BLURB
As the second son of the Duke of Hampshire, Grenville St John Hampton isn’t likely to inherit his family’s title or estate, leaving him pondering an empty, aimless future. During the summer break from university, he impulsively decides to go backpacking with one of his oldest friends, Johnathan; their destination is Belize.
One sultry night on the Central American coastline, Grenville and Johnathan meet Tom. A game of darts takes a vicious turn. Realising he has nothing to look forward to back at home, Grenville decides to stay on in Belize with Tom, in pursuit of adventure. Together, the new friends establish an import business, and for the rst time in his life, Grenville has a sense of purpose.
But back in England all is not well. The sudden death of his brother leaves Grenville with an unexpected – and now unwanted – inheritance, with new consequences and responsibilities. He will return to claim the family’s seat with a dark secret in tow.
Andy Blackman is the author of For the Love of Grace (published by Clink Street, 2016).
MY THOUGHTS
The Second Son was an enjoyable read by Andy Blackman. He has created a novel with gripping characters that will hook you from the first page in a story that explores the English upper class.
Grenville is content in the knowledge that he won’t inherit his family’s estate, that job is for his older brother, Stephen, to worry about. Grenville is a carefree character who would rather spend his days seeking adventure rather than looking after his family’s estate. Over the summer he travels with his school friends to Belize where he meets Tom, who he instantly warms to, they soon become firm friends. But Grenville’s trip is cut short when his brother is killed in a car accident and he returns to England to take up his place as the next Duke of Hampshire.
Andy Blackman has created a cast of intriguing characters. I think his main writing strength is in his dialogue which made the book a fast paced read. The characters are all very well developed and it was interesting to see how they changed after the first section of the book, particularly Grenville. I was impressed at how he took on his charge after his brother died, I expected him not to take the news that he was destined to be the next Duke of Hampshire too well but he handled the sudden change with dignity and pride.
When we were first introduced to Grenville’s brother Stephen I really didn’t like him at all and I have to say that I was glad to hear the news that he had been killed and I think secretly, his family must have felt the same as well.
An enjoyable read from Andy Blackman, I’ll be interested to see with what he comes up with next. Thank you to Rachel Gilbey for inviting me to take part in the blog tour and for providing me with a copy to read.
Publisher: Clink Street
Publication date: 5th October 2017
Print length: 284 pages
FOLLOW THE BLOG TOUR
Hooked From Page One 