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Erin Solomon Pentalogy #4
Before the After
At ten years old, Erin Solomon watched the Payson Church of Tomorrow burn to the ground. Every effort to solve the mystery of that early tragedy has only brought more questions, many of them revolving around her father’s dark past. Now, in the fourth novel in the Erin Solomon pentalogy, learn the truth about Adam Solomon’s role in the Payson fire, Erin’s history in the Church, and the forces behind more than three decades of secrets, lies, and murder.
BEFORE THE AFTER finds Erin and Diggs in a desperate race to save Erin’s mother, Kat, when they learn that the information she’s been using to keep Erin safe for years has been destroyed. Using a code found on an encrypted memory card at the scene of their last case, Diggs and Solomon are closer than ever to discovering the truth behind the Payson Church, Mitch Cameron, and a mysterious company known as J. Enterprises, that lies at the heart of it all. But this time, someone in Erin’s life will pay the ultimate price in her quest for the truth.
BEFORE THE AFTER finds Erin and Diggs in a desperate race to save Erin’s mother, Kat, when they learn that the information she’s been using to keep Erin safe for years has been destroyed. Using a code found on an encrypted memory card at the scene of their last case, Diggs and Solomon are closer than ever to discovering the truth behind the Payson Church, Mitch Cameron, and a mysterious company known as J. Enterprises, that lies at the heart of it all. But this time, someone in Erin’s life will pay the ultimate price in her quest for the truth.
309 pages, ebook
First published July 10, 2013
120 people are currently reading
224 people want to read
About the author
Jen Blood
18 books331 followersJen Blood is a professional editor and publishing consultant, and author of the bestselling Erin Solomon Mysteries. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing/Popular Fiction, with writing influences ranging from Emily Bronte to Dennis Lehane, and any number of genres and authors in between. Her work has earned accolades and awards including the AIA Seal of Quality and the B.R.A.G. Medallion for ALL THE BLUE-EYED ANGELS, and honorable mention for Best in Fiction from the New England Book Festival for her second novel, SINS OF THE FATHER. All four of her novels have reached the Amazon Bestseller list in Mystery, Suspense, and Women Sleuths.
Born and raised among the smaller fishing villages of midcoast Maine, Jen's writing is rich with the details and tone of that isolated, occasionally harsh landscape. Today, after spending several years traveling the country, Jen is once again living in midcoast Maine, busily working on the next installment in the Erin Solomon series.
Born and raised among the smaller fishing villages of midcoast Maine, Jen's writing is rich with the details and tone of that isolated, occasionally harsh landscape. Today, after spending several years traveling the country, Jen is once again living in midcoast Maine, busily working on the next installment in the Erin Solomon series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
December 7, 2016
At last we get some answers about why people (the mysterious J group) are trying to kill Erin.
Erin and Diggs are on the run again, only this time its super serious and deadly. It seems that J is actually a project - a secret government project that ran for decades and I can't say any more without spoilers but you get the drift. Big time conspiracy stuff. Plausible, maybe not but definitely entertaining.
So Erin and Diggs are trying to stay one step ahead of their would-be killers. Her mother is in cahoots with Cameron Mitchell who is now on the side of the angels. Her father makes an appearance but how much does he value his daughter's life over his own? Their arch-nemesis, Jenny, is not as straightforward as they thought and death is constantly nipping at their heels. They manage to decode the data on a memory stick (they got possession of in the previous book) and it changes everything. But before they can act on it they have to rescue Erin's mother from Jenny.
Its quite convoluted but it was really good to get some of the answers. Not for everything though - I guess all will finally be revealed in book 5. I have really enjoyed this series so far. Its quite epic in scale and, although far-fetched, there are enough conspiracy theories around to give it legs. Certainly fun reading. Nearly there, one more book to go.
Erin and Diggs are on the run again, only this time its super serious and deadly. It seems that J is actually a project - a secret government project that ran for decades and I can't say any more without spoilers but you get the drift. Big time conspiracy stuff. Plausible, maybe not but definitely entertaining.
So Erin and Diggs are trying to stay one step ahead of their would-be killers. Her mother is in cahoots with Cameron Mitchell who is now on the side of the angels. Her father makes an appearance but how much does he value his daughter's life over his own? Their arch-nemesis, Jenny, is not as straightforward as they thought and death is constantly nipping at their heels. They manage to decode the data on a memory stick (they got possession of in the previous book) and it changes everything. But before they can act on it they have to rescue Erin's mother from Jenny.
Its quite convoluted but it was really good to get some of the answers. Not for everything though - I guess all will finally be revealed in book 5. I have really enjoyed this series so far. Its quite epic in scale and, although far-fetched, there are enough conspiracy theories around to give it legs. Certainly fun reading. Nearly there, one more book to go.
April 13, 2017
More secrets revealed and a nice deepening of the central mysteries, great stuff. Without going into spoilers, there's a figure of menace from earlier books that becomes a real stand out character in this one and possibly the biggest finish of all the books so far.
April 19, 2019
Extremely good plot, fantastic characters that follow in book after book
Fantastic characters that follow in each book, some new characters being introduced who are loyal too , and then Solomon too. I could do without the cursing...the characters are strong enough without throwing the foul language in.
Fantastic characters that follow in each book, some new characters being introduced who are loyal too , and then Solomon too. I could do without the cursing...the characters are strong enough without throwing the foul language in.
August 15, 2018
Book was really good but have to give it a 4 for all the third world country crap about South America. First of all South America in a continent not a country and it is not third world. For the rest of the book it was good and things were unexpected.
December 22, 2020
Comments
Wow! It keeps getting better. Good mystery, lots of action when least expected and when you expect it too. I’m looking forward to the 5th book. Book got pretty tense at several points, but at one of those times, I could feel the stress in myself. Good read.
Wow! It keeps getting better. Good mystery, lots of action when least expected and when you expect it too. I’m looking forward to the 5th book. Book got pretty tense at several points, but at one of those times, I could feel the stress in myself. Good read.
May 22, 2017
Another great read! Action packed!
May 13, 2020
The more I read from this series, the more I want.
July 31, 2021
Good suspenseful mystery
January 31, 2016
I really enjoy the way Jen Blood is able to continually weave a new twist into the plot line. She puts seeds of mystery into each character which makes them multifaceted. This particular book in the series has been one of my favorites thus far. Many of the mysteries behind Erin's past and her father are finally revealed. I love how the author is able to take tragic stories that we are all familiar with and give them a different aspect. It also begs the question of what the limits are with our mind and memories. What things do we will ourselves to forget because they are so terrible. What things can we put a positive spin on to help us cope with darkness? Life is full of the darkness and light... which area do we live in?
Erin Solomon's character is definitely a strong woman, which I admire. She is stubborn, strong, smart, willing to fight for what she believes in and outspoken. It's been a while since I read a book where I didn't want to put it down and just spend all my time reading; this book gave me that experience. The plot is believable, the characters are raw and real and the writing is well done. I'm really looking forward to reading the last book in the series.
Erin Solomon's character is definitely a strong woman, which I admire. She is stubborn, strong, smart, willing to fight for what she believes in and outspoken. It's been a while since I read a book where I didn't want to put it down and just spend all my time reading; this book gave me that experience. The plot is believable, the characters are raw and real and the writing is well done. I'm really looking forward to reading the last book in the series.
February 3, 2014
Jen Blood is terrific at weaving intriguing stories. She has produced yet another novel packed with intricate detail and heart thumping tension, the fourth in the Diggs and Solomon series. Erin and Diggs are on the run for their lives, and the urgency of their race against the clock makes for thrilling reading. The evolution of Erin and Diggs relationship – flashing through friendship, sexual attraction, love and then bouncing back again between all three - has been a joy to observe throughout the series.
Although it answers a lot of questions raised in the first three books, it also poses many more. While it was great to get those answers I found it a little bit tricky to keep track of the story while trying to digest the information supplied. Don’t get me wrong – this is a terrific read! But it takes some concentration (well, for me anyway!).
As always I am impressed by Blood’s talent for using different points of view to great effect; successfully keeping them separate yet still cohesive. It’s a gift, and she seems to accomplish it with ease.
Great work! I’m looking forward eagerly to number five.
Although it answers a lot of questions raised in the first three books, it also poses many more. While it was great to get those answers I found it a little bit tricky to keep track of the story while trying to digest the information supplied. Don’t get me wrong – this is a terrific read! But it takes some concentration (well, for me anyway!).
As always I am impressed by Blood’s talent for using different points of view to great effect; successfully keeping them separate yet still cohesive. It’s a gift, and she seems to accomplish it with ease.
Great work! I’m looking forward eagerly to number five.
December 6, 2013
I have loved all four of the currently published Erin Solomon mysteries. I can't believe I have to wait a year for #5 to be published.
In this installment, the secret that has kept Erin safe all these years, has been destroyed and now Erin, her long-time friend Diggs, Erin's mother Kat, and everyone else who comes in contact with them, are now in danger. Kat's house is blown up with Erin & Diggs barely escaping. The hooded man who has haunted Erin's memories and more recent adventures, seems to have had a change of heart. More information on Erin's father, Adam, is revealed. And the past that FBI Agent Jack Juarez doesn't renenber begins to make brief flashes in his memory, similar to Erin's dreams. Though many things are resolved, there are plenty new questions to be answered in book 5.
In this installment, the secret that has kept Erin safe all these years, has been destroyed and now Erin, her long-time friend Diggs, Erin's mother Kat, and everyone else who comes in contact with them, are now in danger. Kat's house is blown up with Erin & Diggs barely escaping. The hooded man who has haunted Erin's memories and more recent adventures, seems to have had a change of heart. More information on Erin's father, Adam, is revealed. And the past that FBI Agent Jack Juarez doesn't renenber begins to make brief flashes in his memory, similar to Erin's dreams. Though many things are resolved, there are plenty new questions to be answered in book 5.
March 19, 2015
This is Book 4 in the Erin Solomon Pentalogy. Unlike the first three, which could be read as standalones within the overarching mystery, this book is basically a bridge between books three and five. I waited until the fifth book came out to read this one, mainly because I dislike waiting so long between installments that you forget a lot of what happened in the previous book. Most of the book is a chase, so it is a fast-paced page turner. You finally do find out more of the truth about Erin's parents. While I didn't like this book as well as the first three, if you've made it this far in the series, it's definitely worthwhile to keep going.
December 21, 2013
The penultimate book of the series doesn't disappoint. Blood again utilizes the construct of various narrators and, while it works, I found myself wishing we got more of Erin's POV throughout. (I understand why that was problematic, but it doesn't stop me from wishing)
Looking forward to the last installment.
Looking forward to the last installment.
January 13, 2014
I really liked the pace of this book once I was able to focus on it. I finally got some answers that have thus far only been hinted at in the previous books.
I would have preferred it if the new bits and pieces were either spread out better through out the series or some of the more revealing ones saved for the final book. I am left to wonder what more can be expanded upon in the final installment, beyond the revenge aspect. There was quite a flood of information here.
I found the sneaky bastard roles to be predictable, but that just made me feel clever, rather than irritated.
I would have preferred it if the new bits and pieces were either spread out better through out the series or some of the more revealing ones saved for the final book. I am left to wonder what more can be expanded upon in the final installment, beyond the revenge aspect. There was quite a flood of information here.
I found the sneaky bastard roles to be predictable, but that just made me feel clever, rather than irritated.
April 29, 2015
More binge reading this series! I can't put them down. If I'm this glued to binge read like I have, I have to increase my rating to 5 stars/amazing. Still, I can't figure it out - still, I have suspicions, so I just purchased book 5 to see if what I had predicted will happen. So far I suck at guessing!
I like how the author writes multiple POVs - not too many authors can do that successfully. Can't wait to see how this all wraps up, and this author will definitely be on my 'must read' list going forward!
I like how the author writes multiple POVs - not too many authors can do that successfully. Can't wait to see how this all wraps up, and this author will definitely be on my 'must read' list going forward!
October 12, 2015
Before the After (Erin Solomon Pentalogy Book 4) (Kindle Edition)
In book four, more of Erin’s childhood secrets begin to surface as ghostly visions. Driven to find the truth, Erin pushes forward. With each dangerous leg of the journey, a kibble of truth is dropped in their path and Erin follows them like a dog catching a scent.
As in the first three books, Erin and Diggs barely survive the chaos. Filled with more fast-paced action, book four, it’s secrets still unrevealed, will propel you toBefore the After (Erin Solomon Pentalogy Book 4) pick up the final book in this series and read.
In book four, more of Erin’s childhood secrets begin to surface as ghostly visions. Driven to find the truth, Erin pushes forward. With each dangerous leg of the journey, a kibble of truth is dropped in their path and Erin follows them like a dog catching a scent.
As in the first three books, Erin and Diggs barely survive the chaos. Filled with more fast-paced action, book four, it’s secrets still unrevealed, will propel you toBefore the After (Erin Solomon Pentalogy Book 4) pick up the final book in this series and read.
March 4, 2016
Book 3 of a 5 part series. Or is it book 4? I've lost count. In all the books so far the heroes have been shot, stabbed, lost in the woods and left for dead and tortured.
Although I like the characters a lot and the character development is good, I say "enough is enough". These people have been thru enough and it's getting old.
But I'll see the series thru just to see the resolution.
But this should have been a trilogy. All the rest is extraneous.
Although I like the characters a lot and the character development is good, I say "enough is enough". These people have been thru enough and it's getting old.
But I'll see the series thru just to see the resolution.
But this should have been a trilogy. All the rest is extraneous.
December 5, 2013
Erin and Diggs are on an international, life threatening adventure that takes them from Maine to Mexico. I don't want to be a spoiler alert here except Erin is more vulnerable and relies on Diggs more than ever. I love the relationship development between these two. Jen Blood once again leaves you hanging for the next book, but like Before the After, it will be worth the wait.
February 1, 2016
This series is amazing! So much action, mystery, and characters that you want to meet. It was heartbreaking to see how Erin's idea of who her father was come to a conclusion and when she had to leave Stein behind:( Now that we know what Project J is, it will be interesting to see how things wrap up in the final installment.
February 1, 2014
Holy wow I didn't see that coming!! Great storytelling and fast pace. I also love getting the different viewpoints along the way. I can't wait to see how this ends up in the next book. Highly recommend!!
November 16, 2014
As her mother goes missing, and then she has to go on the run with Diggs, the end seems to be rushing towards Erin Solomon. In this book she has to face a man from her past and the group that have been trying to kill her family
April 27, 2015
Wow. This was a good one. I can't stop reading this series, so creepy and different! I love that it is different from other formulaic series. Keeps you guessing and 4 books in and you still don't know whats up. Love it!
October 29, 2014
I got the first e-book in this series free, and I was hooked. I happily paid for the next three, and can't wait for the final book around Christmas this year!
February 5, 2015
Not the ending I was expecting, but damn...riveting until the end.
June 12, 2015
A good series
You can't read just one book. You have to read all five. I have really enjoyed.
Keeps you engaged with the characters.
You can't read just one book. You have to read all five. I have really enjoyed.
Keeps you engaged with the characters.
November 9, 2015
I love this series. I am beginning to really care for Cameron. I really like the new characters, Monty, Carl, Jamie and the dogs. Now for the Book of J.
December 30, 2015
I would say more 3.5.
January 17, 2016
Love this series, can't stop reading it, looking forward to the dramatic conclusion
January 22, 2016
Still Hooked!
One of the best series I have read! I am already bummed that I only have one more book to read.
One of the best series I have read! I am already bummed that I only have one more book to read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews