This the sequel to The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz, which was a twisty read that I adored and which I think is essential to have read prior to embarking on this, this picks up from where it concluded. The author here has a whale of time playing on the theme of the sequel, as relentlessly chased within the publishing industry, even having the chapter titles taken from well known literary sequels! With her husband, Jacob Finch Bonner deceased, having committed suicide, his widow Anna would have done just fine if she had decided to simply live off the royalties of his runaway bestseller Crib. However, Anna is tempted into writing her own book, as she slips, confident, into becoming an author with remarkable ease.

With the support of the publishing industry, the book, The Afterward, inspired by her experiences, is destined to succeed, becoming a runaway critically acclaimed bestseller. Anna steps into the limelight, embarking on publicity book tours and engagements. Her future looking assured, but then history looks to be repeating itself as, just like her husband, Jake, who had got messages accusing him of plagiarism. Anna starts to receive disturbingly unsettling messages and even parts of Evan Parker's manuscript, which she believed she had got rid of. You might think the sociopath that is Anna deserves this fate, but oddly enough, Korelitz skilfully wrings feelings of support for her as we learn of the eye opening perspective of previous events as a picture of a more vulnerable Anna emerges.

There is drama and dark humour in this entertaining and gripping sequel that builds on previous history and the repercussions that follow. A haunted Anna is willing to look back into the shadows of the past, the secrets, who else could possibly know about her life? What do they want? It took me a little while to become immersed in the story, but once I was, I simply could not let go, as I raced through the pages, desperate to know how it all ends. This is a brilliant sequel, which I recommend to all readers, but with the caveat that I advise reading The Plot first. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.