Alice’s new husband, Justin, walks out on her on their honeymoon, leaving her bewildered about the reasons why. All she figures out is it may have something to do with a phone call he received the day before their wedding. Then she meets a fascinating old lady called Evelyn at the art gallery where she works, and becomes involved in her poignant story – one which has parallels to her own life.
This is an intriguing, clever story about lost love, regrets and second chances which is told over different timeframes. I did find myself more invested in the storyline involving Evelyn and Eddy, with Alice’s relationship woes taking a backseat.
After You Left, by Carol Mason, centres around two women with broken hearts. The summary says: "You want to know what the worst thing is? It's not the embarrassment, or the looks on people's faces when I tell them what happened. It isn't the pain of him not being there - loneliness is manageable. The worst thing is not knowing why.
When Justin walks out on Alice on their honeymoon, with no explanation apart from a cryptic note, Alice is left alone and bewildered, her life in pieces.
Then she meets Evelyn, a visitor to the gallery where she works. It's a seemingly chance encounter, but Alice gradually learns that Evelyn has motives, and a heartbreaking story, of her own. And that story has haunting parallels with Alice's life.
As Alice delves into the mystery of why Justin left her, the questions are obvious. But the answers may lie in the most unlikely of places." After You Left is out in April 2017.