ANATOMY OF AN ALIBI is a solid and twisty read that is full of surprises right up until the last sentence. It is also proof that Ashley Elston has not fallen prey to any sophomore slump as she departs from writing YA novels for a second time. Following the hugely successful FIRST LIE WINS, all eyes were on Elston to produce another winner. I am happy to say that she does not disappoint.

This psychological thriller has a mind-bending opening that sets the tone for the rest of the book as you never really know who to trust or what to believe. Even though it jumps around from past to present, the bulk of the action --- including the murder at the heart of the story --- occurs over a weekend in October. There are a small handful of characters involved, but the three who are at the center of the action are Aubrey Price, Camille Bayliss and Hank Landry.

"ANATOMY OF AN ALIBI is a solid and twisty read that is full of surprises right up until the last sentence.... This psychological thriller has a mind-bending opening that sets the tone for the rest of the book as you never really know who to trust or what to believe."

Aubrey is at a bar in St. Francisville, Louisiana, where she is having a conversation with a stranger who buys her a beer. The issue is not that Aubrey is spending time away from her home in Baton Rouge. It’s that she’s disguised to look like Camille. When we see her meet up with Camille after leaving the bar, it becomes evident that they are working together to find out what Camille’s husband, Ben, might be up to, other than his overboard obsession with her and her whereabouts. Elston reveals just a little at a time before readers have some idea of what is really going on.

Although they appear to be working together, neither Aubrey nor Camille trust each other. The puzzle surrounds how they came together. Aubrey shares what seems like an adult foster home full of shady characters who will do anything for her, while Camille is on the verge of filing for divorce from her well-off but troubled attorney husband. Before that can happen, Ben is found dead in their house, his bloodied body left by the desk in his home office.

Camille has what appears to be an alibi --- if the police are to believe that Aubrey was actually her in St. Francisville. Hank, who was Ben’s partner in their two-person firm, steps up to protect Camille, even though he doesn’t know the whole story. Detective Sullivan must do his due diligence and rule out the spouse, especially one rumored to be seeking a divorce, before considering other suspects who might have reason for wanting Ben dead.

Each chapter and journey into the past sheds more light on the backstory and big picture that has brought us to this point. Camille is the daughter of Randall Everett, one of the wealthiest men in town, and he is already sticking his nose into the situation to ensure that she is protected and gets her just compensation from the dissolution of the law firm as a result of Ben’s death. We also learn that Camille’s brother, Silas, may have been involved in a fatal drunk-driving accident that claimed the lives of Aubrey’s parents.

Since the Everetts have a lot of power, the person serving a potential death penalty term for their deaths is Paul Granger, the owner of the vehicle that caused the accident. If your head is not spinning at this point, just hang on. While Aubrey and later Hank work towards finding out the truth that will free Granger from his sentence, Ben’s murder still remains to be solved and is most certainly wrapped up amidst the deadly secrets involving each of the individuals I have mentioned in the most confounding ways possible.

Hang on until the very end as Ashley Elston has a lot that she keeps up her sleeve!