After Me

Kate Sawyer #1

by Deborah Coonts

Twenty million in diamonds missing.

Kate Sawyer, a cop in witness protection, holds the key.

If she could only remember.

Early-onset Alzheimer’s clouds the past. Stem cell therapy is working to clear it.

But time is running out for Kate.

One night she finds a dead man in her bathtub with a note stuck in his pocket.

I know what you’ve done.

Her cover blown, Kate runs, the clock is ticking. People close to her are being killed.

Shadowy memories tease her. Some she recognizes. Others don’t seem familiar at all.

Running from people she can’t remember, dogged by a past lost in the haze, Kate discovers no one is who they appear to be, perhaps not even herself.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Crime, Thriller Suspense, Ebooks, Mystery Thriller

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 19, 2016

About the author

Get a free bundle of novellas ripped from the headlines of Lucky O'Toole's world: http://deborahcoonts.com/lucky-offer/

Deborah Coonts swears she was switched at birth. Coming from a family of homebodies, Deborah is the odd woman out, happiest with a passport, a high-limit credit card, her computer, and changing scenery outside her window. Goaded by an insatiable curiosity, she flies airplanes, rides motorcycles, travels the world, and pretends to be more of a badass than she probably is. Deborah is the author of the Lucky O’Toole Vegas Adventure series, a romantic mystery romp through Sin City. Wanna Get Lucky?, the first in the series, was a New York Times Notable Crime Novel and a double RITA™ Award Finalist. She has also penned the Kate Sawyer Medical Thriller series, the Brinda Rose Humorous Mystery series, as well as a couple of standalones. Although often on an adventure, you can always track her down at www.deborahcoonts.com.

Reviews

[Deacon Tom (Feeling Better) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Explosive Story that I enjoyed. It is about a woman's desperate quest to survive

Kate Sawyer finds a dead body in her bathtub and off we go!

An ingenious plot. She is in witness protection with Alzheimer's. With her cover blown, Kate’s on the runs as those close to her are being killed.

I love how the intertwining of memory loss mixed in to this fast paced story. I recommend it — a great easy read.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (10/13/2020)! 🎁

[Laz the Sailor · Rating 3 out of 5]

An intriguing mystery that relies too much on the memory-loss trope to be truly effective. When writing from a single perspective, you need a dependable narrator (unless deception is required), and Kate is not.

The medical aspects were well detailed, while the detective work relied a bit too much on computer hacking and deep dives. Things work out pretty well in the end, and I'll read the next one.

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

B & N offered this to be read a bit at a time. What I didn’t realize was that they would remove the book after posting the book in it’s entirety soooo i didn’t like it enough to pay for it. I didn’t finish it but felt 3 stars was appropriate.

[Ashley Reading Stewardess · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I absolutely loved it. I read it as a part of Barnes and Noble’s serial read and the twists and turns of the story kept me coming back each day for the next chapter. Kate was such an interesting and complex character not only because of her status as a former undercover NYPD officer who’s in witness protection, but also because she’s suffering from early onset dementia and can’t remember what she did to land her in this situation. I will definitely be reading the next book.

[Jodi Pomerleau · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first I enjoyed the story..a woman detective with early onset Alzheimer's involved in 20 million dollars worth of missing diamonds that people are desperate to get back. But repetition upon repetition of how she is missing parts of her memory got to be tedious. The flashbacks were enough to fill in those gaps and not have to continually waste pages on that point. A lot of improbable stuff happens. How could Kate continually physically best thugs, despite the injuries to herself? The ending was convoluted, but I had lost a lot of interest by then. The force behind the efforts to get Kate to remember, and to recover the missing diamonds I had figured out in the first couple chapters. It was way too obvious. But there were too many questions in my mind by the end...firstly why wait so long to put a plan into place to force Kate to reveal her missing information? How likely is it that someone could keep diamonds in the place they were eventually recovered for over a year? What was the point of opening the packages? That was never explained. I think this could be a good series...but for heaven's sake, just keep it simple.

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warning! Definitely not a cozy! However, I enjoyed it very much. Kate Sawyer says that it was hell to lose one’s memory and not lose one’s mind. I understand where she is coming from. After my father had a stroke he told us that it seemed as if someone had knocked over his filing cabinet and dumped out all of the files. When someone would ask him a question he had to sort through all the loose papers until he found the correct one and then he could answer the question. He then told us that he put the paper into the correct folder and filed it so that the next time he needed that information it would be available. Kate is not a lucky as my father. When she gets the correct answer, she must write it on her body in order to have it available the next time. Knowing my father helped me understand Kate’s thought processes as she discovered who is after her and why. I repeat that this is not for the faint hearted. But, I highly recommend it.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am familiar with this author and her fun, comedic side with the Lucky books. Yet, this new path the author has taken with her thriller/romantic suspense books has me intrigued. I will say that while I did enjoy this book, I struggled with it as well.

Just like Kate's memory, it was slow to come back. Which is how I felt reading this book. It was touch and go for me. It took me several chapters in the beginning to get into this book. After that I would read a few chapters and than put the book down. This happened about 4/5 times. By this point I was about half way into the story. The story did pick up and so did the intensity. The rest of the book was really good. I like the new, Deborah Coonts. I look forward to reading more books in this genre from the author.

[Dalene W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

This was an enjoyable book. It was fast paced and unique in that the main character, a female detective has early onset Alzheimer’s. I hope to read the second book about. Kate in the near future.

[(NurseLisa) Square Granny from Ohio · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Lise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate Sawyer faces the daily struggle of remembering her own identity due to early-onset Alzheimer symptoms. That, coupled with the fact that she's in Witsec, leaves her ill-equipped to deal with people from her former life who want a fortune in diamonds returned to their mobster organisation and believe that she is the key to the gems' location.

This was a challenging read. Kate's story rings true to life and the rabbit hole of her journey is not for the faint-hearted. There are many partial flashbacks as Kate attempts to recover enough of her memory to get to the bottom of her troubles. A monumental amount of violence and physical danger left me almost gasping for breath as I tried to reach the conclusion.

While I loved the premise of a narrator who can't remember who they are, I am too much of a wuss to truly appreciate this book. Recommended for those who like a lengthy thriller.

[Jennice Mckillop · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a definite 5 star book. What an awesome concept: someone placed in Witness Protection who gets diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s. But if she can’t remember, does she still need to be in the WitProg? Yes, she does!
Then her caregiver in the WitProg enrolls her in a Stem Cell program for Alzheimer’s, one of only two in the country, but she needs a donation from a relative, a close relative, like a brother she’s learning she has. And that brother could be one of the bad guys.
Yikes!
Then there’s the $20m worth of missing diamonds that she may have stolen and hid from a super bad gangster while working as an undercover cop. But she doesn’t know bc she just can’t remember.

There was not a dull page in this book.
Just lots & lots of action & intrigue & yes, lots of dead bodies.
This was a free serial read from Nook, but I would spend real money to buy it.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A woman in Witness protection, with early -onset Alzheimer's, being targeted by someone who thinks she has something they are missing. Lots of people around her want to help her but who can she trust when she can't even remember what they said 10 minutes ago?

[meghann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the Nook serial read for April 2021. What an interesting main character to be in the head of. Kate was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimers and struggles with severe memory issues. She finds herself the target of some bad guys for something she cannot remember doing. As the bodies start piling up she works to unravel fragments of memories and figure out just exactly who she was and who she can trust. This was such a page turner, andI definitely want to continue this series.

[Lili · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really, really loved this book! It takes you deep inside your mind, swirling with emotion... Gone is the wry humor of the Lucky series - this is heart-rendingly serious, grippingly fast, surprisingly innovative and deeply moving, and I kept rooting for the heroine from start to finish.

And the writing... excellent! All the thoughts swirling through Kate's head are so well stringed that you vividly feel her dispair, her torment, her doubts, her grief and her pain, as if her stem cells are in your head. And also the honesty, the bravery, the goodness and the hope. I was so glad to see her on the other side of her tumult, because I really like her and emphatise with her, which proves the incredible talent of this author.

Wow, what a ride! If you're looking for a light read, some easy, efortless escape... this is not it. But if you enjoy a good thriller don't miss this, you wont't be disappointed.

[MK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly loved all the suspense in this book. One fast paced, and turn pager. The first page until the end had me intrigued.
Kate Sawyer a former NYPD undercover cop had been injured. When someone sends her a message its pretty scary. The problem is she can't remember things. Even who she is.

All the pieces are coming back, but who can she trust? The one person supposed to protect her she's staying away from.
She turns to Detective Beck Hudson. A gut feeling she can trust him.

That's when things become interesting. She searches for answers, and so does he. Somehow work together and what they find out gets more and more fascinating. Kate's memories even though bits and pieces begin to fill a void..

Release Date 12/27/26

Must buy

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

In After Me, this story is about a medical thriller. When Kate Sawyer gets hurt in a takedown, she goes into the Witness Protection Program. Then she finds a dead guy in her bath tub. She knows someone is after her, but she doesn't know who. Her memory has been messed up after she got hurt. She undergoes into a experimental stem cell treatment, hoping to regain her memory. This book is well written, the pace starts from the first page and doesn't stop until the last. You will NEVER guess who is actually after her!!!! I received ARC of this book but voluntarily reviewed it. Can't wait for the next one!

[Angela Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfectly, Well-Crafted Thriller!

After Me by Deborah Coonts is an action-packed, page-turner with moments full of tension, anxiety, and fear. Without fail, a plot-driven story with plenty of plot twists that run deeper than one can imagine!

Following the life of Kate Sawyer in witness protection. If only she could remember. Kate has early-onset Alzheimers and in an experimental study while trying to stay alive and remember why. And so this story delves deep into the intricacies of the human mind.

As she unravels the secrets of her past, she discovers hidden truths and forms an alliance with a Detective Beck Hudson so it delivers that hint of romance and I got my HEA.

Ms. Coonts masterfully blends suspense with emotional depth, exploring themes of love, trust, and the complexities of family dynamics. The characters are vividly drawn, and the emotional journey they undergo adds layers to the plot.

The plot is utterly outstanding. From the first line, "The body dumped in my bathtub" and a note, "I know what you did", we are shocked with an unspeakable act of violence and Kate doesn't know who it is or how the body got there.

It becomes evident that this novel is well-thought-out and plentifully researched to draw the reader into a realistic setting

not solely about the murder but all the threads connecting the cast of characters to one another in some elusive way. And the mystery is cleverly interwoven with all the lies and personal issues, so you won’t know until the end.

Beautiful "Whodunit".

[Jerry B · Rating 4 out of 5]

We picked up this ebook freebie after seeing it billed as a medical thriller. We used to be fond of such tales from the likes of Robin Cook and the late Michael Palmer, but haven’t seen much action in that genre lately. Anyhow, the book starts with a really original premise – 40-ish ex-cop (as it turns out) Kate Sawyer has a type of early Alzheimer’s to the point where she practically narrates her life on her phone so that she can remember necessities – and often writes highlights on her arms and legs for the same reason! She is being treated with stem cell therapy which seems to be working. But when a dead man is found in her bathtub, and she spends the rest of the book being chased by the bad guys, the whole tale turns immediately into a crime thriller.

A number of twists and turns, with her returning memory glimpses providing clues to her problems with the crooks, along with some help from an apparently homeless sax player and a couple of sympathetic cops, enrich the plot. A rather surprising and exciting finish caps off our first adventure with glamorous author Coonts, whose brief bio suggests her protagonist herein may be somewhat autobiographical (except for the Alzheimer’s)!

We see a second novel to feature Sawyer is on the horizon – we’d be inclined to seek it out. {3.5}

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't imagine what it would be like to lose your memory and then slowly get it back, piece by confusing piece. But this is the story of Kate Sawyer. An undercover cop for the NYPD, she has been involved in something terrible, but can't remember any details. Her past haunts her and people are after her. She has a handler named Dan who put her into WITSEC to protect her, but it turns out she has better friends who find her along the way. She also has a brother who she hasn't been in contact with for years, but who reappears in her life when his stem cells are needed for an experimental treatment for the early onset Alzheimer's that she has been diagnosed with. When he finds where she is now living, he comes to find her, too. There are many flashbacks in the story as Kate's memory opens up, and there is much violence as she discovers what some bad people want from her. And it is frustrating for her that she doesn't have the answer that they seek. There are many tender moments in this book that help to outweigh the terrifying ones. This is a gripping tale and I would give it more than 5 stars if possible!

[Bruce Retallack · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has an amazing and fascinating premise that really raised my expectations. The core problematic revolves around an (ex?) FBI agent who is in witness protection but who has early onset Alzheimer's and can't remember much. Promising, right? What about a body left in the bathtub of her safehouse? Clearly, someone is after her and knows where she lives. All good. So what's wrong?
First, I have to say that the description of early Alzheimer's, its cutting-edge treatment, and her many essential coping mechanisms are beautifully laid out and were intriguing. May I never be there.
Having said that, the entire plot revolves around a) what details she can remember and b) who is the person - obviously close to her - who is after her? Fair enough, except the frequency and timing of her sudden insights end up being too convenient, and the identity of her stalker becomes, by virtue of elimination, fairly obvious too soon.
It's a great concept and well worth a read if only for that. And in fairness, it remains a good enough read that I had no trouble reading through to the end in short order.

[Gloria ~ mzglorybe · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This turned out to be a pretty good read after all. For me it required some concentration at a time I wasn’t really willing to give it that much. The plot was pretty convoluted. You have a heroin that’s got early onset Alzheimer’s before she’s even 40. She’s a cop who was badly injured in her last encounter with criminals and can’t remember most of it. Someone is after her but she doesn’t know why except that whoever they are thinks she has stolen diamonds, and they want them back. It may even be her own brother, also a cop.

Between the flashbacks, dreams and various scenarios, plus the different characters that were brought in I found it a little work to keep the story straight at times. The experimental treatment of stem cells implants in Alzheimer’s patients was quite interesting but some of the ramifications may have been fiction, I really don’t know.

Not a story I will probably remember down the road except for the stem cells part in Alzheimer’s as we have had family members suffer through this horrible disease.

[Marian Bron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deborah Coonts does it again. I had reservations about downloading this medical thriller by Coonts because I love the Lucky O’Toole novels with all their colourful characters, but I’m glad I did. After Me does not disappoint. I may even like Kate Sawyer’s world a little more than Lucky’s! While the characters who people Kate’s world may not have the colourful idiosyncrasies of Lucky’s friends, each has depth and are complete.

The premise is original. Kate has been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s not long after a bust goes sideways and twenty million in diamonds go missing. She is put in Witness Protection and enrolled in a medical trial with hopes that she will remember where the diamonds went. What follows is good writing that keeps us guessing. The medical trial and results are believable in Coonts’s hands. The description of her brother’s neighbourhood at Christmas was particularly memorable.

I’m looking forward to reading Deadfall, the next Kate Sawyer mystery.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

After Me by Deborah Coonts is a book that will keep you turning pages well into the night. Kate Sawyer is a former police woman who worked undercover. She is in witness protection. She also has early onset Alzheimer's. She cannot remember what happened to twenty million dollars in diamonds and the owner wants them back. He has murdered people in his path and he will not stop until the diamonds are returned. Can Kate put the pieces of her memory together and find the diamonds before anyone else is murdered? Are her memories reliable, that are being stimulated by stem cell treatments?

This is a well written story with characters that are well developed and complex. This book was a B&N serial read where a chapter or two is provided each day until the book is complete. It is a great way to meet new authors. I recommend this book. I always review every book that I read.

[Elaine Lucky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate is a former undercover cop. After being hospitalized with life threatening injuries, she's found to have early onset Alzheimer's. In the witness protection she is trying to piece her life together and memories that she doesn't know if they are real or not. She writes on her body to remember & adds voice recordings to her telephone along with sticky notes all over her apartment. In a nightmare she can't comprehend, there are attempts on her life by those who are willing to do anything to get the information that is locked in her head. With experimental treatments, her WITSEC handler, a homeless man, & a concerned detective, Kate starts piecing together the life changing police bust she was involved in to get to the bottom of the mystery of what really happened and what did she do.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book, three solid stars. The premise of the book - a cop who after an incident is suffering from healing wounds, and is losing her mind to disease - was a really great plot.

I won’t give any spoilers away, but I managed to figure out the biggest twist far too early on, which I don’t usually, so I’m assuming it wasn’t much of a twist. A few elements of the writing I wasn’t keen on, the heaps of of descriptions and rambling bits I ended up skimming most…for some reason it just didn’t grip me. I also found some of the treatment side effects a little too hard to believe, when everything else was more thriller/realistic, there were some bits of the treatment she underwent which were just not.

Good book, just a few bits which weren’t quite my taste.

[Cathy Egan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great suspense

This is not the type of book I have read from Deborah Coonts before. It has lots if suspense and action. I loved it! Kate Sawyer is the main character. She's a former cop from New York in the Witness Protection program. She has early onset Alzheimers and is being hunted by some pretty bad characters. Her journey into finding the truth and getting her memories back is very intriguing. Lots of new characters and a love interest that is pretty amazing make this a very worthwhile read. It's the first in a new series. I highly recommend starting with this first book!

[Beverly Laude · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate Sawyer has several problems. She has a rare form of early-onset dementia and she is also in the WITSEC program. How can she solve the problems that seem to be pursuing her from her past if she can't remember what she did?

The book was very different and Kate's struggles with her memory were almost another character in the book. At times, it became painfully tedious while she repeatedly tried to remember. But, the story was fast paced, with plenty of twists to satisfy the reader. All in all, it was entertaining and kept my interest. Since that is why I love to read, I give this book 4 stars.

[Zedd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Original and Touching

I love this book. It took me only two nights to get through because the action rarely slowed long enough that I could easily pause! I could say a lot about the carefully-chosen adjectives, the very precise plotting, and the evident love Coonts has for her characters but staying up to read it means that I'm overtired and can't choose my own words carefully

Do read this. It's lovely on its own but apparently it was meant as a series starter! I'll try to get the second one soon.

[Wendell Hennan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book appealed to me because of the early onset Alzheimers which has ravaged my mother's family. I found that part of the book difficult to read and while the steady recovery from the stem cell treatments from her brother Hank were good news Kate had to resort to writing reminders on her body and deal with pieces of her past that became clear and then faded away. The story itself has more twists than enough and Kate might well be Wonderwoman, taking down men despite physical pain from past injuries, not self inflicted. Very well crafted and gripping but for me NOT an enjoyable read.