Nobody cuts deeper than family…Dr. Noah Alderman, a widower and single father, has remarried a wonderful woman, Maggie Ippolitti, and for the first time in a long time, he and his young son are happy. Despite her longing for the daughter she hasn’t seen since she was a baby, Maggie is happy too, and she’s even more overjoyed when she unexpectedly gets another chance to be a mother to the child … mother to the child she thought she’d lost forever, her only daughter Anna.
Maggie and Noah know that having Anna around will change their lives, but they would never have guessed that everything would go wrong, and so quickly. Anna turns out to be a gorgeous seventeen-year-old who balks at living under their rules, though Maggie, ecstatic to have her daughter back, ignores the red flags that hint at the trouble brewing in a once-perfect marriage and home.
Events take a heartbreaking turn when Anna is murdered and Noah is accused and tried for the heinous crime. Maggie must face not only the devastation of losing her daughter, but the realization that Anna’s murder may have been at the hands of a husband she loves. In the wake of this tragedy, new information drives Maggie to search for the truth, leading her to discover something darker than she could have ever imagined.
Riveting and disquieting, After Anna is a groundbreaking domestic thriller, as well as a novel of emotional justice and legal intrigue. And New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline will keep readers on their toes until the final shocking page
Praise for Lisa Scottoline:
“Scottoline keeps the pace relentless as she drops a looming threat into the heart of an idyllic suburban community, causing readers to hold their breath in anticipation.” —Booklist on One Perfect Lie
“Readers can be assured that the author nails the high school milieu, from athletic rivalries to sexting…they’re in for one thrilling ride.” —Kirkus on One Perfect Lie
”Entertaining…This fast-paced read culminates in a daring chase that would play well on the big screen.” —Publishers Weekly
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I love this book great read
The story unfolds in such a way that you view love from different sides a number of times.
Book kept you guessing with lots of twists
Suspense throughout. Surprise ending.
First book I read by Lisa Scottoline and I loved it. This book since the beginning keeps you wondering what will happen next. The two points of view and the back and forth of the story reveals the tumultuous drama without giving too much detail until the very end, yet it grabs your attention and doesn’t let go.
There was life before Anna, and there was life after Anna. There was a happy marriage, then there was distrust and heartbreak. And it all fell apart, after Anna.
Lisa Scottoline’s After Anna is a riveting story of the destruction of a marriage, innocent imprisonment, and a mother’s deep love.
Noah and Maggie have created a happy life together, both having overcome past tragedy. Maggie’s postpartum mental state led to her being institutionalized, her husband divorcing her, taking sole custody of their infant daughter. Noah lost his wife and raised his son alone until falling for Maggie. They are truly happy together.
Maggie is ecstatic when her daughter Anna, now seventeen, contacts her. With the death of her father and step-mother, Anna wants Maggie in her life and asks to be taken in. Noah is supportive. They will be a happy blended family.
Maggie is desperate to make up for failing Anna as an infant, and Anna uses that guilt to manipulate her. Noah insists that Anna follow house rules and parental guidance. Anna is not pleased.
Everything goes wrong. Anna accuses Noah of sexual advances and takes out a restraining order. And when Anna turns up dead, Noah is the prime suspect and is convicted of her murder. Maggie is devastated and preparing to sue for divorce when she is contacted by Anna’s school therapist and everything Maggie thought she knew is turned upside down.
The novel is told in two time lines, Noah and Maggie before Anna’s arrival and leading up to her death, and Noah on trial and in prison ‘after Anna.’
It is an entertaining read that I didn’t want to put down. As usual, Scottoline delivers a novel with suspense, human interest, and a twist of contemporary social concerns, with lots of courtroom and legal scenes.
I received a free e-book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
Love her books!
Loved it! Different from past Lisa’s, but fabulous In a unique way. Did not stop reading until I finished at 3 a.m.
One of the best books I have ever read!!!!
Lots of twists and turns. I couldn’t put it down
I absolutely loved this book. At first, I thought that I was reading the story backwards. Her movements in time were extraordinary; I was never confused even though it seemed like every chapter was a different time, a different location, or a different character. I loved the characters and I very much disliked Anna after she came to live with Noah and Maggie in the beginning of time. The characters bloomed in my mind even tho I didn’t remember her describing them…but she surely did…because I would recognize each one of them had I met them on the street. I read a few comments from other reviewers who said that this is not her finest work. It is my first Lisa Scottoline book, and I plan to go back and make her one of my favorite authors, because I just can’t imagine what wonderful things she must have written. This is one of the most addicting books that I have read in a while. I couldn’t put it down.
After Anna….an Incredible, Dark, Twisted, Suspenceful Thriller by Lisa Scottoline!!! Keeping readers on the edge of their seat. Continuous guessing. Unable to stop turning pages. From heart pounding hto heart breaking. The story continually switches characters’ perspective. Converging from multiple directions. Just as the reader has it figured out…BAM!!! What is true?!? Who to trust?!? Maggie Ippolitti, happy with husband and stepson. Her high school age daughter has contacted her. After years not knowing each other, Anna wants to be part of her life. Dr Noah Alderman loves his wife. Looks forward to this addition. Things will spin out of control. And only gets worse. The daughter has no boundaries. The husband accused of Anna’s murder. Insisting his innocence, tried and convicted. The nightmare is still not over. So many secrets. Don’t want to give any spoilers. I received this book as an ARC from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. I am voluntarily posting this review. An Unbelievable, Dark tale by Lisa Scottoline !!!
Another amazing book by Lisa! She’s always on my “must-read” list.
Did not want to put it down.
Enjoyed
Don’t even have the words for this phenomenal book.. the twists and turns kept me riveted to this book. This book was no different than her other books, amazing. Don’t want to give away the story in case someone reads this that will have the book.
Lisa never lets me down and this one was a page- turner, from the beginning to the end. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves suspenseful novels as much as I do.
After Anna is a twisted thrilling ride! Lisa Scottoline’s best so far!
You know when you read everything an author writes how you start to anticipate how the story will go. You know the authors writing style and think you can tell where she is going to take you? Yea, well this is a Lisa Scottoline thriller but it will take you down paths that are not in your comfort zone and will make you question where you thought the story was going.
After Anna is a psychological thriller that touches on mental illness, losing your parental rights, rape, and lies. So many lies… There were times that I could feel the story was off, some of the things happening just didn’t add up. There were times that I wasn’t sure if the character was telling the truth or a lie. The story kept me on my toes, kept me guessing, and kept me wondering where I would end up.
This was not my favorite Lisa Scottoline book but it was a book that I continue to think about even a few days after I have finished. The story has stuck with me, I told my mom about it, recommended it to a friend at work, and am excited to see what other’s will think about it.
I recommend picking up your own copy.
AFTER ANNA by Lisa Scottoline
This is a riveting narrative with twists and turns and compelling characters. I kept thinking, “Be careful what you wish for,” and then added layers of cautions about illusions and trust, and then didn’t know WHAT to think. There were some unfathomable aspects to this narrative, but also many lessons that felt real and relevant. If you tell one lie, are you a liar? We all have flaws, but how much should we overlook and accept, and where should we draw the line?
Anna disrupts Noah and Maggie’s life and is determined to get her own way, perhaps a bit manipulative, but her lonely life and abandonment issues make a case for giving her space and many chances to improve and adjust . . . don’t they? Besides, “Mothers had a sacred duty to love, protect, and comfort their children.”
I wonder about boarding schools and those “parked” there, the duty to protect the students vs. the students’ desire for independence and privacy are real problems.
I loved Caleb and found his work on speech issues fascinating. My teacher self applauded his successes.
My heart broke for Noah, “just trying to survive another day, though he wasn’t sure why. . . It was instinct. Every living thing fought to stay alive.”
I can’t say much more without spoiling the surprises, and I do hate spoilers. Be aware that once you start reading, it will take over, nothing else will get done, other entertainments will seem dull.
Have fun . . . don’t forget to breathe.