The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz

 

Anna Williams-Bonner is a widow.  Of course, that's because she killed her husband, Jacob Finch Bonner but let's not be picky.  He was a successful novelist but that's because he had stolen the plot of her brother's novel, which was a thinly disguised version of Anna's life, one she never wanted publicized.  Her brother is also among those no longer living along with the rest of her family.

Anna decides to write her own novel of the experience of being a widow and losing someone to suicide which is what the world believes happened to Jacob.  To her surprise it becomes an immediate bestseller and soon she is off on a book tour across the country to make appearances at bookstores and clubs, being interviewed on podcasts and radio shows.  She could get used to this.

But something is wrong.  She starts to get little notices that tells her that someone out there still knows her secrets.  She thought she had gotten rid of everything but now she's getting pages from his manuscript in the mail, and even worse, so are Jacob's parents and her publisher and agent.  Anna knows she needs to track down the culprit and take care of the problem before it ruins all her plans for the future.

Jean Hanff Korelitz is a successful author of both literary fiction and now she has written a couple of mysteries.  Several of her works have been adapted for television series or movies.  In this book, she follows up on her book The Plot, which introduced the characters featured in this one.  Readers will be intrigued and repulsed by Anna and amazed at how her life seems to go her way, with of course a few murders along the way.  I listened to the novel and the narrator had the perfect cold yet self-assured narration to bring Anna to life.  This book is recommended for mystery readers.