Twenty Years Later
Charlie donlea.
357 pages, Hardcover
First published December 28, 2021
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The prologue (which is excellent, btw) is set in 2001, but the main story is set ‘twenty years later”, in 2021. Avery Mason, a top-rung TV news journalist, is always on the lookout for stories that grab the audience’s attention. Her latest story seems to be a potential goldmine for ratings. Developments in DNA technology have made it possible to identify unknown 9/11 victims from mere bone fragments. And the latest victim to be thus discovered happens to be Victoria Ford. The twist is that Victoria was accused of murdering her married lover in cold blood just days before the 9/11 attacks. But till the end, she maintained that she was innocent, contrary to all evidence for at the crime scene. While Avery is digging more into the Victoria story, the FBI is on her own trail for a secret she has been able to keep from the world all these years. Will Avery be able to keep her past away from the public eye while bringing justice to Victoria?
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TWENTY YEARS LATER
by Charlie Donlea ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 28, 2021
An entertaining thriller with often unrelated surprises lurking around every corner up to the final anticlimax.
Twenty years after an accused murderer’s initial meeting with her attorney is cut short by the 9/11 attack, a shocking discovery reopens the case, and several other mysteries as well.
The circumstantial evidence that Victoria Ford whipped and choked and hanged her lover, bestselling author Cameron Young, was strong, the forensic evidence even more damning. Nonetheless, Roman Manchester was poised to take on her defense when the attack on the World Trade Center, where he had his office, rendered the whole case moot. When a bit of bone extracted from the wreckage 20 years later is finally identified as Victoria’s, ambitious American Event anchor Avery Mason, avid for a big story that will strengthen her hand as she bargains for a new contract, envisions the ratings she’ll get from retelling the story, which features Cameron’s then-pregnant wife, professor Tessa Young; the abortion that prevented Victoria from having any more children; a ghoulish murder scene; and a lurid sex tape. Walt Jenkins, who handled the investigation back in 2001, comes out of retirement in Jamaica to help Avery, little knowing that she has another, more deep-laid motive for her sudden burning interest. For her part, Natalie Ratcliff, the wealthy college friend Victoria hoped would help her pay Roman Manchester’s enormous bill, is hiding a secret of her own. So many parties to the new investigation are hiding so many secrets, in fact, that when the big reveal finally comes, it seems both utterly logical and somehow beside the point of whatever the larger pattern might be.
Pub Date: Dec. 28, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4967-2716-9
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Kensington
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2021
MYSTERY & DETECTIVE | SUSPENSE | THRILLER | DETECTIVES & PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS | SUSPENSE | PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER | GENERAL MYSTERY & DETECTIVE | GENERAL THRILLER & SUSPENSE
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BOOK REVIEW
by Charlie Donlea
HOME IS WHERE THE BODIES ARE
by Jeneva Rose ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 30, 2024
Answers are hard to come by in this twisting tale designed to trick and delight.
Three siblings on very different paths learn that their family home may be haunted by secrets.
Eldest daughter Beth is alone with her fading mother as she takes her final breath and says something about Beth’s long-departed brother and sister, who may not have disappeared forever. Beth is still reeling from the loss of her mother when her estranged siblings show up. Michael, the youngest, hasn’t been home since their father’s disappearance seven years ago. In the meantime, he’s outgrown his siblings, trading his share of the family troubles for a high-paying job in San Jose. Nicole, the middle child, has been overpowered by addiction and prioritized tuning out reality over any sense of responsibility, much to Beth’s disgust. Though their mother’s death marks an ending for the family, it’s also a beginning, as the three siblings realize when they find a disturbing videotape among their parents’ belongings. The video, from 1999, sheds suspicion on their father’s disappearance, linking it to a long-unsolved neighborhood mystery. Was it just a series of unfortunate circumstances that broke the family apart, or does something more sinister underlie the sadness they’ve all found in life? In chapters that rotate among the family’s first-person narratives, the siblings take turns digging up stories and secrets in their search for solace.
Pub Date: April 30, 2024
ISBN: 9798212182843
Page Count: 270
Publisher: Blackstone
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2024
SUSPENSE | THRILLER | FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP | SUSPENSE | GENERAL & DOMESTIC THRILLER | GENERAL THRILLER & SUSPENSE
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by Jeneva Rose
A CONSPIRACY OF BONES
by Kathy Reichs ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 17, 2020
Forget about solving all these crimes; the signal triumph here is (spoiler) the heroine’s survival.
Another sweltering month in Charlotte, another boatload of mysteries past and present for overworked, overstressed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan.
A week after the night she chases but fails to catch a mysterious trespasser outside her town house, some unknown party texts Tempe four images of a corpse that looks as if it’s been chewed by wild hogs, because it has been. Showboat Medical Examiner Margot Heavner makes it clear that, breaking with her department’s earlier practice ( The Bone Collection , 2016, etc.), she has no intention of calling in Tempe as a consultant and promptly identifies the faceless body herself as that of a young Asian man. Nettled by several errors in Heavner’s analysis, and even more by her willingness to share the gory details at a press conference, Tempe launches her own investigation, which is not so much off the books as against the books. Heavner isn’t exactly mollified when Tempe, aided by retired police detective Skinny Slidell and a host of experts, puts a name to the dead man. But the hints of other crimes Tempe’s identification uncovers, particularly crimes against children, spur her on to redouble her efforts despite the new M.E.’s splenetic outbursts. Before he died, it seems, Felix Vodyanov was linked to a passenger ferry that sank in 1994, an even earlier U.S. government project to research biological agents that could control human behavior, the hinky spiritual retreat Sparkling Waters, the dark web site DeepUnder, and the disappearances of at least four schoolchildren, two of whom have also turned up dead. And why on earth was Vodyanov carrying Tempe’s own contact information? The mounting evidence of ever more and ever worse skulduggery will pull Tempe deeper and deeper down what even she sees as a rabbit hole before she confronts a ringleader implicated in “Drugs. Fraud. Breaking and entering. Arson. Kidnapping. How does attempted murder sound?”
Pub Date: March 17, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9821-3888-2
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Scribner
Review Posted Online: Dec. 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2020
GENERAL MYSTERY & DETECTIVE | GENERAL THRILLER & SUSPENSE | MYSTERY & DETECTIVE | SUSPENSE | THRILLER | DETECTIVES & PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS | SUSPENSE | GENERAL & DOMESTIC THRILLER
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by Kathy Reichs
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Review: Twenty Years Later by Charlie Donlea
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
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 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…
Twenty Years Later by Charlie Donlea is a twist-filled mystery.
In 2001, Victoria Ford is the primary suspect in the murder of her married lover, author Cameron Young. She proclaims her innocence but before she can prove it in a court of law, Victoria is a victim of the 9/11 attack. She makes her last phone call to her sister Emma Kind who is, twenty years later, still attempting to clear her sister’s name. Now that Victoria is a confirmed victim of the 9/11 attack, Avery Mason agrees to investigate the case for an upcoming episode on her popular TV show, American Events .
Now on summer hiatus, Avery drives across country from California to New York before looking into the Young murder. She finds unexpected assistance from now retired FBI Agent Walt Jenkins. Avery completely enjoys matching wits with Walt, but she must hold much of herself back from him due to her own unexpectedly well-kept secret. She was already planning a trip to New York in an attempt to put her own past to rest.
From the shocking opening scene to the last page , Twenty Years Later is a suspense-laden, unpredictable mystery. The storyline is multi-layered and full of tension. The characters are likable with interesting backstories and unexpected secrets. The story moves at a breathtaking pace and Charlie Donlea brings this intriguing mystery to an astonishing conclusion.
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Twenty Years Later ⭑⭑⭑
Genre: Thriller
US Publication: December 28, 2021
Print: 304 pages
Confetti Rating: 3 stars
I have a true affection for author Charlie Donlea, since his page-turning thrillers have busted me out of major reading slumps on more than one occasion.
That said, his 2020 publication, The Suicide House , was a bit of a miss for me since there was just too much going on. So many characters, so many plot lines. While it pains me to say it, 2021’s Twenty Years Later suffers the same affliction.
The start of this one feels like flipping through channels on TV. You bounce around from scene, character, and year, with a hope that at some point they’ll all come together. It took me until about the 30% mark to feel like I was getting invested in anything.
Also, being a Donlea fan, I know that while his books can all be read as stand-alones, some of his characters pop up here and there. For example, his tried-and-true forensic pathologist Livia Cutty appears in a few scenes. The impact of this technique though made me constantly wonder if other characters were previously introduced in his other books and I’ve just forgotten them. Do their histories feel told rather than shown because there’s another entire book devoted to them? Or is this just another side effect of trying to cram too much into 300 pages?
But here’s the real question for readers… Twenty years later, are you ready to read a thriller where the central storyline revolves around September 11th? Where real victims’ tragedy is exploited for entertainment value? Turns out I am not.
I’ll direct you to the publisher synopsis, where there is an actual phone number given to call. When I started writing this review, I was at 3.5 stars since I did end up flying through the back half of the book and still very much look forward to Donlea’s next one. But then I called that number. If it’s a spoiler to say what’s on the end of the line, I really don’t care. It’s a recording of a fictionalized phone call from one of the characters stuck in the World Trade Center to her sister right before it collapses. I couldn’t even make it through 15 seconds of this absolutely vile marketing stunt. I hope the author didn’t approve this, and I hope it’s removed before major PR efforts roll out.
I received an advance readers copy to review courtesy of the publisher via Edelweiss. Twenty Years Later is slated for US publication on 12/28/21.
PUBLISHER SYNOPSIS:
In this gripping, fast-paced new standalone thriller from USA Today, IndieBound, and #1 internationally bestselling author Charlie Donlea, a TV news host sets out to uncover the truth behind a gruesome tale of sex, betrayal, and murder twenty years after the investigation was abandoned in the wake of 9/11. 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 belies a much darker mystery. 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… Call: 646-838-2389
Chase Darkness with Me ⭑⭑⭑⭑
The anatomy of desire ⭑⭑⭑⭑.
C HARLIE D ONLEA
#1 international bestselling author .
Twenty years later
A TV journalist investigating a twenty year-old cold case.
An fbi agent lured out of retirement to go undercover....
"Excellent...Donlea tells a propulsive tale." —The New York Times
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, everyone will...
Twenty Years Later
In this gripping, fast-paced new standalone thriller from USA Today, IndieBound, and #1 internationally bestselling author Charlie Donlea, a TV news host sets out to uncover the truth behind a gruesome tale of sex, betrayal, and murder twenty years after the investigation was abandoned in the wake of 9/11. Avery Mason, host of American Events, knows the subjects that grab a TV audience’s attention. Her latest story—a murder mystery laced with 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 call from the North Tower, Victoria begged her sister, Emma, 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 belies a much darker mystery Avery is determined to uncover. But what Avery doesn't realize is that there are other players in the game—including an FBI agent recruited out of retirement to go undercover—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...
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INSPIRATION
In TWENTY YEARS LATER, FBI agent Walt Jenkins is lured out of retirement to go undercover and spy on a television journalist who the Feds believe is hiding secrets. Walt has spent the last three years as a recluse in Jamaica after a messy exit from the FBI. He's enjoying a drink at Rick's Cafe, watching the locals dive from towering trees, when his old Bureau boss shows up with an offer he can't refuse...
This is a video of my time at Rick's Cafe in Jamaica, which inspired part of the setting for TWENTY YEARS LATER.
This is my own daring attempt at cliff diving at Rick's Cafe in Jamaica...
INTERVIEW
3CR RADIO
Listen to Charlie Donlea’s interview with David McClean about writing Twenty Years Later
A Mighty Blaze
Listen to charlie's interview on desideratum podcast.
Australian Edition
The terror attack that shocked the world ... A decades-old murder about to be solved ... A gripping new thriller from the author of the bestselling The Girl Who Was Taken.
Two decades after an event that shook the world, a chilling cold case murder is about to make the headlines all over again. An explosive and compulsively readable crime thriller that will keep you turning the pages late into the night. Perfect for fans of Mary Kubica, Riley Sager and Rick Mofina.
6 January 2022
Brazil Edition
Available from Faro Editorial
Charlie Donlea Thrillers
Book review: Twenty Years Later by Charlie Donlea
I’m a fan of US author Charlie Donlea . I’ve very much enjoyed some of his recent books including The Suicide House and The Woman in Darkness . They all feature past crimes and long-kept secrets and have leveraged popular culture, including podcasts, true crime documentaries (or similar); uncovering missed clues and injustice. Donlea maintains the intrigue and twistiness in his latest, Twenty Years Later .
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 belies a much darker mystery. 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...
The book opens in 2001 (which really does just feel like yesterday, but apparently isn’t) with the police’s discovery of a man’s body ‘hung’ macabrely in his house in the Catskills. A shiny new detective is taking his badge out for its first test drive and the physical evidence makes it seem like a slam-dunk for the prosecution. However, just as accused killer Victoria Ford is meeting with her lawyer about her case, her world falls down around her – literally (And I’ll stop with the metaphors now!).
It’s weird no one made a big deal out of the fact the 2001 murder was officially not-closed given the victim was a high-profile author. Then I was surprised that even a cursory look into the 9/11 victim once identified, didn’t immediately give present day medical examiners (or Avery) an inkling that her newly-found victim was part of a bigger story, surely just googling her identity would have spat out that fact?!
In the background Avery has her own secrets. Again I’m surprised these haven’t been excavated with some ease as she hasn’t gone to too much trouble to hide her former self. She was shattered years before to learn that her father’s wealth and her privileged life came off the back of a ponzi scheme in which many many people lost their money. Her father was arrested but disappeared before standing trial and the experience sent her mother into the proverbial early grave. The FBI suspect she’s been helping her father remain in hiding. She hasn’t but he’s finally reached out, and the 9/11 cold case is initially just an excuse to go to New York.
I liked Avery but Donlea doesn’t hold back in highlighting her ambition and… well, ruthlessness. Donlea also (through Avery’s narration) makes it clear the TV show host knows she’s in need of some therapy over the tragic death of her brother, then her mother and betrayal by her father. Avery mentions notion of blood being thicker than water and the concept of unconditional love seems to be something she ponders. Again and again.
We also meet Walt Jenkins, a former cop and disgraced FBI agent who’s spending his early retirement in Jamaica. He’s only in his 40s so knows his life of rum, rum and more rum, isn’t sustainable but until reminded of his first case as detective he’s not interested in rejoining the living.
He’s planted by the FBI to help Avery, with the goal of learning more about her father’s whereabouts. But… obviously things don’t go to plan.
In some ways there’s quite a bit happening here. A few plots within plots with Avery’s backstory looming over everything else. I wondered if Donlea threw a few too many twists into the murder enquiry as it became a little diluted with detail, but he manages to eke out a twist when we least expect it. And as for Avery’s story, I certainly did not see that coming so he very cleverly crafted the whole story arc with nuance, misdirecting readers in a way that only later we could reflect on what WASN’T said rather than what we missed.
This is certainly an enjoyable read. I liked the characters rather than loved them (and certainly engaged little with the cold case) but the twisty plot kept me turning page after page.
Twenty Years Later by Charlie Donlea was published in Australia by Penguin Random House and is now available.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.
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- About the Book
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 20 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.
Audiobook available, read by Vivienne Leheny
Twenty Years Later by Charlie Donlea
- Publication Date: December 28, 2021
- Genres: Fiction , Mystery , Suspense , Thriller
- Hardcover: 368 pages
- Publisher: Kensington
- ISBN-10: 1496727169
- ISBN-13: 9781496727169
Cannonball Read 16
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Too much plot makes not a good thriller
Twenty Years Later by Charlie Donlea
January 7, 2022 by Pooja Leave a Comment
Victoria Ford, the chief suspect in a murder investigation, died when the Twin Towers fell on 9/11. Now, twenty years later, her remains have been identified, and Avery Mason, the journalist reporting on the story, realizes there is more to the case than anyone realized.
Guys, I really wanted to like this book. Though I felt iffy about 9/11 being consigned to a historical backdrop in a thriller, I found the blurb exciting. I love stories about cold case investigations and how (in books at least!) revisiting the case can stir up a whole lot of trouble.
The main character, Avery, is a very persistent woman, and I really enjoyed her focus on her career. Throughout the story she’s always scouting out leads and angles on the case for her television show, and I felt that I really was inside her brain in places. The plot itself was intricate, with a lot of moving parts, and I am impressed how the author fit all the pieces together.
But the major problem here is the plot as well – this book is swollen with it. There’s the Victoria Ford investigation, but also Avery’s past, and the latter played a much larger plot in the story than the blurb indicates. To be brief about it, she is the daughter of a top-tier white collar criminal and, years after she tried to put it behind her, he is making a return in her life. This plot-line takes up a good half of the book, figuring in the climax and leaving the Victoria Ford investigation’s conclusion languishing until the very end. Switching between plot-lines lowered the tension I felt as well.
I also did not much like the romance angle – while Walt is not an unlikeable character, the romance felt out of place and I could not tell what drew him and Avery together beyond that they found each other physically attractive.
I listened to this book in an audio format, and the narrator Vivienne Leheny does a fair job with it. Her voices were distinct, and I thought she did her male voices especially well. She was able to deliver on emotional dialogue when the book called for it.
Overall, this was a somewhat disappointing read, as I feel it did not deliver on the promises made in the blurb.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
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Review – Twenty Years Later by Charlie Donlea
Posted December 29, 2021 by Carole in Reviews / 6 Comments
I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
TWENTY YEARS LATER , to understand the present, you need to listen to the past… In the gripping, fast-paced new thriller from USA Today , IndieBound, and #1 internationally bestselling author Charlie Donlea, a TV news host sets out to uncover the truth behind a gruesome tale of sex, betrayal, and murder twenty years after the investigation was abandoned in the wake of 9/11. 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...
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.
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6 responses to “ Review – Twenty Years Later by Charlie Donlea ”
I don’t think I know of the author but this one looks well done!
This book sounds awesome, and I get the chills thinking of the surrounding events that led the story. Thanks for sharing.
Oh you are in for a treat if you take in more Charlie Donlea books. My review for this one is tomorrow. Wonderful review! Even if you don’t like the characters you can’t help getting wrapped up in their feelings.
Wow, what a premise! I’m not familiar with Donlea but I’m intrigued by this one.
Intriguing, I wonder how it all works out
I love the sound of this and I know there were a lot of cases that were made complicated by 9/11 so I love this premise.
Twenty Years Later
63 pages • 2 hours read
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Summary and Study Guide
Twenty Years Later is a crime thriller by Charlie Donlea, published by Kensington Publishing in 2022. Donlea is an international best-selling author of thrillers, and Twenty Years Later , his seventh novel, was praised by The New York Times , Publishers Weekly , and Library Journal for Donlea’s fast-paced and unpredictable writing.
The novel addresses the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 (9/11) through the complications that arise when a former murder suspect’s remains are identified at Ground Zero. Addressing themes of Reputation, Truth, and the Search for Justice , The Lasting Effects of Traumatic Events , and Perceptions and Judgments of Sexuality , the novel explores how Avery Mason , an up-and-coming journalist, and Walt Jenkins , a former FBI agent, work to clear Victoria Ford’s name in the murder of her lover, Cameron Young.
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This guide refers to the 2022 Kindle edition.
Content Warning: This guide and the source material contain references to terrorism and mass murder, infertility, death by suicide, alcohol addiction, and explicit descriptions of sexual acts and bondage play.
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Plot Summary
Avery Mason begins hosting American Events , a news show, after the previous host dies. She improves the ratings and expands the audience , leading her to investigate more hard-hitting topics and negotiate a higher salary. She plans to investigate the identified remains of Victoria Ford , who was reported to have died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. At the same time, Walt Jenkins, a former FBI agent living in Jamaica, grapples with alcohol addiction and his past in New York. He receives an offer to return to the FBI to help Avery investigate the death of Cameron Young, a murder that Walt investigated in 2001. The main suspect was Victoria Ford, and the investigation ended with the 9/11 attacks. The FBI predicts that Avery will end up reopening the case, and they want Walt to help her while secretly investigating her connection to her father, Garth Montgomery , a notorious fraudster who has eluded law enforcement for three years.
On her way to New York, Avery stops in Wisconsin to visit the sailing camp that she attended as a child and spend time with Connie Clarkson, the camp instructor. In New York, Avery meets with Emma Kind, Victoria’s sister, who shows Avery phone messages Victoria left when she was trapped in the World Trade Center on 9/11. These messages convince Avery of Victoria’s innocence, and Emma asks Avery to prove it in her program. Avery agrees, and she contacts Walt for help in the investigation. Walt agrees, and he secretly begins following Avery to see if she visits her father. Avery visits a man called André, who promises to make a fake passport for Avery, and she also visits her mother and brother’s gravestones. Walt reports Avery’s movements to his boss at the FBI, and he receives listening devices to plant in Avery’s hotel room. As Walt and Avery review the Cameron Young case, they see that all the evidence points to Victoria, but Avery maintains her belief in Victoria’s innocence.
As Avery and Walt continue to investigate, Avery finds that Victoria wrote a series of manuscripts before her death, which match exactly with five novels published by Natalie Ratcliff, Victoria’s roommate in college. Additionally, Avery discovers that the remains identified as Victoria’s were only a single tooth, meaning Victoria may have survived the attacks on 9/11. Avery concludes that Victoria is still alive, and that Natalie’s novels are being written by Victoria. In the meantime, Avery and Walt begin a romantic relationship, which causes Avery to question her ability to be intimate with others after her father’s betrayal, and which leads Walt to decide to stop spying on Avery. However, André reveals to Avery that Walt has been following her when he provides the fake passport she purchased.
Confronting Walt about his surveillance, Avery and Walt concoct a plan to tell the FBI where Garth is hiding. Avery found Garth at a cabin in Lake Placid, and she calls him, telling him that she will meet him at the cabin in a few days. Walt and Avery record the phone call, then bring the recording to the FBI. Avery mails the passport to Wisconsin, sending it to the sailing camp she attended as a child, and Walt asks his ex-girlfriend, Meghan, to accompany a man named Aaron Holland on a cruise leaving from New Orleans. As the FBI raids the cabin and arrests Garth, Aaron Holland lands in Jamaica and reveals his identity as Christopher, Avery’s brother who faked his death years prior. Avery and Walt meet Christopher in Jamaica, and Avery and Walt become more serious about their relationship.
Avery airs her special on Victoria Ford, as well as a special on her father’s crimes and arrest, but she does not reveal that Victoria is still alive. Victoria and Natalie publish a new novel, in which the killer plants evidence of their own blood in order to make it look like they are being framed, indicating that Victoria killed Cameron, then planted her own blood and urine to distract investigators.
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Twenty Years Later, a review by Sherry
11 hours 45 minutes RB Media published December 28, 2021
Amazon | Goodreads
I was torn on this one. I loved all of Charlie Donlea’s books, but I am not a fan of 9/11 books or movies. I was pleasantly surprised. It really isn’t like his other books and doesn’t entirely focus on 9/11, but actions that occurred around 9/11..
Avery is a television newscaster with a past she would like to keep hidden. Walt is a retired FBI agent with his own secrets. They end up working together to shed light on a previous case of his, while Walt has another agenda. This is a complicated plot with many intertwined storylines and twists that don’t seem overly complicated as you progress through the story. And everyone has huge secrets they are trying to keep hidden.
I connected with both Avery and Walt and listened to this one over a short period of time because I really wanted to know how the mystery would unfold. And at one point I was sure I had it all figured out and I was right on a small piece, there was so much more to the ending that I didn’t see coming.
An interesting aspect of the book is it is based upon finding a new technology using DNA that helps to identify 9/11 victims, which is happening in real life. Another thing I thought was unique instead of just switching back and forth from the present to the past, when you read about the previous investigation, it comes to life as Walt reads the file.
The audiobook is narrated by Vivienne Leheny and she does a great job. Drawing you in without taking over the story.
I’d recommend any of his books for a suspense lover, but this one especially for the crafty way he intertwines the layers of this story.
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Charlie Donlea creates a compelling narrative that both challenges us pushes us deeper into the plot. Think how solid your bookshelf with Twenty Years Later sitting next to books by Samantha Downing, Shari Lapena, Megan Collins, Karin Slaughter or Julie Clark.
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’28 Years Later’ Releasing Summer 2025!
Danny Boyle and Alex Garland are reteaming for the long-awaited 28 Years Later horror sequel trilogy, and the first film in that new trilogy now has a release date.
28 Years Later arrives in theaters on June 20, 2025 from Sony.
Jack O’Connell ( Amy Winehouse: Back To Black ) has joined the previously announced Jodie Comer ( Alone in the Dark , “Killing Eve”), Aaron Taylor-Johnson ( Kraven the Hunter ), and Ralph Fiennes ( The Menu ) in the upcoming 28 Years Later .
Alex Garland will write the first film and Boyle will return to direct. Nia DaCosta ( Candyman, The Marvels ) will direct the second installment in the trilogy from Sony Pictures.
Cillian Murphy ( Oppenheimer ) is on board as executive producer.
The original movie in 2002 starred Cillian Murphy and was written by Alex Garland and directed by Danny Boyle. In the smash hit horror film, “ Four weeks after a mysterious, incurable virus spreads throughout the UK, a handful of survivors try to find sanctuary.”
A sequel, 28 Weeks Later , arrived in 2007. Juan Carlos Fresnadillo took over as director. In the sequel, which starred Jeremy Renner, “ Six months after the rage virus was inflicted on the population of Great Britain, the US Army helps to secure a small area of London for the survivors to repopulate and start again. But not everything goes according to plan.”
Talks of a third installment in the franchise have been coming and going for the last several years now – at one point, it was going to be titled 28 Months Later – but it looks like this one is finally getting off the ground here in 2024. Stay tuned for more updates soon!
Writer in the horror community since 2008. Editor in Chief of Bloody Disgusting. Owns Eli Roth's prop corpse from Piranha 3D. Has four awesome cats. Still plays with toys.
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“Crystal Lake”: Kevin Williamson and Bryan Fuller Planned an “Hour Long Chase Episode”
We learned earlier this week that “Hannibal” creator Bryan Fuller is no longer the showrunner of A24 and Peacock’s Friday the 13th TV series “ Crystal Lake ,” with A24 choosing to “go a different way with the material.” What does that mean? It means A24 is still planning on bringing a Friday the 13th series to life, but the overall vision will likely change.
Kevin Williamson ( Scream, Sick ) had been on board to write an episode of the “Crystal Lake” series, and Williamson took to Twitter today to tease some of those original plans.
Williamson writes, “Bummin’ hard, so sorry I won’t be a part of what would have been an epic Bryan Fuller show. Your pilot was so beautifully realized. A gorgeous portrait of a mother unraveling in her grief. Not to mention bloody horrific!”
He adds, “I was so looking forward to our hour long chase episode! “
Kevin Williamson is of course known for writing incredible slasher movie chase sequences, including the ones seen in the original Scream and Scream 2 , as well as I Know What You Did Last Summer and last year’s Sick . It’s hard not to imagine how cool an hour-long Friday the 13th chase episode could be in Williamson’s hands, but alas, it’s not happening anymore.
The silver lining? Williamson is directing the next installment in the Scream franchise.
The director of Cube , Splice and several episodes of “Hannibal,” Vincenzo Natali also took to Twitter this weekend to give us a taste of the “Crystal Lake” series we’ll never see.
Natali tweets, “ I have read the first two episodes. Bryan Fuller’s Crystal Lake was well on its way to becoming another Hannibal -level reinvention that was simultaneously beautiful, sad, poetic, funny and horrifying. I mourn its passing .”
A24 and Peacock are now searching for a new showrunner for the series. Stay tuned.
Peacock had given the project a straight-to-series order in 2022, with “Crystal Lake” being described as an “expanded prequel” to the original Friday the 13th franchise featuring both Jason Voorhees and his mother, Pamela Voorhees. Original Friday the 13th final girl Adrienne King had even signed on for a recurring role in the planned A24 television series.
Bummin’ hard, so sorry I won’t be a part of what would have been an epic Bryan Fuller show. Your pilot was so beautifully realized. A gorgeous portait of a mother unraveling in her grief. Not to mention bloody horrific! I was so looking forward to our hour long chase episode! — Kevin Williamson (@kevwilliamson) May 11, 2024
I have read the first two episodes. @BryanFuller ’s Crystal Lake was well on its way to becoming another Hannibal-level reinvention that was simultaneously beautiful, sad, poetic, funny and horrifying. I mourn its passing. https://t.co/ob0kF4MQHM — Vincenzo Natali (@Vincenzo_Natali) May 11, 2024
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Zombie Sequel '28 Years Later' Sets June 2025 Release
28 Years Later , the long-awaited sequel to the zombie classics 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later , has scheduled a June 2025 release date.
Director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland will both return for the franchise's third movie, which itself is positioned as the first chapter of a new trilogy. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, and Ralph Fiennes are among the upcoming film's cast, Variety reports .
Oppenheimer Best Actor Oscar winner Cillian Murphy, who was relatively unknown when he starred in 28 Days Later over two decades ago, will also serve as executive producer on 28 Years Later ; as of now, Murphy has not been cast in the film, arriving June 20, 2025.
28 Weeks Later finds both Boyle and Garland - who has since directed films like Civil War , Ex Machina , and Men - returning to the franchise after the initial 2002 installment; neither the director nor the screenwriter returned for the 2007 sequel 28 Weeks Later , which was helmed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, though Boyle served as executive producer on that film.
Earlier this year, when Boyle first revealed plans to revive the long-gestating project, the director also said 28 Years Later would serve as the first installment of a planned trilogy, with Garland penning all three scripts; Candyman and The Marvels director Nia DaCosta is in talks to helm the second movie in the trilogy, the Hollywood Reporter reports . Plot details for the trilogy have not yet been shared.
In February, Murphy spoke to Variety about his eagerness to return to the post-apocalyptic world of 28 Days Later in some capacity. "I've always said I would love to be involved because that movie changed everything for me and I have great affection for it and for those guys Alex [Garland] and Danny [Boyle]," Murphy said.
"I never watch my own films, except that one. It's always on around Halloween and during the pandemic people were constantly sending me clips. And I've shown it to my kids. And it's really stood up, even though it's something like 23 years old now. So I'm really thrilled that we'll get the band back together to makes this one."
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‘28 Years Later’ Sequel Gets 2025 Release Date
The post-apocalyptic horror franchise is clawing its way back, and now we know when it arrives
“28 Years Later” the sequel to “28 Days Later,” will be released on June 20, 2025, Sony Pictures announced on Friday.
Director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland, the creative duo behind the original classic 2002 zombie thriller, are set to return.
The original indie hit combined Boyle’s kinetic visual style with Garland’s brainy spin on zombie mythology. “28 Days Later” upended the shuffle-walking undead by introducing “infected” humans filled with murderous rage.
Boyle is attached to direct the first film in the new “28 Days Later” trilogy, with Garland set to pen all three scripts. The budget for each entry is expected to land in the $75 million range, signaling more expansive productions compared to the original’s modest $8 million price tag.
Boyle and Garland will produce the series alongside Andrew Macdonald, a producer on the first two films. Former Fox Searchlight head Peter Rice is also boarding the project – Fox Searchlight backed the original indie hit and its sequel when Rice was at the helm.
The 2002 original starred Cillian Murphy as a man awakening from a coma to find London devastated by virus-infected humans turned murderous monsters. Naomie Harris co-starred as a fellow survivor, with Christopher Eccleston as a deranged military officer. Murphy will return to produce the sequel, but is not currently attached to the movie as a star.
Boyle and Garland also produced the 2007 follow-up “28 Weeks Later.”
The new trilogy was announced in January.
Murphy was largely unknown when the original movie debuted. In March, he told Josh Horowitz of the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast that the role helped him land a part in Christopher Nolan’s “Batman Begins.”
Of the two directors, Murphy explained, “I know that they both have immense respect for each other. Chris saw ’28 Days Later’ before he cast me in ‘Batman Begins.’ I know they’re fans of each other’s work. They’re singular voices, you know, they really are unique filmmakers, and they have that same passion and energy on set.”
Murphy added that the idea for more installments in the franchise had been “brewing for a while.”
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28 Years Later Wishlist: 10 Things We Want To See In The New Trilogy
Melissa barrera details "super sweet" support from jenna ortega following scream 7 firing, we're worried about francis ford coppola's new movie after watching the first clip, 28 years later casts 3 major stars in post-apocalyptic zombie sequel.
- 28 Years Later will officially hit theaters on June 20, 2025, just in time for the franchise's 22-year anniversary in the United States.
- Filming is getting underway on the zombie threequel in May 2024, though no filming end date has been revealed.
- Danny Boyle is back in the director's chair for the third movie, while also having co-written the script with original writer Alex Garland.
As filming is about to get underway for the zombie threequel, 28 Years Later 's release date has been revealed. The third installment in the horror franchise will see the return of Danny Boyle to the director's chair and Alex Garland penning the script, though no story details have been revealed, only that it is intended to set up a new trilogy of movies that Garland will write, while Candyman 's Nia DaCosta is in talks to helm the second part. The ensemble 28 Years Later cast currently includes Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes and Jack O'Connell, the latter of whom is described as a key character for the trilogy.
Sony has now announced that Boyle's 28 Years Later will officially hit theaters on June 20, 2025. The zombie threequel's date officially puts it in theaters in time for the franchise's 22-year anniversary in the United States, with the original 28 Days Later having first released domestically on June 27, 2003. Filming is about to begin in Northumberland in May 2024, with no filming end date announced as of the time of writing.
28 Years Later Faces Hefty Competition
The announcement of 28 Years Later 's release date comes as the movie has finally been gaining steam in recent months after spending the better part of 17 years in development hell. Given filming hasn't even begun yet, it comes as somewhat surprising that a date has already been set for the threequel. That being said, given there are plans for two subsequent installments, it makes sense the studio would be keen on getting a jump on launching the new installments as quickly as possible to set up the future.
From Cillian Murphy's return as Jim to an explanation of how the Infected have continued to survive, 28 Years Later must include these vital moments.
That being said, the movie's June 2025 release date does put it up against some heavy competition at the box office. The start of the month will see the return of the John Wick franchise to the big screen with the Ballerina spinoff , while the rest of June will pit 28 Years Later against the likes of the How to Train Your Dragon live-action reboot and fellow horror sequel, The Black Phone 2 . Check out the current calendar of June 2025 movie releases below:
Even after June, 28 Years Later 's release date will see it facing the next Jurassic World movie , an untitled film from South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and James Gunn's Superman reboot. Since Sony looks to establish a new trilogy with the threequel, its box office success will be vital to seeing these plans enacted. That being said, given the studio also continues to push forward with Sony's Spider-Man Universe in spite of Madame Web and Morbius ' infamous floppings, a strong critical reception to 28 Years Later could be just as beneficial for the future installments moving forward.
The franchise's prior installment, 28 Weeks Later, is available to stream on Hulu.
Source: Sony
28 Years Later
28 Years Later is the tentative title for the third film in the "28 Days Later" franchise, initially conceived by Danny Boyle and Alex Garland. Originally expected to be titled "28 Months Later," the film still hasn't been officially confirmed, but preliminary work on a script has reportedly been underway.
28 Years Later: Confirmation, Cast, Trilogy Plans & Everything We Know
'28 Years Later' Will Arrive in Theaters 23 Years After the Original
The highly anticipated sequel will be directed by Danny Boyle.
The Big Picture
- 28 Years Later , the highly anticipated sequel to the iconic zombie franchise, will hit theaters on June 20, 2025.
- Cillian Murphy, star of the original film, is on board as an executive producer and is interested in reprising his role as Jim.
- Director Danny Boyle returns to ensure that the new installment stays true to the intense and gritty atmosphere fans love.
The wait is finally over for fans of Danny Boyle’s iconic zombie franchise as Sony Pictures has officially confirmed that 28 Years Later , the highly anticipated sequel to 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later , will hit theaters on June 20, 2025. The announcement sets the stage for a thrilling continuation of the franchise that redefined the zombie horror genre two decades ago. While plot details are still under wraps, the film is expected to reignite the terrifying chaos of a zombie-ravaged world.
The original film, 28 Days Later , starred recent Academy Award winner Cillian Murphy as Jim, a bicycle courier who wakes up from a coma 28 days after a virus outbreak turns people into zombies and plunges society into chaos. Although Murphy did not appear in the sequel, 28 Weeks Later , he is on board as an executive producer for the new film and has expressed interest in reprising his role as Jim. Adding to the excitement, the star-studded cast for 28 Years Later includes Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes . The roles the trio will play remain a mystery for now, but their involvement is a sign that the story cooked up by Boyle and Alex Garland is a pretty captivating one. The trio's addition to the cast hints at a potentially new direction for the franchise, bringing their A-list talent to the post-apocalyptic setting.
Boyle returns to direct 28 Years Later , which should ensure that the new installment stays true to the intense and gritty atmosphere that fans loved all those years ago. Boyle, along with screenwriter Garland, Andrew Macdonald, Peter Rice, and Bernie Bellew, will produce the film. Meanwhile, Nia DaCosta , known for her work on The Marvels and Candyman , looks set to direct the second film in the series .
What is '28 Days Later' About?
28 Days Later redefined the zombie genre by introducing fast-moving zombies, beginning with activists releasing infected chimpanzees which leads to a viral outbreak and societal collapse, and the story follows Jim, who wakes from a coma 28 days later to find a desolate London; the film was praised for its atmosphere and innovative take on zombies, becoming a critical and commercial success . The sequel, 28 Weeks Later , set six months after the original, follows NATO and the U.S. Army's attempts to control the infection and rebuild Britain, focusing on a family whose reunion is shattered when the virus resurfaces, and though it was well-received for its intense narrative, it didn’t reach the iconic status of the first film.
Stay tuned to Collider for more on 28 Years Later . 28 Days Later is available to rent or buy on Prime Video.
28 Days Later
Four weeks after a mysterious, incurable virus spreads throughout the UK, a handful of survivors try to find sanctuary.
Watch on Prime Video
’28 Years Later’ Gets June 2025 Release Date
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Danny Boyle’s “ 28 Years Later ” is hitting the big screen next summer. Sony Pictures has slated the long-awaited project for June 20, 2025.
Jodie Comer , Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes are set to star in the sequel to “28 Days Later” and “28 Weeks Later.”
Plot details are still being kept under wraps for the new screenplay, written by Alex Garland. It will be part of an upcoming trilogy, for which Nia DaCosta is in talks to direct the second film .
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“28 Days Later” was released in 2002 and starred a largely unknown Murphy as a bike courier who discovers the release of contagious virus upon awaking from a coma. Boyle directed the feature, while Garland wrote. The sequel, “28 Weeks Later,” was released in 2007.
“I’ve always said I would love to be involved because that movie changed everything for me and I have great affection for it and for those guys Alex [Garland] and Danny [Boyle],” Murphy told Variety in February. “I never watch my own films, except that one. It’s always on around Halloween and during the pandemic people were constantly sending me clips. And I’ve shown it to my kids. And it’s really stood up, even though it’s something like 23 years old now. So I’m really thrilled that we’ll get the band back together to makes this one.”
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Charlie Donlea. 4.23. 104,121 ratings7,221 reviews. 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 ...
An entertaining thriller with often unrelated surprises lurking around every corner up to the final anticlimax. Twenty years after an accused murderer's initial meeting with her attorney is cut short by the 9/11 attack, a shocking discovery reopens the case, and several other mysteries as well. The circumstantial evidence that Victoria Ford ...
The excellent notion behind Charlie Donlea's TWENTY YEARS LATER (Kensington, 357 pp., $27) is this: Imagine that one of those messages was left by the main suspect in a notorious murder, who protested her innocence and pleaded for her name to be cleared. After a brief flashback, the book jumps to 2021, when a tiny bone fragment from the Trade ...
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 ...
Review: Twenty Years Later by Charlie Donlea is a twist-filled mystery. In 2001, Victoria Ford is the primary suspect in the murder of her married lover, author Cameron Young. She proclaims her innocence but before she can prove it in a court of law, Victoria is a victim of the 9/11 attack. She makes her last phone call to her sister Emma Kind ...
Charlie Donlea is the critically acclaimed, USA Today, Indiebound and #1 internationally bestselling author of Summit Lake, The Girl Who Was Taken, Don't Believe It, Some Choose Darkness, The Suicide House, and Twenty Years Later. Published in nearly 30 countries and translated into more than a dozen languages, Donlea has been praised for his "soaring pace, teasing plot twists" (BookPage) and ...
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Twenty Years Later: ... A great book of you want to get back into reading or have hit a slump. 4 people found this helpful ... I am thrilled to have found this author. Twenty Years Later will be in my mind for a while. One person found this helpful. Helpful. Report Danielle M. 5.0 out of 5 ...
Genre: Thriller. US Publication: December 28, 2021. Print: 304 pages. Audio: TBD. Confetti Rating: 3 stars. REVIEW: I have a true affection for author Charlie Donlea, since his page-turning thrillers have busted me out of major reading slumps on more than one occasion. That said, his 2020 publication, The Suicide House, was a bit of a miss for ...
Praise for Twenty Years Later "Breathtaking pacing and clever plot twists…Donlea's fans will be satisfied." — Publishers Weekly "An entertaining thriller…surprises lurking around every corner." — Kirkus Reviews "Excellent… The ingredients — adultery, fake identities, ulterior motives, forgery, plagiarism, rough sex, unusual chapter breaks, a little murder thrown in here ...
Twenty Years Later. In this gripping, fast-paced new standalone thriller from USA Today, IndieBound, and #1 internationally bestselling author Charlie Donlea, a TV news host sets out to uncover the truth behind a gruesome tale of sex, betrayal, and murder twenty years after the investigation was abandoned in the wake of 9/11.
Twenty Years Later by Charlie Donlea was published in Australia by Penguin Random House and is now available. I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes. In Twenty Years Later by Charlie Donlea a TV show host plans a feel-good story when a 9/11 victim is identified. Only to find out the victim was a murder suspect.
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 ...
But this one might be too crazy for me to jump aboard.". Victoria Ford, the chief suspect in a murder investigation, died when the Twin Towers fell on 9/11. Now, twenty years later, her remains have been identified, and Avery Mason, the journalist reporting on the story, realizes there is more to the case than anyone realized.
Review - Twenty Years Later by Charlie Donlea. I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. TWENTY YEARS LATER, to understand the present, you need to listen to the past…. In the gripping, fast-paced new thriller from USA Today, IndieBound, and #1 internationally ...
Twenty Years Later is a crime thriller by Charlie Donlea, published by Kensington Publishing in 2022. Donlea is an international best-selling author of thrillers, and Twenty Years Later, his seventh novel, was praised by The New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and Library Journal for Donlea's fast-paced and unpredictable writing.
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.
Twenty Years Later Charlie Donlea. 11 hours 45 minutes RB Media published December 28, 2021. Amazon | Goodreads. I was torn on this one. I loved all of Charlie Donlea's books, but I am not a fan of 9/11 books or movies. ... Book Review Request. Follow The Book Review Crew on WordPress.com. Search for: Our Reviewers.
Charlie Donlea is the critically acclaimed, USA Today, Indiebound and #1 internationally bestselling author of Summit Lake, The Girl Who Was Taken, Don't Believe It, Some Choose Darkness, The Suicide House, and Twenty Years Later. Published in nearly 30 countries and translated into more than a dozen languages, Donlea has been praised for his "soaring pace, teasing plot twists" (BookPage) and ...
Twenty Years Later. Paperback - December 27, 2022. by Charlie Donlea (Author) 4.5 33,493 ratings. See all formats and editions. "Excellent…Donlea tells a propulsive tale.". - The New York Times. The New York Times Best Thrillers This Season | E! NewsRecommended Books | OverdriveBiggest Books of the Month.
Danny Boyle and Alex Garland are reteaming for the long-awaited 28 Years Later horror sequel trilogy, and the first film in that new trilogy now has a release date. 28 Years Later arrives in ...
Praise for Twenty Years Later "Breathtaking pacing and clever plot twists…Donlea's fans will be satisfied." — Publishers Weekly "An entertaining thriller…surprises lurking around every corner." — Kirkus Reviews "Excellent… The ingredients — adultery, fake identities, ulterior motives, forgery, plagiarism, rough sex, unusual chapter breaks, a little murder thrown in here ...
See the entire list of best and notable books from every year. Note: Before 2005, the annual list of top books was called Editors' Choice, and there were not always 10. There were also more than ...
28 Years Later, the long-awaited sequel to the zombie classics 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later, has scheduled a June 2025 release date. Director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland will ...
Week 1. Morning 8 a.m. Local Time. Afternoon 12 p.m. Local Time. Monday, May 6, 2024. United States Government and Politics. Art History. Chemistry. Tuesday, May 7, 2024
Twenty Years Later by Charlie Donlea 5/5 ⭐️ Avery Mason, the host of Amerian Events, has a story that will grab the attention of her audience. Twenty years later, the first 9/11 victim has been identified with a new DNA technology. But Avery quickly discovers she is investigating two stories in one.
"28 Years Later" the sequel to "28 Days Later," will be released on June 20, 2025, Sony Pictures announced on Friday. Director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland, the creative duo behind ...
28 Years Later will officially hit theaters on June 20, 2025, just in time for the franchise's 22-year anniversary in the United States.; Filming is getting underway on the zombie threequel in May 2024, though no filming end date has been revealed. Danny Boyle is back in the director's chair for the third movie, while also having co-written the script with original writer Alex Garland.
28 Years Later, the highly anticipated sequel to the iconic zombie franchise, will hit theaters on June 20, 2025.; Cillian Murphy, star of the original film, is on board as an executive producer ...
Sony Pictures has slated the long-awaited project for June 20, 2025. Jodie Comer , Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes are set to star in the sequel to "28 Days Later" and "28 Weeks Later."