"Afterwards" by Rosamund Lupton

Recommended by acquaintance and it let me wondering at first, as it is definitely a novel I would have chosen myself - 'does he really think I would enjoy this kind of book?" - not knowing a better description, I would call this a "domestic thriller" as its written by woman about a women and obviously targeted for a female audience. This means it shows author's perspective as really focused on home, children, furniture, school and circle of friends - in short, a bit limited perspective. It doesn't really go into description of a washing machine but I felt it behind my neck. After initial doubt, however, I kept on reading because there was a interesting story somewhere deep inside - Lupton might have been deep into mundane everyday reality of raising a family but she did knot those characters into quite a gripping thriller that kept me guessing and reading deep in the night. 

A plot's main twist is that it is followed by two characters who are not here - after disastrous fire,both mother and a teenage daughter are burned and badly hurt in a hospital from where their spirits follow "afterwards" of the story and how the family,friends,relatives and suspects try to unravel what actually happened. They can only hoover above "real" people but this also gives us opportunity to follow the story with almost movie-camera presence everywhere since "spirits" can float anywhere without limits. It might sound original but alas it is not - years ago I read "Lovely bones" by Alice Sebold and she was the first writer to use this kind of plot twist. 

Lupton had knotted enough of main and supporting characters into the story to make it into fairly interesting thriller (I could not guess the main baddie until the very end) but the most surprising part was occasional unexpected tenderness she expresses towards main character's family - unexpected as this is crime story after all - there are some really strong and emotional pages that even got me choked a little bit,specially parts about a little boy (who turns out to be a main suspect) and few others. Quite a surprise I would probably not noticed by myself.