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49th out of 535 books
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The Other Daughter
by
Lisa Gardner
WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW CAN KILL YOU
Twenty years ago, Melanie Stokes was abandoned in a Boston hospital, then adopted by a wealthy couple. Gifted with a loving family, Melanie has always considered herself lucky. Until tonight.
Tonight, a has-been reporter turns up investigating her past. Tonight the first note arrives, saying, "You Get What You Des...more
Twenty years ago, Melanie Stokes was abandoned in a Boston hospital, then adopted by a wealthy couple. Gifted with a loving family, Melanie has always considered herself lucky. Until tonight.
Tonight, a has-been reporter turns up investigating her past. Tonight the first note arrives, saying, "You Get What You Des...more
Mass Market Paperback, 413 pages
Published
September 28th 2004
by Bantam
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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 sis...more
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 sis...more
A young girl turns up in a hospital in Boston at the same time a serial killer is being executed by the state of Texas. Two events that don’t seem connected, except for the fact that the wealthy family who adopts the little girl lost their first daughter to the executed serial killer. The little girl, Melanie, grows up with the best of everything. There is little her parents or uncle won’t do for her.
But when a washed up reporter shows up to talk to Melanie about her past and claims ...more
But when a washed up reporter shows up to talk to Melanie about her past and claims ...more
Russell Lee Holmes murdered 6 young children, and the state of Texas is executing him for his crimes. One Of the children Holmes has confessed to murdering is Meagan Stokes, the daughter of a Texas physician and his wife. A reporter covering the story of Holmes' execution knows that Holmes himself has a child, but no one knows the location of this child or the child's mother. When Holmes is executed, that secret dies with him... or so everyone believes. The night Holmes dies, a 9 year old girl s...more
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 ...more
"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 ...more
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In 1977 a man named Russell Lee Holmes was put to death for murdering six young children. It was believed that Russell was single and had no children. The day he was to die, he admits to a local reporter that he also killed 4-year old Meagan Stokes five years earlier.
On the same night he is put to death, a
9-year old child is found drugged and abandoned at a Boston hospital by none other than Dr. Harper Stokes, Meagan's father. The Stokes adopt the abandoned girl (Melanie) and f...more
On the same night he is put to death, a
9-year old child is found drugged and abandoned at a Boston hospital by none other than Dr. Harper Stokes, Meagan's father. The Stokes adopt the abandoned girl (Melanie) and f...more
The Other DaughterLisa Gardner
Once I finish a book, I sit back and think did this book have ANY redeeming factors? Was it well written, did it keep me engage, what have I learned from it? This book had very little to offer. A light mystery read with little depth in characters or emotions.
A person may learn some tiny tidbits of "ole Sparky" or Huntsville, TX penal institutions; but the information is hardly relevant and if you google it you would learn much more. ...more
Once I finish a book, I sit back and think did this book have ANY redeeming factors? Was it well written, did it keep me engage, what have I learned from it? This book had very little to offer. A light mystery read with little depth in characters or emotions.
A person may learn some tiny tidbits of "ole Sparky" or Huntsville, TX penal institutions; but the information is hardly relevant and if you google it you would learn much more. ...more
Riveting story involving the FBI, healthcare fraud, a serial killer,
murder and a wealthy, rather deviant family.
As the story opens, a serial killer is being put to death and
a 9 year old girl without a remembered past is found
in a hospital room.
The girl replaces the daughter of a wealthy cardiologist at
the hospital who the serial killer confessed to murdering.
Now 25 years later, Melanie Stokes is being encouraged
to remember her past. The FBI ha...more
murder and a wealthy, rather deviant family.
As the story opens, a serial killer is being put to death and
a 9 year old girl without a remembered past is found
in a hospital room.
The girl replaces the daughter of a wealthy cardiologist at
the hospital who the serial killer confessed to murdering.
Now 25 years later, Melanie Stokes is being encouraged
to remember her past. The FBI ha...more
This book was moderately enjoyable. I felt like the author was "telling" me the story in very convenient ways, rather than showing the story and allowing it to unfold. The dialogue was forced in some places, corney in others. I'd read other reviews about the twists and plot turns, but honestly I saw most of them coming a mile away...perhaps because I knew to expect them. I hadn't figured out the entire mystery until the end but I wasn't that impressed once the mystery was solved. ...more
I just finished "The Other Daughter" by Lisa Gardner on the 30th or 31st. It was an amazing book, and only took me a few days to read. It revolves around a woman around my age named Melanie Stokes. She was adopted by a rich family who took really good care of her. And then a reporter shows up and tells her about everything he dug up on her past. The book gets really intense from there. The cast of characters is really well described. I felt like I knew each and every one of them...more
I love how Lisa Gardner gets right off to action in most of her books! And this one did not disappoint! You start off with an exacution and move right into the life of Melanie Sstokess adopted 9 year without a past. There are several key players that each have a significant part in Melanie's life past present and future. There is not a dull moment in this book. You have to pay close attention or you might miss the clues to " daddy's girl". Of course you got a little romance mixed ...more
Melanie was abandoned in a Boston hospital when she was nine years old. She did not remember her name or anything about her past. She was adopted by a wealthy young couple and had a very nice life growing up with a loving brother, and a special uncle along with her parents. But when she was twenty years old a has-been reporter shows up investigating her past and making her confused but also interested in who she really was. But as she pursues finding answers to many questions about her past, th...more
Rotating around a first person perspective, "The Other Daughter" is definitely written with a mystery-like style. As a reader and writer, she teaches me a bit about dialouge and a mostly serious, but upbeat tone. Unlike writing styles I am accustomed to, Gardner takes the objective of applying many twist and turns. The main antagonist is in a large amount of the story - As Melanie desperately searches for her real identity, two seemingly unrelated events from the past come together in ...more
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...more
The characters in this book are unbelievable...more
Melanie Stokes was adopted at the age of 9 without a memory as to how she ended up in the hospital. She was given everything a person could want, a loving, wealthy family, good mom and dad, the best brother and godfather.
Things then begin to unravel. Melanie is remembering parts of her past and the people she loves the most are getting subtle signs of wrong doings.
Who is Melanie Stokes? Was she really adopted to replace the murdered child in the family.
...more
Things then begin to unravel. Melanie is remembering parts of her past and the people she loves the most are getting subtle signs of wrong doings.
Who is Melanie Stokes? Was she really adopted to replace the murdered child in the family.
...more
Reviewed for THC Reviews
I believe I first heard of Lisa Gardner through one of the many romance discussion forums to which I belong, so going into reading The Other Daughter, I wasn't entirely certain if it was a romantic suspense or a straight suspense/thriller. After reading the book though, I would have to say it is the latter, but with a minor romantic element. There is a hero and a heroine in the novel. They do develop an attraction for one another, and there is one brief moderately d...more
I believe I first heard of Lisa Gardner through one of the many romance discussion forums to which I belong, so going into reading The Other Daughter, I wasn't entirely certain if it was a romantic suspense or a straight suspense/thriller. After reading the book though, I would have to say it is the latter, but with a minor romantic element. There is a hero and a heroine in the novel. They do develop an attraction for one another, and there is one brief moderately d...more
So this was lying around on my mom's Nook when were visiting for Christmas and I picked it up and started reading it. It's a quick read and ok if you're looking for something lightweight, but the characters are one-dimensional and clichéd (I mean, the mother is an alcoholic, anorexic beauty queen from Texas - really?!?!?), and the plot is overly contrived and complicated for the sake of being complicated. I wouldn't bother with this unless you've got nothing else to read except a cereal box.
So .. I happened to just pick this book up on a trip to Barnes and Noble one day. I seriously could not put it down once I began reading it. There were so many twists and secrets that it truly made it entertaining the whole way through. I am certainly a person who is not easily stimulated while reading a book that I haven't researched before purchasing but I was really not disappointed with this one!
I highly recommend it to anybody who likes a good mystery!
I highly recommend it to anybody who likes a good mystery!
What a suspenseful and well written story. Gardner grabbed your attention on page one and held on tight until the final page. Just as I thought I knew "whodunit" and why, there was a twist. While you knew who the main perpetrators were halfway through the book, their roles and reasons continued to change. It has been a long time since I have been genuinely surprised by a twist in a book like I was with Melanie Stokes (no giveaways!). Thank you Lisa Gardner for that!
I bought this book for my daughter who loves mysteries. But it turned out to be a good choice for me as I started the year teaching, went on a four day camping trip with the kids, and generally needed some distraction from a lot of stress. It's a fairly well plotted book and kept my interest from beginning until the end. The characters are generally unlikable, though I liked the male police character. The ending was satisfying albeit a blood bath.
I did enjoy the book although there was something nagging at me as I was reading it. It would be unfair to say that it was predictable becasue there were many twists that I never saw coming. However, I still can't get comfortable with all of the characters and why they responded as they did to certain situations. Maybe I am over thinking it. I did enjoy it however and the pace picked up quite a bit toward the end.
I enjoy Lisa Gardner. This novel involves a young woman's quest to learn what happened to her childhood. Her father (but not biological father) fakes her death in order to get life insurance, and her Godfather (real father)'s girlfriend is the mother of Megan's/Melanie's ex-fiance. It's complicated, but I enjoyed the suspense and the gradual sharing of details. Kept my interest entirely.
The story wasn't half bad, but I take exception to some of the Houston references ... like Huntsville being on I-10 and hills in the city. Poetic license is one thing, but anyone who knows Houston can tell that the author has never been here. They say write about what you know - clearly she doesn't know Texas, Houston or Texans. And I hate it when authors miss the mark so freakin' bad.
I have enjoyed other Lisa Gardner books but this was by far the best. Everytime I thought I had it all figured out, she would throw in yet another twist. It has been a long time since I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning to finish a book but this one had me lying in bed thinking about until I knew I just had to finish it to get some sleep.
I didn't like this book and I was surprised because usually, I love Gardner's work. This was, however, one of her earlier works and that might be part of the reason why I didn't like it. Everything was too easy, too contrived. The characters explained to much to each other too soon and it left me feeling confused and put out. I wanted a little more mystery, a little less filler information. I didn't even really "finish" this book. I read about 100 pages and then skipped ahead to the en...more
The Other Daughter is a gripping story interlaced with the question of what would happen if a daughter adopted into a wealthy home was the biological daughter of a child-killer. The main character's identity is called into question when a reporter casts suspicion her way. A few minor holes in the story, but overall a very captivating read.
Before this book I had never read anything from Lisa Gardner so I wasn't sure of what to expect. What I found was an incredibly well written book with believable characters and an engaging plotline.
I have lost count of the number of times I have reread this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good suspensful mystery.
I have lost count of the number of times I have reread this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good suspensful mystery.
Very suspenseful, and I find Gardner very skilled at this genre. I always have difficulty putting her books down and want to read uninterrupted until the end. Her characters are much rounder and more interesting than is often the case in this genre (thinking Tami Hoag, Sue Grafton). Very graphic and chilling, so not for the squeamish.
This was a really intriguing mystery. At one point I thought I had it figured out, but the author does a great job of making you doubt any conclusions you may have come to! So even though I was actually right in the end, I didn't have all of the details and I gave up that idea before coming back around to it. Very enjoyable read!
This book was a good, quick read. My mom recommended to me and it was your typical suspenseful, thriller. But then again, those always suck me in because I am dying to find out what happens next. I thought it was going to be really predictable in the beginning, but it turned out to have a few twists and surprises in the end.
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Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
(1) mystery & thrillers, suspense
aka Alicia Scott
New York Times bestselling crime novelist Lisa Gardner began her career in food service, but after catching her hair on fire numerous times, she took the hint and focused on writing instead. A self-described research junkie, she has p...more
More about Lisa Gardner...
(1) mystery & thrillers, suspense
aka Alicia Scott
New York Times bestselling crime novelist Lisa Gardner began her career in food service, but after catching her hair on fire numerous times, she took the hint and focused on writing instead. A self-described research junkie, she has p...more
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