Writing as Mina Hardy, New York Times bestselling author Megan Hart delivers a thrilling new psychological suspense for fans of The Woman in the Window and When the Lights Go Out.She’s lost her best friend, her husband–and possibly, her mind.Five months ago, an accident left Diana Sparrow badly injured and missing a few months of her memory. As if that’s not enough, she’s started having … not enough, she’s started having recurring nightmares about the night of the accident. Dreams that feel so real, she’s left questioning: maybe she didn’t just slide off the road into a ditch. Maybe, just maybe, she hit something. Or someone.
She can’t turn to her former best friend Val, who’s been sleeping with Diana’s husband Jonathan for months, but she might find some comfort in newcomer Cole Pelham. Yet the closer they become, the more Diana begins to wonder what really happened that night–and how Cole might be connected. Worse, it seems everyone else could be involved, too.
Who was with her that night? What really happened? As her life unravels thread by thread and the dreams become too real to ignore, Diana will have to face the unthinkable–and do the unforgivable.
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Diana suffers from an anesthesia induced amnesia. Five months ago, she was living her life, flying around in her red Cameron, when everything as she knew it changed. Sure, she was in a very unhappy marriage, but that had all been figured out. Then one night, that all changed. She was in a car accident destroying her car and had her gall bladder removed, causing an anesthesia induced amnesia, which left her forgetting the smallest of things. In her mind, she knows something is wrong, but can’t quite put her finger on it. She doesn’t even have her best friend since childhood to support her, as she’s sleeping with Diana’s husband. Thank God for her wonderful mother in law Harriet that is always there to take care of her. Diana tries desperately to pull back her past, even grasping at the horrid recurring nightmares she endures, hoping they’re a clue as to what really happened the night of the accident. Despite her fervent attempts to unlock the past, she seems to merely hit more roadblocks as she seems to get closer to unfolding the pasts events. Someone knows the truth, but how far will they go to keep it from her?
I read this book via audio book. It was well written and I liked how it was told from a few different people’s perspectives. I seriously did not see the ending twist by any means. This was a great book, though it did seem to start out a bit slow, it definitely delivered. I was given a free copy of this book by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I recommend this book and rate it .
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
Diana Sparrow doesn’t remember much after waking up in the hospital barely clinging to life after a tragic car accident. The 45 yo married woman had worked for GenTech prior to the accident but is now wrestling with therapy and regaining her memory. She was told that she totaled her cherry red Camero when she hit a deer 5 weeks before when a man in an 18 wheeler stopped and called 911 after seeing her car in a ditch. She survived emergency surgery on an infected gall bladder and broken collar bones leaving both arms in slings.
Her journey to recovering her memory is piqued when she discovers a list she had written prior to the accident. Apparently, her phone was lost in the accident and has been told her amnesia was induced by anesthesia. She senses tension from her husband of 10 years Jonathan who never seems to be home. She feels grateful to have his mother Harriet Richmond take care of her during her recovery.
Her mother in law moved into the apartment above their detached garage to care for Diana. It was a blessing in the beginning when she initially got home but soon finds her over bearing and annoying. It begins to feel uncomfortable having Harriet come and go from her house. She had met her 12 years ago when volunteered at Sunny Days Adoption Services. Diana begins to resent feeling dependent on Harriet who gives her medication and meals whether she wants them or not.
During her weekly sessions with Dr Levitt, Diana discusses her constant nightmares involving blood and burying someone in her backyard. Diana is wracked with grief and guilt for not remembering what happened with the accident. Her mother had been depressed and died from her drug addiction which worries her taking so many medications during her recovery.
As the story progresses Diana begins to recall events leading up to her accident. She wonders what happened with her childhood friend Valerie who moved to Lebanon, PA after her mother’s death to escape bad memories. She remembers seeing Val when she returned to NY last December to care for her father in hospice. Past and present merge with conflicting emotions and memories coming to the surface.
This is a twisted love story of revenge, resentment and jealousy topped off with a bat crazy mother in law that no one saw coming! When it comes to family nightmares she tops the cake!
Unreliable narrator
Unlikeable characters
An ending you don’t see coming
I went into this one knowing absolutely nothing, per usual, so I’m gonna write my review as if you are also. It’s my favorite way to read thrillers and it pays off.
I listened to the audiobook version and I really didn’t like any of the 3 narrators, truth be told. I most especially disliked the narrator for Diana, she just sounded high and not with it the entire time. I get that the character was unreliable, but I feel like the narrator was trying too hard to make you feel that. The other two just fell totally flat for me. I really wish I’d read this one, but I liked the storyline so much, that I continued listening. That says a lot for me. Usually if I don’t like the narrator, I’m done lol.
If you like fast paced thrillers with unreliable narrators, messy characters, and a ‘wtf’ at the end, you’ll probably like After All I’ve Done.
This was a solid 3.5 stars, but I’m giving it 4 because I feel it would’ve been a 4 star if I’d read the book myself.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape audio for my ALC in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Book 287 for the year! 4/5 stars for this adult mystery read! Love the cover! Narration actually has 3 POVs which was fun! I thought this book was going to be a pretty standard mystery, but then…..the twists! Ugh! So good! Definitely recommend!
*I received this book in exchange for honest review from Netgalley*
‘After All I’ve Done’ by Mina Hardy, alternate pseudonym of author Megan Hart, is billed as a “thrilling new psychological suspense” title.
Though while the story is captivating, it’s really not particularly thrilling or suspenseful. I find it interesting really and a testament to the author’s writing chops that regardless of the fact I felt like there were zero surprises anywhere in the book.. everything being thoroughly telegraphed as I read, I still really enjoyed the experience. I was definitely invested enough to want to witness it all first hand and even read through the last 75% the second time I picked the book up.
“She’s lost her best friend, her husband–and possibly, her mind.”
Told from the perspectives of three people, Diana, Val, and later.. Cole, the story opens during Diana’s recovery from an accident that left her broken.. both physically and psychologically. She has a huge gap in her memory from the summer around the accident and she isn’t wholly convinced that the recurring nightmares she’s been having aren’t actually memories of some awful thing she’s done.
Her former best friend Val has been sleeping with her husband Jonathan, but strangely enough Diana isn’t the one who’s angry. Val practically spits venom at her when they cross paths and won’t speak to her at all by phone.
Then there’s Cole. He’s younger and attractive.. and pays attention to her at a time she seems to need a friend, but the closer they get.. the more she wonders how even he might fit into the puzzle.
Honestly, I think one of the biggest reasons I kept reading was validation. I had a very solid conviction as to what was happening and why.. and I guess I wanted to see if I was right.. or if Hardy might throw me a curveball somewhere. She didn’t, but I was just as satisfied upon finishing the novel either way.
Choices made amongst the involved parties, certainly made for interesting dynamics. The personal interactions between all these people are so strained and only one of them feels truly genuine, that one.. coming late in the book.
I felt Hardy did an excellent job creating that tension between the characters. All the underlying moments that are plain to see around us if one is looking for them, small manipulations, personal slights, the things people hide or project with intent within relationships.. it’s all here and it’s actually brilliantly played out. Having lived some level of these types of behaviors myself, I spotted them immediately.. but the thing about seeing them is.. you’re not always in a position to do anything about them, even when you’re aware.
Which brings me to the other aspect Hardy played so well. The frustration and.. not really helplessness, but.. those moments when for whatever reason you’re bound from acting in your own best interests. Those moments are vividly on display here.
There are a couple of moments in the conclusion where of course you’re not sure of the outcome. You have all the pieces.. but they’re up in the air and you’re not sure where they’re going to land. I must say, I was very happy with the way everything wrapped up.
If you enjoy a good dark, family drama.. this is well worth a read.. just don’t be expecting it to catch you off guard.
(More reviews like this at Betwixt The Sheets.)
(I received this title as an ARC. All opinions are mine and freely given.)
Diana Sparrow was in a car accident where she broke both her collarbones, also had to have emergency surgery to remove her gallbladder, which cause anesthesia-induced amnesia. Diane may or may not recover her missing memories for five months.
Valerie, Diana’s best friend, is having an affair with Jonathan, Diana’s husband. Valerie believes that Diana is pretending to have amnesia. They go back a very long time, and once saw each other as sisters more than just friends. Valerie can’t quite forgive Diana for their agreement, because Val refuses to keep her end of the deal.
With Diana unable to care for herself, she’s had to rely on Harriett, her mother-in-law for help. Diana’s relationship with her own mother was very rocky, so she sees Harriett as a mother she never had. As Diana recuperates, it’s starting to feel like Harriett is a little too smothering, as Harriett has a key to the house and pops in and out as she pleases. A house, that once belonged to her mother-in-law, who moved out of and into the apartment above the garage.
To cope with her memory loss, Diana sees a psychiatrist, Dr. Levitt, where mostly they discuss reoccurring nightmares, that to Diana feel very real. Dr. Levitt suggests for her to take up a new hobby to do something creative. It is this suggestion, that Diana takes up watercoloring, and meets Cole Pelham at a coffee shop. What Diana doesn’t realize is it’s not the first time meeting Cole.
This story was engrossing with all the twists and turns. In the beginning, I didn’t think very highly of Diana or Val. Diana for coercing her friend into a plan, and for Valerie for going along with it. As the story goes along, and more background is given regarding the friends, as one dirty deed deserves another. Secrets held between sisters, and one feeling they owe the other. Harriet drove me nuts! In the beginning, I felt she was only trying to help, but her behavior was odd and too clingy. I felt sorry for Cole, who out of everyone, wanting to tell Diana everything, but knowing her condition and not knowing how. The ending was explosive, I did not see that coming at all!
I received an ARC from NetGalley via Crooked Lane Books and I have voluntarily reviewed this book.
WTAF?!
This was an insane thriller. I figured out half of the big revelations early on, but oh my great and glorious God, I didn’t see the other half coming from a mile away… Normally that would be a great thing, but here it felt overdone. This was the mother of all reveals – literally. And it actually made me laugh out loud. Also literally.
The story is an entertaining, if not altogether original, one. Admittedly, it felt a lot longer than it actually was. There was never a point where I thought about stopping, but there were several where it felt like the parade of horribles heaped on her characters was simply overwhelming the story. But I knew something was coming, and I was invested enough to see what that something would look like.
The writing was enjoyable throughout, the characters were generally detestable in the way of such domestic thrillers, and the secrets were pretty predictable – but it was an engaging read for all that. Then Things Started Being Revealed (yes, it deserves caps) and the book went from zero to sixty in about a half a second.
Personally, I found the ending a bit ridiculous. But I still read all the way through, and would read another from Mina Hardy. She did an admirable job getting me to fall into a story full of people that weren’t very likeable, and I suspect it’s because she’d made them so believable. For all their failures and faults and frailties, the characters seemed real and genuine in their broken selfishness. It made the story resonant even (especially?) when it was not pleasant. It made for a taut read and provided more than adequate cover for the moments that felt overdone.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation – free review copy.
After All I’ve Done is a fast paced thriller that will have your heart racing and rapidly turning those pages!
Right from the start, the story had me in its clutches. It didn’t let go till the very end. This book is one crazy ride and I was there for it! There are many questions about what had happened to Diana. As the story went on, I found myself not liking any of the characters. They were all bad people and some were more irritating than others. This might be weird to say but it didn’t take away from the story. In fact, it enhanced the story and the mystery in solving what happened that night. Towards the end, there was an urgency to find out how all the pieces fit and boy was I surprised! That was one twist I did not see coming. Very nice Miss Hardy.
This is a fantastic and thrilling read! It’s entertaining and an ending you won’t see coming. I can promise you that. The cover is very eye catching and pretty. I know this author is using a different pen name and I hope she continues to write more of these types of books. I look forward to reading more by Miss Hardy. I give this 5 stars.
Diana is injured in a car accident and has lost months of her memory. When she starts having nightmares about the accident she doesn’t know if they are the truth or just her mind playing tricks on her. She can’t even talk to her husband or her best friend because they are having an affair!!!! Will Diana figure out what really happened that night? Is she in danger? This was a pretty thrilling thriller that I read quickly. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.
A gripping story that will keep you reading until you find out what really happened to Diana and why she lost her memory after a car accident. Her husband is cheating on her with her best friend. Her mother in law is always around taking care of her but in reality, she is suffocating Diana. A sordid past, a wreck marriage, a broken friendship and a very dangerous person with a really twisted but interesting end.
This was my first book by this author and I truly did enjoy it. It was very fast paced and full of many twists. The only problem I had was that I figured out who the bad person was. I do that but always hate it. It takes away a bit. Though I have to admit there were some parts that floored me.
Quotes from this book: 1) The accident didn’t kill me, but I’m not sure how I’m going to survive it.
2) “My best friend is sleeping with my husband.”
3) “Infidelity does not have to be the end of a marriage.” Dr Levitt says this solemnly. I frown. “Maybe not, but it sure is the end of a friendship.”
4) Letting someone die is not the same as killing him.
This is a very crazy book. I mean that in a good way but still crazy. It’s filled with lots of crazy things, twists, turns and people. I actually did not connect with any of the characters. I wanted to but they were all a bit selfish and even though some were suppose to be the best of friends they sure were selfish.
Diana and Valerie have been best friends since fourth grade. They are as close as sisters and made a vow to always be there for each other over anyone else. No one would ever come between them. Yet it seems that somehow someone did. Diana’s husband, Jonathan. Valerie was not suppose to fall in love with him. Yet she did.
I didn’t like Diana or Valerie. Both were very selfish. Both were very self centered and seemed to only care about themselves. They did care about each other so that was something. Until they didn’t.
Harriet, Jonathan’s mother, what a piece of work. She was suppose to be Diana’s friend even though she was also her mother in law. She did after all make it easy for her son and Diana to fall in love and get married. But she had a few secrets of her own. Wait until you find out what they are. They will make your blood run cold.
Jonathan, Diana’s husband is also a very selfish person. He’s a controlling, secretive person who thinks all things revolve around him. He’s a liar, a cheat, a manipulative, coward. I didn’t like him at all. He lies at the drop of a hat. He has some secrets of his own. Yet it seems someone knows them. What will become of his perfect little world when all if found out. When he finally has to face the truth?
Cole, I really wanted to like him. He seemed so nice and caring. He seemed to be a lot of things. But in the end I’m afraid I only found him to be a liar also. Maybe if he would have been honest from the start things could have been different. Maybe things could have worked. Or not.
This was honestly a very fast paced story that kept me turning the pages and wanting to find out more. It had lots of things going on. Told from Diana, Val and Cole’s POV. Each with their own agenda. I have to say that they very ending of this book left me a bit baffled. Unless I missed one tiny thing. Maybe I will go back and reread that last chapter. It will hold your attention for sure. You will want to find out what exactly is going on and who did what to whom and who is the worst of these people. At least I did.
Thank you to #NetGalley, #MinaHardy, #CrookedLaneBooks, #AfterAllI’veDone for this ARC. This is my review in my own words.
4/5 stars and I do recommend it. It’s so worth reading.
Hardy has written a novel so carefully twisted that surprises uncoil and spring up throughout. Layers upon layers of secrets, lies, deceit, and betrayals await readers. This book has so many flawed characters, each with their own secrets, that you won’t know who to believe or what to think. Just when you think you’ve figured it out, you hit another switchback. And I promise that you’ll never guess the “SAY WHAT?!?!?” ending!!
After Diana Sparrow’s car accident, she awakens to find herself badly injured and missing months of memories. She does remember that her husband Jonathan is cheating on her with her best friend Valerie; that started before the accident which left her with anesthesia-induced amnesia. If only she could remember what she had planned to do about it! Thinking clearly seems so difficult now. She also can’t shake the feeling that there is some reason why she shouldn’t like her mother-in-law, Harriet, who lives in quarters over their detached garage, but she’s been so helpful since the accident that she doesn’t know how she could’ve managed without her.
If you open this book, it will quickly grab you and you have a delightfully entertaining journey ahead. To say more might spoil it for you, and I don’t want to do that. Enjoy!!
My thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books who provide me with an ARC of the book. Publication is set for 11/7/2020. All opinions stated here are my own.
I have mixed feelings about this book. It was so well written and done that I had to read it in one sitting on one hand.
But on the other side, I feel like some parts of the story were so predictable that I wanted to stop at all.
I can’t really say that I loved or got close to any of the characters but the author managed to mix different personalities so well that everything mixes up perfectly in a way.
What I didn’t expect was the ending and that final twist. I think only for that alone, it’s well worth your time reading this book.