I received a free copy from NetGalley. It reads like a movie. Fast and action packed so you don't want to put it down. College student out partying a little too much finds out four members of his family have been killed in Mexico and he needs to go there to help find out what happened. Meanwhile, his only surviving family, an older brother locked in jail for a murder he may have not committed was recently on TV for a true crime show. Luckily the college student has great friends who help him out along the way as he finds out what happened to his family, both the living one and the dead ones. A great read to escape from covid news for a few hours.

4.5 ⭐️

I love a good mystery/thriller any day! There are a lot of mysteries out there and I’ll be honest that it’s hard to find one that just really thrills you. Every Last Fear was so intriguing and interesting that I didn’t want to put it down. I normally don’t love when a book constantly switches perspectives, but it completely works in this novel. I loved reading about what was happening and then getting little snapshots of what happened “before”.

The writing was excellent and kept me engaged from the first sentence. With each passing chapter you get a little more info about what’s happening. I found myself using every spare moment to read a little more just so I could get that much closer to finding out what happened.

I would highly recommend you reading this!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book!

After finishing this book, even though its only January, I know this will go down as one of the best books I've read all year. It is a seat gripping, unputdownable thriller that I couldn't wait to finish.

Every Last Fear tells the story of the Pine family still reeling from the incarceration of the eldest child, Danny. The Pine family vehemently believe he is innocent and with the help of a recent documentary regarding Danny's case so do many Americans as well. With Matt Pine away at school in NYU and Danny in prison, the remaining Pine clan head to Tulum, Mexico for spring break where they died under mysterious circumstances. The next morning an FBI agent arrives at Matt's dorm looking for him. Agent Keller begins looking into the family's death and begins unraveling the mystery of what happened in Tulum.

With breakneck pace, the story is told from multiple points of view from the Pines to Agent Keller. Agent Keller was one of my favorite characters. Finlay does a brilliant job with his character development which is admirable due to the number of characters this story had. The twist was very layered and I felt surprised by the final outcome. I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys fast paced thrillers.

"They found the bodies on a Tuesday. Two days after the family had missed their flight home. Six days after all texts and social media had gone dark."

I know we're only a couple weeks into 2021, but Every Last Fear might very well be one of my favorite books of the year...and this is a debut novel for Alex Finlay. Color me impressed!

This book has everything...a twisty, clever plot (with no plot holes), characters which are all beautifully fleshed out and real, pulse-pounding red herrings, and a conclusion I was genuinely happy to read. My only criticism was that, perhaps, the Pine family was a bit too unlucky. That, and I was able to figure out the antagonist pretty early on.

Nevertheless, this was a taut, riveting read and I highly recommend it to any reader who enjoys thrillers.

4.5 stars
Available March 2, 2021

My heartfelt appreciation to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my review copy.

Excellent. Had me hooked from the first sentence to the last. It pulled me in, connecting me to each character so I was as invested in the outcome as they were. Definitely worth the hype!

Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay is a gripping thriller that kept me guessing until the end. I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen, so I read the entire novel in one day.

This book tells the story of a family torn apart. The Pine family’s lives changed forever when the eldest son Danny was convicted of murder and sent to prison. His father Evan vows to never give up trying to get his son released. But when tragedy strikes the family again, the second son Matt takes over looking for answers.

This book takes the reader from New York City, to Tulum, to Nebraska, and back again. We get pieces of the story from the perspectives of a variety of characters, and the author excels at building suspense. As I read, I felt a wide range of emotions. This one tugs at the heartstrings in addition to horrifying and surprising the reader. I highly recommend it.

(Readers should be aware that this book contains descriptions of violence, murder, and sexual assault.)

"You have two choices when you're confronted with your every last fear.
Give up or fight like hell.
And I'm going to fight until my last breath..."

Well, hot damn! This was a strong 4+ star read for me. Every Last Fear was a great psychological thriller. And a debut at that!!
The beginning starts off running with the line...'They found the bodies on a Tuesday'. Bam!
Where are you going to go from there? I was excited for what was to come and how the story would unfold.
Alex Finlay created a thriller of a ride with a nonlinear timeline combined with multiple POVs. This story focused on Matt Pine and his infamous family. They were made "famous" when his brother, Danny was put into jail for murder and his family believed he was wrongly accused. Everyone, except for Matt. A crew of reporters ended up making a documentary of what happened and that documentary changed everyone's lives in all sorts of ways.

Every Last Fear questions a man's innocence and focuses on what takes place to a family that never lets up in their faith of their son/brother/friend. Told in many POVs, at times it made it a little hard to follow. I had to really focus on each chapter and who was talking. But with that focus came a very strong visual of the plot playing out and that became a part of the story that I liked the most. We got the parents' POVs, Matt's, the FBIs, along with other players and even snippets of the documentary. You had to really pay attention and follow the clues and the little nuggets that were hiding in plain site. I LOVED that! In fact, that was one reason that Maggie became a favorite character. She was a bada$$ little teenager that had so much potential. I did figure out something early on (even if I wasn't 100% sure yet) but it didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the story at all. I was constantly wondering how all the pieces were going to come together and how they all connected.

So many characters, one crazy story and a murder/suicide investigation in the middle of it all. It was a crazy and thrilling ride that I am going to recommend to anyone looking for a suspense thriller to keep them on their toes. Well developed, great storyline, characters that pushed the story forward and a true page turner. You can't ask for more.

This was an intense, plot-driven novel full of twists, turns and jaw-dropping moments. I was completely mentally and emotionally invested in the outcome, and I wasn't disappointed.

It's hard to believe this is a debut novel! Alex Finlay is definitely one to watch.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

From the start I was hooked. But... [read on]. I thought it went from the [almost] sublime to the [totally] ridiculous [last 10%]. So I'm in the distinct minority because I thought I was going to love this book, but it ended up just wearing me down. So beginning--5, then 4, then 3.5, but ultimately a 3.

The setting: a family made famous by a true crime documentary is found dead on a vacation in Mexico--parents, two children. But was it a gas leak? Of course not! Foul play? Why would one think that? And how will it play out?

Of the family surviving, one son, Danny, is imprisoned for the crime of murdering his teenage girlfriend. --this is probably the core of the novel. [There's a whole lot with the documentary that was made on the crime--the filmmakers, transcripts of the movie, etc]. The surviving son, Matt, is an NYU film student, who's left [alone] to figure it all out.

Told in chapters past and present by the various characters--family and the FBI agent, Sarah Keller, involved in the case.

A fast, easy read but too much--could have used some streamlining along the way but I was hardpressed to figure out what changes should have been made. I wanted it to be great as that's how it started out.

Red flags and red herrings, worms turning, yadda yadda. And, I figured much of it out [no spoiler from me].

Stereotype: evil man has a facial scar--but of course!

I liked much of the intrigue [poor Maggie, the teenage daughter headed for MIT who was killed along with her parents and much younger brother]. Sarah Keller working to put the pieces together.

Nonetheless, I predict this will be a bestseller.

Every Last Fear
By Alex Finlay
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.5 stars

I loved it! A great fast paced and page turner psychological mystery that jumps back and forth in time! This book had me from the very beginning to the end. It's well connected and exciting. The story is very intriguing, easy to follow and it's told by each one of the main characters: the family members (Matt (the son), Denny (the son that goes to prison), Evan (the father), Olivia (Liv - the mom), Maggie (the sister) and also told by the FBI Agent Sarah Keller. Even though it goes back and forth between characters, the story flows. I gave 4.5 stars because things from the beginning will be used to explain the ending but if you didn't catch it don't worry because the book will explain it again and it makes the reading a bit repetitious assuming that you didn't pay attention or you got lost. Otherwise this is definitely a great mystery and I loved the story so much! This book will stay with me.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

Every Last Fear is a page-turner, a fast-paced novel with an intriguing premise and likable characters. The villain was evident early in the novel (I kept hoping I was wrong, but I was right), which dialed down the suspense considerably for me and kept this from being a truly unforgettable thriller. Nonetheless, the pacing and characters—especially Matt’s parents and Maggie—made this an enjoyable read.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

This book had me from the first paragraph.
I am a long time thriller reader and have to say this is one of my favorites.
During this entire read I kept thinking, how much more could this family take.
Heart wrenching, fast paced, well written. What more can I say!

Well, I took a break from psychological thriller for a little bit because I felt it was getting ridiculous. I am so happy that I chose this as my book back into one of my favorite genres. Every Last Fear was an adventure. Usually, when there's a lot going on, the story feels overdone but that is not the case here. The POVs are done well, the pacing is good, and the story, though wild, is believable. I guessed the main mystery about halfway through but I almost feel like the author wanted us to figure it out and then take us on a ride to get all pieces. I recommend this book to lovers of this genre.

5 stars for this gripping mystery!

I loved Every Last Fear! In it we meet the Pine family. The oldest son, Danny, has been in prison for 7 years after being convicted of murdering his high school girlfriend. Matt, the second oldest son, is now an NYU student who has a strained relationship with his family. After a Netflix documentary about the case and how poorly handled it was comes out Danny is now in the news and people are petitioning for his release. The dad, Evan, is obsessed with the case and him and his daughter, Maggie, chase every lead they get about the case. The parents, Maggie and youngest son all head down to Mexico for spring break and end up dead there. The FBI becomes involved and Matt is now pulled into a mystery where he needs to find out what actually happened to his family in Mexico and what actually happened the night Danny was accused of murder.

This was a rollercoaster of a mystery/thriller novel. There were so many ups and downs throughout the story that I was completely pulled in to the Pine family and couldn't put this down. It wasn't clear until the very end what had actually happened to both the Pine family and how a high school girl had ended up dead. The book is told from multiple perspectives and in different timelines. It tells what happened before the Pine family dies and in present time, the whole family's viewpoints are given chapters and the main FBI agent also gets her perspective shown. I loved all the characters and the side characters really added to the narrative. The author created so many twists and turns that I couldn't figure out what had happened until the end when all is revealed. Matt's friends from NYU go all the way to rural Nebraska to be there for him, the FBI agent is so invested in the case and the state governor isn't who he seems. I wish some characters had been given more time in the book but the mix of people made this book so intense.

Everything comes together perfectly at the end and I love books like this. It wasn't obvious what had happened until the author wants you to know and secrets are revealed slowly throughout the book. There was enough shock factor in this book to catch me off guard at times and all the different points of view really added to the plot and gave more information from each character's perspective. The surprises and twists all amounted to an amazing mystery/thriller and I just had to keep reading to find out what really happened.

Overall, this was a fantastic thriller/mystery/suspense book and one of the best books I've read in awhile. I highly recommend this to anyone to is a fan of the genre, you will definitely enjoy this!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.

This book was AMAZING. Every chapter left you with twists and turns and more questions. I can’t wait to read more from this author. Couldn’t put it down!

I was attracted to this title because of the description and Marilyn Stasio's recommendation in the New York Times Book Review. The Pine family is broken in many ways. The oldest son, Danny, has been convicted of killing his high school girl friend. and is serving a sentence at Fishkill Correctional Facility Ewan Pine, the father, is doggedly following any leads to prove his son innocent. Maggie, about to go off to M.I.T is tenaciously helping her father and six year old, Tommy is everyone's delight. Matt is the second oldest son, who is attending N.Y.U, is contacted by an F.B.I agent, Sarah Keller, and informed that his entire family have been killed while vacationing in Tulum, Mexico. He needs to go and claim the bodies. Is this accidental deaths or the result of a hit, staged to look like an accident?
Fast paced and action packed! While the college interactions get a bit tedious, this is still a good read and a page turner. I liked having ends tied up!

A family that has been the subject of a true crime documentary is found dead on vacation. Was it an accident or murder? Matt's brother Danny went to prison for the murder of his girlfriend and since has been part of a documentary on the case. But now Danny is the only family Matt has left, as his father, mother and younger brother and sister are all found dead in Mexico. The police think it was a gas leak accident, but the FBI seems suspicious but Matt doesn't know why. When he returns to his hometown to lay them to rest, he finds everyone hostile against him and his family. Was this about Danny or something more? Matt is determined to find out.

This is a good mystery read for a weekend that will entertain thriller readers.

WOOOW, I am completely dazzled by this gripping psychological thriller. Sadness engulfed me from the first page over the devastating fate of everyone in the Pine family. My heart grew heavy while reading about the family going through hell, I think hell is a better place than their ordeal on the earth. I hadn’t expected to go through these emotions from a book let alone thriller.

This starts with authorities informing Matt about the death of his family – father - Evan, mother - Liv, sister - Maggie and little brother in Mexico, who had gone there for spring break. His older brother Danny has been sentenced to prison for killing his pregnant girlfriend Charlotte at a house party, everyone was intoxicated. Someone mugs Matt and pushes him into on-coming traffic.

You have to read to find out why the family went to Mexico? Who lured and killed them? Who is still out there to kill Matt? Was Danny really the killer? What happened at the party?

This story was told in two different timelines, one in present from Matt’s POV, special agent Keller’s investigation into these cases and Pine family members’ investigation to prove Danny’s innocence. Kudos to this family for plowing through the nightmare and prospects of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel are rather dim. Loved Maggie for her tenacity and keeping the family from falling apart.

There were a lot of sub plots involved, I don’t see the need for a few as they don’t enhance the story at all. Applaud Finlay for not giving anything away until the end where he tied everything neatly. After half way into the story, the first time, I had suspicions on one character as he/she was unnaturally curious about something, like curiosity killed the cat but I was still clueless about their motives behind all this rigmarole.

Finlay must be applauded for weaving a tangled web of lies, betrayals, conspiracies, and political machinations. His writing is powerful in making these characters seem real life people. It’s unbelievable this masterpiece is Finlay’s debut.

Overall, I highly recommend this compelling, incredible, intricately plotted, and unputdownable thriller.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“They found the bodies on a Tuesday.”
& thus begins the story of the Pine Family- a family made infamous when a true crime documentary is made about a crime surrounding their family.

7 years ago Danny Pine, the oldest son of Evan and Olivia, was convicted of a murder he may or may not have committed. The years after the conviction consisted of Evan trying to prove his sons innocence.

When the majority of the Pine family is found dead in Mexico, it’s up to Matt Pine, one of the surviving sons, to figure out what happened.
Once again the family is thrust into the spotlight and we’re sent on the journey to find out the truth about whether or not his families death was just a freak accident- and whether or not their death was connected to the crime that put Matt’s older brother in prison.

I cannot wait for everyone to read this book.
This book was everything I needed. It started out slow, but it was steady, detailed, and the perfect mystery. The attention to detail when it came to evidence and crime scene i formation was incredible. I also loved how well the book flowed between past and present & we see multiple points of view.
The best part about this book was that I didn’t know where it was going until I was 85% done & somehow my attention was still kept the entire time. I cannot wait to read more from this author in the future.

The first mystery/suspense of 2021 came in at a solid ⭐⭐⭐⭐ !

Every Last Fear follows the (in)famous Pine family and the aftermath of the tragedy that was the conviction of their oldest son, Danny. for the murder of his girlfriend. A gut-wrenching, multi-POV, time-skipping tale that had me flying through the pages because right from the beginning you knew everything was not as it seemed.

Our main POV is Matt Pine, the second oldest of the Pine family and the most estranged. Throughout we switch between Evan Pine, his father, Olivia, his mother, Maggie, his younger sister, and Kelly, the FBI agent assigned to him when his family was found dead. Ruled an accident, Matt flies to Mexico to retrieve their bodies, but after a series of bizarre and twisted events and a strange run-in with the local authorities leave more questions than answers. One thing is for sure — Matt's in danger.

I thought this was going to start off slow, but I was pleasantly surprised. It didn't take long for the sketchiness of the entire thing to come rolling out into the light, especially as we got glimpses into the events that happened leading up to the deaths of the Pine family in Mexico. This thing was chock full of loose leads and red-herrings, all the great ear-markings of a thriller when done right. It took me a bit into the second act to narrow down my prime suspects and still had me teetering a bit at the end (which, as all thriller readers know, is both engaging and irritating because we want to be right but we also want to be surprised. Alas.).

My main, and only true, gripe about the thing was the motive reveal. That didn't quite land with me as I wanted it to. There were quite a few nuanced things happening WITH the motive that made complete sense but the execution was a little off for me, personally. I am very sure others will disagree and find it perfectly solid. Though that ENDING-ending? Call me a sucker. I do love a good full circle.

I blew through this book and I guarantee other fans of the genre will do the same when this hits the shelves on
2 March 2021!