After She's Gone

This book was depressing, and predictable. Dont recommend.

good story received when promised

Having never read a Maggie James novel before I was keen to discover a ‘new to me’ author. When Lori Golden’s sixteen-year-old sister, Jessie, fails to return home one night, Lori’s family are thrust into a rapid descent of grief, mistrust and suspicion as long held secrets are gradually revealed.

The prologue introduces us to a mysterious figure who is setting fire to Bristol’s disused buildings and serves to hook the reader in immediately. From there we are introduced to Lori hours before her world falls apart. I really liked the way James sets the scene in chapter one and the sense of foreboding she instils into the reader. Largely told from the perspective of Lori with brief glimpses into the thoughts and feelings of her mother, step-brother and the arsonist, you are taken along with the tide of emotions and individual worries they all have.

The beauty of After She’s Gone for me was the portrayal of a family unravelling in the wake of a tragedy. James depicts this brilliantly. The Golden/Hamiltons are a blended family and the small cracks that were there from the beginning become ravines in the aftermath. The doubts and misgivings Lori and her mother had about their newest family members become more prominent in their minds and take on more significance and meaning, resulting in the family becoming fractured. As long held secrets are gradually revealed they all begin to look at each other through different eyes.

I thought I had it all figured out in regards to who was responsible for Jessie’s death. In some respects I did, but in other ways I was very wrong…which won’t make sense unless you read it! James cleverly plants red herrings and the plethora of secrets within the family has the reader second guessing themselves. Who, if anyone, can truly be trusted?

After She’s Gone is a great psychological thriller which plays on the fear of not being able to trust those closest to you. I loved the combination of trying to figure out who had done it along with the emotional response I had to a family falling apart. A great read.

A heart-breaking and terrifying story of the Golden family's loss of sixteen year old Jessie, brutally raped and strangled. Her mother, Dana, is naturally devastated, as is her older sister, Lori and their father, Fraser. Dana and Fraser are no longer together. Dana's health isn't great anyway, as she is in need of a kidney transplant and the devastation of losing her youngest daughter is too much for her to bare. Lori tries to stay strong for her mother, but she has her own grief to deal with and needs desperately to find out who did this to her baby sister. She goes through phases of suspecting almost everyone, which I imagine would be quite natural. I think the families reaction to Jessie's murder is quite realistic, although non of us can know how we would react in such horrific circumstances. Lori's relationship with her new boyfriend, Ryan, is very believable as I can imagine needing the comfort of someone you feel safe with. Is Lori putting her trust in the wrong people though?
I can't say much more without giving anything away, but this is a good crime thriller with likeable characters and a storyline that will keep you guessing. I did think I had it sussed at one point and was determined to discover the truth. There are plenty of shocks and surprises along the way! I will certainly be adding Maggie James' other books to my reading list.

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.

I really enjoyed reading this book. There's alot happening and twists too. Lori finds herself having so much troubles she tried to be her own "Nancy Drew" .It definitely was a page turner and you really don't want to put it down so you find out what happens next to which at the end is the unexpected at the same time bittersweet. Maggie James is one of the best authors out there and I continue to look for her next book.