Liv Carlson is a woman who tries to live under the radar. Fiercely protective of her autistic son Adrian, she has told him nothing of the secrets she keeps about the life she used to live. To all intents and purposes, they seem to be a single mother and her son getting along as best they can in Sandefjord, Norway, but Liv's past is about to catch up with her.

In Milan, Anastasia cannot believe how much her life has changed in the last few months. No longer living a simple life with her grandmother in Russia, she is now an aspiring cat-walk model. At first this life seems full of glamour and excitement, but Anastasia begins to see beneath the gloss to the ugly truth about the world she has now become a part of. Soon she begins to lose herself and longs for an escape back to the life she lived before she became famous.

Selma is a tenacious Oslo journalist. Having just finished writing an exposé into the dark side of the modelling industry, it seems her story may never see the light of day, because of pressure from powerful figures who would prefer their shady activities to remain secret. Frustrated, Selma needs to distract herself with another story, and something about the report of a woman and her son who have mysteriously gone missing from Sandefjord catches her attention. Selma has no idea that her new investigation is about to take her into even more dangerous waters.

The story is told through the eyes of Liv, her son Adrian, Anastasia and Selma, cutting back and forth between them as you build up a picture of their hopes, fears, and ultimately, struggles for survival. It takes some time to see how Anastasia's story fits into the picture, and Dahl uses the atmosphere of mystery this injects to ramp up the suspense in the most delicious way. Their individual voices are beautifully written, as I have come to expect from Dahl, and you become entirely invested in the threads of their stories, anticipating the time that they surely must collide to answer the many questions she conjures in your mind as the book progresses. They are all thoroughly convincing in their roles, although Adrian is particularly well drawn, and I think Dahl does an absolutely cracking job of keeping him in character all the way through - my heart broke for him as he tries to make sense of the things that befall him.

Scandi-noir is one of my favourite genres and I loved the parts of the story that take place in the ice and snow of Norway, which give added bite to the shocking opening parts of the book, but Dahl mixes things up nicely to please the lovers of a summer scorcher too by bringing in the glamour and heat of Italy and other sun-baked locations as she immerses you in the world of modelling. This makes for a fascinating contrast as scenes switch back and forth between the characters - all the while hitting that unsettling sweet spot that danger lurks beneath the surface in them all. There is such a lovely contrast in the parts of the story that tell of simple pleasures that are cast away in favour of false idols, and of naivety that gives way to realisation that the world is sometimes not as innocent as we might think too.

There are layers upon layers here, and too many themes that Dahl touches upon to mention in a simple review, but expect some intriguing things to ponder upon - especially about neurodiversity, beauty, power, and the bond between a mother and her son. This is a sophisticated book and it drew me in completely. Dahl cleverly weaves her magic to misdirect, dropping little reassuring whispers that convince you that you know where this story is leading, until the moments she catches you with disclosures that have you second guessing yourself time and time again. The pacing of the reveals is perfect, and I did not see what this was heading until she hit me with a highly enjoyable twist and twist again ending that ticked all my thriller boxes. There is also a nice little aside about Dahl's previous excellent book Cabin Fever, for those who spot it!

I loved it! My favourite Alex Dahl yet.

Loved her other books but for his one a bit disappointing. Read at times a bit like a Lucinda Riley, Seven Sisters Book.

Told in first and third person, After She'd Gone is told in the perspectives of three very different women whose stories interconnect seamlessly. Not only that but it is told in first and third person. Author Alex Dahl's writing skills are unfathomable, her insight into human nature is brilliant and each word is organized with finesse. I cannot imagine transferring thoughts to paper with unsettling vividness, both haunting and beautiful . It is impossible to convey my thoughts lucidly as my mind has been blown to shreds!

Single deaf mother Liv lives in seclusion in Norway with her beloved nine-year-old son who is neurodivergent. Disabilities are written with lovely sensitivity. The unshakeable bond between mother and son is gorgeous, my favourite part of the book. Liv's life has not been easy, she tries to hide from her past but it catches up with her, causing physical and emotional agony to both her and sweet Adrian.

Selma is a noted journalist in Oslo who is disappointed to have an impassioned story of hers cut. She becomes involved in the case of her life as she researches the disappearance of a mother and her son and encounters dark criminal activity and secrets she did not see coming. Sins cast very long shadows.

Anastasia reluctantly leaves Russia for Milan for life as a model. Her initiation is incredibly difficult but she does what she feels she needs to do as she is financially strapped. She is revered and reviled and has what many would call the perfect life with loads of money, great beauty and is constantly in high demand. But her life is not as it appears on the outside. When money and material goods are stripped away a shell remains. All three women have secrets, regrets and hopes.

Engaging, engrossing, riveting and suspenseful do not even begin to cover it. Thriller readers ought to place this book at the top of their to read piles.

My sincere thank you to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this memorable rollercoaster of a book, absolutely top notch and unmissable.

Thank you Head of Zeus and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. IYKYK, my reviews are always honest.

HONDA CIVIC RELIABLE IN CONTEXT. 3.5 rounded UP. The more I think about this book, the more I like it. Came back to bump up the rating.

SYNOPSIS

Liv is a mysterious women who is suddenly kidnapped along with her autistic son Adrian. Anastasia is a Russian model who came and conquered the fashion scene in Milan before falling in love. Selma is a doggedly determined journalist who won't quit until she figured out what happened to Liv and her son and how this ties to the underbelly of the fashion world.

MY OPINION

Before you choose to pick up this book, I want to be very clear: This is Norwegian Nancy Drew: Secrets of Villa Serafina starring Selma the journalist. Police? What's that? Selma runs the show here. The police are only good for sweeping in at the last second and locking up the baddies when Selma has had enough. Otherwise, Selma Drew is leading the investigation into Liv's disappearance and unearthing the truth about Milan's glamorous fashion world. If you can't yeet all logic and reasoning out the window for this book, then it is not for you.

Next, this is heavy on the storytelling and the writing is VERY European. If you don't fk with this style of writing, skip it. I'm a fan though. Now back to the storytelling: I can definitely see people being very bored by this. If you're looking for straight up THRILLZ with a z, then this is not the one. This is a story as much as it is a mystery.

ANywayZ. I found this an enjoyable afternoon read. I'm obsessed with Europe because the food, art, history, and fashion is on point, so I enjoyed "travelling" to Norway, Russia, and Italy. I'm also into fashion (even though my closet is primarily white tees, light washed jeans and of course, pink ski masks) so following Anastasia's journey was fun too. And I appreciated the author including an autistic character without falling into negative stereotypes. Adrian was a resilient, intelligent, and emotionally sensitive boy who you can't help but root for.

I didn't really care for Selma Drew, but she was the knitter who brought all the threads together. Her relationship with Olaf or whatever tf his name is was whatever because I literally pictured him as a dorky bald old man who thick rimmed glasses who loves to wear bike shorts on the reg. But I digress...

An enjoyable lil read... but please read my review carefully before you pick this up and then come into my comments saying WOW THIS SHIT SUCKED YOU FOOLED ME!!!! (No one has ever done that because ya'll aren't animals but still lol...)

PROS AND CONS

Pros: takes place in Europe, interesting look at the fashion industry, enjoyable, easy to digest read, has some edge to it if you require thrillz

Cons: requires extreme suspension of disbelief, twists are easy to clock, lots of projectile vomit lol, romance is a lil cheesy but I have a piece of coal for a heart so take that as you will