After Anna by Lisa Scottoline is an intense thriller. A deadly journey where people have died and other may still die. A father wrongly accused of murdering his wife's daughter. He never killed anyone and the dead girl isn't who they originally thought she was. This family was torn apart and ruined. Only to be bounded together again once more. However, getting back together, will depend on timing. If they're too late the husband dies and so does the real daughter. But if timed right, they may just end of saving both. The FBI are involved after a therapist finds out that the young girl isn't the one matching in the newspaper. This whole time, the innocent have been trapped and tortured. I was filled with intrigue. This book kept me guessing. I was afraid of what the outcome would be. Lisa Scottoline has once again, written a title worthy of reading. Dramatic, frightening, and emotional...After Anna is a journey of survival and hope in a world of darkness. Overall, I recommend it to readers everywhere.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for an ARC of After Anna by Lisa Scottoline. This is a well crafted mystery/thriller for the first three-quarters of the book. The storyline centers on Maggie who lost physical custody of her daughter, Anna, 17 years ago when she was an infant. They have no real relationship due to Maggie's ex-husband, but when he dies unexpectedly, Anna reaches out to reconnect with her mother, who is now living with a new husband and his young son. Eager to reconnect, Maggie meets with Anna and ultimately brings her into her home....where she tears apart the life Maggie has built for herself. It is an intense, page-turning read, but the ending is rushed and a bit over the top. It left me feeling a bit like I had been watching a Scooby-Doo mystery and it was time to wrap it up :( I wish the ending felt as satisfying as the rest of the book.

I love when a book throws me for a loop, and this one did.

The story starts off with the reader knowing that Noah is on trial for Anna's murder. We see glimpses of the past through Noah's eyes, then through Maggie's. My heart breaks for Maggie. She wants so much to have a relationship with her daughter. The death of her ex husband gives her the perfect opportunity.

I can totally believe a mother acting the way Maggie does. She not only wants a relationship with her daughter but she wants her husband and step son to embrace Anna with the same love and acceptance that she does.

This is one suspenseful read. You will not want to put it down.

I've seen several reviews state this was like a Lifetime Movie. I would agree. But then who doesn't like a Lifetime Movie now and then? It had the usual great storytelling from Lisa Scottoline. Several twists and turns. And since it was told from the wife's and husband's point of view separately, it was almost like reading two books at once. I enjoyed this and loved the ending.

Thank you Netgalley for an advance copy of this novel. I enjoyed the book and was hooked until the last few chapters. The ending was too fairy tale-ish for me.

Lisa Scottoline is an awesome storyteller, and I adore her Rosato and Associates law thrillers. They have a great mix of mystery, suspense, and relationship storylines.

This book, however, was very different. It will take some suspension of disbelief as the main concept of the book involves a mother who was hospitalized and lost physical custody of her daughter 16 years ago. Since then, she has not seen or spoken to her, even on social media, and was not even notified when her ex-husband died, leaving the daughter an orphan save her mother.

Putting that strange start aside, the book is very readable with several interesting twists. The book is told from the mother's point of view and from the point of view of her current husband, who is the stepfather to the daughter. I found both points of view very interesting and equally compelling, but I do not want to give anything away.

Overall, I would recommend this book as a quick, action-packed read with a compelling marriage and family storyline.

Thanks to Netgalley, St, Martin’s Press and Lisa Scottoline for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lisa Scottoline knows how to write an unputdownable thriller, and this one was no exception! This was very fast-paced and riveting. It was also rather Lifetime Movie-ish, and some of the dialogue seemed a bit stilted, so I didn't love it or find out very memorable, but it was exciting and fun to read.

Also, while an evil teenage girl is always a fun villain to read about, I do agree with another reviewer that it seemed slightly out of step with this particular cultural moment to have a deceitful young girl accusing a poor, innocent adult man of sexual assault. It was an enjoyable, engaging story for me nevertheless, but if that puts you off I'd say skip this one.

Maggie Ippolito gave birth to her daughter, Anna, and soon found herself suffering from postpartum psychosis. Her husband, Florian Desroches, used the illness as a reason to divorce Maggie and take baby Anna to his home country of France.

17 years later Maggie’s life had changed. She was cured of her psychosis and had married a wonderful man, Noah Alderman. He was a doctor who specialized in pediatric allergies and also a widower with a young son. His wife had died of cancer and his son, Caleb, loved Maggie as much as Noah did. However when Maggie got a phone call from Anna, everything changed . Maggie was ecstatic as she had had no contact with Anna after the baby was taken to France. However Florian and his new family had been killed in a plane crash. Anna, who had been attending boarding school in Maine, was now a heiress who had inherited her father’s $50 million tech fortune.

Anna called her mother and asked to meet her. Maggie was very excited and flew up to Maine as soon as she could. Maggie was now Anna’s only parent and happily agreed to take Anna home to PA with her. As soon as Anna settled into with her new family, she started making allegations of sexual abuse against Noah. Rather than have the local courts set up an order of protection against Noah and ruin his medical practice, he agreed to move out of his house. A few days later he returned to his new rental to find Anna strangled on the front porch.

Noah was arrested and tried for the murder.

The story is told from Maggie’s point of view from when Anna arrived and also from Noah’s view as he is on trial and recalls everything that happened after Anna arrived. It is a psychological thriller with many trusts and a surprise ending.

Lisa Scottoline has hit a home run with "After Anna". This one twists and turns more than a mountain trail. Noah Alderman, a widowed doctor, has a comfortable life with his second wife, Maggie. And then Anna shows up. The joys of a mother-daughter reunion and the horrors of a trial gone bad unite to make "After Anna" a spellbinding novel. This one reads like a combination of John Grisham and Jodi Picoult at their best.

This book was amazing. I enjoyed the way the author kept you in suspense the entire book. It was a true page turner. Maggie was so happy to have her daughter Anna back that she failed to see through Anna's facade. Her husband Noah was a true good guy who suffered. I appreciate the way the author wove you through the time however it was a little difficult in the beginning to go back and forth in time. I did really enjoy this book and would recommend it to my friends!

After Anna – Lisa Scottoline

I was fortunate to receive this novel as an Advance Reader Copy, in exchange for an objective review.

Margaret (Maggie) Alderman has a good life – she’s blissfully married to the love of her life, Dr. Noah Alderman, and is Mom to his sweet young son, Caleb. But Maggie longs to find her daughter – a daughter that was taken from her by her estranged ex-husband after Maggie struggled with post-partum depression shortly after her birth.

Maggie receives a call one day, seemingly out of the blue – her daughter Anna is attending a prestigious private school in Maine and wants to meet her. As Maggie rushes to Anna’s side, she also learns that Anna’s father has been killed in a plane crash with the rest of his family overseas. Impulsively Anna decides to leave school and come home to live with Maggie, Noah & Caleb.

Soon, things begin to happen. Caleb seems at odds with his new sister Anna, and Anna seems to have difficulty adjusting to a new family and rules. She soon accuses Noah of molestation, tearing the family apart. Then, Anna winds up dead at Noah’s apartment and he is arrested for her murder, all while protesting his innocence.

The book opens with Noah standing trial for Anna’s murder, and each chapter details events that occurred ‘before’ and ‘after’ Anna, from various points of view, moves quickly, and then culminates in a discovery, and then an ending that you’ll never see coming!!

Lisa Scottoline is one of those authors whose books I’ll pick up and read immediately! I’m never disappointed, and this novel is no exception! A great read!

I received an advanced copy in exchange from an honest review. This is the second mass-market mystery I''ve read this year that uses the trope of the seductive young woman framing the innocent man , and it just doesn't seem comfortable in light of #metoo and #timesup. It's the basic mass-market mystery , it's not literature , the twists are not earth shattering , but I read this kind of thing occasionally as an escape , and there's nothing escapist about reactionary lIt. Not that I need all my mysteries to be feminist ethics, but this is real trauma , and I imagine most of the audience is female , and it just feels a little … cynical and reactionary. We don't need this right now, especially from a writer who specializes in strong women.

After Anna
Lisa Scottoline

MY RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️▫️
PUBLISHER St. Martin’s Press
PUBLISHED April 10, 2018

A consuming and cleverly structured thriller, blending the story of before and after Anna.

SUMMARY
Maggie lost custody of her baby, Anna, when she was only six months old. The two have not seen each other since, and now Anna is 17. Maggie had no choice but to move on, She’s found love again and is now happily married to Noah Alderman, a widower. Maggie adores Caleb, Noah’s son, and they have quite the perfect life. But everything changes when Maggie gets a call from Anna, who is now a high school student, parked in an elite boarding school in Maine. Once they meet, Anna surprisingly says wants to live with Maggie, and Maggie is beyond thrilled to have a second chance with Anna. But when Anna moves in with Maggie, Noah and Caleb chaos ensues. Anna refuses to follow the rules, makes demands and tensions mount. Within weeks of moving in, Anna is dead, she had been strangled. Noah, who found her body is now on trial for her murder. Maggie must not only face losing her daughter, but her husband as well. And then she gets another phone call.

REVIEW
Have you every wanted something so much that you turn a blind eye to what you know and love. That’s what Maggie did. It’s so difficult to read about the implosion of a family. It’s a gut-wrenching story. One that has you scratching your head in wonder. What was Anna really after? There was nothing in Anna‘s character to like, she was a master at manipulation. And Maggie was at her most vulnerable.

Lisa Scottoline is a consummate storyteller, and this story pulses with angst and drama. The focus of each chapter alternates between Noah and Maggie. Noah’s initial chapters (after Anna) are told from the last day of the trial and move backwards in time. Maggie’s chapters (before Anna) start with that fateful phone call from Anna and move forward in time. When at last, the story lines converge in the later part of the book, the pacing abruptly changes. It’s fast and furious, and the twists and turns are insanely intense. Just remember to breathe. While some actions may seem implausible, it’s an adroit page-turning thriller. Lisa Scottoline fans can’t help but love After Anna. Thanks to Netgalley, St, Martin’s Press and Lisa Scottoline for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

While I was reading "After Anna" by Lisa Scottoline, I felt as if I was watching a Lifetime movie. It kept my interest enough that I did finish it.

Lisa Scottoline's latest is her best book yet. It's a riveting read that is superb. The plot is like a mountain road, full of curves and twists and leaves one guessing. The narrative is fast paced and things are revealed that readers won't see coming. It also has a very satisfying ending. Don't miss this one.

Scottoline at her finest; After reading her every one of her books since she 1st published Everywhere that Mary Went in the early 90s, I think that After Anna is her best book yet! I was blown away! Highly recommended!! Full review to come here and on my blog closer to publication date.

Another Lisa Scottoline winner. Loved the story, and the way it was organized present, past, present, past, etc.
A real page turner that keeps you guessing until the end. Highly Recommended.

I couldn't wait to dig into this one and get lost in a Lisa Scottoline story! It did not disappoint...I don't want to give anything way because it's a bit of a shocker.

I will admit the story starts a little confusing, jumping timelines, but it works overall. It really gives you a feel for the whole story even though one character is further in the past than the other for parts of it. Ms. Scottoline brings the story together beautifully and it's a must read for suspense readers.

I have read all your books and you do not disappoint as usual. What a thriller, did not expect the ending of the book, it was a page turner, shocking ending. Loved it and recommend it.
Thank you netgalley and Lisa Scottoline for the opportunity.

You can expect the unexpected when you pick up a Lisa Scottoline novel. There is almost always a twist that you just weren't expecting and that is definitely true about After Anna. While I definitely really enjoyed this story, my only complaint is that I felt like the ending was a bit rushed. I just wanted a bit more of the story before it went to the epilogue. Unfortunately I can't say more without spoiling the story but well worth the read!