Cover Image: After She's Gone

After She's Gone

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Member Reviews

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

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So my continued reading of this author another ticked off my list.

A great thriller as always keeps me highly entertained

Thank you Netgalley for a copy for an honest review

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If Nordic Noir had a 'Lite' version, this novel would be it. It has all the familiar tropes of the genre - the jaded cop, the rundown town, the dark and forbidding forest, but the writing has a vaguely YA-ish feel. That's to say it's very readable but maybe not as grim and gritty as other examples of the genre. The multiple strands, clearly defined by unique voices, work well and weave together nicely, giving the narrative extra depth and exploring the various characters very satisfactorily. It also tackles some 'Issues' though I'm not entirely sure if it is successful with that. The murder mystery is intriguing and had me guessing (wrongly) right till the end. I found the twist just a little clumsy, but gratifying.

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After She's Gone, Camilla Grebe's gripping new novel, is a thrilling roller coaster ride that combines mystery, suspense and romance in a haunting story.

The setting is a small backwater town in Sweden and the protagonist is a young boy who holds a dark secret. The reader is taken on a journey through time, with two intertwining story lines, the cold case investigation suddenly becoming eerily current and the disappearance of a police investigator, as both delve deeper into a sinister and forgotten past.

Grebe manages to capture the oppressive atmosphere that shrouds this small Swedish town, filled with dark secrets and looming consequences. With beautifully written characters, unpredictable twists and a palpable atmosphere, the author's attention to detail and mastery of craft create an immersive and sinister atmosphere that keeps you guessing until the very end.

After She's Gone is Scandi-noir at its most powerful. Gripping and full of suspense, Grebe's newest novel is not one to miss. An absolute must read!

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Camilla Grebe does not disappoint! This series is amazing and highly recommended to those that love crime! It is well plotted and deeply disturbing.

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This is the second book in the series and even though I haven't read the first one, this one reads nicely as a standalone. It was full of twists and turns and I enjoyed every minute of it. Recommended.

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Camilla Grebe was really able to pull on my emotions with her book After She's Gone. Not only did I feel my heart racing waiting for the ending, but I was completely surprised at it. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who likes thrill and suspense in their novels.

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This didn't quite hit the mark for me. I didn't really like or connect to any of the characters and the plot pacing felt completely off.

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Unfortunately I was unable to get in to this story and had to put it down, however, I'm sure it is a highly loved book and appreciated by the right readers.

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Yet another book I had such high hopes for and it just didn't live up to my expectations. Maybe I should stop having high hopes.

I found this story very confusing for the most part of the book. The characters were unlikable and I found myself forcing myself through this book just to get to the end as fast as I possibly could so it could be over.

Such a good premise, just not great execution for me I'm afraid.

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Quite hard to follow the story and I found that I wasn't really connecting with the characters. Quite a shame because it looked like an amazing book.

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Camilla Grebe is a brand new author for me and her book was a pleasant surprise for me. Here is my review:

Malin is a young female police officer in a small town of Ormberg in Sweden. A couple of years ago, she and her friends have found a dead body of a little girl in the forest. The little girl was murdered. Now, the case has been reopen and she is working on the case.

Jake is a teenager with a very big secret. He accidentally finds a diary that holds the secrets that could solve the murder case. But if he talks about the diary, he has to reveal his secret. He isn’t ready for that. It might cost him his life in the small town.

Peter is an investigator and he works with Hanna, the psychological profiler. During the investigation, Peter is missing and Hanna is found on the road through the woods with no shoes in the snow and no memory of how she got there. The person who found her, saw a woman with her, but she is nowhere to be found.

Another woman is found dead on the very same place in the woods. Same place where the little dead girl was found. Are the two cases connected?

This is the second book in the series, but the first one I read from this author. It didn’t mind me to read it as a stand-alone. The story was slow at the beginning, but page after page, it kept my attention. Malin, Hanna and Jake are the three main characters. They are telling the story. Each one of them has a personal emotional story, and a personal role in the actual happenings. As the story goes, there are more and more leads and turn-overs. Things turn out to be very different from what they look like. I liked the story, liked the ending (didn’t predict it) and liked the characters. It is a solid police procedural.

My actual rating: 3,5.

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My first impression was that the opening chapters posed some interesting questions, and I hoped that the author would manage to pull all the threads together, which, in conclusion, I think she did, with some great twists along the way..
I am intrigued and enjoying reading lots of Scandi Noir at the moment, but hadn't come across anything like this novel previously. The story confronts many uncomfortable contemporary issues, but in a subtle way.
The unforgiving bleak landscape builds up tension , with references to the weather and lack of light serving as an uneasy backdrop to a chilling story. The characters are interesting and complex. I found Malin, the female detective particularly appealing, and liked the technique of using Jake’s chapters in the book to reveal more information from Hanne’s diary.
This is not a fast paced thriller, but regardless, I found it hard to put down, and the issues raised have stayed with me.

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'After She's Gone' was a fascinating, bleak read that really drew me in and leaving me wanting more. I loved the intensity of the plot and the inflections of desperation in a beautiful but desolate landscape. There were many different elements to the plot and I liked how they all combined together as the story progressed.

This book was written from different perspectives - a police officer, Malin and a young teenager, Jake. I thoroughly enjoyed discovering the plot through their viewpoints, They both offered different slants but were equally intriguing. Whilst not all of the Camilla Grebe's characters were necessarily all that likeable, they had valid contributions to make to the overall story.

I really enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to other readers.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Bonnier Zaffre via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

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#AfterShesGone #Netgalley.
I found this story really odd. The characters were strange and the setting didn't feel right. I'm sorry to say I didn't like it.

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It took me a long while to get through this book, and in the end I just ended up skimming through. The plot was interesting enough, but I think the writing style was just not to my taste. I would still recommend if you like a dark, gritty novel.

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I really enjoy Nordic Noir and after reading The Ice Beneath her I just couldn't wait to get started on this. The authors writing is just so addictive that I struggled to put this book down. This whole plot was really well executed and I loved reading it.

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I found After she’s gone to be a very atmospheric read. It was full of drama and many, many pot twists, as soon as you feel like you know whats going on, the writer throws another twist. I really liked how the author alternated the chapters without confusing you and wasn’t afraid to politically and socially aware. Due to the atmospheric nature of the book, I found it left me feeling drained, but in a good way.

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*taps mic*

villains can be straight, white, able-bodied males, you know? you do not have to sign-post the villain (every damn time) by making them a minority

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A new twist on the ever-popular Scandi-Noir.
When I read the synopsis for this book I was intrigued by the idea of a criminal profiler with all the answers to solve a crime, if only her dementia wasn’t preventing her from remembering them. The second half of book was a lot pacier than the first and the action picked up. Grebe used atmospheric and descriptive prose used by the author to portray how bleak yet beautiful this small rural town in Sweden was. I think this is what makes Scandi-noir so mysterious and intriguing.
Enjoyable read.

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