Lucy's Child

by Shaun Hutson

The tense atmosphere Beth's sister causes when she comes to stay is strained further by Lucy's references to Beth's inability to conceive. When Lucy has a fatal accident, she leaves the legacy of her child, providing Beth's only chance of motherhood. But forces are bent on Beth remaining childless.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Thriller

445 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1996

About the author

British horror novelist, including horror and urban thriller novels.

His novella Slugs was made into a movie, although Hutson didn't like the movie. He also appeared in two horror movies himself.

Hutson is a Liverpool F.C. fan.

Reviews

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rather tame outing for Hutson and more of a supernatural thriller than horror. Our lead, Beth Parker, mid twenties, starts the novel happily married to Simon, a shrink who works at an insane asylum. Beth possesses her own job as an personal assistant to some guy employed by Jaguar. Hutson begins the novel with Lucy, Beth's younger sister, who shows up on her doorstep. To say Lucy and Beth are estranged would be an understatement! Their parents died three years ago in a house fire (which Beth still blames Lucy for!) and Lucy, then aged 17, simply went to London and Beth has not heard from her in years. Lucy tells Beth that her 'squat' in London got raided and she has no place to go. Can she stay with Beth for a little bit?

The first half of this novel reads as pure thriller, with Hutson squeezing in lots of graphic sex (no surprise there), but basically detailing the lives of Beth and Simon. While the couple wanted children, Beth cannot have them due to medical issues. Lucy knows this and uses it to hammer her 'barren' sister. Lucy, wild Lucy, lives a reckless life of hedonism and has all her life. Beth paid for one abortion when Lucy was just 14. Mild spoiler (you get this from the cover blurb), Lucy gets into a motorcycle wreck and technically dies, but it turns out she is 4 months pregnant. The doctors decide to keep her 'alive' on life support until the baby develops. After Lucy's 'death', things take off on the supernatural level...

Hutson has about as much finesse as a kick to the crotch and tends to rely on established tropes. This did have a bit of spook element to it, but not much more than an old Hammer film. I you do not have a soft spot for trashy horror, probably give this one a pass. The creepiest character in the novel was a nurse at the insane asylum, who gets off on raping drugged inmates (and my, does Hutson go into detail here!). 2.5 trashy stars, rounding up for GR.

[Karl]

This hardcover edition is signed by author Shaun Hutson.

[Jason · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I was young I used to enjoy reading Shaun Hutson's books, this is the first I've read in years and it was pretty dire, it seems I have out-grown his books.

The writing is lazy nothing original bout it, some very predicable stuff, for example there is one of those kitchen waste disposable devices and it has been blocked, the power is playing up in the house and the device is turned off at the wall...lemme just stick my arm in to remove the blockage...what's the worst that could happen? I'm sure that scene has never been done before.

There is some nice sex scenes, pretty graphic at times, I remember now why I enjoyed his books when I was a teen. :-)

I read this book whilst on holiday in Scotland and have decided to leave the book in the cottage for somebody else to find...this book is now Scotland's problem.

[Annmarie Hogg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spooky, I really enjoyed this one 👌🫣❤️❤️

[Joe Stamber · Rating 2 out of 5]

Undemanding horror/thriller that I would probably enjoyed more as a teenager. With adverbs tripping over each other and every dialogue tag possible used (and then some), Shaun Hutson's editing knife must have been very blunt indeed. On the plus side, Lucy's Child had its moments and was easy to read.

[Robin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this when I was about fifteen and thought it was pretty rubbish even then. Shaun Hutson writes the kind of books that get turned into the crappy eighties horror films that end up in the value bin of your local VHS store. But Lucy's Child doesn't even have that. It's all psychological and past trauma and yawn and finally a screwdriver.

However, if crappy horror is your thing, opt for his Death Day. Rage-virus-style super zombies invade a small county in England. It's stupid, gory, but that's why we go for daft eighties horror. It ends (if memory serves) with Manchester PD, who apparently don't believe the tales of the zombies, palming the local constabulary off by arming them with an arsenal of magnums and shotguns. Carnage ensues.

[*givemeallthetacos* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big fan of Hutson. And i'd read from other reviewers that this was one of the most horrific reads in his collection. Not true. However, it's enormous fun.
There the usual - graphic sex, foul language, Dark humor, likable protagonists, creative ways to off certain characters... But this time there are deeply psychological and supernatural elements coursing through the novel that chill you to your very bone. And, in typical Hutson style, it's got that 'page turning' quality that ensured i ploughed through it in 3 sessions.
I can't wait to read his next, awesome writer

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sexxy, trashy, undemanding fun. Ridiculous in some parts, sloppy in others, this is the Haribo sour mix of horror. You down it in one go, ride the sugar high, feel sleepy and soiled and then go for vegetables! All the vegetables to cleanse your sugar-saturated self.

I don't really do guilt but referring to this as a guilty pleasure is too neat a description to pass up. I think I bought the book for about 50p, charmed by the ludicrous cover art. I won't be seeking out any other Shaun Hutson titles but if I see one in a charity shop I will know it is a fun way to pass a couple of hours.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll always love this book! Not for it's contents but simply because it was the first ever book I read on my own!

[Tarina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary:

Lucy’s Child centres around Beth who is struggling with her pregnant sister Lucy’s untimely death during her forth month of pregnancy. Beth, who is unable to have a child of her own, wants to adopt the unborn baby. But Lucy won’t allow it & tries to kill both the baby & Beth from beyond the grave.

My Thoughts:

Lucy’s Child will take you on a thrilling journey into horror where the lines between reality & the paranormal blurs & it will leave you on the edge of your seat.

My Rating: * * * *

[Abi Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot was exciting at many points, and it certainly captures the attention, but it seemed to be lacking in something for me that I can't put my finger on. Maybe just the fact that Lucy and Beth's hate-to-the-death relationship seemed too exaggerated for my beliefs. Its not something that I would read again, however, I did read it in two days so it can't have been that bad.

[Ian O'Donnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find it hard to discribe how I fell about this book .It left me with a lot of different emotions. The beginning was good I was enjoying the story then it turned onto the supernatural and I felt let down but I kept on reading and found it very good if I treated it as a story rather than something real. Still had Shauns style and graphic diction

[Bru · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haven't read any of his stuff for ages, or heard of this one. Pleasantly surprised, certainly more depth than I expected. Big gaping plot hole, though. Being a motorcyclist I don't see how one of the characters can own, & be a skilled rider, of a Harley 1200 at the age of 17.
But the book was gripping enough to have me reading it in a couple of days.

[Gregory Dark · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty slow read with not much happening until the final act. The only thing that kept me going was how easy Hutson's writing was to read and the characters. There are a couple of graphic gore scenes, but only a couple. I wish there had been more action. The ending was pretty standard, but as this is my first Hutson book, that won't keep me from reading more of his stuff.

[Jenny · Rating 1 out of 5]

Plenty of flaws in this book. Part 1 was written badly with very little storyline. Part 2 was more exciting but the ending was very rushed with an unsatisfying conclusion. It also left no explanations to tie up the loose ends.

[Ryan Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

not a bad one good plot bit different from some of his other works but I enjoyed!!

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good read if you like the supernatural, held my interest from the start as not as slow going as some books can be

[l ritchie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

It took a while to get into but once you started it was a couldn't put down book well worth the read

[Rene Nel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shaun Hutson is a good writer but in this particular book, there wasn't any characters I liked or had sympathy with. Sadly some of them survived.

[Dreadlocksmile · Rating 4 out of 5]

First published in 1995 by Little, Brown & Company, this 372 page blend of psychological horror and edge-of-the-seat thriller is completely gripping from the first page onwards. The character of Beth Parker is well-established and easy to sympathise with. Hutson has trained his pen to create an atmosphere of tension and constant suspense, as you wait for the truth to unveil itself. The novel is one of the most packed with sex, out of all of Hutson's work. Lucy is flirtatious and erotic in her dominating manner. The pace of the novel soon picks up, as Beth's life slowly turns for the worse. The side plot with the lunatic Karen Gregson, who cut out both her kids eyes and fed them to her dog, keeps the story racing ahead with its bitter tension.

The story comes to a dramatic ending, but a lot of questions of "why?" are left in the air. Hutson uses the premises of the unlimited ability of the supernatural to clear up all the loose ends, which is a little sloppy. The possession is never really explained, nor is Lucy's motive behind the whole event.

All in all, the novel is well-written and entertaining. One of Hutson's better books, and well worth a read.

[Mysticpaganwitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably the best Shaun Hutson I've read, not that I've read many.

[Keatlaretse Sepheko · Rating 4 out of 5]

wow.........thats all aom gone say.

[Val Lynam · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a book written in the 80's it isn't bad but compared to the thrillers out there now it's substandard. I wouldn't recommend it to someone who regularly reads the thriller/horror genre.

[Kim (Wistfulskimmies Book Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Just wow!

[Abby]

I didn't actually read this book. I read Everything In My Head At One Time In My Life by Lucy Hutson. That book is not on this website so this is the next best thing.