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

I have always enjoyed the books Lisa Scottoline has written. This one is hard to set down because the mystery regarding Anna’s death keeps the reader wondering. Well written and I enjoyed the style of back and forth of now only characters but time as well. Good book that brings up an important subject.

After Anna by Lisa Scottoline - I have enjoyed most of this authors books in the past. Her writing style is very smooth and enjoyable.  I did not enjoy this book so much.  I did finish it and only skipped some towards the end because I didn't feel it was relevant to the story.  I had questions about the way the Mother accepted everything about Anna even though she had no contact with her in 16 plus years so knew absolutely nothing about her. The stepfather had questions right after meeting the daughter, but was dismissed.  At the very least the Mother should have been more in control and in sync with her husband.  I also felt the scenes were contrived especially the one at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. The father would never have left his son alone at the candy counter in a huge store. I did get a little confused with the backward review of the trial and by the time day 1 came around I had skipped sections.  I liked the last part where the Mother and her friend go back to Congreve and try to figure out the truth. The Mother appears to gain strength and become more knowledgeable when with her friend Kathy. Thanks Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book.

Twists, turns, and an unexpected ending. Lisa Scottoline has given us another great read.

This was a very engrossing and entertaining story. I was trying to "guess" what Anna's motivation was and I have to say that the twist completely took me by surprise.

I usually like books by Lisa Scottoline. Unfortunately, this book was disappointing. The story is told in two time frames - one going forward from before the crime and the other going backward from the trial. I found this unnecessarily confusing. It dragged on and on and I finally gave up without finishing it.

(Thank you Netgalley for an early reader copy)

Maggie Ippolitti has a perfect life: the perfect husband, the perfect stepson, a wonderful life, except for one thing. When Maggie was young and previously married, she gave up her infant daughter Anna to her ex-husband because she had postpartum psychosis. She hasn't seen Anna in 16 years, when out of the blue she hears that her ex has died in a plane crash, and Anna wants to reconnect. Maggie happily brings Anna back into her heart and her home, but things quickly take a nasty turn. Anna accuses Noah, Maggie's husband of inappropriate behavior towards her and lodges a formal complaint. Maggie doesn't know who to believe, but she's already lost 16 years with Anna, and she doesn't want to lose any more. Instead, Noah has to leave. But Anna displays some disconcerting behaviors of her own; just who is this girl?

When Anna is found dead, Noah is accused of murdering her. Now Maggie has lost both her daughter and her husband, but when she tries to learn more about Anna and her friends, what she learns is devastating. Who is Anna really? If Noah didn't kill her, who else would want to?

After Anna is a definite page turner, and hard to put down. As we learn about events through Noah's trial, it becomes clear that things and people are not what they seem. The story is suspenseful, the characters are interesting, and it's a great read. The only thing that bothered me about the story was what happens in the end...it seems like there is a rush to tie things up. However the book is definitely worth reading, and the perfect book to take on vacation, because you won't want to put it down for silly things like sleep!

page Turner. Well plotted. Great storyline. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery/Scout Press for providing me an early release of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh Lisa, I wish I liked this more. I really do. I usually like most of what you write. But this...ugh. The characters drove me nuts. I figured out the ending way before the end of the book. I just couldn't get into the meat of the story, I guess. Too predictable.

After Anna is another great novel by Lisa Scottoline . Courtroom drama, muder, family drama and a surprise twist that you won't see coming this book is why Scottoline is one of my favorite authors

Noah and Maggie, both had previous marriages but found each other and were happy. Noah had a son who thought of Maggie as his mother. Maggie had a daughter who she hadn’t seen since she was 6 months old when her husband declared her unfit.
One day out of the blue Maggie’s daughter calls her and asks to meet her for dinner. Maggie finds out her daughter is so unhappy, wants to drop out of school and move in with her. Which she does.
And this is when trouble starts.
Anna accuses Noah of horrible things and then is found murdered. Noah is arrested and crazy things come out. Did Maggie know the man she married or didn’t she???.

AFTER ANNA by Lisa Scottoline. The story was quite engrossing and kept up the pace until the last couple of chapters when it felt a bit rushed. But nothing prepared one for the twist at the end. It was a really good read in a different style than I am normal used to reading, but it worked well.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.