I read The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair some years ago, and whilst I remember enjoying it a lot I don't remember much detail of the plot, which is a shame, as this novel The Alaska Sanders Affair, picks up the same characters and narrator, Marcus Goldman, 12 years later, when he is drawn to investigate the 11 year old murder of Alaska Sanders. However it is very possible to read this as a standalone novel with a preamble from Goldman which sets out the bare bones of the previous plot and reveals that after the runaway success of that novel (which he wrote) he feels like a one-hit wonder.

This confusion of the author Joel Dicker, and the narrator Marcus Goldman, mirrors many of the twists and turns within this novel as the rather naive Goldman searches through the evidence and people linked to this old case to try to find out who really murdered the young and charismatic victim.

Is this book overlong? At times I thought so, and at times not. There is a lot of detail and a lot of characters, both slowly revealed to us. But like the previous novel it is hugely engaging and I was carried along with the twists and turns of the plot. There is a feeling of unfinished business at the end so we may be able to look forward to another novel in the series - perhaps in 2035. If I'm still around I will read it and I do recommend this one.