I am such a huge fan of Minka Kent. I have just about every one of her books and have not been disappointed. If you like Freida McFadden, Lisa Unger or Mary Kubica then you will love this book.

Afton Teachout has been an outcast in her small town for twenty years—ever since she was accused of murdering her mother’s lover in a blackout fit of rage. That is, if one believes the malicious lies.

Living with her grandmother, working a hotel night shift, and relying on pills to get a day’s sleep, Afton is due a little luck. It comes in the form of an unexpected financial windfall. With her newfound wealth, Afton sets a secret plan in motion to help her only friend, Sydney, flee a toxic husband. But the best intentions soon spin out of control.

Afton is getting unsettling calls from a restricted number, and someone has been lingering outside her home. As Sydney’s troubled marriage comes into focus, so does Afton’s past. Her second chance—for herself and for Sydney—isn’t what she dreamed of at all. In fact, it’s becoming a nightmare.

I was very interested into the story from the beginning. The story is told from two POVs and both characters have a present and past timeline and that can be a bit confusing at times. Afton is a character that people can root for but she also has really bad luck. She’s become a scapegoat for her family and that made me feel for her. Her mom was terrible and i really wish Afton had a better home life. There were a few twists and turns (and some that I saw coming) that I did not predict but came to the surface as the book progressed. Overall, I really enjoyed the book and can’t wait to read more of Minka Kent books.

This never felt like a cohesive, coherent story. It felt like the author had a couple of fun loglines (a girl is accused of murder but can't remember it! A woman sees her best friend's husband enter a stranger's hotel room and investigates the affair!) but couldn't figure out what to do with any of them, so she shoved them all together into this book. Everything is so surface-level and never resolves satisfactorily or interestingly.

I’ve been a fan of Minka Kent since her first novel and this one is brilliant. We meet Afton, a girl who was prone to blackout fits, as she is standing over a dead body. It’s her best friends father who also happened to be having an affair with her mother. Everyone thinks she did it, although she is positive she didn’t. Many years later Afton still lives in the same cruel small town, still friends with Sydney. Her luck changes when she wins the lottery, quits her job and wants to right wrongs with Sydney. She will do this by exposing Sydney’s husband for the cheater he is.
The fun of this book happens when we find out that Afton has been suffering from hallucinations and wonder what is real. Did she kill the coach? Is Sydney’s husband cheating? Is Sydney really her friend? You are left guessing quite a bit till the end.
Brilliant story and thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read this book early.

This book has some great, unexpected twists. It’s a very fast and fun book to read. There are different timelines, which can be jarring. The reader definitely has to suspend belief for much of the story but that’s ok! It’s entertaining!

This was a super readable/bingeable book. Minka Kent's writing is very easy to read and the storyline had a lot of interesting things: murder during a blackout, a lottery ticket worth millions, a cheating husband, all that fun stuff. You want to keep reading to see how all of it comes together, Unfortunately, the reasoning behind all the secrets and how they were resolved was very unsatisfying. I was waiting for something shocking to happen, but all of the explanation seemed very bland and wasn't very original. This is a good book for fans of quick, popcorn thrillers.

Minka Kent does it again with another fast paced thriller that keeps you guessing!

This book is dual pov between lifelong best friends, Afton and Sydney. As teenagers Sydney’s dad is killed and Afton is the prime suspect. Only she doesn’t remember a single thing. The court of public opinion finds her guilty, but ultimately she goes free and lives the next couple of decades as the town pariah.

I loved the best friend dynamic and the flashbacks to their high school days. They certainly had a complicated dynamic, but it felt very authentic.

I will say I had my suspicions early on, but that’s because I’m a true crime girly. Ultimately I will always sing Minka’s praises and this book is no different!

The perfect fast paced thriller that won’t prevent you from sleeping at night!

3.5 stars.

Minka Kent writes fast paced thrillers that keep you guessing, and “After Dark” is no different! This is my third Kent book and at this point she is a go-to for a thriller that takes the edge off between reading more intense books. Kent’s writing is easily digested and the punches come fast, making “After Dark” a perfect binge read.
There are themes of mental illness, memory loss, infidelity, secrets, and ~ m u r d e r ~.

My second book by Minka Kent and I'm super impressed. The book had me hooked early on and if I didn't have work or other things going on, I would have easily read this in once sitting. Some of the things Afton, the protagonist dealt with mentally felt pretty obvious throughout the book, but I didn't entirely expect the ending I got, which was good because I can't stand a predictable ending. Overall, great read for thriller and suspense lovers.

AFTER DARK is a suspenseful story that you will have a hard time putting down. I really felt for Afton's character, she never had a stable childhood. However, her best friend, Sydney, had everything. She had a boyfriend and a mother that cared about her, these are things that Afton wished she also had. As the story unraveled, I really enjoyed the alternating points of view and flashbacks to their past. I really had no idea how this would end and let me say, I was quite surprised. I can highly recommend adding AFTER DARK to your reading list!

Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for my gifted ARC.

This review will be shared to my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for access to this Arc in exchange for my honest review.

I really loved the writing style of this author and it was quite a fast read. It was a bit slow sometimes, but the plot, the twists, everything was on point. I really loved the way it ended, even if I felt sad that one character didn't really get justice. This is the first I read from this author, but won't be the last.

This was a quick read with a good plot that keeps you interested throughout . I loved the different POV which made you keep questioning . From someone in the medical field there were things that were hard to believe but it was still entertaining. The end was great and made me think about everything I just read !


Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review

I was so caught up in Ashton's story and had anxiety over her lottery ticket, I didn't see the twist coming in this book. This was a great psychological thriller that I felt myself get quickly absorbed into.

We have alternating POV's between Afton and Sydney, including some in the past before Sydney's father was murdered. Afton has been trying to build back her life after she was accused of killing her best friend's father - her mother abandoned her and she went to live with her Gram, who loved her unconditionally. This book definitely has the feel of an unreliable narrator once we find out in the beginning that Afton has had psychological breaks in the past, uncontrollable rage that left her with no memory of what happened.

This was a quick read and well-paced. The characters aren't the most likeable, but I still enjoyed their perspectives.

Afton and Sydney are best friends and cousins who grew up together in a small town, each with very different families. Afton was an only child with no father and a mother who had a lot of issues and didn't seem to notice her. Sydney had a more traditional family with an attentive mom, a dad who was the head coach of the local high school football team (the town hero) and a brother and sister. Afton was fortunate enough to be welcomed into Sydney's family until her the day her life drastically changes when she is accused of murdering Sydney's father in a blackout fit of rage when she finds out that he and her mother were having an affair. This story starts 20 years after the murder and is told from the dual perspectives of Afton and Sydney. who have somehow remained friends, still with very different lives.

Afton is a sympathetic character, albeit a somewhat unreliable narrator because of her history with blackouts and the medication she is taking. I had a really hard time with Sydney's character. She is not likeable at all and forget about Sydney's high school sweetheart and now husband Drew. who is just awful. I really wanted to find out what happened that fateful night and when it finally got to that point, I was pretty disappointed with the lackluster ending. I like the author's writing style, but I felt like this book left a lot of unanswered questions.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publication date is November 14, 2023.

An implausible but fast paced tale of two women- Afton and Sydney- who have been best friends forever despite the fact that Afton killed Sydney's father. Now, Afton's won the lottery, weird things are happening and she's determined to help Sydney escape domestic abuse. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This isn't deep and there are some plot holes but it's a page turner.

I’ve had a few concussions, & the lost time was extremely disorienting - I can’t imagine how terrifying it would be to have a blackout & then realize I’m covered in blood, not knowing if I murdered someone or not… but that’s exactly how this story begins.

Afton is currently a thirty-seven year old woman working the nightshift at a hotel, but twenty years ago she was accused of murdering her mother’s lover (the man also happened to be the father of Afton’s best friend, Sydney). Coach Carson was a beloved member of the football-obsessed community, & the people of Shelter Rock, Missouri have never forgiven her for allegedly killing their favorite citizen. After living like an outcast for the past couple decades, Afton figures she’s due for some luck - but the unexpected fortune that falls into her lap causes Afton to set off an unforeseen chain of events for her & her friend, & Afton may not be getting the second chance that she was counting on…

Afton & Sydney’s families were intricately connected in a myriad of ways, & the flashbacks to the year 2003 really helped with the backstory of why the current events in the story were unfolding - this thriller was ultimately a book about friendships, & how far some people will go to get what they want. The Midwestern setting was also painted to perfection. I’m already a fan of MK’s work, & I devoured this newest page-turner in a single day.

Thank you to NetGalley & Thomas & Mercer for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First and foremost I want to thank Netgalley and the publishing company for allowing me to read this ARC. Thank y’all so much!

Two women who were once best friends go seperate ways after a gruesome murder. The worst part is that one of them is hiding a deep dark secret.

I found this book being a bit predictable, that revenge and lies would be the main focus of this novel.

It was a really quick read for me.

This was one of my favorite reads this month. I just couldn’t put it down. I absolutely love it. 20/10 stars!!!! Definitely recommend

Great Read!!!

Netgallery blessed me with an early copy of this book.

I absolutely Loved this book! Full of suspense and edge of your seat moments!

I must admit I didn’t see the twists coming. This was an amazing read that I could not put down.

Afton (love that name) journey is full of suspense. This is a great thriller!

No spoilers with my review.

I am a huge fan of Minka Kent! She never disappoints! Overall I give this book 5 golden stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Afton has been an outcast in her town since she was accused of murdering her mother’s lover as a teen. Now as an adult, she is coming into money and only wants to help her best friend. Good intentions spin out of control fast.

If you’re looking for a fast paced thriller that’s also a short read, I’d pick this one up. I loved the mystery of it and the two perspectives. While you get to know them both, you can’t entirely be sure of the truth. You will find out though and if you’re anything like me, it will be a shock.

“While I stand by my innocence, I wouldn’t be lying if I said the tiniest part of me doesn’t believe me either.”

After Dark comes out 11/14.

If Minka Kent writes it; I will read it. She is one of my favorite authors, and I always look forward to her next book. I started reading this book because I was in a reading funk, and nothing I read would hold my attention. That is until I read this book. I couldn't put it down. The story wrapped me up with all the mystery and drama. As always, Minka Kent's books are never what they seem. There is always so much more than meets the eye, and you usually won't know the whole story until the end. This book is no exception! I loved this book and look forward to reading her future books. If you've never read her before, you are missing out. ⅘ stars.