The Other Daughter by Lisa Gardner
This inane 1999 'thriller' centres on Melanie Stokes, an abounded child who was adopted by a rich family. Scumbag reporter Larry Digger claims Melanie is the child of executed serial killer Russell Lee Holmes who killed the Stokes’ 'real' daughter Meagan.
This claim unleashes hysteria and causes everyone to act like idiots. Is Melanie the replacement for the murdered Meagan? An annoying FBI agent isn’t very good at his job. The Stokes family have secrets and there is a ridiculous twist which is easily guessed by anyone who ever read ‘My Sweet Audrina’. This is a stupid novel; you can feel intellectual atrophy setting in as you read it.
Best Lines:
“The Stokeses had a new daughter, and this one had gotten the chance to grow up.”
“Your charity work is great, but how the hell does it pay the rent?”
~
Live And Let Drood by Simon R. Green
The 6th in the ‘Secret Histories’ series sees Eddie Drood return home to find his entire family missing. So he and his ADD girlfriend Molly set out to find them by any means necessary. Eddie will venture into the hedge maze to find the awful thing his family imprisoned inside long ago, face down the Most Evil Man On Earth and punch someone’s head off.
Also he will flirt with the dark side and encounter some long lost relatives. The Drood creed of Anything, For The Family is taken to the max. This was good high-octane action/kitchen sink fantasy fun. I will be reading the next book ‘Casino Infernale’.
Best Lines:
“Never trust hedge sculptures!”
“You risk damning your soul just by holding such a thing.”
“There were things moving in the shadows surrounding us on all sides, and none of them looked pleased to see us.”
“Something that only exists to make other things not exist.”
“We’d make haste to bury them in a very deep pit at the back of the gardens under rather a lot of concrete.”
“Sometimes your family frightens me,”
“Something moved out beyond the light. A cold breeze blew suddenly through the Old Library, disturbing air that hadn’t been breathed in centuries.”
“Yet another reason why I ran away first chance I got.”
“You bring me happy news. Rejoice, I shall kill you swiftly for this.”