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After She's Gone
After She's Gone
After She's Gone
Audiobook (abridged)5 hours

After She's Gone

Written by Lisa Jackson

Narrated by Julia Whelan

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

()

About this audiobook

In this explosive new thriller, #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jackson delves into the deep bond between two sisters and their shared dream that becomes a harrowing nightmare of madness, hatred and jealousy.…

Cassie Kramer and her younger sister, Allie, learned the hazards of fame long ago. Together, they’d survived the horror of a crazed fan who nearly killed their mother, former Hollywood actress Jenna Hughes. Still, Cassie moved to L.A., urging Allie to follow. As a team, they’d take the town by storm. But Allie, finally free of small-town Oregon, and just that little bit more beautiful, also proved to be more talented—and driven. Where Cassie got bit parts, Allie rose to stardom. But now her body double has been shot on the set of her latest movie—and Allie is missing.

Police discover that the last call to Allie’s phone came from Cassie, though she has no recollection of making it. Instead of looking like a concerned relative, Cassie is starting to look like a suspect—the jealous sister who finally grew sick of playing a supporting role. As the tabloids go into a frenzy, Cassie ends up in a Portland psych ward. Is she just imagining the sinister figure who comes to her bedside, whispering about Allie—a visitor of whom there is no record? Is someone trying to help—or drive her mad?

Convinced she’s the only one who can find Allie, Cassie checks herself out of the hospital. But a sudden slew of macabre murders—each victim masked with a likeness of a member of Cassie’s family—makes Cassie fear for her safety and her sanity. The only way to end the nightmare is to find out what really happened to Allie. And with each discovery, Cassie realizes that no one can be trusted to keep her safe—least of all herself.…

LanguageEnglish
Release dateDec 29, 2015
ISBN9781491531525
Author

Lisa Jackson

When asked what has inspired her to write more than 50 novels brimming with adventure, intrigue, hot passion, and high emotion, bestselling Oregon author, Lisa Jackson gets a mischievous smile on her face. Then the words flow as fast as her fingers fly on her computer keyboard when she writes. Her eyes sparkling with memories, she tells stories of her youth, stories of a Huckleberry Finn childhood in the small lumber town of Molalla and on her grandparents' nearby farm in the hilly region of western Oregon. There in the old growth timber, Lisa rode bareback and raced along the ages-old sheep, cattle and deer trails. In the nearby river, she skinnydipped and caught crawdads in her bare hands. An inventive child, she sneaked out of the house and rode her bicycle or horse in the moonlight and dreamed up childish pranks that would have done Tom Sawyer proud. "Nobody could have had a better childhood," Lisa remarks, her twinkling eyes and got-away-with-something-grin giving her a youthful appearance that defies the fact that she is in her mid-40s and the mother of two college-age sons. "My childhood was enchanted. We were a small, tightly knit family. My mum and dad were and still are my greatest supporters." Why then does Lisa write lousy dads and conniving relatives into the plots of books that regularly earn berths on such national bestseller lists as USA Today's and Waldenbooks'? "I think the deepest angst people can experience is what can develop among family members, because our emotions run so deep there," Lisa replied. "Deep down, we care about these people, but being related doesn't mean we think alike or want the same things. I also think manipulative people are fascinating. Characters like those help me to keep the readers' interest. I love it when readers write me to complain that they didn't get any sleep the night before because they had to finish my book." Lisa studied English Literature at Oregon State University for two years before she married. In 1981, when her younger son was a year old, she began writing novels. But she decided she needed a steady income and landed a nine-dollar-per-hour bank job. Before she could begin work, however, her supervisor was arrested for embezzling. "About then I sold my first book, A Twist of Fate, which — guess what! — was about a woman suspected of bank embezzling. It was purely coincidental. The story came out of my background in banking," Lisa provided. "But I guess you could say, if not for a bank embezzler, I might not have made it as an author." In addition to suspenseful contemporary page-turners, Lisa also delivers medieval romances set in eleventh and twelfth century Wales. "I enjoy doing these medieval period pieces, because women were so trod upon then. By nature of their lot in life, I can generate empathy or sympathy for the medieval heroines. They're underdogs from the get-go. Tell me what woman doesn't root for the underdog!" Britannia Roads, a creative Lansing, Michigan tour packager, read the first in Lisa's medieval trilogy and loved her writing so much that she designed a tour of Wales, with Lisa as the featured guest. Tour members will visit some of Princess Diana's favourite places to stay in Ruthin Castle. They'll be in for a treat when Lisa regales them with author stories during the tour, for she is as talented at public speaking as she is at writing novels. When not writing, Lisa enjoys spectator sports, reading, watching The X-Files and socialising now that she's a single mum. Her favourite authors include Pat Conroy, Nelson DeMille, Stephen King, Patricia Cornwell, Dick Francis, and other authors who also write compelling page-turners.

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Reviews for After She's Gone

Rating: 3.681034448275862 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

58 ratings7 reviews

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  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    After She’s Gone by Lisa Jackson is the third book in the West Coast series. Cassie Kramer and her younger sister, Allie grew up with a famous mother. Their mother, Jenna Hughes was a famous actress. When she was a child, Cassie (and her mother) had a horrible incident with a crazy (and very dangerous) fan. Cassie still has issues with it to this day. However, that did not stop Cassie from moving to Hollywood to try her hand at acting. When her sister, Allie turned eighteen, Cassie encouraged her to join her. Allie was an instant success (with some help from their father). They are filming (actually filming it again) a scene for Allie’s latest movie Dead Heat, when Allie turns up missing. When Cassie ends up being the number one suspect, she checks herself into a psychiatric hospital in Portland, Oregon. One night Cassie gets a visit from someone dressed like an old-fashioned nurse (with the cape and nursing cap). The person tells Cassie that her sister is still alive (was she visited by a real person or was it a hallucination). Cassie checks herself out of the hospital the next morning and sets out to find her sister (she thinks she is the only person who can find her). Will Cassie be able to find her sister? After She’s Gone sounded like a great novel of suspense, intrigue, and mystery. It was actually a very predictable book with little intrigue (or suspense). The characters are very unlikable (especially Cassie). Cassie had so many issues (anger, trust, blackouts, hallucinations) that I wanted to commit her. There were so few clues that would help the reader solve the mystery (though it was very easy to figure out). The author used the same phrases and sentences several times throughout the book (it was like she was short on the required word count so she copied and pasted). There is also many pages of Cassie’s internal dialogue. It was monotonous (I just started skimming past it after a while). This novel was tedious and dragged on for too long (sorry, but just being truthful). I give After She’s Gone 2.5 out of 5 stars. I received a complimentary copy of After She’s Gone from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Good characters, great narrator. I really liked the story line.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Ten years have passed since a deranged serial killer terrorized movie legend Jenna Hughes and her daughters, Cassie and Allie Kramer. Both girls have gone on to acting careers, although Cassie finds herself in Allie’s shadow as her younger sister attains Movieland stardom. But when a stand-in is shot and nearly killed on the set of Allie’s latest movie, the young starlet suddenly disappears. Since the terror of that long-ago attack, Cassie has suffered blackouts and hallucinations; as she desperately searches for her missing sister, others involved with the movie are murdered and all the clues point to Cassie as the culprit. Cassie flits between Los Angeles and Portland in search of answers, hoping to find her sister before the killer. Will she find Allie . . . and will she finally find a way to put past to rest?Cassie’s obsession with finding Allie occasionally hinders the action, but the plot, with its twists and turns, will keep the pages turning. The revelations will not completely surprise astute readers, but the unraveling of hidden secrets and the frantic, fast-paced conclusion are likely to appeal.Recommended.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Book Cover:

    Cassie Kramer and her younger sister, Allie, learned the hazards of fame long ago. Together, they’d survived the horror of a crazed fan who nearly killed their mother, former Hollywood actress Jenna Hughes. Still, Cassie moved to L.A., urging Allie to follow. As a team, they’d take the town by storm. But Allie, finally free of small-town Oregon, and just that little bit more beautiful, also proved to be more talented—and driven. Where Cassie got bit parts, Allie rose to stardom. But now her body double has been shot on the set of her latest movie—and Allie is missing.

    My Thoughts:

    It was an excellent plot but the multiple viewpoints and the shifting back and forth not only of the characters but the time lines, made it somewhat hard to follow. Cassie was a very complex character and even though you felt sympathy for her she wasn't easy to like. I finally gave up even trying. It did keep the reader in suspense until almost the very last as to who the killer was. For that alone I gave it 3.5 stars.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. I am always excited when I receive a free book from an author I already enjoy. This was a good read. It was an interesting premise and I was carried along with the story to the end. I wish I had read the previous two books in the series before I started, but not sure if it would have made a difference to the read. Overall, a decent book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    After She's Gone by Lisa Jackson is a highly recommended mystery/thriller.

    After Cassie Kramer's younger sister Allie followed her to Hollywood, Allie proved to be more talented and driven than Cassie and her fame quickly took hold. Now Allie has disappeared right after her body double is nearly killed on the set of her latest film, Deep Heat, and Cassie, unable to handle the stress, has committed herself to a psychiatric hospital. Cassie was the last known person to talk to Allie and their sibling rivalry is well known. Cassie is a suspect in her sister's disappearance. Both sisters were in the movie; Cassie had a bit part while Allie was the star. Cassie checks herself out of the hospital after a couple days and makes it her mission to find Allie.

    The family is no stranger to the problems that can arise with fame and the media coverage that can follow. Their mother is Jenna Hughes, a well-known, beloved former Hollywood actress. Ten years earlier a crazed fan nearly killed Jenna and Cassie. The event scarred Cassie. (Deep Freeze; 2005) Cassie does suffer from periods where she blacks out and loses track of time but is she capable of killing her own sister? Even though Allie can exasperate her and was seemingly after Cassie's husband, Trent, Cassie doesn't believe she could harm her.

    It appears that this is going to be a fast paced mystery at the beginning, but even with the frantic maneuverings of the characters, the hectic speed is not coupled with a lot of progress. The plot is complex and the unraveling of the mystery is satisfying, but sometimes the pacing seemed a bit too slow. The character of Cassie is well developed and while you may sympathize with Cassie, you aren't necessarily going to like her for most of the book. (It does get better in the last half.) Allie is totally unsympathetic.

    is one of those books that I enjoyed for the most part. It certainly would qualify for an airplane book. You should stay engaged in the story and hold your attention to the end. If I were giving stars it would be a 3.5.


    Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Kensington via Netgalley for review purposes.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Having read most of Lisa Jackson’s books I was surprised by this one. I felt there were loose ends, repetition and at times too many characters to keep track of. Wanting to find out more about the book I did look it up online and found it is book thee in the West Coast Series and wondered if that was why I felt lost and let down a bit by this book. After reading the reviews for “Deep Freeze “ it seems that some of the loose ends I felt were left hanging in this book would have been known to me if I had read that book before this one. What loose ends? Well, in book one there were evidently kidnappings, a stalker/serial murderer, and traumatic events only mentioned in passing in “After She’s Gone”. My guess is that I would also have known and understood the characters better if I had read the three books of this series in order.As for the story – the premise was interesting, the first chapter riveting and then things started to go downhill. It was difficult to warm up to any of the characters except perhaps Trent and then I wondered why he would want or put up with Cassie. Cassie seemed clueless and on a mission she had no hope of finding an answer to…big risk taker with little sense of danger. I finished the book, realized it was an ARC so not in final edited format and hope that by publication date everything I wondered about will be dealt with (it usually is for this author’s books) and that the book will do well. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the copy of this book to read and review.