Duty always has a price.
When Ivan Novak is shot dead putting out his garbage bins in Sydney’s west, his family wants revenge, especially his father Milan, a notorious crime boss. It’s a job for the second son, Ivan’s younger brother Johnny.
But Johnny loves his wife Amy and their son Sasha. And she’s about to deliver her ultimatum: either the three of them escape this wave of killing or she’ll leave, taking Sasha.
Torn between loyalty to his family and love for his wife, Johnny plans the heist of a lifetime and takes a huge risk. Is he prepared to pay the price? And what choice will Amy make?
I’ve read a lot of dark thrillers recently, so this tightly-written crime thriller was a welcome change. While not normally something I’d pick up, I’m so glad I did. It’s truly fantastic. Reading it, I feel like I’ve just witnessed the birth of a new bestselling Australian crime writer. This is Loraine Peck’s debut and it’s a cracking one.
The Second Son is a brilliant, action-packed crime debut that creates a world where honour is everything, violence is its own language, and love means breaking all the rules. It’s a cross between The Godfather and Underbelly, where family is everything. Set in Western Sydney, it’s a gritty, disturbing look into gang warfare there, especially between the Croatians and Serbs.
Peck switches between Johnny and his wife, Amy, which makes for a compelling read, especially Johnny who has been raised in the belly of this toxic masculinity and is struggling with that and his desire to keep his family safe. There are great flashbacks to his childhood that shows the bond he had with his brother Ivan, and also the early days of his romance with Amy.
Amy is a fascinating character, and her perspective is compelling. She wants to move to the north coast, away from Johnny’s family and the business. She believes in her husband – diagnosed with dyslexia later in life, she sees potential in him that he himself can’t see. But she’s also now not so willing to look the other way, as she has in the past when it comes to his family and their business.
This gripping thriller, with a struggling marriage at its heart, was impossible to put down. I was invested in the characters right from start to finish, enjoying every page of this wild ride in between. Add The Second Son to your TBR list today.
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