From the bestselling author of The Good Neighbor comes a gripping thriller about an engagement party gone fatally awry.Imagine your closest friend utterly betraying you. Years later, when she seeks forgiveness, you invite her to your engagement party as a gesture of reconciliation. But seething hostilities rise to the surface, ruining everyone’s evening. After an awful night, your friend’s … night, your friend’s battered, lifeless body is found at the bottom of a rocky cliff.
Newly engaged Marissa Parlette is living this nightmare. She should be celebrating her upcoming wedding, but she can’t shake the image of her friend lying dead on the beach. Did she fall? Was she pushed? Or did she take a purposeful step into darkness? Desperate for answers, Marissa digs deep into the events of the party. But what she remembers happening after nightfall now carries sinister implications: the ugly sniping, the clandestine meetings, the drunken flirtations. The more she investigates, the more she questions everything she thought she knew about her friends, the man she once trusted, and even herself.
Bestselling author A. J. Banner keeps readers on a razor-sharp edge in this intricately plotted novel of psychological suspense…in which nothing is as it seems.
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A.J. Banner has done it again. Murder is most definitely her cup of tea.
Her latest offering, After Nightfall, has even more murder suspects than her previous twisty-mysteries. Which means more suspense. More nail biting. And more of a workout for the reader’s brain, if you are like me and simply must try to puzzle out who-dun-it and why before the big reveal at the end.
This relative newcomer to the publishing world hit the floor running and just keeps gaining more momentum with each new book. I predict that she is here to stay. Let the psycho-thriller fans rejoice!
After Nightfall is a perfect whodunit! The story moves at a fast pace and kept me guessing til the end with all the twists and turns!
Marissa and Nathan get engaged in front of their dinner guests. He has been married before and has a daughter. Early the next morning, while on a walk, Marissa finds her childhood friend at the bottom of a cliff in front of Nathan’s home. Marissa calls the police. This will not be the only time that she calls the detective. Did Lauren fall or was she pushed? A.J. Banner does an excellent job of keeping the reader guessing. There are so many twists and turns…. I felt the story was fast paced and enjoyable. I received an ARC from NetGalley.
Do ever really know the people close to you..really?
Nice cozy mystery involving Marissa, a speech therapist, Anna, stutters and has a great Dad, Nathan, Anna’s Dad, and extended family and friends.
On a high bluff with beautiful views are a few private homes. Marissa is making a wonderful meal for Nathan, his daughter Anna, and ready to announce their engagement. But Marissa is having trouble with Lauren, an old friend also attending along with her husband Jensen. Undercurrents, drinking, and flirting take place and to add fuel to the fire, Nathan’s brother Keith and wife Hedra show up with problems of their own.
Marissa has a shock when she finds one of her guests dead on the beach below. From here, Marissa tries to figure out just who was the killer and proceeds to take you along the scenic community for clues.
The relationship between her and Nathan is threatened by suspicion as Marissa questions even their feelings toward each other. A realistic look at speech and tension and stuttering and a nice relationship between Anna and Marissa. An enjoyable book for a quiet afternoon.
My only complaint was that the ending was too abrupt and not quite finished.
This is a fantastically well written suspense novel that had me guessing until the last chapter. There were clues and false clues all through the books and I knew who the bad guy was several times and then found out a few pages later that I was totally wrong.
At Marissa’s engagement party, her best friend flirts shamelessly with her new fiance. Was it the wine or did Lauren need to be loved and admired by everyone around her? Lauren leaves the party after telling Marissa that she need to talk to her about her fiance. The next morning when Marissa is on an early walk, she finds Lauren’s body at the bottom of a cliff. Was it an accident or was she pushed by Marissa’s fiance? Lauren’s husband? Lauren’s daughter? or someone unknown. Marissa is determined to solve the crime even if it puts her in danger.
I was surprised at the end but after I went through the clues that had been given, it made perfect sense. Sometimes in suspense books, the ‘bad guy’ doesn’t make any sense but in this case, it all came together perfectly.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
Favorite Quote:
There is something timeless and otherworldly about birds, the surviving descendants of dinosaurs. Evidence of past eons. I could take comfort in knowing that, millions of years from now, our lives will amount to nothing but a cosmic hiccup.
My Review:
Once I picked up this addictive book I resented any intrusion or interruption and could not willingly put my Kindle down. It was stellar! This was my first experience reading this gifted author and I greedily want all her words, she has to be an evil genius as her storylines were brilliantly crafted, cunningly paced, and kept me gripping my Kindle and wishing I could read faster yet also wanting to savor each an every well-chosen word. The writing was transportive and the characters were all compellingly suspect and oddly out of pocket while absolutely no one appeared totally trustworthy, the narrator included. The plot was unique and compelling while the writing was divinely enthralling and dripping with intrigue. I remained riveted and transfixed to the Kindle throughout as the narrative was densely packed with twists, turns, and miscues. I devised and cast off numerous theories but would never have guessed the conclusion. Gasp, it was marvelous.
A very well written suspenseful thriller that was filled with tension, lies, secrets, betrayal, intrigue and a fabulously done plot twist at the end that I did not see coming! I was on edge the whole time reading this story. It had all the elements oh a great whodunit mystery that keeps you guessing to the very last page! The characters were all unique and well done even though I didn’t like them all. I really loved this book and will be looking forward to reading more by this author.
This book is an amazing thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end! The cast of characters are complex and all could have wanted the victim dead! The setting itself lends its creepiness to the story! A lot of secrets are exposed as the story progresses. No one is who they seem. There are so many twists and turns and it truly keeps you guessing until the end! I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing. All opinions are my own.
ll” by A.J.Banner Lake Union Publishing. August 21,2018
WOW!!! My head is actually spinning after reading “After Nightfall” by A.J. Banner. This is a captivating, intense, intriguing, enthralling, suspenseful and riveting novel!! A.J. Banner knows how to write that tense and on-edge story with her descriptions of the landscape and her characters. The Genres for this novel are Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, and Thriller.
The authors describes her dysfunctional characters as complex, and complicated. Each character could be a suspect. There are betrayals, lies, secrets, and twists and turns. Marissa Parlette , is celebrating her engagement. She has invited her fiancé’s brother and wife, and a friend from the past, who is back in her life. This friend married Marissa’s former boyfriend years ago, and now has bought a house next door to Marissa’s fiance.
Not to worry, she won’t be around long. After flirting with the men at the table and Marissa’s fiance, the friend is found dead as the bottom of a rocky cliff. Was it a fall, or was she pushed? There are more clues discovered that seem to indicate that she was murdered.
There are threats, temperamental outbursts, and danger. Someone has also been in Marissa’s house. She is left a friendly welcome home plant, but discovers her bedroom trashed.
This is an amazing book that you really get involved with. It is very hard to put down. I highly recommend this sharp book for readers that enjoy an intense mystery. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.
The story was rather dark at times with lots of twists and turns. Plenty of characters to mistrust. Clues may lead you in one direction, or so you think and WHAM another possibility comes forth. This thriller is just that. Suspensefu, edgy and leaves you wanting more..
AFTER NIGHTFALL by A. J. Banner is a gripping psychological thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Estranged childhood friends, Marissa and Lauren are attempting to mend fences many years after a devastating betrayal of Marissa by Lauren while they were in college. The morning after a dinner party to celebrate Marissa’s engagement to Nathan, Lauren turns up dead at the bottom of a rocky cliff and everyone at the party is a possible suspect in this tragic murder mystery. As the investigation ramps up, the reader meets one unreliable character after another and learns of their secrets, lies and betrayals. With shocking twists and turns, the story reveals one clue at a time right up until the stunning conclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed this fast-paced and compelling domestic thriller and can’t wait to read more from A. J. Banner. Thank you to the author for generously providing me with an early copy.
This is the first book that I’ve read by AJ Banner, and I absolutely loved most of it. The suspense/mystery is so well played – throughout the book, I found myself thinking that each one of the characters was guilty of the crime. The characters themselves are so realistic – each person has both good and bad qualities with dynamic personalities.
The only thing that holds me back from giving it five stars is the ending. I feel like there wasn’t a real ending. The reader finds out who the guilty party is, but there are so many things left open. Personally, I just prefer a definitive ending, preferably with an epilogue.
Otherwise, I loved everything about After Nightfall!
When estranged childhood friends, Marissa and Lauren, reunite at a party, the night ends with Lauren’s death. Why did Marissa invite Lauren back into her life? What happened in the past, destroying their friendship? And, what the heck is going on with Marissa’s fiance, Nathan, his 9 year old daughter, Anna, Nathan’s brother, Keith, and his wife, Hedra? Are they all keeping secrets? If so, why? And, could it all be related somehow? Join Marissa in this enthralling page turner as she does some digging of her own in hopes of answering all of these questions. This quick read kept me guessing until the end.
This was my first time reading anything by A.J. Banner, and I’ll definitely be back for more!
I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Location: Tranquil Cove, Washington (west of Seattle)
Thank you to #NetGalley and #Lake Union Publishers
This book was the first I have read by this author and it did not in any way disappoint. It will pull you in and take you for a ride you won’t soon forget. A thriller that will keep you guessing until the end when you find out who did what to who and who was just in the wrong place many times. I was shocked at who was the bad person and also the very end who possibly could have saved someone.
It’s a very well written book with characters you will love and others you will not like at all. Some you will think are bad but turn out to ones that really needed help.
I loved this book from start to the very end. I stayed up late to finish this one. I just had to know what happened and boy it did not disappoint at all.
A 5 star book. I look forward to reading more books by this author. A. J. Banner sure has a way of writing that kept me turning pages.
Oh my gosh, this book, though! I loved it! Haunting and unique, this story is a great whodunnit mystery full of secrets, repressed memories, jealousy, and more! A great read for fans of stories by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen.
Being engaged is supposed to be an exciting and blissful time in a woman’s life, but for Marissa Parlette it’s anything but that… her longtime friend has just been found dead at the bottom of a cliff following a tension filled dinner party at her home the night before. Finding her friend Lauren’s lifeless body at the bottom of the cliff is downright unsettling, and it leaves her wondering if it was an accident or if someone “helped” her down there. With all the suspicious nature of Lauren’s death swirling around her Marissa decides to take matters into her own hands, and begins doing some investigations of her own, and finds far more than she bargained for. As she closely examines everyone who attended the party, she begins to realize things around her weren’t quite as innocent as they seemed and many unexpected secrets are being kept, by the people she should be able to trust the most. Now she doesn’t know who she can trust…
After Nightfall is a drama-filled page turner that is sure to keep you guessing until the very end, with it’s intriguing and disbelieving story-line, and untrustworthy cast you’ll have a heck of time finding the guilty party! This was quite the first read, from the moment I cracked the cover I was pulled into these characters lives and left completely enamored with them and their drama… WOW what a first impression!! I have a feeling I will be checking out more of this authors work in the very near future, her newest offering was quite addictive and entertaining, so much so that I devoured it in one sitting. Highly recommend you meet these wonderful characters, they are sure to keep you captivated from start to finish!
I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, via NetGalley, and voluntarily read and reviewed.
I have read and will read every book that AJ Banner writes! After Nightfall is a superbly written thriller that captures the reader till the end. And the ending was not what I suspected at all! Well done! Highly recommend this taunt thriller.
The suspense builds from the very beginning…Marissa and Nathan are having a dinner party, and college roommate and ex BFF is flirting with Nathan. This was suppose to be a special night, but turned into something completely different.
This book is full of suspense. Each character has a story to tell and it will keep you guessing. Enjoyed the Author’s writing style, a very complex story that unravels slowly to keep you guessing and wondering. I had to reread the last few pages twice. Not sure I was content with it, but it kept me thinking about it. And isn’t that what a good book does!
Thanks To Net Galley and the Publisher for this ARC. All opinions are my own.
Too much.
This one had too much going on for me to enjoy. All the way to the last page when it should have been good. Oh well.