After Image - by Jaime Deblanc (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Years after a young woman's mysterious disappearance, her stepsister is compelled to discover the truth in a novel of haunting psychological suspense.

Four years ago, beautiful yet troubled Allie Andersen vanished without a trace. The twenty-one-year-old daughter of an acclaimed actress, her disappearance captivated the media, left her family distraught, and became a fixation for online theorists, who implicated everybody Allie knew and loved. Everyone, including her devoted stepsister, Natasha.

Now, Natasha is finally trying to move on. The panic attacks and episodes of hysterical blindness she has suffered since her stepsister's disappearance have diminished, and she no longer obsesses over the speculations of strangers. Until the remains of a young woman's body are discovered in a lonely mountain canyon.

As Natasha reconnects with the sympathetic Detective Ruiz, inexplicable pieces of evidence surface that open her eyes to a family she thought she knew. It seems that everyone in Allie's life had a credible motive for wanting Allie to vanish. Following each new clue, Natasha is determined to finally find the truth, wherever it leads, and whatever the cost.

Review Quotes

"DeBlanc creates palpable suspense in this impressive, character-driven debut...A gripping psychological thriller." --Booklist

"A must-read debut. Thrilling and seductive, After Image sucks you in with irresistible twists and holds you with its wrenching portrait of difficult love...With gripping, confident prose, Jaime deBlanc offers readers a powerful vision of sisterhood, found families, and the lies that protect our deepest secrets." --Amy Gentry, bestselling author of Good as Gone and Bad Habits

"As deBlanc's suspense novel proves, there is something stronger than money or fame: the unyielding force of sisterly love." --Jenny Milchman, Mary Higgins Clark Award-winning author of Cover of Snow and The Usual Silence

"[A] sharp and propulsive debut. After Image kept me riveted from the first page to the last, deftly exploring distorted perception, the weight of secrets, and the dark side of fame." --Allison Buccola, author of The Ascent and Catch Her When She Falls