A medium-pased, tense mystery with good character development. I was intrigued by this story and kept guessing as to what the end would be. Enjoyed it quite a bit, but the ending felt rushed and the epilogue left some things unclear. A few loose-ends, which would only have taken a few chapters to wrap up.

Thanks to NetGallery for this Arc


Overall I thought the book was slow and not much as a thriller/suspenseful as I had hoped for

After the End
by Barbara Abel
Pub Date: Dec. 9, 2025
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.
In this riveting domestic thriller, a standalone sequel to Mothers’ Instinct, a recent divorcée and her two children befriend their new neighbors, only to realize there's something dangerously unsettling about the couple next door.
After the End is the follow up novel to Abel's book, Mothers' Instinct. This book can not be read as a stand alone. I strongly recommend reading Mothers' Instinct first in order to understand the character dynamics.
This was, like the first novel, exceptionally well written. An edge of your seat, can't look away, page-turner. This is what I want and expect from a psychological thriller.

The very end was a stumble in my opinion. I don't often say a book needs an epilogue but I would have liked a little more closure for these characters.

Creepy neighbors, hidden secrets, and a mother’s worst fears.. Dark and addictive, it follows Nora’s fresh start as it unravels into something far more sinister. The slow-build tension and psychological twists kept me hooked, even if a few moments felt predictable. Still, it’s a chilling reminder that you never really know your neighbors.

After the End is a suspenseful book that keeps the reader on edge right up until the end. The book is centered around Nora as she moves into a new house with her two children. She meets the neighbors, the Geniots, There are some hints that something dark and tragic happened with the Genoits in the past. The reader is given enough clues to want to keep reading, but not enough to spoil the ending. I like the author’s writing style and will definitely be tracking down her other books.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this book.

Slow burn to a suspenseful twisty-ending! Really fun character building with the 40 something Mom's, busy husbands and loathing teens- I was right there in my feels. Lots of sneaky snippets that keep leading you to think you know what is coming, but you will not guess it! Well written and a fast read that is great for a cozy weekend mystery!

Creepy neighbors, buried secrets, and a mother’s worst fears. This one got under my skin…

Dark, eerie, and totally addictive—this domestic thriller had me suspicious of everyone. Nora’s new start quickly spirals as her seemingly perfect neighbors reveal some chilling secrets. The tension builds beautifully, and the slow unraveling of the past had me hooked.

The pacing is steady, more psychological than action-packed, but the dread creeps in chapter by chapter. I knocked off a star for a few predictable moments, but overall, this was a haunting, twisty ride with serious “you never really know your neighbors” energy.

This book could not keep my interest even though I had so much hope for it. I feel like every time I went to pick up a book, it was never this one that I was going for.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
Nora’s marriage is falling apart. Her husband works all the time, has a temper and she wants out. She takes her two children and moves to a half house. As her new life begins as a teachers aide she needs a sitter for her children so she asks the neighbor. Nora is soon to find out there is something strange about the next door couple. Should she worry? Are her and the children safe here?

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperVia for this advance reader’s copy, in exchange for an honest review. “After the End” has an expected publication date of December 9, 2025.
And you can check out all my reviews at my Raised on Reading (www.raisedonreading.com) book blog.
I understand that mysteries are chock full of twists and turns, always attempting to keep the reader off balance. But “After the End” made me lose my balance at times, and it wasn’t a good feeling.
The story is set in a Paris, France suburb, and opens with a Prologue detailing someone calling the police because they believe someone is breaking into their house. Okay, that caught my attention. But the narrative then shifts to “Several Weeks Earlier” and doesn’t touch on aspects of the Prologue until the next-to-last chapter. For me, that was too much of a gap. The connection was lost.
In the main narrative, Nora Depardieu has just left her work-obsessed husband Gerard. She takes her two children, Ines age 13 and Nassim age 8, and moves into the house next door to Tiphaine and Sylvain Geniot. We quickly learn that Tiphaine and Sylvain used to live in the house Nora has moved into. It was there their 8-year-old son Maxime died when he fell from a second-story window.
Almost immediately following Maxime’s tragic death, the husband and wife living next door died (murder or suicide?), leaving their 8-year-old son, Milo, an orphan. Somehow, despite initially being suspects in the couple’s deaths, Tiphaine and Sylvaine were able to become Milo’s legal guardians. AND they move into the dead couple’s home to maintain continuity for Milo.
Yes, it’s getting convoluted.
And contrived.
And unrealistic.
The scenarios that follow are equally contrived. Like, Nora is sitting on her back porch with her best friend one evening just a day or two after moving in. Tiphaine pops her head over the hedges and offers to share a joint with them.
Really??!!
Or Tiphaine, while watching Nassim one afternoon, coaxes him to lean further and further out from his bedroom window until he almost falls. Is she that demented that she wants some twisted revenge for her own negligence of her son’s death?
Also, the storyline makes regular reference to “the Events” surrounding Milo’s parents’ deaths, indicating Tiphaine and Sylvaine had something to do with it. But we never learn anything about those “events.”
Beyond the convoluted storyline, the novel’s structure leaves a lot to be desired. This could be, at least in part, because it was translated from its original French format. But that shouldn’t account for chapters all too often ending in the middle of a scene, completely abandoning the book’s flow.
Just two out of five stars for “After the End.” No redeeming value here.

Saying "stand alone" sequel , was a little confusing to me. I wasn't sure if it was a stand alone book or a sequel so it took me some time to look the author up and see that this is indeed a sequel. The names threw me a bit. Nora decides she wants to get away from her husband, so she takes her two kids and leaves. She moves in next door to Tiphaine, who used to live in Nora's house, and is now raising the neighbor boy after events that occurred in the first book. It becomes clear that Tiphaine is not ok mentally. Nora's husband disappears. Kidnapping. Affairs. Gaslighting. This book has it all. I just did not care for it-too messed up for me.

Feels very French pulp thriller. Which is NOT a bad thing. I definitely was on the edge of my seat for the last 30% of this book. Not having read or seen Mothers Instinct (since this is a standalone sequel), I was a little lost as to why the first half of the book wasn’t exploring the mystery of Milo and the Genoits. I feel like there could have been a better balance of adding suspense while keeping it entertaining for people who read Mothers Instinct. Because of this I felt like the beginning of the book felt very obvious and a little dull. I wasn’t sure what I was actually supposed to be expecting.

What I LOVED about the book was how cinematic it felt. The setting was so clearly painted and these characters were absolutely fascinating. I was always curious to see what they did next. Sometimes they felt a little like caricatures but overall were fascinating to observe and learn about.

The entire plot felt like a mini series and was definitely worth a read. This may not be a stand out read to me but it certainly was enjoyable

This was a page turner, for sure! I was hooked immediately from the beginning. My only issue is that I didn’t realize I should have read Mothers Instinct first, so I felt a bit confused about the lead up and history. I also think some things escalated too quickly. I wish there was more wrap up in an epilogue.

Thank you for this ARC!

When a mother of 2 leaves her husband and moves into a house in the suburbs she thinks it’s the perfect place for a fresh start. She soon finds out that something sinister happened in her house and that not everything is what it seems in this quiet idyllic neighborhood. This was a great book and there was many twists and turns in this book. I loved the way the story was told from the different characters’ perspectives because it really helped you learn their personalities. I didn’t want to stop reading this book and it would have been a 5 star for me if it wasn’t for the ending. I feel like the ending left more questions than answers and I feel like there were things in the plot that were not revealed at the end. I feel like this should have a sequel and I would be first in line to buy it. I recommend to people who are looking for a great psychological thriller with a lot of twists and turns that keep you guessing throughout the book.

I enjoyed this book for the most part. I felt that there was some confusion with all the switching of narrative with all of the different characters. It also seemed to end abruptly without resolution of some things.

After the End" is the followup book to "Mothers' Instinct." I would recommend reading the aforementioned book to understand the established character dynamics. It's not a deal breaker, but knowing the first book helped in appreciating this one more.

The story revisits Tiphaine and Silvaine eight years after becoming guardians to Milo. The arrival of their new neighbor, Nora, and her children initially offers hope for friendship, but it soon triggers Tiphaine's declining mental state, leading to a gripping and intense psychological thriller.

Like its predecessor, the book is exceptionally well-written and a true page-turner. The end did fall a little flat for me. It left me wanting more. So maybe that's not a bad thing.

Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC. I loved the opportunity to read and review this book, being fairly new to reviewing books. It was much appreciated.

What the heck did I just read?!

The first book, Mothers’ Instinct, completely wrecked me with its jaw-dropping, tragic, twist-filled ending! (Yes, you can watch the movie adaptation on Hulu starring Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain—but trust me, the book is a thousand times better. Read it before diving into this sequel!)
Now, fast-forward seven years in this gripping follow-up. We return to Tiphaine and Sylvain Geniot, the seemingly perfect couple who lost their son, Maxime, in a horrific balcony fall. Still reeling from grief, they became guardians of their neighbors’ son, Milo, after the poor couple took their own lives. (Read the book to uncover the chilling truth behind their deaths—and just how far the Geniots will go.)

Now, Milo is a rebellious fifteen-year-old, and Tiphaine is drowning in guilt, grief, and the ghosts of her past. She lives next to her old, abandoned house—until a new family moves in: Nora Deoardieu, a divorced mother in her early 40s, her thirteen-year-old daughter, Inez, and her eight-year-old son, Nassim.

Cue the chills.

Nassim is the same age Maxime was when he died—and for Tiphaine, that’s enough to unlock a flood of obsession. Nora, blissfully unaware of her neighbors’ dark history, is grateful when Tiphaine offers to help with the kids while she rebuilds her life. But what starts as neighborly kindness quickly spirals into something far more sinister.

Tiphaine’s repressed trauma and desperate need to fill the void left by Maxime push her to cross dangerous lines. Meanwhile, Inez develops a crush on Milo, and Nora remains oblivious—until she starts questioning her own sanity. Is Tiphaine gaslighting her? Or is Nora losing her mind?
This is a slow-burn, nerve-shredding, seat-jumping, eye-popping thriller that had me glued to the page! While I didn’t love it quite as much as the first book (the ending left me with mixed feelings), it still delivered twists that left me gasping. The translation was flawless—it felt like it was written in English, with no loss of tension or atmosphere.

Final verdict? A 3.5-star read rounded up to 4 "grieving, unhinged mother strikes again" stars! I can’t wait to explore more from this author—fingers crossed more translations are on the way!

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperVia for sharing this electrifying sequel with me in exchange for my honest review. If you love psychological thrillers that mess with your head, grab this NOW!

Ok, so I’ve never read Mothers’ Instinct and I wish I had before reading this book. I feel like a lot of the background information on the characters and previous events would have helped me understand sooner what was going on in After the End. That being said, wow, the female protagonist is a calculating type of crazy and it made for some very tense moments. The last quarter of the book made it worthwhile, I wish more time was dedicated to the ending but hopefully there will be another book to fully wrap things up!

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperVia for the opportunity to read this book!

Barbara Abel delivers a chilling and atmospheric domestic thriller in After the End, the standalone sequel to Mothers' Instinct. Set in a quiet suburb, the story follows Nora Depardieu, a recent divorcée seeking a fresh start with her two children. Their new home, a cozy two-family house, seems perfect—until they meet their neighbors, Tiphaine and Sylvain Geniot. As Nora's daughter grows close to the Geniots' teenage son, Milo, unsettling secrets begin to surface, revealing a tragic past that threatens to engulf them all.​

Abel masterfully explores the complexities of grief, guilt, and the facades people maintain. The narrative is laced with tension, and the characters are richly drawn, each harboring their own secrets and motivations. The translation by Natasha Lehrer captures the nuances of the original French text, making the story accessible to a broader audience.​

While the pacing is deliberate, building suspense gradually, some readers might find the unfolding of events a bit slow. However, the payoff is a gripping climax that underscores the novel's themes of loss and the lengths people will go to protect their loved ones.​

After the End is a compelling read for fans of psychological thrillers that delve into the darker aspects of human relationships.

#AfterTheEnd #NetGalley
Chilling, claustrophobic, and slow-burning, After the End is a psychological thriller that reminds us the most dangerous monsters can live right next door.
After her marriage crumbles, Nora Depardieu believes she’s finally getting a second chance at life: a new home, a new job, and a fresh start for her and her two kids. But when she befriends her seemingly kind neighbors, the Geniot family, she unknowingly steps into a twisted web of grief, obsession, and dark secrets. As her daughter grows closer to the Geniots' troubled teenage son Milo, a horrifying past begins to resurface—one that could destroy everything Nora is trying so desperately to rebuild. Barbara Abel masterfully builds an atmosphere of creeping dread, where every neighborly smile hides something sinister, and trust can be the most fatal mistake of all.
What I like :-
1 Deep psychological tension: The story digs into grief, trauma, and how loss can warp people in terrifying ways.
2 Well-drawn characters: Nora is a relatable heroine, trying to do her best while unknowingly stepping into danger.
3 A slow, satisfying burn: The suspense grows steadily, leading to an explosive, devastating climax.
Overall, After the End is a suspenseful, emotionally gripping thriller that explores the fine line between kindness and menace. If you enjoy suburban thrillers where secrets fester just beneath the surface, Barbara Abel's haunting novel is a must-read.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperVia for giving me an advance copy.