Jaime DeBlanc’s After Image had me at the get go, and I could not put it down until I had finished every carefully considered word. Her concise, elegant writing- like a feminine Raymond Chandler- and beautifully drawn characters kept me emotionally invested throughout the page-turning plot of this psychological thriller. The story is so meticulously crafted that I was continually turning my head in suspicion to each character as the plot unfolded. The star of the book for me was how the author handled the relationship between the sisters, and it has stayed with me ever since. It is rare to find a book that is a keep-you-up-page-turning-until-4am mystery with characters that speak to your soul. The momentum of the story held from the first page right through the nail-biting and poignant ending. This book is a masterpiece of the mystery genre, and it is tough to believe it’s a debut novel. I hope there will be many more to come from this incredibly talented author.

Jamie deBlanc does an admirable job in the debut thriller After Image.I was immediately drawn into the world of Natasha and her quest to find out what really happened to her stepsister after her disappearance four years ago.

Read this if you like:
-the glamorous world of Hollywood', celebrity and fame and its underlying toxicity
-dual timelines
-complicated family dynamics of blended families and sister bonds
-secrets and lies
-deceptive appearances and how well do you really know people
-missing person cases
-amateur sleuthing with true crime forums to add interest in storytelling
-hint of romance
-satisfying ending that’s open for interpretation

My rating 3.5 out of 5

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this eARC that will be published October 8 2024.

After Image is a really compelling and enjoyable thriller, and a very strong debut by Jamie deBlanc.

While there were lots of difference, it gave me Veronica Mars vibes, which I loved - the flashbacks to the time Allie went missing, the errant investigation by Natasha, the complicated family dynamics. The author did an excellent job in guiding readers through seamless flashbacks by linking common threads of the case. The characters were well fleshed out, and the various twists and turns, and red herrings served to build a strong sense of suspense.

The ending was very satisfying and tied off the story well, though I would have loved to have read a bit more after the final twist!

Thank you Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

Allie and Tasha are step-sisters and best friends. After Allie’s disappearance, Tasha is a wreck. Four years have passed and they still don’t know what happened to her. Then some mysterious things begin happening and Tasha is determined to discover the truth. Great story!

The following review will be posted on my Bookstagram (@mads.is.booking) on Saturday, October 5. The review has also been posted on Goodreads and StoryGraph. It will also be post on Amazon on pub day.

4.25 stars!

This was Jaime deBlanc’s debut novel and that’s something I would’ve have never guessed. It was very well-written. I really enjoyed this story! I had no idea where the ending was going. This book was FAST paced. The 64 chapters flew by and I found it hard to put it down.

One of my favorite aspects of this was how deBlanc wove in the flashbacks to different parts of Natasha’s life. She would mention a past conversation that was relevant to Natasha's investigation and the next chapter, we were immediately taken to that converstation. This really helped shape my understanding the characters in the novel and how their pasts shaped the current day. I think it’s part of why I was so invested! I absolutely loved the ending of this one. I appreciated that the final scene was left open for different interpretations.

I do not want to reveal a single thing. That essay portion destroyed me. That was just a lot. I wanted to find Allie too.
I loved this one. I loved that slight romance with the detective. It doesn't dominate in any way. I love that.
This was amazing!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #Thomas&Mercer for the book #AfterImage by #JaimeDeBlanc. I was totally sucked into this book and shocked with the huge twist ending. Never saw that coming. Allie has been missing for four years. Her step sister, Natasha cannot move past this and still holds out hope that she is still alive. She may be the only one that thinks that. What she find will totally shock you!

This is one of the better books I’ve read in a while! I love thriller/mystery books and this one scratched an itch I didn’t know I had. The very ending was a little bit lackluster as I wish I got more of an explanation but that’s just me. I’ll definitely be looking out for more books by this author!

A really great debut psychological thriller. Kept me absolutely hooked throughout and so many suspects to choose from, then some amazing twists thrown in. Highly recommended xx

Secrets and lies. Natasha has wondered for years what happened to her step sister Allie but there were no answers. Until now. And now she's going to unravel things to know who and why. It's fairly standard stuff to a degree but the characters are good and I liked Detective Ruiz. Thanks to Netgalley for the Arc. Would make a good travel book.

This book was absolutely incredible! I found myself fully immersed in Natasha and Allie’s world.

Throughout the book I was paying close attention to all the details wondering if I could figure out what really happened to Allie?

Natasha’s stepsister Allie went missing four years ago and since then no one’s life has been the same. Allie was a force to be reckoned with and everyone she interacted with felt her absence when she disappeared.

Over the years everyone began to regain a sense of normalcy. There was nothing they could do, no evidence that pointed to where she could be? Was she even still alive? What happened that night? Even I couldn’t predict the end and that is why I loved this book so much!

This debut thriller left me wanting more from these characters. I especially wanted another scene at the end between Allie and Natasha. It felt abrupt and I wish that we could even get a few small words exchanged or just a chapter from her perspective! Allie was such a complex and interesting character and I would love to learn more about her!

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Jaime Deblanc for giving me the opportunity to read this incredible book!!

After Image is a captivating and engaging debut thriller, immediately hooking my attention from the very beginning and holding on for a crazy ride! The story centers around Natasha, the stepsister of Allie Anderson, the daughter of a famous actress who disappeared under mysterious circumstances four years ago. As Natasha continues to deal with the fallout of her missing stepsister, her life takes a dark turn when a body is found, and she reconnects with the Detective on the case – Ruiz.

This book has it all – unpredictable twists, edge of your seat suspense, and even a small romantic component. Quite impressive for a debut! If you’re looking for a compelling psychological thriller, this is definitely one you should check out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this digital ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Reading the description of this book did interest me, so I was happy to be given the chance to read an advanced copy
The beginning started off well but half way in it seemed to lose its way and didnt hold my attention as much as i would have liked which meant me not rushing to finish,but saying that once I did start again and finish reading I found it to be a decent read and overall a promising debut.
Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for the ARC.

It’s such a compelling story that I couldn’t put it down! I loved the pacing—the slow unraveling of the past interspersed with chapters set in the present. The sisters were a bit unoriginal, one was a “gray mouse,” always in the shadow of the loud, problematic second sister, who was constantly in the spotlight. I guessed who was guilty about halfway through, but I didn’t mind. I was still surprised by the turn of events at the end, and the climax was marvelous. A lot happened in just a few pages. This is definitely not the last book I’ve read by this author.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

There was foreshadowing of things that led to that's it? scenarios, more tell me than show me, and plenty of no way would this happen in reality instances. If I knew at the beginning what I knew at the end, I might not have picked this up. Free advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, book publishes 10/8

When o read the description, I was excited to get into this book and in the beginning I was enjoying the book. However, after the 40% mark, I found myself no longer reaching for the book and taking longer than usual to finish it. Overall, it was a decent book and I would recommend it to my fellow thriller lovers.

This started off so good. The last half and end did not work for me. It felt like someone was like, ‘Needs More Action Thrills’ and tried to work it into the plot at the last minute. 😅

Energy: Frustrated. Moody. Impatient.

🐺 Growls
Situations seeming orchestrated for action-suspense knocked me completely out of the story. MC mucks things up constantly but stumbles into answers through ‘mind-reading’/incredible luck. Contradictory inner monologue with unbelievable main character decisions. Plotholes, rushed ending. Convoluted, unresolved ending left too much unanswered.

🐕 Howls
Main character doesn’t learn, has no survival instincts, and interferes too much with the police investigation in a way that is both frustrating and boring. Unconvincing romance and dialogue.

🐩 Tail Wags
Being hooked on the story for most of the book. The plot premise (until the end). Learning about the backstories and circumstances leading up to Allie’s disappearance. The complex sister bonds. The realistic obstacles to amateur sleuthing attempts (at first). The flashbacks timeline and family dynamics.

Scene: 🇺🇸 North Hollywood and surrounding area, California.
Perspective: Our main character was enamored by their stepsister’s parents – a famous director and actress, and the stepsisters formed a close bond growing up. Then in college, their stepsister went missing under mysterious circumstances.
Timeline: Current. Recent past 2012 to 2014 when the characters were in College together. 2007 when our MC first met their stepsister.
🔥 Fuel: Cliffhangers. Layered secrets. Not all is as it seems. Did Allie voluntarily disappear or was she a victim? What happened to her? Why?
📖 Cred: Starts off true crime style realism. Ends far-fetched over the top.

Mood Reading Match-Up:
Disinfectant. Body odour. Nikon SLR. Diners. Apple pie. Police station. House parties. Vodka. Expensive perfume.
• Haunted by the past missing sibling mystery
• Blended family drama and dysfunction
• How ‘missing or murdered’ cases affect family
• True crime-ish contemporary fiction
• Complex sisterhood
• Amateur sleuthing bad-at-it-but-still-get-results
• Hidden in plain sight slow-burn to action suspense
• Narratives where reader is the listener/tag-along
• Will they or won’t they romance
• Red herrings
• Tragic friendship, odd couple beta hero romances

Content Heads-Up: Alcohol, drug use (partying, addiction, intoxicated, self-medicating). Vomit. Conversion disorder (blindness). Sobriety. Loss of parent. Loss of sibling. Suicide attempt, suicidal ideation (recall). Homophobia (parental rejection). Incest, pedophilia, grooming, child sex abuse and exploitation (recall).

Rep: Hispanic and White American. Cisgender. Hetero. Gay. Conversion disorder.

📚 Format: Advance Reader’s Copy from Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the ARC of this amazing debut thriller.

This book is really an intriguing emotional rollercoaster and perhaps the only one where I was unable to guess the ending till the very end. Really loved it. Except at a few points where the drama seemed too intense. The love angle also came off as a surprise to me and at one point I felt my heart was breaking apart after the truth got itself unravelled.

P.S: Would have loved to see the final interaction because my heart was clinging on to the hope of seeing things getting alright

Natasha's world revolves around the devastating disappearance of her famous best friend and step-sister, Allie. As time goes on, Natasha begins to realize that she may not have known her step-sister as well as she thought.

The first part of the story portrays Natasha as reserved and withdrawn, grappling with emotional trauma following Allie's disappearance. Gradually, she finds her voice and purpose by uncovering Allie's fate and exploring the hidden truths among her family and friends.

Assisted by Detective Ruiz, Natasha uncovers these long-awaited answers. Though his character development and chemistry with Natasha felt somewhat underdeveloped, it certainly left a desire for deeper character connection. Natasha's evolving personality takes time to fully engage with, but her growth and newfound confidence were compelling to witness.

Overall, After Image proves an enjoyable and suspenseful read, leaving readers guessing until the surprising conclusion. Anticipating future works from this author!

I enjoyed this book! The first few chapters really got me hooked! I loved the relationship the sisters had and the twists and turns had me guessing until the last chapter! I’m excited to read more books from this author!