When Maggie gets a call from her long-lost daughter Anna, it seems like all her dreams are about to come true. But Anna's entry into the happy family sets off a nightmare that none of them expected. Just weeks in, Anna is murdered and Maggie's husband, Noah, is arrested as the killer. What went so wrong? Was Noah really a child abuser who killed his wife's only daughter? Or is there more to the story than meets the eye? An unputdownable thriller that had me reading into the night! 

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for introducing me to my new favorite writer. Lisa Scottoline's previous books are going on my to-read list!

This was by far the best book I have read by Lisa Scottoline. I couldn't put this book down! It kept me guessing all the way to the end including several twists.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Lisa Scottoline for sending me this e ARC. I enjoyed this book. The book opens with Dr. Noah Alderman on trial for the murder of his stepdaughter, Anna Desroches. The book is divided into 2 narratives, After Anna and Before. In the before, Noah has remarried Maggie, after the death of his first wife. He has a son Caleb. Maggie has a daughter, Anna, who was taken from her by her husband through a divorce caused by her post postpartum depression. She has not seen Anna in 16 years. Then her ex husband Florian dies and Anna calls her. They reunite and Anna moves in with them. Noah and Maggie's marriage falls apart even before Anna is murdered.
The after is what happens after Anna's murder, including the trial and how Maggie finds the killer.

Pros: I liked the story and the characters. The ending resolved all the plot lines. The courtroom scenes were excellent.
Cons: I thought the ending was a little deus ex machina, in that the killer is brought in at the end.
My wife and I both enjoy Scottoline's books.
Some quotes: Maggie, getting Anna's call: "Maggie's throat thickened, and her nose started to bubble, which she hated. She was Queen of the Snotty Cry, which was even uglier than the Ugly Cry."
Noah on Anna: "She may have been seventeen, but she was the most manipulative woman he had ever met."
Noah, being cross examined by the District Attorney during the trial: "Noah realized that Linda was taking him methodically through the damning facts of his case. She was simply dismantling him, the way a butcher breaks apart a chicken carcass, piece by piece, wedging back the legs and wings until the joint breaks, then tearing the limbs off."

Thank you Net Galley for the advance copy of Scottoline's latest thriller. The main character Maggie is reunited with a daughter who was taken from her in infancy and the new bond that is being forged serves to create the destruction of a marriage. The suspense just builds and builds as the story progresses and culminates in an ending with a twist you really don't see coming. I've read a number of Lisa's books and she never disappoints. This one may be my new favorite of hers. Well worth reading.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
Spoiler alert!
The story is a flashback to when Noah and Maggie were part of a happy, well-adjusted family. Things move from a happy opportunity for Maggie to reconnect with the daughter she hasn’t seen (not even a photo of her) in 17 years. This daughter calls Maggie and wants to move in with her and her family. 
Maggie’s excitement turns from disbelief into horror as daughter, Anna, begins to accuse Noah of molesting her. Maggie and Noah’s family and marriage begin to crumble. Then, Anna is found murdered. The first two thirds of the book describe Noah’s trial and the destruction Anna brought upon the family. The last one third of the book rushed to give an explanation of why Anna was not who she apeared to be. It did not seem to be a realistic or believable ending. Things were wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly.

This was my first book by Lisa Scottoline and I enjoyed it.  I love when I can’t figure out how a story will turn out.  I would recommend this to friends. I thought she did a great job making me have emotions towards these characters. I will check out her other books. Great read.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my review. Here is that review:

I just didn't like this book and couldn't finish it. I found the characters to be unlikeable, even the ones who were supposedly sympathetic and I found myself unable to connect to them, so I gave up.

This is the second book I have read by Lisa Scottoline and I like the way her stories flow. Maggie had been forced to give up her daughter years before, but has now found happiness with Noah and his son Caleb. Then out of the blue she gets the call she has always hoped for and is able to reunite with her daughter Anna. She realises that there will have to be some adjustments to their family life, but is shocked when Anna reveals something so unexpected. Maggie is torn between the joy of having her daughter back and also  trying to keep her marriage together.  The story does involve more people about 2/3rds through and seems to lose a bit of momentum,  but it still held my interest until the end.

Nobody cuts deeper than family...

Dysfunctional, blended, and imperfect families always intrigue me. "After Anna" by Lisa Scottoline was fascinating, fast-paced, and full of twists and turns. I've previously read a handful of novels by Lisa Scottoline, but this ranks up in my top two. 

Alternating between the point of view of Noah and Maggie felt reminiscent of a Jodi Picoult novel. I went from feeling joy and happiness to disappointment and agitation. There were more than a few moments when I wanted to shake a character and say, "are you kidding me?" That said, the dynamic between members of the family felt authentic.

I love a solid novel with well developed characters and a plot that keeps me engaged, guessing, and wanting to read late into the night. "After Anna" has all those elements. A fantastic read that kept me second guessing my suspicions right up until the end.

*An e-Arc was provided to me by NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review*

After Anna is written in a bit of a different format than I’m used to reading. The story, which revolves around the arrival of Anna into Noah and Maggie’s family, is told in both “before” and “after”. Readers get Maggie’s side of the story in the “before” and Noah’s side in the “after” through courtroom proceedings. I especially found the courtroom proceedings different as they started at day 10 and went backward. Once I got into the rhythm of the story I found I rather enjoyed the way it was told.

Noah and Maggie seem to have a perfect marriage. That is until Anna arrives. Anna is Maggie’s daughter from a previous marriage. Maggie lost custody of her daughter when she was an infant and is more than happy to reunite with her. She lets Anna move into their home and that’s when the problems start. Noah seems to be Anna’s main target and the accusations start almost immediately. Maggie comes across as more than willing to believe everything her daughter tells her. A daughter she really doesn’t know. Even though I could understand her happiness and willingness to please Anna it bothered me that Maggie was so trusting of someone she really didn’t know. Noah seemed more rational when it came to Anna. He wanted to set rules and not treat Anna like the extremely rich teenager she was. Because of this, I found I liked Noah the best and was rooting for him to be found innocent.

I found the courtroom scenes to be extremely interesting. The prosecutor was cut-throat and at the top of her game and the defense attorney tried his best to help his client even though at times his client seemed to have a mind of his own and didn’t follow direction. The glimpses of the jurors made the scenes seem authentic and easy to believe.

The story was a five-star read until I reached the 75% mark. After that, it just became a bit far-fetched and unbelievable. I like twists and turns in thrillers but I want them to fit the story and I feel like the twist to this story didn’t really fit. Even though going into the story we know that Anna is going to be murdered I still enjoyed the story and trying to figure out how it was going to happen and if Noah did it or not. I liked the story (for the most part) and the way it was told and I think it’s a solid four-star read.

Fans of the author will enjoy this book as will those who love thrillers and courtroom drama. After Anna is a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley and was not obligated to write a review. All opinions are mine.

3.5

Maggie is married to Noah Alderman family and stepmon to his son Caleb.  During her first marriage and subsequent divorce, she lost custody of her baby daughter Anna due to postpartum psychosis.  Seventeen years later, she gets an unexpected phone call from Anna who wants to connect with her Mom.  Eventually Anna moves in with the Alderman family.  Within months, Anna is found dead and Noah is charged with her murder.

This story is told in alternating chapters.  After Anna chapters are told during Noah's murder trial and give us his perspective on what happened after Anna moved in.  Before Anna chapters are told from Maggie's perspective, starting with her first meeting with Anna and following how the family fell apart after her arrival.

Whew - what a story!  It was interesting to see how Noah and Maggie looked at the same situations but saw them differently.  Of course Maggie is so excited to have her daughter back she can't see the forest for the trees.  And while Noah wants everything to go well with his new step-daughter, it doesn't take long for him to start to realize something is amiss. 

This was a well crafted page turner.  I liked the surprise at the end and the way the author played it out.

I received this from St. Martin's Press via Netgalley.

I received a free advance e-copy of this book and have chosen to write an honest and unbiased review. I have no personal affiliation with the author.  Another great domestic crime thriller from one of my all time favorite authors!  Lisa Scottoline’s great storytelling ability shines in ‘After Anna.’  Wow! How can everything go so wrong in just a few weeks?  This book is packed full of action and suspense with twists and turns.  There is a twist at the end that I never saw coming, a real surprise.  Couldn’t put it down.  Maggie never gives up as she searches for the truth.  So many dark secrets.  Is this the work of a major manipulator?  Wow, another extremely well written thriller by Lisa Scottoline with an amazing plot and excellent character development.  ‘After Anna’ is well worth the read and I look forward to reading more from Lisa Scottoline in the future.

Lisa Scottoline's After Anna is a page-turner from the very beginning.  A classic he-said-she-said narrative which changes perspectives, over the course of the novel, keeps the reader wondering what really happened until the end.  The only drawbacks were the quick resolution and the narrative is mostly taken from the courtroom testimony.  I would like to have seen more of a flashback to what actually happened.  However, I found the plot to be solid, the characters are believable, and overall, it is a good mystery.

Dr Noah Alderman has been a widow with a son to raise alone. He meets Maggie and falls in love. They marry and are a happy family. Maggie has her secret of a first marriage with a daughter her husband took when she was a baby. Maggie gets a call that her now 17 year old daughter wants to see her. She goes to Maine to see her and brings her home. Anna's father has died and she has millions coming in a trust when she is 18. Anna starts accusing Noah of inappropriate behavior with her. He moves out of the house to straighten it all out. Then Anna is found dead on his door step by him and he goes on trial for her murder. He did not do it but it looks like he did. Can this be any worse? Read this fascinating story to see.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for my review.  Maggie Ippolittl had her daughter, Anna during her first marriage to a wealthy tech entrepreneur.  Shortly after giving birth, she developed a very severe case of postpartum depression.  It was while she was seeking treatment, that her husband took Anna away from Maggie to France, and started a smear campaign that has kept Maggie and Anna apart basically since she was a baby.

Flash forward to the present, and Maggie has remarried, this time to a widower Noah.  Noah has a young child from his first marriage.  They have a terrific life together, so when Anna take the chance to reach out to Maggie
they are all thrilled with the prospect that she might become an addition to their family.
In a very quick turn of events, Anna comes to live with Maggie and Noah, and that is when things take a sinister change.

I have read quite a few of Lisa Scottoline's books, and I always enjoy them because they are fast paced and timely novels.  What I really liked about this novel was how she framed the narratives as "Before Anna" and "After Anna."  It was an effective way to let the story unfold.  The only thing that I didn't like about this story was the ending.  The story was building tension and I was rapidly flipping through the pages, and then some events at the end just seemed unrealistic and hastily thrown together.  It is still a very strong book and it worth reading.

What.a.ride! 🙌🏼 After Anna is a heart racing, riveting, on the edge of your seat thriller that had me guessing and contained a twist I never saw coming! This is the story of Maggie and Noah, a happily married couple. Maggie gets a phone call from her 17 year old daughter Anna, who she has been estranged from for many years. Anna is brought into their family but dies in a shocking murder shortly after they are reunited. Noah is arrested for the murder but claims his innocence. The book is told in two timelines- Maggie before Anna and Noah during the trial. Noah's story begins at the moment the jury reaches a verdict and goes backwards through the trial. These two stories converge and reaches a pulse racing climax. This book had me guessing who the killer was throughout the whole book and I never saw the truth coming. Another great story by Lisa Scottoline! Thank you @stmartinspress for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

Here is a review by Jennifer: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2359793474

Deception and manipulation are rife in this novel. It is an illustration of how hope can triumph over logic and good sense. The beginning and middle of the book, especially the scenes in the courtroom, are gripping and well written, but I found it a little difficult to buy into the unexpected twist towards the end of the novel. An enjoyable read, but not the best of Lisa Scottoline. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for the ARC.

Like all other Lisa Scottoline novels I have read, After Anna left me guessing what was going to happen to the very end. The story begins with the verdict of Noah's murder trial getting ready to be read, and then flashes back over the course of several months leading up to the end of the trial in which Noah is being accused of murdering his step-daughter that was estranged from his wife, Maggie, for the majority of Anna's life.  Scottoline's story telling is brilliant and had me finishing this murder mystery in one sitting.

Lisa Scottoline never fails to deliver suspenseful stories with jaw-dropping plot twists. After Anna is not only no exception, but may well be her most nuanced, tautly constructed, and nuanced work to date. And yes, some developments in the story are shocking -- readers will not see them coming. This tale about Dr. Noah Alderman and Maggie Ippolitti is told not only by alternating narrators but in contrasting chronological order, an extremely difficult approach that Scottoline masters seamlessly. Noah and Maggie are happily raising Noah's young son from his prior marriage. But one thing is missing from their life -- Maggie's daughter, Anna. Maggie lost custody of Anna to Anna's father years ago and has not seen her since she was a baby. When Anna reaches out following the death of her wealth father, Maggie is overjoyed to have another chance to parent the daughter she has desperately missed. Noah is completely supportive, but Anna, now 17, disrupts their quiet, ordered life. When she is murdered shortly after coming to live with them, Maggie is torn apart -- could her loving husband really have murdered her daughter? Maggie has to find answers as Noah stands trial, fighting for his life. Maggie''s discoveries propel her dangerous and disturbing quest to learn the truth about her daughter's life, death, and the man she married. The action never slows. Rather, it builds at a relentless pace, with Scottoline inserting revelations at expertly-timed intervals, until the astonishing conclusion!