Finished this book in 2 days! Minka Kent is an automatic read for me and this did not disappoint, Great, well developed characters. Don't pass on this book.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this!

This was my first Minka Kent book. This is an easy read as I finished it in under 24 hours. I would compare her to Daniel Hurst or Freida McFadden.

Afton was accused of killing her best friend's father twenty years ago during a blackout. She claims she had no memory of what happened that night. Years later her friend, Sydney still supports her and remains loyal to their friendship. On top of that, even Sydney's mother always helps Afton with anything she needs.... after murdering her Husband and Sydney losing her father. Weird right?

Then, Afton experiences weird things happening. Memory loss again. Her medication having different affects. Struggling to sleep. On top of that, has a winning lottery ticket that she decides to hold on to for a whole month without claiming it. Who in heck would wait to claim $30,000,000 million dollars? Like why? Who does that?

And lets not forget her bestie, Sydney. She's a hot mess herself. Sydney tries juggling two jobs, raising two kids and keeping her Husband happy. That's a lot of work.

I was totally into the storyline throughout the book. I needed to see how this was going to play out. Well, let me just tell you.... I was completely disappointed towards the end. The things these characters did drove me insane. On top of that, the final reveal of the "why they did it" was ridiculous. Sorry. It was really silly. At least have a plausible explanation. Geez.

--- I would have rated this 2.5 stars but rounded up for the fast pace and thrilling parts.
I would like to thank Thomas and Mercer and NetGalley for an advanced copy for my honest review.
Expected publication date November 14, 2023

Minka Kent is one of my favorite authors, so I had high expectations for "After Dark." I just devoured this book (in less than a day to be exact!) and obsoletely loved it! I love the way the book is told from different perspectives over different time periods, the way the plot kept me intrigued the entire time, and the ending that was perfect. I will be telling everyone to read After Dark!

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

I love all this author’s books and her latest is no exception! I was drawn in by the concept of an accused murderer who stays in her hometown and has dealt with being a pariah for the last two decades. Technically, Afton was convicted at the age of seventeen, but because of her mental health history, the judge deferred her sentence, and she was able to avoid prison if she underwent therapy and stayed out of trouble. While her life hasn’t exactly been exciting, at least she’s free to enjoy living with and taking care of her grandmother and working a steady job.

She’s thrown for a loop when she realizes she’s coming into a large amount of money. Now she can live more luxuriously with Gram, help her less fortunate neighbors, and spoil her best friend, Sydney. Her heart might be in the right place, but Afton has no idea what’s in store. Not everyone can forget the accusations against her, no matter how much good she’s trying to do now. And speaking of forgetting, it’s revealed early in the story that she doesn’t remember the crime she was convicted for. So yes, it’s one of those stories.

And I really wish the very end had been different. It’s so hard not to elaborate but it wasn’t satisfying enough, and I really want a sequel! There’s so much left unsaid. But maybe it’s normal to feel that way after racing through a book and realizing that it’s over. I’ll just have to wait for whatever the author has in store next!

I literally started this book and finished in 2 days!! It was SO good. Love books that flip between multiple characters and tells two sides of a story. Minka Kent has done it again! She has written a book that is everything I love about a suspense novel. Did Afton murder Sydney's father or is there something so much more sinister going on?? Don't miss out on this captivating thriller!! Excellent!!!!

Minka Kent is an automatic buy for me.
There’s not been a book by her I haven’t loved and After Dark didn’t disappoint.
Afton is a dynamic character who you root for the whole time. The twist and turns are good some of them are expected. The ending is really good though!

It’s a fast and easy read. I couldn’t put it down.

Wow!! Could not stop reading this one! Minka Kent’s After Dark roars through twists and turns to a wild ending. Just when I thought I knew what was happening, she pivoted with yet another surprise. An exhilarating read!

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this awesome ARC.

Afton Teachout has been an outcast in her town for twenty years. Her only friends are the family of the man she is accused of killing. She has no recollection of killing him, but is found standing over his body, covered in blood.
She lives a very quiet life with her Grandmother, and has a job in a hotel as the night clerk.
Afton's friend, Sydney, is married to Drew, who she dated in high school. Afton sees Drew sneak into the hotel one night and he goes to the room of a very young and beautiful woman.
That is the very night she finds that she has won a considerable fortune on the lottery.

She sets out to help Sydney, and to expose Drew for the cheat that he is.

I love Minka Kent's books! She draws you in slowly and keeps you gasping for the next reveal! I read this book in one go, and I don't regret getting to sleep at 2am!
I really felt sorry for Afton, it seemed as though she was getting a good break, and then it seemed she wasn't!
The twists and turns in this book just keep the reader totally enthralled. You just feel compelled to keep reading.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A big fan of Minka Kent so had to read this when I saw it.
Such a whirl wind of a ride reading this. Got to one part where I couldn't tell what was what myself. Greatly written with easy characters to follow. Great storyline.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were well developed and the story was engaging. I recommend that others try this book as well. Well done!

After Dark is a thriller following 37 year-old Afton, who’s stil trying to lose her reputation as the psycho teen who murdered her mother’s boyfriend in a blackout fit of rage. Only, Afton has always maintained her innocence, despite a guilty plea, and despite her history of psychotic episodes.

This is one twisty book! The ending was satisfyingly surprising and I loved every minute of the ride. Even though Afton was an unreliable narrator (and sometimes a bit dim witted!), I found her easy to root for. I would recommend this book to fans of Catherine Steadmanand Riley Sager.

I’ve always been a fan of Minka Kent’s books so I was thrilled to receive an ARC of After Dark! It does not disappoint with its twists and turns and interesting characters. Just when I thought I knew, it went off in a different direction. Loved this fast paced thriller!

Did Aston commit murder? Guessing what will happen in this thriller is not easy. Red herrings kept me wondering. Realistic characters kept the story moving quickly. This gifted author has written a cannot put down whodunit it. Thank you Netgalley.