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A review by raxxq
After That Night by Karin Slaughter
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Writing: The writing is tight and well edited. It feels like this should be cost of admission for books published by major publishing houses, but given some of what I've read recently, it's worth the stars. I liked that Slaughter didn't dwell in the dark the way she has done in some of the other books.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters: I love Will and Sara, so this was a fun read for me. I love the shorthand they've created between one another. Given both of their pasts, their intimacy and honestly with one another feels well earned. Amanda continues to be one of my very favorite characters, and I loved her arc in this book.
Plot: It's been probably five years since I read The Silent Wife, and the rest of the Grant County/ Will Trent series books. The urge to go back and re-read was strong, and there's part of me that wonders if this novel is something of a retcon for Sara's character. Obviously the big points stay the same, but it feels like the timeline doesn't quite work anymore (more on this behind the spoiler tag). The third act was a bit predictable, but still highly enjoyable.
Setting: It's Atlanta, it's a real place, and one Slaughter is clearly familiar with.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ending: As I mentioned above, the third act was pretty predictable (details behind the spoiler tag). I'll accept this for a romantic suspense/ romantic thriller, but for a "hard" mystery/thriller I expect a bit more. Though perhaps after 30 years of reading mysteries there's just not much that surprises me any more.
Timeline - Looking back at the publication order of the books, Sara's rape would have taken place before 2001, so we've already got a timeline issue, since After That Night was published in 2023, and by all indications is set contemporaneously (or certainly not in 2017-18) given the use of technology. So, is Sara in her mid-late 30s in 2023, meaning she would have been 12-15 years old in 2001? There are some indications that Slaughter knows she's painted herself into a corner where she references Sara skipping a grade, and finishing undergrad in three years, but there's still no way to make that math math.
Predictability - Obviously Slaughter projected that Jeremy would end up acting as Will's "son" with the chapter transition between 14 and 15, so much of chapter of 15 felt a little like "can we just get there already?!" The mysterious "A" in the company name, as well as the inability to match all of the original group members (some of whom basically never appear on page) also tipped me to the fact that Britt was clearly more involved than she was letting on.
Writing: The writing is tight and well edited. It feels like this should be cost of admission for books published by major publishing houses, but given some of what I've read recently, it's worth the stars. I liked that Slaughter didn't dwell in the dark the way she has done in some of the other books.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters: I love Will and Sara, so this was a fun read for me. I love the shorthand they've created between one another. Given both of their pasts, their intimacy and honestly with one another feels well earned. Amanda continues to be one of my very favorite characters, and I loved her arc in this book.
Plot: It's been probably five years since I read The Silent Wife, and the rest of the Grant County/ Will Trent series books. The urge to go back and re-read was strong, and there's part of me that wonders if this novel is something of a retcon for Sara's character. Obviously the big points stay the same, but it feels like the timeline doesn't quite work anymore (more on this behind the spoiler tag). The third act was a bit predictable, but still highly enjoyable.
Setting: It's Atlanta, it's a real place, and one Slaughter is clearly familiar with.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ending: As I mentioned above, the third act was pretty predictable (details behind the spoiler tag). I'll accept this for a romantic suspense/ romantic thriller, but for a "hard" mystery/thriller I expect a bit more. Though perhaps after 30 years of reading mysteries there's just not much that surprises me any more.
Timeline - Looking back at the publication order of the books, Sara's rape would have taken place before 2001, so we've already got a timeline issue, since After That Night was published in 2023, and by all indications is set contemporaneously (or certainly not in 2017-18) given the use of technology. So, is Sara in her mid-late 30s in 2023, meaning she would have been 12-15 years old in 2001? There are some indications that Slaughter knows she's painted herself into a corner where she references Sara skipping a grade, and finishing undergrad in three years, but there's still no way to make that math math.
Predictability - Obviously Slaughter projected that Jeremy would end up acting as Will's "son" with the chapter transition between 14 and 15, so much of chapter of 15 felt a little like "can we just get there already?!" The mysterious "A" in the company name, as well as the inability to match all of the original group members (some of whom basically never appear on page) also tipped me to the fact that Britt was clearly more involved than she was letting on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Stalking
Moderate: Rape, Suicide, Torture