Every Last Fear by Alexi Finlay is an intense mystery that crosses from Nebraska to Mexico. The Pine family were the focus of a true crime documentary on Netflix, involving their oldest son, Danny and the murder of his high school girlfriend. After the documentary is released, the Pine family is no longer welcome in their small town Nebraska home and forced to move out of state for a new beginning. Evan Pine, the father of the family, cannot accept his son’s guilt. Evan and 17 year old daughter, Maggie, are on a quest to find out what really happened the night Danny’s girlfriend Charlotte was killed. When they receive some questionable information that Charlotte may still be alive in Mexico, an impromptu spring vacation to Mexico is planned to check it out. With Danny in prison, and older son Matt at school in NYU, the family of four go off on a tropical vacation. The FBI shows up at Matt’s dorm room to tell him his entire family has been found dead in their Mexican resort. The local police believe it is a tragic accident, a gas leak, but the FBI thinks this was no accident. Matt Pine has lost his mom, dad, younger sister and little brother, his only living sibling remains in prison, and it is up to him to return to his hometown to bury his family.

When Matt returns to his hometown of Nebraska, he is met with the same treatment the family received when the documentary was released, a hostile community that feels they were made to be the villains of the Netflix series, and the memories of the night Charlotte died he never wanted to face again. As the FBI continues their investigation into the deaths of the Pine family, secrets from the past are revealed that prove the Pine’s were on to something that could prove Danny’s innocence. The problem arises when the people that ordered the murders realize Matt knows who did it too.

This psychological thriller is told in alternating chapters from the past and present. The characters are well developed, the plot was intensified with each turn of the page. It flows so well, and we find many surprises that were completely unexpected. This read like the novel of a seasoned author, not as the debut novel it was. Alex Finlay did an outstanding job. It will keep you interested on the edge of your seat. The ending will surprise you, and I have to wonder if there may be more to come for FBI Agent Sarah Keller. Well Done, highly recommended.

I would like to thank Netgalley, Minotaur Books and Alex Finlay for this fantastic advanced reader copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

"Every Last Fear" is an incredibly suspenseful, compelling, timely mystery. The Pine family was the subject of a hot Netflix documentary about the oldest son, allegedly wrongfully convicted of murdering his high school girlfriend. The book is told from multiple parties' perspectives and from 2 time points. The characters are developed enough to give the reader some emotional investment, and the plot was both realistic AND compelling. I loved the use of the Netflix documentary. The use of the small town trope was also masterful.

Being famous is a dream we all wish for, but the Pine family was famous because of unpleasant things. Not what anyone would like to be famous for.

One of things they were famous for was a TV series that depicted the murder of a young girl that their son accused of.

The other unpleasant thing was the death of the entire Pine family except for Matt and Danny.

Matt hadn't gone on vacation with the family, and Danny was in jail.

Was the family’s death really an accidental death? FBI agent Sarah Keller had her doubts.

What could happen next? Plenty can and does happen.

The characters were well thought out with great descriptions for all of them. Agent Sarah Keller was a favorite.

The writing flowed easily and excellently for a debut, and I was immediately pulled into the story.

Tense, tense, tense and twisty is the perfect description of EVERY LAST FEAR. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This this was the book I decided to start 2021 with and it was definitely the right choice.

I was absolutely wrecked reading about the Pine Family.

The book takes place in the current day, with our surviving family member Matt finding out about / dealing with the tragic death of nearly his whole family, and then in flash backs of different members of the family showing the events leading up to their deaths.
Which just gives such a heart breaking and creepy feel.
I would get goose bumps in the family member’s chapters because I knew what was coming.

I didn’t quite call the ending but it all clicks together at the end so fast and you are just like “oh yes! Obviously!”
Also the book wrapped up perfectly in my opinion. Obviously acknowledging the tragedy but giving us a little hope for the future

Also also I was shocked that this was a debut!

Every Last Fear is an average Harlan Coben man in peril style thriller. Alex Finay's debut shows potential, but ultimately is bogged down with to many POVS and a predictable bordering on the ridiculous conclusion.

I enjoyed the rush thriller and mystery in this story with all the different added and perspective of different characters.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2021 and it did not disappoint!

Danny Pine has been in jail for seven years so far, serving a life sentence for murdering his girlfriend, Charlotte after a highschool party one night. The Supreme Court just denied Danny's appeal, but his family will not give up their fight to prove his innocence. Backing them are the armchair detectives that have been following the case with a close eye ever since the show 'A Violent Nature' decided to feature Danny's story in their latest season, shedding light on the ineptitude of the Nebraska interrogators, the likely false confession, and the evidence pointing to a serial killer based in Kansas.

After the crushing blow of the ruling from the Supreme Court, the Pine family - minus Danny and their son Matt who is in college - decides to go to Tulum, Mexico on a last minute, spring break getaway. But while in Mexico, there is an apparent gas leak in the Pine's rental home and all four of the Pines tragically die.

Agent Sarah Keller is tenacious and possesses a cop's "intuition" and something about the Pine family deaths sits wrong for her. Worried their deaths are connected to a larger scheme possibly tied to Danny's conviction or even to the mafia financial fraud claim she's investigating for the FBI, Keller refuses to ignore her hunch.

What unfolds is a gripping police procedural into what really happened the night Charlotte was murdered, a closer look at the death of the Pine family, and the story of a young man trying to make sense of it all in the wake of losing everyone he's ever loved.

This book has it all - a complex police procedural, snippets from the show 'A Violent Nature,' alternating timelines, and various points of view. Small "whoa" moments were scattered throughout the book, keeping me on edge and helping me to flip the pages faster and faster.

Every Last Fear is an impressive debut. It takes on many aspects of thriller novels we've all come to expect and love with mastery and skill. I particularly liked that though it was a far-fetched situation in and of itself, no one twist felt unrealistic or out of nowhere. Breadcrumbs were left for the most experienced reader but there were still surprises and "wow" moments that are sure to impress.

This is a book that cannot be missed.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this novel.

Wowwwww!!! 5 stars! Matt wakes up hungover from a night of drinking and finds out his family is dead. His brother is currently in jail for a murder that his family is convinced he didn’t commit. What the family doesn’t know, is hat Matt saw something the night the crime was committed. Truly couldn’t out thus one down. Highly recommend. Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Matt Pine is a student at NYU, who returns to his dorm after a night out only to learn that his entire family is dead. FBI agents inform him that at this point the cause of death appears to be from a gas leak at their vacation rental in Mexico, but they’ll be investigating further to be sure. But Matt isn’t the sole survivor of the Pine family, his older brother Danny is alive and serving time in prison for murder. Danny put their family through a lot, and still to this day his father insisted that his son was innocent.

What was his family really doing in Mexico? Matt can’t help but wonder if their deaths weren’t an accident, who would want them dead? As Matt prepares to bury his family, he works alongside agent Keller to get some answers. They discover that Mr. Pine’s mission to absolve Danny may have had more weight behind it than they realized.

I requested this on Netgalley because it sounded really interesting. This book had so much potential and for a debut it was good, but there were a few things that took away from the storyline for me. The timeline was distracting, we go from present day to before the family’s death (from multiple characters’ POV) and then to random snippets from a documentary about Danny Pine’s conviction. I almost felt like there was too much going on and it took away from a streamlined plot. Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur Books for this advance reading copy. This book will be available 3/2/21.

There have been some reviews calling out this author for including negative stereotypes about Mexico and I did find these prevalent throughout the portion that took place in Tulum.

I found this to be a good book -- I thought it was strong and I was impressed with the authors many plot details and twists. There were some times I felt some chapters had filler which I was surprised about bc I didn't feel like the author needed it. One big part of the ending was a little underwhelming to me but I blame that on the fact that I read so many of these books, it certainly wasn't bad by any means. And there were some other twists I did not see coming that I enjoyed. Even though this book had a lot of page turning material I would categorize it more suspense vs thriller. It definitely makes me very intrigued with any future books from this author.

While Every Last Fear started off strong and had a lot of potential, the stereotypical and derogatory language used to describe Mexicans was unacceptable. It was harmful, and unnecessary, adding nothing to the overall plot.

Whiplash of action and twists and turns this book captured me from page one. How much can one family handle? Matt Pine is about to find out.
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His brother Danny is in jail after being found guilty of murdering his girlfriend after a high school party. Now, years later a true crime documentary has brought attention back to the case and to the Pine Family.
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The book starts with the deaths of Matt’s parents, high school senior sister Maggie snd six year old brother Tommy. Matt feels truly alone with his family gone and his brother in prison but nothing is as it seems.
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Told in two timelines, which I love, we see the demise of the Pine family and the search for justice. I loved Matt’s cherished group of NYU friends and I adore FBI agent Sarah Keller and her husband Bob.
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Get this on your list now! This book drops March 2nd. Huge thank you to #netgalley and #minotaur books for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of those stories where the "big" events are revealed in the first few pages, then explained little by little as the book progresses. Though it's an interesting mystery, it doesn't feel like a thriller to me. (Clearly I'm in the minority there, judging by the other reviews.) It's easy to pick out who is behind the madness.

I wouldn't mind following Sarah Keller's FBI cases in future books. I liked the backstory of her family and the interaction between Sarah and her husband.

Every Last Fear
By Alex Finlay

Every Last Fear is a fast-paced action packed and addictive thriller that pulls you in right from the very first line.

“They found the bodies on a Tuesday.”

From that point on, the past and present start to collide as we learn about the very unfortunate demise of the Pine family and what happened through a variety of point of views.

This may be the best thing that has happened in 2021, to finally read a book so exciting it really is the very definition of a one sitting thriller read. Every Last Fear was addictive, immersive, while also tragic and heartbreaking. Alex Finlay certainly set the bar high for any books in this genre coming out this year. I cannot recommend this book enough.

“I received a free ARC from Macmillan and all opinions are my own”.

This massively engaging thriller tells the story of a family torn apart when their teenage son is accused of murdering his girlfriend, railroaded into a false confession, and imprisoned for life.

The story begins with death when the bodies of Evan Pine, his wife Liv, his teenage daughter Maggie, and six-year-old son Tommy are found in a rental house in Tulum, Mexico. Special Agent Sarah Keller is tasked with notifying Matt Pine who is a senior at NYC studying filmmaking that his whole family - excepting his imprisoned brother Danny - is dead.

Matt had been estranged from his father for some months because he couldn't deal with his father's obsession with trying to follow every clue and tap every source to prove that Danny wasn't the murderer. Danny's case had become Evan's preoccupation to the point that he had even lost his job.

Sarah Keller gets involved because her specialty is financial crimes and Evan was recently fired from a firm that is suspected of having ties to the Sinaloa Cartel. Sarah wanted to interview him about her case.

The story is also told in flashbacks from multiple points of view. While Matt and Sarah's sections are told in the present, we also see Evan, Liv, and Maggie's points of view in the time leading up to their deaths. Also interspersed through the story are excerpts from the documentary that publicized Danny's case and, while it brought attention and offers of help for Danny, it made it impossible for the family to continue living in their Nebraska small town because of harassment from other locals.

The tension builds and builds as the clues to what really happened the night Danny was supposed to
have murdered his girlfriend Charlotte and what someone will do to cover up the crime are gradually revealed to the reader.

I loved getting to know the characters and learning all the backstory. I couldn't put the book down.

The pace was perfect.
It allowed all my theories to marinate, while driving me completely bananas waiting to find out if any were right.
Finlay masterfully pulls multiple POV's (in separate timelines) together seamlessly.
All the characters (main and side dish) were developed fully and with high appeal.
I cannot wait to see what else this author does!
Much love to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my DRC.

I FLEW through Every Last Fear - an incredible debut from Alex Finlay. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for my honest review! ELF (lolllll book title acronyms are my forever fav thing) publishes on March 2. Thriller lovers: you NEED THIS BOOK. Preorder, plan a book store trip, request a library hold - do what you must to get your hands on this one. I’ll for sure be ordering for my library! Swipity swipe swipe for the synopsis.

I loved the blend of true crime documentary with an ongoing murder mystery. The story jumps back and forth between the time leading up to the Pine family’s mysterious deaths and Matt’s attempt to find out what really happened to his family. Both storylines were equally addictive, so I literally kept needing to read “just one more chapter” because I couldn’t stand to take a break from either plot line! I was reading this one before bed and during every single late night feeding - it actually had me looking forward to those wake up calls between 1:00-7:00 am since it meant I’d get some reading done 😂😂

I did have some hunches that turned out to be accurate, but I didn’t guess every part of the ending - and even figuring out some of it was fine because the journey was so flipping good.

This was only my second read of the year, but will probably remain one of my top favorites for 2021. Be sure to snag it in March!

Just finished this amazing novel
It was pre released version of Every last fear by @alexfinlayauthor
I loved every bit of it
Such a masterfully crafted thriller/mystery
I couldn't figure out the main culprit till end
If you want to read Fast paced thriller then it is a must read .
I was so intrigued that couldn't stop reading it

I hope it makes the New York Times Best sellers list next year
Keep up the good work Alex!!!
5/5 stars 🌟 from me

Plot summary:
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.

“They found the bodies on a Tuesday.” So begins this twisty and breathtaking novel that traces the fate of the Pine family, a thriller that will both leave you on the edge of your seat and move you to tears.

After a late night of partying, NYU student Matt Pine returns to his dorm room to devastating news: nearly his entire family—his mom, his dad, his little brother and sister—have been found dead from an apparent gas leak while vacationing in Mexico. The local police claim it was an accident, but the FBI and State Department 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 serving a life sentence for the murder of his teenage girlfriend Charlotte—was the subject of a viral true crime documentary suggesting that Danny was wrongfully convicted

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

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#alexfinlay #everylastfear
#ebook #natgalley #thrillerbooks #thriller #suspense #mystery #booksreviews #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #netgalley
#maalalifechapters

Did I miss something?

I was so looking forward to reading this thriller, as it is receiving a lot of hype. Apparently, I am in the minority here with my review. While this is a unique premise, for some reason I was unable to really get into the story. Matt Pine’s family is murdered while on vacation in Mexico. As a college student, Matt does not go along on this trip. His older brother, Danny, also does not attend, as he is in jail for a murder that he says he didn’t commit. Who killed the Pines and why? Is it connected to Danny and the documentary made about his case?

Unfortunately, I found myself somewhat bored throughout, and kept hoping that the pace would pick up. Due to the multiple perspectives and timelines, the constant jumping around prevented me from really getting invested in any one particular character. However, The FBI agent’s husband (a minor character who deserved more airtime) stood out to me as one badass stay at home dad!

I also have issues with the predictability factor. I figured this one out way too easily, even though the author attempts to point the reader in other directions. To me, it was obvious. There were also some random events that didn’t further the plot, such as the tornado during the funeral. Hmmm...What was that about? There are also major contradictions that are not fully explained. Were Matt’s family killed from a gas leak as mentioned early on, or by poisoning? It is never fully clarified and why are no autopsies done?

On a positive note, Finlay does a fantastic job at including a diverse cast of characters. From the Jewish filmmakers, to Matt’s very inclusive group of college friends, to varying sexual orientations, this book has it all! I also enjoyed the familiar setting of Naperville, as I am from a neighboring suburb.

3.5/5 stars

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for the ARC of Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a well-written book, from beginning to end, with a plot that just worked. The story of a family that is ripped apart when the oldest son is accused of murder was one that was realistic and told from the heart. Every scene seemed to jump off the page at me, begging to run through my brain again so I could visualize it once more. The action was fast-paced and non-stop. The main character, Matt Pines, was a regular young man attending college when he is told the worst news that anyone could ever get. He has to deal with the finality of death, the truth of his brother’s incarceration and the gut feeling that something is wrong with the whole scenario. I was almost screaming aloud at the pages when Matt decided to travel to Mexico, saying, “No, don’t go! Not a good idea!” The FBI agent, Sarah Keller, was extraordinarily well-developed, with a kindness that was touching and a hardness that made her bold and ready to find out the truth. I enjoyed each minute that I spent reading this novel. There was not one thing that I would change about it, even though I did not like some of the tragedy. I knew that it had to be that way because it fit the story. Fans of suspense thrillers will devour this book!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. They opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”