found it by accident and the narrator: Brittany Pressley was superb!!! Highly recommend.
I have read all Lisa Gardner's new books, (one of my favorite authors) but now I am quickly buying all her older audiobooks to catch up! I just found it by accident and the narrator: Brittany Pressley was superb!!! Highly recommend.
February 10, 2010
Very complicated plot in which a father pretended his daughter had been kidnapped, then murdered, in order to collect a million-dollar ransom on her when she was four years old. His best friend was his accomplice and they involved a convicted killer and the killer's wife in complicated ways. The best friend kep Meagan for five years out of sight, then somehow erased her memory with drugs and she miraculously appears, in a hospital where her father works, as an "orphan" and is "adopted" as Melanie by her real family. Oddly, her mother and father see a resemblace but don't recognize her at all. The whole novel is about someone wanting the truth to come out--ahhh--the best friend--who really was Meagan's biological father. Lots of twists and turns, which kept it interesting, but for real life, it was just too unbelievable. Still, pretty well-written.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 10, 2022
Fast-paced, roller coaster ride thriller with many sharp twists and turns.
A serial killer of young girls is executed and the race begins to locate his mysterious wife and child. A very wealthy family, the Stokes, has many deep secrets that come bubbling to the surface.
Highly recommend!
A serial killer of young girls is executed and the race begins to locate his mysterious wife and child. A very wealthy family, the Stokes, has many deep secrets that come bubbling to the surface.
Highly recommend!
November 2, 2023
Wow! I'm so shook. Like, all of the twists. I didn't expect majority of them. The entire book kept me on this wild ride and I loved every minute of it! So suspenseful and thrilling, truly shocked by half of the twists! And that ending! Oh that ending! If you're into page turners that you can't predict, THIS is the book for you! I plan to read many more by this author now!
November 10, 2021
Huh, I just realised that I have had this book on my Kindle since ages ago. A definite page-turner, and pace-wise, I think I like this book better than the one I read before. I like how the author put everyone as suspects because all of them have secrets. Although I must say that there are some questionable scenes.
And somehow, the novel reminds me of the unsolved case of JonBenét Ramsey though the MO of the murder was not similar at all. I don't know... it just crossed my mind.
Most probably because in the novel the fictitious Meagan was blonde too like JonBenét; the Stokeses are influential people, as well as the Ramseys; Patricia Stokes was a former beauty queen like Patsy Ramsey (same first name too!); Brian Stokes was nine when Meagan was missing, the same age as Burke Ramsey at the time his younger sister was murdered, and there are theories that the Ramseys were involved in the murder, just like the Stokeses in the novel.
p/s: the version I read has typos.
And somehow, the novel reminds me of the unsolved case of JonBenét Ramsey though the MO of the murder was not similar at all. I don't know... it just crossed my mind.
Most probably because in the novel the fictitious Meagan was blonde too like JonBenét; the Stokeses are influential people, as well as the Ramseys; Patricia Stokes was a former beauty queen like Patsy Ramsey (same first name too!); Brian Stokes was nine when Meagan was missing, the same age as Burke Ramsey at the time his younger sister was murdered, and there are theories that the Ramseys were involved in the murder, just like the Stokeses in the novel.
p/s: the version I read has typos.
April 12, 2010
The Other Daughter (Lisa Gardner).
A psychological suspense Thriller. Melanie Stokes has it all. A prominent wealthy Surgeon father, beautiful loving mother, and a Godfather who dotes on her. She knows she is lucky because she is adopted, and never gave thought to her real parents. She also lives with a family tragedy, one that is never spoken of. Her sister Meagan was murdered 20 years ago, by the child serial killer Russell Lee Holmes.
Melanie starts to ask about her sister, she has memory loss, can not remember anything prior to her adoption. Yet these un-rememorable memories begin to haunt her. She starts to question her family, coming up on dead ends. She wonders if she really is loved, who are her "parents" and can this crazy man be her biological father?
An intense read, with surprises along the way. Lisa Gardner knows how to draw in a reader and keep you hanging on until the last page. All night reading suspense.
A psychological suspense Thriller. Melanie Stokes has it all. A prominent wealthy Surgeon father, beautiful loving mother, and a Godfather who dotes on her. She knows she is lucky because she is adopted, and never gave thought to her real parents. She also lives with a family tragedy, one that is never spoken of. Her sister Meagan was murdered 20 years ago, by the child serial killer Russell Lee Holmes.
Melanie starts to ask about her sister, she has memory loss, can not remember anything prior to her adoption. Yet these un-rememorable memories begin to haunt her. She starts to question her family, coming up on dead ends. She wonders if she really is loved, who are her "parents" and can this crazy man be her biological father?
An intense read, with surprises along the way. Lisa Gardner knows how to draw in a reader and keep you hanging on until the last page. All night reading suspense.
October 23, 2020
Lisa Gardner rules this genre and this clever book is fantastic! I especially appreciated her integration of Quincy into this work. The Other Daughter kept me on the edge of my seat until the end!
August 18, 2021
Kept me on edge to the end.
This was a really well layed out mystery with well developed characters. Lisa Gardner always seems to come up with a twisted mystery.
The audible version has a really great narrator.
This was a really well layed out mystery with well developed characters. Lisa Gardner always seems to come up with a twisted mystery.
The audible version has a really great narrator.
December 5, 2021
Melanie Stokes was adopted after mysteriously appearing in a hospital without her memories. For twenty years she has led an idyllic life - but everything comes crashing down when it comes out that she could be the daughter of the man who murdered the Stokes's first daughter.
This was a riveting read, with strongly sketched characters and oodles of tension. I loved the characters of Melanie and David, and how they worked together to solve the mystery. There's a good amount of family drama that's balanced well with the crime elements. However, I felt the explanation to the mystery fell flat in some places when all was revealed.
This was a riveting read, with strongly sketched characters and oodles of tension. I loved the characters of Melanie and David, and how they worked together to solve the mystery. There's a good amount of family drama that's balanced well with the crime elements. However, I felt the explanation to the mystery fell flat in some places when all was revealed.
February 5, 2017
Well, discovered that while I am still a big Lisa Gardner fan, so far it is really only her books featuring D. D. Warren that rate 4 stars from me. (Police procedurals are among my favorite genre anyway, and D. D. Warren is an interesting and strong character; in fact all the main characters are so well developed that I not only think I know them, I care about them). This one - thought the plot was unbelievable, and eventually I just wanted to get through it and move on.
December 16, 2019
Lisa Gardner had a fan in me after my first dive into to her work, and recently I’ve been going back to read her series in order. As much as I’m enjoying reading her series, when I saw The Other Daughter I decided it was time to give a standalone a read. I was curious to see what Lisa Gardner would give us, and I was not disappointed.
The Other Daughter hooked me from the start, pulling me right into the story. There was so much with this one, and the possibilities were flying through my mind. Although I worked out some of the details, there were enough red herrings to keep me second guessing everything, meaning there were some surprises throughout.
Without a doubt, this is another addictive read from Lisa Gardner.
The Other Daughter hooked me from the start, pulling me right into the story. There was so much with this one, and the possibilities were flying through my mind. Although I worked out some of the details, there were enough red herrings to keep me second guessing everything, meaning there were some surprises throughout.
Without a doubt, this is another addictive read from Lisa Gardner.
September 23, 2019
Intriguing & fun read, the kind of book you read in one sitting. I would have gave it 5 stars but some things were never explained / added up. Why did Melanie have no memories of her former life? Why did no one recognize her, including her own mother?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2022
Puiki knyga! Ir nors į pabaigą šį bei tą jau buvo galima nuspėti, vis dėlto autorei pavyko išlaikyti intrigą iki galo. Įtraukiantis ir dinamiškas detektyvas, nepaisant to, jog man norėjosi daugiau įtampos.
9/10
9/10
December 23, 2021
This has to be one of the stupidest things I've ever read. The thing that irritates me is I had it in my head that I really liked this author. I only read one of her books previously and that was about 15 years ago. Perhaps I was still into cheesy romantic rubbish back then as that's basically all this was with some weird family drama thrown in.
Where to start? For 250 freaking pages the idiotic woman who is the main character of the book whines about how much she loooooooves her family!!! And they looooooove her too!!!! They love each other sooooooo much!!!! Gross.
But the thing is, her family consists of a bunch of self centered jerks who don't seem to love anyone. I don't know if the author is crazy or if she is deliberately trying to make the main character seem crazy. One page the woman is remembering her mother always hugging her and her brother being her best buddy and the family having long conversations together after dinner. The next is about her mother being too drunk to ever pay attention to her and her father a workaholic who doesn't ever pay attention to her. Is she that deep in denial? And the brother is written as incredibly unstable but suddenly he has a successful medical practice? That makes no sense. Then you have a FBI agent who is horribly disabled with arthritis one minute but can have a bunch of sex the next? hahahahahahaha yeah I'm pretty sure the author is the crazy one.
Another part I could not figure out was why her father (who looooooves her soooooooo much) would set her up with an abusive loser. The breakup had been six months prior but her boss said it was "ancient history". Since when is six months ancient history? Especially when you still have to see the guy all the time because Dad keeps bringing this idiot to the house. But yeah, your dad loooooves you lol. And this family is supposedly soooooo close but she never told her mother why they broke up. My head is reeling with all the nonsense.
Don't get me started on the horrific homophobia. I get that this book is written over 20 years ago, but the sheer hatred towards someone who is gay really was excessive and disturbing to read. The guy who murdered a bunch of children seemed to have more respect shown to him!
There was one poorly written part where the FBI agent is on the phone explaining in intricate detail what happens when someone has a heart attack. Literally like he is a doctor himself to include someone being sent to the cath lab. Um, how would he know that? And other than the author needing a spot to dump her research on heart attacks, there really was no reason for this detailed information to even be included.
The author is supposedly some sort of expert on police procedures but she clearly knows very little on the subject to be believable. Miranda Rights before beginning any questioning is a biggie. I get that the police dramas have led the public to believe that you are only read your rights when you're being arrested. Not true. It has NOTHING to do with being arrested and only has to do with being asked questions that may be incriminating. An expert on police procedures would know this and not have a character say something to the effect of "I'm questioning you about a crime" without rights being read. Especially when the author can go on for two pages detailing heart attacks lol. Just bad writing. Informing your superior IMMEDIATELY about a break in the case is another. You do not wait until a meeting the next day. That's not how it works!! And someone who is too disabled to be out in the field and saddled with a desk job does NOT go undercover! What part of "desk job" does the author not understand?? Not sleeping with victims seems like a no brainer but clearly no one told Ms. Gardner that lol
And I don't think anything irritates me more than the tired trope of women being irrationally angry with men. Then that anger turns into animal lust and sexytimes ensue. Barf.
The story just makes no sense and once getting to the end it still makes little sense. Yeah, I finished it but that's basically because I started it during a long wait in the ER and was too invested by that point. I had to see how the whole thing played out. I don't understand all the good reviews. What a bunch of garbage. I am removing all Lisa Gardner books from my "to read" list. Life is too short for garbage.
Where to start? For 250 freaking pages the idiotic woman who is the main character of the book whines about how much she loooooooves her family!!! And they looooooove her too!!!! They love each other sooooooo much!!!! Gross.
But the thing is, her family consists of a bunch of self centered jerks who don't seem to love anyone. I don't know if the author is crazy or if she is deliberately trying to make the main character seem crazy. One page the woman is remembering her mother always hugging her and her brother being her best buddy and the family having long conversations together after dinner. The next is about her mother being too drunk to ever pay attention to her and her father a workaholic who doesn't ever pay attention to her. Is she that deep in denial? And the brother is written as incredibly unstable but suddenly he has a successful medical practice? That makes no sense. Then you have a FBI agent who is horribly disabled with arthritis one minute but can have a bunch of sex the next? hahahahahahaha yeah I'm pretty sure the author is the crazy one.
Another part I could not figure out was why her father (who looooooves her soooooooo much) would set her up with an abusive loser. The breakup had been six months prior but her boss said it was "ancient history". Since when is six months ancient history? Especially when you still have to see the guy all the time because Dad keeps bringing this idiot to the house. But yeah, your dad loooooves you lol. And this family is supposedly soooooo close but she never told her mother why they broke up. My head is reeling with all the nonsense.
Don't get me started on the horrific homophobia. I get that this book is written over 20 years ago, but the sheer hatred towards someone who is gay really was excessive and disturbing to read. The guy who murdered a bunch of children seemed to have more respect shown to him!
There was one poorly written part where the FBI agent is on the phone explaining in intricate detail what happens when someone has a heart attack. Literally like he is a doctor himself to include someone being sent to the cath lab. Um, how would he know that? And other than the author needing a spot to dump her research on heart attacks, there really was no reason for this detailed information to even be included.
The author is supposedly some sort of expert on police procedures but she clearly knows very little on the subject to be believable. Miranda Rights before beginning any questioning is a biggie. I get that the police dramas have led the public to believe that you are only read your rights when you're being arrested. Not true. It has NOTHING to do with being arrested and only has to do with being asked questions that may be incriminating. An expert on police procedures would know this and not have a character say something to the effect of "I'm questioning you about a crime" without rights being read. Especially when the author can go on for two pages detailing heart attacks lol. Just bad writing. Informing your superior IMMEDIATELY about a break in the case is another. You do not wait until a meeting the next day. That's not how it works!! And someone who is too disabled to be out in the field and saddled with a desk job does NOT go undercover! What part of "desk job" does the author not understand?? Not sleeping with victims seems like a no brainer but clearly no one told Ms. Gardner that lol
And I don't think anything irritates me more than the tired trope of women being irrationally angry with men. Then that anger turns into animal lust and sexytimes ensue. Barf.
The story just makes no sense and once getting to the end it still makes little sense. Yeah, I finished it but that's basically because I started it during a long wait in the ER and was too invested by that point. I had to see how the whole thing played out. I don't understand all the good reviews. What a bunch of garbage. I am removing all Lisa Gardner books from my "to read" list. Life is too short for garbage.
October 19, 2025
Mills & Boons, with elements of murder and mystery. A quivering, yet strong woman, a damaged yet gentle man - start at opposite sides and end up together. I kept thinking - just get it over with.
Besides this there is a backdrop of a girl called Melanie who was 'adopted' but never grew up (she is 29, but we don't know her educational qualifications, and she does not have a job), a boy who also never grew up (slightly older than his sister, we don't know what he does until it is suddenly sprung up on the reader), a killer who was executed and a dysfunctional family with many secrets. It was easy to figure out the big reveal right at the beginning. Except for one twist, the rest were fairly common and not surprising.
There were pages of one sided conversation - which our protagonist overhears... too much of 'tell' in the book. I was about to give up, but then I read along and finished it. A boring read with too much of 'dammit' thrown in and some unnecessary drama. There were loops that were opened and never closed.
Besides this there is a backdrop of a girl called Melanie who was 'adopted' but never grew up (she is 29, but we don't know her educational qualifications, and she does not have a job), a boy who also never grew up (slightly older than his sister, we don't know what he does until it is suddenly sprung up on the reader), a killer who was executed and a dysfunctional family with many secrets. It was easy to figure out the big reveal right at the beginning. Except for one twist, the rest were fairly common and not surprising.
There were pages of one sided conversation - which our protagonist overhears... too much of 'tell' in the book. I was about to give up, but then I read along and finished it. A boring read with too much of 'dammit' thrown in and some unnecessary drama. There were loops that were opened and never closed.
January 30, 2022
A young girl is abandoned at a hospital and adopted by a family who recently lost their own daughter. All is good for 20 years until a reporter shows up and secrets start to emerge.
This is a crazy twisty story. It was intriguing and suspenseful. The characters are extremely likeable, even some of the bad guys and the ending it truly a shocking one.
Melanie Stokes knows that she is adopted, but has never felt like it. Her parents have always treated her like a blood member of the family. She is shocked and appalled by the information the reporter gives her. There is no way that her loving family can be connected to a serial child killer. The path the story stakes after this has many turns in it. It was fun trying to figure out the mystery and a complete shock when it is revealed.
It’s hard to write a review for this book without giving things away. There are so many elements. This book had me so riveted that I read it while I did house work and cooked dinner. It’s a truly fabulous story. This is the first book I have read by this author and I highly recommend it. I look forward to reading more by Lisa Gardner.
This is a crazy twisty story. It was intriguing and suspenseful. The characters are extremely likeable, even some of the bad guys and the ending it truly a shocking one.
Melanie Stokes knows that she is adopted, but has never felt like it. Her parents have always treated her like a blood member of the family. She is shocked and appalled by the information the reporter gives her. There is no way that her loving family can be connected to a serial child killer. The path the story stakes after this has many turns in it. It was fun trying to figure out the mystery and a complete shock when it is revealed.
It’s hard to write a review for this book without giving things away. There are so many elements. This book had me so riveted that I read it while I did house work and cooked dinner. It’s a truly fabulous story. This is the first book I have read by this author and I highly recommend it. I look forward to reading more by Lisa Gardner.
January 30, 2012
My favorite part in the book......
"Melanie, have you ever had a turning point in your life? I know your're only twenty-nine, but have you ever felt yourself at a crossroads, when suddenly all of life was murky, and even though you can't see the landscape and you're not sure where you're going, you know you must take a step. And that this will be an important step. This will be The Step.
Yes, I feel this way often as if i'm stepping into the darkness and trusting, God knows who, that this step will be the right step. In the right direction.
Once again Lisa Gardner has blown me away with another story of total suspense!!! Her books just keep getting better and better. More twisted and sick. Blood and guts, cow tounges wrapped in packages and delivered to your front door. Pig guts and a penis and balls floating in a jar. How in the world does she come up with this stuff???? Needless to say.....I love it. Give me more!!!
Happy Reading........
"Melanie, have you ever had a turning point in your life? I know your're only twenty-nine, but have you ever felt yourself at a crossroads, when suddenly all of life was murky, and even though you can't see the landscape and you're not sure where you're going, you know you must take a step. And that this will be an important step. This will be The Step.
Yes, I feel this way often as if i'm stepping into the darkness and trusting, God knows who, that this step will be the right step. In the right direction.
Once again Lisa Gardner has blown me away with another story of total suspense!!! Her books just keep getting better and better. More twisted and sick. Blood and guts, cow tounges wrapped in packages and delivered to your front door. Pig guts and a penis and balls floating in a jar. How in the world does she come up with this stuff???? Needless to say.....I love it. Give me more!!!
Happy Reading........
July 20, 2023
I have read several other books by Lisa Gardner and really enjoyed them so I was excited when I picked up this one. It was ok, but overall based on the previous books I was a little disappointed. I found the writing to be flat and simplistic and the characters and their conversations to be stilted. Melanie had been abandoned in a hospital when she was a small child without any memory of where she had come from. She was adopted by a rich family who had lost their daughter to a serial killer before. Melanie loves her adopted family and they love her, but when someone comes asking questions about her past it sets Melanie on a journey to figure out who she really is and where she comes from.
September 7, 2013
Not as good as her d.d. Warren books. Disappointed. Glad this wasn't the first book I picked up of hers, as I wouldn't have read another. Pass on this one.
July 13, 2021
4.5 Stars!! This story kinda blew my mind! I thought the whole time I knew the direction it was going in but it still shocked me right at the end. I do feel like while the plot was great, there was a lot of repetitiveness through this story that felt like I was reading the back flap summary over and over again. It was almost as though we kept going over the facts as if we were the detectives figuring out the crime. That's all good and fine however, it gets tiring to read the same facts again and again. I would have rather the author use those pages to show more of the blooming romance we see unfold. Hell, I would probably read a whole spin-off story that is about the romance angle. But I guess that's not what this book was about. It was about unraveling the story (slowly) and trying to remain unbiased while guessing "whodunit".
I do like that the story was told from different angles. At a few points, you weren't even sure who exactly was telling the story...which made it all the more exciting!
One last thing - I truly wish they would've picked different names for Meagan & Melanie. I cannot tell you how many times I was confused through the story after mixing the two up. But I suppose once you get to the climax, it's unveiled just why their names are so similar...
I do like that the story was told from different angles. At a few points, you weren't even sure who exactly was telling the story...which made it all the more exciting!
One last thing - I truly wish they would've picked different names for Meagan & Melanie. I cannot tell you how many times I was confused through the story after mixing the two up. But I suppose once you get to the climax, it's unveiled just why their names are so similar...
September 28, 2025
*SCREAMING*
March 22, 2013
Lisa Gardner is an author I tried for the first time, about this time, last year.
I became a fan quite quickly after reading out of sequence, some of her DD Warren books. I found that Lisa developed her characters extraordinarily well in what is usually only a plot-driven genre, namely crime fiction.
I like Lisa Gardner as much as I like Tess Gerritsen, which is saying something, I like Tell a hell of a lot, and I find the two authors very similar, they write the same genre in a very addictive and compelling way. They both write books that beg you to keep reading, forcing you to continue the pages no matter how late in the day it is. The difference between the two is that Tess can write both excellent series and standalone books whereas Lisa excels better in her series books. I found this standalone book somewhat lacking to the others I have read.
That said, this was an enjoyable read. It centres around Melanie, a child abandoned in a hospital in Texas as a young girl, subsequently adopted into a wealthy family and given what many would deem, the life of her dreams. This becomes complicated by the appearance of a journalist who believes he has some dirt on her - namely that she is the daughter of a renowned child serial killer who has just been killed on death row for his crimes. Throw into the mix that he allegedly killed her mothers first girl, things become complex and serious very quickly.
The plot is flawless, fascinating, multi-faceted and well paced. Lisa draws up her characters pretty well also, there are many that are likeable and equally some you would just love to kill they are that loathsome. But they fell short of the characters in her series, I can't put my finger on it but I just didn't like them half as much. As I said previously, with Tess Gerritsen, standalone or serial novel, I like / adore the characters she dreams up, with Lisa in this instance, I didn't.
The writing is as good as ever, flows from one page to the next making compulsive reading but I just didn't like it as much. I can't say I loved it, merely that I liked it. This isn't re-readable material unlike her other books.
So only a 3 stars from me.
Full review at: http://love-affair-with-books.blogspo...
I became a fan quite quickly after reading out of sequence, some of her DD Warren books. I found that Lisa developed her characters extraordinarily well in what is usually only a plot-driven genre, namely crime fiction.
I like Lisa Gardner as much as I like Tess Gerritsen, which is saying something, I like Tell a hell of a lot, and I find the two authors very similar, they write the same genre in a very addictive and compelling way. They both write books that beg you to keep reading, forcing you to continue the pages no matter how late in the day it is. The difference between the two is that Tess can write both excellent series and standalone books whereas Lisa excels better in her series books. I found this standalone book somewhat lacking to the others I have read.
That said, this was an enjoyable read. It centres around Melanie, a child abandoned in a hospital in Texas as a young girl, subsequently adopted into a wealthy family and given what many would deem, the life of her dreams. This becomes complicated by the appearance of a journalist who believes he has some dirt on her - namely that she is the daughter of a renowned child serial killer who has just been killed on death row for his crimes. Throw into the mix that he allegedly killed her mothers first girl, things become complex and serious very quickly.
The plot is flawless, fascinating, multi-faceted and well paced. Lisa draws up her characters pretty well also, there are many that are likeable and equally some you would just love to kill they are that loathsome. But they fell short of the characters in her series, I can't put my finger on it but I just didn't like them half as much. As I said previously, with Tess Gerritsen, standalone or serial novel, I like / adore the characters she dreams up, with Lisa in this instance, I didn't.
The writing is as good as ever, flows from one page to the next making compulsive reading but I just didn't like it as much. I can't say I loved it, merely that I liked it. This isn't re-readable material unlike her other books.
So only a 3 stars from me.
Full review at: http://love-affair-with-books.blogspo...
September 12, 2012
Melanie Stokes was nine years old when she was found, abandoned in a Boston hospital, with no memory of her past, or who she was. All she could tell people was that she was ‘Daddy’s girl’. She was adopted into a family who had everything, it seemed… a surgeon father, Harper, and social butterfly mother, Patricia, a doting and loving uncle, Jamie, and her adored but extremely troubled brother, Brian.
After twenty years, Melanie was very happy, had a fulfilling life, and did her best to keep her family happy. But suddenly, things began to fall apart… cryptic notes began to appear, saying “You get what you deserve”. All the members of her family began to feel like strangers to Melanie, with horrifying secrets that no-one wanted found out.
When FBI Agent David Reese appeared on the scene, in the guise of a waiter, the past began to filter through. All those years, Melanie hadn’t remembered anything, but suddenly she was having visions, and they were scaring her, and not making a lot of sense. Did she have links from all those years ago to a vicious child killer, one who had murdered the Stokes’ first daughter, Meagan, at only four years of age? Why did someone out there seem determined to have Melanie remember her past?
As Melanie desperately searches for her identity, Agent Pierce Quincy becomes involved, the first body appears and suddenly time is running out! The dangers have intensified… the horror is real! The truth will come out, but who will survive?
I absolutely loved The Other Daughter… I couldn’t read the pages fast enough! A totally gripping suspense thriller, one I would highly recommend.
After twenty years, Melanie was very happy, had a fulfilling life, and did her best to keep her family happy. But suddenly, things began to fall apart… cryptic notes began to appear, saying “You get what you deserve”. All the members of her family began to feel like strangers to Melanie, with horrifying secrets that no-one wanted found out.
When FBI Agent David Reese appeared on the scene, in the guise of a waiter, the past began to filter through. All those years, Melanie hadn’t remembered anything, but suddenly she was having visions, and they were scaring her, and not making a lot of sense. Did she have links from all those years ago to a vicious child killer, one who had murdered the Stokes’ first daughter, Meagan, at only four years of age? Why did someone out there seem determined to have Melanie remember her past?
As Melanie desperately searches for her identity, Agent Pierce Quincy becomes involved, the first body appears and suddenly time is running out! The dangers have intensified… the horror is real! The truth will come out, but who will survive?
I absolutely loved The Other Daughter… I couldn’t read the pages fast enough! A totally gripping suspense thriller, one I would highly recommend.
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