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The Third Parent

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The Third Parent

By: Elias Witherow
Narrated by: David D’Andrea
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About this listen

No one knows where he came from. No one knows what he wants. No one dares ask about his strange physical abnormalities. For a quiet suburban neighborhood, things are about to change. And it starts with a knock at the door.

Follow his rules. Don't call the police. Listen to his lessons. That's what Jack and his family were told. Held captive in their own house, they must face a growing storm of mental and physical trauma as they try to just stay alive.

But even if Jack can survive the horror of his childhood, will his tormentor ever leave him alone? And who is he really?

Who is Tommy Taffy?

©2017 Thought Catalog Books (P)2025 Fireside Audio Horror
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Listener received this title free

Loved the narration from David D’Andrea

The character of Tommy Taffy is truly terrifying villain, who seems that not one spot of goodness has even been in his body. The terror he leaves behind him.
Maybe listen in the day time.

Parent

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Listener received this title free

This is definitely not my usual genre but what a great book to listen to during this spooky season!! Tommy Taffy barged in to the family home and took over…for years. The psychological torment was vivid and the action non-stop. The author does a great job making you care for these characters, and then takes you on a roller coaster of emotional upheaval. And what an epic conclusion!!

David D’Andrea was outstanding as the solo narrator in this story. He really acted out these scenes with high emotion!! I never had one issue with keeping characters straight, no matter how many were in a scene. And that laugh….perfection!!!

Perfect for the season!

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ALL THE TRIGGERS

So much love to @shadow.in.my.pages for the surprise book mail! One of our favorite authors - I read it as soon as it came and loved every second of this book.

If you haven’t read the Black Farm duology you NEED to! If you have but haven’t read this book YOU NEED TO.

The Third Parent

“It's scary how quickly you can become accustomed to misery. Instead of fearing it, you embrace it as something that's always been there waiting for you,” (p. 41).

“…I began to lose faith in humanity. It was then that I came to the cruel realization that people
just don't give a shit. Sure, they may ask if you're doing ok, but those words rang hollow in my skull like the clang of a cracking bell,” (p. 62).

From the very beginning of time there has always been a war between good and evil, and sometimes that battle shows up right inside your own home.

One day, Tommy arrives. He isn’t a guest. He isn’t optional. He’s there to help raise the children, and there is no escape from what’s been decided. If anyone in the family tries to tell the truth about him, the consequences will be devastating. Tommy is here to be the third parent.

Oof. Witherow absolutely nails the feeling of helplessness in this book. The kind that seeps in slowly and leaves you feeling trapped right alongside the characters. What stood out most was how the story highlights indifference - teachers and adults who sense something is wrong but don’t care enough to dig deeper or intervene. That quiet neglect is just as horrifying - but just as real - as the more explicit moments.

At its core, this is a brutal examination of how childhood shapes who we become, how trauma never really lets go, and how unspeakable horrors can exist behind closed doors while the world looks the other way. If it doesn’t directly affect them, most people simply don’t want to see it.

This book is dark, disturbing, and at times genuinely gruesome - but it’s also impossible to put down. A brutal, unforgettable read that I never wanted to end.

Elias Witherow is incredibly talented, and his ability to come up with such chilling, original concepts continues to impress me. He’s able to express pure despair and hopelessness - I can’t wait to see what he writes next.

And I’m beyond excited to see this story come to the screen. Stay tuned… 👀

Just as good as Black Farm

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