Product Description

In Texas, a man goes to the electric chair for the kidnap, torture and murder of six small children. In Boston, Massachusetts, a nine-year-old girl has been admitted to ER, unconscious and full of morphine. When she comes round, she remembers nothing about herself or her past. The girl is adopted and raised as Melanie by Dr Harper Stokes and his wife, whose own daughter Meagan was tragically murdered. Twenty years later, someone is targeting the family, sending grotesque messages and gifts. And in an even more horrible twist, a journalist approaches Melanie and tells her that her birth father was the executed murderer.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #43726 in Books
• Published on: 2000-08-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 416 pages

From the Author
A Note from Lisa Gardner
I hope everyone enjoys my new release, THE OTHER DAUGHTER. This is my second novel, following the January 1998 release of THE PERFECT HUSBAND. Fans of TPH will be thrilled to know that Special Agent Pierce Quincy also appears in this book.

TOD follows the story of Melanie Stokes, a rich, adopted daughter who believes she has it all--a wonderful adoptive family, an exciting career, and a luxurious lifestyle in downtown Boston. But Melanie wasn't always so fortunate. At the age of nine, she was drugged and abandoned at a Boston hospital with no memory of her real family or name. Now, twenty years later, her past remains a blank slate.

Melanie's family, Patricia and Harper Stokes, weren't always perfect either. Once upon a time, they lived in Houston, Texas with another little girl, Meagan, and her brother Brian. Then the unthinkable occurred. Meagan was brutally murdered by the serial killer, Russell Lee Holmes. Not even witnessing the killer's execution could heal the family's wounds. Patricia took to drinking. Harper became a workaholic, and their son retreated into a bitter rage.

Until they made the decision to start over in Boston. Until they adopted an abandoned 9-year old girl and named her Melanie.

Now, everyone remarks on what a great family they are--the hard-working doctor-husband, the gorgeous doctor's wife, the successful son and the sweet adopted daughter. No one mentions Melanie's unknown famly. No one mentions poor, murdered Meagan Stokes.

Until tonight.

Now a tabloid reporter has arrived, alleging he knows Melanie's true father--none other than the notorious killer, Russell Lee Holmes. Now the notes have started to arrive--You Get What You Deserve. Now, the first shots have been fired, the first person killed, and a twenty-five year old game has begun in earnest.

Now, Melanie is beginning to fear that the family she loves the most, may be the people she should trust the least.

Join Melanie's search for the truth. And happy reading!

About the Author
Lisa Gardner sold her first novel when she was just 20 years old. In 1993 she graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in international relations. She lives in New Hampshire.

Customer Reviews

Excellent novel
I am an avid fan of crime and thillers and I discovered this book at my local library by chance. I thought that it was too thick to read, but I had nothing to do one Sunday morning and so I started to read it. 5 hours later I completed it. It was amazing, the best book I have read in a long while. I am searching for her other book now. An unmissable read!

The Other Gardner
Having read "Alone" quite recently, I backed up a bit and picked up some other novels by the prolific Ms. Gardner, who also writes under the name "Alicia Scott"

Although similar to "Alone" in that the main female character has a hidden and troubled past, this one is not as polished as her more recent novel, with quite a few plot holes, impossible situations, and gaps that are hastily brushed over with a sentence or two. For example, we learn that one character conveniently "had the knack for bypassing various security systems" which, coming where it did in the novel, appears to be a hastily added after-thought to explain a hole.

Some clumsy dialogue, unnecessary repetition of plot points, laughable love scenes and under-developed characters detract from what could have been an above-average thriller, full of twists and surprises. An okay read, but not one you'd want to remember as your first Gardner novel.
Rated: 3.5 stars

Great Read
I was keen to read this after reading survivors club and i must say i was not dissapointed, once i started reading i couldnt put it down. The plots and twist were fantastic and the characters great. My niece also loved the book, i would definatley recommend it to others.