This book kept me so enthralled that I could hardly put it down. The characters were well developed and each had their own roll in the story

5 Stars!

Wow! Every Last Fear is a terrific novel and a compelling read that kept me turning the pages until its final, satisfying conclusion. The book is a Master Class on story structure, and since Alex Finlay is a pen name, I suspect the book is a 'debut novel' in name only. The multiple characters and their plot lines were expertly crafted (and edited), which leads me to believe the book was written by an experienced author. In any case, this mystery/thriller/procedural/family saga is not to be missed!

I loved FBI agent Sarah Keller and her determination to solve the murder, bring justice to the Pine family, and test her detective skills in a case that would normally be outside her department. I especially appreciated her loving relationship with her husband, Bob. It was soooo refreshing to read about a happily married, mutually supportive couple who wanted nothing more than to see the other succeed. *Loved* that! I'm hoping Every Last Fear is the first book in a series featuring Agent Keller. If so, I'm in!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Minotaur Books for providing an ARC to read and review.

Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay primarily follows Matt Pine as he returns to his college dorm room to the devastating news that 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. Meanwhile, Matt’s older brother, Danny is currently serving a life sentence for the murder of his teenage girlfriend Charlotte prior to the start of the book. Charlotte's murder was the subject of a viral true crime documentary suggesting that Danny was wrongfully convicted. This book follows Matt and the main detective on the case trying to uncover whether his family's death was really an accident and if it could be connected to his Danny's conviction.


While I did predict the ending of this book early on, I could not stop reading. I loved reading from the different timelines of this book and it helped me really connect to Matt's heartbreak over the death of his family. I also really enjoyed getting snippets from the Netflix documentary detailing Danny's case. Overall, I think this was a really strong debut novel. I would definitely recommend this to people who want to try venturing into the mystery/thriller genre.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was able to read this through Netgalley and it had my attention from the first page. I read it in about 3 days with some late nights. The detail is really good and even when you think you've figured everything put you haven't. I would recommend this to anyone who likes thrillers.

This book was well written, fast paced, and kept my attention throughout. The switches between characters and timelines were easy to follow, and the ending felt appropriate and not overly rushed. There seem to be quite a few true crime podcast/documentary/show thrillers lately, and this is the best one I've read yet.

Great for fans of thrillers or mysteries.

Oh. My. Goodness. This book.

So first off, the reason I requested to read this book is because I thought I’d read Alex Finlay before, but then I found out Alex Finlay is a new to the scene author AND a pseudonym. Weird.

Anyway. This book.

Okay, imagine for a minute that your brother is in jail for a murder that you and your family know he didn’t commit.

And now imagine you’re in college a few years after the murder. Unfortunately for you, a Netflix documentary came out about the murder, basically making your dad look crazy and shoving your family into the spotlight. So imagine you’re that college student and you’ve spent the night partying, trying to drink away your drama.

And then the FBI finds you to tell you that your entire family has died in Mexico.

How did this happen? Are their deaths really a terrible accident? Or did something more sinister happen? And is this tied to the murder that you know your brother didn’t commit?

You all NEED to read this book. It was twisty and turny, told from multiple points of view and jumping from the past to the present. I devoured it, needed to know what happened. And I never would have guessed the end.

This? Is a must read.

**Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review. Every Last Fear is out March 2 2021

Matt Pine finds out that his entire family was killed in apparent gas leak while on spring break in Mexico. This is not the first time that the Pine family has been in the spotlight. When Matt was a young teen his brother, Danny, was found guilty for killing is girlfriend. Danny has always claimed he was innocent. A true crime documentary had really opened the case back up in the public eye and it seems maybe the family was chasing clues when they went to Mexico. Matt must unlock the secrets to what really happened to his family and solve the mystery of what really happened to Charlotte.

I am going to be brutally honest here and say that I did not really enjoy this thriller which is a huge bummer because I have seen a lot of buzz surrounding it in the bookstagram community. There was a lot of plots going on at once and took a long time for everything to come together. There were some parts that didn’t fit with the story that just seemed like filler to make the story longer. For example, when there was a random tornado warning in the middle of Matt’s families funeral. The story is told in multiple points of view and two different times lines which I usually love. Unfortunately it just made the story kind of confusing at times. The true crime documentary that was added to the end of some chapters was great idea but it just didn’t fit overall. I have seen other authors do this and when its done well it really pulls the reader in. The story was pretty predictable too, I figured out the ending about halfway though. Lastly, there was some pretty bad Mexican stereotypes overall. I am bummed to give this such a poor review because I was really excited to read it.

Psychological thriller? More like psychological snoozer. I was thrilled to receive an ARC on this as I’ve been anticipating it but it took me almost a month to read it because it was just so slow and boring. It had such promise but it was so slow to unfold and had way too much insignificant backstory. Glad I didn’t spend money on it.

Every Last Fear is going to be one of the standout thrillers in 2021! I feel like it would be a great script for a movie- I would definitely watch it. It’s action packed, a page turner, and full of twists and turns! The reason I gave it a 3 star rather than a 4 or 5 was because I personally was not fully blown away by it. It was certainly a fun read, but I found myself not fully connecting to the characters and the story. Though, it’s very original. I haven’t read anything similar to this before. I am impressed that this is the writers debut! Excited to see what Alex Finlay will release in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC copy of Every Last Fear.

The Pine family was featured in a true-crime documentary - and now, that family is found dead in a hotel in Mexico. And so starts this absolute page-turner, as the story twists and turns, keeping you off balance and in total suspense. Told masterfully in before/after style through different characters, each chapter adds a little more mystery until the thrilling climax. Fantastic book, great plot and characters, a must-read, 5 full stars. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the story of Matt Pine, a college student at NYU, who returns to his dorm room after a long night out...only to find FBI agents waiting there to tell him that his mom, dad, younger brother and sister died while vacationing in Mexico. The cause of death seems to have been a gas leak. Headlines are made for multiple reasons but mainly because the Pine Family is famous after a Netflix documentary was released regarding Danny Pine, Matt’s older brother, who is serving life in prison for the murder of his girlfriend several years ago....the public is split on whether Danny actually committed the murder or not--another reason for the interest in the death of Matt's entire family---why were they in Mexico?? A series of events possibly proves that the family's deaths in Mexico may not have been accidental, and also may have to do with Danny & the murder of his girlfriend. The story is fast-paced and well-written, from the point of view of several different characters (in the present and in the past) including Matt, his mother, his sister, his father, FBI agent Sarah Keller and few others. This is a well thought out thriller set in multiple locations with a twisty story line that really kept me reading!!! I did not see the end coming...definitely the sign of a well-written story! thanks to NG for the ARC!!

A brilliant debut!

Matt Pine is an NYU student with a lovable and eclectic group of friends. Matt is going to need those friends. He’s just received tragic news… his entire family has been killed while vacationing in Mexico.

Unfortunately, Matt is no stranger to bad luck in his life. His older brother Danny was convicted of murdering his girlfriend and now behind bars. And Matts’ father has never lost confidence in the belief that Danny is innocent.

It seems like a huge leap of faith to imagine the death of his family could possibly be connected to Danny’s conviction. Right?

This was a fabulous introduction to an author I’m confident we’ll be seeing more of in the future. The characters were all given clear and concise voices. The writing and storyline flowed easily!

Recommend for all thriller lovers!

A buddy read with Susanne.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an ARC to read and review.

I thought the description of Every Last Fear sounded interesting, and I'm so glad I requested it...wow, what a debut! This book was really hard to put down, and I've been extra tired the past few days because finding out what happened to the Pine family was way more important than sleep. I really cared about the characters, and I liked that the book was told from several different perspectives. I'm grateful to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for giving me the opportunity to discover a brilliant new author...I'll definitely be reading everything Finlay writes in the future.

First of all, I must start with the fact that this book had one of the most intriguing synopses I’ve ever read. I was hooked just from that – and it’s been enough to do everything I could to get my hands on a copy of this book (and I still only ended up with a digital one!).

Even still, the synopsis did not disappoint. This book was as captivating as I had hoped it would be and I ended up finishing it in two days (seriously, why do I have to keep going to work??). I cannot wait for more books from Alex Finlay. I loved this one and I cannot stop thinking about it. This will require a re-read from me in the near future.

🆂🆈🅽🅾🅿🆂🅸🆂
𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙇𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙁𝙚𝙖𝙧 alternates between narrators and time: Matt in the “now”, and his family in the “then”. Matt’s older brother is in prison for a crime he did not commit – but Matt doesn’t believe him. Yet the rest of his family does, and they’ve made it their mission to prove his innocence and get him released from jail.

Their latest attempt has brought the entire family (sans Matt) to Mexico in search of a clue, but the answers they discover are far more intricate than they could ever have expected.

In the now, Matt is struggling with a documentary that has come out about his brother, who has spent the past seven years serving time. But now, on top of this, the rest of his family has died while on vacation in Mexico due to a freak gas leak. Or is it? There’s a chance the scene was staged and his entire family may have been killed – but who would want his family dead? And why is someone – or multiple someones – after Matt now? Can he find the truth before he winds up dead, too?

Right from the first captivating sentence this book grabs your attention and doesn't let go! Matt Pine's parents and two siblings are found dead in Mexico. Was it an accident, or intentional? You'll have to read this action packed, full of twists, un-put-downable novel to find out!

Four members of the Pine family die of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning while on vacation in Mexico. Of the two surviving Pine children the eldest, Danny, has been in prison for killing his girlfriend years earlier (his brother Matt was away at college and did not make the trip). Danny swears he is innocent, and his family has worked tirelessly to prove it. They even agreed to participate in a true crime documentary about the case intended to exonorate Danny, but it backfired in spectacular fashion, forcing the Pine's to flee their longtime home. When Danny's last appeal is denied it seems he will spend the rest of his life in jail-until his father Evan receives a video that appears to show Danny's girlfriend very much alive. After the video is traced to a resort town in Mexico, Evan, his wife and two youngest children travel there in search of the truth. Every Last Fear is a good book, but it could have been a great one except for a glaring misstep: large chunks of the plot-especially explosive revelations indirectly tied to the murder-don't appear until the last few pages of the novel. It feels like Mr. Finlay threw everything but the proverbial kitchen sink into wrapping up the story, but this isn't a case of too little too late, it's way too much a lot too late. If you don't mind plodding through chapters that basically rehash the same things and have a fondness for delayed gratification, Every Last Fear is for you. The novel does have it's good points- a "ripped from the headlines" jittery feel and characters that are earnest even when doing stupid things. It just a very long journey to get to a satisfying destination.

I find it hard to believe that this book is the author's debut novel; it was very well done. Matt is a college kid whose family is desperately trying to help his brother get out of prison for a murder they know he didn't commit... then he finds out his whole family has been killed while they were vacationing in Mexico - was it an accident or something else?

The book jumps around from the past perspectives of the family - Liv (mother), Evan (father), and Maggie (daughter), as well as the present view of Matt and Sarah Keller (FBI); and a few excerpts from the Netflix documentary on the family and murder. Almost every time a chapter ended I wanted to read the next one to find out what happened, so it definitely captivated me and kept me reading. A compulsive read with a gut wrenching twist at the end that sheds more light on how corrupt people can be...

This sharp and tightly plotted thriller is fast-paced and will keep you reading until the end. A mystery wrapped in a mystery, the novel changes perspective and travels through time to explore a family torn apart by tragedy, with twists and and turns you won't expect. The arrest of the oldest Pine son for his girlfriend's murder rocked both his family and their small town, was the subject of a high profile true crime documentary, and, years later, is follwed by an even greater tragedy. Could these events be connected? Who is really the murderer? A gripping novel for fans of Mary Kubica or Peter Swanson.

I enjoyed this page turner by Alex Finlay which kept me guessing until about halfway through the book. I found the story to be the vehicle and not really the characters, in fact the characters seemed a bit flat. Although the mystery was somewhat pedestrian, the surrounding events were gritty and frightening.

A Nebraska family is torn apart by the arrest and conviction of the eldest son, High School football star, Danny, for the gruesome murder of his High School sweetheart, Charlotte. Danny's parents, Evan and Liv, never stop trying to prove his innocence. Danny's sister Maggie and Evan spend most of their time scouring the internet and working every lead, Tommy, the youngest son, wasn't even born when the arrest took place, and Matt has fled to a college about as far away as he can get from his family and from the notoriety of being the brother of a convicted murderer sentenced to life in Fishkill Prison.

The FBI notifies Matt that Evan, Liv, Maggie, and Tommy are all dead in what appears to be a gas leak accident while vacationing in Mexico. Several pieces of evidence suggest, however, that the family was murdered. Matt must deal with traveling to Mexico to sign for and bring home his family for burial. This is where the journey begins for Matt and the reader, following the events leading up to the family's vacation in Mexico, their murder and why.

The story is ripe with conspiracy theories, corruption, and a confession coerced by trickery – all elements that contribute to a riveting experience.

I can read my ambivalence between the lines, but I did, in fact, like this book for the most part and will be looking for more of the author’s work in the future.

Thank you NetGally and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for an ARC of Every Last Fear, in exchange for my honest opinion.

What a great story and an enjoyable read. I could not find enough free time to read it, nor could I read it fast enough. I was hooked from the beginning and could not put it down.

The story chronicles an NYU student Matt Pine, who learns one night that his family - parents, sister, and youngest brother are all dead in Mexico (they had taken a surprise impulsive vacation). Matt also has a brother Danny, who is in prison.

The story centers on the death of Danny’s girlfriend, now years ago, Since her death, the family has exhausted all appeals of Danny’s sentence and a documentary about Charlotte’s death. What makes this so interesting - and so fast-moving - is that it is not clear if Charlotte died by suicide or murder and whether Matt’s family died by an accidental gas leak or if that too was a murder.

“Every Last Fear” was an entertaining and easy read and a very well done thriller. Do not let my description fool you, while the storyline was complex, it was also easy to follow, making it all the more entertaining as a psychological thriller. Psychological thrillers happen to be my favorite genre and this was the best I have read in 2020 (the book will appear in 2021).

If psychological thrillers - or any thrillers - are your thing, then this would be a great read. You will be hooked right away, the language is easy to read, and while a complex series of stories, it is eminently easy to follow. You will not be disappointed by this enjoyable read