Two decades after an event that shook the world, a chilling cold case murder is about to make the headlines all over again
DNA from a tiny bone fragment has allowed the New York medical examiner’s office to make its first successful identification of a 9/11 victim in years. Victoria Ford had been accused of the brutal killing of her married lover at the time of her death. In a chilling final phone call from the North Tower, Victoria begged her sister to prove her innocence.
Rising star of daytime TV Avery Mason knows this story is gold, and heads to the city to get the scoop. But as she digs into the events of twenty years ago, she learns that the twisted puzzle of Victoria’s life belies a deeply sinister tale. Meanwhile, Avery’s own past – one she has kept secret from both her employers and her audience – looks set to be revealed. She may get the exclusive of a lifetime, but for both Victoria and Avery the shocking details of the things they did years ago refuse to stay dead and buried…
Book Info: Print Length: 396 pages. Publisher: Canelo Crime. Publication Date: 6 Jan 2022
About the author:
Charlie Donlea is the #1 internationally bestselling author of Summit Lake, The Girl Who Was Taken, Don’t Believe It, Some Choose Darkness, The Suicide House, Twenty Years Later, and Those Empty Eyes. Praised for his “soaring pace, teasing plot twists” (BookPage) and talent for writing an ending that “makes your jaw drop” (The New York Times Book Review), Donlea has been called a “bold new writer…on his way to becoming a major figure in the world of suspense” (Publishers Weekly). A late bloomer, he was twenty years old when he read his first novel––THE FIRM by John Grisham––and knew he would someday write thrillers. His books have now been translated into twenty languages across nearly forty countries.
He was born and raised in Chicago, where he continues to live with his wife and two children. Visit him online at CharlieDonlea.com.
My Review:
This is my first book by Charlie Donlea and I am delighted to see that he has a several more books which are all available on Kindle Unlimited too.
Twenty Years Later is a gripping page-turner with a dual timeline. Twenty years ago, Victoria Ford was about to be charged with the murder of her married lover. With indisputable evidence, DNA and a motive, Victoria visits her attorney on 11th September 2001 in his office at The World Trade Centre at 8.45am.
Twenty years later, new DNA technology has allowed the New York medical examiner’s office to make its first successful identification of a 9/11 victim.
Avery Mason, is an up-and-coming TV star, she’s the host of the extremely popular American Events show and has a personal interest in cold-cases. When she hears about the ME’s findings, she wants to run a feature to commemorate 20 years since the Towers fell and give this latest victim a voice. What she didn’t expect, however, is to find out Victoria was involved in a very sordid and kinky affair with a famous writer and was the sole suspect of his murder. Upon further investigation Avery meets with Emma, Victoria’s sister, who has kept a recording of her last phone call begging her to prove her innocence.
Twenty Years Later is a real page-turner. The author has given us some fascinating characters who all have really interesting backstories and the multi-layered plot which takes us back and forth is guaranteed to keep you glued to the pages eager to find out what really happened twenty years ago.
Highly recommended for fans of crime and mystery.
