After Her audiobook

After Her by Joyce Maynard is a 2013 William Morrow publication. 1979-Rachel and Patty are on summer break and are pretty much left to fend for themselves, while their mother spends most of her time in her room with her library books. Because their mother can’t afford cable, they watch TV through the window of their neighbor’s house and make up the dialogue themselves, and spy on another one their neighbors, creating elaborate stories about him. However, they also spend time playing on the mountain behind their house which also happened to be the possible hunting ground of The Sunset Strangler. The girls, Rachel especially, has a bird’s eye view of the case that is dominating headlines, because their charismatic father is the lead detective on the case. With her father's face on televison, the popular kids invite Rachel into their circle, eager for exclusive information about the case. However, as the case drags on, with no arrest, Rachel watches her father, a man with a weakness for women, but a larger than life hero to her, begin to slowly come apart, putting his health at risk, as his career and reputation go down the drain. As the years pass, Rachel never gives up on vindicating her father, determined to discover the identity of The Sunset Strangler....If someone were to ask me if I had read any books by Joyce Maynard I would have quickly answered in the affirmative. How is it possible I never one of her books, right? Yet, I have only listed two of her books here on Goodreads. If I have read her work previously, it was long before I was keeping track of such things. So- I’m going to count this book as part of my 2020 challenge to read authors I’ve never tried. Why I chose this book over her other novels, I’m not sure. I think it popped up on Goodreads or at the library and was the first one I came to on my list. Whether or not this is her best work or a book she is well known for, I couldn’t say. But, either way, I am glad I picked this book and will certainly go back and read more books by this author. Rachel’s first- person narrative is what brings this story to life. The author based the book on a true crime case, one similar to the events that transpire in the story, as the detective working the case had two daughters who firmly believe their father’s death was directly linked to his job. The time frame is also of great importance and as I was reading about the games Rachel and Patty played together in 1979, I was reminded of television shows and trends of the time. I was also struck by how free the girls were to roam and explore. Naturally, they put themselves in unnecessary danger and their whereabouts should have been monitored more closely. On the other hand, living without cable, and without having every single hour of their day planned and structured, exercised their minds and bodies, and encouraged their imaginations, which no doubt, played a role in Rachel's eventual career path. Not only that, this book should come with a soundtrack! But this is just my rambling musings. The book is a thriller, a mystery, a coming of age tale, and story about father and daughter relationships. It’s a poignant and bittersweet story that might make you grab for a tissue before all is said and done, but it’s also one of many surprises, ending on an upbeat note that hints at long overdue peace and new beginnings. Overall, this book is much more than a mystery-thriller- it's a well-rounded story with a little something for everyone. I’m very much looking forward to discovering more of Maynard’s work. 4 stars

Set in 1979, this is a coming of age story coupled with a mystery involving a serial killer in California. Inspired by the Trailside Killer's reign of terror in the 1970s, we experience the point of view of 13 year old Rachel and her sister in Marin, California.Maynard's writing is exquisite, she knows just how to capture the angst and longing of a thirteen year old girl. Someone who wants life to be bigger than it is, to be more meaningful, to put their mark on the world. Their feelings are so big and so confusing and they don't know what to do with all of them.The mystery might be the inciting incident in the story, but the coming of age of Rachel is front and center. As I am right around the same age, so much of this novel felt surreal and familiar to me. As I too have a younger sister, I could relate to the emotions involving that relationship as well. I listened to the audiobook which was wonderfully narrated by the author. I am not sure why I let this linger on my TBR for so long, but now I'm ready to get my hands on more books by this talented author.

Update news: This book will go on sale for $1.99 on Kindle from Dec. 14th to Jan. 4th.The idea for this story comes from a past true event in Northern California.Also.. in this Kindle special will include a chapter of Joyce's new book -"Under The Influence", which will be released early in 2016. This page turning new novel is deliciously written. The story fully engaging. Characters 'vivid'. It would be fun to try to 'cast' for a movie. Two sisters live near the mountain where a serial killer is murdering young woman. Their father is the homicide detective. Since the divorce, the sisters mother spends much of her time either in her room -at work- or the library. The mom loves her daughters -but is not an active participating type. The father has moved out --living and working in S.F. Since 'no' parents are 'hands-on' planning the girls schedules, activities, watching over their homework or free time -- The sisters are wonderfully 'close' and creative with their free time. They are each others best friends. (2 years apart in ages).A wonderful line in the book communicates the flavor of 'life-on-that-mountain' for Rachel and Patty ---(the two sisters), growing up --running free --creating their days together:"It was the place we found out about everything, that mountain. Animal bones and deer scat. Birds, flowers, condoms. The bodies of dead animals, the bodies of men. Rocks and lizards. Sex and death."Everything about the storytelling feels genuine. I was emotionally engaged from beginning to end."After Her" is 'FRESH'. The entire story is told from the eyes of TWO YOUNG GIRLS. Each extraordinary in their own way!

It's official: I love Joyce Maynard's books!This was the third Maynard novel I listened to in less than three months.I only skimmed the blurb, and to be honest, I wasn't that keen that it had at its centre a serial killer. Luckily, this was about much more than that. First and foremost, this was about sisterly love between Rachel, the narrator, and Patty, her younger sister. Their devotion for each other was very touching. When their adored policeman father leaves their mother, the girls become even closer. They're poor, their mother is mostly absent, but they're resourceful and imaginative.When the "sunset strangler" commits crimes in the mountains behind their house, the girls' lives are affected, especially as their father is the detective in charge with the case. Years pass, more young women are killed, still, the killer evades capture. This takes a toll on the girls and especially on their father. I loved the first three-quarters of the novel, which focused on the girls in their pre-teen, teen and their twenties. Both girls, but especially Rachel, are completely besotted with their charming, but imperfect father.The last part was a bit rushed and uneven, and the ending could be seen as far-fetched, but the rest of the novel was marvellous.This audiobook was narrated by Maynard herself, which was great as she's got a soothing voice. So, if you like coming-of-age novels and a bit of mystery/suspense, then this novel is likely to satisfy you.

The most overwhelming thought I had after finishing this book was that it surprised me. It surprised me because based on the blurb ("part thriller, part love story"), I expected an accessible, fairly straightforward thriller, and what I ended up getting was a poignant coming-of-age story with vague murder mystery elements. It surprised me because, through the same logic, I also expected a love story - and yes, this is a love story, but not a conventional one. It's a love story between sisters, between fathers and daughters. And finally, it surprised me because I read Labor Day and didn't find it all that charming - but I found this book endlessly charming.This isn't the kind of book that inspires a lot of debate or strong opinions. It's somewhat of a quiet book, with beautifully drawn out, flawed characters (especially Tony, the father - who starts out larger than life and slowly deflates, and who also manages to be the most wonderful and most awful father all at once) and one of the most exceptional sister bonds I've ever come across in fiction.

The father figure in After Her is a cross between Don Draper and Atticus Finch, and if that won't persuade you to read it, then perhaps the fact that the book is the second-best book I've read all year might.*Few books make me yearn for my childhood, but After Her did just that. I'm purchasing it for the cousins I grew up with, the ones who shared my overactive imagination and who roamed the neighborhoods, woods, and swamps with me. I hope they'll read it with as much nostalgia as I did.Fans of Jo Ann Beard's In Zanesville will really enjoy this novel. I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher.*The best book I've read this year being We Need New Names, which is, at the time of this review, on the long list for the Man Booker Prize.

Swedish Review Året är 1979 och systrarna Rachel och Patty bor i Marin County i Kalifornien. När flera unga flickor blir mördade i bergen bakom huset där de bor blir deras pappa som är kriminalinspektör den som får leda utredningen. Deras pappa bor inte längre hemma och deras mamma har sedan hon kastade ut honom pga av att han var ständigt otrogen drabbats av en depression och bryr sig inte så mycket om vad flickorna gör när de är hemma och trots deras pappas varningar så kan de inte låta bli att vistas i bergen...Bergen bakom huset är den första boken jag har läst av Joyce Maynard och det snygga omslaget samt handlingen gjorde mig nyfiken på boken. Vad jag gillade med boken var mixen av familjedrama och mysterium. En berättelse om att växa upp, men förutom de vanliga tonårsproblemen som mens och killar så måste Rachel och Patty också leva med att det är en seriemördare lös. Och, det är något som kommer att påverka dem mycket både under deras uppväxt och senare i livet. Rachel som är äldst har börjat se att hennes far inte är den hjälte som hon dyrkat sedan hon var liten och även Patty har börjat upptäcka hans mindre smickrande sidor. Och i och med att fler flickor blir mördade påverkas även deras far av det och de ser hur misslyckandet med att fånga mördaren tär på honom. Boken utspelas både när Rachel och Patty var barn i slutet av 70-talet sedan mot slutet av boken så får man läsa om Rachel, 30 år senare, när hon beslutar sig för att skriva en fiktionell bok om sin uppväxt och morden. Jag trodde att innan jag läste boken att mer av handlingen skulle utspelas 30-år senare, och jag var till en viss del besviken att så lite av boken handlingen tog vid 30-år senare, men Maynard får till slutet så bra att missnöjet försvann. Berget bakom huset är en mycket bra bok, jag ser fram emot att läsa andra böcker av Joyce Maynard!Jag vill tacka HarperCollins Nordic för att ha försett mig med ett recensionsex för en ärlig recension. English Review The year is 1979, and sisters Rachel and Patty live in Marin County, California. When several young girls are murdered in the hills behind the house where they live is it their father who is a police detective that is put in charge of leading the investigation. Their father doesn't live at home anymore since their mother throw him out because his was notoriously unfaithful to her. She has since then been depressed and doesn't care that much about what the girls do when they are at home, and they continue to spend time in the hills, despite their father's warning.After Her is the first book I have read by Joyce Maynard and the gorgeous cover of the Swedish book together with the blurb made me quite curious and I just had to read the book. I really like the mix of family drama and mystery. It's a tale about growing up, but besides the usual problem girls face growing up must Rachel and Patty also live with a serial killer loose. And, that is something that is going to affect them quite a lot during their time growing up and later on. Rachel, the oldest has started to see that her father is not the hero that she has worshiped since she was little and even Patty has started to notice his less than flattering sides. And, their father is affected as times goes and more girls are being killed without the killer is being apprehended.The book's story both takes place during Rachel and Patty are young at the end of the 70s and towards the end of the book, the story takes us 30 years forward in time to a grown-up Rachel who is planning on writing a fictional book, about growing up and about the killer. I did think before I started to read the book that more of the story would take place when Rachel was older and I was in a way disappointed that so little of the book was dedicated to older Rachel. But, my disappointed went away when Maynard managed to write a truly excellent ending. After Her was a very good book and I'm looking forward to reading more books by Joyce Maynard!I want to thank HarperCollins Nordic for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!Read this review and others on A Bookaholic Swede

1979 was a pivotal year for two young sisters, and would come to spotlight how loneliness, love, and the obsession with a murder investigation could turn lives on end.Detective Anthony Torricelli was in charge of the case involving a serial killer attacking women in Marin County. At the same time, his imaginative daughters, Rachel and Patty, while away their hours on the mountain and the surrounding areas targeted by the killer.Narrated in Rachel's first person voice, "After Her: A Novel" reveals the unique fantasy life of young girls, even as we come to relate to the very special bond that can develop between sisters when left to their own devices.What woman can't relate to how a young girl feels when her body is changing and her thoughts and feelings take on a life of their own? Who doesn't relate to how an empty day in the life of imaginative girls can offer the opportunity for unique entertainment? I especially loved how the two girls created "movie nights" for themselves, when, in the absence of their own TV, they peeked through the windows of neighbors' homes to view their favorite shows.But what happens to the lives of these two girls when they try to help their father solve the case, after the media is turning against him and blaming him for his "inability" to do so? Will their efforts pay off, or will all their lives be altered in inexplicable ways?In this poignant story with themes of obsession, dedication, loss, and the unique bond between fathers and daughters, especially when their families have been fractured by divorce, I felt a wide range of emotions. And unlike many fictional tales of this kind, there were no predictable wrap-ups of the case. Instead we had to wait more than thirty years for the denouement that would bring justice and satisfaction to the narrator of this tale. I could not put this book down, and invariably, Maynard brings us a five star read that I will think about and remember always.

Based loosely on Marin County's "Trailside Killer" back in the 70s this book is part thriller, part family drama/coming of age story. The effects of a serial killer on the loose on the lead detective's family is explored. Rachel is the older daughter, now in her 40s, and tells the story as she looks back to her childhood. I was hooked from page one and listened compulsively until the last page. The characters were well developed and the tension palpable. I loved the 1970's references. The bond between the sisters, the love between a father and his daughters, the wild imagination of young girls, the emotional toll on their father as the murdered girls accumulated, the depressed mother who read all day....all this and more combined to make for a satisfying read. The author flawlessly narrated the audiobook.This was the first book I've read by Joyce Maynard but won't be my last. I've already started the next one.

It's a thriller; it's a coming-of-age story; it's a thriller -- no it's BOTH! For me, the thriller portion of this story takes a big backseat to the engaging, compelling, and carefully drawn story of young sisters Rachel and Patty. Told in Rachel's honest, appealing voice, this book often reads like a memoir rather than a "detective story". The sisters are creative, spirited, honorable, and wonderfully young and naive. Their love for their dad is the universal" every girl's" love of father; though his role is secondary to the sisters' role, the relationship between the determined policeman and his daughters will both melt and break your heart. Sure, there are plot holes related to the thriller portion of the story, but who cares when the primary characters are so completely engaging. I read this gem in two evenings.

Review to follow.

I get a lot of books to review so I get into this bad habit of starting them without any expectations. I quit a lot of them within a few pages. But if the voice grabs me, I stay. Initially AFTER HER seemed like a thriller with a good voice so I stuck around. It was actually something very different, but I was already seduced into it and couldn't stop.This is really a coming-of-age novel of sorts, about 13-year-old Rachel whose only real friend is her little sister Patty. Her parents are divorced, her mother is always working, she idolizes her father but he's rarely around. At the center of Rachel's story is the Sunset Strangler, a serial killer prowling the mountains of Marin County, the mountains that just happen to be right in Rachel's backyard. And her father is lead detective on the case, suddenly thrusting her into the popular crowd at school.The strangler is what sets the plot in motion, but Rachel and her relationships with her father and sister are what the novel is actually about. And much of it centers on the difficult days of being 13. (There's a particularly beautiful section at the beginning of Part 2 where grown-up Rachel reflects on those days.)

This book will be published in September and I highly recommend it. It is a coming-of-age story blended with a mystery surrounding a serial killer. The relationship between the two sisters and with their father is memorable. I didn't mind the slow pace of the book for the first 200 pages; indeed the fact that nothing happens is the point. Murders aren't solved; womanhood is not achieved. The pace picks up --almost dizzingly so -- in the last 100 pages.

For more reviews check out my blog: http://ageekybookworm.tumblr.com/This was more than anything to me, a story of sisters. There is the mystery of the Sunset Strangler, but that almost feels like a back story. The adventures Patty and Rachel share are wonderful and the kind one remembers for a lifetime. Playing ding dong ditch, exploring the mountain in their backyard, and learning about friendships and sisterhood. She rather accurately portrayed the 13 year old girl and confusing time it is. Also her enduring close relationship with her father, how she considered him to be a hero in her child's mind, to realize later he's only human, and the fact that she gave her depressed mother a pass so often when she clearly was neglecting them. I found this story to be very likeable, and will be looking for more by this author.

This book was outstanding! The story takes place in San Francisco during 1979. We are told upfront that Rachel's sister saved her but she wasn't able to save her sister. So during the whole story we wonder who will do? And how will it happen? It's something you would never expect. Excellent writing! I'm so glad to have the Toledo Lucas County Public Library send these books straight to my iPhone.

Maynard brings her talents to this thriller weaving a truely enjoyable read. For the Maynard fan, you have everything you have come to expect from a Joyce Maynard book here: great characters, a well crafted story spanning 30 years, and the believability that Maynard brings every time she creates. Rachel is one of her best characters to date.