Unfortunately, this was a miss for me and the story felt rather boring. The characters almost felt too similar to one another, which made it difficult for me to keep track of the storylines.

Not many people can get a psychological thriller right, sometimes they mess up in the end and sometimes itshard to simply dive into it. But Cristina did a pretty good job at easing the reader into the story and slayeddd the ending! i would recommend it during a short trip or something

It was a fast paced thriller . The killer was someone i never suspected , loved the surprise at the end.. The characters were grey and that added to the mystery of the book . I suspected everyone except the killer

In A.J. Banner's After Nightfall, this gripping thriller would have you at the edge of your seat and would leave you jaw-dropping speechless. It all started at Marissa's engagement party with a close knit of family and friends. That's when her best friend Lauren acted strange and flirted with her fiance Nathan. She whispered she had something to tell her. But during the next day, she never got a chance to find out why, when she discovered Lauren's dead body on the beach. While the police believed she might had something to do with it, she would do anything to prove otherwise. She also became suspicious of other people including Nathan and his brother's wife Hedra. With every clue and piece of the puzzle, she didn't know what to believe when there were other clues that pointed elsewhere. She also had to dealt with Anna, her future step-daughter, and Nathan's ex Rianne. Little by little, Hedra had an accidental OD on medication and a neighbor of hers almost drowned and died. While Marissa recalled bits and pieces of her past with Lauren, she focused on who could do such a selfless thing to kill her best friend. The closer she had gotten to the truth, the most disturbing it would be on who would come after her next when it was right under her nose in an explosive climax.

Marissa Parlette is newly engaged to Nathan, an EMT, and working on integrating herself into his life and that of his young daughter, Anna. She is also trying to slowly reconcile with Nathan's neighbor, Lauren, who also happens to be Marissa's childhood best friend. The two parted ways after an incident in college. But then--after a dinner party at Nathan's to celebrate his birthday--Marissa awakens early and finds Lauren's battered body at the bottom of the cliff behind her house. What happened to Lauren? Did she jump? Fall? Or was she pushed? Marissa starts to investigate what happened, but soon finds she can't trust anything or anyone, including her own fiance.

This was my second A.J. Banner book, and it was a bit of a strange one. I didn't enjoy it as much as The Twilight Wife, but it is definitely a quick and interesting read. I flew through the pages, as Bannon is extremely good at casting suspicion on everyone in the novel. It becomes apparent quickly that Lauren's death wasn't an accident, so you start trying to guess who did it, and while everyone seems a suspect, I had difficultly figuring out "whodunnit," which was fun.

Not so fun was the fact that Marissa, our main character, drove me a bit crazy. I understand that she would be upset by the death of her former best friend, but she became utterly obsessed, investigating in a strange tunnel vision sort of way that seemed almost deranged. Yet, it seemed like she was clueless in some ways, unable to grasp some facts that were pretty easy for the rest of us to figure out. She was also rather self-centered, insecure, and whiny, and I had a tough time rooting for her. I really didn't enjoy any of the characters, honestly, beside Nathan's daughter, Anna. (Poor kid; she didn't deserve having to live with any of those people.)

Overall, I enjoyed the page-turner aspect of this one, and the fact I was constantly kept guessing. The characters and their weird motivations? Eh. Not so much. Still, this was a quick, easy read. 3 stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).

When Lauren, Marissa's childhood friend, falls to her death after a dinner party, it soon becomes apparent that it was no accident. But who would want Lauren,--wife, mother, and friend--dead? As the list of suspects continues to grow, it seems that no one is to be trusted.

I doubted the innocence of every character in the book, from Nathan (where was he going in the middle of the night?) to Lauren's husband (was he tired of her flirting?) to Marissa herself, who perhaps had the best motive of all to want Lauren to end up at the bottom of a cliff.

Overall, this is a very solid mystery and an entertaining read. Banner does a wonderful job depicting the setting, and the characters are well-developed. It certainly kept me turning the pages and kept me guessing about what actually happened, right to the very end.

The story opens with a small engagement party. Marissa, a speech pathologist, has agreed to marry Nathan Black, the divorced father of nine-year-old Anna. At the party are Lauren and her husband Jensen, Nathan's next-door neighbors. Lauren was also Marissa's best childhood friend, but became estranged in college and have only recently reconnected. Also present are Nathan's cardiac surgeon brother, Keith, and his skittish wife, Hedra. To say that the evening is awkward is a major understatement. And things only get stranger later that night when Marissa catches Nathan sneaking out at 2:05 a.m. and finds Lauren dead at the bottom of a steep, rocky cliff the next morning.

Did Lauren fall? Or was she pushed? Where was Nathan going at that hour of the night? Has he been completely honest with her? What about Hedra's bizarre behavior, that included running from the dinner table to the bathroom, and whispering between her and Nathan in the hallway?

The more Marissa seeks answers, the deeper into a mysterious web of lies, deceit, betrayal, and secrets she finds herself. And the investigating detective is becoming increasingly curious about the fact that Marissa manages to happen upon or be at the center of events that require police and medical intervention far more often than is remotely normal.

In A. J. Banner's deftly-plotted mystery, every character -- without exception -- becomes a suspect and nothing is as it seems on the surface. At one point, Marissa finds her own footprints outside of Nathan's house and discovers her shoes are wet, with grass and debris clinging to them. But she doesn't remember donning them or walking through the woods. So how did they get that way? Is Nathan's wife, Rianne, really "unhinged," as he claims? Has he been faithful to her? And what did Lauren want to tell Marissa following the engagement party, when she promised they would speak the following morning?

The story moves at a fast pace, never bogging down as the clues mount but then seem to lead to dead ends. Motives abound, but the questions that continue to nag Marissa believably center around Nathan's behavior. After all, what happened to Marissa in college is revealed, along with details about her relationship with Nathan, at expertly-timed intervals, demonstrating that her wariness is well-founded.

When Banner finally reveals what happened on that fateful night, readers will be shocked and likely find themselves re-reading the opening sequence of the book. Because, after all, the conversation during that engagement party foreshadows what is to come and demonstrates Banner's intricate plot and nearly flawless manner in which she executes it in After Nightfall.

I read this one awhile back with my Traveling Sisters and I am finally just writing a review for this one. It's short and maybe not so sweet.

After Nightfall is a fast-paced, quick easy and short read with a little suspense. The dynamics between the characters are messy with some drama to drive the story forward. However, for us twisted sisters we like our thrillers to be a little darker and twister.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and A. J. Banner for an ARC to read and review

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in return for my review based on my honest opini

This is the second book I have read by this author, I like her style of writing but this book had issues for me. I read the ebook and feel that mine was corrupt as pages of the book were just blank in the middle of a chapter. I read the book anyway as I was enjoying the story, but it was like going for a snack while watching a movie and missing part of it, you obviously missed something but could still follow along.

Melissa, on the eve of her engagement party has her childhood friend, that she recently reconnected with, invited her and she makes everything seems a little too full of tension. to make matters worse, she ends up dead at the bottom of a cliff the next morning. How did she end up there, did she fall, did she jump or was she pushed, Melissa has taken it upon herself to investigate this mystery, the town clearly does not need a police force with Melissa running around following her leads, which seems like a stretch to me as she is speech therapist. I really liked Melissa in the first part of the book, she seemed reasonable and caring but then about two thirds of the way through, she was doubting everything and quite unreasonable I thought.

All in all, it was an okay book, it was hard to read with the missing pages but I would probably read another book by this author.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was suspenseful from start to finish. I came up with multiple theories as I read this book. This is the kind of book that makes you suspect almost everyone. This is a short, exciting book worth reading if you enjoy a good page-turner.

Marissa Parlette holds a lot of old resentment toward her friend that she wants to put behind her as she begins a new chapter of her life with her fiancé. So she invites her friend to a dinner party to celebrate her engagement, but the dinner doesn’t goes as planned and she regrets trying to reconcile things with her friend.

Later she takes some sleeping pills to forget the awful night, but unfortunately the worse is yet to come. In the early morning hours she finds her friend’s lifeless body at the bottom of a rocky cliff near her house and feeling guilty, she sets out on a mission to find out what happened. The more she tries to find out, “the more she questions everything she thought she knew about her friends, the man she once trusted, and even herself.”

This is the first book I have read by this author, but it definitely will not be the last.

*** I received an arc from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. ***

Marissa is celebrating her boyfriend Nick’s birthday by having a small dinner at his home. The evening does not go well due to Marissa’s childhood friend Lauren incessantly flirting with all the male guests. Marissa and Lauren’s friendship was recently restored when Lauren moved next door but this night she is acting strangely. The night weighs on the guests including Nick’s sister in law, Hedra, who is withdrawn throughout the evening. Nick’s tween daughter avoids the adults and spends the evening in her room texting. The evening would have been a disaster had Nick not proposed to Marissa at the end of the evening.

The next morning Marissa takes a walk on the beach near Nick’s home and finds one of her overnight guests dead. Everyone who attended the party becomes a suspect in Lauren's eyes and their erratic behaviors are scrutinized. Was this death accidental or something premeditated? As Marissa searches for answers, she begins to suspect everyone, including her fiance.

After Nightfall is an engaging story full of twists and turns. A. J Banner continues to keep me guessing with her well-written thrillers. I look forward to her next book.

What should have been a happy night for Marissa ended up being a nightmare. She was engaged to Nathan and it was the night of their engagement party when things take a turn for the worse. Nathan’s daughter, Anna was there along with Nathan’s brother and his wife. Marissa’s best friend, Marissa, was also there with her husband.

Lauren has been flirting with Nathan all night when she has to leave to pick up her daughter. Marissa walks her to the door and asks her about flirting with her fiancée. Lauren blames it on the wine and asks Marissa if they can talk the next day-about Nathan. Lauren said it’s important.

That conversation never happens because Marissa discovers Lauren’s body on the beach the next day.

No one is saying anything! Was it an accident or was it intentional?

This book will keep you wandering. I highly recommend reading it!

A rapid-paced thriller that had some moments, but overall it was just an ok read for me. I think I prefer my thrillers just a bit darker. (Just a tiny bit🙈)

What should have been an exciting dinner party to announce Marissa's engagement, turns sour with everyone selfishly caught up in their own issues and agendas.
The following morning, a member of the dinner party is found dead. Can the police find the killer before they strike again? Who would have the motive to commit murder?

This book just fell short for me. I would catch myself chuckling as the lead characters always managed to conveniently find the clues, then directing the police to them…every-time! 🙄
Occasionally I can go along with that ride. But this was just was a bit too much over-the-top for me.

There are some great reviews out there for this book, so if you’re looking for a quick, light thriller then give this one a try!

A buddy read with Susanne!🌸

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and A. J. Banner for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Omg what a great read this was. A.J Banner has written another gripping plot twisting page turner. Everytime I thought I had worked it out A.J throws in another twist that I didn't see coming. Deliciously suspenseful and hard to put down, I devoured it. #ajbanner #netgalley #bookcouture #tea_sipping_bookworm

Last year I read The Twilight Wife and loved it, so I was so excited to read Banner's new book. Marissa's childhood friend, Lauren comes her engagement party and the next morning Lauren is found dead on the beach. This synopsis drew me in right away and I couldn't wait to start this. I breezed through this so fast because I just had to know the ending and also this book was very short. I didn't trust any of the characters but Banner still managed to surprise me at the end. This was probably one of my top summer suspense novels of 2018. 4.5 huge stars!
Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review!

Thanks NetGalley for sending me an ARC copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

I really liked this book. I couldn’t wait to finish it to see who the killer was and I wasn’t disappointed. The last time I read a thriller I guessed who the culprit was on page 64 so I’m glad AJ Banner didn’t give the game away early. I really liked the characters although I felt that Marissa became annoying about 75% in to the book. I did think it ended rather abruptly though so I couldn’t give it 5 stars.

After all the amazing reviews, I was thrilled when I received and ARC copy, and couldn't wait to devour A.J. Banner's After Nightfall.

Truth is... I didn't devour it.  I actually almost gave up on it. 

After Nightfall revolves around the death of Lauren who may have fallen, been pushed, or jumped after being found dead at the bottom of a cliff.  Lauren's death occurs following a dinner/engagement party hosted by Lauren's friend Marissa, and her fiancé Nathan.  Unfortunately, the dinner party, which occurs in the beginning of the book, was the most tension-filled and exciting part of the book.  Sad, but true.  After Lauren's death Marissa becomes obsessed with knowing what happened to her, blaming almost everyone she knows; in doing so Marissa finds herself in some questionable and unrealistic circumstances.

In the end, I found the story to be dull, and quite forced.  I felt some of the back story was unnecessary, and found some of it to make little sense.  The characters are very one dimensional, and lacked anything relatable.  All-in-all I just wasn't that into this thriller.  I will say, Banner kept me guessing 'til the end on whodunit, so that's a plus.

I loved the idea of this book. Marissa and Lauren have a difficult past but they're trying to patch things up. On the night of Marissa's engagement party, Lauren leaves early and the next day Marissa finds Lauren dead at the bottom of the cliff. Did she fall, or did something more sinister happen?

What I loved about this book is the author's ability to cast doubt on every main character. Even Marissa, whose viewpoint is the only one of the book, was a suspect in my opinion. I began to wonder if maybe she did it and somehow blocked it out. I suspected the youngest kid in the book. I thought it could be ANYONE. And I loved that!

However, the dialogue was rather choppy to me. And there were points in the book where I craved more ACTION, but the descriptions seemed to go on FOREVER. I felt like this had the makings for a great mystery if maybe just a little more time had been spent on the editing process.

Overall it was a good story with a few mistakes. Still a great read though!

I've been in a major book slump lately. This is one of those books to get you out of it!

It's a quick read, easy to follow (minus my temporary amnesia in the beginning keeping track of character's names), and the ending was perfect. Also a bonus: it hooked me right away. Books have not had that pull for me lately so it was a relief this one picked up right in the middle of the drama and kept me going.

Was the ending abrupt? Heck yes. I was warned about that because right in the front page on Goodreads, someone asks about the ending and if there is a sequel. So I already had the heads up that most likely it would feel like things weren't completely tied up and there might be some loose ends.

Aside from all that, the book was so engaging and interesting I don't even care if the ending was a bit sudden. To me, everything was wrapped up nicely and kept me interested the whole way through. This is the first book I devoured in a long time.

The characters were relatable and the pacing of the story was perfect. There was just enough amount of suspense to keep you invested.

Don't skip this one! If you weren't a fan of her previous works, I think this one will change your mind. Maybe the semi spoiler that it ends abruptly will help you get over that fact. Had I not known, I might have disliked the book and rated it lower.

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review of this book.
I loved this story. Marissa is newly engaged to Nathan, a single dad. She has a seemingly picture perfect life, except for the strained relationship between her and her long lost friend, Lauren. After a dinner party, Lauren is found dead at the bottom of a cliff. Was it an accident or was it intentional? A handful of people were at the party and the list of what if's gets longer by the minute. As the events of this story unfolded and I got to know the characters, I had so many theories of what happened and who was to blame popping into my head. AJ is a master of twists and turns, to the very last page! This book grabs your interest from the very start and doesn't let go until the last page. I will definitely be recommending this book to friends, along with AJ's other books. Thank you for the copy and the chance to read it early!