WOW! I am SO annoyed at myself. These books have been sitting on my Kindle for 5 long years but in my extreme effort to not be swayed by new releases I am slowly making my way through my older books and now I am SO pleased that I made that choice. Sherly Browne is an author I have seen around for a while and keep meaning to read her stuff so decided to go back and start with this series of books featuring Matthew Adams. Well, I was NOT prepared to get stuck into not one but all three of these books! Matthew Adams is copper that cares about people, however he has his own personal misery going on. Patrick Sullivan is the bad guy here and as a drug dealer and pimp that is bad enough but when you realise he was responsible for the death of Matthew's daughter it changes the game.

Matthew is a very likeable character but it's clear that he (like any parent I imagine) is struggling after the death of his daughter. Patrick Sullivan is a man that is firmly on his police radar but even more so on his personal radar. Matthew's colleague Steve was also a brilliant character that I hope I get to see in the follow on books. In addition to Matthew his wife Rebecca is a mainstay in the story. Matthew and Rebecca decide to take on his niece Ashley as Matthew's sister is struggling with addiction. The story becomes very ramped up very quickly as Matthew comes up against Patrick in a very dangerous situation.

Overall I read this book in two straight sittings and absolutely loved it. It was fast paced and edgy with great characters and a strong storyline. It was so good I wasted no time and dove straight into book 2. A brilliant book by Sheryl Browne and I really hope the next one is just as good. Highly recommended.

I had previously reviewed Learning to Love by Sheryl Browne and loved it. So going into After She’s Gone I wasn’t sure what to expect. It takes a special author to float between genres but Ms Browne nails it perfectly.

DI Matthews Adams is haunted by the murder of his daughter. Struggling to save his marriage and seek revenge. We go on the journey with him but will it only end in more necessary deaths?

There is a cacophony of topics covered in the book. One minute you're emotional the next your heart is thumping with excitement. The subtle hint of paranormal was different and it did throw me a little. I don’t think it was necessary, it didn’t add to the book overall.

The book most definitely goes into my “one more chapter” tag for sure. It is a must read for crime fiction lovers. I am so excited for the next instalment.

After She’s gone is gritty, gory, impulsive and moreish.

Patrick Sullivan is not a very nice man! This is a well written and a story that draws you in. A favourite author of mine, I look forward to reading more.

Matthew and Rebecca are dealing with the loss of their daughter following an apparent accident. As a police officer, Matthew knows it wasn't an accident and this fast paced crime thriller sees him race to stop the killer, Patrick in his tracks.

This is the first book in the DI Matthew Adams and sets the tone of the series that just has to follow!!! Matthew has to deal with intense personal problems, which I thought was just absolutely heart-breaking. This was a well written, beautiful, throat-gripping read worthy of your time and effort.

This is the first in a new series featuring DI Matthew Adams. The first chapter grabbed me by the throat and never let go.

Adams and his wife are coming to terms with losing their daughter in a hit and run accident. His wife was pregnant with their second child and the trauma caused her to miscarry. The driver was never caught ... but Adams knows exactly who was responsible ...and it wasn't an accident.

Patrick Sullivan is a drug dealer, and murderer. He and Adams attended the same school and Sullivan was one of the bullies that just never let up on Adams. There are lots of hard feelings left from those days. As an adult, and a member of law enforcement, Adams was responsible for the death of Sullivan's brother in a drug bust that went wrong.

This story is about revenge ... will Adams cross the line to ensure Sullivan pays for his crimes? And when Sullivan threatens his wife and teenage niece who lives with them .... what will Adams do?

This was a disturbing look at what happens when a man is pushed beyond his limits ... who has plainly had enough. A well-written story with credible characters make this a must read, especially for anyone who reads psychological thrillers.

Many thanks to the author / Choc Lit / Netgalley for the advance digital copy. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

This type of book is my favourite genre. The story did not let me down and I was gripped from the begining. The story is fast moving. If your into this type of book then it must be on your list to read. Try it....cant wait to see if the author has anymore books x

Gripping read from the start. Real page turner! Highly recommended

As gritty as grit could ever be. Characters you despise. Characters you should despise. Women you love, Women you pity. Women you recognise. But the men are always responsible for the carnage. The characters are good and remain consistent throughout the book. The plot is simple which suites the narrative which kept me hooked throughout. Violence and sex are always there, but not in a gratuitous way. There are a couple of briefly graphic scenes, but they are short relevant. The book concentrates on the emotions and consequences rather than the acts themselves. The story has a good pace and like the reality it is try to convey, events often take unexpected turns.

Detective Matthew Adams and his wife Becky are rebuilding their lives after the death of their daughter Lily. She was the victim of a hit and run and Matthew is convinced that his old nemesis Patrick Sullivan was responsible but he has the perfect alibi - he was in prison. Now Matthew and Becky have taken in Ashley Matthew's teenage niece and Sullivan has been released from prison. A prostitute is found murdered and Matthew is convinced that Sullivan is the killer but cannot find any evidence to prove it. Sullivan has plans for Matthew though and it will result in all that Matthew holds dear being put in danger. Fantastic read - thoroughly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and Sheryl Browne for the opportunity to read an review this book.

I previously read The Rest of My Life, a contemporary romance, by Sheryl Browne, so I was intrigued when I saw she had written something completely different. After she's Gone is the first book in a series about Detective Inspector Matthew Adams. Matthew and his immensely supportive wife, Rebecca, are about to foster Matthew's teenage niece Ashley when Matthew goes head to head with Patrick Sullivan, a local criminal involved in drug dealing and prostitution. Matthew and Sullivan have known each other since childhood and their relationship has been volatile, to say the least. They each blame the other for losing them something that was very dear and close to them.
This was definitely a hard-hitting story of vengeance that captured me right from the start.
Be warned, the first chapter involves the death of a child, and as you would expect, it was incredibly heart-wrenching and emotional.
Sheryl Browne does an admirable job of letting readers inside the heads of Matthew, Rebecca, Ashley, and Patrick Sullivan. Sullivan is truly depraved and pure evil. There were some very dark and disturbing scenes; not purely with regards to violence, but also the psychological terror and emotional distress involved.
The story is very easy to follow as it focuses on a small set of characters. You get to know each character really well.
The one thing I found a little frustrating were some of the inner monologues that went on slightly too long and became a tad repetitive. It made the story drag a little in parts, especially when the suspense kept rising and I wanted some action, but yet again heard Sullivan feeling disrespected or Matthew blaming himself.
Nevertheless, I went straight from this one to reading the next in the series. I guess that indicates I really enjoyed it. Sheryl Browne is a very talented writer who does dark and suspenseful just as well as light and funny.
I received an ARC via NetGalley. Thank you Choc-Lit!

Let me just start by saying, hold on to your seats people because this book is going to totally blow your minds! I was lucky enough to have read the book long before it was published and therefore have followed it on its journey to greatness. Sheryl Browne has created characters so rich in depth and a book that makes you hold your breath, waiting in anticipation for whatever might come next! I had always been a Sheryl Browne fan, totally hooked on her romantic comedies. This book however is completely different yet equally brilliant.

Matthew Adams is a haunted man. A good and well respected police officer he is obsessed with bringing bad boy Patrick O'Sullivan to justice. Long time enemies from school, O'Sullivan has graduated from school bully to a total thug involved in everything from pimping prostitutes to selling drugs. For Matthew, his hatred for O'Sullivan runs much deeper. He suspects he had a hand in the murder of Matthew's own child. Matthew takes risks he wouldn't normally take and is often forced to step outside the law himself to get to the truth and make sure O'Sullivan gets whats coming to him.

Patrick O'Sullivan is after his own kind of sick justice after his brother is killed. This powder keg of revenge along with the hatred felt by both protagonists is about to set off a terrifying chain of events. This is a long running feud between the two that threatens to tear apart Matthew's world even further. Another casualty of the war between Matthew and O' Sullivan is Matthew's poor wife. While Matthew is struggling with his demons, both real and psychological, she is coping with so much on her own. Pretty soon the feud takes on a new level and Matthew must fight to save what remains of his family. Throw into the mix an unborn child and a niece who needs Matthew to save her from the life that fate has handed her, the pressure on Matthew to protect those he loves pushes him further.

I simply could not put this book down. Its got everything a good thriller should have and from the moment you read the first page I guarantee you will be completely hooked. Sheryl Browne has managed to create a great character in O'Sullivan. Everyone loves a bad boy to hate and my goodness you have one here! This book would make a brilliant mini series for TV or even a movie! Exciting, terrifying and with that wow factor! Highly recommended. Sheryl Browne's writing does not disappoint! Buy this book!

Wow! What a thrilling ride! DI Matthew Adams is the new man in town!

I’ve read Sheryl Browne’s contemporary romance novels (which are amazing) so wasn’t sure what to expect with this first in her series of thrillers, but boy was it intense!

Sheryl Browne really gets people; how they think, what makes them tick, their loves and fears, and in After She’s Gone this was what really made the book sing. Matthew was a hero that wasn’t perfect, and we saw all the thoughts that went through his head, good and bad and his well-meaning, but sometimes badly executed plans to keep his family safe. We sit through them, and root for him throughout it all, because he was real and relatable.

Browne does similarly with this book’s villain, Patrick Sullivan. You’ll hate him, really despise him and all that he stands for. You’ll wish him dead, you’ll wish him arrested, you’ll wish he’ll fall over his own feet, or slip on a banana skin, but then he’ll show a human side. He’ll show pride and love for his daughter, he’ll miss his brother, he’ll freeze in fear at the sight of a spider, and your heart will break at what he has become, because maybe, just maybe he could have been a better person if he’d been brought up with a different family.

There is a beautiful romance throughout, and the family connections forged make this book extra-special. Amongst the police, the kidnappings, the deaths, there is the home and family life that Matthew treasures above all, and as his world begins to spiral apart, you will rush through the pages, desperate to know whether he’ll be able to have it back.

5 Stars, and bring on more DI Matthew Adams!

*Review copy kindly provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

This book is one that grabs you right from the first chapter. It orens with a huge tragedy that sees DI Matthew Adams and his wife Becky trying to claw their lives back together. This is an edge of your seat book which I finished within 24 hours. I really loved Adams and Becky and can't wait to see how their relationship with Matthews niece develops. And by equal measure I hated Patrick Sullivan I wanted to reach into the book and throttle him.....but in a love hate kind of way.
Without revealing too much of the plot this book keeps you guessing, pulling out your hair and gulping with worry. Fantastic book by a fantastic author. I would really highly recommended this book.

“An edge-of-your seat story of revenge” said the publicity, and – by heck – it’s certainly that! The relationship between Matthew and Becky was beautifully drawn, with the sadness and loss at its core – and a simmering fury that nothing has or can be done about bringing to justice the man responsible. Matthew’s pursuit of Patrick O’Sullivan becomes an obsession, driving him close to (and over) the edge of what’s legal – but their history goes back a long way, way back into childhood bullying and cranked up at every encounter, and Patrick’s own activities are now pure cruelty and evil, totally out of control.

Patrick is a really wonderfully awful creation – although extreme in many ways, almost a caricature of evil, I believed in him totally. I hated him but was also mesmerised by him, and just couldn’t tear my eyes away. When both Patrick and Matthew begin to seek their revenge on each other at the same time, it sets off a chain reaction that escalates very quickly into a situation where several lives are in the balance.

This a quite fantastic read – with tension cranked up to an almost unbearable level. It’s gritty, graphic and violent – totally outside my reading experience and comfort zone – and I have to say that I absolutely loved it. “Unputdownable” is probably a bit overused when talking about thrillers, but I can’t think of a better word for this one – I read it all afternoon and evening, then into the early hours, then again when I woke in the night (nightmare from reading it, maybe?!) and just had to finish it in the morning.

I already knew Sheryl could write well and tell a damned good story.I knew she could create good characters – and there are many here, including Matthew’s troubled niece, teenager Ashley. But Patrick – he’s a real tour-de-force, truly terrifying, who will stay in my memory for a long time to come.

Having read this book I just wanted to say how great I thought it was! The action was fast paced and kept you hooked right to the end - I can't wait for the next one in the series!

first book i have read of sheryl browns and omg what a blinder! couldnt put it down, so glad i got to read this book, the way sheryl pulls you in amd makes you want to know more is brilliant, alreafy on di matthew adams next one sins of father!

DI Matthew Adams was bullied as a kid, by none other than Patrick Sullivan who is now a top dog pimp, drug runner, murderer and psycho. Their bad blood has gone on all these years and worse still, blood has been shed. When Patrick loses one of his own his retribution is swift, deadly and sets the ball rolling for more bloodshed, anger and vengeance.

Ugh it is never a good thing when a child dies and one of the earlier scenes really hits the reader hard, how can it not when a child is involved. It sets the precedent for everything that follows and cements a long running feud with innocent bystanders set to suffer. We learn about Adams family and introduced to his niece whose "invisible friend" takes the story on a different spin. I would have loved to have heard a lot more about her and seen this aspect of the story explored in a lot more detail, I hold out hope for it in the next installment.

The book is fast paced, we fire in to some disturbing scenes and history between the two main characters. Both have a very negative affect on each other and we see the characters spiral down a dark path. Patrick is a psychopath, as the story goes on we see just how cracked and depraved one person can be and how a balanced individual can destruct when pushed to the limit. The story covers many topics, family, loss, grief, death of a child, abuse, sexual depravity, murder, drugs and prostitution to name just a few. Not for the feint hearted, a good start to a new series, if you haven't read Browne before this is a great place to start. 4/5 fr me this time, thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a review copy.

Book Description
Patrick Sullivan. A drug dealer, pimp and murderer, there are no depths to which Patrick would not sink, and Detective Inspector Matthew Adams has found this out in the most devastating way imaginable. Patrick’s brother is shot dead in a drug bust gone wrong, and a bitter battle between the two men intensifies, and Matthew finds it increasingly difficult to hold the moral high ground. All he wants is to make the pimping scum suffer the way he did … the way Lily did.
But being at war with such a depraved individual means that it’s not just Matthew who’s in danger. Patrick has taken a lot from Matthew, but he hasn’t taken everything – and now he wants everything.

My Review
On reading this book I came to learn that Patrick Sullivan is a classic bully, drug dealer, pimp, killer and has contempt for women. Matthew Adams was the target of the bullying from Patrick which started at school and carries forward into adult life. Blood is spilled and Patrick is looking for vengeance, Matthew and his family will pay the ultimate price.

The book opens with a hard hitting scene, the death of a child, it wrenches your heart but in the same breath you look to find the reasoning behind it all, the book pulls you in from the very first chapter. There's no going back. Vengeance becomes the ultimate goal for both Matthew and Patrick.
You learn about both families the trauma and abuse suffered, the different paths both have taken. Matthews family have a niece nobody knew about, who has problems herself but starts to help bind the family together. In the case of Patrick you find out he has a daughter that he worships above all others, I found compelling considering his attitude toward's women in general.

After She's Gone accelerates at a rate of knots that you just can't help but get swept along. If you like fast, compelling and hard hitting storylines this book is a must for you, A fantastic first in the DI Matthew Adams series, keep it up Sheryl Browne looking forward to book number 2.

I loved this fast actioned thriller. The evil guy was extraordinarily mad, almost hypnotically so.

Well. written with almost non stop action this is one of my top reads so far this year.