In Another Light by AJ Banner is the kind of book where you'll find yourself awake at 2am furiously flipping pages just to finish and see what happens. No? Just me? It's a quick read both in terms of plot pacing and actual length, and right from the beginning Banner crafts a character you can't help but sympathize with in Phoebe. Your heart will break for her, not just because of the tragedy of her losing her husband and toddler in a car accident years ago, but also because as she digs deeper into her husband's past, perhaps things are even more tragic and full of deceit than she ever could have imagined.

In a stroke of bad luck for this author, I got the ARC of this book at the same time The Likeness by Tana French became available off of my hold list at the library. Why is this bad luck you might ask? Because both books open with a female protagonist being confronted by the dead body of her doppelganger, and then follow her down the rabbit hole of investigating this strange occurrence. Now, had I not already been hyper-aware of the direct comparisons to another (I'm sorry to say better) book I may not have been so attuned to the fact that many of the other twists were nearly exactly the same as some other popular books and movies in the genre (I will not say which to avoid spoilers), but alas...

I will say this was a page turning and a gripping read. For readers who are new to the genre and not as familiar with some of the more common recent twists/tropes, I think this would be full of surprises and a lot of fun. I'm not really sure how I feel about the last 10% of the book and think it may have actually been stronger if it ended sooner, but I'm also a notorious ending-hater. It somehow felt like both too much information and not enough resolution all at the same time. There were loose ends I wanted tied up that weren't, and others tied into a too pretty of a bow in ways that didn't really work for me. Other readers will appreciate it more than me though, I'm sure.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this fun book in exchange for an honest review.

Grief and pain will shape a person and so will finding out details of the past after you think you’ve lost everything. Phoebe’s life is again turned upside down 3 years after losing her husband and daughter in a car accident and the weeks that unfold will leave you unable to put the book down!

Thank you Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for gifting me a copy of In Another Light.

To say that A.J Banner is phenomenal talented writer may be an understatement. To create multidimensional characters that simultaneously evoke both fear and compassion is a gift. Parts of In Another Life are morbid and gritty. Yet, they tether together with the complexity of the characters' relationships and recovery from trauma. I can not promise it will be a book for everyone but having gone through some experiences similar to Phoebe, I felt connected to her and wanted to root for her. It is a book that, while a fast read, will stick with me for a long time.

TW: fatalities, death of child, auto accidents, suicide

This is is the third or fourth book I have read by this author. I keep hoping for more, but I find the stories to be just mediocre. There was a lot happening in this story, and it could have gone a number of different ways. The ending, in this case, was just so-so...not a big revelation, as I think it was supposed to be. The story for me, as a whole, just fell flat.

First, I adore this cover, it caught my eye immediately. My heart ached for Phoebe on every page. Her complexity was beautifully crafted. After suffering an imaginable loss and then being shocked to find a dead woman who looks eerily similar to her, Phoebe's journey takes an unexpected turn. The ending was unguessable and I thought the entire story was crafted with the perfect amount of suspense in the plot and a rich character who drew me in.

Banner is one of my favorite authors and this newest book did not disappoint! A compelling read. Beautifully written, well-thought-out characters, and a developed setting.

A husband living a double life is a familiar trope these days and unfortunately, I didn't think that IN ANOTHER LIGHT qualifies as one of the best in this category. the characters were not particularly compelling and the plot was rather convoluted.

What a well done novel! This book kept me guessing with each and every turn. Phoebe, a mortuary cosmetologist, lost her husband and young daughter in a car accident. Phoebe has had unimaginable grief since that time, and she doesn't recognize who she has become. When a young woman comes into her facility, a younger, but doppelganger of herself, Phoebe decides she has to uncover how this could be true. We begin to see that there is more at play, and Phoebe doesn't know who she can trust or how much of her past isn't what she thought it was. I highly recommend this book. A.J. Banner has exceeded expectations! Thank you to the author, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me a review of an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for an e - ARC in exchange for an honest review!

It is incredible how skillfully the themes of grief and friendship, as well as perceptional misdirection are explored in In Another Light. It made for a gripping read with a steady pace and an interesting plot that keeps you reeled in until the very last page.

Phoebe is the kind of character that you root for throughout the novel, and the way this story unfolds makes you understand her in a refreshing way. The prose is beautiful and the narrative is straightforward, all in all it is a great read.

My rating - 3.5/5

Wow! I had no idea how compelling a read this book would be. From the very start, the storyline drew me in and kept me engaged until I finished it. This novel is a quick, very entertaining read.

The protagonist, Phoebe, has sustained the unthinkable: three years ago her husband and toddler daughter, Ava, were killed in a car accident. Since then, Phoebe has spiraled down into a morass of unresolved grief. Her situation is compounded by her job – she is a sculptress turned professional cosmetologist in a funeral home. The kick-start to the suspense occurs when a young woman is brought to the mortuary; she is a younger version of Phoebe herself and Phoebe recognizes a tattoo on the woman’s arm. It is the same one she saw on her husband’s cell phone before he died.

The story is full of twists and turns as we follow Phoebe down the rabbit hole fueled by her grief and growing suspicions. The author keeps a great balance between evoking compassion for Phoebe while keeping the reader guessing about the legitimacy of her perceptions. Are people lying to her in an effort to protect her or are they part of larger plot to deceive her and prevent her from knowing the truth?

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and highly recommend it if you enjoy psychological drama/suspense novels.

My thanks to the author, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing a digital ARC in exchange for an independent, honest review.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟 3/5 stars

In Another Light is a twisty, quick read about a widow, Phoebe, who works as a mortuary cosmetologist. Three years after tragically losing her husband, a body of a woman comes into the mortuary and is Phoebe’s mirror image. She becomes obsessed with finding out how this woman is connected to her.

This was an easy, entertaining read. The author wastes no time getting to the twists and turns. Phoebe is an interesting main character whose work tied in with the plot and added a different edge to the story. I read this in a few hours and it was fun book to read poolside.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Full review to be posted closer to release date.

If you want an interesting book a page turner you will want to read in a day go for this book!

When you are depressed and have a tragedy that left you alone and empty seeing your double dead in the mortuary you work at can bring havoc to your gloomy life.
Is the mystery woman your clone, relative or ex-husband's lover? Trying to find who she is and how she fits in the tragic story of lost husband and daughter brings Phoebe to discover secrets she couldn't imagine, but it's all true?

I adore A.J. Banner's books so of course I had to have this one and it did not disappoint! Phoebe works in a mortuary as a cosmetologist and when a body comes in who looks almost identical to her, she is thrown for a loop! She's still grieving the loss of her husband and young daughter who died in a tragic car accident but once she sees the tattoo on this woman's arm, she recognizes it as one she once saw on her husband's phone. What? And so begins her journey...how did her husband know this woman? Why do they look alike? And what else was he hiding if that's the case? And was anyone in the mortuary complicit in any of this? It's a wild ride for sure; Banner has us along with Phoebe as she desperately tries to recreate the past and wonder where (and if) things went south! Don't even try to figure it out...just enjoy the ride like it's Disneyland!

Well… THAT wasn’t going where I thought it was!! Let me explain…

You know how some movie trailers basically show all of the action scenes or funny one-liners in the movie? I had that same feeling about this book. Pretty much the whole description happened within the first 50 pages of the book, and I wasn’t really sure what else there was to talk about. Little did I know, that was just the tip of the proverbial iceberg!

Phoebe is a very talented mortuary cosmetologist, dealing with reconstructing the bodies and faces of the dead. Three years ago, she survived a terrible car crash which claimed the lives of her husband, Logan, and her two-year-old daughter, Ava. When a young female, Pauline, comes across her table and Phoebe realizes the striking similarities between herself and the decedent, she goes on a journey of startling discovery. Who was this woman? What happened to her? Why do they look so similar? It can’t be a coincidence… can it? After discovering a picture of herself in the box of Pauline’s belongings, Phoebe follows a trail of breadcrumbs to a shocking discovery.

I’m not sure why, but I had the idea that this would be more of a horror book and less of a mystery-thriller. I had The Autopsy of Jane Doe, a creepy horror movie on Netflix, stuck in my head and kept waiting for the startling realization that it was in fact Phoebe who died in the car wreck and her husband and daughter are alive and thriving. This is in fact not that sort of book. Once I got that idea out of my head, I was able to really get lost in the story. The tragedy, the mystery, and the oh-my-god-I-can’t-believe-she-just-did-that was beyond addicting and I didn’t want it to end! This book had quite the wrap-up which I thoroughly appreciated and left no questions unanswered. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants a quick read that’s both shocking and engaging. Five solid stars! Well done, A.J. Banner, you have yourself a new fan!

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! This book is expected to be published on October 5th, 2021.

Phoebe is a shadow of the woman she used to be, the death of her husband a few years earlier has plunged her into the depths of despair. Her job as a mortuary cosmetologist seems all too fitting now, as she gives only an illusion of life to the dead. Everything stops when Phoebe’s newest “client,” Pauline Steele arrives at the funeral home. She could be Phoebe’s twin, bizarrely right down to their matching tattoos. With a photo of Phoebe found clutched ib Pauline’s hand, Phoebe sets to to try to uncover the truth about this woman and the past they must surely share. Unique and disquieting

Thank You NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing for the chance to read and review this amazing ebook!

This is my first Banner book!. Now I'm hooked. I've already looked at her other books.
This book.grabbed me from the very first page and didn't let me go till I was finished!
A.J. really knows how to write some amazing suspense thriller book! That will keep you on your toes.
This was a fast paced read. With amazing character development.
In would highly recommend this book! Amazing!

Compelling story that had twists that grip from page one and don’t let you go until the end. Questions of backgrounds and loves of each. Makes you question everything and everyone you know

I've never read an A.J. Banner book I didn't love, and this one is no exception! Banner is the queen of the unreliable narrator protagonist and keeps the reader on her toes throughout this book. The characters are unique and richly created. The setting takes on a life of its own. I loved this book!

In Another Light by AJ Banner is absolutely the very best book I have read by her and it was fantastic!

Phoebe, the main character, took my hand and led me on her journey with her. I went along willingly because she was such a convincing, persuasive character. I cared about her and wanted her to be happy.

As I got closer and closer to the end of the book, I wanted so badly to know what was going to happen, but I didn't want to know at the same time. Because once I knew, the book would be over. I really didn't want it to be over.

I'm excited for all of my domestic psychological thriller friends to experience In Another Light. It left me guessing the entire time and just wanting more.

If you're a fan of well done psychological drama or well written books in general, I think you'll enjoy this. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to the publisher, author, and Netgalley for approving my request for an ARC. All thoughts in this review are my own and happily given because I loved this book!