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After She's Gone
Lori Golden’s family have had more than their fair share of troubles. But through it all, Lori and her sister, Jessie, have always supported each other. Then Jessie is killed. And Lori’s world turns upside down.
Devastated, Lori struggles to cope with her loss, and to learn to live in a world without her bright, bubbly sister by her side. Around her, her already fractured family start to fall apart. And, as Lori and her mother try to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives, secrets long thought buried are coming painfully to light.
Faced with the unthinkable, Lori is forced to ask herself how well she really knows those who are left behind…
Devastated, Lori struggles to cope with her loss, and to learn to live in a world without her bright, bubbly sister by her side. Around her, her already fractured family start to fall apart. And, as Lori and her mother try to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives, secrets long thought buried are coming painfully to light.
Faced with the unthinkable, Lori is forced to ask herself how well she really knows those who are left behind…
252 pages, Paperback
First published March 16, 2017
546 people are currently reading
1741 people want to read
About the author
Maggie James
13 books291 followersMaggie James is a British author who lives near Newcastle-upon-Tyne. She writes psychological suspense novels.
Before turning her hand to writing, Maggie worked mainly as an accountant, with a diversion into practising as a nutritional therapist. Diet and health remain high on her list of interests, along with travel. Accountancy does not, but then it never did. The urge to pack a bag and go off travelling is always lurking in the background! When not writing, going to the gym, practising yoga or travelling, Maggie can be found seeking new four-legged friends to pet; animals are a lifelong love!
Before turning her hand to writing, Maggie worked mainly as an accountant, with a diversion into practising as a nutritional therapist. Diet and health remain high on her list of interests, along with travel. Accountancy does not, but then it never did. The urge to pack a bag and go off travelling is always lurking in the background! When not writing, going to the gym, practising yoga or travelling, Maggie can be found seeking new four-legged friends to pet; animals are a lifelong love!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 164 reviews
April 6, 2024
3+ out of 5 stars to Maggie James's novel, After She's Gone, a new thriller and suspense novel released on March 16, 2017. I was tempted to give it a 4, but since it's the first read by this author and left a few open concerns, I'm settling on a 3.4999... still a very good read. Many thanks to the author, NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC in lieu of an honest review.
Why This Book
As part of my focus on reading NetGalley books this year, I selected a few new thrillers and suspense novels, mostly based on their cover and the short paragraph provided in the overview. I decided not to look at anyone else's reviews, as a few people I know on Goodreads had already received and read this book. The NetGalley summary hinted at it being a psychological thriller, with a full cast of potential family members responsible for killing a 16-year-old girl. I sent in a request, thinking it had potential (I do like a little gore and family-type suspicions)... and was awarded the book by the time I woke up the next morning. Downloaded via Kindle onto iPad and began reading over the weekend. Took about 3 days to complete, given I only had 90 minutes each day to focus on books, despite it being Saturday and Sunday.
Overview of Story
Lori Golden, 22, lives with her mother Dana, sister Jessie (16), step-father Jake, and step-brother Spencer (23), in a small English town. Lori's and Jessie's father sees them from time to time, but they aren't too close. Lori's dating Ryan, who dotes on her constantly. But she's got a sort-of-new-bestie in Aiden, who seems to be a nice guy, but is definitely keeping secrets.
One night, Jessie doesn't come home. Dana, who is suffering from kidney disease and soon needs a transplant, is freaking out that her 16-year has gone missing. Lori tries to find her, but cannot. Spencer wakes up from a bad drug episode in a strange house and sees Jessie dead on the floor right near him, naked from the waist down. Though Spencer's her step-brother, and recently decided to experiment with his bisexual side, he's worried he might have killed Jessie and immediately goes into hiding with his friends.
As the cops track down evidence, it looks like Spencer's guilty, and he's arrested. Dana throws her husband out and goes off the deep end, getting sicker and sicker. Lori tries to keep it together between Ryan, and her growing concerns over Aiden. When several fires start burning down Dana's rental properties, Lori realizes Aiden lives with his fire-fighter friend, Damon and one of them may be involved. She's concerned Aiden may have killed her sister and set fire to the house to try to hide it.
Spenser confesses to seeing Jessie dead on the floor, but claims he didn't do it. No one believes him, but Lori is starting to. Meanwhile, Lori reaches out to her mother's brother to try to see if he can donate a kidney, as Lori isn't a match, and the only person who was a match, Jessie, is now dead. As the plots thickens, Aiden reveals his secrets. Lori turns to Ryan for support and tries to get to know her new uncle, but Dana doesn't realize what Lori is doing. It seems Dana's brother has a lot of problems and should be avoided at all costs.
Everything collides in the last few chapters when someone kidnaps Lori, revealing (s)he's gonna finish getting revenge on Dana for her past indiscretions. And since I won't reveal any spoilers, it's an explosive rage of secret revelations that suddenly jump out one-by-one until readers are left shocked at what has really been going on all along.
Approach & Style
The story is actually told in present tense, as opposed to past tense. I haven't read many books like this, but it actually lends itself well to this story. It's an omniscient narrator who focuses mostly on Lori's point of view, but several chapters focus on several other characters to round out the story and help with the suspense and secret-keeping.
Strengths
I found the dialogue to be particularly strong, especially given the secrets hiding beneath the surface. It was punctuated with good people and action descriptions, compelling drama and strong innuendo.
The plot is interesting and a little intense. While I don't want to read about a 16-year-old being attacked and potentially raped, it was handled with appropriate care, minimal detail and the right balance of etiquette. As it unfolds, pyromania, abuse, family history, adoption and secrets play a major role in all the relationships. You know it's gonna be 1 of 4 potential people, but you're not exactly sure why until the very end.
Open Questions & Concerns
I guessed the culprit too early. I think some attention might have been focused here to make it harder.
A lot of coincidences, but it does make for good drama.
[image error]
Had I not read a few things about the police department's approach, I'd have had no idea this took place in England. It could have used more description on the setting and locale. But I understand it was a plot and character book, so background could be minimal.
Final Thoughts
It's a good read. Nothing too scary. Nothing incredibly suspenseful. But it's an even spread of being slightly unnerved the entire time, especially with it being in the present tense and you reading things exactly as they are happening. Not an easy task to pull off. I'm fairly happy with the ending, too. I'd recommend it to others, and I'd definitely read another book by the author.
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures.
Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by.
[polldaddy poll=9719251]
Why This Book
As part of my focus on reading NetGalley books this year, I selected a few new thrillers and suspense novels, mostly based on their cover and the short paragraph provided in the overview. I decided not to look at anyone else's reviews, as a few people I know on Goodreads had already received and read this book. The NetGalley summary hinted at it being a psychological thriller, with a full cast of potential family members responsible for killing a 16-year-old girl. I sent in a request, thinking it had potential (I do like a little gore and family-type suspicions)... and was awarded the book by the time I woke up the next morning. Downloaded via Kindle onto iPad and began reading over the weekend. Took about 3 days to complete, given I only had 90 minutes each day to focus on books, despite it being Saturday and Sunday.
Overview of Story
Lori Golden, 22, lives with her mother Dana, sister Jessie (16), step-father Jake, and step-brother Spencer (23), in a small English town. Lori's and Jessie's father sees them from time to time, but they aren't too close. Lori's dating Ryan, who dotes on her constantly. But she's got a sort-of-new-bestie in Aiden, who seems to be a nice guy, but is definitely keeping secrets.
One night, Jessie doesn't come home. Dana, who is suffering from kidney disease and soon needs a transplant, is freaking out that her 16-year has gone missing. Lori tries to find her, but cannot. Spencer wakes up from a bad drug episode in a strange house and sees Jessie dead on the floor right near him, naked from the waist down. Though Spencer's her step-brother, and recently decided to experiment with his bisexual side, he's worried he might have killed Jessie and immediately goes into hiding with his friends.
As the cops track down evidence, it looks like Spencer's guilty, and he's arrested. Dana throws her husband out and goes off the deep end, getting sicker and sicker. Lori tries to keep it together between Ryan, and her growing concerns over Aiden. When several fires start burning down Dana's rental properties, Lori realizes Aiden lives with his fire-fighter friend, Damon and one of them may be involved. She's concerned Aiden may have killed her sister and set fire to the house to try to hide it.
Spenser confesses to seeing Jessie dead on the floor, but claims he didn't do it. No one believes him, but Lori is starting to. Meanwhile, Lori reaches out to her mother's brother to try to see if he can donate a kidney, as Lori isn't a match, and the only person who was a match, Jessie, is now dead. As the plots thickens, Aiden reveals his secrets. Lori turns to Ryan for support and tries to get to know her new uncle, but Dana doesn't realize what Lori is doing. It seems Dana's brother has a lot of problems and should be avoided at all costs.
Everything collides in the last few chapters when someone kidnaps Lori, revealing (s)he's gonna finish getting revenge on Dana for her past indiscretions. And since I won't reveal any spoilers, it's an explosive rage of secret revelations that suddenly jump out one-by-one until readers are left shocked at what has really been going on all along.
Approach & Style
The story is actually told in present tense, as opposed to past tense. I haven't read many books like this, but it actually lends itself well to this story. It's an omniscient narrator who focuses mostly on Lori's point of view, but several chapters focus on several other characters to round out the story and help with the suspense and secret-keeping.
Strengths
I found the dialogue to be particularly strong, especially given the secrets hiding beneath the surface. It was punctuated with good people and action descriptions, compelling drama and strong innuendo.
The plot is interesting and a little intense. While I don't want to read about a 16-year-old being attacked and potentially raped, it was handled with appropriate care, minimal detail and the right balance of etiquette. As it unfolds, pyromania, abuse, family history, adoption and secrets play a major role in all the relationships. You know it's gonna be 1 of 4 potential people, but you're not exactly sure why until the very end.
Open Questions & Concerns
I guessed the culprit too early. I think some attention might have been focused here to make it harder.
A lot of coincidences, but it does make for good drama.
[image error]
Had I not read a few things about the police department's approach, I'd have had no idea this took place in England. It could have used more description on the setting and locale. But I understand it was a plot and character book, so background could be minimal.
Final Thoughts
It's a good read. Nothing too scary. Nothing incredibly suspenseful. But it's an even spread of being slightly unnerved the entire time, especially with it being in the present tense and you reading things exactly as they are happening. Not an easy task to pull off. I'm fairly happy with the ending, too. I'd recommend it to others, and I'd definitely read another book by the author.
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures.
Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by.
[polldaddy poll=9719251]
February 26, 2017
After She’s Gone is my third Maggie James read. I am torn with how to rate it as there were some features I really liked about it, but then there were other things I was not keen on.
The good stuff first. Ms. James can write. The prose is elegantly simple and flows well. She can spin a good story and this one had a couple of dynamite twists. I liked the premise and the protagonist, 22-year-old Lori Golden. Lori is trying to make sense of her world after her 16-year-old sister is brutally raped and murdered. Adding to her misery are threatening letters sent to her mom, her mother’s life-threatening health issues, and fires taking down her family’s rental properties one by one. Is their own home next to go up in flames? There is also an arsonist setting fire to empty warehouses all over town; whether it’s the same person who is targeting the family rental properties is not known. I enjoyed how the author was able to cleverly make just about everyone look suspicious. I also appreciated learning about the difference between pyromaniacs and arsonists and the psychological mindsets of both types of fire-setters. We have a lot of family drama, which I consider a positive. The inclusion of a kitty in the story is always a plus (NO animal torture here). Most of all, the story was engrossing enough that I finished the book in 2 days (very fast for me).
What didn’t I like? Well, several things. Overall, I think Ms. James tried to do too much in this one; there were just too many issues/subplots going on to address each one sufficiently. Secondly, I figured out the baddie right off the bat. I did not care for the end of the ending. The last two plot tie-ups were unnecessary, too neat, and not liked by me. I wished Ms. James hadn’t gone there. And what were the police thinking? While we are on the topic of thinking, what was Lori thinking? Then there was Aiden’s thinking, or lack thereof. Finally, sorry, but gosh, if I heard Lori called “sweetheart” one more time, I think I might have launched my kindle straight through the roof!!! Aaaaaargh!
Well, when the dust settled, I felt frustrated, yet entertained. The book was hard to put down. Therefore, despite the head-banging I engaged in, I have to rate this at least 3 stars just for sheer entertainment. I gave Sister Psychopath 4 stars and Blackwater Lake 5 stars. I think if Ms. James just reigns it in a bit and makes her next book more streamlined and more believable, then she will again attain the levels of these two novels. I do remain a fan and will be reading her other three books, which are waiting on my kindle.
Many thanks to Net Galley, Lake Union Publishing, and Ms. Maggie James for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this novel. All opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
The good stuff first. Ms. James can write. The prose is elegantly simple and flows well. She can spin a good story and this one had a couple of dynamite twists. I liked the premise and the protagonist, 22-year-old Lori Golden. Lori is trying to make sense of her world after her 16-year-old sister is brutally raped and murdered. Adding to her misery are threatening letters sent to her mom, her mother’s life-threatening health issues, and fires taking down her family’s rental properties one by one. Is their own home next to go up in flames? There is also an arsonist setting fire to empty warehouses all over town; whether it’s the same person who is targeting the family rental properties is not known. I enjoyed how the author was able to cleverly make just about everyone look suspicious. I also appreciated learning about the difference between pyromaniacs and arsonists and the psychological mindsets of both types of fire-setters. We have a lot of family drama, which I consider a positive. The inclusion of a kitty in the story is always a plus (NO animal torture here). Most of all, the story was engrossing enough that I finished the book in 2 days (very fast for me).
What didn’t I like? Well, several things. Overall, I think Ms. James tried to do too much in this one; there were just too many issues/subplots going on to address each one sufficiently. Secondly, I figured out the baddie right off the bat. I did not care for the end of the ending. The last two plot tie-ups were unnecessary, too neat, and not liked by me. I wished Ms. James hadn’t gone there. And what were the police thinking? While we are on the topic of thinking, what was Lori thinking? Then there was Aiden’s thinking, or lack thereof. Finally, sorry, but gosh, if I heard Lori called “sweetheart” one more time, I think I might have launched my kindle straight through the roof!!! Aaaaaargh!
Well, when the dust settled, I felt frustrated, yet entertained. The book was hard to put down. Therefore, despite the head-banging I engaged in, I have to rate this at least 3 stars just for sheer entertainment. I gave Sister Psychopath 4 stars and Blackwater Lake 5 stars. I think if Ms. James just reigns it in a bit and makes her next book more streamlined and more believable, then she will again attain the levels of these two novels. I do remain a fan and will be reading her other three books, which are waiting on my kindle.
Many thanks to Net Galley, Lake Union Publishing, and Ms. Maggie James for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this novel. All opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
February 21, 2017
I have to start this review out by expressing my love for all things Maggie James. The first 3 books I've read from her have all been 4-5 star ratings, and she has become an author I readily seek out. So of course when this became available on Netgalley I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. Now having finished, I'm looking at all the other 5 star reviews and wondering how my feelings for this book can differ so much from everyone else...especially for an author that I hold in such high regard?!
I didn't like this book at all. In fact it felt like it was written by a complete unknown author to me. Nowhere did I get the intensity and suspense that I have come to love. The plot had everything but the kitchen sink thrown into it from and secrets galore that just seemed over the top.
I had issues with the writing style as well. It seemed amateurish at times and overly dramatic. Some of the scenes that were designed to create tension just fell flat. There was also the issue of the characters being referred to by their full name. Example: 'Lori opened the door and Fraser Golden was standing there...'. Fraser Golden is her Father, so why not address him as such? This was done several times throughout to various characters and it just made the flow more disjointed and confusing.
Even with all the attempts to throw the reader off in different directions on who the main antagonist was, I figured out who it was early on, but at least I didn't figure out the why of it all. That was the one saving grace of this entire read.
I don't know what happened to the Maggie James that I have come to know and love, but I hope she's back soon. I'm going to write this one off as if it didn't happen. She'll be back, I just know it!
ARC provided by NetGalley
I didn't like this book at all. In fact it felt like it was written by a complete unknown author to me. Nowhere did I get the intensity and suspense that I have come to love. The plot had everything but the kitchen sink thrown into it from and secrets galore that just seemed over the top.
I had issues with the writing style as well. It seemed amateurish at times and overly dramatic. Some of the scenes that were designed to create tension just fell flat. There was also the issue of the characters being referred to by their full name. Example: 'Lori opened the door and Fraser Golden was standing there...'. Fraser Golden is her Father, so why not address him as such? This was done several times throughout to various characters and it just made the flow more disjointed and confusing.
Even with all the attempts to throw the reader off in different directions on who the main antagonist was, I figured out who it was early on, but at least I didn't figure out the why of it all. That was the one saving grace of this entire read.
I don't know what happened to the Maggie James that I have come to know and love, but I hope she's back soon. I'm going to write this one off as if it didn't happen. She'll be back, I just know it!
ARC provided by NetGalley
March 10, 2017
AFTER SHE’S GONE is the latest psychological suspense thriller by Maggie James, a British author living in Bristol. I am afraid I have to admit that this is the first novel I have read by this author, even though I have all her books to read on my Kindle. I look forward to reading her other novels, which have been highly praised.
This is the story of The Golden family and the rape/murder of their youngest daughter, 16 year-old Jessie.
“A crazy arsonist is on the loose.”
Jake Hamilton, a solicitor, moved into the home of Dana Golden with his 23 year- old grown son, Spencer, soon after Dana’s divorce. Dana has two daughters, 22 year-old Lori and 16 year-old Jessie. One big blended family!
Dana and Jake call Lori to tell her that her sister, Jessie has not come home yet and her mum is frantic with worry. It is almost midnight and nobody has heard from her. And Spencer isn’t home either?
It turns out she is not with friends her whereabouts are unknown and the police are called.
“Lori Golden’s family have had more than their fair share of troubles. But through it all, Lori and her sister, Jessie, have always supported each other. Then Jessie is killed. And Lori’s world turns upside down.”
“Body discovered by firefighters. Naked from waist down. Knickers not located. A handbag was found beside the body, containing documentation identifying the dead girl as Jessie Golden.”
The novel focuses on Lori and how she comes to terms with the death of her younger sister, and the devastation it causes to her family and friends. Her mum is shattered. As her and her mum try to move on…secrets come to the surface.
Who could have done this to her sister? Lori suspects everyone as the killer. How well does she really knows those who are left behind…
This was a short well written novel, at only 250 pages, but I felt it dragged on a bit. I found I wasn’t involved in the characters, or didn’t care what happened to them. I was waiting for more WOW in the story…but it never came. I figured out the killer right from the beginning.
Many thanks to Net Galley, Lake Union Publishing, and Ms. Maggie James for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this novel. I look forward to reading her other novels.
This is the story of The Golden family and the rape/murder of their youngest daughter, 16 year-old Jessie.
“A crazy arsonist is on the loose.”
Jake Hamilton, a solicitor, moved into the home of Dana Golden with his 23 year- old grown son, Spencer, soon after Dana’s divorce. Dana has two daughters, 22 year-old Lori and 16 year-old Jessie. One big blended family!
Dana and Jake call Lori to tell her that her sister, Jessie has not come home yet and her mum is frantic with worry. It is almost midnight and nobody has heard from her. And Spencer isn’t home either?
It turns out she is not with friends her whereabouts are unknown and the police are called.
“Lori Golden’s family have had more than their fair share of troubles. But through it all, Lori and her sister, Jessie, have always supported each other. Then Jessie is killed. And Lori’s world turns upside down.”
“Body discovered by firefighters. Naked from waist down. Knickers not located. A handbag was found beside the body, containing documentation identifying the dead girl as Jessie Golden.”
The novel focuses on Lori and how she comes to terms with the death of her younger sister, and the devastation it causes to her family and friends. Her mum is shattered. As her and her mum try to move on…secrets come to the surface.
Who could have done this to her sister? Lori suspects everyone as the killer. How well does she really knows those who are left behind…
This was a short well written novel, at only 250 pages, but I felt it dragged on a bit. I found I wasn’t involved in the characters, or didn’t care what happened to them. I was waiting for more WOW in the story…but it never came. I figured out the killer right from the beginning.
Many thanks to Net Galley, Lake Union Publishing, and Ms. Maggie James for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this novel. I look forward to reading her other novels.
August 11, 2023
This book felt very amateurish to me I'm afraid.
The characters didn't feel fully developed, they were emotionless, and I just couldn't connect with any of them.
Every chapter felt like a monologue and expressionless.
I guess to summarize, it felt like a draft. It could be brilliant but it's not unfortunately.
Two stars.
The characters didn't feel fully developed, they were emotionless, and I just couldn't connect with any of them.
Every chapter felt like a monologue and expressionless.
I guess to summarize, it felt like a draft. It could be brilliant but it's not unfortunately.
Two stars.
February 23, 2017
Thank you to Netgalley, Lake union publishing and Maggie James for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance reader copy of this book.
You can find my review on both Goodreads and Amazon. On goodreads.com/karenwhittard and on Amazon under k.e.whittard from publication date.
Oh dear another 2 star review for me. I really hope this reading slump I'm in disappears soon.
Maggie James novels are usually steeped in edge of your seat gripping twisty turny suspense. Usually I love them. Sadly not this one.
I felt that this book was completly unjointed from all her other books. Like it was written by a completly different person. Gone was the high intense suspense
The plot simply had everything imaginable thrown at it. Which was simply not needed and just left to it feeling cluttered like it needed a lot of stripping away to get down to the bare bones on the book.
The amount of time that the book referred to the character by their full name when simply she would have sufficed was a little bit distracting. I can only read a characters name so many times before I hate the sound of it.
The writing was not the highly polished writing that I was used to. At the points where it was meant to be suspenseful it just fell flat.
I found that I knew the plot of the story before it played out. The attempts at trying to lead the reader off the path. Didn't work for me.
The saving grace of this book was that I hadn't discovered why the perpetrator had done what they had done. That was the only reason that kept me reading it.
All in all not the Maggie James that I know and love. Hopefully next book will be better.
As always let me know what you think of he book in the comments.
Happy reading everyone
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance reader copy of this book.
You can find my review on both Goodreads and Amazon. On goodreads.com/karenwhittard and on Amazon under k.e.whittard from publication date.
Oh dear another 2 star review for me. I really hope this reading slump I'm in disappears soon.
Maggie James novels are usually steeped in edge of your seat gripping twisty turny suspense. Usually I love them. Sadly not this one.
I felt that this book was completly unjointed from all her other books. Like it was written by a completly different person. Gone was the high intense suspense
The plot simply had everything imaginable thrown at it. Which was simply not needed and just left to it feeling cluttered like it needed a lot of stripping away to get down to the bare bones on the book.
The amount of time that the book referred to the character by their full name when simply she would have sufficed was a little bit distracting. I can only read a characters name so many times before I hate the sound of it.
The writing was not the highly polished writing that I was used to. At the points where it was meant to be suspenseful it just fell flat.
I found that I knew the plot of the story before it played out. The attempts at trying to lead the reader off the path. Didn't work for me.
The saving grace of this book was that I hadn't discovered why the perpetrator had done what they had done. That was the only reason that kept me reading it.
All in all not the Maggie James that I know and love. Hopefully next book will be better.
As always let me know what you think of he book in the comments.
Happy reading everyone
March 4, 2017
I have read and enjoyed previous books by Maggie James so I was very disappointed when I discovered I just couldn't get into this one.
The book really irritated me with it's constant use of the term 'sweetheart' something I note other reviewers also noticed. Sound like a feeble criticism but when you read apparently every character in the book repeats this term it just grates. Also the book is over complicated with every character having secret lives and issues, enough problems and revelations to fill a complete series of books and not a 250 page novel.
To be honest the book did hold enough interest for me to want to know more but if I had of been told this was a debut novel I would have perhaps had a little more sympathy. I am hoping that this was a one off sub standard novel by what I am sure is a very good author going on previous books I have read.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing with supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
The book really irritated me with it's constant use of the term 'sweetheart' something I note other reviewers also noticed. Sound like a feeble criticism but when you read apparently every character in the book repeats this term it just grates. Also the book is over complicated with every character having secret lives and issues, enough problems and revelations to fill a complete series of books and not a 250 page novel.
To be honest the book did hold enough interest for me to want to know more but if I had of been told this was a debut novel I would have perhaps had a little more sympathy. I am hoping that this was a one off sub standard novel by what I am sure is a very good author going on previous books I have read.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing with supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
March 25, 2017
All of my reviews can be found on www.novelgossip.com
Right from the beginning of this book there is a murder, Lori’s younger sister, Jessie is raped and killed and she’s understandably devastated. I really felt for Lori, she’s had a rough few years, her parents divorced, her mom Dana has failing kidneys and she’s young, only in her early twenties. Pretty heavy stuff for such a young woman. She’s mature and responsible and really looks after and cares for her mom. Dana has a new man in her life, Jake and him and his son, Spencer have moved in with them. But when Spencer is missing in action the night Jessie is killed, with no solid alibi, this fragile, makeshift family starts to crack.
There was a heavy sense of malice running throughout this book, even though the worst has already happened, you just know things are about to get even more sinister. It seems everyone around Lori is hiding things and she gets blindsided again, and again as long buried family secrets are revealed. There were plenty of shady characters present making it impossible to decide who the menacing person wreaking havoc on the Golden’s lives was. James toyed with me several times as she planted red herrings and misdirections galore leaving me eager to see how things would all fit together. While I did eventually work out the who, I was fascinated by the why, the motivation behind the murder was complex and highly disturbing. This was a fairly short read and one I finished in one sitting as I was desperate to see if the Golden family, especially Lori, would get a happy ending.
Right from the beginning of this book there is a murder, Lori’s younger sister, Jessie is raped and killed and she’s understandably devastated. I really felt for Lori, she’s had a rough few years, her parents divorced, her mom Dana has failing kidneys and she’s young, only in her early twenties. Pretty heavy stuff for such a young woman. She’s mature and responsible and really looks after and cares for her mom. Dana has a new man in her life, Jake and him and his son, Spencer have moved in with them. But when Spencer is missing in action the night Jessie is killed, with no solid alibi, this fragile, makeshift family starts to crack.
There was a heavy sense of malice running throughout this book, even though the worst has already happened, you just know things are about to get even more sinister. It seems everyone around Lori is hiding things and she gets blindsided again, and again as long buried family secrets are revealed. There were plenty of shady characters present making it impossible to decide who the menacing person wreaking havoc on the Golden’s lives was. James toyed with me several times as she planted red herrings and misdirections galore leaving me eager to see how things would all fit together. While I did eventually work out the who, I was fascinated by the why, the motivation behind the murder was complex and highly disturbing. This was a fairly short read and one I finished in one sitting as I was desperate to see if the Golden family, especially Lori, would get a happy ending.
February 24, 2017
Oh dear. this one didnt do it for me at all unfortunately. All the more disappointing as I loved Maggie James previous novel His Kidnappers Shoes and rated it 5 stars.
The story revolves around The Golden family and the murder of the youngest daughter, 16 year old Jessie.
The main character in this piece is Lori, Jessies older sister and the book concentrates heavily on how she tries to come to terms with the murder and her loss, and how she deals with her family and friends.
She is suspicious of everyone and has reason to believe than more than one of them could be the killer.
At a little over 250 pages, the book is a relatively short one but to be honest it was a chore to read and felt much much longer.
The red herrings were very obvious and the killer was as clear as day to me from very early on in the book.
None of the characters were that interesting and even Lori, who the book sort of revolves around, held little interest to me.
It takes an age to resolve itself as it plodded along and to be honest it was a real chore to finish and I couldnt wait to get to the end of it, just to be done with it.
Not one for me at all Im afraid. It wasnt unreadable but it was pretty close. I take no pleasure in writing this negative review as already said, i really loved Maggie James previous work. Its hard to think that both books were penned by the same author.
I would like to thank Netgalley, Lake Union Publishing and Maggie James for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The story revolves around The Golden family and the murder of the youngest daughter, 16 year old Jessie.
The main character in this piece is Lori, Jessies older sister and the book concentrates heavily on how she tries to come to terms with the murder and her loss, and how she deals with her family and friends.
She is suspicious of everyone and has reason to believe than more than one of them could be the killer.
At a little over 250 pages, the book is a relatively short one but to be honest it was a chore to read and felt much much longer.
The red herrings were very obvious and the killer was as clear as day to me from very early on in the book.
None of the characters were that interesting and even Lori, who the book sort of revolves around, held little interest to me.
It takes an age to resolve itself as it plodded along and to be honest it was a real chore to finish and I couldnt wait to get to the end of it, just to be done with it.
Not one for me at all Im afraid. It wasnt unreadable but it was pretty close. I take no pleasure in writing this negative review as already said, i really loved Maggie James previous work. Its hard to think that both books were penned by the same author.
I would like to thank Netgalley, Lake Union Publishing and Maggie James for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 23, 2017
3.5 Stars
Lori and Jessie are sisters. They have their problems from time to time .. they are siblings, after all. But one night, Jessie doesn't come home. She has been assaulted and strangled and left in a burning house.
Lori's mom literally falls apart. Jessie was the baby, the preferred child of both her mother and father, who are divorced.
Lori is struggling with the loss of her sister. Thank goodness for her boyfriend, who is always there for her. Listening to police, she decides that someone in her family or around her family is responsible. And she has plenty of suspects.
There is her step-father who always looked at Jessie a little too closely. Then there is his son, who has had a drug and alcohol problem in the past. Adrian is a friend of Lori's but he seems to be over the top in his condolences to her. Adrian is a fireman, His roommate is just plain strange.
This wasn't all that suspenseful to me ... I knew who the responsible party was almost immediately. Seems like everyone in the family had a 'huge' secret of one kind or another. They were revealed one by one.
And as those secrets come to light, Lori has to wonder ... how well does she know anyone?
Many thanks to the author / Lake Union Publishing / Netgalley for the digital copy of this book. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Lori and Jessie are sisters. They have their problems from time to time .. they are siblings, after all. But one night, Jessie doesn't come home. She has been assaulted and strangled and left in a burning house.
Lori's mom literally falls apart. Jessie was the baby, the preferred child of both her mother and father, who are divorced.
Lori is struggling with the loss of her sister. Thank goodness for her boyfriend, who is always there for her. Listening to police, she decides that someone in her family or around her family is responsible. And she has plenty of suspects.
There is her step-father who always looked at Jessie a little too closely. Then there is his son, who has had a drug and alcohol problem in the past. Adrian is a friend of Lori's but he seems to be over the top in his condolences to her. Adrian is a fireman, His roommate is just plain strange.
This wasn't all that suspenseful to me ... I knew who the responsible party was almost immediately. Seems like everyone in the family had a 'huge' secret of one kind or another. They were revealed one by one.
And as those secrets come to light, Lori has to wonder ... how well does she know anyone?
Many thanks to the author / Lake Union Publishing / Netgalley for the digital copy of this book. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
April 17, 2017
After She’s Gone is the third book I’ve read by Maggie James so going into this I had an idea of her writing style. I made a point of not reading the blurb again to refresh my memory before I began reading. I often find this helps as I have no prior expectations when picking up a book to read.
This book is a psychological thriller of sorts. There is also a crime element, as well as a touch of domestic noir. Not necessarily a mish-mash as they all probably fall under a similar umbrella when it comes to describing the genre, but enough of a mix to keep the reader guessing…
And there’s the rub. I guessed, correctly, very early on. For no other reason except that I read so many of these books that usually I can figure it out fairly quickly. This didn’t bother me while I was reading though. There are plenty of things going on in After She’s Gone to keep the reader turning the pages.
As per usual, no plot dissection here. After She’s Gone is an interesting tale of family secrets and the damage that they can do. I think if you’re new to the genre, and want to get a feel for a psych thriller, then this is a good introduction.
This book is a psychological thriller of sorts. There is also a crime element, as well as a touch of domestic noir. Not necessarily a mish-mash as they all probably fall under a similar umbrella when it comes to describing the genre, but enough of a mix to keep the reader guessing…
And there’s the rub. I guessed, correctly, very early on. For no other reason except that I read so many of these books that usually I can figure it out fairly quickly. This didn’t bother me while I was reading though. There are plenty of things going on in After She’s Gone to keep the reader turning the pages.
As per usual, no plot dissection here. After She’s Gone is an interesting tale of family secrets and the damage that they can do. I think if you’re new to the genre, and want to get a feel for a psych thriller, then this is a good introduction.
March 24, 2017
I don’t think there could be anything worse than having a much loved member of your family murdered. For Lori and her family though things start to take a very dark and slippery turn that has all their lives in danger.
This is one of those stories where you end up thinking badly of every character as you are constantly second guessing their motives and if they are behind the murder and fires. I do have to admit that I did have a little niggle about a certain character as something didn’t sit right for me with them. The little niggle turned out to be right but the story still holds the odd surprise and I would never have guessed certain parts of it.
I really had a lot of compassion for Lori and her mum. Not only have they lost someone very close, they are having to deal with the fact that there is very little chance that they will ever find a kidney donor for Lori’s mum. They really do have so much to deal with that it didn’t seem fair all the horrible things that were happening to them.
After She’s Gone is very much a story of overcoming a loss and how well you know the people around you. There are quite a few characters that are hiding dark secrets, which as we know always have a way of coming back to bite you and boy do they come back and tear chunks out of some them. This is one very dark story which is full of suspense.
My thanks to the author for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
This is one of those stories where you end up thinking badly of every character as you are constantly second guessing their motives and if they are behind the murder and fires. I do have to admit that I did have a little niggle about a certain character as something didn’t sit right for me with them. The little niggle turned out to be right but the story still holds the odd surprise and I would never have guessed certain parts of it.
I really had a lot of compassion for Lori and her mum. Not only have they lost someone very close, they are having to deal with the fact that there is very little chance that they will ever find a kidney donor for Lori’s mum. They really do have so much to deal with that it didn’t seem fair all the horrible things that were happening to them.
After She’s Gone is very much a story of overcoming a loss and how well you know the people around you. There are quite a few characters that are hiding dark secrets, which as we know always have a way of coming back to bite you and boy do they come back and tear chunks out of some them. This is one very dark story which is full of suspense.
My thanks to the author for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
May 22, 2017
This is an emotionally overflowing novel from the start. Written from the perspective of Lori, sister to Jessie, daughter of Dana Golden, we learn of their slightly disfunctional family set up. Dana split from her husband some years ago and has now moved Jake Hamilton and his son Spencer in to their home. The story begins with sweet sixteen year old Jessie not coming home. She's never done this before and her mother, Dana, is seriously worried something bad has happened to her. Lori is also worried but tries to keep a calming atmosphere around her mother.
Meanwhile, step-brother Spencer wakes on the floor of an unknown room feeling very groggy and unable to remember anything of the previous night. There has been a spate of fires in properties around the city and as Spencer is gradually coming round, he smells smoke and realises he needs to get out now. As he is leaving, from the corner of his eye he glimpses an arm on the floor near him. Upon closer inspection he realises it is the dead body of his step-sister Jessie.
Spencer knows this looks bad for him. He can't remember any of last night, his step-sister is dead on the floor and he has scratches, like from fingernails, on his back.
Lori is struggling with grief of losing her little sister and trying to hold things together for her mother who is in a fragile state, and she's only holding it together because she has a loving and understanding boyfriend, Ryan. Lori suspects almost each person in turn and by the last few chapters of the book we, the reader, know who the murderer is, but Lori is in much danger.
Maggie James has an easy flowing style of writing. She writes as you would think and speak which gives a feeling of realism to her characters – you could actually know and mix with these people. Her stories are always brimming with tension and there's always something going on keeping the interest level up. After She's Gone is no different and is certainly a compelling and action packed read.
Meanwhile, step-brother Spencer wakes on the floor of an unknown room feeling very groggy and unable to remember anything of the previous night. There has been a spate of fires in properties around the city and as Spencer is gradually coming round, he smells smoke and realises he needs to get out now. As he is leaving, from the corner of his eye he glimpses an arm on the floor near him. Upon closer inspection he realises it is the dead body of his step-sister Jessie.
Spencer knows this looks bad for him. He can't remember any of last night, his step-sister is dead on the floor and he has scratches, like from fingernails, on his back.
Lori is struggling with grief of losing her little sister and trying to hold things together for her mother who is in a fragile state, and she's only holding it together because she has a loving and understanding boyfriend, Ryan. Lori suspects almost each person in turn and by the last few chapters of the book we, the reader, know who the murderer is, but Lori is in much danger.
Maggie James has an easy flowing style of writing. She writes as you would think and speak which gives a feeling of realism to her characters – you could actually know and mix with these people. Her stories are always brimming with tension and there's always something going on keeping the interest level up. After She's Gone is no different and is certainly a compelling and action packed read.
March 24, 2017
There is a LOT going on in this one. Everyone is a suspect, everything is a possibility. I didn't enjoy it quite as much as Blackwater Lake by Maggie James, and would give it a 3.5. There's a lot jammed into this relatively quick read, almost too much. I found the story to be interesting, but didn't connect much with the main character, who struck me as pretty selfish.
Sisters Lori and Jessie have always been close. Adult Lori still lives with her and their mother, along with her mother's boyfriend and his son. They all seem to get along relatively well, and band together to support mom, who is waiting for a kidney transplant. ...Until Jessie doesn't come home one night. She's found murdered not long after, and Lori is forced to reevaluate her relationships with almost everyone. Who would want to murder bright, bubbly, fun Jessie? This is a family with a lot of secrets, and they all start to bubble to the surface in the wake of tragedy.
I received an ARC of this book from Net Gallery and Lake Union Publishing, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.
Sisters Lori and Jessie have always been close. Adult Lori still lives with her and their mother, along with her mother's boyfriend and his son. They all seem to get along relatively well, and band together to support mom, who is waiting for a kidney transplant. ...Until Jessie doesn't come home one night. She's found murdered not long after, and Lori is forced to reevaluate her relationships with almost everyone. Who would want to murder bright, bubbly, fun Jessie? This is a family with a lot of secrets, and they all start to bubble to the surface in the wake of tragedy.
I received an ARC of this book from Net Gallery and Lake Union Publishing, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.
July 23, 2023
"He's aware people like him are labelled pyromaniacs, a term he rejects. Nothing maniacal about him, although should any psychiatrist probe into his past, they'd find plenty worthy of comment. Impossible for them to understand, of course. His fires are his own version of therapy; he'll take them over a shrink any day."
This was a nice quick thriller, with a few twists. However, I had figured out the two big ones pretty early on. I found some of the story a little predictable but overall it was a decent story.
This was a nice quick thriller, with a few twists. However, I had figured out the two big ones pretty early on. I found some of the story a little predictable but overall it was a decent story.
March 17, 2017
I have read some but not all of Maggie James books before with varying degrees of enjoyment on my part so I’m always keen to see where she goes next. And I actually liked this one better than the last one I read even though I did find it very difficult reading at times due to the subject matter.
One of my first thoughts whilst reading this was how could this one family cope with so much trauma? And the answer is simple….they don’t. Lori has gone through the divorce of her parents, her mother’s illness and now she has to face her sisters murder and the fallout that affects both her mother and much further afield as well. Lori has a good support network with her boyfriend and her friends but she realises she can’t trust anyone as it appears that this vendetta against her family is personal. Like Lori, I suspected everyone so I wasn’t particularly shocked by the tangled web of deceit behind the murder and the fires. There were however a few little unexpected moments in the last few pages, one of which I wasn’t keen on as I felt it tied up the ends a little bit too neatly for me.
This a gripping psychological thriller that I read in one sitting and was glad I had read it that way as there were lots of different characters and threads that I think I may have struggled with otherwise. But I d found myself totally engrossed in the Golden family and their grief following the murder of Jessie. This may prove to be something of a Marmite books with fans of Maggie James but it would be very boring if we all had the same favourite book wouldn’t it? For me personally this is one of her better books so read it and make your own mind up!
Thanks to make Union Publishing for my review copy of After She’s Gone which I have chosen to read and review.
One of my first thoughts whilst reading this was how could this one family cope with so much trauma? And the answer is simple….they don’t. Lori has gone through the divorce of her parents, her mother’s illness and now she has to face her sisters murder and the fallout that affects both her mother and much further afield as well. Lori has a good support network with her boyfriend and her friends but she realises she can’t trust anyone as it appears that this vendetta against her family is personal. Like Lori, I suspected everyone so I wasn’t particularly shocked by the tangled web of deceit behind the murder and the fires. There were however a few little unexpected moments in the last few pages, one of which I wasn’t keen on as I felt it tied up the ends a little bit too neatly for me.
This a gripping psychological thriller that I read in one sitting and was glad I had read it that way as there were lots of different characters and threads that I think I may have struggled with otherwise. But I d found myself totally engrossed in the Golden family and their grief following the murder of Jessie. This may prove to be something of a Marmite books with fans of Maggie James but it would be very boring if we all had the same favourite book wouldn’t it? For me personally this is one of her better books so read it and make your own mind up!
Thanks to make Union Publishing for my review copy of After She’s Gone which I have chosen to read and review.
March 3, 2017
Having read and enjoyed Blackwater Lake by Maggie James a few months ago, I was really looking forward to reading her new book 'After She's Gone'. But unfortunately even though with a great premise, this book fell miserably short of my expectations.
Jessie, a teenage girl, fails to return home one night. Her mother Dana and sister Lori are desperate to know her whereabouts. Living at home with the family are Dana's partner Jake and his son Spencer.
Spencer wakes up dazed and confused in a basement. He's horrified to find that he's in one of Dana's empty rental properties and lying near him on the floor is Jessie... dead. He also smells smoke and realises that the place is on fire. Terrified he makes a swift exit. Someone has murdered the girl. But who? And why? Did he do this under the effects of drugs? Or someone else? All he knows is that he was enjoying himself in a bar and then nothing. How did he end up there?
When Jessie's body is discovered by fire rescue, Dana and Lori are devastated and their lives are thrown into a horrible nightmare. The police start their investigation, and Lori begins to go through her list of suspects too. Who could have done this to sweet Jessie? At the same time we also have a pyromaniac on the loose in town, setting abandoned warehouses on fire everywhere. Who is this madman? Was it this person who killed Jessie and set the house on fire?
The book's blurb was enticing enough to make me want to read it. It started off very well and I really enjoyed the first part and found it very intriguing. I wanted to keep on reading to find out who of the many possible suspects would be the killer.
Now, I have great respect for this author. I know she's written a number of brilliant thrillers. However, I don't know what happened with this one. I'm not sure, maybe it's just me not connecting with the story. As the plot thickened, the characters began to literally wear me out. At times it felt as if they were just going round and round in circles. I came across the following routine numerous times: Dana goes upstairs to cry in her room, Lori leaves her claustrophobic house, goes to Aiden's house, fuels her suspicions on his housemate Damon, then on to her boyfriend Ryan for some kissing and cuddling. Afterwards back home for some hugging (and we have A LOT of hugging!). I wondered how Oreo the cat didn't end up bald by the end of the book with the number of times Lori strokes its head (lucky bugger!). By the end, I'm sorry to say that I did not care for any of them, not even Lori or Dana with all the bad things happening to them. Spencer was the most interesting character, but sadly he disappears from the scene early on.
Apart from being a bit repetitive, I thought the plot was predictable too. I had an obvious suspect in mind from the beginning and I kept hoping the author would blow me away with some unexpected twist to prove me wrong, however there was no such twist and by the end I was proved right. I just hate it when that happens!
The book lacks any heart-pounding, edge-of-your-seat suspense and I thought there was too much going on at the same time. I think Jessie's murder should have been kept at the centre of the story, but at times it seemed to be just a side story with more emphasis put on the numerous fires being set out throughout the city, Dana's condition and to other secondary things. I persevered and read the whole book, but the ending too was not convincing enough and raised questions in my head.
The whole idea behind the book was very interesting and intriguing, but I think the way it was delivered was not right. With a lot of things going on (some of which unnecessary to the plot), a complete deviation from the murder, repetitions and long chapters, this book was just not for me. Sorry!
This was my honest opinion. With thanks to Lake Union Publishing for an ARC of this book which I voluntarily accepted to read and review.
Jessie, a teenage girl, fails to return home one night. Her mother Dana and sister Lori are desperate to know her whereabouts. Living at home with the family are Dana's partner Jake and his son Spencer.
Spencer wakes up dazed and confused in a basement. He's horrified to find that he's in one of Dana's empty rental properties and lying near him on the floor is Jessie... dead. He also smells smoke and realises that the place is on fire. Terrified he makes a swift exit. Someone has murdered the girl. But who? And why? Did he do this under the effects of drugs? Or someone else? All he knows is that he was enjoying himself in a bar and then nothing. How did he end up there?
When Jessie's body is discovered by fire rescue, Dana and Lori are devastated and their lives are thrown into a horrible nightmare. The police start their investigation, and Lori begins to go through her list of suspects too. Who could have done this to sweet Jessie? At the same time we also have a pyromaniac on the loose in town, setting abandoned warehouses on fire everywhere. Who is this madman? Was it this person who killed Jessie and set the house on fire?
The book's blurb was enticing enough to make me want to read it. It started off very well and I really enjoyed the first part and found it very intriguing. I wanted to keep on reading to find out who of the many possible suspects would be the killer.
Now, I have great respect for this author. I know she's written a number of brilliant thrillers. However, I don't know what happened with this one. I'm not sure, maybe it's just me not connecting with the story. As the plot thickened, the characters began to literally wear me out. At times it felt as if they were just going round and round in circles. I came across the following routine numerous times: Dana goes upstairs to cry in her room, Lori leaves her claustrophobic house, goes to Aiden's house, fuels her suspicions on his housemate Damon, then on to her boyfriend Ryan for some kissing and cuddling. Afterwards back home for some hugging (and we have A LOT of hugging!). I wondered how Oreo the cat didn't end up bald by the end of the book with the number of times Lori strokes its head (lucky bugger!). By the end, I'm sorry to say that I did not care for any of them, not even Lori or Dana with all the bad things happening to them. Spencer was the most interesting character, but sadly he disappears from the scene early on.
Apart from being a bit repetitive, I thought the plot was predictable too. I had an obvious suspect in mind from the beginning and I kept hoping the author would blow me away with some unexpected twist to prove me wrong, however there was no such twist and by the end I was proved right. I just hate it when that happens!
The book lacks any heart-pounding, edge-of-your-seat suspense and I thought there was too much going on at the same time. I think Jessie's murder should have been kept at the centre of the story, but at times it seemed to be just a side story with more emphasis put on the numerous fires being set out throughout the city, Dana's condition and to other secondary things. I persevered and read the whole book, but the ending too was not convincing enough and raised questions in my head.
The whole idea behind the book was very interesting and intriguing, but I think the way it was delivered was not right. With a lot of things going on (some of which unnecessary to the plot), a complete deviation from the murder, repetitions and long chapters, this book was just not for me. Sorry!
This was my honest opinion. With thanks to Lake Union Publishing for an ARC of this book which I voluntarily accepted to read and review.
May 2, 2017
So I guess the most important question is, did I enjoy my first experience of a Maggie James novel? I most certainly did. I found Maggie’s writing style very easy to read which meant that I breezed through After She’s Gone in two short days (that’s quick for me). I found her characters interesting, particularly Lori Golden who I instantly warmed to. Saying that, at times I did find Lori a little too naive which was frustrating, but then I’m a die-hard crime fan and tend to read the very worst of people which makes me overly suspicious of everyone! I went through different emotions when it came to Dana Golden, Lori’s mother. At times I really liked her, felt for her with her ongoing treatment for kidney failure. At other times I’m afraid I despised the woman.
I found the sections about becoming a living donor very interesting and found this particular sub-plot really held my attention. So much so that I was able to have a conversation with a lady at my son’s preschool who is considering becoming a living donor for her sister. The investigation into Jessie’s death was also very compelling reading, but I’m afraid I worked out who the killer was quite early on. This tends to happen to me sometimes but it rarely spoils the story. It just proves what an ace detective I’m becoming after all this time (ha!). It certainly didn’t spoil the story for me on this occasion. The author does a stellar job of trying to wrong foot you and made me question my decision at several turns along the way.
Would I recommend this book? I would. I found After She’s Gone a compelling read and I wouldn’t hesitate to read another book by Maggie James. In fact, I have added Blackwater Lake to my #terrifyingTBR and I’m looking forward to it. Interesting plot, strong characters and tons of suspense.
Three and a half out of five stars.
I chose to read and review an eARC of After She’s Gone. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.
I found the sections about becoming a living donor very interesting and found this particular sub-plot really held my attention. So much so that I was able to have a conversation with a lady at my son’s preschool who is considering becoming a living donor for her sister. The investigation into Jessie’s death was also very compelling reading, but I’m afraid I worked out who the killer was quite early on. This tends to happen to me sometimes but it rarely spoils the story. It just proves what an ace detective I’m becoming after all this time (ha!). It certainly didn’t spoil the story for me on this occasion. The author does a stellar job of trying to wrong foot you and made me question my decision at several turns along the way.
Would I recommend this book? I would. I found After She’s Gone a compelling read and I wouldn’t hesitate to read another book by Maggie James. In fact, I have added Blackwater Lake to my #terrifyingTBR and I’m looking forward to it. Interesting plot, strong characters and tons of suspense.
Three and a half out of five stars.
I chose to read and review an eARC of After She’s Gone. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.
July 5, 2019
Rating: 3.5/5.0
16-year-old Jessie gets raped and killed. This crime devastates her family. Her mother Dana who is suffering from a kidney disease suspects her husband's son Spencer to be the killer. While the deceased's elder sister Lori suspects several people to have committed the crime including her stepdad!
There is lots of mistrust going in this family because each family member keeps thinking that another member of the family is the criminal. Although the characters are strong here, unfortunately, it is easy to say early in the book who is the actual killer because the writer somehow puts almost every possible suspect under focus with many questioning except the killer!. It does not need you to be clever to find out who he is. That is a negative thing about this book. However, I feel the writing style made this one an enjoyable reading. The pace was very steady and the author kept adding more elements to the story with every further chapter which compensated it for that disadvantage I have mentioned earlier.
There are few surprise elements here and there that you might like or even dislike (some stuff are cringy) but that will differ from a reader to another.
I would give this book a good rating of 3.5 out of 5.0. I have received this book in a Goodreads giveaway and this is my honest non-biased review after reading it.
16-year-old Jessie gets raped and killed. This crime devastates her family. Her mother Dana who is suffering from a kidney disease suspects her husband's son Spencer to be the killer. While the deceased's elder sister Lori suspects several people to have committed the crime including her stepdad!
There is lots of mistrust going in this family because each family member keeps thinking that another member of the family is the criminal. Although the characters are strong here, unfortunately, it is easy to say early in the book who is the actual killer because the writer somehow puts almost every possible suspect under focus with many questioning except the killer!. It does not need you to be clever to find out who he is. That is a negative thing about this book. However, I feel the writing style made this one an enjoyable reading. The pace was very steady and the author kept adding more elements to the story with every further chapter which compensated it for that disadvantage I have mentioned earlier.
There are few surprise elements here and there that you might like or even dislike (some stuff are cringy) but that will differ from a reader to another.
I would give this book a good rating of 3.5 out of 5.0. I have received this book in a Goodreads giveaway and this is my honest non-biased review after reading it.
June 12, 2017
This was my first introduction to Maggie James. I enjoyed the book. It was a decent. However, it was not a page turner nor was it all that suspenseful.
Lori Golden’s family have had more than their fair share of troubles. But through it all, Lori and her sister, Jessie, have always supported each other. Then Jessie is killed. And Lori’s world turns upside down.
Devastated, Lori struggles to cope with her loss, and to learn to live in a world without her bright, bubbly sister by her side. Around her, her already fractured family start to fall apart. And, as Lori and her mother try to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives, secrets long thought buried are coming painfully to light.
Faced with the unthinkable, Lori is forced to ask herself how well she really knows those who are left behind. There were many secrets that were uncovered in this book. It was interesting and I wanted to keep reading. However, I took my time reading and that is a sign that it was not as pressing to get to the end. I do plan to read another book from Maggie James in the near future.
Thank you to Maggie James, Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for the digital copy of this book.
Lori Golden’s family have had more than their fair share of troubles. But through it all, Lori and her sister, Jessie, have always supported each other. Then Jessie is killed. And Lori’s world turns upside down.
Devastated, Lori struggles to cope with her loss, and to learn to live in a world without her bright, bubbly sister by her side. Around her, her already fractured family start to fall apart. And, as Lori and her mother try to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives, secrets long thought buried are coming painfully to light.
Faced with the unthinkable, Lori is forced to ask herself how well she really knows those who are left behind. There were many secrets that were uncovered in this book. It was interesting and I wanted to keep reading. However, I took my time reading and that is a sign that it was not as pressing to get to the end. I do plan to read another book from Maggie James in the near future.
Thank you to Maggie James, Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for the digital copy of this book.
February 19, 2017
Lori's world is turned upside down when her younger sister, Jessie, is killed. The aftermath of Jessie's death impacts on every member of her family as many secrets are revealed.
This is a story of a whole family and it's disintegration due to lies and hidden pasts. The family's mental states and how they deal with what happens is examined in detail, which at times almost feels intrusive, as if you're with them watching everything unfold. This is a strength of Maggie's writing, she puts you right there, in her stories.
As I was reading I was aware of an undercurrent, something I wasn't being told. This added more tension to the book, and then when all was revealed it was done in a really satisfying way.
If you're a fan of psychological suspense and getting inside characters heads, then I recommend this book.
This is a story of a whole family and it's disintegration due to lies and hidden pasts. The family's mental states and how they deal with what happens is examined in detail, which at times almost feels intrusive, as if you're with them watching everything unfold. This is a strength of Maggie's writing, she puts you right there, in her stories.
As I was reading I was aware of an undercurrent, something I wasn't being told. This added more tension to the book, and then when all was revealed it was done in a really satisfying way.
If you're a fan of psychological suspense and getting inside characters heads, then I recommend this book.
March 16, 2017
Read 26/02/2017 to 01/03/2017 Rating 5 stars
I absolutely love Maggie's books and every time I read one I wonder how she is going to write something I love more yet she always manages it. So when I started reading this book I really thought this might be one that didn’t quite hit the mark the synopsis makes it sound like another 'family member dies family struggles' book so if you are thinking the same and reading this STOP this book is soooo much more. There is so much going on and Maggie has expertly written this in a way that ensures the reader has no problem keeping up. There is no going backwards and forwards through time either which makes for an easy read that enables the reader to really get into the story.
The book is a combination of Thriller, romance, family drama, medical and psychological thriller. The story begins with Jessie being murdered at only 15 years of age. She was a much loved bubbly outgoing girl and left behind a gap so big it causes everything to fracture. As Lori struggles to cope with the loss of her little sister others rely on her and things start happening over which she has no control. Very intriguing with suspense all the way through this is a very unique story and one that will keep you turning pages well into the night.
Lori's character is sheer brilliance. Maggie develops this slowly and gradually into a likeable young woman who has always lived in her sister's shadow feeling inadequate and second best to the sister she loved with all her heart. Her mother Dana is another character skillfully built a woman who has made mistakes and blames these for the bad cards fate has dealt her.
The book covers so many issues I wouldn’t have thought it possible to get them all in one book successfully but Maggie has done it with mind blowing results. There are relationships, illness, tragedy, violence, romance and of course many thrills. An excellent book I LOVE LOVE LOVE it.
A big thank you to Netgalley who provided me with a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I absolutely love Maggie's books and every time I read one I wonder how she is going to write something I love more yet she always manages it. So when I started reading this book I really thought this might be one that didn’t quite hit the mark the synopsis makes it sound like another 'family member dies family struggles' book so if you are thinking the same and reading this STOP this book is soooo much more. There is so much going on and Maggie has expertly written this in a way that ensures the reader has no problem keeping up. There is no going backwards and forwards through time either which makes for an easy read that enables the reader to really get into the story.
The book is a combination of Thriller, romance, family drama, medical and psychological thriller. The story begins with Jessie being murdered at only 15 years of age. She was a much loved bubbly outgoing girl and left behind a gap so big it causes everything to fracture. As Lori struggles to cope with the loss of her little sister others rely on her and things start happening over which she has no control. Very intriguing with suspense all the way through this is a very unique story and one that will keep you turning pages well into the night.
Lori's character is sheer brilliance. Maggie develops this slowly and gradually into a likeable young woman who has always lived in her sister's shadow feeling inadequate and second best to the sister she loved with all her heart. Her mother Dana is another character skillfully built a woman who has made mistakes and blames these for the bad cards fate has dealt her.
The book covers so many issues I wouldn’t have thought it possible to get them all in one book successfully but Maggie has done it with mind blowing results. There are relationships, illness, tragedy, violence, romance and of course many thrills. An excellent book I LOVE LOVE LOVE it.
A big thank you to Netgalley who provided me with a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
May 22, 2017
Not wasting my time.
March 17, 2017
Well there is a pyromaniac in town and he is keeping the fire brigade rather busy. So far no one has been injured, but it could be just a matter of time until that changes, could it be the next step in his deranged mind? Research seems to think so. In another part of town 16 year old Jessie Golden hasn't returned home and she isn't picking up calls from family. they know that something is dreadfully wrong, in fact something is dead wrong.
Maggie James book opens up with a couple 0f, what the hell just happened, chapters that result in cracking open a family that was already, to put it bluntly, fragile. A mixed merge of two families brought together by Dana, mum of Lori and Jessie and Jake, dad of Spencer. Tensions had already been high, with Dana showing her distain for Spencer from the start. For some reason Lori and Spencer hit it off, even if he was a bit of a goofy ball, that admitted to taking drugs in the past but was clean now. Jessie not so much with him though, but they were never going to find out if things could get better.
There are layers and layers of little white lies to giant porkers but mainly hidden truths, it is a matter of deduction and elimination and you may still get it all wrong. I really got into it all and enjoyed the whole experience of this book. Some of it was like watching a film I have seen before but forgotten, as just before something was revealed I sort of got it. I liked that the story was centred around the family with the police investigation way in the background but I would have liked to see a bit more of Spencer, he was quite a character. Over all I really enjoyed this book.
Maggie James book opens up with a couple 0f, what the hell just happened, chapters that result in cracking open a family that was already, to put it bluntly, fragile. A mixed merge of two families brought together by Dana, mum of Lori and Jessie and Jake, dad of Spencer. Tensions had already been high, with Dana showing her distain for Spencer from the start. For some reason Lori and Spencer hit it off, even if he was a bit of a goofy ball, that admitted to taking drugs in the past but was clean now. Jessie not so much with him though, but they were never going to find out if things could get better.
There are layers and layers of little white lies to giant porkers but mainly hidden truths, it is a matter of deduction and elimination and you may still get it all wrong. I really got into it all and enjoyed the whole experience of this book. Some of it was like watching a film I have seen before but forgotten, as just before something was revealed I sort of got it. I liked that the story was centred around the family with the police investigation way in the background but I would have liked to see a bit more of Spencer, he was quite a character. Over all I really enjoyed this book.
February 3, 2017
Lori Golden’s sister Jessie is killed at sixteen years of age. It pulls the family apart. Their mother, already suffering from kidney disease, falls to bits and her new partner’s son is arrested on suspicion of murder. Lori has always felt that Jessie was her own dad’s favourite and he, too, is shattered at the news. Lori’s suspicions range widely. So many of the people in her little circle seem to be hiding something or behaving suspiciously. She doesn’t believe the police have the right person.
Maggie James always writes fluently and eloquently and After She’s Gone is no exception. The story flows so well and the reader, through Lori’s thoughts, chases one theory after another as to why her sister was killed. You may guess who did it but the reason is a complete surprise. I found it a compelling story and read it very quickly. I could wait to find out!
Maggie James always writes fluently and eloquently and After She’s Gone is no exception. The story flows so well and the reader, through Lori’s thoughts, chases one theory after another as to why her sister was killed. You may guess who did it but the reason is a complete surprise. I found it a compelling story and read it very quickly. I could wait to find out!
August 24, 2017
Many thanks to NetGalley and publisher for advancing me a copy of “After She's Gone” by Maggie James in exchange for an honest review.
What a shit "detective" Lori turned out to be. I'm surprised she didn't blame the postman, the taxi driver or the neighbour for her sister's murder since she blamed each person to be the murderer because they were acting "suspicious." Give me a break! Let's see...Could it be Jake, her mother's boyfriend? Jake's son Sebastian? Her friend Aiden? Aiden's friend Damon? Thing is, it's so obvious who the killer was. There was nothing I liked about this novel, not the story or the characters. Talk about lacklustre. Definitely not a winner with me. Two stars is lucky as I was thinking of just one.
What a shit "detective" Lori turned out to be. I'm surprised she didn't blame the postman, the taxi driver or the neighbour for her sister's murder since she blamed each person to be the murderer because they were acting "suspicious." Give me a break! Let's see...Could it be Jake, her mother's boyfriend? Jake's son Sebastian? Her friend Aiden? Aiden's friend Damon? Thing is, it's so obvious who the killer was. There was nothing I liked about this novel, not the story or the characters. Talk about lacklustre. Definitely not a winner with me. Two stars is lucky as I was thinking of just one.
February 18, 2017
Fire, fire pants on fire. This author goes from strength to strength, when I think she as written her best work, she comes and does it again. Another masterpiece of writing, it will take me some time to recover from this book. I dread the day this author falls below the standards she is setting, hopefully many years away.
March 9, 2019
4.5 stars. So many twists, some I saw coming some I didn't, but definitely kept me guessing.
December 31, 2020
I'm at a loss for words. This is the third book I've read of Maggie James and it will be my last. I don't understand why anyone would rate this book higher than one star, clearly, they are reading a different book from what I just read.
This book was TORTURE! I struggled to get through it. The writing was awful, each chapter had random, pointless junk in it that didn't provide any support to the plot. Written in the third person, the book jumped around a lot to each person's pov with no break or identification, leaving me having to re-read a page or two back to realize whose POV it was.
I felt that there wasn't any planning that went into this book. The author had all of these ideas that just got thrown into the book, and while I believe it was her way of leading us in different directions from the killer, it didn't help and instead annoyed me. The plot was too predictable and early on I guessed who the killer was.
As for the characters...
- Aiden: Honestly, a super random character to have in the book. I didn't feel like he brought a lot of value to the plot and his story was random and wasn't really needed.
- Lori: HOW OLD WAS SHE!?!?! She acted like a hormonal, emotional, teenager through most of the book. At times I would sympathize with her and then two seconds later I was rolling my eyes at her. Her character was just bland.
- Dana: She was just a shitty mother. I get losing a child can be hard... but her suicide attempt threw me over the edge. I found her to be very selfish throughout most of the book. Clearly, she didn't realize what her actions or thought process were doing to her only living child. ALSO...if you have a brother who is evil, WOULDN'T he be the first person who comes to mind as a suspect? I mean your daughter is killed, your rental properties are being set on fire, and the police point-blank tell you that it's probably someone close to home, and it's like all logic goes out the window.
- Ryan: His character was very predictable. I knew early on what his role would be in the book, the only thing I didn't see coming was the ending and who he turns out to be. I found that part to be absolutely disturbing and just gross.
Overall, I would not recommend this book. While the summary sounds interesting, the book itself wasn't. It is supposed to be a suspense/mystery book, but to me, it was more of a book about people coping with life after a loved one has died. The author would then throw in the properties being set on fire, the hate mail, and randomly pointing fingers at who could be the killer to tie back into the mystery of it. Even the ending felt like the author forgot that the book was supposed to be a mystery novel and decided to throw in the reveal of the killer.
This book was TORTURE! I struggled to get through it. The writing was awful, each chapter had random, pointless junk in it that didn't provide any support to the plot. Written in the third person, the book jumped around a lot to each person's pov with no break or identification, leaving me having to re-read a page or two back to realize whose POV it was.
I felt that there wasn't any planning that went into this book. The author had all of these ideas that just got thrown into the book, and while I believe it was her way of leading us in different directions from the killer, it didn't help and instead annoyed me. The plot was too predictable and early on I guessed who the killer was.
As for the characters...
- Aiden: Honestly, a super random character to have in the book. I didn't feel like he brought a lot of value to the plot and his story was random and wasn't really needed.
- Lori: HOW OLD WAS SHE!?!?! She acted like a hormonal, emotional, teenager through most of the book. At times I would sympathize with her and then two seconds later I was rolling my eyes at her. Her character was just bland.
- Dana: She was just a shitty mother. I get losing a child can be hard... but her suicide attempt threw me over the edge. I found her to be very selfish throughout most of the book. Clearly, she didn't realize what her actions or thought process were doing to her only living child. ALSO...if you have a brother who is evil, WOULDN'T he be the first person who comes to mind as a suspect? I mean your daughter is killed, your rental properties are being set on fire, and the police point-blank tell you that it's probably someone close to home, and it's like all logic goes out the window.
- Ryan: His character was very predictable. I knew early on what his role would be in the book, the only thing I didn't see coming was the ending and who he turns out to be. I found that part to be absolutely disturbing and just gross.
Overall, I would not recommend this book. While the summary sounds interesting, the book itself wasn't. It is supposed to be a suspense/mystery book, but to me, it was more of a book about people coping with life after a loved one has died. The author would then throw in the properties being set on fire, the hate mail, and randomly pointing fingers at who could be the killer to tie back into the mystery of it. Even the ending felt like the author forgot that the book was supposed to be a mystery novel and decided to throw in the reveal of the killer.
April 2, 2017
*Actual rating 3.5 ⭐
The book is set in Bristol with themes of loss, secrets, betrayal, cover-up, suspicion, blame and searching for the truth screaming out at the reader at various times throughout the story.
A complex plot-line draws the reader in from the start – I was totally intrigued as the finger of suspicion was pointed at nearly everyone I came across, at one point, I wondered if I did it! The main POV was Lori Golden and all is definitely not what it seems. Despite guessing the ending fairly early on (of course, I didn’t know my detective skills were on top form until the end!), I really enjoyed the story-line and scribbled lots of notes and questions as I turned the pages! (That would be my Detective skills on high alert!) I didn’t, however, understand why full names of characters (first & last) were used throughout when their part had already been introduced. So when Lori’s mother was introduced to the story, rarely was she called mum or mother. That threw me a little bit, but I soon got over it once the pattern was established.
There were many diverse characters in this story and so much going on with them, I was gasping with the revelations! A few stood out more than others to me, so I will give them a mention. Lori Golden was a brilliant character- despite the fact that she annoyed me alot of the time. She came across as determined and assertive, yet other times she kept her mouth shut when I thought for sure she was going to do something. I found myself making many assumptions and jumping to conclusions the same way Lori did – we were both immersed in the trail of secrets, I wondered where we would end up! Spencer Hamilton was another great chracter. He finds Jessie’s body (Lori’s sister) and does himself no favours. His father Jake, is in a relationship with Dana (Lori’s mum) and there are a lot of unspoken feelings between this trio that make the reader question everything. Aiden and Ryan are two other characters who you will either love or hate. Both wanting to be equally supportive of Lori but each left me wondering what their motives were. That is what I like about this book, it keeps you on your toes!
As I mentioned earlier, all is not what it seems in After She’s Gone. I have read a few of this author’s books and will certainly be reading more! If you like psychological thrillers with a twist, Maggie James is definitely one author to put on your radar.
The book is set in Bristol with themes of loss, secrets, betrayal, cover-up, suspicion, blame and searching for the truth screaming out at the reader at various times throughout the story.
A complex plot-line draws the reader in from the start – I was totally intrigued as the finger of suspicion was pointed at nearly everyone I came across, at one point, I wondered if I did it! The main POV was Lori Golden and all is definitely not what it seems. Despite guessing the ending fairly early on (of course, I didn’t know my detective skills were on top form until the end!), I really enjoyed the story-line and scribbled lots of notes and questions as I turned the pages! (That would be my Detective skills on high alert!) I didn’t, however, understand why full names of characters (first & last) were used throughout when their part had already been introduced. So when Lori’s mother was introduced to the story, rarely was she called mum or mother. That threw me a little bit, but I soon got over it once the pattern was established.
There were many diverse characters in this story and so much going on with them, I was gasping with the revelations! A few stood out more than others to me, so I will give them a mention. Lori Golden was a brilliant character- despite the fact that she annoyed me alot of the time. She came across as determined and assertive, yet other times she kept her mouth shut when I thought for sure she was going to do something. I found myself making many assumptions and jumping to conclusions the same way Lori did – we were both immersed in the trail of secrets, I wondered where we would end up! Spencer Hamilton was another great chracter. He finds Jessie’s body (Lori’s sister) and does himself no favours. His father Jake, is in a relationship with Dana (Lori’s mum) and there are a lot of unspoken feelings between this trio that make the reader question everything. Aiden and Ryan are two other characters who you will either love or hate. Both wanting to be equally supportive of Lori but each left me wondering what their motives were. That is what I like about this book, it keeps you on your toes!
As I mentioned earlier, all is not what it seems in After She’s Gone. I have read a few of this author’s books and will certainly be reading more! If you like psychological thrillers with a twist, Maggie James is definitely one author to put on your radar.
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