This was my first book by Lisa Scottoline and it didn't disappoint! Exceptional storytelling and suspense. Five stars!

I enjoyed this book and the story really kept me in suspense trying to figure out, did he or didn't he? That being said, the ending was a little flat and wasn't really in keeping with the rest of the book. Still it was good and I would recommend it to someone who likes mystery or suspense.

A mystery within a mystery is how to describe this book. In it, we move forwards and backwards in time as Noah is awaiting the verdict on whether or not he has killed his stepdaughter, Anna. We see the events from his point of view, but also how those same events are perceived by those around him. Did he kill Anna or was something else going on? This was an intriguing book that made you question the events and maybe you wonder what was really going on.

After Anna did not disappoint. I've read all of Lisa Scottoline's stand alone thriller novels and they are all pulse-pounding, hard to put down thrill rides. This one in particular had a major plot twist at the end. The mystery surrounding Anna and the tension between her mother and stepfather is tantalizing. I would highly recommend this for suspense readers. If you start it, be prepared to read until you finish because you won't want to put it down.

This was one of my favorite Scottoline novels. The story is told through Maggie and Nick’s POV before and after Anna’s murder. It was fun trying to discern the truth between the narratives. I actually thought I had the mystery solved but then in the last act of the novel, there’s a twist that I didn’t see coming and made the story all the more heartbreaking. It’s been awhile since an ending truly surprised me. I highly recommend you pick up this book.

Lisa Scottoline does not disappoint! After Anna was full of suspense and unexpected twists and turns. One of Scottoline's best! I couldn't put it down!

After Anna is a story told in the past as well as in the present, featuring Noah who is on trial for murder, and Maggie, his wife, who is recently confronted with having her estranged daughter back in her life. The way the story unfolds is done in a creative way, piecing the puzzle together each step of the way to paint a picture of postpartum psychosis and the guilt of not having been able to be there for Anna as the mother Maggie felt she should have been. As the story unfolds, the reader learns of a series of girls who have gone missing, all with ties to Anna.

This is a page turning thriller of a read. As it's not my most favorite story told by Ms. Scottoline, I do enjoy the creative story progression as it was very effective in the telling and the unfolding of the bigger picture. The ending was a little abrupt to me as I felt like maybe there could've been a bit of foreshadowing created early on, but maybe that's just become something I've been used to and it doesn't effect the final ending.

If you enjoy Ms. Scottoline's previous novels, you are sure to enjoy this one as well.

Another great book from Lisa Scottoline. I’ve read other books by this author this one was just as good as those. I really enjoyed the story and the characters were well thought out.

You may think you know what's going to happen in this book, but you are wrong, oh so wrong. After Anna by Lisa Scottoline, who is becoming one of my favorite authors, is the story of a mother and daughter reunited after years of separation, and the devastation that comes from the death of that beloved daughter, just weeks after the two reunite. The only thing worse than a mother finding out her daughter has passed away, the fact that her new husband may be the murderer. 

The first scene is set with Noah, the husband, in the courtroom. He's on trial for the murder of Anna, his step-daughter, who he just met a month before. Anna was in the custody of her father, a French man who shipped her off to boarding school her entire life. Anna's mother, Maggie wasn't in her life because of her diagnosis of Postpartum Psychosis, and the fact that Anna's father lied to the courts about the abuse Anna may have received. Maggie hasn't seen her daughter in 16 years, and now that Anna's father is dead, the girl reached out to her mother for a reunion. 

So how does Noah get wrapped up in this mess. Oh boy, where do I begin? So, Anna comes home from boarding school, and the family has decided to have her come live with them, in order to reconnect. Soon after her arrival, Anna starts doing some strange things, like accusing Noah of hating her, touching her, and even trying to kiss her. She eventually gets a protective order placed on him, which puts a major strain on Maggie and Noah's marriage. 

At the trial for Anna's protection order, Noah is considered a threat and the order is granted. Noah can no longer stay in the home with his wife and children, but one night Anna shows up at Noah's rental home-and this is when she ends up dead. Noah comes home to find Anna dead on his porch, he tries to bring her back, and calls 911, but theres no use, she's gone. It takes mere hours before the authorities suspect Noah of this heinous crime, they assume that he's done it after all of the issues he's already had with the girl. 

Told through the present court case, and flashbacks of Maggie and Noah's life, the story unfolds into a crescendo of an ending that dropped my jaw. Did Noah actually kill Anna? Will the pieces of their lives ever be put back together? I know...but now you have to go and read this stunning book to find out the truth. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars, so good, I read it super quick and couldn't put it down.

Lisa Scottoline has been a favorite author for years, and her recent novel, After Anna, did not disappoint. In past books Scottoline inserts unexpected moments of wry humor -- even as the plot tensions increase in a fast-paced crescendo. There was no humor in After Anna, however, as readers wondered how the appearance of Maggie Ippolitti's long-lost daughter Anna could wreck such sudden and complete havoc on Maggie and her new husband and stepson. The twisted plot and constant sense of underlying evil takes readers on a roller-coaster journey that includes murder, endangers every person whom Anna encounters, and keeps readers holding their breath until the end.

The reason for the 4 stars is because even though I enjoyed this book, the ending made no sense as did Noah's time in prison. Nothing that happened to him in prison added anything to the story. I was really annoyed with the Maggie character. She was so quick to believe Anna , a person she hadn't had a relationship with since she was a baby and knew absolutely nothing about. Her behavior at the end of the book was of someone with no common sense.Up until this part of the book I was enjoying it, it just could've ended in a better way and in a way that made sense.

This story is told in a before and after, his and her format. The first part of the book is quite a slow, lengthy criminal trial. Interesting but very repetitive and kind of drags on and on. The rest of the story, in comparison, zips by. The ending seems almost contrived and too neatly and quickly wrapped up. Still, all in all, it’s a good story and I would recommend it.

I've long been a fan of Lisa Scottoline and her standalone novels are my favorites. After Anna does not disappoint!

Told by Noah and Maggie in alternating timelines, with Noah providing details of his trial and "after" Anna's death, while Maggie mostly provides the "Before", the timeline leading up to her death. Admittedly, this method proved frustrating to me from time to time, particularly as Noah's story unfolded as it often added to the confusion and made me impatient for the details of HOW Anna died. Later in the story, their timelines converge as the story ramps up the pace, although I had to suspend disbelief for a few parts near the end.

This part mystery/part legal thriller is loaded with tension, has plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing, and has a LOT of dialogue (most of it good, a little bit repetitive). Overall, I enjoyed this book, although the ending didn't quite tick all the boxes for me.

Lisa does it again! I haven’t read a book by her that I haven’t loved 🙌🏼 it’s the right amount of suspense/ mystery to keep the plot moving right along. I will say parts of this felt long to me as it involves a court case and that takes up a big chunk of the book, but then she throws in these curve balls that will have you 😮😮 I really liked the this one a lot!! Have you read it yet?

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Thanks to Net Galley for an honest review. This book grabbed me on page 1 and kept me flipping pages to see what happens. then it was like someone else took over writing this book. So many parts of this book made absolutely no sense.
Noah and Maggie have a quaint marriage, raising Noah’s son Caleb. Sadly, Maggie has a gaping hole in her heart where her own daughter Anna once was. Sometime ago, Maggie’s ex-husband took Anna as an infant and she hasn’t seen or heard from her dear daughter since...until now. Out of nowhere, Maggie receives a phone call from Anna and she’s on cloud nine! Before long the two are meeting for a reunion lunch. And within no time at all, Anna is moving in. But it quickly appears that dear Anna may have her own reasons for wanting to reach out to her mother. And maybe this new family isn’t all she wanted after all.

This was a very readable book. Quick paced, suspenseful, a perfectly fun ride.

It was not, however, up to the standards I typically hold this author to. It was rather predictable, and the naivete of the characters annoying at times. Then, when all was said and done I found it to be quite forgettable.

I didn't find myself wanting to put it down. I did find myself wanting it to hurry up and be over. Worth the ride, but not one I'll be recommending.

What the hell? This was a perfectly fine book up until the 75% mark or so. Then it took a descent straight to bat shit crazy town. I can suspend belief for days but the weird turns this book took just kept coming and coming! I didn't see all of that coming, that's for sure but it also seems to make no sense with the rest of the story and there are a lot of loose ends that are just left out there. I finished it earlier today and I've been trying to figure out how to write this review since then so I guess it keeps you thinking, maybe just not in the way the author intended.

*I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a review.

I feel conflicted on reviewing this as I really enjoyed it, so I wanted to rate it higher, but I feel like the ending was rushed. Some things weren't elaborated on as much as I wanted them to be, but otherwise it was an excellent story that should scare everyone once you realize what truly happens to Anna in the end.

Received this book as an ARC for my honest review.

Not sure if Lisa actually wrote this book or just passed it off but this is for sure not one of my favorites of hers. Maggie was over the top and Noah was stupid when it all comes to Anna. Noah states in his head "I did kill her in self-defense" during of his internal monologues but it doesn't make any sense at all. It was like a red herring but not placed appropriately. The ending was rushed and like cops would let Maggie do what she did. Very disappointed in this book.

For mystery fans, Lisa Scottoline’s “After Anna” begins with a well-respected doctor on trial for the murder of his adult stepdaughter, a young woman who recently joined the family. It’s a real whodunnit.