Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! It has been a while since the last book club review because it took me a fat minute to finish After The Fall by Judith Kelman. It was a good book, but it was very wordy! After The Fall was a court case thriller and that is a genre that I always enjoy. The subject matter of the trial and this book in general are a HUGE trigger warning as it deals with rape, sexual assault, and a plethora of disturbing content. If this does not seem like a book for you, then please skip over this post! Now, let’s get to it in a spoiler free setting:

Danny Magill is a beloved teen in his community. He is a star athlete, star student, star friend, and star son to Jess and Charlie. Danny is helpful, courteous, and talented with an entire future ahead of him – he is in the process of filling out college applications. As with any thriller, the perfect bubble of the Magill home and Danny’s life is about to pop in a major way. After a school function, Danny gives a ride home to his friend Lisa. Hours after he drops her off, he is arrested for rape and physical assault.

The police department in Danny’s neck of the woods is in desperate need of a win and this is a case that they know they can make stick. As Danny lawyers up with a hot shot pro, Detective Tucci starts to work the case. Danny and his family continue to claim their innocence and Tucci must find the hard evidence to corroborate Lisa’s statement. This is a serious matter for Tucci – his job is on the line and he has a gravely ill daughter who depends on his health insurance. To add to Tucci’s stress, he is coming up with a big fat goose egg every time he follows a lead.

As Tucci hustles to put Danny behind bars, Danny’s defense team is kicking it into overdrive to get him acquitted. For a while, things are looking pretty good for Team Magill. Danny has no cuts or wounds on his hands to show he beat someone, the statement of Lisa’s father doesn’t add up, and the defense team is confident they can prove reasonable doubt. That is… until another girl comes forward accusing Danny of rape too.

In Danny’s community, he has already been tried and charged by the public as a rapist. His mental health begins to plummet rapidly and his parents who were once so positive these charges were false start to think differently. The trial is approaching quickly and the future of Danny and Lisa are in their lawyers’ hands. Is Danny guilty of these crimes? Or are these claims truly false? Read After The Fall to find out!

I can’t say that After The Fall was my favorite book ever, but I liked it well enough. I haven’t read a court case thriller in a long while so it was a nice change of pace and the story line definitely held my attention. After The Fall alternated between Jess (Danny’s mom) and Detective Tucci as a narrator and it was very interesting to see the case from both sides. Every chapter felt like one step forward and two steps back between the defense and prosecution. While I did figure out the grand reveal, I honestly had no clue what was going to happen as I was reading. It felt like the trial could have gone either way until things started wrapping up and it kept me turning the page.

Despite the graphic subject matter of this book, Judith Kelman managed to create characters that were really likeable. I felt so sorry for Jess because you could tell she only wanted the best for her children. She was trying to be strong for her family as she was falling apart and I think everyone can relate to that. Max, Danny’s younger brother, was adorable and hilarious. We also can’t forget about the faithful family pup, Prozac! Detective Tucci was also a character I really enjoyed. He comes off as intimidating, but he is such a teddy bear at heart and it showed as he cared for his ailing daughter. His wisecracks were top notch and I loved his friendship with one of the forensic scientists. It was precious. 🙂

I am going to rate After The Fall with a six and a half out of ten stars. This was a good book, but not great. If you are a fan of the genre, then I would recommend it. If not, then this is one you can skip on!

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah