After Closing

A gripping psychological thriller with a shocking twist

She can't leave the dying mall until she learns what happened to her sister. The truth is waiting in the darkness.

My sister Audrie disappeared from Nightfall Commons Mall fifteen years ago.

She was eight years old. She vanished from the play area while I was supposed to be watching her.

The police gave up. My parents gave up. Everyone moved on.

Everyone except me.

Now I work in that same dying mall, walking the empty corridors every night, searching for answers in a building that's barely alive. I can't leave. Can't stop looking. Can't let go of the guilt that's been eating me alive since I was seventeen years old.

I have help in the form of a security guard named Jeremy. He finds something in the security footage. Gaps. Missing sections. Maybe an explanation for the strange things I'm seeing.

As we search deeper into the abandoned corridors, we're getting close to the truth. But the killer is watching us. And they've kept their secrets buried this long for a reason.

After Closing is a psychological thriller with plenty of twists and a deeply unsettling ending that will stay with you long after the final page.

Content Warning: This book involves the disappearance and deaths of children. While not graphically depicted, these themes are central to the story and may be disturbing to some readers.

enjoyed the story

I didn't like the virtual voice reading the book. the voice was to monotone.

Ottery is the new Jane

I found myself having to narrate the story in my own voice to let some emotion into the story and make it more interesting - I’ve never aspired to be an audio book narrator. The story mirrored the narrator and I found myself thinking of multiple ways the story could have unfolded. The characters could use more development and the story ended rather abruptly and too nicely buttoned up. I finished it because I had already started it, was curious about the ending, and was as committed to my house cleaning.

meh

It's was good enough to finish listening, but not great. The AI voiced was distracting. I think the sister's name was Audrey, but was pronounced Otter-y throughout. And there was an inconsistency at the end where an object was put in a grave in one chapter, but was then next to an urn in the next chapter.

story line

don't like the virtual voice. it ruins a good book. good thing it was a free read. wouldn't spend actual money for a book read by virtual voice.

Unintentionally humorous

Virtual voice is like a wannabe actor who can’t get tone and inflection quite right. An added bonus with this book is that the narrator pronounces the character name Audrie as “Audery “( and sometimes sounds like “artery”) which is a hoot.

The mall security guard, Jeremy, is diligent about observing events via the video monitors and meticulously makes notes about unusual or concerning activities. Unfortunately (and hopefully unrealistically), he almost never gets off his arse to investigate. It also never occurs to him to walk the main character and last mall employee to leave every night to her car. And he likes her!

Not funny is how nothing new happens forEVER in the story. Just a Groundhog Day movie of a book,