A college student whose brother is in prison for the murder of his girlfriend and whose case was the topic of a true crime documentary learns that the rest of his family died in what seemed like a tragic accident. But was it?

I prefer more character-driven books - this had a lot of POVs and a lot of jumping back and forth between past and present. The narrative shifts between Matt's family in the past and their movements before their deaths (much of which had to do with their investigations into Danny's case) and Matt and an FBI agent in the present looking into Matt's family's deaths.

It you love a very plot-driven book, definitely give this a try. It was an intricate plot but I thought it was well crafted and everything made sense.

The tension and the story of this was crazy! I couldn't put it down, such a quick and easy read. I really enjoyed how it was written, how it was paced, and how all the characters added a lot of depth. Truly a page turner and truly something for those suspense/thriller junkies out there who need a distraction from the outside world.
I haven't read anything by Alex Finlay before, but would be interested in checking out some of the other work out there!

I raced through this page turner! It opens with the death of a family who has gone to Tulum, Mexico in search of the truth and then cascades into a thriller where -no spoilers from me. Matt's brother Danny has been in prison for 7 years, convicted in the death of his ex-girlfriend after a high school party. His family was forced to move from their small town and just when things were calming a bit, a pair of documentary film makers started to probe the case. Matt's at NYU now; he's got a terrific support group of friends who are especially helpful when his world falls apart. FBI SA Sarah Keller thinks something's fishy about the deaths but she's surprised when they become an FBI priority because the President's daughter believes Danny is innocent. So who killed Matt's family? And Why? Well, this is told from multiple view points and moves between just before the trip to Tulum and its aftermath. The characters are terrific, the pacing on point, and the big reveal was a surprise to even this veteran thriller reader. I liked this for the small details as well - Keller's 300 mile tdy for a 6 minute meeting, Ganesh's generosity, and so on. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Clear your schedule and plan to read straight through. Two thumbs up!

Thank you to @netgalley & @minotaur_books for the ARC of this novel. The pub date is March 2 and it is the debut novel from Alex Finlay. In Every Last Fear, you dive into the Pine family and their unfortunate, devastating circumstances. With the endearing Matt Pine front and center as the lead protagonist, the story is told from multiple perspectives and alternating time frames. This structure of the narrative was intriguing, allowing the reader to observe multiple perspectives of the characters and created page-turning pacing. True to form for a well-crafted thriller that creates tension in leading to the plot, the finale is a crescendo into a plausible and satisfying ending. Finlay’s writing has a lighter quality to it that makes the reader feel as though you have lost track of time and are having a deep conversation that never goes stale.

4+ well deserved stars

I remember reading about a family that was on vacation in Cancun and that they were found dead in the resort room they had rented for a family vacation. All four of them. Mother, Father, teenage daughter and 6-yr old boy. It was assumed accidental due to a gas leak. The FBI not so sure. I believe this debut author took the foundation of his debut novel from this true crime story and fashioned it into a well constructed mystery thriller unlike anything I’ve read before. It drew me in immediately. The opening line is “They found the bodies on a Tuesday. Two days after they missed their flight home.”

Told from several perspectives, and time frames, it is not a difficult read, even though the subject matter is dismal. It is engrossing and captivating. The pivotal character of the story is Matt Pine, a 21-yr old college student at NYU who is informed by the FBI that his family has perished on vacation in Mexico. What were they doing in Mexico? Was it related to his brothers conviction? Were they following up on a lead? How will he get answers? He is understandably in shock and totally overwhelmed.

The only ones he can turn to is a female FBI agent, Sarah Keller, that has shown compassion for his situation, his ditzy but lovable aunt, and his friends from NY, who try to help him sort this all out. His family is well known throughout local communities due to the media coverage of a trial for his brother Danny back a few years for the murder of a girlfriend. The crime resulted in a TV documentary called “A Violent Nature” ultimately causing the community to shun his family.

Danny is his only other sibling, in prison for killing Charlotte, but his family never believed he was guilty and for several years have been searching for answers, following any leads. Matt’s father, Evan Pine was consumed with it. Would not give up on it causing a rift between he and Matt that was not resolved prior to his death. Evan believed that when one is confronted with every last fear, one either gives up or fights like hell. His 17 yr old daughter Maggie shared his passion. It was a pleasure to get to know this family “before” their deaths, even though we knew that they’d eventually end up dead, it made it seem more real and emotional to get acquainted with them, albeit putting a knot in your throat each time they showed love for each other, especially with the 6-yr old, Tommy, so heartbreaking.

This is a multilayered novel worthy of you going into it blind, as I did. It is one you won’t forget. It is a wowzer of a debut novel. Well crafted, riveting, and with gut wrenching surprises. Can’t wait to see what Finlay comes up with next.

My thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC - all opinions are my own
To #StMartinsPress - I so appreciate you approving my requests, you have no idea!
#Alex Finlay - wishing you every success in future endeavors. We have our eyes on you.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was INCREDIBLE! As soon as I started it, I could not put it down and as soon as I finished it, I couldn’t stop thinking about it! That is how I know I love a book.

So in this story, we follow Matt, a NYU film student whose older brother is in jail for killing his girlfriend and the rest of his family has been trying to prove his brother’s innocence for years now. After a massive drinking night, Matt goes back to his dorm and finds an FBI agent named Sarah Keller there waiting for him to tell him that his entire family, his parents and two youngest siblings, have died while on a trip to Mexico. Matt doesn’t even have time to process their deaths before he realizes that it seems like someone is trying to hurt him too.

Agent Keller continues to work on his family’s case and discovers that these deaths were not accidental at all; they were murdered. Now Matt and Agent Keller need to try and figure out why would someone want his family dead. Does their death have something to do with his brother’s case? Who is now trying to hurt Matt?

Every Last Fear is a multi-POV, multi-timeline thriller that will keep you at the edge of your step throughout the entire story. I can’t wait to read more books by Alex Finlay in the future!

Trigger warnings for sexual assault and suicide

This was the perfect thriller! I didn't want to put it down and when I had to, I kept thinking about it! Matt Pine is a college student and his life has been anything but perfect. His older brother has been convicted of killing his girlfriend and is in prison. A documentary had been released about the murder and the Pine family had to leave their small town for a new place to live because of the crime. Matt's family has never been the same since Danny went to prison. While on vacation in Mexico, Matt's parents and younger sister and brother are murdered. Matt tries to figure out what happened to his family with the help of the FBI. This was a thrilling, keep you on the edge of your seats book and I couldn't read it fast enough!!! I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

I loved this book! I flew through it. I live in Nebraska so it was great to have the story based there. I’m definitely buying this for my library!

“They found the bodies on a Tuesday.”

With an intro like that, I knew this was going to be a good thriller and I wasn’t wrong. I loved this book so much, it definitely made it into my favorite thrillers of all time list. The plot twists had me gasping because I never suspected any of them. Not to mention I love when a book is told from multiple perspectives, and this one had quite a few. The perspectives were past tense and present, so we got to see the events leading up to the murder.

Matt Pine is at college and is nursing a hangover when FBI agents show up at his dorm room. They say his whole family has died in a freak accident on their trip to Mexico. An apparent gas leak at the motel they were staying at, no foul play involved. Matt has to be the one to tell his older brother Danny that their family just died while he has been sitting in a prison cell for years. What did Danny do to wind up in prison? He murdered his girlfriend and bashed her skull in. They actually made a documentary show about how Danny is innocent which made his case go viral, his family never believed he was guilty, but he wound up in prison anyway. No proof that he did it, but he looked like the major suspect because he was the boyfriend and they were both drunk at a party and Danny couldn’t tell what happened.

Fast forward and now their entire family is dead, and Matt has to go down to Mexico to identify the bodies to bring them back home. So, we have two different mysteries going on in this story and we don’t know if or how they are connected. Did Danny really murder his girlfriend? Did the entire Pine family die from a freak accident or did someone murder them and why? I can’t tell you how perfect this entire book was from the beginning to the end I was on the edge of my seat. The author did an outstanding job of connecting so many plots and making it realistic and crazy at the same time. I usually have somewhat of an idea of who the killer is halfway through the book, but this one had me completely stumped. I was shocked absolutely shocked at the ending and all that happened. I loved how slowly but surely so many intricate pieces came together to form what really was going on and what had happened to both Danny Pine and the family.

If you’re a fan of thrillers I highly recommend reading this one asap. It has everything from a fast paced plot, action at every turn of the page, multiple plot twists, and two storylines to follow. I not only loved the thriller aspect, but the author did an incredible job with making such well thought out characters. I really ended up loving them all, and became attached to them which made it an even crazier book to read.

The book that everyone’s been talking about…did it live up to the hype?….

YES! This book was incredible! It was filled with suspense, thrills and so many twists! If it hadn’t been for the cold weather and us being without electricity, I would have finished it in ONE night! I was so shocked that this is Alex’s debut novel, the level of writing and just pure goodness in this sounded like it came from someone with 20 books under their belt.

What do you do when you find out you and your brother, who happens to be in prison are the sole survivors in your family? After a Netflix documentary detailing why the brother is in prison and explaining that the brother was wrongfully convicted, is the family dead because of said show or is there more to this story that’s been left out?

Thank you to the author, St Martins Press and NetGalley for the review copy. It did not disappoint, and it’s newest favorite book! You can get this on March 2!!

Nothing goes as planned.
The poor pine family, I just felt so bad for them.

I didn’t see how it was all going to play out fully, but it was good! Some twist and turns, a realistic family after all that has happened to them. It felt like this was a real case. It was easy to follow, had a lot of tension and suspense, and I enjoyed how it all played out. Definitely a good read. Thank you Netgalley for the e arc, and it will be a great March release.

Edge-of-your-seat, nail-biting, addictive thriller. This novel will have you racing to solve the puzzle of what happened the night the majority of the Pine family died while away in Mexico on vacation. Meet Matt Pine – a student at NYU. His mother, father, and younger brother and sister went away for a vacation in Mexico. The family is survived by Matt and his older brother Danny, presently in prison.

I loved how the novel started with such a strong, pulse pounding revelation. The family of 4 missed their return flight and two days later their bodies were found. What happened to the Pine family? Was it a murder-suicide, is something more sinister at work here? I loved the whole suspense of what truly happened to this family. I felt bad for Matt as he was the one who had to deal with it all on his own. His brother was of little help as there wasn’t much he could do while in prison, so young Matt had to take it upon himself to get some answers.

I enjoyed how the novel was written from various timelines and from various POV’s. Some parts are told from Evan Pine’s POV (the father) in the past, some parts are told from Maggie Pine’s POV (the daughter) in the past, parts are told from Matt’s POV in the present, and parts are told from FBI agent on the murder case, Sarah Keller. It’s a race against time as Sarah Keller works with Matt to solve the mystery of what happened to the Pine family. While Matt is out seeking answers, and flying to Mexico to get the bodies of his family released back to the USA, it is clear that someone is out to get Matt himself. Who would be after him, and what do they want with him? What has he or his family ever done to someone for them to seek him out?

I loved the guessing game of what happened to the Pine family and trying to fit all the pieces together to solve the puzzle. I enjoyed Matt’s character – he was witty, charming, and very likeable. I also enjoyed reading about the story of how his brother Danny ended up in prison years ago for killing his ex girlfriend. Is Danny truly the one who killed her, or is he taking the blame for someone else?

There is so much suspense and thrills in this book it is fast-paced and very addictive. So make yourself comfortable with lots of snacks and drinks when you sit down to read this book, because once you sit down and begin reading you won’t want to stop until you flip that last pulse-pounding page!

A book that I most definitely recommend you add to your TBR now!

……

I'm so glad I "finally" read this! This was one of the books I was most excited to read in 2021, and during the Texas freeze I was finally able to. I realize that under normal circumstances, this probably would've been a major page-turner for me, but well, I read this under very not-normal circumstances. So unfortunately, this book suffered a star, probably from the fact that I was very distracted and anxious while reading. Nevertheless, it was great, with enough characters, twists and turns to keep you guessing and engaged. Enjoy!

“Every Last Fear” turned out to be so much better than I expected, and I could not put it down!

Honestly, I went through so many emotions as I read this book! The story was incredible and never had a dull moment. The author writes the plot in a gripping manner where we alternate between the past and the present. Moreover, each chapter focuses on a different character’s perspective that makes you connect with all of them. There are so many subplots where you wonder how any of them is connected. But, the author seamlessly brings them together towards the end, where everything makes sense. Similarly, there are many twists and turns that you never expect. For instance, I was at the edge of my seat when someone chases Matt down the woods or when Maggie and Evan investigate Charlotte.

Similarly, the characters were fantastic! I loved every member of the Pine family. Matt is terrific as he tries to find out what happened. Maggie and Evan broke my heart in certain scenes, and I loved their bond. Moreover, I loved how the author focused on Agent Keller’s personal life and how the case was impacting her. Agent Keller adds very nicely to the crime element, and It was interesting to see how she conducted the investigation. I liked how the author explained how a documentary could ruin a family’s life on a side note. It made me wonder if families, in reality, received backlash from the media over similar incidents.

There were some very minor moments which I felt sidetracked the plot, like Matt’s bonding with his friends. But, in some ways, it also created a nice balance to this otherwise fast-paced novel. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed “Every Last Fear” and think it is a captivating suspense thriller.

This is a gripping and suspenseful murder mystery and crime thriller. Evan Pine's family fell apart first when his older brother was convicted of murdering a girl after a party. Things got even worse when a documentary made to help free his brother Danny was released and turned the town against them. Now, while Evan is away at college, his entire family is found dead in Mexico, supposedly of carbon monoxide poisoning. Some things don't add up however, and it quickly becomes apparent that this was no accident. Evan's family never stopped believing in Danny's innocence and continued to search for the truth. Did they find something that resulted in their deaths? You get to experience this novel from multiple POV's, both in the past and the present. I put some pieces of the puzzle together before the book's conclusion but I was still surprised by the way it ended. Fantastic read.

https://www.netgalley.com/connect/goodreads?target=https://www.netgalley.com/member/book/197728/review

Many thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for gifting me a digital ARC of this fabulous debut thriller by Alex Finlay - 5 stars for a book you won't be able to put down.

Matt is away at college when he receives word that his entire family, save his older brother who is in prison, has been killed while vacationing in Mexico. Mexican authorities are claiming it's an accident; the FBI is less certain. Matt is dispatched to Mexico to claim his family's bodies and bring them back to Nebraska for burying. This headline isn't the first for the Pine family - Danny is in prison for killing his high school girlfriend and a popular crime podcast was made, featuring his family and causing rifts in their hometown as they try to say that Danny is innocent. But Matt remembers what he saw on the night that Charlotte died and he's never told anyone his secret. Matt now has to figure out exactly what happened to his family, facing all his fears.

This book will grab you from the first line and you won't be able to stop reading! The characters are fully developed and I loved so many of these personalities! The storyline is taut and suspenseful, with short chapters beginning you to read just one more. We are privy to multiple points of view as well as a timeline in the present and "before" as the mystery unfolds.

Highly recommended - can't wait to read more from this author in the future!

Pulse-pounding read...

Shortest Summary Ever: College student Matt Pine finds out the worst news - his entire family is murdered while on vacation in Mexico. Well, except for brother Danny who is in prison for murdering his girlfriend. The Pine family never accepted that Danny was guilty - except for Matt who has hidden a secret about what he saw that night. Did his family go to Mexico in an attempt to help Danny? Matt has to find out just what happened, even if he puts his own life in peril...

Thoughts: My pulse. I could feel my pulse racing during this read, just like it’s talked about freely in movies but a rare experience in real life for me. I may need blood pressure medication after this book! You know from the get-go this family is dead, but the entire book strips layer by layer a fascinating, captivating tale of a family that simply wants truth, even if the price to pay is their lives.

Taut writing that’s surprisingly emotional at times made me experience so much. I did figure out the twist ... not much of a “oooh” there but I it still kept my rapt attention until the very last page.

All my reviews available at scrappymags.com around time of publication.

Genre: Mystery

Recommend to: My mystery peeps will enjoy it!

Not recommended to: If you can’t hang with a mystery you figure out easily.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Minotaur Books for my advanced copy in exchange for my always-honest review and for making me swear off traveling to Mexico for a while.

From the very first page Every Last Fear (Alex Finlay) grabs the reader's attention and continues to be a page turner. Mr Finlay tells the story in various voices and back and forth in time with perfect prescision. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an early copy to review.

Thanks to netgalley for an advanced reader copy. Another netgalley blogger recommended this book, so I was excited to be approved. This was a page turner from the beginning, and I definitely wanted to see what happens next. There were some sagging areas in the plot line, such as the teenage romance between Matt’s teenage love (that fizzled for me, didn’t think it was necessary). I did feel the ending was not a huff twist, and saw it coming. However, all in all, an entertaining read. I would read more from this author in the future.