Skip the hype on this one 🙅‍♀️⁣
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I’ve continued to have good luck on NetGalley this year and was curious about EVERY LAST FEAR, which debuts next year but is already getting a lot of praise. This thriller seemed to have what I like: twisty plot, a huge web of characters, and meta commentary on true crime culture. ⁣
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BUT...this was a flop. The plot was okay, and there were definitely some twists early on, but around 40% I accurately predicated the ending. The prose was SO flat, too—omg it was really bad in places. There was also some recurring fatphobia which, yuck. 😒⁣
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Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur books for an eARC in exchange for this review. ⁣
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⭐️⭐️⭐️

Every Last Fear is a fine thriller. Told from many points of view, a construct I don’t usually prefer, the book starts with the killing of four members of the Pine family while on vacation in Mexico. From there, the story is told through the eyes of the present day FBI agent on the case as well as family members, past and present. It becomes obvious that what’s happening in the present is tied to a small town Nebraska murder that occurred years ago. That crime resulted in the conviction of the oldest boy in the Pine family.. This novel is well-plotted and populated with realistic characters. While the bad guy was not too hard to identify after a while, I was immediately drawn into the plot, liked the characterization and found it a very satisfying read.

Every Last Fear was different. I was a bit underwhelmed by its story development and thought the rounding up of the whole plot was kind of ridiculous. Like the conflict was overblown in a big way. I didn't particularly enjoy this book and found myself skimming chapters to just get it over with.

Excellent read! This book pulls you in from the very first sentence. The Pine Family has never given up hope that their eldest son is innocent of a crime. In the hunt for his innocence, the Pine family goes to Mexico chasing a clue.. This family cannot catch a break. The only reason I did not give this 5 stars is the amount of characters. Just the Pine family has 6 members.

I did a literal happy dance when Every Last Fear showed up in my mailbox. I read the first couple of chapters through Bookish First and I was completely taken with the story and was so excited to read the rest of it.

The Pine family has had a tough time. The oldest brother, Danny, is in prison for brutally murdering his high school girlfriend—only his family doesn’t believe he did it. And then while on vacation in Mexico the rest of the family—parents Evan and Liv, high school senior Maggie and six year old Tommy—all die due to a supposed gas leak. Only NYU student Matt is left.

For the most part my happy dance was justified—the story was well-crafted and had a good number of twists. I guessed at most of the twists early on though and I don’t think the story will shock or surprise anyone. I was also kind of suspicious about why the family had to get murdered in Mexico—it felt like the author was insinuating that Mexico is a shady place where families being murdered isn’t out of the ordinary. Overall this was worth a read though.

A thriller of epic proportions! Highly recommended. Very tragic characters make for an extremely entertaining thrill ride! Excellent

What an awesome movie this would make! Thank you NetGalley for this opportunity to read this book for my honest review!
You do not want to miss this highly anticipated psychological thriller! If you have heard the hype then believe. It was well worth it....
An unfortunate array of events appear to be The Pine’s family’s fate. Matt Pine, a NYU student, received devastating news his family was found dead of an apparent gas leak while vacationing in Mexico. Matt’s older brother, Danny, is serving a life time sentence in prison for killing his girlfriend. The case was considered high profile and featured on Netflix which ruffled the townspeople how they were bitterly portrayed. The show tried to show why he was unjustly accused.
Matt’s mom, dad, little sister and brother were on a mission to Mexico after receiving clues that may help Danny’s case not letting Matt know what their real reasons for going.
A lot of twist makes this book an unforgettable thriller and journey while watching Matt seek justice for his family.

Novels that begin with a death are often as entertaining as playing with a deflated balloon. You know the ending, so why go on reading? Alex Finlay does a rare thing, breathing life and hope and humanity into the family killed on page one. The reader slowly peels back the layers that led to the unjust incarceration of one son, the killing of a family, and the framing of those left behind. The point of view is ever evolving, from various family members when they were still alive, plus the FBI agent investigating the case. A great page turner and well developed story.

#netgalley

Just WOW. This was a thrilling, and suspenseful roller coaster ride. I was instantly hooked and could barely put this book down. One of the craziest endings! The back and forth of before and and after followed so beautifully. The details in this made me feel like I was watching a movie.

WOW. Just WOW.

This is a gripping thriller with a tightly wound conspiracy theory laced in, combined with multiple perspectives and family drama. I'm nearly speechless. Being able to hear the perspectives of the entire Pine family, both dead and alive, really rounded this story out and is something that I haven't seen before in other thrillers. The characters had realistic reactions to the events unfolding which is a big plus in my book, plus we get to follow the highly capable Maggie Pine and Special Agent Keller as they uncover pivotal clues. This is just some twisty turny thrilling goodness.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this free ARC.

This is one of those books that boarders on Young Adult and Adult Fiction. Since the main character is in collage, I can see it appealing to the Young Adult Readers. A great read that was intense until the very end. I could see this turned into a Netflix miniseries easily.

The following review was published on my blog (blogginboutbooks.com) on 11.20.20:

The Pine Family of Adair, Nebraska, already knows what it means to be infamous. Four years ago, 25-year-old Danny Pine was convicted of murdering his girlfriend and sent to prison. The family refused to accept the verdict, launching an expensive, fevered campaign to free him. A Netflix documentary about the case cast even more doubt on Danny's guilt, bolstering the Pines but vilifying the community of Adair. Now, the family is in the news again. Four of the Pines—Danny's parents and two of his siblings—have been found dead in a Mexican vacation home, victims of an apparent gas leak.

Besides Danny, 21-year-old Matt is the only Pine left. Devastated by this fresh loss, he leaves NYU and returns to Adair to bury his family. What he finds is a hostile town and a barrage of painful memories he'd like to forget. When FBI agent Sarah Keiler comes knocking on Matt's door, Matt realizes there's more to the deaths of his parents and siblings than meets the eye. What really happened to them? Why were they targeted? As it becomes increasingly apparent that their deaths are related to Danny's case, Matt fears the truth about what really happened the night Danny's girlfriend was killed will inevitably come to light. If it does, everyone will know the horrifying truth that Matt has kept hidden for four years—Danny is guilty. Can Matt get justice for his family without betraying his brother?

Told from multiple viewpoints, Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay (available March 2, 2021), is more than just an edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller. It's a layered, intimate portrayal of a family in crisis, a story that draws you into the characters' world, paints them in an authentic, sympathetic way, and leaves you dreading the tragedies you know are about to befall them. Knowing their fates doesn't make the novel less compelling, however. If anything it makes it even more engrossing. True, the plot is a bit predictable, with a rather obvious killer, but still, it's a gripping thriller that had me ripping through the pages to see what was going to happen next. Although Every Last Fear is not a happy tale, it is a hopeful one, which made it even more appealing to me. In the end, then, I enjoyed this absorbing novel, which kept me riveted from its first page to its last.

(Readalikes: Hm, nothing is coming to mind. You?)

Grade: B-

If this were a movie, it would be rated: R for language, violence, mild sexual content, depictions of illegal drug use, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of Every Last Fear from the generous folks at St. Martin's Press via those at NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Awesome book held my interest from beginning to end loved it and the writting was great!!! Loved the characters and the way they inneracted

“They found the bodies on a Tuesday.”

Matt Pine receives word that his family has been found dead in Mexico. The Mexican Authorities have deemed it an accident. The FBI and State Department have their suspicions. All the remains of their family are his older brother who is in prison and himself.

The Pine family is well known. Danny, Matt's older brother is serving time for killing his high school girlfriend, Charlotte. Everyone believes that he is innocent. He was convicted with no evidence and an obvious coerced confession. The Pine family was featured in a documentary and everyone knows the family and believes in Danny's innocence.

Reeling from his family's deaths, Matt is "welcomed" back to his hometown but hostile individuals who want to keep the past in the past. There he learns that there is more to his family's death than meets the eye. Plus, strange things have been happening around him. Could he be next? Did his family die without incident or were they murdered? Who would have a reason to kill them? Is Charlotte and his family's death related? If so, how?

This was a very smart thriller with a nice amount of twists and turns along the way. I really enjoyed how the author kept giving clues, giving some answers and yet also bringing up more questions. I really enjoyed the ride and even though I figured out the killer mid-way though, it did not affect my enjoyment of the book.

I found this to be a well written captivating thriller. The pacing was spot on. Nothing in this book felt rushed or drawn out. Most of the characters are likeable and had me wondering what I would do if I were in their shoes. This was told through various POV and with two timelines.

Riveting, Smart and well written.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own

Fantastic book! This book is impossible to put down. Excellent psychological thriller filled with mystery and heartbreak. When struggling college student Matt gets devastating news about his family his entire life changes. With a brother in prison for life for a crime that he possibly didn’t commit, Matt must try to unravel the mystery that may put his own life in danger. Best thriller I have read in ages, possibly ever. Highly recommended.

**I received a free digital copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own**

Where do I even start with this book? "Every Last Fear" is without a doubt one of my favorite books of this year. This has everything a good thriller needs and then some. The mains stars of the novel - the Pine family - are beautifully lifelike, and each felt as tangible to me as my own family. The writing style felt natural and flowed so well that I barely noticed that I was reading and not watching a movie. Alex Finlay, the author who penned this debut novel, has done such a fantastic job weaving the plot together. Every single moment in this book I was completely invested in Matt and the search for the truth of what happened to his family. His journey was one for the ages, and I cannot overstate how much I love this book.

If you're into mysteries and thrillers, definitely give this one a shot! "Every Last Fear" is so worth it!

This book was so good I couldn't put it down! I was so invested in Keller's investigation into who killed Matt's family. I loved that the chapters were written through multiple perspectives and from different timelines (before and after the family's vacation to Mexico). I thought the plot was very well thought out and played out nicely. I had my suspicions on who the killer might be throughout the book, and while I was correct, I didn't feel like the story was ruined in any way once I was finished. The characters were relatable and the chapters from Matt's family (Dad, Mom, and Sister) were my favorites. Seeing their side of the story made my heart break for Matt even more. I loved that this book also talked about the reality of wrongful convictions due to people confessing crimes they didn't actually commit. And I thought Matt's remembrance of a conversation Evan had with him about police officers was very spot on.

There are so many components of this plot that I thought would hook me: the tragedy at the forefront of the story, the tragedy that previously happened, the documentary that feeds into the true-crime fascination. Unfortunately, this book never picked up for me. It took too long for the plot to get moving, and I had a hard trouble staying interested. With different pacing, I think I might have enjoyed it more.

I can’t believe this is the author’s debut novel!! This was so awesome I could not put it down. You get pulled in from the beginning and are not let go till the last page. If you are like me and love being spellbound and not knowing what is going to happen from page to page, then you will love this book. I can’t wait to see more from this author.

A can't put down book! Very believable characters. Unexpected twists and turns. Finlay has written a best seller.