Once again, Lisa Scottoline has written a story that captivated me from the first page. In this suspense/thriller story, we have two timelines and two narrators: Maggie and Noah, mother and step-father and Before Anna and After Anna. Maggie lost custody of her 6 month old daughter when she suffered from post-partum psychosis. As her daughter Anna, got older, she wrote to her mother and said she did not want to see her. Maggie moved on with her life, getting remarried and doting on her step-son. When she received a call out of the blue from Anna asking to get together, Maggie is thrilled. Noah supports her in trying to have a relationship with Anna. Fast forward to Anna being found dead on Noah's front porch shortly after she comes to live with them. The story is told in reverse from Noah waiting for a verdict to when Anna first came to live with them. The ending was quite a shocker and a twist that I certainly did not expect.

The characters were well done. I really enjoyed Caleb, Noah's son and I was concerned and worried for him throughout the story. Maggie wanted a relationship with her daughter so badly after losing her when she was young that she may have been blinded by Anna's actions. Noah was a great day and husband who thought more about the lives of hes wife and son than his own, that he risked his own life in the trial. Overall, a very character driven story that I very much enjoyed.

The epitome of a good thriller - when you can compare it to a Nandos.

I really like Nandos (stick with me here, I'm not drunk again...) What's not to like? It doesn't cost you much, it's yummy chicken, you know exactly what you are going to get every time and it's quick to eat. No, it's not the kind of meal that you will remember eating in 6 months time, but it's so darn good while you do eat it, that the next day you find yourself saying to friends - 'I'd forgotten how much I enjoy Nandos!'

There really is a reason for this random introduction. This is exactly how I feel about a good mystery-thriller of this type. I forget how great a good one can be, how it will grab me by the jugular and drag me along for about 48 hours. Much like a Nandos fulfilling your need for 'chickeny goodness', it ticks all the right boxes and gives you that quick literary fix you've been after.

I've been reading a lot of hefty tomes recently. That's what I get for telling random people that I review books and inevitably get given lists of books that I *must* read, many of which are winners of prestigious literary awards. Which is great, I love it, but it has stopped me blazing through some great, if a little less high brow, new releases. And you can't keep eating heavy, indulgent, fancy pants meals all the time.

After Anna is my go-to type of book when I want to shut the world out. It's my indulgence. For others it's chick-lit, or action thrillers, or crime detective novels, for me it's got to be a great mystery thriller. And this is a GREAT one. It caught me from the very first page, with the set up of the step-father being on trial for Anna's murder. From then on it alternates between the 'After' which follows the trial from Noah's perspective as the accused and the 'Before', which tells Maggie's story as the mother reunited with her daughter after 17 years.

The story unfolds through these narratives and slowly all of the threads are pulled together. One slight criticism for me would be just how quickly the last quarter of the book played out. It was almost like the author was suddenly told that they had a word limit that they were getting close to and she hurried to tie everything up in as few words as possible. That aside, I loved the pacing in general, thought the characters and their relationships were well crafted and the story, if a little far fetched in places, had me hooked.

So this didn't reinvent the genre for me, but it did what it promised to do very well. It was a really satisfying return to the type of book I love to inhale. It was fast, twisty, kept you guessing and had a suitably satisfactory ending that tied everything up in a nice neat bow. I might not remember it very well in 6 months time and it wont make me ponder any great philosophical questions, but it was so much fun to read and I was totally absorbed from start to finish.

Big thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for this preview copy in return for an honest review.

After Anna was published on 10th April 2018 by St. Martin's Press.

An interesting premise - widower with small son meets and marries woman with daughter who has been estranged from her mother for years, but comes to live with them.  Chaos ensues, Accusations are made,  no one believes him, not even his wife who sides with her daughter who really is a stranger to her.   After going through all the twists and turns of this book, the ending is a total letdown.

Lisa’s books are always bingeworthy! She certainly knows how to throw in a curveball or two in her writing. Didn’t know what to expect and finally I stopped trying to guess the ending and just kept reading!

If you love thrillers and emotional roller coasters, don't skip reading this book. As usual Lisa does not disappoint.

Lisa Scottoline's After Anna is a great thriller!  Noah is a single dad to Caleb after his wife dies.  Then Noah meets Maggie, they get married, and everyone is happy...until Anna arrives.  Anna is Maggie's 17 year old daughter that she hasn't seen since Anna was a baby.  Maggie had postpartum psychosis after Anna was born and her ex-husband used that as an excuse to take Anna away.  Anna calls Maggie out of the blue one day from her boarding school and wants to see her mother.  Maggie goes to visit her and ends up bringing her home to live with her happy family.  Just a few weeks later, Anna is dead and Noah is arrested for her murder.

Noah's story is told backwards from just before the verdict is read and alternating chapters tell Maggie's story forward from that first call from Anna.  The story goes back and forth until the two collide.  Is Noah innocent or guilty?  Who is telling the truth?  Shocking twists make this a hard to put down story.  Clear your calendar and grab this book!

This book started fast and kept going until the very end! I loved the characters and Maggie was my favorite. I enjoyed the chapters being told by Maggie and Noah  and separating before Anna and After Anna, since you get the entire story that way. It was very suspenseful and I completely didn't see the ending coming! I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. All opinions are my own.

After Anna tells the story of Dr. Noah Alderman. He's a single dad. After meeting his soulmate, Maggie, he remarries. His young son is thriving under his stepmother's attention. They're an incredibly strong family unit.



As happy as she is, Maggie can't help but want to know her daughter. After postpartum psychosis, Maggie had to walk away. Maggie went through therapy and is fine, but she was never a part of her daughter's life. Anna is now 17. Maggie is delighted when Anna reaches out. 



Soon, Anna moves into their home. She becomes another piece of their family unit. Noah begins to see things, but Maggie's love has her blinded to the truth. Their strong family unit is now being torn apart. Things take a tragic turn when Anna is murdered and Noah becomes the prime suspect.



I wanted to like Maggie. I really did. She was such a great mother to Noah's son. Yet, when Anna came into the story, Maggie's weakness started to shine. I get loving your kid, but the things she put up with drove me nuts. I also hated how quickly Anna came into their lives and no one questioned it. As Anna started wrapping people around her fingers, I was angry. I didn't want to read anymore. I also didn't want to stop reading.



The story is partially a courtroom drama. A lot of the story takes place in the courtroom with Noah on trial for Anna's murder. The past chapters build up the relationships between the characters. That's how the story goes. There is Before Anna and After Anna. Before Anna delves into the events that led up to the trial. The "after" part includes the trial and aftermath. It's in the "after," where I was on the edge of my seat.



This isn't a happy story. It's quite maddening, sad, and frustrating. The truth is that it's also incredibly addicting. You cannot stop reading because you need to know what happens. As mad as it made me, I also couldn't put it down.

This was disappointing -- my least favorite of all Lisa Scottoline's novels. I was unable to connect with any of the characters. They seemed shallow to me, without complexities. I have tried to finish it for three weeks, going back to after I finished each of another 10 or so books. Finally made it to the end. I really missed the dialogue I have come to expect from Scottoline -- this all seemed stilted to me. As I say, I was disappointed.

This is a great new read from author Lisa Scottoline. Timely theme for today's reader's including young adults. 
Great little twist at the end.

After Anna is a thrilling twisted ride! Lisa Scottline’s best book so far!

After Anna again shows Lisa Scottoline's abilities to produce compelling domestic dramas filled with rich, well-drawn characters. 

Noah Alderman MD, his young son, Caleb, and his wife of two years, Maggie Ippolliti, have found happiness again and are so excited to be a family. They share a wonderful, enriching, fun life. When Maggie's 17-year old daughter (from her first marriage) Anna appears, wanting to live with them, life couldn't seem more complete. Maggie had been forced to give up Anna due to post-partum psychosis and Anna's father Florian, had taken her to France to live, leaving a hole in Maggie's heart and a dream that they would one day be reunited. Having Anna come to live with them thrilled and excited both Maggie and Noah.

But things turn bad quickly within the family and Anna is at the root of it all, with accusations that soon split the family apart. Only eighteen days after her welcome arrival, Anna is dead, and Noah is charged with her murder.

The book begins with the tenth day of Noah's trial, the day the verdict will be handed down. I love how the story is told: backwards, through the viewpoints of Maggie and Noah, alternating between chapters detailing life before Anna and after Anna. Kudos to Ms. Scottoline for employing this technique; it is very clever, adds to the suspense, and kept this reader turning pages to uncover more details about how the family came to be at the end point.

The trial is detailed and engrossing, as are the depictions of the family's life with Anna. Maggie's actions AFTER the verdict seem a bit hurried and the story twist a bit too pat. Nevertheless this is a very enjoyable read and rates a 3.5 stars from me!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Lisa Scottoline and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed here are strictly my own

This was my 1st Lisa Scottoline novel and it won’t be my last.  Thank you St Martin’s Press!

This book grabs your attention from the beginning and doesn’t let go until the very end. It begins with Noah Alderman on trial for the murder of his stepdaughter Anna. The story is told from both Noah’s and Anna’s mother Maggie’s perspectives. Anna and Maggie reconnect when Anna is seventeen years old after Maggie had lost custody of Anna as an infant due to suffering from postpartum psychosis. Anna moves in with Maggie, Noah and Noah’s son Caleb and soon things begin to deteriorate. The family is fractured when Anna accuses Noah of sexual assault. Anna is murdered shortly after Noah moves out of the house and he is arrested and tried for her murder. Noah claims he didn’t sexually assault Anna and he’s innocent of her murder. Needing to find out what really happened to Anna will keep you turning pages until the answers are revealed. 

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

This book was wild. It took a little extra concentration with all the skipping around on the timeline, but was endlessly fascinating and horrifying. A always enjoy Lisa Scottoline books, and this was no exception.

Before, and even more so after, After Anna I am always blown away and thrilled to read a Lisa Scottoline novel. Yes her work tends to have a Lifetime feel to them, they still manage to be enticing. I'm usually hooked after reading a few pages in a way most novels in the women's lit' category are unable to do for me. The only time I watch the Lifetime or Hallmark channel, it's purely by accident or my favorite TV show ever, Monk is on.

Scottoline's After Anna follows the short time span in which a family, that was seemingly happy before her, is torn apart after her while revealing life before her. Or rather, the before Anna is life unfolding before Anna's death, and the trial that ensues after her murder.

Maggie is ecstatic when her long lost daughter reaches out to her and asks to move in with her and her husband, Noah. Noah and Maggie have a charming life together. Their marriage is quite new, but it's obvious they care for each other so when Maggie's daughter, Anna, asks to move in, Noah's supportive and all for it. He knows that Maggie wants nothing more than to have a second chance at being the mother her ex-husband stole from her 17 years earlier when her struggle with postpartum psychosis granted him custody. Unable to fight him for custody, Maggie moves on with her life.

From the beginning Anna bursts on the scene like a force of nature. Lucky for me, the reader, I know the after so I'm quite suspicious of Anna from the beginning. What we're privy to early on is that Noah is on trial for Anna's murder. What remains to be seen is why. Scottoline features dueling stories that present questions that beg to be answered. Will Noah be found guilty of Anna's murder? Did he really do it? What's really up with this girl Anna? In the wake of the "Me Too" movement, why do I find it so hard to believe anything she says? 

Am I really that jerk that blames the victim?

I don't think so.

Ultimately, what I find is that Scottoline has managed, once again, to bait and hook me with a fast-moving murder mystery of a family on the brink of falling apart. And she does this every time. And I almost find that her chick-littish title is an over simplistic way of categorizing her works. Yes, her novels are emotionally driven and often feature a female lead. No there aren't the quintessential moments that focus on suspense... but then again... what's not suspenseful about a trial for your life?

Or a teenage stranger moving into your home?

Anyway it goes, After Anna was a great read. I didn't expect anything less from Scottoline. There's nothing disappointing here that would leave fans wanting. 

Copy provided by St. Martin's press via Netgalley

Another fast-paced, fun read by Lisa Scottoline! Up until the very end, I had no idea what the solution to the mystery was. I stayed up until the wee hours last night finishing it because I just *had* to know. 
As usual, her characters are thoroughly fleshed out and multidimensional, so I was easily caught up in the story and anxious to find out the truth about who was lying and why. The plot was clever, complex, but easy to follow, and the ending satisfying.  
I can’t say too much without spoilers, but this is about loved ones, what they are capable of and how much they should be trusted.There is a man in prison, several missing girls, mysterious messages, and a mother who goes to extreme lengths to save her child.  
This is one of those books that are great when life gets to be a bit too much and you want to escape reality for a few hours, but would also be great to take on vacation. You will be fully absorbed in it. 

Note:  I received an advance copy of the ebook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book.  At first, I thought that I was reading the story backwards.  Her movements in time were extraordinary; I was never confused even though it seemed like every chapter was a different time, a different location, or a different character.  I loved the characters and I very much disliked Anna after she came to live with Noah and Maggie in the beginning of time.  The characters bloomed in my mind even tho I didn't remember her describing them...but she surely did...because I would recognize each one of them had I met them on the street.  I read a few comments from other reviewers who said that this is not her finest work.  After Anna is my first Lisa Scottoline book, and I plan to go back and make her one of my favorite authors, because I just can't imagine what wonderful things she must have written.  This is one of the most addicting books that I have read in a while.  I couldn't put it down.

Another freestanding hit! Loved the story, the mystery kept me guessing. Scottoline always makes me care about her characters, and I did this time too.

Give me a novel by Lisa Scottoline any day of the week! I was not disappointed by this latest release.

Maggie and Noah are happily married. This is a second marriage for both. Noah is a successful doctor with a 10-year old boy, Caleb. Maggie has a seventeen-year old daughter, Anna. Maggie lost custody of Anna when she was an infant due to postpartum psychosis which is more severe than postpartum depression. Anna is in a boarding school when she finds out her father’s plane was in a fatal crash killing all on board. She contacts Maggie, her only family member and Maggie is over the moon that she and Anna can be together after all those years. Anna moves in and they are the idyllic family.

The happy family scenario is short lived and takes a tragic turn when Anna is found dead just days after moving in.  Noah is on trial for the tragedy. I love courtroom drama and this is tense as we wait for the verdict. The narrative moves back and forth in time from Noah and Maggie. There are plenty of twists and turns in the end in rapid fire succession in a race to answer all those questions floating in my mind.

After Anna is a satisfying page turner that sparks empathy, sadness, anger, and finally happiness. Thank you, Lisa Scottoline, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.