Lisa Scottoline has hit a home run with "After Anna". This one twists and turns more than a mountain trail. Noah Alderman, a widowed doctor, has a comfortable life with his second wife, Maggie. And then Anna shows up. The joys of a mother-daughter reunion and the horrors of a trial gone bad unite to make "After Anna" a spellbinding novel. This one reads like a combination of John Grisham and Jodi Picoult at their best.

This book was amazing. I enjoyed the way the author kept you in suspense the entire book. It was a true page turner. Maggie was so happy to have her daughter Anna back that she failed to see through Anna's facade. Her husband Noah was a true good guy who suffered. I appreciate the way the author wove you through the time however it was a little difficult in the beginning to go back and forth in time. I did really enjoy this book and would recommend it to my friends!

After Anna – Lisa Scottoline

I was fortunate to receive this novel as an Advance Reader Copy, in exchange for an objective review.

Margaret (Maggie) Alderman has a good life – she’s blissfully married to the love of her life, Dr. Noah Alderman, and is Mom to his sweet young son, Caleb. But Maggie longs to find her daughter – a daughter that was taken from her by her estranged ex-husband after Maggie struggled with post-partum depression shortly after her birth.

Maggie receives a call one day, seemingly out of the blue – her daughter Anna is attending a prestigious private school in Maine and wants to meet her. As Maggie rushes to Anna’s side, she also learns that Anna’s father has been killed in a plane crash with the rest of his family overseas. Impulsively Anna decides to leave school and come home to live with Maggie, Noah & Caleb.

Soon, things begin to happen. Caleb seems at odds with his new sister Anna, and Anna seems to have difficulty adjusting to a new family and rules. She soon accuses Noah of molestation, tearing the family apart. Then, Anna winds up dead at Noah’s apartment and he is arrested for her murder, all while protesting his innocence.

The book opens with Noah standing trial for Anna’s murder, and each chapter details events that occurred ‘before’ and ‘after’ Anna, from various points of view, moves quickly, and then culminates in a discovery, and then an ending that you’ll never see coming!!

Lisa Scottoline is one of those authors whose books I’ll pick up and read immediately! I’m never disappointed, and this novel is no exception! A great read!

I received an advanced copy in exchange from an honest review. This is the second mass-market mystery I''ve read this year that uses the trope of the seductive young woman framing the innocent man , and it just doesn't seem comfortable in light of #metoo and #timesup. It's the basic mass-market mystery , it's not literature , the twists are not earth shattering , but I read this kind of thing occasionally as an escape , and there's nothing escapist about reactionary lIt. Not that I need all my mysteries to be feminist ethics, but this is real trauma , and I imagine most of the audience is female , and it just feels a little … cynical and reactionary. We don't need this right now, especially from a writer who specializes in strong women.

After Anna
Lisa Scottoline

MY RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️▫️
PUBLISHER St. Martin’s Press
PUBLISHED April 10, 2018

A consuming and cleverly structured thriller, blending the story of before and after Anna.

SUMMARY
Maggie lost custody of her baby, Anna, when she was only six months old. The two have not seen each other since, and now Anna is 17. Maggie had no choice but to move on, She’s found love again and is now happily married to Noah Alderman, a widower. Maggie adores Caleb, Noah’s son, and they have quite the perfect life. But everything changes when Maggie gets a call from Anna, who is now a high school student, parked in an elite boarding school in Maine. Once they meet, Anna surprisingly says wants to live with Maggie, and Maggie is beyond thrilled to have a second chance with Anna. But when Anna moves in with Maggie, Noah and Caleb chaos ensues. Anna refuses to follow the rules, makes demands and tensions mount. Within weeks of moving in, Anna is dead, she had been strangled. Noah, who found her body is now on trial for her murder. Maggie must not only face losing her daughter, but her husband as well. And then she gets another phone call.

REVIEW
Have you every wanted something so much that you turn a blind eye to what you know and love. That’s what Maggie did. It’s so difficult to read about the implosion of a family. It’s a gut-wrenching story. One that has you scratching your head in wonder. What was Anna really after? There was nothing in Anna‘s character to like, she was a master at manipulation. And Maggie was at her most vulnerable.

Lisa Scottoline is a consummate storyteller, and this story pulses with angst and drama. The focus of each chapter alternates between Noah and Maggie. Noah’s initial chapters (after Anna) are told from the last day of the trial and move backwards in time. Maggie’s chapters (before Anna) start with that fateful phone call from Anna and move forward in time. When at last, the story lines converge in the later part of the book, the pacing abruptly changes. It’s fast and furious, and the twists and turns are insanely intense. Just remember to breathe. While some actions may seem implausible, it’s an adroit page-turning thriller. Lisa Scottoline fans can’t help but love After Anna. Thanks to Netgalley, St, Martin’s Press and Lisa Scottoline for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

While I was reading "After Anna" by Lisa Scottoline, I felt as if I was watching a Lifetime movie. It kept my interest enough that I did finish it.

Lisa Scottoline's latest is her best book yet. It's a riveting read that is superb. The plot is like a mountain road, full of curves and twists and leaves one guessing. The narrative is fast paced and things are revealed that readers won't see coming. It also has a very satisfying ending. Don't miss this one.

Scottoline at her finest; After reading her every one of her books since she 1st published Everywhere that Mary Went in the early 90s, I think that After Anna is her best book yet! I was blown away! Highly recommended!! Full review to come here and on my blog closer to publication date.

Another Lisa Scottoline winner. Loved the story, and the way it was organized present, past, present, past, etc.
A real page turner that keeps you guessing until the end. Highly Recommended.

I couldn't wait to dig into this one and get lost in a Lisa Scottoline story! It did not disappoint...I don't want to give anything way because it's a bit of a shocker.

I will admit the story starts a little confusing, jumping timelines, but it works overall. It really gives you a feel for the whole story even though one character is further in the past than the other for parts of it. Ms. Scottoline brings the story together beautifully and it's a must read for suspense readers.

I have read all your books and you do not disappoint as usual. What a thriller, did not expect the ending of the book, it was a page turner, shocking ending. Loved it and recommend it.
Thank you netgalley and Lisa Scottoline for the opportunity.

You can expect the unexpected when you pick up a Lisa Scottoline novel. There is almost always a twist that you just weren't expecting and that is definitely true about After Anna. While I definitely really enjoyed this story, my only complaint is that I felt like the ending was a bit rushed. I just wanted a bit more of the story before it went to the epilogue. Unfortunately I can't say more without spoiling the story but well worth the read!

I LOVE Lisa Scottoline and this book didn't disappoint!!! I devoured this nail biting Thriller in one sitting. Can't wait to see what Scottoline delivers next!

While this book started out fairly strong, the premise seems to be the same as many others that I have read lately. The moving back and forth between then and now is starting to get a bit stale in story telling. The mash up at the end seemed forced, like the author was trying to hard to find a "twist". Predictable and a bit disappointing.

Wow! This one had my pulse racing throughout....and the twist had me gasping out loud! The plot was riveting and I swear you will never guess the twist that comes. Maggie lost custody of her baby daughter to her then husband, Florian. This was due to postpartum psychosis after the birth of her daughter, Anna. Maggie remarries, to Noah who has a young son, Caleb. At the age of 16, Anna reaches out to Maggie after the death of her father, and Magie, of course, is beyond happy to have her daughter back. Next thing we know is that Anna accuses Noah of sexual abuse, then Anna is murdered and Noah is on trial for her murder. Ms Scottoline has outdone herself with this one. It is not to be missed!

A cleverly written courtroom drama/suspense story from Lisa Scottoline. Written in two POV's, before forward and after backwards until the two collide make this book very fast paced and entertaining. Who is telling the truth? Who is lying? With well fleshed out believable characters, an interesting court case and a great twist, this book was a very good read.

I’d like to thank Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of After Anna. I have always enjoyed reading Lisa Scottoline’s stories, and this one was just as pleasurable. I consider the genre to be classified as a thriller that centers around a domestic family. The storyline held my interest and was completely believable. I did suspect quite early on the truth about the daughter. I just didn’t know all the details and how things would play out. The part that I didn’t care for was all the judicial scenes but without them you wouldn’t have been able to get the entire picture. Overall, I feel it was a very enjoyable, entertaining story and would definitely recommend it to other readers.

This is one of the best books that I've read in 2017. It's a smart, intriguing mystery, and I could not put this book down until I finished it.

I started reading and I realized that the book is written in multiple POV in multiple timelines. I do not like books like this and stopped reading. I like Ms Scotoline's books however, in every case with every writer I consider this kind of interwoven distinct voice writing to be a lazy way to write a book. To test this idea, read each thread as one chapter and you will see how weak each is.

I am not planning to review this book online.

It was a good beach read. Not Scottoline at her best, but still entertaining.