Second Child: A Novel

Read this when I was a teen. Got it for my teen to read and she LOVED it. John Saul’s just timeless I guess.

This book is filled with twist and turns leading up to the unfolding. Page turner for sure! Give it a read

An emotionally and physically abused daughter seeks refuge in sleep, calling an imaginary friend to protect her.. But is the imaginary friend a true figment of her tortured body and mind, or is she actually real? A truly delightful "ghost" story, well written and so easy to read. I love John Saul's stories. Never a dull moment, just pure entertainment from first page to last.

I couldn’t stop reading. This book was fantastic. John Saul was an incredibly entertaining writer. Never read a book of his that I didn’t like.

Teri comes to live with her father and his wife, and also with The Second Child, Melissa. Teri has just lost her mom and stepdad and now must start a new life—one of wealth and luxury. But there are secrets, perhaps deadly secrets, to learn. John Saul wrote it so it's a thriller to be sure. But what type is it, psychological or paranormal? Or is it a blend of both? John Saul keeps you guessing. Unfortunatley, the ending is anticlamtic. An event the book hinted at time and again never came. The ending just fizzles. Walter Eugene Lane author of BONE UGLY CURSE

I devoured this one. Great twist along the way and I quickly became engaged with many of the characters. Didn’t know how he was going to tie it up, but he did. A must read

I'd forgotten how much fun a John Saul novel could be...and "The Second Child" was a great reminder! Not a horror novel, exactly. More along the line of mystery/suspense/thriller...with a plot revolving around a 13 year old girl, her half sister, a wicked mother and a doting father. Saul takes us to Secret Cove, Maine~a small, exclusive, wealthy village full of affluent parents and their spoiled children. Melissa Holloway hasn't ever quite fit in but her half sister Teri, who moves in after a horrific family tragedy on the west coast, seems to mesh perfectly. But something is amiss in the Holloway household. The dog, Blackie, feels it. The housekeeper, Cora, senses it. Just WHO is it, or WHAT is it that isn't...'quite right' in the family? And what about D'Arcy, Melissa's friend and confidant? Hasn't SHE been dead for nearly a century?

The novel takes the phrase "Dysfunctional Family" to a new level. We have a very opulent family vacationing in Maine every summer. Charles Holloway, his wife Phyllis, & their emotionally & physically abused daughter Melissa. Melissa has created a split personality to hide from the enormous pain she endures from her mother & peers. Enter Teri. Teri is Charles' other daughter from a previous marriage. She moves in with the Holloways after a fire has killed her natural mother & step-father in California. Teri quickly fits in from a blue collar lifestyle to a blue blood lifestyle. She becomes jealous of her step-sister's attention from her natural father. Above any & all costs she will do whatever it takes to become the Belle of the Blue-bloods. The trouble in Secret Cove & at the estate Maplecrest begins shortly after Teri arrives. Jealousy, hatred, envy, sloth, murder & mayhem all come into play. The housekeeper, Cora, and her grandson, Tag seem to be the only ones with their wits about them. The book is spellbinding, it moves at a very good pace. The story is well thought out & very well written. This is a John Saul novel not to be missed.

This is the one I keep going back to, again and again. Only wish it was available in Kindle! How about it, Amazon?

Excellent, one of his best.