After she's gone

Despite having endured plenty of sisterly squabbles, Cassie Kramer knows it's up to her to find younger sister Allie when Allie suddenly goes missing from the film set of Dead Heat. Cassie and Allie, daughters of '70s bombshell starlet Jenna Hughes, are both promising Hollywood actresses, but because Allie's career skyrocketed past Cassie's, causing a falling-out between the sisters, Cassie now with the police suspecting murder finds herself a person of interest. As other cast and crew members of Dead Heat are found dead, Cassie struggles to stay calm. With a history of institutionalization for psychosis, and an estranged, nearly ex-husband who is trying to win her back, Cassie has a lot at stake, which veteran genre author Jackson employs to generate near-constant suspense, weaving together disparate plot turns, directing a large cast of characters, and playing up movie-star egos and show-biz gossip to give the novel a vintage Hollywood feel. With moderate gore, a hint of romance, and many dynamic female characters, After She's Gone is a sure bet for Jackson's popular blend of women's fiction and suspense. A mysterious new character in the epilogue suggests more to come.--Grant, Sarah Copyright 2015 Booklist

Ten years after a serial killer tormented retired movie star Jenna Hughes and her two daughters, Cassie and Allie Kramer, in bestseller Jackson's Deep Freeze (2005), mother and now-grown daughters must contend with further angst and violence in this disappointing sequel. Allie, who's become a big movie star, disappears while Dead Heat, her latest film, is wrapping up in Portland, Ore. In addition, a prop gun turns out to be the real thing when the actress doubling for Allie is shot and almost killed. Psychologically unstable Cassie, who has a bit part in Dead Heat, embarks on a mission to find her missing sister. Flashbacks reveal the tortured relations between the sisters, their rivalry over roles and men, as Cassie flits between Los Angeles and Portland in search of answers. Meanwhile, various people involved with Dead Heat are murdered with grotesque clues seeming to point to Cassie as the killer. Jackson settles for a lot of smoke but little heat in this tepid thriller. Agent: Robin Rue, Writers House. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.