Have to give credit where credit is due, I did not see that ending coming! Lots of twists and turns in this one. Would have liked to see a little more character development to explain how some of these people and situations came to be. May have to go see what else this author has out there.

*I received this book free in return for an honest review.

I was totally enthralled by this book from the first chapter. I loved the way this story unfolded, with each chapter giving us another unreliable character, another set of mysterious circumstances, keeping the reader guessing until the very end. There is such a mood to this book...dark and creepy....the weather and the setting in the woods adding their own broodiness to the story. Fast-paced, compelling, and unputdownable!

Another fast paced mystery thriller from A.J. Banner that did not disappoint. It's a page turner that was easy to read and hard to put down. It kept me guessing right up to the end as to who the killer was and how everything played out. I am so happy that I received an advance copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I really like this author's previous books and this one was great too. This author has a gift for writing these kinds of psychological thrillers that keep you guessing and a way of always hammering home the fact that it's hard to really know anyone and you never know the secrets people are keeping. It definitely shows how if you have the uncanny ability to read subtle clues and really pay attention to people's behavior you can find out a lot about a person. I highly recommend this book and this author if you enjoy these kinds of stories like I do.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ebook for my Kindle.
This is a good suspense novel with characters I liked, but mostly characters that I didn't like. There's mystery, murder, abuse (physically, verbally and mentally), betrayal, and more in this book. I actually enjoyed the book except for the ending. The book had a lot of twists and turns and kept me guessing until the last few chapters, but the ending was not good for me.

Well written but did not enjoy as much as the previous novel, still an intriguing story.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for providing me with a galley of this book.

This is a quick, twisty-turny tale the will keep you guessing until the very end. Even once the major twist was revealed, I had questions... but how... but why... And the last chapter wrapped it up without leaving you feeling like they just put the perfect little bow on it. The book leaves you wanting more!

If you're the type of person who reads the last page right before you get started... Don't! Don't do it on this one! You will be so sorry that you ruined all the fun... seriously... don't do it....

When Marissa's best friend ends up dead at the bottom of a cliff the morning after her dinner party, she cannot stop trying to guess who dunnit, and in her mind, everyone's a suspect! Her own paranoia makes her real and keeps you raising your eyebrows at the others right along with her.

If you like psychological thrillers (which I love), this page-turner is definitely one for your to-read shelves!

After nightfall is a mystery/suspense with twists and turns. Marissa is engaged to Nathan (a paramedic). Nathan is living next door to Jensen ( Marissa's college boyfriend) and Lauren (Marissa's ex best friend). One night after a dinner party at Nathan's Marissa finds Lauren's dead body on the beach the next morning. Had she fallen off the cliff in the dark after drinking too much or was she pushed? If so who would want her dead? Lauren's husband or daughter? You are introduced to a number of characters including Nathan's ex-wife and his brother and sister-in-law. All seem to have secrets. Did Nathan's young daughter Anne see something that night that she wan't supposed to see? Marissa can't let the mystery rest and tries to pursue answers herself putting herself and Anne in danger. A bit of twists at the end and a question leaves the book open ended.

I enjoyed this book. Although it did have a bit of a magazine serial feel about it, with dramatic scenes which would have made good weekly cliff hangers.

The characters were good and there was a lot of pointing fingers at characters, then turning out to be nothing.

It isn't the greatest book I've ever read, but would recommend it as a good read.

Marissa Is newly engaged to Nathan, a single dad with a young daughter. At their engagement party, Marissa’s old friend from college, Lauren, drinks a little too much and flirts with Nathan. This brings back bad memories and reminds Marissa of the reason their friendship ended years ago. They had just reconciled and started being friends again after about 16 years. The next morning Marissa goes out for a walk on the beach and finds Lauren’s body at the bottom of a cliff. From here the story picks up the pace. The author does a great job with red herrings. I didn’t trust anyone and I thought everybody was guilty! The only thing I think that needs improvement is the book could have been a little bit longer and delved into the backstory more of Lauren and Marissa. This is a very fast and fun read. I would recommend it to readers who like fast pace mysteries. Thank you to the author and Net Galleyfor allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A.J. Banner is a fantastic author that keeps your attention with every page! I absolutely loved this book from beginning to end! I couldn't even put it down! It's a mystery/thriller where Marissa's old friend/enemy turned friend again, Lauren, is found dead after a dinner party. Things get so crazy from there! Things keep happening around Marissa that makes her question everything and everyone.
And as an added bonus to me it was awesome to see my hometown in there too! Spokane, WA!! Yay!!
This book was fun!!
Happy reading!!

I received this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

I enjoyed this book, some parts were a little slow but then something would happen which would hook me in even more. This book had me guessing until the end and I love a good mystery.

I love the kind of book that has you shifting in your seat in anticipation of what's to come, and this book did just that! I have read a few of Banner's previous novels and I can tell the the books keep getting better and better. This one is my favorite so far and I look forward to more in the future. I recommend this one.

The style likened back to the moody gothics that I used to read. A great who-dun-it. The cast of characters, Marissa (who is the voice of the novel), her boyfriend Nathan, their neighbors Jensen and Lauren Eklund, Keith and Hedra, Nathan's brother and his wife, and Riann and Anna, Nathan's ex-wife and daughter. You will find yourself following the clues and pointing a finger at each one in turn until you reach the very surprising end. Lots of plot twists make for a quick read. Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read and review the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book was a desk suspenseful thriller, with lots of twists. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thanks to NetGalley for sending me an ARC copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved this book! So many twists and turns it kept me guessing right up to the end. Every time I thought I figured out who the killer was I was wrong. If you're looking for a good thriller, mystery, this book is for you!

Thank you to #NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a eARC copy.

My review on Goodreads: So - first off, the thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review. I actually finished it in just over a day---the desire to keep turning those pages was non-stop. BUT, why didn't I give it a full 5-stars? Well, (and I'm being HONEST here), the book does have a few problems. I know it's an ARC, so I'm hoping the author gets them weeded out before going to print. Basically, there were so many twists and turns that I got confused/impatient at times. She's a great writer, and I found myself "seeing" the characters, but if I were reviewing on partial stars, I'd probably go with 3.5 or 3.75 for some of the "extra" scenes that seemed to be put in just to throw the reader off track. I also thought that ending scene was unnecessary---but again, did I enjoy it? Did it make me keep reading? Will I read her next one? Yes, yes, and YES!!! Thanks again! :)

I loved this book! It hooked me from the very first page. I started it this morning and finished it this afternoon. If you are looking for a book that is about friendship, secrets, and murder then you want to pick this book up. This book kept me guessing until the ending. The biggest twist to me was who the killer was. A.J. Banner is one of my go to authors and she wrote another amazing book!
Thanks Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for approving me for an advance copy to review!

I love that cover! I was only going to read a chapter because I knew if I had plans to read it all the library books I have on hold would all come at once. After that first chapter I wasn't so sure I'd like the book that much. But then I was flying through the pages. I couldn't get enough. What happened to Lauren?! All the little tidbits are weaved together to create a clever story. Everyone is seen as suspicious, they all have secrets. I loved how the book ended. I was surprised at the big reveal, again I appreciate the cleverness, but I wasn't totally crazy about it. But this was still a tense, enjoyable page-turner for me.

I loved this book. Started it this morning and finished it in the afternoon. So good and very well written. To sum it up best: Friendship, Family, Secrets, Betrayal. Murder ! But who did it ? And a really unexpected twist at the end. This book is superb and I look forward to reading more books by this author ! If you choose this book, you will enjoy every minute spent reading it !

Imagine your best friend in childhood comes back into your life. She is at the dinner party where you are going to announce your engagement. She gets very drunk and flirts with your fiancé who doesn’t discourage her.
You have trouble sleeping and go out for an early morning walk only to discover the horror of your friend dead in the water. You will never forget her face. You can’t get over that you will never work out some of your issues.
You decide you must find out who killed her. But the more you dig, the more you find out secrets from people you know and love. And maybe you keep popping up at tragic events and look like a suspect yourself.....