🔪🩸🌑 “After Dark” (2023) 🌑🩸🔪 – Book Review

MY REVIEW

 

 

Paperback: 287 pages 
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer, Amazon Publishing (November 14, 2023)  
Language: English 
ISBN: 1662511426
ISBN-13: 978-1662511424
⬅️ Click Photo for Purchase Information 

“She’s a pariah with a killer past. Her bid to escape it is nothing short of terrifying in a heart-pounding novel of suspense by Washington Post and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Minka Kent.

 

Afton Teachout has been an outcast in her small town for twenty years―ever since she was accused of murdering her mother’s lover in a blackout fit of rage. That is, if one believes the malicious lies.

 

Living with her grandmother, working a hotel night shift, and relying on pills to get a day’s sleep, Afton is due a little luck. It comes in the form of an unexpected financial windfall. With her newfound wealth, Afton sets a secret plan in motion to help her only friend, Sydney, flee a toxic husband. But the best intentions soon spin out of control.

 

Afton is getting unsettling calls from a restricted number, and someone has been lingering outside her home. As Sydney’s troubled marriage comes into focus, so does Afton’s past. Her second chance―for herself and for Sydney―isn’t what she dreamed of at all. In fact, it’s becoming a nightmare.” 

 

Thank you in advance to the author, Minka Kent, for providing an advance reader’s copy through Kate Rock Book Tours. A positive review was not required nor requested, and all words are my own. 

 

As a reader, I do have several different genres I enjoy. I strongly prefer romantic-suspense, romance, historical.

 

Rarely do I like thrillers. And, then there’s the “new-to-me” author aspect.

 

I actually wanted to read this because I LOVE stories that seemingly have everything figured out at the beginning, but take a strange twist somewhere along the line, and end up so far from where it began that readers should’ve seen it coming, but didn’t.

 

I also loved the “falsely accused/convicted” aspect. In certain cases – what we hear on the news, or read in newspapers – isn’t always the truth. Rather, it is the truth expanded on for sensationalism. Or, parts of the truth are removed because they wouldn’t be as “interesting”. Just because everyone believes a rumor to be true – doesn’t mean it is (doesn’t mean it isn’t either). Just take the infamous McDonald’s lawsuit (Stella Liebeck) for instance.

 

Naturally, seeing a story about a woman who’d been accused of murder (proclaiming she was innocent), some 20 years earlier – who comes into money, but starts having problems soon after? Well, I couldn’t pass that up.

 

This is a deeply psychological trip through the best and worst of human behavior.

 

Kent introduces readers to: 

 

🏨 Afton Teachout

🩺 Sydney Carson-Westfeldt

🏢 Drew Westfeldt

🏥 Cynthia Carson

👵🏻 Beatrice “Bea” Murphy (Afton’s grandmother)

 

Along with other minor characters that help derail and detour the lives of the main characters.

 

Given this is a thriller, there will likely be content that is disturbing to some readers. This includes references to violent and psychotic blackouts, drug abuse, alcohol abuse. There is also a reference to infidelity as well as gaslighting.

 

There is also some “language” – less than a dozen instances of the s-word variation and a “G-dd@mn”. Those were mild and for me, acceptable given the genre. There is only a mention of intimacy, and nothing graphic.

 

Told in first person from both Afton and Sydney’s POV alternating timelines between 2003 and 2023 Kent takes readers from the beginning of the end to the end of the beginning. And, the author wastes no time in setting up the story for readers.

 

Kent starts right off with the 2003 murder of Rick Carson – the father of Sydney, and Vangie’s “boyfriend”. Afton was “convicted” due to a psychological blackout rage, and ended up receiving a “mercy sentence”.

 

Twenty years later – free from the sentence, it is 2023, and Afton is working the night shift as a clerk in a hotel. (As of note, a friend of mine works nights at a hotel, and it is truly as boring as the author portrays it). Nothing too exciting happens. Afton is grateful for nights because she doesn’t have to interact with too many people. There are some who feel she got a slap on the wrist for the 2003 murder. However, her grandmother believes she was innocent and sweetly cared for her during those times. Now, Afton is the one caring for her aging grandmother.

 

Afton happens to get reminded of the lottery draw, and checks her ticket. And, as readers might guess – Afton is the big winner. But, that night also brings a surly customer who claims to have a reservation, and leaves. Another guest then sets Afton’s life off-kilter – Drew Westfeldt – her friend Sydney’s husband. And he isn’t there with Sydney.

 

It reminds Afton of an incident with Drew when they were in high school. Afton toys between telling her friend and not. Despite what’s happened, Sydney is still her friend.

 

Sydney, like Afton, is in her late 30’s – and while she thought having her own business was a good thing, she and her husband are hemorrhaging money due to the economic downturn, which forces Sydney to have to pick up shifts at the E.R. Afton sees Drew working from home as being lazy. Though, Afton thinks she knows what’s going on.

 

The 2003 timeline starts with August and takes readers through Afton’s POV and Sydney’s POV leading up to that fateful event two (2) nights before Christmas. Readers also see how Sydney and Drew are together.

 

Afton starts making “plans”, but doesn’t tell anyone about the windfall. She is devastated to learn about Sydney’s issues and of course, blames Drew, even confronting him. She also hints at knowing something more. She does some digging of her own to see who the mystery lady is.

 

Drew is quick to blame Afton’s “mental” issues on her behavior. He too knows about that night. What he doesn’t know is the entire truth though.

 

It isn’t long until strange things start happening – calls from a restricted number, someone coming by the house, doors unlocked.

 

Sydney also wonders why Drew is acting suspicious as well, starting with the passcode on his phone. Is Afton right about knowing something about Drew?

 

But, soon Afton’s world unravels as does Sydney’s.

 

One is desperate to uncover the truth, another will try to keep it buried – at any, and all costs.

 

The author keeps the thrill going until the final page with a shocking ending.

 

Kent is a mastermind when it comes to channeling a character’s trauma and dealing with multi-faceted characters. Some that could easily be like people we know – or have known.

 

Afton’s “musing” about storms, bread, and milk is slightly humorous. As anyone who’s been through a storm or storm “warning”, there is a correlation between them and the sales of bread and milk.

 

The author’s use of “p!ss or get off the pot” is something my family has said for generations, and despite the tone of the book, I did laugh a bit.

 

I slightly identified with Afton on the caregiver end. In June 2022, a series of falls caused my mother’s health to spiral. Between September 2022 and April 2023, she was in and out of hospitals and skilled nursing facilities. Some of those SNFs, I could write my own horror book on.

 

And, like Afton, I too have wanted to win that lottery jackpot. Though, I disagree about her gram stating people go broke in five (5) years – I can confidently say, that wouldn’t be me. I’ve planned too much 🤣

 

As of note – unless you have your winnings in hand – don’t do anything silly.

 

On a more serious note, I absolutely enjoyed how Kent portrayed the realistic effect of the economy on the everyday person. While some people were not affected, others were. And, Kent realistically shows that even just getting by can be a chore financially. Just because someone is doing poorly financially, that may not be due to poor spending or bad habits – it could simply mean that their NEEDED expenses overshadow what they are bringing in.

 

One issue I did take with the story – when someone used the automated payment systems to make payments on accounts that they were not the account holder on.

 

I’ve used automated payments since around the early 2000’s, if not the mid-late 1990’s – and most often, information is needed that only the account holder would know: last four of social, account number (especially when calling from a number not connected to the account), as well as perhaps a passcode. Unless the person knew all this – it would be quite unlikely for them to pay off the bills.

 

As far as not being able to trace the payment – in most cases, payments can be traced to the last four digits of a credit/debit card, or even a checking account. For instance, my T-Mobile bill shows the last four digits of the card or banking account used, same with my utilities. However, unless someone knew that information – they wouldn’t know who the account holder was.

 

There was another issue with a doctor’s office calling someone and the caller ID not showing up. I will admit that I don’t know each state and city’s CALLER ID policies, but in my state – my doctor’s office shows up as it should. Not the individual doctor, but the group he is with: ie: United Healthcare.

 

Many times, that could be anything to do with the group – scheduling, referrals, etc – but, it still comes up. Sometimes the “sub-group” will come up instead (OptumCare, Southwest Medical). So, that was something I did sort of wonder about – why it wasn’t showing up.

 

It is true that money cannot buy “happiness”, but as the author states – “it can make problems go away”. This is definitely true.

 

Overall, this was an enthralling, creepy, pulse-pounding, evocative read with a “sweetly” deranged “villain” who obviously saw nothing wrong with their actions, even if it included murder. This borders on the 3.5/4 – star scale. In some aspects it is about a 3-star read, but others? A 4-star read. I will state that I had a hard time putting it down for any length of time. The short chapters and fast-pace kept my attention almost like a creepy Lifetime movie I couldn’t look away from.

 

I would love to see a sequel to it, or a follow up to some of the characters in a future book as the ending was a shade lackluster for me. There was also a reference to something Sydney found in Afton’s room, but it is NEVER revealed as to what it was.

 

Anyone who likes psychological thrillers, might be one to check out. This, like her other titles, is a standalone book.

 

 

 

 

RATING:  

 

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Goodreads  

 

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Bookbub  

 

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Personal Rating (see rating explanation in this blog: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html;update https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2022/07/what-goes-into-my-reviews-2022-edition.html) 

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

MINKA KENT has been crafting stories since before she could scribble her name. With a love of the literary dark and twisted, Minka cut her teeth on Goosebumps and Fear Street, graduated to Stephen King as a teenager, and now counts Gillian Flynn, Chevy Stevens, and Caroline Kepnes amongst her favorite authors and biggest influences. Minka has always been curious about good people who do bad things and loves to explore what happens when larger-than-life characters are placed in fascinating situations.

 

In her non-writing life, Minka is a thirty-something wife and mother who equally enjoys sunny and rainy days, loves freshly cut hydrangeas, hides behind oversized sunglasses, travels to warmer climates every chance she gets, and bakes sweet treats when the mood strikes (spoiler alert: it’s often). 

 

 

She can also be found on the following social media sites:  

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorminkakent/

 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MinkaKentAuthor/

 

Website: https://www.minkakent.com/

 

 

 

**This review contains Amazon affiliate links.  

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