Alaska Sanders, 21, was voted Miss New England in September 1998. Her ambition to become an actress, a film star, an ambition she had had since childhood, was assured. Then she abruptly gave up her life in Salem, Massachusetts, moved to a small town in New Hampshire with her unambitious, mummy’s boy, boyfriend, Walter, and got a job in a small gas station. And in April 1999 someone murdered her on a beach not far from town. The police quickly identified Walter as the prime suspect and his friend, Eric, as a possible accomplice, Walter killed himself and Eric was imprisoned for life. In 2010, Detective Sergeant Perry Gahalowood of the NH State Police receives evidence that forces him to reopen the case, covertly, at the order of his boss. Perry had previously worked with writer Marcus Goodman on a case which became Marcus’s second million selling book “The Truth About the Harry Quebert” Affair. The two set out to review the evidence, which opens up a whole shelf full of cans of worms.
This book follows on from the previous one, which has no direct impact here except for diverting Marcus from time to time. So this works as a standalone, although the Harry Quebert stuff is a bit of a distraction for the reader. The book leaps back and forward between 1998 and 2010 and is structured rather like a TV show, a character in 2010 starts talking about an earlier event and the scene then shifts to the enactment of the event, running in real time, then shifts back to 2010. I found this quite a neat trick but readers who don’t like flashbacks might not. The plot is very convoluted, as evidence throws suspicion on one character, then on different one, then exonerates someone, then turns out not to. Readers who like trying to solve the mystery (as I do) will find this a pleasant challenge. I confess I did not identify the killer until forced to reevaluate my suspicions, so at the same time as Marcus and just behind Perry. The story was originally published in French but the translation is excellent. It is around 560 pages and quite repetitive in places.

Advance Copy Review

I'm a huge fan of Joel Dicker's The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair so was incredibly excited to see this latest offering which features the same protaganist. That said I did go in with a little trepidation as I didn't want to be disappointed! I needn't have worried.

The keep-you-guessing-til-the-end plot, peppered with many twists along the way, kept me hooked throughout and it was a thrill that some recurring characters made an appearance (no spoilers here). A knowledge of previous works featuring Marcus Goldman are helpful, ultimately this book works without that context and stands alone as just a brilliant mystery and one I can happily recommend!

This gripping book is like an onion, more layers just keep appearing! It refers back to the author’s previous book, The Harry Quebert Affair, and although I have read it I couldn’t remember much about it so it’s not essential to read the books in order. The book perfectly encapsulates small town life in America, and switching between the 2 time lines is straightforward to follow. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish and definitely recommend it.

Joel Dicker’s The Alaska Sanders Affair is an intricate mystery that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Dicker weaves together multiple timelines and narrative voices, while this approach may initially seem daunting, it quickly becomes clear. As the reader delves deeper into the mystery, the puzzle pieces begin to fall into place, revealing a web of interconnected events and hidden truths.

One of the novel’s greatest strengths is its ability to keep the reader guessing. Dicker skillfully employs misdirection and red herrings, leading the audience down unexpected paths and constantly questioning their assumptions.

The novel features a diverse cast of characters, each with their own unique perspectives and motivations. From the enigmatic Alaska Sanders to the determined author and detective investigating her disappearance, the characters bring depth and complexity to the story.

I had read that Joel Dicker's "The Truth About The Harry Quebert Affair" was a huge sensation in America, but never got around to reading it. That hole in my reading lead to some serious confusion as "The Alaska Sanders Affair" begins in an autobiographical fashion by the fictional writer of TTATHQA. Once I had worked out that Marcus Goldman was the fictional writer created by Joel Dicker to act as autobiographical chronicler I was off and running.
The style brilliantly draws you into the narrative, the biographical details of the author and his friends interspersed with what is presented as a real investigation, gives his characters real depth. The murder of the beautiful, and much loved Alaska Sanders is reinvestigated 11 years after her supposed murderer was imprisoned. There is a disquieting ebb and flow of information divulged, and until the final pages there is still enough lingering doubt as to who the real murderer was.
A comprehensive realisation of small town life, where superficially everything is perfect, yet hidden below the surface guilty secrets lie.
If I have one criticism it would be that there were probably too many layers as the onion was unpealed. Probably, a couple of blind alleys fewer would not have detracted from the big reveal. The slowly building tension began to seep out a little too early.
However, this is a minor criticism. Overall a hugely satisfying read.

Having sold a lot of copies of The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair in my time, I was curious to read Joel Dicker's work. This is a sequel to Harry Quebert, but you don't have to have read it to make sense of this book. The writer, Marcus Goldman returns to the small town where he helped solve his previous cold case, to be presented with another. Eleven years previously, a young woman called Alaska Sanders was murdered. The case was solved within two days, only now, new evidence has come to light which means that the case must be re-investigated. This is a fairly traditional whodunit with a number of twists and turns and more than a few red herrings. A fairly entertaining read but one in which you, as the reader are required to suspend a fair amount of disbelief for everything to work out in the end.

A decade ago, Alaska Sanders was found brutally murdered on the shore of a lake near the small town where she lived with her boyfriend. Two men were arrested, one died in custody and the other pleaded guilty, A new killing seems to reference the case.. Marcus Goldman, celebrity author of the Truth about the Harry Quebert affair teams up with his friend Sergeant Gahalowood and starts to tease out the threads. Its a clever and complex plot with plenty of red-herrings and dead -ends - a more than competent police procedural.. the frequent referencing of the previous book and the extent of Goldman's talent and fame do make you wonder if Joel Dicker has a somewhat inflated self-image.

I really enjoyed this book! I look forward to reading other books by this author. There were so many twists in this book I didn’t see coming. But then again I rarely can figure books out. I would definitely recommend this book

Having loved the Harry Quebert Affair I was reluctant to read further into the series in case I was disappointed but I needn't have worried, I absolutely loved The Alaska Sanders Affair. The plot and characters all combined to once again feel like I read the book in no time at all and I loved it; 5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review

***SPOILERS***
When I got this book, I didn't realise that it was the 3rd book in the series. So in a quick succession I read all three.
I find that Joel's stories are a lot like jigsaw puzzles. You start with all these random bits and pieces of storylines and characters and only once the final piece is in, you can see the big picture.
These are the perfect holiday reads, they keep you interested, but easy enough to follow. And even when I don't like some particular character or story line, I still can't put it down as I need to know how it all untangles in the end.
However, I felt a bit underwhelmed when I finished reading this novel.. Why the actual murderer's DNA wasn't picked up at any point? How did they know that confession was coerced, considering they were never present in the interrogation room and only one person knew about it? There were some little parts of the story they didn't seem to fit quite right. It is still a good read in my opinion, but could be better.

How do I start...at the beginning I guess, which for me was reading the prequel 'The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair' a couple of weeks ago. Loved that book and read it as I'd read that this book relied heavily for its storyline on the predecessor.

First things first: It does, however you could read this book as a stand alone but there would be parts that wouldn't make much sense. They're not really important parts, just contextual.

OK the book...another masterfully written book from one of the masters of the story twist! Seriously they are littered everywhere. What I love about this author is that it requires little, if any, effort to read and get caught up in the stories he unwinds...everything flows logically!

Downsides, very few in truth....maybe the first book impressed me more but that could just be my reaction to being immersed in his prose for the first time. A couple of loose ends in terms of character relationships but nothing major...and they could be left loose deliberately as another tale was strongly hinted at.

Joel Dicker is an excellent storyteller and I reckon anyone reading this would enjoy....another long read but again, not overly so....it doesn't feel like there are wasted space anywhere.

Give him a try, that would be my recommend. Many thanks to NetGallet, the Publisher...and of course Joel for an excellent read!

Advanced Review Copy - Net Galley

I've found a new "must read" author ... Joël Dicker has a refreshingly curious style of telling a story. This is the third outing for his creation, the investigative author Marcus Goldman, and I am going to buy and devour the earlier entries in the series before the summer is out. (The first, "The Truth About The Harry Quebert Affair" was turned into a well received ten part Netflix series...I'll put that onto the back burner for the dark winter nights so as not to spoil the enjoyment of reading the original - though thanks to this book I know some of the main outcomes, not necessarily why they continue to resonate with the characters we meet along the way.)

Both books are commented upon, even championed, in the narrative of this latest release, but not in an annoying manner...you get enough of a feel for what went before to whet your appetite but not block the story telling.

It's the curious nature of the story telling that's got me hooked...most "whodunnits" and murder mysteries contain clues and red herrings...Joél Dicker complements these with bombshell hints as to what's to come...and as you can probably guess I loved it...the telling hops from the "now" to incidents in the past, opens them up and closes them again without revealing everything, encouraging you to read on until the event is rediscovered and elaborated on, sometimes from a different perspective, sometimes filling in the gaps, often leaving you aching for the reveal.

The "whodunnit" aspect continues right to the penultimate chapter, in the course of the read I laid the blame at two or three doors and didn't get it right - excellent story telling and an unreserved 5 out of 5 star rating for my favourite read of Summer 2024.

Merci Monsieur Dicker.

I had read and enjoyed The Truth about Harry Qubert affair and requested this one on NetGalley

Like the previous book, the story is told from the point of view a writer who is writing a book about the process of solving a mystery. Harry Qubert of the previous novel makes several cameo appearances in this novel has do some of the Police people .
The author uses this fictitious novel to tell us some of the story which is told in flashbacks from the other characters in the story . it’s quite a clever writing technique although I did find personally I became rather irritated with it towards the end
I found that I got rather confused in this book it was jumping about too much and I lost the story on several occasions
There’s a clever twist in the end, which I had actually predicted.

I am not generally a big fan of mystery or crime novels and ultimately this book was really not for me. I suspect if you are a crime novel fan this would be a interesting take on the genre.

I read an early copy of the novel on NetGalley UK. The book is published in the UK on the 12th of September 2024 Quercus books, MacLehose press
This review will appear on Goodreads, NetGalley UK, and my book blog bionicSarahsbooks.wordpress.com. After publication it will also appear on Amazon UK.

Restless and haunted by the ghosts of his past, bestselling Author Marcus Goldman reconnects with his old detective friend Perry Gahalowood and the two start to investigate the case of Alaska Sanders, a girl who was murdered over a decade ago in the nearby town of Mount Pleasant. Beautiful, smart and with an acting career just starting to take off, Alaska Sanders leaves her job at the local gas station but never comes home. Her body is discovered the next day in the woods nearby. Her boyfriend Walter is initially accused of the crime, but when he implicates his best friend Eric and then tragically dies, Eric faces life behind bars. Case closed. However, when new information comes to light which seems to suggest Walter framed Eric for the murder, Marcus and Perry set out to unravel the many secrets the town holds and discover what really happened to Alaska Saunders.

This is a small-town American murder mystery at its finest. Everyone has an agenda, and everyone has secrets they want to keep quiet. Dicker unravels the case, clue by clue at a pace that may infuriate some readers, but I found truly gripping. Every avenue is explored, and you really sit with the main characters for every twist and turn.

The book is incredibly readable, very well plotted and I found it hard to put it down. Dicker really masterfully handles a lot of characters and really builds up the sense of small-town community life in Mount Pleasant. I initially found the jumps between timelines and points of view quite jarring. They are not subtle. One character will start telling something in the present and it will jump to that thing happening in the past, but once I got used to the style of the writing and the jumping back and forth, I really enjoyed the wild ride of the mystery.

This is the first book I’ve read by Joël Dicker. I was aware of his smash-hit bestseller The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair and have watched the drama based on the book, but haven’t read it. I would say it’s essential to have read Dicker’s previous books as this novel works perfectly well as a standalone mystery, but there are a lot of references regarding events from both Baltimore Boys and the Harry Quebert Affair woven throughout so I suspect readers that have read those books will have a slightly richer reading experience.

Overall, this is exactly what I want from crime fiction. Enjoyable characters, lots of plot, twists and turns (some guessable some not), it’s not the most elevated writing style, but the author knows how to spin a great yarn and keep the reader engaged right up to the last page. A great holiday read, and I will definitely be looking up the author’s previous books and looking forward to the next installment in the Marcus Goldman series!

Joel Dicker is one of my must read authors and this book confirms his place as a master of story telling.

Alaska Sanders, is new to town but not without history or secrets in tow but why would someone want to kill her? What do the notes in her pockets mean?

Having read The Truth About The Harry Quebert Affair and Baltimore boys it was a privilege to re-visit some of the main characters. Many truths were explored and satisfactory endings given to characters from previous novels.

Joel Dickers book are not fast paced, or action packed but clue by clue they unravel what it means to be human and what it takes to make the decisions they do, even to kill.

It's hard not to compare any new work of Dicker with the beloved "The truth about the Harry Quebert Affair". I liked and enjoyed most of this book, although the twists and turns were much less twisty and turny. For the first time, I was able to figure out the killer and many of the curveballs that the author sent our way, and admittedly, this greatly reduced my joy of this book. I still devoured it over a couple of days, though!
The book follows the same formula as his previous books: present day investigation of a cold case.
There was a lot of repetition and could have been shorter... and I missed Marcus' exchanges with his mum.

I think it's an ok book, and can definitely be enjoyed by lots of people interested in thrillers. But it pains me to say it's not at the height of some of the author's previous work.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

Eleven years after Alaska Sanders is found murdered and missing his writer friend and idol Harry Quebert, author and investigative journalist Marcus Goldman finds himself sucked into yet another small town mystery after murder occurs right under his nose.

One of the aspects of this book that I really enjoyed was sitting in front of the Joël, yet again, showed us why we keep coming back for his tension filled small-town mysteries where everyone is a suspect and you can trust no-one. The claustrophobia of the closed off setting really added to the craving of one more chapters, especially when one question was answered another one authentically appeared.

The back and forth of memories and events leading up to deaths were perfectly slotted into place, showing, once again, another well structured and thoughtfully plotted novel. Although at times I felt that I lost a few threads due to the vast size of the cast, I was able to quickly pick it up quickly.

Being back with Marcus was great. He's intellectual and such a humane and thoughtful character. I felt that within the pages of The Alaska Sanders Affair, he showed more vulnerability when it came to his personal life, including his friendship with Harry Quebert, as well as his romantic life.

I did feel that at times, the pace got a tad slow, but all in all, coupled with the excellently executioned red herrings, it added to the air of mystery!

Would highly recommend reading, especially if you're a mystery lover!

I found this book quite hard to follow despite reading it over three days. It would have been easier if I had read the previous book The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair first but I suspect I would still have struggled. Having two books with the same titles as those of the fictional author and main character Marcus invites problems. The frequent switches in time from the present to a crime 10 years earlier does not help and then episodes are often repeated but from a different character’s viewpoint which I found tiresome.
The narrative also felt a bit stilted although I see that it has been translated which may be a contributing factor.
The relationship between Marcus and Perry the police sergeant is an integral part of the book and I thought that this was developed quite well as they investigate the death of Alaska Sanders in a small town in New Hampshire.
The ending was satisfying although it has been designed to lead onto a futher book in the series which I think I will skip.
Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for the ARC.

This is the first time that I have read a book by Joel Dicker and it certainly will not be the last! I was hooked! I really could not put this book down and read through night into the early hours of the morning to finish it!
The author has an amazing mind and writes a very complex story that is transformed into an easy read. I kept thinking that I knew who the murderer was and then was left gobsmacked as I was so very wrong........
The emotions of the characters, sheer determination and tenacity to get the right conviction are demonstrated throughout.
At times I thought that I was part of the investigation team as I was have similar thoughts and questions and these are all answered.
I am really looking forward to finding out how the 'writer' finds his way in the next chapter of the series.

Joël Dicker is without doubt a great thriller writer. The Alaska Sanders Affair is a lengthy and incredibly interesting detective novel. With the main 'detective' being a writer. The writing technique I found very useful, where a current topic or question is followed by a short fly on the wall look back in time. Marcus Goldman, the writer, together with Sergeant Perry Gahalowood, team up again to try and discover who really did kill Alaska Sanders. In the investigation they discover that the sleepy small town appearance of Mount Pleasant is just a façade and it takes a lot of chipping away to reveal exactly what was happening back when Alaska was killed nearby.
This is a very long novel and must represent top value as every page is riveting. I would like to complement the translators who did a faultless job.
A very complex and detailed detective thriller, logical too.