I enjoyed this book. Although it did have a bit of a magazine serial feel about it, with dramatic scenes which would have made good weekly cliff hangers.

The characters were good and there was a lot of pointing fingers at characters, then turning out to be nothing.

It isn't the greatest book I've ever read, but would recommend it as a good read.

Marissa Is newly engaged to Nathan, a single dad with a young daughter. At their engagement party, Marissa’s old friend from college, Lauren, drinks a little too much and flirts with Nathan. This brings back bad memories and reminds Marissa of the reason their friendship ended years ago. They had just reconciled and started being friends again after about 16 years. The next morning Marissa goes out for a walk on the beach and finds Lauren’s body at the bottom of a cliff. From here the story picks up the pace. The author does a great job with red herrings. I didn’t trust anyone and I thought everybody was guilty! The only thing I think that needs improvement is the book could have been a little bit longer and delved into the backstory more of Lauren and Marissa. This is a very fast and fun read. I would recommend it to readers who like fast pace mysteries. Thank you to the author and Net Galleyfor allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A.J. Banner is a fantastic author that keeps your attention with every page! I absolutely loved this book from beginning to end! I couldn't even put it down! It's a mystery/thriller where Marissa's old friend/enemy turned friend again, Lauren, is found dead after a dinner party. Things get so crazy from there! Things keep happening around Marissa that makes her question everything and everyone.
And as an added bonus to me it was awesome to see my hometown in there too! Spokane, WA!! Yay!!
This book was fun!!
Happy reading!!

I received this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

I enjoyed this book, some parts were a little slow but then something would happen which would hook me in even more. This book had me guessing until the end and I love a good mystery.

I read the authors previous book, The Twilight Wife, and also gave it three stars. At this point as much as I want to like the author, it’s a case of “three stars and you’re out.” Goodreads considers three stars rating to mean “I liked it,” and I did. There are just too many four star or five star reads out in the world that I would rather spend time with. I suppose that the good news is that my critiques for this book are different from the first book that I read. This book has plenty of twists and turns. The plot is interesting and there is a good amount of mystery and sinister characters. However, this book is sick with one of my least favorite book diseases, which is underdeveloped characters! The college backstory seemed flimsy, and the protagonist had no defining qualities aside from the backstory. The other characters were the same. Through stronger characterization, the author could have painted in color and shading for all the characters, but instead they were black and white sketch versions with unrealized potential. Deep and nuanced characters are very important to me so this is definitely the reason for less stars in my rating.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC.

I love the kind of book that has you shifting in your seat in anticipation of what's to come, and this book did just that! I have read a few of Banner's previous novels and I can tell the the books keep getting better and better. This one is my favorite so far and I look forward to more in the future. I recommend this one.

The style likened back to the moody gothics that I used to read. A great who-dun-it. The cast of characters, Marissa (who is the voice of the novel), her boyfriend Nathan, their neighbors Jensen and Lauren Eklund, Keith and Hedra, Nathan's brother and his wife, and Riann and Anna, Nathan's ex-wife and daughter. You will find yourself following the clues and pointing a finger at each one in turn until you reach the very surprising end. Lots of plot twists make for a quick read. Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read and review the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book was a desk suspenseful thriller, with lots of twists. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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

I loved this book! So many twists and turns it kept me guessing right up to the end. Every time I thought I figured out who the killer was I was wrong. If you're looking for a good thriller, mystery, this book is for you!

Thank you to #NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a eARC copy.

My review on Goodreads: So - first off, the thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review. I actually finished it in just over a day---the desire to keep turning those pages was non-stop. BUT, why didn't I give it a full 5-stars? Well, (and I'm being HONEST here), the book does have a few problems. I know it's an ARC, so I'm hoping the author gets them weeded out before going to print. Basically, there were so many twists and turns that I got confused/impatient at times. She's a great writer, and I found myself "seeing" the characters, but if I were reviewing on partial stars, I'd probably go with 3.5 or 3.75 for some of the "extra" scenes that seemed to be put in just to throw the reader off track. I also thought that ending scene was unnecessary---but again, did I enjoy it? Did it make me keep reading? Will I read her next one? Yes, yes, and YES!!! Thanks again! :)

I give this book 3.5 stars. I am torn about how to articulate this review because I finished this book in about 4 days; it held my attention and was an easy read for me. Typically when I am able to fly through a book that quickly, I am completely captivated by it but I feel as if I am going to forget about After Nightfall just as quickly as I zipped through it. I really wanted to love this book, but I wasn't really attached to any of the characters and was indifferent as to whether I wanted Nathan and Marissa to stay together. I was also underwhelmed by the ending as it went off in too many different directions and didn't give me much closure. Overall, this is a good pick for a quick, vacation read but don't expect to remember it once you get back to reality.

Very interesting.. I did not see the ending being what it was... I still have questions though but it was an excellent book

I loved this book! It hooked me from the very first page. I started it this morning and finished it this afternoon. If you are looking for a book that is about friendship, secrets, and murder then you want to pick this book up. This book kept me guessing until the ending. The biggest twist to me was who the killer was. A.J. Banner is one of my go to authors and she wrote another amazing book!
Thanks Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for approving me for an advance copy to review!

I love that cover! I was only going to read a chapter because I knew if I had plans to read it all the library books I have on hold would all come at once. After that first chapter I wasn't so sure I'd like the book that much. But then I was flying through the pages. I couldn't get enough. What happened to Lauren?! All the little tidbits are weaved together to create a clever story. Everyone is seen as suspicious, they all have secrets. I loved how the book ended. I was surprised at the big reveal, again I appreciate the cleverness, but I wasn't totally crazy about it. But this was still a tense, enjoyable page-turner for me.

I loved this book. Started it this morning and finished it in the afternoon. So good and very well written. To sum it up best: Friendship, Family, Secrets, Betrayal. Murder ! But who did it ? And a really unexpected twist at the end. This book is superb and I look forward to reading more books by this author ! If you choose this book, you will enjoy every minute spent reading it !

Imagine your best friend in childhood comes back into your life. She is at the dinner party where you are going to announce your engagement. She gets very drunk and flirts with your fiancé who doesn’t discourage her.
You have trouble sleeping and go out for an early morning walk only to discover the horror of your friend dead in the water. You will never forget her face. You can’t get over that you will never work out some of your issues.
You decide you must find out who killed her. But the more you dig, the more you find out secrets from people you know and love. And maybe you keep popping up at tragic events and look like a suspect yourself.....

Wow. If you're a fan of psychological suspense, love those "beware of friends with secrets" novels, then this is one for you!