A fast paced mystery novel around the murder of Anna. We move forward in time with mom Maggie starting from the time her daughter calls to establish a relationship her. Theyve been apart since Anna was 6 months old. At the same time we move backwards through the trail of husband and stepdad Noah, charged with Anna's murder. 

I enjoyed the book, though the ending felt a bit forced and the epilogue seemed very rushed.

We all have defining moments in our lives by which we measure time. Some are good… some not so much. Before marriage, after marriage; before children, after children; before a divorce, after a divorce; before the child you have not seen in almost 17 years returns to your life and after.

Maggie, Anna’s Mother, is estatic when Anna contacts her. She has not seen Anna since she was six months old. Not since she had a breakdown and was hospitalized; during which her husband returned to France with Anna. French courts, lies and her ex-husbands wealth kept Maggie from seeing Anna or even receiving a photograph all this time. After the death of Anna’s father, step-mother and step-brothers in a plane crash, she wanted to reconnect with her mother and soon moves in with her.

Soon, Maggie’s idyllic life with her husband, Noah, and 10-year-old step son Caleb begins to fall apart. Anna, now a multi-millionaire, spends lots of money without asking and stays out late without calling to let anyone know where she is. When no adults are watching, she mistreats Caleb. Soon, she begins to accuse Noah of inappropriate behavior and even files a Protection from Abuse against him.

But who do you believe? Who do you trust? Your husband of two years or your new found 17-year-old daughter? And where do you turn when that daughter turns up dead on the porch of your husband’s new rental house and all evidence points to him as the killer?

Lisa Scottoline’s novels are always, well-written, fast-paced and full of twists. “After Anna” was no exception.

Publication Date: April 10, 2018
Genre: Suspense, Thriller, Mystery
Cover: Great
Rating: 4 stars
Source: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this great book!
#AfterAnna #NetGalley

I love the ride that Ms Scottoline takes us on in her books. This book had more twist and turns than a country road. Just when I think I have figured things out we take a hairpin turn. The characters are so believable that you think you are in the middle of the story with them. One thing I like about her books is she educates the reader about apraxia, postpartum psychosis and human trafficking. She weaves these topics effortlessly into the story. You won't be disappointed if you read this book. The only problem you will have is that you can't put it down.

Every second of this book is sheer brilliance. Evocative, gut wrenching, nail biting suspense. I have always loved Lisa Scottoline's books but this one is by FAR the best. The trial on both sides was easy to follow with the back story filtering in as needed. Every character has a key part to play from Anna, to Maggie, to Noah and all the others on the periphery. I never saw the twists coming and they were brilliant. I highly recommend this book.

This novel was part legal thriller, part heartbreaking family/contemporary fiction. I heard very little about this novel prior to starting it because lets be honest - Lisa Scottoline could write the same word over and over for 100 pages and I would read it. I was happy to see that the novel was partially set in a court room because I love to see Lisa from the legal angle.

This novel was a few stories coming together: a story of a Mother and Daughter reunion - Maggie who has guilt from being a mother who lost her daughter at a young age and Anna - a lonely teen girl who is lost in may parts of her life. Secondly is the story of Maggie and Noah. Noah is Maggie's second chance. He is a doting husband and perfect. But how much of that is a façade and what happens when perfection is truly on the face value. Pasts and mistrusts that were in affect prior to the marriage come to light when Maggie has to question Noah. Theres the story of friendship and sisterhood. And the main story of Anna's Murder.

I read this novel over the course of a few days and felt myself sneaking pages at work and waking up early to get some reading in beforehand. I didn't want it to end.

Now, I have read everything Lisa has previously written. One criticism Ive had of her previous novels is that her endings tend to be OVER THE TOP. sometimes they cheapen the wonderful writing that was the rest of the novel. And while I loved those other novels I was PLEASANTLY surprised that this ending was tame. It added to the novel instead of taking away

FAR AND AWAY Lisa's best yet

Perhaps my favourite of Scottoline's yet, this had a pacy ending and I enjoyed how this wasn't completely solvable from the beginning.

I seem to keep picking up Scottoline books and feeling really excited and then starting them and remembering "Oh, you're that author." She's solid. She's very solid. I'm never completely blown away. This was a classic case.

The first half of this was slow. Perhaps it was because I was reading this cocnurrently with a different, more engrossing book, but it didn't have a lot of suspense and didn't feel particularly solvable, or like it was going anywhere.

The second half was super pacy and I read quickly to figure out how it would play out. But the second half also was pretty unbelievable. I know, I know, books would be boring if they were always about believable things, but not enough clues had been placed to set up the plethora of events that happened.

I'm knocking a star off though mainly because I felt quite uncomfortable with a large segment of how prison was depicted in this--it was just really, very random, and completely unnecessary for the story as a whole.

Many thanks to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this story as I have any book I've read by Ms. Scottoline. This one has lots of suspense and surprises that keeps the pages turning. It is told in two alternating voices, Maggie and her husband Noah.

Maggie and Noah have a wonderful marriage. Noah has a young son, Caleb who lived with Maggie and Noah. Maggie has a teenage daughter, Anna who Maggie has not seen since Anna was only 6 months old. When out of the blue Maggie is contacted by Anna, she jumps at the opportunity to have Anna back in her life. She makes preparations to bring her home and merge Anna into their cozy family unit. The plot starts to thicken and the twists and turns begin as Anna tries to fit into the family.

The story takes a turn I couldn't have guessed at. I did feel that the ending was quite rushed. The reader would have been more fulfilled after all the drama and build up if the story didn't end so abruptly. It all wraps up in only a few pages.

I really liked the characters Noah, Caleb, Tom and Kathy. I wasn't thrilled with Maggie, I kept thinking I wonder if she'll get a second chance with Noah and I didn't take to Anna since I never knew where she was coming from.

All in all a great book. I really enjoyed it. Keep up the great writing Ms. Scottoline!

Lisa is one of the sweetest people and she writes fantastic books. I loved this book. This book gets you in the heart and I could not stop reading because I wanted to see how it ended. I love all of her books

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of AFTER ANNA is exchange for my honest review.***

Unputdownable.

For Maggie, finally reunited with her daughter Anna, seventeen years after she was forced to give up custody, her life is finally complete. Eighteen days later, Maggie’s husband Noah stands accused of Anna’s murder.

AFTER ANNA is Lisa Scottoline’s best work yet. Admittedly, I’ve enjoyed some of her novels more than others. While the name Scottoline always guarantees a well constructed novel, I’m not always as enthralled as AFTER ANNA grabbed me and didn’t let go.

Noah and Maggie, whose third person points of view alternated chapters, were both complex and flawed characters. Noah’s cockiness and impulse reactivity do him no favors, while Maggie’s hopeful naïveté is her downfall, and responsible for much of the drama than unfolds.

I hesitate to say too much about the plot of AFTER ANNA, for fear of spoiling one word. I wasn’t in love with the timeline, telling the trial from day ten backwards to the first day. Switching time frames, once fresh and innovative, almost feels gimmicky now. Still Scottoline’s magnetic writing is engaging, page-turning, crisp and near perfection.

AFTER ANNA felt predictable until the verdict and jaw dropping fallout.

AFTER ANNA is a guaranteed best seller, will be a book club favorite and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s optioned into a big screen blockbuster. It’s that good. Be among the first to read AFTER ANNA so you don’t miss any of the discussion.

I read this book in one day. The reader is taken into the courtroom and I think that was a very innovative way for the author to tell the reader the story. There is a big twist at the end of the book. The author also makes us aware of current social issues that we should be aware of.

DIsclosure: I'm writing this review after slogging through 2/3 of the book. I'm not sure I can go on. This is so unlike Lisa Scottoline. I just finished reading One Perfect Lie, and that was a page-turner. Loved it! But, After Anna is simply depressing--how can one teenager do so much damage to a marriage and an individual (her step-father) in a few weeks' time, and how can her mother not see through it? Now, maybe there's some sort of surprise ending in this book that will make it all better in my mind, but if so, it might be wasted on me if I give up before I get there. I'm just not sure how much more I can take of reading about how one person gets railroaded into ruining his life. Every time I open the book to read a few chapters, it seems to get worse. And, seems like I already know the outcome, so why continue?

There was life before Anna, and there was life after Anna. There was a happy marriage, then there was distrust and heartbreak. And it all fell apart, after Anna.

Lisa Scottoline's After Anna is a riveting story of the destruction of a marriage, innocent imprisonment, and a mother's deep love.

Noah and Maggie have created a happy life together, both having overcome past tragedy. Maggie's postpartum mental state led to her being institutionalized, her husband divorcing her, taking sole custody of their infant daughter. Noah lost his wife and raised his son alone until falling for Maggie. They are truly happy together.

Maggie is ecstatic when her daughter Anna, now seventeen, contacts her. With the death of her father and step-mother, Anna wants Maggie in her life and asks to be taken in. Noah is supportive. They will be a happy blended family.

Maggie is desperate to make up for failing Anna as an infant, and Anna uses that guilt to manipulate her. Noah insists that Anna follow house rules and parental guidance. Anna is not pleased.

Everything goes wrong. Anna accuses Noah of sexual advances and takes out a restraining order. And when Anna turns up dead, Noah is the prime suspect and is convicted of her murder. Maggie is devastated and preparing to sue for divorce when she is contacted by Anna's school therapist and everything Maggie thought she knew is turned upside down.

The novel is told in two time lines, Noah and Maggie before Anna's arrival and leading up to her death, and Noah on trial and in prison 'after Anna.'

It is an entertaining read that I didn't want to put down. As usual, Scottoline delivers a novel with suspense, human interest, and a twist of contemporary social concerns, with lots of courtroom and legal scenes.

I received a free e-book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

I enjoyed this book but struggled a bit with the format. Told in alternating timelines and perspectives from Noah and his wife, Maggie. Noah is on trial for the murder of Maggie's daughter, Anna, who has recently joined their family. This is an action packed story with a lot of twists and turns. Another great read by Scottoline.

Scottoline wrote an incredible story. this is a heart-wrenching story with amazing characters..
From start to finish, I never put it down. She never loses your attention. Wonderful read.and one of her best

Can broken shards of glass ever fit together again?

Maggie Ippoliti shuffles the pieces of her past life and compares them to what she perceives as solid ground in her present life. She has remarried after a painful relationship with her first husband, Florian. Because she suffered from postpartum psychosis, her baby Anna was placed in the custody of Florian who lives in Lyon, France. Although she has not seen Anna for seventeen years, Maggie goes on to structure happiness with her new husband, Noah, and his young son, Caleb. Noah is a pediatric allergist with a thriving practice. All is well until it no longer is.

News arrives that Florian has been killed in a plane crash. Anna, who attends a private girls' academy in Maine, has made overtures that she wishes to live with Maggie now and become part of her family. The story opens with Maggie in a whirlwind trying to make up for lost time with her daughter. Noah accommodates the new addition to the family to keep peace. Maggie continues to overlook the glaring signposts that there's plenty of passive-aggressive behavior going on here. Love sometimes tends to blur the edges into something almost unrecognizable.

Lisa Scottoline creates a hornets' nest of activity in After Anna. I joyfully turned pages as each character was paraded in front of us. The chapters shifted back and forth from "before" into trial logs involving Dr. Noah Alderman. A dastardly crime has been committed and Noah faces murder in the first degree. I'm in........

But then the storyline begins to take a nosedive with plot holes large enough to drive an SUV through. The trial banter was intense (which I enjoyed), but it didn't hold up as we entered into the aftermath. For whatever my opinion is worth, I felt like the hostess was shoving our coats and hats at us before dessert was served. There seemed to be a mass exodus at the end with a wrap-up on cyclone spin. Heavy explanations for what just zipped by. The first half of the book was buzzing along just fine. It almost felt like a hand-off to another writer like a relay race. Very strange.

Please note that After Anna is still quite the read. I encourage you to read it. Others have rated it 4 and 5 stars. I still would be open to her next offering. My nose pressed against the window saw it otherwise. Too many of those broken shards to fit together again.

I received a copy of After Anna through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin's Press and to the talented Lisa Scottoline for the opportunity.

Lisa Scottoline is so darn good. I've enjoyed every single one of her books. From the very first pages until the last word she keeps you guessing. And this one is no exception.
Maggie has a happy life. Her handsome husband, Noah, is a successful doctor. She adores her stepson Caleb. Together the three of them are living the American dream. There's just one piece missing for Maggie. She has a daughter, Anna, who she hasn't seen since she was a baby. But now Anna is back in her life and everything seems perfect. Until it's not so perfect anymore.
Things begin to quickly go wrong. However, it goes from bad to the absolute worst when Anna is murdered and Noah is accused of the crime. Did he or didn't he? And what was going on with Anna in the weeks leading up to her death? These are the questions that Maggie is faced with as she tries to cope with the loss of Anna while at the same time Noah is on trial for his life.
Besides the fact that the author is simply brilliant, I loved the way this one was written. Noah's story begins with the conclusion of his trial and works its way backwards. We hear Maggie's story going forward from the time she's reunited with Anna. The two collide in a dramatic finish when Noah's fate is revealed. Grab this one and be ready for quite a ride!

Maggie lost custody of her daughter Anna due to postpartum psychosis 17 years ago. She is overjoyed to finally be reunited with Anna. Now Anna is living with Maggie and her husband Noah and Noah’s son Caleb. Everything should be perfect.

The first part of this book alternates between Noah’s trial for murdering Anna and the events that led up to the trial. This is a great psychological thriller with a twist part way thru the book that caught me completely by surprise. I can’t say more or I will spoil it for the reader. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel, received in exchange for an honest review.
Noah Alderman is a widower and single father who has recently married Maggie, a receptionist from his office. When Maggie’s long-estranged teenage daughter shows up out of the blue and attempts to rekindle a parental relationship with Maggie, Maggie is over the moon. Soon, Anna moves in with Maggie and her family and they begin to form some semblance of a normal life. However, Noah begins to notice strange things about Anna’s behaviours that send those red warning flags flying, but naive Maggie doesn’t see anything strange about her beloved daughter. When a tragedy happens and Noah is blamed, Maggie immediately chooses sides however she soon begins to question if she made the right choice and if Anna is really the person she was pretending to be.
“After Anna” is the newest, soon-to-be-released novel by Lisa Scottoline. Scottoline’s intense, legal dramas are always packed with suspense, intrigue and powerhouse plots and this novel is no exception.
The characters are well-defined and easy to form relationships with (especially young Caleb who is simply adorable) and I was choosing sides right from the beginning, trying to collect evidence against one party or another (I can be honest, my view changed as I read on) . Anna is immediately depicted as untrustworthy and suspicious, which serves to cast doubt on her character from page one (with good reason? Who am I to provide *spoiler alerts!*)
As is custom for Scottoline, a large part of the novel takes place in the courtroom, with lawyers engaged in legal battles. However, as always, she does not inundate a reader with legal jargon, or overwhelm them with the “boring bits” of a trial. Only the important aspects are shared with a reader, and it was easy to follow this portion of the plot. I have compared Scottoline to John Grisham in the past and I will do so again, which is, in my opinion, a heartfelt compliment.
The novel is told from both Noah and Maggie’s point of view, which I found helped to create suspense, and cement the images of the characters in reader’s minds.
Perhaps the most shocking part of this novel was that it was unpredictable. I legitimately did not expect the twist that happened, nor did I anticipate the ending. “After Anna” is a novel that will take you by surprise and also has the multi-faceted talent of tugging at your heartstrings at the same time.
“After Anna” is a heartbreaking tale of parenthood, manipulation and murder (so essentially, it has everything) . I always recommend Ms. Scottoline’s books, and with good reason, and this novel is going to be praised for all that it’s worth. I look forward to more of Scottoline’s gripping legal tales.
Side note: Ms. Scottoline- the prisoner that wants to retaliate against Noah?? His name is “John Drover”, which also happens to be the exact name of my late grandfather. Not a very usual name and it got to me. I can tell you. I’d love to know how that name came to you!

In a word this book was disappointing, on many levels. I am a fan of Ms. Scottoline’s having enjoyed “One Perfect Lie” and “Every Fifteen Minutes” is still one of my all time favorite thrillers.

As you all know from the blurb “Noah Alderman, a doctor and a widower, has remarried a wonderful woman, Maggie, and for the first time in a long time he and his son are happy. But their lives are turned upside down when Maggie’s daughter Anna moves in with them. Anna is a gorgeous seventeen-year-old who balks at living under their rules though Maggie, ecstatic to have her daughter back, ignores the red flags that hint at the trouble that is brewing. Events take a deadly turn when Anna is murdered and Noah is accused of the crime”

First off, a huge chunk of this novel takes place in the courtroom and if you are not a fan of the lawyer/inquisition style, as I am not, you probably won’t enjoy this very much. I found myself reading very quickly just to get to the meat of the story. Perhaps she was combining the courtroom drama from her Rosato and Associates books into this novel?

Secondly, the characters, in my opinion, were not believable, with the exception of Noah’s little son, Caleb, who I think was portrayed realistically. Noah was made to look too perfect of a father and husband. After he remarries Maggie and finds a great home life I could believe that their marriage was probably on a happy track, but no one I know is that perfect of a person as Noah is shown to be. The perfect dad, husband, doctor, etc.

Maggie is a 40 something woman who had a very sad first marriage to a very imperfect, almost detestable man. After having lost so much she is thrilled with Noah as a husband. Much reference is made to the fact that she had a weight problem as a child and as a young woman but that facet of her life was never developed. Perhaps if her character had been better defined I would have found her more believable.

When she gets a call from a daughter whom she has not seen since infancy she rushes to meet her. Within 24 hours she has invited her to live with them, shopped and decorated her room and turned their family life upside down. No alarms went off for her that this young woman just showed up after her father was killed? She has no doubts that this is really her long estranged daughter? She refuses to listen to anything negative said about Anna from the husband who she admittedly adored.

My Kindle hit 77% location in book when things finally started getting interesting. There isn’t a whole lot that I can say without adding spoilers but again, the story that was told was just too far out of what I felt was believable. I would like to think that no one was ever convicted of murder on such circumstantial evidence. There was no absolute proof shown as to Noah’s guilt. The ending just comes out of nowhere and while it addresses a serious issue, it was too little too late for me.

I’m giving it a 2.5 rounded up to a 3 but that unfortunately won’t show up in the ratings. I will still look forward to the next book by this author in the hopes that the next one will be a winner for me.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley, thank you.

Will also post to Amazon upon publication