Twenty Years Later

Written by Charlie Donlea

Narrated by Vivienne Leheny

Fans of Lisa Unger and Allen Eskens won’t want to miss this thrilling new suspense novel from the #1 internationally bestselling author of The Girl Who Was Taken! Hiding her own dark past in plain sight, a TV reporter is determined to uncover the truth behind a gruesome murder decades after the investigation was abandoned. But TWENTY YEARS LATER, to understand the present, you need to listen to the past…

Avery Mason, host of American Events, knows the subjects that grab a TV audience’s attention. Her latest story—a murder mystery laced with kinky sex, tragedy, and betrayal—is guaranteed to be ratings gold. New DNA technology has allowed the New York medical examiner’s office to make its first successful identification of a 9/11 victim in years. The twist: the victim, Victoria Ford, had been accused of the gruesome murder of her married lover. In a chilling last phone call to her sister, Victoria begged her to prove her innocence.

Emma Kind has waited twenty years to put her sister to rest, but closure won’t be complete until she can clear Victoria’s name. Alone she’s had no luck, but she’s convinced that Avery’s connections and fame will help. Avery, hoping to negotiate a more lucrative network contract, goes into investigative overdrive. Victoria had been having an affair with a successful novelist, found hanging from the balcony of his Catskills mansion. The rope, the bedroom, and the entire crime scene was covered in Victoria’s DNA.

But the twisted puzzle of Victoria’s private life is just the beginning. And what Avery doesn't realize is that there are other players in the game who are interested in Avery’s own secret past—one she has kept hidden from both the network executives and her television audience. A secret she thought was dead and buried . . .

Accused of a brutal murder, Victoria Ford made a final chilling call from the North Tower on the morning of 9/11.
Twenty years ago, no one listened.
Today, you will.
TWENTY YEARS LATER, to understand the present, you need to listen to the past...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Dec 28, 2021
• ISBN: 9781705026045

Charlie Donlea

Charlie Donlea is the critically acclaimed, USA Today, Indiebound and #1 internationally bestselling author of propulsive, female-driven thrillers including The Girl Who Was Taken, Some Choose Darkness, Twenty Years Later and Those Empty Eyes. Published in nearly 40 countries and translated into more than a dozen languages, his books have sold more than 1.5 million copies in the U.S. alone. Donlea has been 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). He was born and raised in Chicago, where he continues to live with his wife and two children. Visit him online at CharlieDonlea.com.

Reviews for Twenty Years Later

[quilterfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not as good as his other books but entertaining and well written

[Lynn Blackwell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Totally unexpected ending. I figured out most of it. But there was an extra surprise.

[Verdina Worsley · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Oh wow! This was a good one. I LOVE the twist. I have never read this author before, but now I am intrigued

[Tammy Alioto · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book. Kept me guessing!! I Definitely recommend this book.

[Kimberly Deaton · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Immediately hooked! The best book I have read/listened to in years!!!!!! I cannot wait to read another from this author.

[Grace Marie Allison · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Literally at the last minute ? but it was so good! I loved it!

[Lara Pretorius · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book-kept me captivated and guessing until the end! Started off a bit slow but I highly recommend a listen!

[Darcy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Holy moly…why did i wait this long to read-listen to this book? It was fantastic!! An investigative journalist on the hunt to reopen a 20yo cold case…an FBI consultant hoping to prove that he didn’t get that case wrong. All-in-all a great book that males you think you know what’s next but then surprises you. Highly recommend!

[Pastbookish · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was so hooked! Love the story and narration!
Full review on Bookstagram: @pastbookish

[Courtney Lee Engle · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic book that I can’t wait to recommend to friends!

[Beverly Cassano McGillicuddy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book had such an interesting storyline with many twists and turns along with some great surprises.

A really good narrator also added to the enjoyment,

I liked this audiobook so much that I am going to recommend another one of Charlie Donlea’s books to my book club,

[juju2cat · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was pretty much a 3 star until the last few chapters. Something about the writing threw me off but the twists and turns at the end made it a 4 star.

[rmarcin-630843 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In 2001, a young NY State investigator, Walt Jenkins, is assigned to the murder of a successful novelist. His lover, Victoria Ford, is accused of the murder. Then 9/11 happens, and Victoria is in the towers on the morning of 9/11, meeting with her lawyer. Now 2021, 20 years later, and a DNA lab matches a bone fragment found in the wreckage to Victoria's DNA. This makes the news, and provides a perfect excuse for Avery Mason, an investigative journalist, and host of American Events, to head to NY and provide cover for another purpose. Avery has a past that involves a corrupt father and a tragedy involving her brother. As Avery and Walt review the case, more questions arise-questioning whether Vic is actually innocent. The twists in the book are surprising and I plan to read Donlea's backlist!!! Thanks to Edelweiss for the copy! All opinions are my own.

[waldhaus1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In an echo of Bernie Madoff the protagonist is the daughter of a hedge fund manager who developed a ponzi scheme to defraud investors of billions. There is also a murder mystery involving a famous author. Fancy sailboats Range Rovers and other trappings of wealth are scattered throughout the story. An enjoyable ending.

[shellyq-532126 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Avery and asks for her help proving her sister's innocence, Avery is soon in over her head! She is headed back to NY to investigate this story, but will she be able to keep her own secret she has been hiding for years?Walt Jenkins, the original investigator soon appears in the story and is sent to be interviewed by Avery by no other than his past employer...the FBI! But soon we have to ask who is investigating who?I was lucky enough to win this book from Goodreads for my honest opinion. I highly recommend this book and I will be searching for more books by Charlie Donley. I am so excited to be able to share this book in my Little free Library!

[carolesrandomlife · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was great! This was the first book by Charlie Donlea that I have read but it will not be my last. I was hooked by this book during the first few pages and it just got better and better the more that I read. There were twists and turns on top of twists and turns that really kept my interest level high. I am so glad that I decided to give this book a try.This book is made up of a lot of different threads and two main points of view. At first, I couldn’t see how any of the different threads could possibly tie together but in the end, everything did. One of the threads takes us into the World Trade Center on 9/11. In today’s world, a lab working to identify all of the remains from 9/11 finds a new match. This new match happens to be a woman who was about to be indicted for murder. Avery, a journalist, wants to look into the story and once she realizes it is tied to a crime, she is determined to get to the bottom of things. Of course, Avery has a few mysteries in her own life to deal with.I loved the way that this story was able to keep me guessing. I was able to guess a few of the twists but there were quite a few that took me by surprise. I was really curious about what really happened in that murder case from before 9/11. I was also very curious how both Avery and Walt would navigate the issues in their own lives. Avery and Walt were great characters and I liked them more and more as I made my way through this book.I think that a lot of readers would really enjoy this fast-paced book that keeps the reader guessing. There was a lot going on in this story and I thought that the author pulled everything together very well. I cannot wait to try more of this author’s work soon.I received a digital review copy of this book from Kensington Books via NetGalley.

[pgchuis · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.I really enjoyed this, and read it in one sitting. I do hope further work is being done on the text though, to remove some of the repetition and correct the typos (e.g. creak/creek). There were also continual references to how Avery was trying to conceal the fact she was in New York (despite the fact that she was interviewing people right, left and centre) and we were told twice that she never used her credit card and twice that she swiped it in taxis...There were other things that seemed unlikely to me - despite the fact that Avery's real name was there for anyone looking to find out, it hadn't made it into the press despite her being a famous TV personality. There was an awful lot going on too - sub-plots kept cropping up, even towards the end.Having said all that, I found it a page-turner. I liked Avery and Walt, her ex-FBI love-interest/the man who was helping her/investigating her, and just went along for the ride.Recommended.