AFTER ANNA

4 stars out of 5

Postpartum psychosis left Maggie Ippoliti without her precious baby daughter, Anna (her nefarious ex-husband Florian obtained custody and kept the girl away from Maggie for 17 years). Now that Maggie has found some semblance of happiness with her doctor-husband Noah and stepson Caleb, Anna appears out of nowhere, wanting, it appears, to make up for lost time. Needless to say, Maggie is overwhelmed, overjoyed and desperate to please the girl - and delighted that she gets a ton of support from Noah and Caleb.

Ah, but it wouldn't be a story if everything went smoothly from there on. No, things soon begin happening that mess with Maggie's already messed-up head; her obsession with keeping her long-lost daughter satisfied (and literally close to her broken mommy heart) renders her oblivious to anyone else's concerns. Then, the unthinkable happens; Anna is murdered - and the person charged with the crime is none other than Noah. Devastated, Maggie kicks Noah to the curb and continues to care for Caleb, with only her long-time friend Kathy and Anna to lean on.

A major focus is on Noah's subsequent trial and the outcome thereof; chapters switch from Maggie and Noah's life before and after Anna arrived on the scene, sprinkling clues as to what really happened. The trial part is for the most part interesting, but mostly because I'm a fan of courtroom proceedings. This one, though, just kept plodding along, going not much of anywhere, and I lost more than a modicum of interest throughout much of the middle portion of the book.

Once the jury rendered its verdict (you really didn't think I'd reveal that, did you?), the action begins to heat up - almost too fast (think of a big pot of beef stew coming to a boil so quickly that you never got to savor the aroma of simmering). The final section brings twists and revelations almost like slings and arrows. And the ending? Way too neatly tied up to be believable, especially given Maggie's thoughts and actions earlier in the book (but then I admit to being a cynic when it comes to seriously damaged relationships that suddenly transform into all's right with the world).

Don't get me wrong - it all makes for an enjoyable book that I recommend - but as a whole it fell short of a 5-star rating for me. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

After Anna by Lisa Scottoline (St. Martin's Press, April 2018); 400 pp.