DNF at 20%

I just couldn't get into this one. I think my biggest issue with it was the use of a kid as the narrator (at least for part of it). I personally can't stand this and it made the book very hard to follow. Had it not used this I think I would have liked it a lot better as the story line/general premise was very intriguing. I'm sure some people will love this, just wasn't for me.

There were loads of things that I liked about this novel. I loved the way the author made each of the settings come alive - from Norway, to Swededn, to Italy and to Russia.
I enjoyed being introduced to a lifestyle (modelling/fashion) that I hadn't really encountered before and I really enjoyed the way the story unfolded. I particularly loved the way Dahl so beautifully included two very different neurodivergent characters in such key roles. This inclusive sort of writing is something I really appreciate and enjoy seeing marginalised groups represented in literature.

Dahl really draws you in with an easy to read style that keeps the pace up. The different narrative strands helped the story unfold smoothly, with many twists along the way. The various red herrings were dropped in unobtrusively, leavingme guessing till very near the end and it's fair to say that I read this book fairly quickly.
Definite 5***** from me
I

This is indeed a fairly dark story and subject matter. Told from different points of view and what initially seems to be completely unrelated characters and storylines. Initially.

Alex Dahl is not a writer that I've read before and I found this story to be very gripping. I will undoubtedly make a point of reading further books by this author.

A mysterious, emotional, dark and thrilling book from Alex Dahl - a new author for me!

I really enjoyed the deep characterisation of Adrian - very very well executed, it truly gripped me and sucked me in - I'm sold!

Thank you for the ARC, NetGalley!

I couldn’t get in to the story at all, I ended up not finishing it, no reflection on the author at all and it won’t put me off reading any of her other work. I’ll maybe pick up again at some point in the future.

I can't find not fault to this book as it's well plotted and well written. It's one of those me-not-the-book case. The characters are well written but I didn't care for them and the story fell flat.
I will try again to read, this time it wasn't my cup of tea.

EXCERPT: 'She was a star,' her mother had said to Selma. 'We don't understand how someone could have treated her like trash.' It took three hours to interview Daria's mother; she was crying so hard she was largely incoherent. Selma tries to rid herself of the image that had alerted her to the story of prostitution and trafficking in the fashion industry in the first place, but she knows it is etched into her mind forever. Daria's skinny, lanky body, naked but for Swarovski-studded bikini bottoms, face down in the pebbled surf like a beached sea mammal, found by local fishermen at the break of dawn. She recalls how her blood ran cold with fury at the headline of one newspaper - 'Another Teenage Prostitute Meets Tragic Death.' Another teenage prostitute. Just another teenage prostitute. Selma had pored over the images,both the dead, discarded young woman and the woman she'd been in life; hopeful, gorgeous, easy prey. Selma wanted to bring her justice. Turns out, it wasn't possible - as much as it mattered to tell the story of Daria and several other girls like her, it was frustrating to repeatedly come up against a wall of protective silence around those really behind the trafficking and exploitation of the girls.

ABOUT 'AFTER SHE'D GONE': Liv loves her son, Adrian. That's why she keeps a low profile in Sandefjord, Norway: just another tired single mother, trying to make ends meet. She has never told her son about the secrets she carries or the life she lived before he was born. She will do anything to keep him safe.

Anastasia's life is transformed when she moves from Russia to Milan and starts modelling. Suddenly, she's rich. She's desired. But then she begins to see the dark side of her new life: the high-pressure catwalk shows; the glamorous, drink-fuelled after-parties; the sun-baked Italian palazzos owned by powerful men. She will do anything to escape

Selma is a feature journalist in Oslo. She's horrified to uncover an unsavoury and dangerous underworld when she writes an article looking into the modelling industry. Then, a woman goes missing in Sandefjord...

MY THOUGHTS: I started reading this book, couldn't get into it, put it down, picked it up again a few days later. I read almost half, put it down, picked it up again a few days later and finished it. And now? I don't know . . .

The story is told from four points of view: Liv, the single mother of Adrian, a neuro-divergant boy obsessed by aeroplanes; Adrian; Anastasia, a model; and Selma, an investigative reporter. The storyline is non-linear, which I don't normally have a problem with but, in this case, I became confused trying to work out just what time period of the story we were in. It was frustrating. I can see why the author did it, because to have defined the year would have given away major spoilers. But, by half way through, I had it worked out anyway, and the lack of definition just served to irritate me.

I loved Adrian and the bond he had with his mother. His teacher was incredible; I wish there were more like her. Like Liv, Selma is an incredibly strong character with just a touch of vulnerability.

There were parts of this read that I loved, that drew me in; but other parts that left me cold.

I wanted to love this book as I have everything else I have read by this author. I have no doubt that this will be a great success and it deserves to be. There is a powerful message in there. But for me, and I know that I am in the minority, After She'd Gone was just an average read.

Great cover art!

⭐⭐⭐

#AfterShedGone #NetGalley

I:@authoralex @headofzeus

T: @alexdahlauthor @HoZ_Books

#contemporaryfiction #psychologicalthriller #suspense

THE AUTHOR: Half-American, half-Norwegian, Alex Dahl was born in Oslo. She is a serious Francophile and currently lives in both London and Sandefjord.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Head of Zeus via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of After She'd Gone by Alex Dahl for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

Talk about a tense, character driven mystery with some well placed twists. I found the different POVs to be distinct and clear (which sometimes does not happen, especially in a mystery). A bit gorey at times, but a great story overall.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

After She’d Gone is a suspenseful thriller set in Norway and Italy, about the dark underbelly of the world of international modelling, by an author who is new to me. I’m supposed to be limiting my NetGalley requests to authors I know, but this had great advance reviews and an enticing cover so in a weak moment I succumbed. Reader, I regret nothing! It features a character from the author’s previous book but read just fine as a stand-alone.

Liv Carlsen lives a quiet life in Sandefjord, near Oslo, with her nine year old son Adrian, who has autism, until one day someone from her past comes for her. Anastasia is a beautiful young Russian woman, brought to Milan on the promise of a career as a top model, who is soon swept up in the hedonistic life of the super rich. And Selma Eriksen is a successful Norwegian journalist who believes in unmasking the truth no matter the risk. How do these women connect, and how far will they go to save a vulnerable boy?

This was a book of two halves - I enjoyed the first, as we get to know the different characters, even though I’ve decided I’m not a fan of POV changes
with every chapter as it disrupts the low of the story too much. This is all told in present tense (boo, hiss) in a mixture of first and third person, but it was Adrian’s perspective that I found the most compelling, as the mostly
mute but smart and courageous little boy finds himself separated from the only parent he’s ever known.

There’s a plot device which has become ubiquitous in recent years to the extent that I wonder why authors bother. The “twist” here was so obvious as to be unnecessary and added nothing to the drama, but neither did the foreknowledge spoil it. There’s also a preposterous coincidence linking the different strands. In the second half, this got a lot darker, with some uncomfortable scenes of physical and sexual violence towards women that merit a trigger warning or two. I can however reassure you that nothing bad happens to Selma’s cat or the cute puppy.

While the plot was somewhat predictable, the characters and seamless writing are what elevates this from the rest of the Overcrowded genre. The main villain is suitably despicable and scarily believable given the revelations about the elite of recent years. I found the ending a bit rushed but liked how things were wrapped up. I’d read more from this author if she wrote in conventional past tense.

Thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for the ARC. I am posting this honest review voluntarily. After She’d Gone is available now.

After she'd gone by Alex Dahl.
Liv is In sandefjord, Norway. She keeps a low profile trying to make ends meet. She will do anything to protect her son.
Really enjoyed this book. Wasn't sure if I liked Liv or not. I did like Selma. This is a tense book. 4*.

**Many thanks to NetGalley, Head of Zeus, and Alex Dahl for an ARC of this book!**

Dark, deep, disturbing and dangerous!

Liv's son Adrian isn't like the other kids. Being neurodivergent, his peers don't understand him and he lives a somewhat isolated and private existence with his mom Liv (a la Emma Donoghue's room, minus the captivity) where the two share their own secret language. Adrian doesn't know much about his father, other than that he's bad. His world turns upside down, however, when he watches his mother's kidnapping...and has no idea where she's gone or how on earth he will find her.

Anastasia is a budding star on the rise. She enters the glamorous world of modelling, but quickly realizes all that glitters is far from gold. Everything from the sea of drugs and alcohol to the all-too-powerful men start to make her question her career choice...and long for her past. But now that she's embroiled in this life, is there an easy path out?

Selma is a journalist looking for answers. After being pulled from a story about the Dark Side of Modelling, she ends up investigating the disappearance of a certain young woman...a woman with a young son...but where will her investigation lead...and will she live to talk about it?

I've been wanting to try an Alex Dahl for ages, but I'll be honest: it was the flaming martini glass on this cover that caught my eye. (I mean, how do you top that?!) From chapter one, though, I came to realize that this is much less psychological thriller and much MORE of a Norwegian mystery-tinged story with an emotional background...and more heft than your average psycho-thriller will have on any given day.

So for much of this read, I felt pretty bogged down by the whole thing. The writing was HEAVY, which means no skimming...and I'll be honest, during Anastasia's sections especially, the urge to skim was strong. Liv and Adrian's narratives were interesting and of course detective Selma ties all of these plot threads together...but you have to have incredible patience and fortitude to get there. The descriptions of the locations are lovely, and it's always fun to hear about all the places I'll (probably) never get to go to in person *heavy sigh* BUT I still found my mind wandering quite a bit at times.

AND THEN everything changed at about 80%.. The plot points coalesced, everything came together, and it's full throttle from there on out. It was SUCH a change of pace that I almost wonder if Dahl plotted her ending and worked backwards (or had an ending in mind from jump, at least), as I know sometimes authors write this way and it would explain a lot! Even though I predicted one of the main twists, the rest of the plotting was fairly intricate and not so easy to guess...which took my rating up (thank goodness) and left me feeling satisfied.

If you're looking for a slow burn mystery with some meat on its bones, this is a GREAT place to start! (and if you learn how to make a flaming martini while you're at it...teach me how!)

3.5 rounded up to 4 for a spectacular ending!

This is a well-written, gripping thriller taking a look at the dark side of the modeling world. The story is told from 4 different perspectives: model Anastasia, journalist Selma, secretive Liv and Liv’s son Adrian. All have very distinct voices and bring something unique to the table, but it was Adrian’s POV that I loved the most. The relationship between him and his mother is the true standout element of this novel.

Despite guessing a lot of the twist correctly, the way Dahl slowly reveals information through the different viewpoints kept me engaged. It was great to see how she brought everything together in quite an explosive finale.

One thing that has to be pointed out that this book truly showcases the horror the women in this book have to go through, so the violence it very graphic and might not be for everyone.

Overall, I was impressed with Dahl’s writing and cannot wait to check out her other books in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

TW: violence, abuse, human trafficking and more (please check out a full list of trigger warnings before reading!)

This unsettling and at times dark thriller immerses the reader in the sinister side of the fashion world in which young women, often from Eastern Europe, attracted by the prospect of travelling the world and striding the catwalks for big fashion houses discover the reality is quite, quite different. They find themselves drawn into a murky world of drugs and sexual exploitation in which men hold the power and aren’t afraid to use it. For the women, staying is risky, but leaving is even more so.

Investigative journalist Selma’s involvement comes about because of her role in investigating the previous disappearance of a young girl from the very same place as the missing woman – Sandefjord. (The case was the focus of the author’s previous book, Playdate.) Selma’s investigation takes her into a very murky world populated by extremely ruthless and, in some cases, very damaged individuals. I loved her strength, her fearlessness and her determination to get answers.

I confess I guessed some key aspects of the plot pretty early on but with this type of thriller you can never be sure the author’s not going to spring a surprise until you reach the final page, can you?

The standout element of the book for me was the wonderfully tender portrait of Adrian, a young boy who is different from other children. ‘Adrian craves freedom. He feels trapped in his own mind; he’s not like anyone else and he wishes he could fly away.’ He is obsessed with airplanes, loves watching them take off and land at the nearby airport, can spend hours absorbed in creating origami models of planes and knows the codes for every international airport. Contrary to what many think, he’s intelligent but often finds it difficult to communicate or express his feelings except through the ‘secret’ language his mother Liv has taught him. What he does know is there are things he must keep secret at all costs and, that if he’s to save his mother, he will have to be very brave. Spoiler: he is.

After She’d Gone is a taut, skilfully-crafted thriller that demonstrates all that glitters is not gold. It would make the perfect beach read.

This is the 5th book I have read by this author and I think her best to date. Its hard hitting and brutal as well as being interesting and intriguing. It does cover some rather nasty topics but I am not a fan of trigger warnings as I fear they inject spoilers, but I can advise caution.
We start in Norway with Liv and her son Adrian. One the face of things we see a single mum who is simply doing her very best for her behaviourally challenged, but awesome son, who is obsessed with all things aeroplane. They mostly tick along quite nicely until one day Adrian receives a knock at the door from a big man, at the same time as Liv is approached on her way home. Both disappear.
Selma is a journalist and is given the assignment to investigate said disappearance, she having had success in assisting finding missing people before.
Meanwhile, we also follow a bunch of women who move from all over to Milan to follow their dreams of becoming big in fashion modelling. We see the glamour and glitz of all this. But there is a dark side...
And so begins a harrowing, brutal, hard hitting story which had me on the edge of my seat all the way through as it delivered punch after punch, shock after shock as the layer got slowly peeled back and the whole, nasty truth was finally exposed...
I loved this book. Even though the subject matter was brutal and oh so very credible. Just open a paper and you'll see stuff like this all coming out in the headlines. But the story was so well told. Hard hitting when it needed to be but never over the top for sake of being sensational.
Selma is a returning character from a previous book and it was lovely to reconnect with her. That said, it doesn't matter whether you have read Playdate before this one as they are not a series, but as I have read and loved all her previous books I would obviously recommend you stuff your tbr with all of them!
Pacing was good and there was also a balance between dark and light with some lovely lighter moments interspersed throughout the book which prevented it from going too depressing. It also starred some wonderful. well created, characters who all played their parts very well indeed.
Chock full of secrets, lies and duplicitous behaviour the plotting is tight and very well executed. Ramping up the tension throughout before finally revealing a rather shocking and satisfying ending. Roll on next time - after I have had a breather!
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This gripping, emotional story is told from four viewpoints. First and second are Liv and her nine-year-old son Adrian. Liv is deaf and fiercely devoted to her neuro-divergent son Adrian. Liv is supposedly a cleaner, but she has a secret past. They go missing. The third viewpoint is Anastasia, a Russian beauty plucked to be a high fashion model is Milan. She realizes that this fantasy life has a dark side. The fourth and final viewpoint is investigative reporter Selma, who is pulled off her story about the dark underbelly of the modeling industry to write a story about a missing woman and child. The stories eventually intersect. The author does an excellent job of bringing each character to life, particularly Adrian. This well-written, riveting story never lets up.

This is a novel set in various parts of Europe, told from four perspectives. You have Adrian, a young neurodivergent boy, and his mother Liv that go missing early on in the novel. We also get the perspective of Selma, a reporter trying to track them down and Anastasia a model that is trying to find her way in the competitive world of Italian modeling. I enjoyed the differing perspectives and eagerly anticipated their intertwining. It did take me 15-20% of the book to get into it but after that I couldn’t put it down.
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This book looks at the dirty side of the fashion world and what happens to the girls that don’t make it. There is more than one mystery keeping this plot line moving forward and keeping you guessing.
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While some pieces I caught onto early, it felt like we were supposed to. Other parts had me guessing until the end.
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This is a great thriller {with TWs for sexual abuse and drug use} that I would recommend to any thriller lover.

Loved how the stories of the women connected together. A dark physiological thriller at its best well written and a great read.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

AFTER SHE'D GONE
BY: ALEX DAHL

This is a psychological thriller that I devoured because there is some beautiful writing especially having to do with the settings and landscapes in the various Countries. What initially drew me to want to read this very dark plotted novel was because I thought that it took place just in Norway. Some of it did as in the beginning. Having enjoyed Kristina Ohlsson's re-read that I reviewed years ago, I discovered that was #5 in the series that ended. I will read the first four after I finish my Net Galley commitments. She hasn't written anything new in years so I thought I would try Alex Dahl's new novel called, "After She'd Gone". This was very long and it seemed to drag on a little too much for my taste. As I write this review I am for the first time ever still debating how many stars I honestly think is fair and honest. Every other novel I read I knew immediately how many stars to allocate before I started composing my review. So, this is a major deviation to how I usually can decide that after reading a book's final line.

Admitting right away that I loved the atmospheric descriptions I didn't feel comfortable with the subject matter having to do with the human trafficking of young women through a shell modeling agency. Sure, they started out from modest homes, and some were showered with the super rich designers like Gucci, Vogue covers and when the rich and powerful older men tired of them they were given drugs and developed addictions. I did enjoy reading about the glamorous lifestyles and the top designers and lavish clothes and handbags. I didn't like the violence and the abuse.

This was a graphic at times with the violence and abuse which I don't enjoy. I found that there was non-stop action which kept my interest. It as I mentioned seemed in the middle to be bogged down, but looking back it might have needed what I thought felt off to tell the whole story from four points of view.

It begins in Sandefjord, Norway with nine year old Adrian who is a boy who is bright, but Autistic or Biodivergent who gets picked on at school. He loves airplanes and his kind teacher Marie indulges him. His mother Liv Carlsen goes to work, but it is evident how much she loves her son, Adrian. It's just the two of them in their isolated home. Liv has told Adrian that his father is a very bad man and he is. Adrian feels different from the other kids at school, but to his mother and his teacher Marie he is very special. I loved Adrian, also. He was innocent and pure and he loved his mother just as much as she loved him.

"A huge, burning sun bearing the otherworldly pink Arctic light appears, casting the snowy
fields in shades of rose and gold. I should get going, I have a lot to do, but I'm mesmerized
and moved by the beauty of the sunrise that is unseen by those still sleeping snug in their
beds or sitting at their desks with less panoramic views than mine. From here in this ancient
barn converted into garages and storage units and a single office-mine-all I can see are fields
and trees and a small section of a big lake, now frozen solid. The only sign of human activity
I ever see from here is the occasional ice skater venturing out onto the lake, a black speck of
a being moving in slow, wide circles, like a fly". Liv Carlsen at work.

Liv and Adrian disappear and Selma who works for Norway's biggest newspaper in Oslo thinks that she should investigate it. Soon she thinks that their disappearance is somehow linked to the story she was working on about the models who are missing. Sometimes when ultra rich and older men get tired of these girls who don't keep modeling--some girls turn to escorts where they go to lavish parties and along with the fine champagne they get introduced to drugs. Then they get addicted and go missing . What happened to Liv and Adrian? Did they decide to leave of their own free will? Did something more sinister happen to them?

The writing was well above average despite my discomfort with the sometimes graphic violence. There is a major plot twist that I appreciated because I never saw it coming. This isn't something that most wouldn't have seen it coming either, but takes a talented author's skill and imagination. It ties the four different narrators into a cohesive explosive ending that is satisfying. This isn't for everyone, but for those less squeamish than I am I know it will succeed. A solid four stars!

Publication Date: 8-18-2022

Thank you to Net Galley, Alex Dahl and Head of Zeus-Aries for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#AfterShe'dGone #AlexDahl #HeadofZeusAries #NetGalley

A fairly complex but rewarding psychological thriller that was worth making the effort to pause and have a think when needed ( usually in relation to timelimes ),well written and intriguing

Liv keeps a low profile in Sandefjord, Norway: she's just another tired single mother, trying to make ends meet. She has never told her son about the secrets she carries or the life she lived before he was born. She will do anything to keep him safe.
Anastasia's life is transformed when she moves from Russia to Milan to work as a model. She's rich. She's desired. But there's a dark side to the high-pressure catwalk shows; the sun-baked Italian palazzos; the drink-fuelled after-parties hosted by powerful men. Soon, she will do anything to escape.
Selma is a journalist in Oslo. She's investigating scandals in the modelling industry, but can't get her article published. Then a woman goes missing in Sandefjord. Now Selma is about to uncover the biggest story of her life...
Really enjoyable read totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley and Head Of Zeus
I just reviewed After She'd Gone by Alex Dahl. #AfterShedGone #NetGalley