Posting this review pains me. I love Charlie Donlea’s writing style, but this book simply didn’t work for me at all.

The story is all over the place, with way too many subplots that detract from rather than enhance the main plot. Despite the busyness of the multiple storylines, content is also oddly (and annoyingly) repetitive. Donlea had the unfortunate tendency to restate previous information again (and again) at the start of new scenes throughout the book, as if readers couldn’t be trusted to remember what we learned a few pages prior.

Pacing is inconsistent, content is implausible, and I didn’t love any of the characters.

Donlea has a gift for twists, so there is a payoff in that respect.

Clearly not my favorite by this author, but this is just my opinion. If you love puzzles and twists, and you don’t mind being immersed in 9/11 for a plot device, then you might be among those who love this book.

Wow! A seriously great book! Have found myself a new author!
I could not put this book down. I finished this in one sitting! A wonderful thriller, mystery and murder and so much more. Told from several POV's and a duel time-line, it was a perfect combination of plot and well executed. With plenty of twists and unravelling of secrets, I highly recommend it. Thank you kindly to NetGalley, the author and Penguin for this advanced reading copy.

I’m a big fan of Mr. Donlea’s novels and was very excited to pick this one up. I won’t say too much on the plot to avoid spoilers…Investigative journalist Avery Mason is looking for her next big story, while also covering her own secrets. She stumbles upon an unsolved murder, which was shelved twenty years earlier after it’s main suspect died on September 11, 2001 in the World Trade Center collapse.

What did I like? The mystery is compelling. Mr. Donlea effortlessly layers twists and turns throughout the story. I enjoyed the characters of Walt and Avery. I liked the perspective of the experienced Walt looking back on his first homicide case.

What didn’t work for me? I think it was due to the nature of the dual timeline and the different narration points of view, but sometimes the storytelling felt a bit repetitive at times in the first half of the book.

Overall this is a page-turning, suspenseful mystery and a very fun read.

The simple title Twenty Years Later belies the complicated nature of the story within a story of this book.

In 2001 Victoria Ford is about to be indicted for the murder of her lover famous author Cameron Young, [it’s as sordid as it comes]. On the eve of the indictment, two planes crash through the north and south towers of the World Trade Centre in the most significant event of terrorism the world has ever seen and with it went the case against Ford, as she was one of the missing in one of the towers, identified twenty years later by DNA found in the rubble.

In 2021 Avery Mason is riding the crest of a career wave as a TV anchor, all the while hoping her history doesn’t catch up with her. Avery’s real name is Claire Avery Montgomery and her father went missing when his companies were revealed to have duped people out of billions of dollars. She’s interested in pursuing a story about Ford but it’s also a cover for her to make some other inquiries, because her father has reached out to her, three years after his disappearance. Avery crosses paths with former FBI agent Walt Jenkins, who was the detective in charge of the Young murder investigation. She needs him, and he’s not telling her everything.

This is the first Charlie Donlea book I’ve read. For me it was a corker. The chapters are quite short but a little complex in that they jump around in setting and across characters, despite being chronological from the identification of the DNA evidence, and thus the life of Avery following the case. Within the chapters there are reflections by the characters that then switch the time periods, which were a bit tricky to navigate.

Avery and Walt were interesting characters without the depth in Walt I wanted to see. Their ‘chemistry’ was not really convincing for me and more could have been made of it I think. Avery also has an epiphany about the evidence which had me scratching my head as it just occurred to her .. these made me rate it 4 stars instead of 5 stars.

The plusses? It had me really thinking on who had something ti gain from Young’s death. What was the motive? Who held a grudge? The pacing was good. What was really great for me was the ending though, which made me think ‘oh no you didn’t’ which I love in a thriller.

Thanks to netgalley and Kensington books for a complementary digital copy of this book. It was released in December 2021.

I just love every book that I have read that was written by Charlie Donlea! This one is another winner. I always get sucked up into the stories and I also love how they are all connected. This one links up to Suicide House with Mack Carter and his show, now hosted by Avery (aka Claire), a woman who is looking for the interesting and sometimes gruesome or thrilling to run on the next season of American Events. With the twenty year anniversary of 9/11, a good lead comes in the form of a chilling phone message left by Victoria Ford. There are many twists and secrets, some of Avery herself and I enjoyed seeing how the two puzzles intertwined, Avery's and Victoria's, past and present.

It was a great book and I can't wait to read the next book that this author writes! Thank you to netgalley for providing an electronic copy of this story in exchange for a review.

<b>Twenty Years Later</b> is the fourth title I've read by Charlie Donlea and yet again he has struck upon a winning formula.    His characters are appealing though not without their faults.   There are many storylines to keep the reader engaged, interested, and guessing how it will all come together.    I really loved what he did with this particular story and though I've been highly complimentary of his other titles I really think this is the the best to date.

As you might guess from the title the story begins twenty years earlier.   Walt Jenkins, a young detective, is investigating what at first appears to be a suicide but which soon becomes apparent is the scene of a murder.    The evidence all points to Victoria Holt.    She meets with her attorney on the 80th floor of the World Trade Centre to discuss the case and to understand the amount of money she's going to need for bail.   Regretably, the date was 11th September 2001 and Victoria did not make it out of that building alive.   With the focus on terror in full swing and the accused lost in the rubble, the previously high profile murder case was paused and never got picked back up.

Twenty years later, a team of people are still dedicated to identifying the remains taken from the rubble of the WTC site.    It's been many years since they last found a match, but by fluke, almost on the 20th anniversary, they match a bone fragment to Victoria Holt.   Avery Mason, the anchor on a wildly successful newsmagazine tv program picks up the story and decides to run with it.  

Avery, Walt, Victoria - in fact most of the characters - had secrets and/or backgrounds they might not have wanted divulged.    The plot was clever and I really enjoyed the snippets and interesting facts I learnt about 9/11 and the process of identifying the bodies.   

This mystery was at exactly the level I enjoy.  (Some thrillers have the tension cranked up real high but these make me too on edge and I wind up putting them aside for a while.  Not so this time round).    I was intrigued and though there were a couple of mildly anxious moments I was never stressed, and I still got ample ahhaa moments.  Not only that but there were some feel good moments and the start of a relationship to boot.    All of these factors added up to a win win situation for me.

I hope Charlie Donlea is busy putting pen to paper again right now as I'm eager to see what he comes up with next.   My thanks to the author, to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the opportunity of reading this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review which it was my pleasure to provide. 4.5 stars

Wow! What a fantastic way to start the New Year!
Twenty Years Later by Charlie Donlea is a riveting, page-turning mystery/thriller that I couldn't put down.
Investigative TV Reporter Avery Mason is hiding her own dark past as she is determined to discover the truth behind a grisly murder many years after the investigation unexpectedly discontinued.
Looking to boost her ratings Avery covers the recent discovery that new DNA technology has allowed medical examiners to successfully identify a 9/11 victim twenty years later.
The victim, Victoria Ford, was accused of gruesomely murdering her married lover. She perished in the North Tower of the WTC on 9/11 while meeting with her lawyer.
As this story unfolds, as well as Avery Mason's back story, the author gives us many twists and turns as well as pulling everything together perfectly.
This novel was unputdownable!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Twenty Year Later by Charlie Donlea was a surprising good read. With interesting and complicated characters as Avery Mason (aka Claire Montgomery) and Walt Jenkins (retired detective and FBI agent) who both have a plethora of secrets, the plot becomes entwined in a lot of complex issues that twist and turn. Well developed and an intriguing story with a most unexpected ending!

My only criticism is that with ebooks it is difficult to go back and forth; at times I didn’t look properly at the chapter headings so missed the date which led me to be a bit confused. However, that being said, I didn’t get totally lost and picked up the time-frame not too long into the chapters.

I haven’t previously read any of Charlie Donlea’s book and this was a wonderful introduction to his writing. I will be looking to read more of his books in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher Kensington Books, Kensington for a copy to read and review.

Fast and fun suspense thriller that provided a complicated plot, fascinating characters, and a nice surprise ending!

My first book of the year did not disappoint. The story focuses on Avery Mason (AKA Claire Montgomery), the host of a wildly popular television news program. She finds just the hook for her next season when she hears that a victim from 9/11 has been identified after 20 years. There’s an added bonus to doing a feature on Victoria Ford — it seems that right before the North Tower fell she was visiting a lawyer to engage him in defending her against a sensational murder charge. The case was never prosecuted since the main suspect was presumed dead but Victoria’s sister is convinced that her sister needs to be exonerated. Avery is researching all the background while also dealing with a personal drama that involves her father. It’s a very clever web the author weaves bringing all to a twisty end that actually caught me out. Enjoy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend.

Quite frankly I’m having a really hard time moving beyond holy crap as a reaction. This book was absolutely amazing. It was a little slow starting out, and felt like there was a lot to remember as it does flip back and forth in perspective, but sticking with it was the best decision I’ve made in a long time because oh boy did it pay off. I would quite happily spend the rest of my days reading nothing but Walt and Avery books.

This book was exactly what i needed. It is one that will command your attention from start through all the twists and turns to an unexpected ending. It begins with Avery who is the host of a popular television show, American Events. She is in contract negotiations with the big bosses and needs something to prove her value. She goes to New York to cover the first DNA match from 9/11 in years. She discovers the person identified was about to be indicted for a grisly murder of her married lover. There are plenty of twists to this story line and Avery is hiding dark secrets from her past. It’s great @kensingtonbooks @charliedonlea #twentyyearslater #netgalley

Twenty Years Later by Charlie Donlea tells the story of Avery Mason. She is an up-and-coming television host of one of the most popular news/true crime documentary shows. She’s in the midst of negotiating her new contract with the show when she hears that for the first time in a long time remains from the World Trade Center collapse on 9/11 have been identified. It turns out that the victim identified is Victoria Ford, who just so happened to be a suspect for a murder in 2001 when she tragically was killed in the tower collapse. Allegedly, Victoria had murdered a famous author who she was having an affair with. Her blood and urine were found at the crime scene so it was a slam dunk. Once she was killed on 9/11 the case disintegrated and was forgotten.
Avery sees this as an irresistible story to open the new season of her show. Once she meets with Victoria’s sister and finds out her sister has an answering machine message left while Victoria was in the burning tower begging her to prove her innocence Avery knows for sure that this will guarantee a huge pay raise for her.
What most people don’t know is that Avery has a secret in her past. The book also delves into Avery’s family’s dark past and Avery’s part in that.
The first part of the book reads very fast and had me hooked. I really liked the character of Avery and can see her being in another book. I also enjoy the way that the author finds a way to weave in characters from his previous books into small roles in his current books. It’s like meeting an old friend again. The only issue I had was I felt like the two stories could have been two different books. And the ending felt a little bit rushed. Other than that, this was overall a really fun read and a good story. I always enjoy the Charlie Donlea books and can’t wait until the next one comes out. Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions on my own.

3.4, really. Points deducted for the author's annoying way of restating the point or discovery that was just made to make sure everyone gets the significance. As a general rule I think it would be best if authors always assume their readers are smart enough to read.

“Love or the law. Mans only two problems in this world.”

Hiding her own dark past in plain sight, Mason, an up and coming TV reporter, is determined to uncover the secrets of a cold case from twenty years prior. But to understand the present you need to listen to the past. Due to new technology, a medical examiner has made the first positive identification of a 9/11 victim in years. But there is a twist. The victim was accused of the murder of her married lover, which is the very cold case that Mason is now investigating.

I will start this review by saying that a dunk tank is a non negotiable for me. 🙅🏼‍♀️ No job or amount of money would have me in one of those death traps. Nope. No way. That is all. Moving on.

Wheeeeeeeee! This is an intricate and cleverly woven story of ambition, money, murder, and cold cases. It dabbles in 9/11, Ponzi schemes, and a little S&M. There are a lot of moving parts here but they come together beautifully. I read a lot of thrillers and I am always so impressed when I get that WOW ending. This one gave me just that. Wow indeed!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, RB Media, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This review was originally posted on <a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2021/12/30/%f0%9f%8e%a7-twenty-years-later-by-charlie-donlea/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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<i>Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i>

Wow.  I always enjoy this author.  I found the mystery aspects to be elusive and twisty.  There are a couple storylines which eventually connect and intertwine later.

I liked the characters well enough, although they are not the people I would meet in my everyday life.  I understood and empathized with their feelings.  Avery was a strong character and I wanted her to succeed.  Walt was a bit sad and I was glad he found a new lease on life.  Victoria was betrayed and I wanted her to be alive and proved innocent.

There are a lot of characters hiding things about their lives and about their pasts. It's not always bad things but some of the facts are uncomfortable.  There are plenty of sketchy, awkward or even disgusting facts here.

I don't want to spoil this story.  It's a fascinating ride.  I did figure out one thing, but it didn't matter because everything else was a surprise. There was adequate closure to the mysteries.  I loved reading <strong>Twenty Years Later</strong> and I recommend it.

A TV reporter, with secrets of her own, investigates a murder Twenty Years Later when the about-to-be accused murderer’s bones are found in the 9/11 rubble.

I was enjoying this convoluted murder mystery until the midpoint. At that point the mysteries just got a bit unbelievable. Does every character have to have a secret in their past? Are all the secrets going to come together for a shocking finale? Suffice it to say, Twenty Years Later will stretch your credibility a bit. 3 stars.

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Do you have a Christmas book gift card you are itching to spend? Well, here is another bold, high tension, and original, suspenseful story by one of my favorite authors. Nobody can spin those twists like Charlie Donlea can.

3 Things I loved

Charlie Donlea always has a few things going in his books to keep up with, and here it's all about the many subplots bouncing around. It can be a bit much; however, he keeps all the balls in the air and somehow manages to bring them all together.

I love how he leaves a few clues to pick up on and figure some things out and then pulls the net out from under us with an exciting and surprising twist in the end.

I love that past characters make appearances in his books. It's always nice to see what they are up to.

3 things I didn't love as much

The story is not as tight as I would have liked and pacing is off. There is a bit of telling us things the characters do that weren't all that interesting and felt repetitive

I feel like I shouldn't have liked this one as much as I did because of using the tragedy of 9/11 as a plot device to drive the story forward. I read another book using 9/11, and I was not too fond of it because of that.

I didn't find the character engaging as much as I liked due to the many subplots. Not as much time was spent on developing them to really engage in them. However, it's all about the suspense and unexpected twist in the end that makes this an exciting one.

3 reasons you should read

If you love to follow clues and try to figure things out along the way to be surprised with how it turns out in the end. Or maybe to see if you did figure it out.

You like bold stories that might be questionable by their use of them. Here 9/11.

You are a fan of Charlie Donlea. If you haven't read anything written by him, I highly recommend giving it a try!!

When this popped up as an ARC available via Net Galley, I could not have clicked the request button any faster than I did. A couple of years ago I got a copy of Some Choose Darkness via the Kensington's Between the Chapters Facebook group. I enjoyed Charlie Donlea's writing style and since then I have looked forward to each of his releases!

Avery Mason, our protagonist is whip-smart and has a real can-do spirit. I like how we get to see her vulnerabilities and the way she deals with her insecurities. Twenty Years Later incorporates September 11, 2001, in a unique and surprising way. As is the case with any thriller, I am hesitant to be anything but vague about the plot as there are clues everywhere!
In this book, as I was reading I developed a crazy theory, and then shortly after I developed my crazy theory, Avery had a crazy theory. Yes, indeed, Avery and I were on the same page. I find in Charlie Donlea's writings he often writes so that the reader can be one step ahead of the protagonist and the action unfolds. I love it! I feel like I am part of the action and that is a big part of why I enjoy his books each and every time.

4 Stars to Twenty Years Later!

Avery is a popular host of a talk show who finds pleasure in diving into heartfelt stories and mysterious unsolved crimes. She runs into a story about a 9/11 victim, Victoria Ford, who was an accused murderer in a crime 20 years ago. Emma Ford, Victoria's sister, is convinced that her sister is innocent and begs Avery to try and solve the case. However, there is more than meets the eye in this case as Avery is battling with demons from her past, as well.

This book kept me wanting more and more. I was hooked from the first couple of chapters. It is told through multiple POV's and the short chapters kept me engaged throughout the entirety. I think all the different stories all tied together neatly and by the end, I loved the characters in the book. I did guess one of the bigger twists in the novel early on, but there were so many other storylines going on, that it did not ruin the book for me.

Overall, a great read if you want something suspenseful and mysterious.

This was great! This was the first book by Charlie Donlea that I have read but it will not be my last. I was hooked by this book during the first few pages and it just got better and better the more that I read. There were twists and turns on top of twists and turns that really kept my interest level high. I am so glad that I decided to give this book a try.

This book is made up of a lot of different threads and two main points of view. At first, I couldn’t see how any of the different threads could possibly tie together but in the end, everything did. One of the threads takes us into the World Trade Center on 9/11. In today’s world, a lab working to identify all of the remains from 9/11 finds a new match. This new match happens to be a woman who was about to be indicted for murder. Avery, a journalist, wants to look into the story and once she realizes it is tied to a crime, she is determined to get to the bottom of things. Of course, Avery has a few mysteries in her own life to deal with.

I loved the way that this story was able to keep me guessing. I was able to guess a few of the twists but there were quite a few that took me by surprise. I was really curious about what really happened in that murder case from before 9/11. I was also very curious how both Avery and Walt would navigate the issues in their own lives. Avery and Walt were great characters and I liked them more and more as I made my way through this book.

I think that a lot of readers would really enjoy this fast-paced book that keeps the reader guessing. There was a lot going on in this story and I thought that the author pulled everything together very well. I cannot wait to try more of this author’s work soon.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Kensington Books via NetGalley.