Ok so this book is a complete twisty book. You think everything is fine then WHAM! you get knocked out of the world. You start out with a father, his son, & his new wife (previous wife passed away). Then you find out that the new wife has a daughter that she had to give up when the daughter was three years old into the custody of her father who promptly dropped her off at her grandparents & then to boarding schools. Well, fast forward in time till the girl is 17 and her father dies in a plane crash. So Anna (the daughter) contacts Maggie (her mother) to talk about coming and living with Noah (the father) and the son (Caleb). Maggie agrees and then once Anna is there everything starts going crazy. Anna is not acting like Maggie was told by Anna's therapist and previous schools. Anna makes accusations against Noah and then to put it frankly everything hits the fan when Anna is found dead at Noah's home. 

The books flips back and forth between "before Anna" and "after Anna" so you do need to pay attention to know which time period you are reading. Even with the flipping between times, which normally annoys me, kept you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out what is going on. Who killed Anna? Is this really Anna? Or is it someone else? Or is someone trying to make Maggie think she is losing her mind? You do find out though by the time you do you are sitting there thinking there is not enough pages left in this book for it to close all the story lines, but then you let out a big WOOSH! and happy that they have been closed and you know what has happened.

If you like a thriller/mystery novel then I think you will enjoy reading this novel. I enjoyed it very much, so much I read the entire thing in one night (normally try to spread it out over two nights). This book, honestly, shocked me with the twists it made and that is not normal. So congrats to Lisa Scottoline, she pulled one on me.

Excerpt:  Maggie realized that life wouldn’t be as much fun if we knew where its treasures were hidden. Sometimes you had to search for them. Sometimes you had to fight for them And sometimes, they were at your feet. 

To Maggie Ippoliti a call from her teenage daughter Anna whom she hasn’t seen in 17 years is an unbelievable gift, one she certainly hadn’t been expecting. Having been declared an unfit mother due to postpartum psychosis, Maggie lost touch with her daughter at 6 months. Never once has she been allowed to see the girl since that time due to the vindictive nature of her ex-spouse. 

Dr. Noah Alderman, well respected pediatrician in the community and husband of Maggie, welcomes his stepdaughter into their home with no knowledge of what the future will hold for his family. Noah’s son, Caleb, is a trusting young boy of ten whose life is turned upside down by the events that will unfold in the month following Anna’s arrival. 

Alternating chapters--Noah’s viewpoint during the trial and Maggie’s perspective before and during the trial--disclose the story detail by detail. The mystery that surrounds Anna and her death add suspense and intrigue to the story. I definitely didn’t see the ending coming. Read this interesting story and see if you can put the details together! 

This ARC copy was received from St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. The above thoughts and opinions are wholly my own.

Lisa Scottoline's new novel, AFTER ANNA, is exceptional in its grasp of parental love and angst.  Maggie Ippoliti suffered the loss of parental custody when her daughter, Anna, was just a baby.  Now, seventeen years later, and happily remarried to Noah Alderman and the step-mother of his son, Caleb, she welcomes the surprise return of her daughter.  Maggie couldn't be happier,
however Life shortly turns into a nightmare when Anna is found dead, and Noah stands trial for her murder.

I didn't ever believe that Noah was guilty of the things he was accused of, by Anna and then by the prosecutor.  The real suspense, written so well, comes in the alternating chapters of Noah's trial and incarceration and Maggie's life before and after the murder.  LS leaves intriguing bread crumbs that I eagerly followed, not wanting it to end before I fell asleep. AFTER ANNA is a novel for lovers of mystery and suspense.  The book also deals with the frightening aspect of teens who have been lured away from their families when they are at a vulnerable adolescent age.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

STRONGLY recommend! This was my first ever Lisa Scottoline book, believe it or not! Was so happy that I was immediately hooked because after my previous read I really needed something to suck me right in. AFTER ANNA did just that. I can't wait to browse Lisa's other books and hope to soon delve into another. I love how much time was spent in the courtroom - and that Scottoline did an amazing job of making everything easily understandable. I loved the plot, thought both points of view - Maggie (then) and Noah (now) were realistic. I thought Scottoline's most impressive talent that shone through in this book was Anna's character. Just knowing the way women can be - and adding the simplest of undertones, the reader  feels passionately about this character. I don't want to say too much. I also was satisfied with how the story played out. My ONLY complaint was the prosecutor in Noah's case, Linda. This woman was not believable to me, but I have a feeling not every reader will feel the same as me.

I love the way Lisa Scottoline weaves a well-plotted story. When Maggie finds her long-lost daughter, it couldn't be more perfect...or could it? I identified with the character of Maggie and never stopped rooting for Noah. I enjoyed this book from beginning to end and would highly recommend it.

I loved this book. So well written. I found this book unputdownable!!

Dr. Noah Alderman and Maggie Ippolitti have a happy marriage. It's a good life raising Noah's son, but Maggie hopes the day will come when she is reunited with her daughter..... Then Maggie gets a phone call that will change their lives forever. Her daughter Anna wants to meet with her!  They meet near Anna's boarding school a few days later and Maggie is given the chance to be a mother to her daughter again. Noah is supportive and welcomes Anna into their loving home. 
At first having Anna in their home is wonderful, but soon there are problems. The problems mount until their happy family breaks apart. 
But there is so much more under the surface. 
You won't be able to put this book down until the surprising end. Lisa Scottolini is truly a master storyteller!

Scottoline has delivered again. Another book filled with exciting characters, and twists and turns that will keep you guessing till the last page,
!

After Anna was a classic Lisa Scottoline book, in that it had a mesmerizing plot, complete with twists and turns that will keep you on your toes.  I really enjoyed the way that the book toggled back and forth between the present setting and the past.  I was not sure, throughout the entire book, how things were going to be resolved.  I was definitely kept guessing until the very end.  The plot twist at the end of the book had me wanting to look ahead to see how all was going to be resolved. I found the characters to be very likeable and intriguing.  This book kept me reading all the way to the end, many times way past my bedtime.  I highly recommend reading this book if you are a fan of mysteries, drama or women's fiction.

A psychological thriller that will keep you intrigued up until the last page. I felt true empathy for Maggie and what she the emotions that she was experiencing with finding Anna again. I especially enjoyed how the story flashed back and forth from past to present. A great page turner! Happy Reading!

Buckle your seatbelt - you are in for a serious roller coaster with this one!!!  I'm a huge fan of Lisa Scottoline and when I received a copy of this book from Netgalley, I couldn't wait to start it.  It has everything that you could ask for in a gripping drama - lots of ups and downs and a total flip the script at the end that there is NO WAY IN THE WORLD that anyone could have seen coming!!!  I don't think I could say anything else without accidentally letting out a secret or two (or ten) -- but DEF read it, sooooo worth the time!

Three stars. One word, Disappointing. I am a fan of Lisa Scottoline and her books, but this was not one of her better ones. 

We are introduced to Maggie and Noah, a married couple who have a happy, loving marriage. Until Maggie's estranged daughter Anna comes into the picture. When Anna becomes part of the family, it begins to fall apart. She makes accusations about Noah that no one ever anticipated. After Anna, Maggie and Noah's world turns upside down.

So, first of all, I could not stand Anna. She was a manipulative little brat. Honestly, I didn't take a liking to anyone in this book. The characters were flat and the beginning was very slow. It wasn't until about 75% of the way through I felt as though we were finally getting somewhere in the plot. 

The end was better than the beginning.

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC of this book. I enjoyed this book, it was an easy read and enjoyed the twist at the end.

I was fortunate to receive an advanced copy from NetGalley.  After Anna does not disappoint!  Lisa Scottoline once again pulls out the emotional feelings from her characters. The longing of a mother for that lost child. is felt through Maggie.  Once again the author dives into critical issues that are increasing in today's society (will not disclose due to spoiler alert) that all parents hope they never have to experience. Very much would recommend this book.  Thank you for the ability to have this opportunity.

Scottoline is one of my favorite authors and her stand alone novels, like this one are the reason for this favoritism. She has the wonderful ability to take the reader in one direction of thinking and then makes a sharp turn to completely throw you off the path. AFTER ANNA was a delightful read and I would highly recommend it to any one who loves suspense.

Postpartum psychosis left Maggie Ippoliti without her precious baby daughter, Anna (her nefarious ex-husband Florian obtained custody and kept the girl away from Maggie for 17 years). Now that Maggie has found some semblance of happiness with her doctor-husband Noah and stepson Caleb, Anna appears out of nowhere, wanting, it appears, to make up for lost time. Needless to say, Maggie is overwhelmed, overjoyed and desperate to please the girl - and delighted that she gets a ton of support from Noah and Caleb.

Ah, but it wouldn't be a story if everything went smoothly from there on. No, things soon begin happening that mess with Maggie's already messed-up head; her obsession with keeping her long-lost daughter satisfied (and literally close to her broken mommy heart) renders her oblivious to anyone else's concerns. Then, the unthinkable happens; Anna is murdered - and the person charged with the crime is none other than Noah. Devastated, Maggie kicks Noah to the curb and continues to care for Caleb, with only her long-time friend Kathy and Anna to lean on.

A major focus is on Noah's subsequent trial and the outcome thereof; chapters switch from Maggie and Noah's life before and after Anna arrived on the scene, sprinkling clues as to what really happened. The trial part is for the most part interesting, but mostly because I'm a fan of courtroom proceedings. This one, though, just kept plodding along, going not much of anywhere, and I lost more than a modicum of interest throughout much of the middle portion of the book.

Once the jury rendered its verdict (you really didn't think I'd reveal that, did you?), the action begins to heat up - almost too fast (think of a big pot of beef stew coming to a boil so quickly that you never got to savor the aroma of simmering). The final section brings twists and revelations almost like slings and arrows. And the ending? Way too neatly tied up to be believable, especially given Maggie's thoughts and actions earlier in the book (but then I admit to being a cynic when it comes to seriously damaged relationships that suddenly transform into all's right with the world).

Don't get me wrong - it all makes for an enjoyable book that I recommend - but as a whole it fell short of a 5-star rating for me. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book started out as a real page turner.  Somewhere/somehow it becomes derailed and then at the end everything is tied up so quickly that I almost can feel my head spinning.

With all that said, this was a good book and I did enjoy it.

My thanks to netgalley and St Martin's Press for this advanced readers copy.

I am torn on this book.  This was part courtroom drama, part twisty, suspense thriller.  It was a read that I plowed through quickly; but felt that the backstory and courtroom segments went on too long.   I spent much of the first 75% of the book being incredulous at how naive the main female character was being.  All of the surprise answers and conclusions were packed into the last 10 to 15 percent of the book. It felt like it took a long time to get to the pay off. and then it was whooshed through fairly quickly.   This book definitely had a bit of everything and I would recommend it to others looking for an exciting read.

Definitely a book I would recommend.  I love when authors use multiple points of view, especially when they are as well developed and intriguing as this author did.  I think that this may be my very first Scottline book, but definitely won't be my last.  While not the typical suspense thriller I love, it did have a few surprises, especially in the end, that gave it that mystery feel.  I do think this one would fall into many different categories as well.

Noah Alderman and Maggie are married.  Everyone is happy, including Noah’s young son.  Until Maggie’s lost but not forgotten daughter moves in with them.  She is 17 and used to doing her own thing.  Then she is murdered.  Noah is on trial for the crime he swears he didn’t commit.  What is the truth?
The more Lisa Scottoline I read, the less I like her books.  Which is disappointing.  
The only character I liked in the whole book was Noah, the man on trial for murdering his step-daughter.  Maggie was annoying and whiney and entirely too accommodating to her daughter, who clearly respected no one and nothing.  
The whole timeline of the story seemed off.  The story itself was plodding in many points.  Also, it was only a couple of weeks between Anna coming to live with the family and her murder.  Yet no one can remember when they didn’t fight?  After just 4 days they all need a weekend at the beach where their roles aren’t all set in stone?  
And then there were the discrepancies.  The trust manager who Anna knew so well even though her dad had just died.  Why would a criminal attorney work for a group of allergist doctors?  A malpractice attorney, sure.  But a criminal one?  If Kathy (Maggie’s best friend) is a teacher, how does she meet Maggie every morning for a walk?  And, more importantly, how does she take all sorts of time off after the murder and during the trial to take care of and be with Noah’s son?  How could Noah throw a punch when he’s handcuffed?  It was snowing a lot, but Maggie could see the front of the farmhouse, but the next page there’s too much snow to see anything.  Easter candy is a caffeinated treasure?
Also, there were so many plot points that just didn’t make sense to me.  I hate to (and never have) written a spoiler in a review.  But I have to this time around.  So, if you are still wanting to read the book, stop reading this review now!



No law enforcement would let a mom ride along on an ambush of where her daughter might be being held.  It just wouldn’t happen.  Much less would the law enforcement let the mom get out of the vehicle and run to the scene of the ambush.  How did Connie known PG had set up to meet Noah and been able to get there from out of state in time to kill her before Noah arrived?  And more than that, why would he kill her before they had their hands on the large inheritance?
It just required too much suspension of disbelief for me in reading a realistic fiction suspense.
However, I do appreciate this book for helping me nail my overall issue with the last few Scottoline books I’ve read:  there is too quick and unrealistic a resolution.