Buckle up, dudes - here’s another chaotic review. 😂 (Sorry in advanced - this is a bit long.)

Let’s start with the good stuff:
- The main plot was interesting and when things really got going I was invested in knowing what was going to happen. Cold case investigations seem to be fairly popular in the mystery genre and it’s really no surprise that I love it. Plus the crime itself was *chefs kiss*. 🤌 We love an affair gone wrong.
- Avery Mason and Walt Jenkins were such a great pair and I think them partnering up is really what got me invested in the story. I really liked both of their characters and their backstories (y’all know I know I love when characters feel real!)
- The twists with the 2021 investigation were very fun and did have me feeling a bit shocked (even though the conclusion I wanted didn’t happen…)

Annnnd now the bad:
- I knew going into this that the 9/11 tragedy was going to be a part of a plot, but that didn’t really stop it from feeling kind of… icky. Maybe I’m just being the sensitive bean that I am, but a fictional tragedy/event could’ve easily been used or insert some random spark to spur reopening the cold case (we see that all the time on crime shows.) Regardless, there were options that could’ve been used and the story would’ve been mostly the same.
- I don’t understand why the synopsis didn’t mention Walt at all. He was very important to the story - basically a second main character.
- There was a lot of information in this story that wasn’t really important to the core plot. Both Walt and Avery had a lot going on and, while it was interesting, it was kind of a lot to process. At one point these sub-plots became the focus of the story and the investigation was sidelined; this random plot change literally gave me whiplash but also annoyed me a lot.

Overall, this book was fine, I guess, despite the gripes I have about it. The audiobook in itself was easy to listen to and the narrator was pleasant (I do wish there had been a couple of narrators to cover all the characters though.) I do think those mystery and true crime lovers will enjoy but brace yourself for a headache. 😅

This was an ARC-audio courtesy of Netgalley and RB Media. Both the audiobook and hardback drop December 28 so get it added to your 2022 TBR!

This was such a great book!! The plot twist was the best!! I will read more of this Author. Her writing was great!!!

Talk about revenge. That epilogue was also great!

As usual, Charlie's books are amazing! This may be my favorite one yet. Thank you for allowing me this early copy. The narrator was wonderful and really kept my attention. The characters in this book are very likable and the suspense was intense! This book keeps you guessing constantly as to what happened, who is the killer, etc, Great ending too! Very surprising!

4 stars

This book is very well written. Not only that it gets you hooked from the first pages, but it keeps your interests picked right till the end.
Another big positive about the book is that, despite approaching the subject of 9/11 that has been exploited in almost every form possible, the author succeeded to take an avenue where he pay his respects to those lost in that tragedy but keeping true to his book and the subject at hand.

There are two great stories here. A woman accused to kill her lover. Her accusation comes to a brutal halt despite the solid evidence once 9/11 happens.

On the other hand we have Avery, the host of American Events who starts investigating this "cold" case. We also have a former FBI agent that is reopening the investigation in the same case.

The only downside of the book, for me personally, was the ending. If felt unrealistic and over the top. Otherwise a solid book and I am glad I've read it.

A big thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for allowing me to read this great book!

Initially, I thought there's going to be a lot of characters to keep track of, but many of them were extras necessary to set a few scenes. The two central characters are relatable with their flaws and battles with their demons. That doesn't necessarily mean they are likeable, but they're not unlikeable. The second half of the book moves a lot faster and serves up two twists. A good listen, thank you.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. With the expected importance of 9/11 to the story, I anticipated a heavy and serious read, but this was not the case. Twenty Years Later is a twisty thriller/mystery/suspense that will keep the reader guessing. There are a couple storylines and many characters that all converge by the end. And the end is jaw-droppingly spectacular. That said, because the story was more of a thriller, I didn't love how the author used 9/11 to start the story and trigger the events. I wish the author had made up a different disaster or used something not as triggering to people for a thriller that has little to do with one of America's greatest tragedies.

Rating: 4/5

Wooooow there are times when you just dip into a story while busy with all the things going on around you and suddenly you are drawn into it and don't want to stop until you're finished.
This happened with this fabulous book Twenty Yers After which starts with a gruesome murder that is supposed to be solved quite quickly if it were not for the events of nine eleven that put a sudden stop to the investigation as the main suspect died during this horrible attack.
Twenty years later everything comes up again as an investigative TV presenter who by the way is a super strong lady with plenty of flaws and secrets to hide herself, comes across this story.
I will not give away too much of the plot. Just get on this crazy, deeply moving ride and enjoy it.
thanks #Netgalley #RB Media Recorded books for an advanced listening copy of this book

Avery Mason has made a name for herself as an investigative journalist.  After securing the job as host of the TV show American Events, ratings are through the roof.  Hearing about a DNA match from September 11th twenty years ago, Avery heads to New York under the ruse of chasing the story of Victoria Ford.  Flying under the radar, Avery has more than just the story on her mind, she has a few other things to take care of first!  A fast paced listen/read with some mighty fine twists!  While I thought the audio voice was OK, preferred reading this book. Hats off to you Mr. Donlea!

⭐⭐⭐.6 rounded up
Twenty years ago no one listened ~ to understand the present one needs to listen to the past!

As the title indicates this story has two plots in two time lines ~ present and twenty years ago.

Past : Story starts with Avery Mason, who is the host of ‘American Events’ ~ which she has made a hit!
Avery’s real name is Claire Montgomery, daughter of Gath Montgomery who was accused of a 30 billion dollar Ponzi scheme. However, before he goes to trial, he goes missing.
Avery has changed her name and no one knows she is his daughter

Present : The FBI believes Avery knows where he is hiding.

Past: Summer 2001, A grizzly murder at a mansion in the Catskills involving the bestselling author, Cameron Young is big news; especially when a ‘S & M’ sex video mergers showing Victoria Ford in the video and thus killing her lover. She is quickly accused.
On September 11, 2001, Victoria calls her sister Emma Ford telling her that she is in the North Tower of the Trade Center and a plane has crashed into the building. Her last words are of her begging her sister to prove her innocence ~ she claims she has no idea how the crime scene was covered with her DNA.
At that time ~no one listened.

<b>Present :</b> New DNA technology found on Victoria’s body has Avery curious and is digging and listening to the past!

Personal Note: I wasn’t sure this story was going to work for me.
 I learned more about S&M than I wanted to know.
 I am not a fan of nasty language; I can tolerate if the story is good.
 The language seemed nastier than I remember in the other four Donlea’s novels I read.
I hung in there as the story had me curious. Glad I did as I liked the twist.
I figured Charlie Donlea wouldn’t let me down.

Want to thank NetGalley and RB Media this audio eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for December 28, 2021

Charlie Donlea presents a brilliant and complex psychological suspense about a woman who is accused of murder right before 9/11. Years later, a reporter and the woman's sister strive to prove the woman's innocence.
This was fast-paced and excellent on audio. The cadence of the narrator's voice made listening to it very enjoyable. The plot flowed well and the ending produced several twists.

I absolutely loved everything about this one!!

Such a great storyline and I loved Avery! Avery is a journalist who goes to NY after a body was identified to be one of someone who was a victim of the 9/11 attack … 20 years later. This body belonged to Victoria who was accused of murder right before she died!

I throughly enjoyed uncovering the mystery with Avery in this one!! Such a great audio and I’ll definitely be picking up a physical copy for a re-read!

Easy five stars from me.

Avery Mason hosts a reality show that exposes some of the seedier, more sensational stories in the news. Her newest show revolves around the first DNA identification of a 9/11 victim in years. That’s a big enough story already, but it turns out that the victim, Victoria Ford was accused of murdering her married lover. Victoria’s sister, Emma has never given up hope that her sister would be found, and now that she has, Emma intends to prove that Victoria didn’t kill anyone. Emma is hoping that Avery, with all her connections will be able to help. But Avery’s main goal is to improve her ratings and Emma has no idea how far down the rabbit hole she’ll have to go to get answers. Leheny is a competent narrator, although mispronunciation of some words is a little jarring

I want to extend my sincere thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for this audiobook in return for an honest review. Charlie Donlea proves he can write a complex, twisty plot with jaw-dropping twists and revelations. However, there were so many subplots, the book seemed convoluted and bloated and veered off in so many directions with unnecessary padding. It was longer than I felt appropriate for telling a coherent, straightforward story. This detracted from its intensity and suspense for me.

I think that the search for the truth behind a murder in July 2001 that took place in the Catskill Mountains would have made a fluid, fast-paced story without all the distractions along the way. The murder victim was a bestselling novelist found naked and hanging from a balcony. Evidence revealed he had been engaged in violent sex with a woman whose DNA was recovered from blood and urine at the crime scene. A sex tape was also found in the home. The woman was identified as Victoria Ford, and she was accused of murder. On September 11, she met with her lawyer on the 80th floor of the WTC North Tower.

He tells her there is every chance she will be convicted of the crime. At that moment, a plane crashes into the building. The case never went to court, and the tragedy took minds off the scandal surrounding the author's murder and focused thoughts on terrorism. After 20 years, some may feel it is too soon to exploit the memory of the 911 heartbreaking disaster in a crime thriller.

Moving forward to 2021, new technology has identified Victoria as a WTC victim from her DNA in a tiny bone fragment. Avery Mason is the anchor of a popular TV news magazine. She is highly driven and intense, demanding a higher salary due to her ratings. She decides to pursue the story of the new DNA technology and the newly identified victim. She learns that Victoria was the murder suspect in an old crime involving a famous author that involved kinky sex with a woman, not his wife. She feels she can exploit this old story for ratings gold. Her audience will be glued to a program about a scandalous crime and follow her program intently.

Avery is actually Claire Montgomery. Her father was the notorious Garth Montgomery. He was indicted for a large Ponzi scheme known as the Thief of Manhattan. He embezzled 30 billion from clients and then disappeared. Avery changed her name to escape the humiliation of her father's crimes. She also is haunted by a past tragedy where her brother drowned when their boat capsized.

Walt Jenkins was a young detective assigned to the murder case 20 years earlier. He reluctantly retired from the FBI and is now living in Jamaica. He is recalled as a consultant by the FBI. They have been searching for Garth Montgomery, and Walt's assignment is to team up with Avery and try to discover her father's whereabouts.

After a visit to Emma, sister of the late Victoria, Avery obtains tapes of phone calls made in her final moments after the plane struck the WTC. She pleads with Emma to establish her innocence and exonerate her from a crime she did not commit. Avery and Walt are drawn into a personal relationship, and both start to believe that perhaps Victoria was not a murderer. They examine old forensic evidence that shows Victoria may have been set up for the murder and false evidence planted at the murder scene.

The story got off to a slow start but now picks up its pace. Again, subplots get in the way. The ending is startling and shocking, and the author certainly succeeded in misleading the readers! I believe, despite some misgivings, that this will be a popular book that will entertain the majority of its readers.

Wasn't what I expected. I thought it would be a much more unique structure that plays with time more. Part of the mystery was pretty easy to guess 25% or so in.

Also, the MC, Avery makes no sense. Who changes their name and spends their whole adult life hiding their past just to go running back to help the one person who could ruin their life? It makes the character completely counterintuitive and not written well.

The narrator, as always, is brilliant!

I have to thank Netgalley and RB Media publishers for this ALC.

Yes 20 years after 9/11 world has changed. What can we done more and what really happend that that to a woman. There are several leads but just one is correct.

The story ia well written and detailed but for me was maybe a litlle to much details. I missed passion in the characters or I missed it. I am sorry not worked for me.

Absolutely terrific story!!

I was on the edge of my seat!
There were so many twists and turns in this one, but as it unraveled, I knew there was no stopping until until I knew how it'd end - and God, I didn't see that coming.

Pretty much listened to this audiobook book in two sessions, I kept going through laundry, cooking cleaning and colouring, even when I should have been sleeping!
I'd definitely recommend it and as this was my first Charlie Donlea, I'll be chasing more of his.

Thanks so much RB Media, via Netgalley, for gifting me an audiobook copy for review - can't wait for more!

I really enjoyed how this one wove together the various plot lines. From early on, I was curious as to where the book would go and enjoyed the twists at the end.