“You have two choices when you’re confronted with your every last fear:

Give up or fight like hell.”

Small towns and murder mysteries are just too delectable to pass up for me! Talk about keeping secrets! Nobody does it better than those that live in small towns and that goes with grudges, too. Enter Matt Pine, NYU film student who escaped the small town of Adair where the Pine family is well-known and not exactly well-loved. First, his brother Danny confessed under pressure to the murder of his girlfriend and is currently serving time but second, and perhaps worst of all in the eyes of the townsfolk, they did a documentary on the murder that shines a light on possible corruptness in the town.

After a particularly rough bar night, Matt gets the worst news; his family have all passed while in Mexico on a spur of the moment spring break trip. Was it of natural causes as the Mexican authorities have stated or something much more sinister?

Every Last Fear is cleverly written and perfectly paced, twisty and bendy in all the right places! There’s no lack of suspects and enough red-herrings to keep me guessing through-out. The play between past and present is seamless and gave me insight into characters and changed the scope of the book with keen observation. This is a fascinating and chilling thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed. Rock on Linkin Park!

My thanks to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for the DRC in exchange for my review.

Unpopular opinion alert: I didn’t love it. Let me start this review by saying that I’m very picky with what I do and don’t like, and it keeps getting worse the more thrillers I read. So while this one had an original idea with an interesting cast of characters, it didn’t hit the mark for me. And that makes me SO SAD because this was one of my most anticipated books. It really started off great, and managed to immediately grab my attention. But then the main character, Matt, goes to Mexico, and that’s where things really take a turn for the worse. There were a lot of unnecessary negative and harmful stereotypes. Like why were they included in the first place? There was absolutely no reason to include them. If this language is included in the author’s debut, I’m not sure I’ll want to read any more by them. Speaking of debut, it’s like the author wanted to include so many things in it that it was overwhelming. There were a lot, and I mean A LOT of characters with a huge amount of literally last minute twists thrown in. There’s several very weird scenes that go completely unexplained or ignored, and I’d say about 75% of the twists were predictable. I loved the idea of including a documentary about Danny, and I enjoyed the little snippets of the documentary that were intermittently included. It’s such a shame. The premise of this book had so much potential, but the execution was off.

I've been hearing about this book for awhile, so naturally I was very curious about it. After absolutely devouring the story, I cannot believe Every Last Fear is a debut novel, because Alex Finlay seems to be a Thriller Master. There were so many layers to this story. Mysteries wrapped in enigmas... you get the picture. I felt myself become consumed by a burning desire to unravel all the twisted knots of the plot. I locked myself away and raced through the pages until I finished, and then sat astonished at the resolution. I will be closely following Alex Finlay and eagerly awaiting the next marvel of a book. Thank you to Minotaur and Netgalley for the advance copy.
4.5 stars

I absolutely loved the first 1/4 of this book, it hooked me right from the start. After a while, I thought there was too much going on and it was hard to keep everything & everyone straight but I thought the author did a good job of tying everything together in the end. It was a great storyline and the writing was excellent. It was action packed and kept me on my toes. I recommend checking this one out. Out March 2, 2022

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great thriller. It kept me going and trying to guess what really happened and if Danny really did it. I felt so bad for Matt, loosing so much so quickly. It was fast paced and had me really curious how this all wrapped together and why? I love the multiple point of view. The complexity with all the different characters was fantastic and not confusing at all. I like having lots of options for who could be doing what and who's really to blame. The only thing I didn't like was the stereotypes portrayed of Mexico and the authorities. They weren't necessary.

Thank you to Minnotaur Books and Netgalley for my review copy!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5/5 stars

Oof. This book hurt my soul. Every Last Fear is a thriller that focuses on a family who is torn apart by a tragic crime. When Matt finds out that his parents and two siblings appeared to have died in a freak accident while on vacation in Mexico, he decides to find out what really happened. His family is famous after huge Netflix documentary is released that focuses on his older brother’s arrest after a coerced confession. Told from multiple POVs during multiple timelines, Every Last Fear has all of the twists and all of the emotions.

I loved this mystery. I was hooked from the first sentence and became invested in all of the characters. Each character was multifaceted and you cared about each one. I was so happy that the ending lived up the perfect build-up. Overall, Every Last Fear is an emotional, complex, and thrilling mystery that is perfect for fans of Karin Slaughter and Charlie Donlea.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

In one of the year’s most anticipated debut psychological thrillers, a family made infamous by a true crime documentary is found dead, leaving their surviving son to uncover the truth about their final days. After a late night of partying, NYU film student Matt Pine returns to his dorm room to devastating news: nearly his entire family—his parents Evan and Olivia, and younger siblings, 17-year-old Maggie and six-year-old Tommy, have been found dead from an apparent gas leak in their cabin while vacationing in Tulum, Mexico. The local police claim it was an accident, but FBI Agent Sarah Keller and State Department Officials seem far less certain—and they won’t tell Matt why. The tragedy makes headlines everywhere because this isn’t the first time the Pine family has been thrust into the media spotlight. Matt’s older brother, Danny—currently seven years into serving a life sentence for the murder of his pregnant teenage girlfriend Charlotte Rose—was the subject of a viral Netflix true crime documentary suggesting that Danny was wrongfully convicted as the cops' bullying and intimidation tactics led to his false confession, so Matt must travel alone to claim their bodies. The documentary series, A Violent Nature, proposed that the real murderer was Bobby Ray Hayes, aka The Smasher, who was responsible for beating several other girls to death. But neighbours in Adair, Nebraska had already decided Danny was guilty in the court of public opinion.

So Evan moves the family from Nebraska to Chicago and begins working at accounting firm Marconi LLP, who had been laundering money for a Mexican cartel and had fired Evan just a fortnight before their deaths. Though the country has rallied behind Danny, Matt holds a secret about his brother that he’s never told anyone: the night Charlotte was killed Matt saw something that makes him believe his brother is guilty of the crime. When Matt returns to his small hometown to bury his parents and siblings, he’s faced with a hostile community that was villainized by the documentary, a frenzied media, and memories he’d hoped to leave behind forever. Now, as the deaths in Mexico appear increasingly suspicious and connected to Danny’s case, Matt must unearth the truth behind the crime that sent his brother to prison—putting his own life in peril—and forcing him to confront his every last fear. This is a riveting and compulsive thriller right from the get-go with explosive developments and mind boggling twists interspersed throughout. I can't quite believe this is a debut as it's taut and expertly plotted and the action-packed and intensely enthralling narrative has your heart thumping and your adrenaline pumping as Matt attempts to gain justice for the murders all while navigating around some extremely dangerous criminals. So clear your diary, get comfortable and hold on as Finlay takes you on the (thrill) ride of your life. I cannot recommend this enough.

I love everything about Every Last Fear!!! I love the nonlinear timeline and how there are so many perspectives but it was never even a little bit confusing. That takes some seriously good writing chops to pull that off! I love how little pieces unraveled a little at a time and my theories were zipping all over the place! Most of all, I love love love the way it ended and I can’t stop thinking about the characters. This was my first Alex Finlay book but it certainly won’t be my last! Going to look up everything he’s written!

Huge thanks to Minotaur Books, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for allowing me the privilege of reading this book in advance in exchange for my totally honest review!

This book features multiple points of view and while some may find it irritating, for this book it truly does work as you need to be able to go back and forth in time, and in place, to really find out what happened. this is a book that you'll keep reading long into the night as it has many roller coaster moments, throughout the entire book. We all see the headlines and the horrible stories but never do we think about the families left behind, and the Domino effects that evolve into their futures from their family member's actions. This book looks at that family drama and how the Domino's can be changed, but only with concentrated care. It's a book that makes you think, and will stay with you long after you finish the last page.

This. Book.
I’m going to go ahead and mark this as one of my favorite books of the year. It was dark. twisted, heart wrenching and even a bit humorous at times. The character development was amazing and the multiple perspectives were beautifully woven.
This book gets every star.

OMG this book was so good. Almost an entire family killed, a son in prison for murder and the journey of the other son while he slowly finds out the truth of what happened. This book will keep you reading all the way to the end. I highly recommend this book. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in return for my honest review.

This thriller really took me on a journey to find the answers to the murder of the Pines. I enjoyed the pace of the book and the multiple perspectives it included but I felt like the ending was not surprising and saw it coming from 2/3 of the book. I like the relationship aspects of the family and how we got to see the characters personalities and juicy secrets. The one thing that rubbed me the wrong was was the way Mexico was portrayed, as dangerous and not trust worthy. In all I enjoyed this book and would recommend to other fellow thrill seekers.

What a great book! Hard to believe this is a debut novel by this author. I like that there are several pov's plus I always enjoy a past and present format. The author labeled the chapters past or present which made keeping up a lot easier. It starts by telling you that four family members have died so you know what has happened but it just makes you want to know more. The characters are believable and relatable and I have thought about them ever since I finished reading which to me is the sign of a good book! I highly recommend!

Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read this amazing arc for my honest review.

This was a dark fast paced thriller that hooked me from the first page. You learn from the beginning that a family is dead and get to see the events from their perspective leading up to their deaths. I got very attached to those characters and the family dynamics even though I knew their fate in the end. I do wish that there were more plot twists and reveals since the main mystery seemed obvious to me and I guessed the ending early on.
I thought the incorporation of the netflix true crime documentary into the novel was a clever and interesting aspect since these documentaries are so popular right now. I’ll definitely be interested in checking out this authors future works.

After NYU film student Matt Pine’s girlfriend breaks up with him, he gets drunk, loses his coat and cell phone, and stays out all night since he can’t get into his dorm room. He knows things are only going downhill when his R.A. tracks him down in Washington Square Park and tells him FBI agents want to see him, but he doesn’t know just how badly: Agent Sarah Keller informs him that his parents and two younger siblings are dead, killed in an apparent accident while vacationing in Mexico.

In no time, Matt is hounded by paparazzi and the family’s tragic end makes headlines. The Pine family has been in the news before. Danny, the eldest son, is serving a life sentence for killing his high school girlfriend seven years ago. Recently, a true crime documentary cast doubt on his conviction, and though it presented exonerating evidence, the Supreme Court rejected the high profile appeal.

As Matt and Agent Keller pursue parallel investigations, the family’s cause of death comes into question, revealing a web of deception and misdeeds—and learning the truth might put the remaining Pine family members at risk.

Through multiple perspectives and dual timelines, as well as excerpts from the documentary script, 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘓𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘍𝘦𝘢𝘳 presents two engrossing mysteries as well as the story of a family fractured by a son’s imprisonment his family’s unyielding quest to prove his innocence.

I really enjoyed this engrossing thriller which had excellent characters and an interesting and unexpected, well-paced plot. The excerpts from the documentary series were effective and contained indelible scenes, such as Danny’s aunt getting subtle revenge on hecklers and a possible alternative suspect manipulating a reporter.

Unlike most thrillers, in 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘓𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘍𝘦𝘢𝘳 the victims, the Pine family members, are major characters which makes it particularly heartrending when they die and gives their deaths greater impact.

The book was so effective telling the story of the Pines, I thought that a romantic subplot was unnecessary, and I found that a few questions were unresolved, although the ending was still satisfying. I highly recommend it, especially for thriller lovers.

I was grabbed from the first page of this one and it didn't let up until the very end. There were so many unexpected twists and turn throughout that I was left guessing about the killer and the reason. What I missed was some of the connection to Danny and his story. I feel like the book was based on Danny's story but it was actually secondary to everything happening. I was also disappointed in the stereotypical portrayal of the Mexican police. Overall, this was an exciting read.

Review:

The fact that they had to explain who Eddie Haskell was really my aged me.

I felt icky reading some of Every Last Fear, I won’t lie. The part in Mexico did not sit well with me. I said out loud, “oh, let’s not do that. Let’s notttttt call them that”, but ya know, the only person who could hear me was my dog. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I did like the dual timelines and how the book flowed between characters. Each chapter was short and were quick reads. I also enjoyed the Netflix documentary aspect. I completely understood Matt’s perspective and would have done the same. I felt like a loose end or two was not wrapped up and I was more invested in that. Particularly, I wanted to know about Hank and Wendy/Sampson. The ending was predictable to a fault, so it was no surprise to me.

The supporting characters truly made the book. Bob and Aunt Cindy were the best supporting characters.

Overall, it was an okay read. It was a quick read as I finished the majority of it in a day I know I’m in the minority, but I just felt really underwhelmed. There were a lot of loose ends and the ending was very wild. I know I’m the minority, I know I know.

Thank you Minotaur and NetGalley for the gifted copy. Every Last Fear is out March 2nd.

Every Last Fear was one of my most anticipated psychological thrillers of 2021! This novel was gripping from the first line of the first chapter. The concept of the novel was highly intriguing, and I enjoyed following Matt and Agent Keller’s points of view. I did however feel there were too many additional narrators to maintain the suspenseful atmosphere one would expect in a thriller. I felt the additional narrators disrupted the tone of the novel, and although there were some unexpected twists, the change in narration did affect my experience as a reader.

In my opinion, this novel read largely as a crime related mystery. I think many people will enjoy this read, especially those interested in true crime and mystery thrillers! I look forward to reading future books by this author.

Thank you to Alex Finlay, Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for my gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

“Every Last Fear” is a murder mystery novel in which the readers are discovering details about a closed case and how it eventually led to an entire family’s death. The Pine family’s eldest son was charged and sent to prison for a murder they don’t think he committed. Flash forward a few years, and almost the rest of the Pine family died from a gas leak.

This story had all the twists and turns and kept me at the edge of my page. I enjoyed the story structure, and I thought the different perspectives allowed the readers to make their own summation of the crimes. So, Lyat, why the two stars? Well, I had a pretty big problem with how Alex Finlay handled the Mexicans. Mexico is one of the settings, and various characters interact with the Mexican authorities. Unfortunately, any interaction always came with the phrase “The Mexicans,” as if the entire Mexican country was at fault for the poorly handled crime scene. The Mexicans were to blame for plenty of situations in the book, and it made the word “Mexican” sound bitter, like using foul language.

I would have been fine if one character spoke that way, but no, it is a 3rd person narrative and the language was part of the story’s descriptions and narrative elements. Example: “Once the Mexicans delivered the phones and laptops, she’d have a more complete picture.” -Chapter 16. There are six other times when Mexicans are a blanketed entity that made the lives difficult for the Americans. I understand his point, but by god, how did no one see that this is offensive? I would have been much more understanding if he used more of the “Mexican authorities,” the “Mexican investigators,” or the “Mexican government,” but no, he chose to stick with “THE MEXICANS.”

There are other problematic names, stereotypes, and non-sensical political commentary presented in this novel, but being of Mexican descent, I take the criminal use of “the Mexicans” pretty seriously.

The story was good, and if it were not for the racial issues in this book, I would have likely given the book four stars. I thought there were editors for these kinds of things. I wonder if this language issue was ever brought up by an editor or someone else on the staff. I would be curious to know who heard these criticisms and still said that it was okay. He maybe needed some BIPOC beta readers to take note of any sensitivity issues.

Thank you to Alex Finlay, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader’s Copy.

Every Last Fear could have been titled "why do bad things happen to good people". Finlay does a great job at character development, giving us insight to the family dynamics. Even though there are some hiccups (no family is perfect), you find yourself rooting for the all the members of this tragic family.

Everything was bad enough when son and brother (Danny) was imprisoned for killing a girl, Dad Evan transfers from work at his job in a small town in Nebraska, to the Chicago, Illinois headquarters. But after a "wrongful conviction" documentary things escalate.

We start to get all the clues as the chapters told in different POV before and after the death (and presumed murder) of the family in Mexico begin to unravel the story of who, why, what, where and when.

Matt has escaped the murder because he was in college at NYU, but when the FBI approach him about the deaths, he's unwittingly placed in the crosshairs of both the documentarians, the possible killer, and the outraged community in his hometown.

This thriller had a very different plot and was a nice change from the domestic thrillers I normally read. I can see this becoming a Netflix movie or even playing out as a crime podcast. Kudos to Alex Finlay on his debut novel!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for this advance reader's copy for review.