After Anna

Riveting and disquieting, After Anna is a groundbreaking domestic thriller, as well as a novel of emotional justice and legal intrigue. New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline keeps readers on their toes until the final shocking page.

Nobody cuts deeper than family...

Dr. Noah Alderman, a widower and single father, has remarried a wonderful woman, Maggie Ippolitti, and for the first time in a long time, he and his young son are happy. Despite her longing for the daughter she hasn’t seen since she was a baby, Maggie is happy too, and she’s even more overjoyed when she unexpectedly gets another chance to be a mother to the child she thought she'd lost forever, her only daughter Anna.

Maggie and Noah know that having Anna around will change their lives, but they would never have guessed that everything would go wrong, and so quickly. Anna turns out to be a gorgeous seventeen-year-old who balks at living under their rules, though Maggie, ecstatic to have her daughter back, ignores the red flags that hint at the trouble brewing in a once-perfect marriage and home.

Events take a heartbreaking turn when Anna is murdered and Noah is accused and tried for the heinous crime. Maggie must face not only the devastation of losing her daughter, but the realization that Anna's murder may have been at the hands of a husband she loves. In the wake of this tragedy, new information drives Maggie to search for the truth, leading her to discover something darker than she could have ever imagined.


Praise for Lisa Scottoline:

"A deliciously distracting thriller...Scottoline illuminat[es] the landing strip of revelations and truths in a deliciously slow and intense way." —The Washington Post on After Anna

"Scottoline keeps the pace relentless as she drops a looming threat into the heart of an idyllic suburban community, causing readers to hold their breath in anticipation." —Booklist on One Perfect Lie

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Published Mar 5, 2019

416 pages

Average rating: 7.22

27 RATINGS

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Mystery Book Club

In this monthly mystery book club, we will read and discuss different types of mysteries, including historical mysteries, cozy mysteries, classic mysteries, supernatural mysteries, and psychological thrillers. We will have both an in-person meeting and a virtual meeting on two different dates. The in-person meeting will be the third Tuesday of each month, and the virtual meeting will be the fourth Tuesday of each month. Both meetings will start at 5:30 pm (Eastern Standard Time in the United States). Note: I will move these dates up one week during the holiday months of November and December.

Community Reviews

Danielsgirl
Jul 28, 2022
8/10 stars
Great storyline, it expressed strong emotion of characters.
Laurie G
Feb 05, 2026
9/10 stars
Finished on Day 7 of South America and Antarctica 3 week Cruise
KelSpinski
Jan 09, 2026
8/10 stars
Interesting story, a bit of plot twist.
Jen Rieth
Dec 11, 2024
8/10 stars
I received this book from netgalley as an ARC. I'm so glad I got to read it! Some other books by this author I had a harder time getting into it. This was a great thriller with twists and suspense! I loved the two perspectives from the different time periods. It worked really well and was very understandable! I really got a feel for the characters and could understand all of their perspectives. I did feel like they overplayed the son having apraxia. They made him appear much younger than 11 years old.
Scmay
Jul 29, 2024
8/10 stars
I was soooo confident that I called the plot twists but this was one of the rare times I was wrong. I couldn't believe the twists in this story. It was a tad convoluted but I still enjoyed following along.

Definitely would recommend this as a thriller!

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