"At first glance, THE SECOND SON is a modern-day Godfather that paints a brutal, bullet-ridden picture of gang warfare in Sydney’s western suburbs. Look again, and it’s a compelling exploration of inherited trauma and the endless cycle of violence. Get right up close and it’s a tender story of fear, love and—ultimately—hope. A sharp and striking debut."

—Anna Downes, author of The Safe Place

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?

THE SECOND SON is an action-packed crime debut that creates a world where honour is everything, violence is its own language, and love means breaking all the rules.

Loraine Peck started her career as a portrait painter and magician’s assistant in Sydney. After being sawn in half one too many times, she switched to dealing blackjack on the Gold Coast. Bartending and slinging lobsters in the US led to a sales job in the movie industry, before she was propelled into a career in marketing in Australia, the Middle East, Asia and the US.

Consumed by a desire to write crime thrillers, she decided to stop everything and do a writing course—to learn how to write the kind of book she loves to read. THE SECOND SON is her first novel and she is at work on the sequel.