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The Only Child

by Andrew Pyper (Goodreads Author)

3.3 · Rating Details · 392 Ratings · 130 Reviews

The #1 internationally bestselling author of The Demonologist radically reimagines the origins of gothic literature’s founding masterpieces—Frankenstein, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Dracula—in a contemporary novel driven by relentless suspense and surprising emotion. This is the story of a man who may be the world’s one real-life monster, and the only ...more

Hardcover, 284 pages

Published May 23rd 2017 by Simon & Schuster

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Apr 25, 2017 Navidad Thelamour rated it did not like it

Shelves: netgalley, thrillers, supernatural, gothic, horror, full-review, dnf, read-2017

The Only Child started out as improbably as to mock the tradition of true Gothic fiction. The tension and “horror” seemed contrived from the very start, placed into our minds by the forced narration of the author, not by circumstance, not by the skilled hand that every reader searches for to guide them on their path.

This novel was a dabbling adaptation of so many classic stories of the Gothic tradition—Frankenstein, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Dracula…my foot. To sample their tr ...more

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Mar 12, 2017 Erin Clemence rated it really liked it

Shelves: first-reads

Thank you to the author, who provided my school with an advanced signed copy, which allowed me to get my greedy hands on it.
Andrew Pyper’s newest release, “The Only Child” is about fathers and daughters, demonic secrets, and characters from the folklore we know so well.
Dr. Lily Dominick is a forensic psychologist, working with the deeply disturbed in New York City. When she is introduced to the nameless, unidentified “Client 46874-A”, who claims to be immortal and demonic in nature, she belie Thank you to the author, who provided my school with an advanced signed copy, which allowed me to get my greedy hands on it. 
Andrew Pyper’s newest release, “The Only Child” is about fathers and daughters, demonic secrets, and characters from the folklore we know so well.
Dr. Lily Dominick is a forensic psychologist, working with the deeply disturbed in New York City. When she is introduced to the nameless, unidentified “Client 46874-A”, who claims to be immortal and demonic in nature, she believes him to be just another “psycho” until he reveals his biggest secret- he knew her mother. Lily has a lot of questions about the way her mother was killed and why, and this client seems to have the answers. But does he really know what happened to her mother? Why has he really come to see her? Who is he, really?
The client in this novel, eventually given the name Michael, claims himself to be “part Dr. Jekyll, part Frankenstein and part Dracula”, an immortal creature with many demonic powers, who in fact was single-handedly the influence behind the famous novels. Lily follows Michael throughout Eastern Europe and even Northern Canada, looking for secrets about her mother’s life and, eventually, running for her life.
Pyper certainly tells quite the story with this one, combining facets of three of the greatest horror stories around to create his main character. Michael’s character provides more questions than answers- is he telling the truth or is he just genuinely insane? Is he really who he says he is in regards to Lily and her mother? And then of course, when we meet some of the other characters (i.e. Will- who claims to be “on the side of good” and offers to help Lily), we again have more questions- “is he actually on the side of good?” “Who does he work for?” “Why does he want to help Lily?” Eventually, all these questions are finally answered, but the constant questioning throughout the novel is distracting.
Although there are creepy moments, this novel is not as scary as his previous works. I found it more psychologically thrilling than downright creepy. I did enjoy the character of Lily, and we were so similar that it definitely allowed me to develop a bond with her and root for her. I always enjoy Pyper’s settings and backdrops, and Lily’s travels through Eastern Europe and Canada were no different. Each novel always takes the reader on a bit of a journey- which is really the best we can hope for in a good book. Pyper ties in the works of Stevenson, Shelley and Stoker, which will speak to the hard-core literary nuts (like myself), and this adds a bit of depth to the character of Michael as well.
Overall, the characters were well thought out, genuine and sort-of creepy (at least in Michael’s case). Pyper’s plot lines inundate a reader with questions; this makes the reader continue through the novel, in hopes that the questions will be answered (they are). I would’ve loved more of an original, creepy demon character as opposed to Michael (who seemed to be all the scary bits of other author’s characters) but his connection with Lily was surprising and intriguing. This novel was a good read and it definitely has a chilling vibe to it, but I think it would appeal to readers that are new to Pyper. Anyone familiar with “The Demonologist” or “The Damned” will be a little disappointed in this one.
(3.5 rating, rounded up to 4 for GR). ...more

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Apr 14, 2017 Sandy rated it liked it

Shelves: canadian-authors, psychological-drama, suspense, arc-from-netgalley, fantasy, shifters, explicit, atmospheric

3.5 stars

Ack!! The hardest review to write? One for a book that is well written but just not a genre you particularly enjoy reading. It’s simply a case of a slight mismatch between book & reader, for which I take full responsibility. So here’s the deal. I’ll tell you what I did like & why I think those with a taste for tales of horror with fantastical beasts should snap this up.

The MC is 36 year old Dr. Lily Dominick. Lily is a psychiatrist who works with the scariest, most diseased min 3.5 stars

Ack!! The hardest review to write? One for a book that is well written but just not a genre you particularly enjoy reading. It’s simply a case of a slight mismatch between book & reader, for which I take full responsibility. So here’s the deal. I’ll tell you what I did like & why I think those with a taste for tales of horror with fantastical beasts should snap this up.

The MC is 36 year old Dr. Lily Dominick. Lily is a psychiatrist who works with the scariest, most diseased minds incarcerated at the maximum security Kirby Forensic Psychiatric Centre in NYC. She’s a private, insular woman whose experiences as a child pretty much sealed her fate in terms of career choice.

When Lily was 6, she & her mother were living in a remote cabin outside of Fairbanks when the unthinkable happened. It began with a knock at the door. Her memories of that night are hazy at best but what she does remember is the shadow of a large creature standing over her mother’s broken body. The resulting investigation ruled it a bear attack but Lily would beg to differ. Something carried her out to the nearest road where she was found. And even the most well mannered bear doesn’t usually knock before entering.

Lily has a gift for connecting with the “monsters’ in her care & she’ll need all her skills for the latest arrival. He’s a man with no name who claims to be over 200 years old. He seems to know all about her, something he explains with another bombshell. He’s her father.

Over the next 24 hours Lily witnesses events that cause her carefully constructed world to crash & burn. She doesn’t know it yet but it’s the end of normal & she soon sets off on a personal journey that takes her across Europe & back again.

In alternate chapters, we get her father’s story from his journal. He calls himself Michael & tells how he was created in 1811. He’s led a violent & fascinating life, showing his true self to a select few along the way. In an interesting twist he describes how meeting Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker & Robert Louis Stevenson resulted in disappointing versions of himself.

There are other threads to the plot including a shadowy group hunting Michael, a possible love interest for Lily & her gradual recovery of memories surrounding her mother’s death.

The first 25% of the book was a bit slow. We spend a lot of time in Lily’s head & are privy to her every thought, comment, action & memory. She comes across as oddly flat & although the reason for this is explained later, it makes it difficult to connect with her initially. I much preferred the historical chapters detailing Michael’s life. They’re richly atmospheric & really put flesh on the bones of this original character. For me the book got better as it progressed although the love interest angle seemed unnecessary as the whole story revolves around the relationship between Michael & Lily. But either way, it probably won’t prepare you for the ending. It’s a humdinger that leaves the door open for a possible sequel.

So just to be clear…..the rating reflects my enjoyment factor, not the author’s skills as a story teller. If you’re someone who enjoys horror with a twist of fantasy, I urge you to pick up this original tale derived from 3 classics of the genre. ...more

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Feb 15, 2017 Magdalena aka A Bookaholic Swede rated it liked it

Shelves: read-2017

I loved the thought of a man who inspired Mary Shelley, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Bram Stoker to write their famous books about Frankenstein, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Dracula. That's really the very thing that made me want to read the book. It sounded so mysterious and fascinating and I love books that incorporate real authors into the story.

The Only Child is an interesting story about a woman that finds herself targeted by a man who says he is 200-years old and that h ...more

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Mar 20, 2017 Bob Milne rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: canadian, horror

The Only Child is . . . well, it's a lot of things, and I think that might be the problem. Andrew Pyper weaves what could have been an entirely satisfying gothic horror story, but then dilutes it with the trappings of a contemporary psychological thriller, drags it down with a 'hunter' subplot that's as weak as it is unwanted, and ties it all to a protagonist who loses all appeal after the first few chapters.

Dr. Lily Dominick is introduced as a smart, strong, independent young woman who chooses The Only Child is . . . well, it's a lot of things, and I think that might be the problem. Andrew Pyper weaves what could have been an entirely satisfying gothic horror story, but then dilutes it with the trappings of a contemporary psychological thriller, drags it down with a 'hunter' subplot that's as weak as it is unwanted, and ties it all to a protagonist who loses all appeal after the first few chapters.

Dr. Lily Dominick is introduced as a smart, strong, independent young woman who chooses to confront and catalogue the monsters around us. There's a glimmer of humanity beneath her cool, clinical exterior that engages the reader and draws us is, but it's all too quickly extinguished. Instead, she's reduced to the role of victim, an emotionless pawn who forces the story forward, but about whose fate it's really hard to care.

Michael, the madman and monster at the heart of the tale, is really the only reason to keep reading, but even he wears thin after a while. His backstory is utterly fascinating, a tragic tale of gothic horror that ensnares Shelley, Stevenson, and Stoker, but it's only a small part of the story. Unfortunately, the bulk of the story involves his pursuit of Lily, and while there are some interesting questions there to drive the suspense, his threatening taunts and incestuous sexual innuendo are so over-the-top that he becomes a mockery of the genre. Even worse, their contrived cat-and-mouse game will have you mentally calculating the odds of continually being in the right place, at the right time, to see/hear/find the right thing.

The whole 'gothic' thing is played very well for about the first half of the novel, before it's almost completely forgotten. There are some great set pieces, such as the Kirby Forensic Psychiatric Center and the abandoned asylum in Budapest, but too much of the story takes place in airports, hotels, and tile-floor bathrooms. Similarly, Michael's diaries and journals are utterly fascinating, and really serve to bring the story to life, but then they just disappear. As for the hunter subplot, the story could have done very well without it. Aside from introducing a lame romantic subplot and orchestrating a violent climax that feels out of place for the genre, it never really serves a purpose. It never feels as if Lily is truly threatened by the hunters; we're not given enough detail to ever question (or care) whether they are good or bad; and their pursuit of Michael adds absolutely nothing to his story.

There's a really good gothic horror story buried in The Only Child - unfortunately, it's overwhelmed by a boring contemporary psychological drama and a clichéd procedural thriller. The twist ending (which should come as a surprise to absolutely no one) redeems it somewhat, but by that point it's too little too late.

I won't be so crass as to suggest The Only Child should have been aborted, but it's probably for the best that it doesn't have any siblings.

Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary ARC of this title from the publisher in exchange for review consideration. This does not in any way affect the honesty or sincerity of my review.

...more

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Jan 21, 2017 Warrengent rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ng

This novel had me hooked from the start and could and in my opinion should,be come one of the great gothic novels of our generation,an amazing read highly recommended this,would of give ten stars if I could.

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Jun 08, 2017 Mogsy (MMOGC) rated it liked it

Shelves: horror, paranormal, review-copy, netgalley, arcs-and-galleys

3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2017/06/23/...

Last year I had the distinct pleasure of reading The Damned, a chilling psychological horror that immediately landed Andrew Pyper on my must-read authors list. It was thus with great excitement that I approached his newest novel The Only Child, which sounded like it would be a very different experience—which just made me even more curious.

When the story opens, we get to meet protagonist Dr. Lily Dominick, a doctor at the 3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2017/06/23/...

Last year I had the distinct pleasure of reading The Damned, a chilling psychological horror that immediately landed Andrew Pyper on my must-read authors list. It was thus with great excitement that I approached his newest novel The Only Child, which sounded like it would be a very different experience—which just made me even more curious.

When the story opens, we get to meet protagonist Dr. Lily Dominick, a doctor at the Kirby Forensic Psychiatric Center whose job involves working with some of the country’s most dangerous and disturbed criminals. Lily, however, is battling a darkness of her own. Growing up, she has always been aloof, keeping others at a distance so that few people know about the traumatic experiences in her childhood and the details surrounding her mother’s violent death. But the past has come back to haunt her now, in the form of a new client at the clinic—a man whose only identity is a patient intake number and a police report detailing his horrific crimes. In spite of herself, Lily is drawn to the stranger, even before he tells her that they have actually met before, a long time ago before she was old enough to remember. He also claims he knew her mother…and the truth behind how she died.

At first, Lily is dismissive of the client’s statements. After all, he did not look old enough for any of his wild claims to be true. But then Michael, the name the man has chosen to call himself, has an explanation for this too, declaring that he is more than two hundred years old and was in fact the inspiration for many of the monsters in classic literature. At this point, Lily is almost sure the clinic’s newest patient is just another deranged psychopath suffering from delusions of grandeur, only there are few things about her he couldn’t have known—unless he is telling the truth, of course, which should be an impossibility. Unfortunately for Lily though, she doesn’t realize Michael is the real deal until it is too late. To free herself from this real-life monster, she will need to embark on a dangerous journey over oceans and across continents to unlock the secrets of her past.

Lately, I have been reading a lot of books that make references to or are inspired by the classics. I have to say, little did I expect to find this as well in The Only Child though. In a way, it was a pleasant surprise, as who doesn’t love a little Frankenstein’s monster, Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? Pyper managed to incorporate three of the greatest gothic horror novels of the 1800s into this strange tale, and he did it in an interesting and clever way.

On the flip side of this, however, there are the lengthy sections in the middle of the book detailing how Michael inspired these classic works, told mainly via flashback chapters in the form of letters to Lily. While the ideas were generally good, I was not as pleased with their execution. At best, they were a distraction from the main mystery plot, and at worst, it sometimes felt like I was reading an entirely different book. Rather than blending seamlessly with the rest of the story, the “classic monsters” angle felt like it was tacked on like an afterthought—almost gimmicky, in a way. That said, I enjoyed the added literary atmosphere immensely, which elevated this novel beyond your usual suspense-thriller. Other than that, though? The references to Shelley, Stoker, Stevenson and their works admittedly made very little impact on the story, which was kind of a shame.

Still, I don’t want to give anyone the impression that I didn’t enjoy this book, because I did. While it was not quite as mind-blowing as The Damned, the plot was addictive all the same, and I blew through the entire novel in about two sittings, a reliable sign that this was a enthralling read. At times the story seems confused as to what it wants to be (a portentously gloomy horror? Or a modern supernatural thriller?) but to its credit at no time does the pacing let up. The clues and developments come at you fast, punctuated by brief glimpses into Michael’s riveting history. While some of the plot points feel patently over the top, the possibility has crossed my mind that this is merely another one of Pyper’s nod to the classics, which would be a very clever touch if that’s the case. The characters were also genuinely compelling, if somewhat flawed, especially Michael whose presence is at once eerie and fascinating.

Overall, I thought The Only Child was a good read, if a little overambitious, resulting in a story that is not as focused as I would have liked. Still, for fans of the gothic horror tradition, it may be well worth it to take a look. I also felt this novel was an interesting direction for Pyper, one that I felt was bold and different, making me excited to read more of his future work. ...more

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Feb 17, 2017 Toni Osborne rated it it was amazing

I knew before asking for this book that Mr. Pyper had a gothic taste and could deliver a darkly atmospheric thriller layered with visual scenes. “The Only Child”, is a mesmerizing journey and a brilliantly crafted intrigue into the heart of a monster and the only woman who had a chance of discovering the truth.

This concocted tale fueled by relentless suspense and emotion is definitely a page turner from its first pages. Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Dracula all in one book is boldly ...more

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Mar 19, 2017 Eli Easton rated it it was amazing

As soon as I read the blurb for this book, it moved to the top of my wish list and I was thrilled to get an ARC to read. I read it immediately, dismissing dozens of others in my TBR pile. Was it worth the rush? In a word: yes. Move it to the top of your 2017 "must read" pile right now.

I love gothic horror, so the promise of this blurb: a retelling of the origin of Dracula, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Frankenstein sounded intriguing. Add on the promise of a more literary appr ...more

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Jun 10, 2017 Lisazj1 rated it liked it

Shelves: real-book-shelf, meh, crime-mystery-thriller, horror, dark, adult, 2017-real-books

I can appreciate what the author was trying to do, and sometimes it almost worked. But never quite enough, for me at least.

Not a terrible book but it never crossed the line into "horror" and left me quite disappointed.

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May 27, 2017 Stephen Clynes rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Dr. Lily Dominick is a forensic psychiatrist and she has a new client number 46872 - A, a man with no name. Follow Lily as she goes on a journey to discover the identity of this strange man.

I was attracted to this book because it was recommended by two of my friends on Goodreads and because I liked the title as I have no brothers or sisters. I started reading this book with an open mind when suddenly I was informed of client’s 46872 - A, age - you’ve got to be kidding me I thought! But then this ...more

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May 28, 2017 Benoit Lelièvre rated it really liked it

I've enjoyed this novel a lot. Perhaps not as much as its predecessor THE DAMNED but it had set a mighty high standard for Pyper to keep up with.

I appreciate what he tried to do with THE ONLY CHILD. He wanted to confront myth and gauge if there was anything left scary to say about figures like Dracula and Frankenstein if you demythologize them and guess what? Sometimes it works. There are a handful of genuinely bone chilling scenes in THE ONLY CHILD. The relationship between the protagonist Lily ...more

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Jan 28, 2017 Terri rated it it was amazing

Having read Andrew Pyper's other novels I was super happy when i saw this offered on NetGalley. I was even more excited when I read the description . This novel grabbed me first page and did not let go. What if our greatest gothic novels, Dracula, Jekyll and Hyde and Frankenstein were all inspired by one being ? This is that story. Thrilling ,action packed and a truly gothic novel exceeded my expectations. I couldn't wait to finish but yet did not want it to end.

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Jun 13, 2017 Oreoandlucy rated it really liked it

A longer review is available on my blog:
http://reviewsofbooksonmynightstand.b...

This book was scary in a supernatural kind of way. It had my heart beating as I feared for Lily and was mesmerized by Michael. Michael was a very interesting character. I wish that more of the book centered around his origin story but he is a very scary character. Lily was a bit of an unknown. I wondered throughout the book if she was also insane as she often seemed to experience hallucinations. The writing was very ...more

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May 18, 2017 Maggie rated it it was ok

Shelves: chic-lit, mystery-or-horror, fantasy-or-sci-fi, reviewed-by-me, kindle-read-done-finito

Scrappymags 3-word review: "Meh". Not scared.

Genre: Mystery/horror though also kinda chick-lit though written by a man.

Shortest summary ever: Psychiatrist Dr. Lily Dominick works with the most psycho of the psycho so when a savage attack brings an unnamed man into her hospital, she's not shocked. Until the man starts to tell her he's her father (all very Star Wars Empire Strikes Back, but not a spoiler) and he's come there to meet HER...

What’s good under the hood:I thought the pacing was well do Scrappymags 3-word review: "Meh". Not scared.

Genre: Mystery/horror though also kinda chick-lit though written by a man.

Shortest summary ever: Psychiatrist Dr. Lily Dominick works with the most psycho of the psycho so when a savage attack brings an unnamed man into her hospital, she's not shocked. Until the man starts to tell her he's her father (all very Star Wars Empire Strikes Back, but not a spoiler) and he's come there to meet HER...

What’s good under the hood:I thought the pacing was well done and it did flow from scene to scene. Storyline had a great premise and loved having a female protagonist in what would be the "vampire hunter" role. I honestly feel this is merely an underworked book and if it had some tweeking of the narrative and some changes could have turned into a popular 4 star series.

What’s bad or made me mad: when the crazy man is first brought in, Lily is sexually attracted to him. Then he claims he's her father. So dad-crazy-slasher-dude pretty much should kill her lady boner right? Um... no. Yeah. Can I get a collective "ewwwww!!!" And it's not a one time event or restricted to dad, her horniness seems to arrive at massively inappropriate times...

Next irk is (sigh) yet another cliche weak supposed-to-be-intelligent female who does stupid things, creating the situation for me (reader) of a mildly annoying and unbelievable protagonist. Buffy rocked the vampire hunter gig wayyyyyy better than this lady. Don't want to provide a spoiler but the doc behaves in ways that make no sense for a professional, one who seems poor at her profession, not worried about others, and since it's mentioned - she pops some unknown pills and keeps breaking ethics. Incidence of fainting female? Really? Is it 1856? That coupled with random inappropriate times of randiness and I sort of cringed my way through.

Recommend to: If you're into vampire books give it a whirl. This might be your 'thang.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review and I feel soooo bad I wasn't a big fan. Still love ya S&S! ...more

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Jun 03, 2017 Marie-Eve Turpin rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Bof.. ce livre mérite un 2,5. Ca se lit bien, mais ce n'est pas le meilleur dans ce genre de livre. La fin est vraiment ordinaire. Et parfois on a l'impression que l'auteur avait trop d'idées en même temps. Je le recommande moyen. C'est pas complètement mauvais, mais j'ai déjà vu mieux.

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Jan 24, 2017 Michelle rated it it was ok

Shelves: ebook-read, canadian, horror

Note: Received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

Andrew Pyper keeps fooling me with book descriptions that sound absolutely amazing and right up my alley, and I just end up being disappointed. This one sounded super intriguing: a creepy/maybe not so creepy supernatural being, a strong female protagonist, a mystery... it was all there! But after a promising start I found myself halfway into the book just eyerolling over everything Michael said. It just felt so cheesy and Suicide Squad Joker leve ...more

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Mar 25, 2017 Jennifer Rayment rated it liked it

The Good Stuff
Dark, moody, intense with plenty of twists and turns
Unique
Makes me want to go back and reread Frankenstein and Dracula again - and read Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde (I know, I know I haven't read that one yet) The whole time reading it I couldn't stop thinking of the movie Gothic (Thanks Demkiw, - that was one truly fucked up movie - pretty sure you had to be on Laudanum to truly get it)
Pyper has a true gift for creating tales that stay with you and make you wonder - and maybe make you ...more

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Jun 10, 2017 Ray Palen rated it it was amazing

The cover of the latest hardcover by Andrew Pyper --- THE ONLY CHILD --- indicates 'Pyper could be the next Stephen King.'

I strongly beg to differ. Based on the success of their last decade of books --- King with a few hits and several misses and Pyper with a Best Novel of the Year by the Thriller Writer's of America with his classic THE DEMONOLOGIST --- Pyper is now BETTER than Stephen King.

If you think I exaggerate or speak out of turn then I urge you to pick up THE ONLY CHILD. Without giving ...more

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Jul 03, 2017 Melanie McFarlane rated it it was amazing

Frankenstein meets Mr. Hyde meets Dracula. What's not to like.

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Jun 03, 2017 Gatorman rated it liked it · review of another edition

Rather pedestrian thriller from Pyper, from whom I expect better, about a forensic psychiatrist who encounters a man claiming to be two hundred years old and having inspired the stories Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Frankenstein. Interesting premise that just doesn't develop into anything really interesting, despite having some moments here and there. The characters are one-dimensional and the writing is not as good as Pyper is capable of. Not a bad book but certainly not great, either. T ...more

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Mar 03, 2017 Marjorie rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley

Dr. Lily Dominick is a forensic psychologist in New York. She’s assigned a very unique patient. This patient with no name not only claims that he’s 200 years old but that he inspired the literary monsters in “Frankenstein”, “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde” and “Dracula”. He also claims that he’s Lily’s father. Lily’s mother had been murdered when Lily was a young child and she has always longed to know more about her mother and exactly what happened to her. So Lily decides to find Dr. Lily Dominick is a forensic psychologist in New York. She’s assigned a very unique patient. This patient with no name not only claims that he’s 200 years old but that he inspired the literary monsters in “Frankenstein”, “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde” and “Dracula”. He also claims that he’s Lily’s father. Lily’s mother had been murdered when Lily was a young child and she has always longed to know more about her mother and exactly what happened to her. So Lily decides to find out just what this patient knows about her past despite the apparent dangers that such an association would bring.

I have always felt that Frankenstein’s monster is one of the most heart breaking literary characters ever created. He was so close to being a part of mankind but would always be doomed to be on the outside, alone and unloved. When I requested “The Only Child”, I had just finished binge watching the last season of “Penny Dreadful” and was still caught up in all of the emotional and suspenseful aspects of that excellent production. So I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this latest re-imagination of a similar monster.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, although I do have quite a few of his titles on my TBR list. The author has such a good reputation that I expected a more complex tale. I expected to feel great sympathy for the monster who was trying to connect with his daughter. The book starts off well and I was pulled right in. But the monster didn’t tug my heart strings at all. Lily’s character was also disappointing and seemed to jump from one feeling to another too quickly. One minute she’s fearing a man who was hunting the monster and the next she was in love with him. What held such promise at the beginning of the book basically devolved into a cat and mouse chase. The ending was not at all surprising to me.

The book wasn’t a complete disappointment as there were parts that I enjoyed. I just feel like there was so much promise that never materialized. I loved the basic premise of the book and I would like to try another one of the author’s novels.

This book was given to me by the publisher in return for an honest review.
...more

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May 29, 2017 Lynn Williams rated it really liked it

3.5 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2017/05/29/th...
The only child was a good read. I enjoyed it but to an extent I can’t help but wonder how much of my enjoyment relied on my own personal reading of the classics that this is based on. In fact it’s a book that definitely had me thinking in two minds about it. My initial reactions were less favourable, I didn’t like the two characters involved and this always makes it more of a struggle for me to connect. But, with the extra time I’ve given mys 3.5 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2017/05/29/th...
The only child was a good read. I enjoyed it but to an extent I can’t help but wonder how much of my enjoyment relied on my own personal reading of the classics that this is based on. In fact it’s a book that definitely had me thinking in two minds about it. My initial reactions were less favourable, I didn’t like the two characters involved and this always makes it more of a struggle for me to connect. But, with the extra time I’ve given myself for reflection, and I certainly did find myself thinking about this one quite a bit, I’ve hit upon a few revelations that could be right or wrong but that put the story in a slightly different light for me.

So, Frankenstein, Dracula and Dr Jekyll and Hyde. Three books that I enjoyed, particularly the first two. Basically, imagine that the monster of The Only Child has proved the inspiration for all three books – each of the authors being inspired by his entry into their lives and the threat he posed. All three books fail to describe his character fully, they’re all flawed and yet also fundamentally contain elements of the true nature of this real monster that lives in our world. Superhuman strength coupled with a certain sadness, ruthlessly violent and craving of blood coupled with abilities to influence somebody’s thoughts, a split personality that fluctuates between reasonable, polite even, and incredibly angry and unpredictably dangerous.

At the start of the story we meet Dr. Lily Dominick as she examines the latest violent patient to be committed to The Kirby, a psychiatric institution – that would probably have been known years earlier as an asylum. Lily is used to violent paiients and their threats, treating them with a calm detachment, but she is immediately disturbed by this latest inmate and the underlying current of power that he exudes. As the interview progresses the patient makes impossible claims relating to not only his date of birth that would place him at around 200 years old but also the fact that he is Lily’s father. From there onwards we have a sort of cat and mouse chase where the cat leaves a trail of breadcrumbs across Europe for the mouse to follow and come to it’s own conclusion in the process.

I must say that the story hooked me fairly quickly, the only reservation being that I found Lily intriguing but difficult to like. I was certainly interested by the latest inmate and wanted to learn more about him. Within fairly short order things move on and there are certainly no complaints about the pacing of the book. Lily finds herself travelling in the footsteps of her would-be-father, quite often placing herself into dangerous situations, life threatening even and discovering not only something of her own hereditary but coming to an understanding herself of why she’s always felt so different.

Basically, as a young child Lily’s mother was violently murdered. She was about six at the time and she and her mother were staying in a remote cabin in the hills. The recollections have receded over the years but of late it seems that Lily is starting to suffer bad dreams and hallucinations herself. As I said I found Lily a little difficult to connect with but, and without trying to give away too much, I think this is intentional on the part of the author. There was also some odd sexual innuendo between Lily and Michael which I found a little bit off putting given his claims and the fact that she accepted some of the things he said.

For me, this wasn’t just a mystery/thriller in which we uncovered details about the monster but was also a voyage of discovery for Lily, almost a coming of age if you will. So, yes, I didn’t like her, but I’m also not entirely surprised by the revelation. She’s very cold and detached and perhaps that’s what has led her to be so successful. However, she’s always had niggles at the back of her mind about her own inability to fit in and that, for me, is why she pursues this mystery so determinedly, even if some of her choices make her seem a little like a pawn on somebody else’s chessboard.

The Monster, or Michael. I was absolutely fascinated by his story, I can’t deny it – in fact it was my favourite aspect of the book and I was impatient to get back to it every time I was pulled away. In fairness I could have easily and maybe even preferably read a more linear version in which Michael related his story from the beginning bringing us to the up to date story in the present day. As it was we learnt snippets of his history as Lily ducked and dived around the place gathering information.

In terms of criticisms. I think I had two issues with the story. Firstly, I didn’t find it particularly scary – but, again, going back to the classics I’m not sure that they would either be considered so in this day and age. For me, it felt like the author was paying homage to the three books and I think he did a good job in that respect not to mention bringing a different angle to all three. I think my main issue was plausibility. I couldn’t put my finger on why Michael chose to reveal himself to Lily now. It just felt a bit much to believe somehow. And added to this is the way in which he makes the revelation – having himself committed and then staging various other crimes to ensure she followed him. I didn’t really buy into that aspect of the story and in fact I think I almost put it to the back of my mind and was instead gripped by the mystery. But, I couldn’t help coming back to it. Yes, of course, I realise that Michael felt the need to allow Lily to come to her own realisations but at the same time I just don’t understand the way he went about it – particularly given that he’s already on the radar of an organisation who are seeking him relentlessly – why leave more clues for them to follow. Why not just take Lily and talk to her? Sow the seeds of doubt that will set her mind racing?? In fact, personally, I would have preferred the removal of this ‘third’ party altogether and think the story should simply have focused on Lily and Michael.

Overall I enjoyed this. It was a quick read. I struggled to like the characters but I think that’s to be expected to be honest. I didn’t find it as scary as I would have liked and maybe would have liked an injection of more ‘gothic’. But, all that being said this was a quick read and a little reflection has helped me to see certain aspects from a different angle as I think my immediate impression was a little more severe due to my dislike of the main characters. – some extra space to think about it has made me see this from a slightly different angle and with a new appreciation. And I confess that reading this has made me want to go back and read those classics – which is a definite win in my opinion.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion. ...more

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Jun 18, 2017 Trike rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy, vampires, read-in-2017

This is probably the best-written book I've read recently that I didn't like. The prose is well-executed, the story competently laid out, and the idea is interesting, but it lacks any spark that makes it engaging. The longer we spend with the core idea, the less it holds together, until the ending just sort of tapers off.

The basic idea is that a Frankenstein-like scientist dies that, creating a monster who drinks blood (for no apparent reason), has supernatural rage issues and is effectively imm ...more

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May 23, 2017 Luanne Ollivier rated it really liked it

3.5 The Only Child is the newest book from Andrew Pyper.

Dr. Lily Dominick is a forensic psychiatrist, specializing in the 'worst' cases and the most dangerous offenders. Much of her motivation for her chosen profession is the unsolved murder of her mother. Lily was there, but has only hazy, dream-like memories of the first six years of her life. Her latest patient, Client 46874-A, has committed a horrific crime and claims to over two hundred years old. What he also claims is knowledge of Lily's 3.5 The Only Child is the newest book from Andrew Pyper.

Dr. Lily Dominick is a forensic psychiatrist, specializing in the 'worst' cases and the most dangerous offenders. Much of her motivation for her chosen profession is the unsolved murder of her mother. Lily was there, but has only hazy, dream-like memories of the first six years of her life. Her latest patient, Client 46874-A, has committed a horrific crime and claims to over two hundred years old. What he also claims is knowledge of Lily's past - and her mother. When he escapes, Lily is driven to find him - and the answers she so desperately seeks.

The cover of The Only Child gives you a good idea of the story within. Gothic feel - foggy, old building, mysterious fleeing men wearing a black, somewhat capelike coat..... Uh huh, you got it. Pyper takes inspiration for his story from classic horror literature such as that from Stevenson, Stoker and Shelley. Indeed, they play a role in his tale.

Lily was a complicated lead to like. I never felt drawn to her, but rather questioned her choices and motivations. But her decision to pursue Client 46874-A are akin to those horror movies where you shout at the screen....'Don't go in the basement!" We know she is heading into danger, but are curious as to where and what Pyper has planned for her. Pyper has created his own monster with a modern twist. I did find Client 46874-A to be what I expected - he wasn't an overly original creation IMO.Is Client 46874-A truly dangerous? Or are the men hunting him the danger? Lily is torn by what to believe - especially after Client 46874-A reveals more and more of his connection to Lily.

The exploration of family and the need to know ourselves figure prominently into Lily's search. But, the sexual tension between the two leads is, well, just icky. Pyper's descriptions of characters and settings are dark, chilling and creepy. The tension escalates as the cat and mouse game progresses. Pyper ends The Only Child with a nice little twist that suits perfectly.

For this reader, The Only Child was an okay read, but not a stand-out. Was it my love for those classic tales? My feeling that I had read this story before? Not sure, but this was only a middle of the road read for me. ...more

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Jun 17, 2017 Sadie Hartmann rated it it was amazing

I wrote a full review last night but I guess it didn't save it. Grrr! Let that be a lesson to always write your reviews on something else and save them.

I highly recommend this book for any horror fans looking to read something with a modern, cinematic feel but with classic, Gothic elements. This was my first book I've read by Andrew Pyper, who wrote the Demonologist. I admit, I bought this because Craig Davidson (Nick Cutter) was praising it on Twitter and Josh Mallerman (Bird Box) and Paul Tre ...more

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Jun 05, 2017 Debra Komar rated it liked it

I love Pyper's books and was really looking forward to this one. The premise is great and I loved the idea that he was trying to craft a new Gothic horror.

While I applaud the effort and the bravery shown, the actual book is just ok. The Gothic voice comes and goes - much of the book is in fairly traditional prose, which makes the sudden return of the rococo gothic tone jarring. The shifts in tone and voice pull the reader right out of the narrative.

A lot of Pyper's inspirations are evident on t ...more

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Jun 03, 2017 Jan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-suspense, netgalley, finished-in-2017

This was an interesting and surprisingly good book that often had me on the edge of my seat. I think Pyer did a nice job intertwining the gothic horror story with a psychological thriller. A completely satisfying read for me!!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Jul 05, 2017 Kevin Craig rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A fantastic read. I loved the way Pyper believably wove three of the greatest horror stories of all time into the plot of his modern tale. Flawless. I will not soon forget Lily and Michael... and the way my allegiances were manipulated throughout this novel. Classic horror story...

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May 09, 2017 Dianne Laheurte rated it it was amazing

If you are a fan of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, of Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, and/or of Bram Stoker's Dracula, then you must read Andrew Pyper's The Only Child. The author lays out a premise using these 3 novels from 1818, 1886 & 1897, provides us with a really smart & young psychiatrist as our protagonist, then has her travel around the world, to the past and present, in chase of monsters, only to find that the monster is sometimes much closer than we think! Whil ...more

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About Andrew Pyper

Andrew Pyper is the author of eight novels, including the forthcoming THE ONLY CHILD (to be published June, 2017 by S&S in the US and Canada, and by Orion in the UK). Among his previous books, THE DEMONOLOGIST won the International Thriller Writers award for Best Hardcover Novel and was selected for the Globe and Mail’s Best 100 Books of 2013 and Amazon’s 20 Best Books of 2013. LOST GIRLS won ...more

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“How do I shoot?” “Your finger through there. Feel that? But you only pull if you’re sure that everything’s right.” “Why?” “Because you can’t take it back.” She” — 1 likes

“Do you not think that there are things which you cannot understand, and yet which are; that some people see things that others cannot? . . . Ah, it is the fault of our science that it wants to explain all; and if it explain not, then it says there is nothing to explain. —Bram Stoker, Dracula” — 0 likes

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