Will Keep You Guessing Until the End

Lisa Gardner once again hits the mark with THE OTHER DAUGHTER. Suspense seems to be Gardner’s forte and this book shows why she excels.

Melanie Stokes was adopted as a young girl into a fantasy world. Her wealthy parents lavish her with anything she wants – a huge bedroom including a closet filled with frilly dresses, hats, gloves and every accessory you can imagine. Her new parents, brother, and even godfather make her the center of their existence and anything she wants she gets. The doting family is at first a nice change, but soon becomes overwhelming. Soon Melanie can’t sleep and begins to wander downstairs to stair at a painting of the Stokes’ first daughter, Meagan. The clothing and hairstyle that is being pushed on Melanie are exactly in the image of Meagan. Also a bit on the weird side is that Meagan had been kidnapped and killed before Melanie had been adopted. Even at her young age, Melanie realized she was supposed to replace or become Meagan in the eyes of her new family. Her Godfather, Jamie O’Donnell, finally intercedes and enables them to see Melanie as Melanie and not Meagan.

After Melanie becomes an adult, everything she knows soon has shadows of uncertainty. Enter FBI Agent David Riggs who helps Melanie unravel the tangle of lies to find out the truth behind her adoption and young life. The truth plays out like an episode of Twilight Zone, but it is very entertaining and the reader will not see the twists coming.

Character development is excellent, even with a physical abnormality that is unnecessary. David Riggs suffers from Ankylosing Spondylitis, which results in his back going out at the most inopportune times. Having him lying on the floor to relieve the pain seemed overkill and I often wondered why it was written into the storyline at all. Since this is my only complaint, it becomes a minor infraction.

The mental picture of Melanie looking up at the painting of Meagan, realizing that she resembles that little girl, is vivid. I could feel Melanie’s confusion, and almost panic of wondering if her new life is about to end if she doesn’t play along with the family’s strange game. When Jamie O’Donnell came to her rescue and showed them that she should be allowed to be herself, the tension I was feeling eased. Gardner definitely draws the reader into her web emotionally.

The plot was awesome. The dark side is evident then a typical family life becomes prominent. This perfect life is then toppled in perfect style, as the reader realizes that nothing is as it seems. Just when you figure out one part of the puzzle, another twist comes to shake things up again.

THE OTHER DAUGHTER is fast paced and will leave the reader guessing until the very end. It’s excellent and won’t disappoint even the most die-hard mystery fans.