This book I felt was extremely predictable and it lost my interest due to this.
I didn’t like the style of the writing either. This book wasn’t for me

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.

Like the first in the series, I struggled with some of the violence and appalling sexual abuse but the character of Boone and her support network got me through; I found the characters a lot more convincing in this one and was really invested in them; consequently I was really grumpy about the additional tragedy heaped on Boone! I listened to the audiobook in the end (which is why I'm so late with the review) and the narrator was excellent. A very strong thriller with plenty of moral questions for the reader to ponder. More please.

Gripping and exciting follow-up to 'Past Life'. Disgraced ex-cop Abigail Boone is on special early release after spending four years in prison when her expertise is needed to help track down an underground paedophile sex gang who kept a young teenage girl captive her whole life. A stunningly dark and edgy first class thriller.

I read this book, not realising that it was the second in the series. However, I did understand it and feel that this can be read as a standalone novel.

The book was dark and intriguing.

I enjoyed the book and will look to reading the first in the series.

When a young girl is found in the countryside, badly abused and unable to communicate, DI Barb Bowen is put on the case. The girl appears to have been held captive her entire life and evidence is discovered which links the case to the events leading to the conviction of her friend and former DS, Abigail Boone. Despite her reservations, Barb arranges for Boone to be released from prison to help the investigation, but will her desire for revenge do more harm than good.

I have to be honest, when I first started reading After Dark I didn’t know if I would be able to get into the story. There were a lot of characters to keep track of and the way the book kept switching backwards and forwards in time was a bit confusing for me. This was mainly my own fault for not reading the previous book ‘Past Life’. If I had, I would have had a good understanding of the history of the characters and the events that led to their current situations in After Dark. However, I am really glad that I continued with it. I became more and more involved as the story developed, it was gritty, dark, violent and the tension towards the end was unbearable. If you like your crime fiction brutal, then this is definitely the right choice for you.

Many thanks to Headline and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

This was a dark, gripping thriller. Full of twists and turns. It has an absorbing storyline with intense characters.

This is the second book in this series. I’ve not read the first book and followed it ok.
When a young girl is found hurt and curled up on a road in the countryside Barb is asked to investigate.
The girl has been badly abused and is unable to speak. Barb soon realises there’s links to Boone who is currently in prison.
Despite her reservations, Barb gets Boone released to help in the investigation but she has her own ideas.
I really enjoyed this book even though the changing timelines were a bit confusing sometimes.
I was intrigued by Boone at first and think she’s a great character in this book.
Thanks to Headline and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Thoroughly enjoyed this one. Boone is such an intriguing character - as damaged as they come, with the added shackles of having no memory of the person she used to be. Taps into an emotive thread of historic abuse of people and power. Loved the underlying dark humour and the characters bounce off each other superbly. Would definitely recommend.

This is one of the best thrillers I have read. It is the second book to feature Abigail Boone and I would highly recommend reading the first one, Past Life, for background detail. There is enough explanation for the reader to grasp the context of Boone's background thanks to the author's skill as a writer. The book moves back and forwards in time as we discover a child abandoned in the countryside. I loved the characterisation, the action and the descriptions on this wild journey and the end left me totally surprised. I have no hesitation in recommending this well written thriller. Thanks to Net Galley and Headline for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Headline for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#AfterDark #NetGalley

The title of the book almost seems like a challenge. Read or avoid 'After Dark', that is the question. Well, I read this after dark, and I am still left with at undefinable sense of melancholy that few writers seem able to evoke in the reader. There is a beauty in Nolan's writing that jars, not without affect, with the darkness at the heart of the novel. This makes 'After Dark' not only a first-class thriller, but a story that can only be told by an author with an astute understanding of the human condition. There is an innate intelligence at play between the pages of this book, that is epic in its intensity and perfectly-calibrated observations of its main protagonists. There is D.S. Abigail Boone for a start. A woman behind bars, suffering from retrograde amnesia. Boone exhibits a realism that seems to defy her fictional existence and she is the perfect, flawed anchor, for the twisty mystery that ensues with such pitch-perfect pacing. This is not a rapid, high-octane reading experience, but it is, without doubt, an engrossing detective mystery from a talented author. Nolan draws you in , almost imperceptibly to the mystery that is Abigail, and the whys just keep coming. Why is Abigail in prison? What traumas have driven her conscious mind into retreat, into the subconscious safety of amnesia? Why, more pertinently, does Abigail's fate seem to be entwinned with a young woman's reappearance after almost three decades of captivity. Why, why, why... The answers come, but not in a way I was expecting. This is largely due to Nolan's brilliance in creating an atmospheric, cerebral thriller, that has style as well as substance. A must-read and highly recommended novel.

4.5 Stars

Started reading this but found it very confusing with many characters. It kept moving back and forth in time which was also difficult to work out.
It appeared to be the 2nd book in a series and maybe this was why I couldn’t get to grips with it. I didn’t really warm to any of the characters- Boone was the heroine but even she did not really pique my interest
I read up to about 40% and then decided to give up.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Headline for an advance copy of After Dark, The second novel to feature former DS Abigail Boone.

When a young girl is found wandering the countryside DI Barb Bowen is put on the case. The girl appears to have been kept captive her entire life and has been badly abused, but more than that she appears to have links to events that Boone was convicted of an imprisoned. With no choice Barb gets Boone released to help in the investigation but she has her own agenda.

I enjoyed After Dark which has an exciting plot line and well drawn characters. It should be noted, however, that this is not a novel for the faint hearted as the little girl’s abuse is heart breaking, inhumane and horrific. The descriptions are not gratuitous but as an intrinsic part of the plot they are not glossed over either. I don’t know where the author gets his ideas from but he has a very dark imagination.

It centres around Boone and her reckless anger. A few years ago she was captured by the predators she was hunting as a detective, held captive, tortured and thrown out a window. As a result she remembers nothing before the window and has rebuilt her life based on a desire to hunt down predators. Her hunt is wild, dangerous and reckless with unforeseen consequences. I can’t identify with her but I can certainly enjoy the ride along.

The novel opens with the discovery of the girl and Boone’s release from prison and then backtracks to the events that got her convicted and a five year sentence (there fun moments in that). They are linked as becomes clear over the course of the read. It is a wild journey with lots of action and even stronger emotions and quite compelling in a disturbing way. I would like to hope that it bears no resemblance to reality but I have a strong suspicion that there are kernels of it in there.

After Dark is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

After Dark had me gripped from beginning to end. At the start I struggled to keep up with the characters but I soon learned who everyone was so it didn’t affect my enjoyment too much.

Boone was a phenomenal character and had such brilliant development. Even though what she did was wrong, I still couldn’t help but love her and want to follow her journey.

I’m excited to see this series continue so I’m hoping there will be another instalment!