Surprisingly engaging mystery that is very well constructed.

The basic premise is similar to the popular podcast "Serial". High school girl is found mursered, her teen boyfriend is accused and though there is questionable evidence, he gets convicted for life and loses all appeals and a documentary is made creating national awareness of the case.

But that's the beginning. The murder to ccurred before page 1 of the book. Danny is in jail already. The documentarybecame a national hit. The book explores the family of the convicted - how they are coping with it all - a potential wrongful conviction and forced celebrity.

Through it they are unraveling what really happened the night of the murder. It holds your grip right until the last page.

#netgalley #everylastfear

This action-packed psychological thriller from Alex Finlay had me gripped from the very beginning ("They found the bodies on a Tuesday") and did not let go until the very end.

Centering around the Pine family, who have already faced their share of tragedy as their oldest son is serving a life sentence for a crime the family is determined he did not commit. Following a viral true-crime documentary that puts the spotlight on the family, most of the family heads to Mexico for a getaway, leaving college student Matt behind--and he quickly becomes the only surviving member of the family, with the FBI looking into the suspicious deaths of his mother, father, sister and brother.

While some thrillers need to lead up to the drama, this one jumps right in--in a very big way. You immediately get the sense that things are not what they seem for poor Matt and the author does a great job shifting narrators and timelines to give you a more complete picture of the events both leading up to the families trip through 'whodunit.'

I truly enjoyed the characters, from the fearless FBI agent Keller, the flawed father Evan and the fierce sister Maggie--hell even Matt's college friends sounded like a nice tribe to be surrounded by. I found myself nearing the end and wondering how I hadn't figured out the true motive yet either, it surprised me a bit!

Pause your favorite podcast and jump into Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay instead! Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review also posted on Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3617438873

I love twisty, suspensful psychological thrillers and Every Last Fear did not disappoint. With an interesting nonlinear plot, a variety of characters and points of view, and some surprises along the way, I zipped through it. I was able to guess a bit of the whodunit and why before the big reveal (that's not unusual for me and others might not), but I was still able to enjoy the story and how the details unfolded along the way.

Every Last Fear was not even on my radar but proved to be one heck of a great read. Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy. If you like psychological thrillers that start strong and just keep on building, with twists and turns that keep you guessing, then definitely put this on your list for when it’s released on March 2, 2021. I really liked the way the story laid out and it was written in a way that made me really care about the characters. The pacing was perfect and served the story well. I highly recommend it.

A convicted murderer’s greatest and last hope for a pardon may have just died along with his family in a vacation house in Mexico. Was it a tragic accident, or were they killed to hide a more sinister secret? Author Alex Finlay sends us tumbling headlong down the rabbit hole of every family’s greatest fear in his upcoming suspense thriller, “Every Last Fear.”

Seven years ago, Danny Pine was convicted of the brutal murder of his girlfriend. His younger brother, Matt, has tried to move on with his life as a film student in New York City, but the rest of his family has spent those seven years searching for anything that might exonerate and free Danny. When an ill-fated trip to Mexico ends in the deaths of his parents and younger brother and sister, Matt is forced to confront the truth about what happened to Danny if he has any hope of finding out why he’s now lost the rest of his family.

Author Alex Finlay showcases his talents with smooth-flowing prose and a wonderfully crafted plot revolving around a classic whodunnit. He carefully reveals his story across two timelines; the present narrated by film-student, Matt Pine, and FBI agent, Sarah Keller, and the days leading up to the deaths of his family narrated by Matt’s family, Evan Pine (his father), Olivia Pine (his mother), and Maggie Pine (his younger sister). Each new piece of the puzzle is slowly and carefully uncovered through the perspectives of different members of the family. While I love the premise and thoroughly enjoy the plot, I find the overall execution of the story somewhat troublesome.

I struggled with the character development across the entire ensemble cast of point-of-view characters. The narrative unfolds from a 3rd person perspective of five main characters, with additional chapters told from minor character’s POV. The sheer number of POV characters contribute to a limited amount of time spent with each character. The choice of 3rd person POV creates additional distance between the reader and the character and results in an inability to connect with any one protagonist. While intimate glimpses into the personalities of each character are hinted at, a failure to focus on any one character prevents the deep dive necessary to truly bond with any of the characters. While I’m interested in and like several of the characters created, I never quite bonded with any of them and therefore never experienced an emotional commitment to their stories. FBI agent, Sarah Keller, while an outside observer to the tragedies befalling this family, seems to be the most fleshed our character, but still not enough time is spent with her to truly connect with her character or invest in her story arc.

In contrast to the wide net cast for character development, the dialogue crafted for all the characters is natural sounding and distinct to the role of the speaker. College students, parents, townspeople, and politicians are authentic sounding given their station in life and provide a wholeness to their scenes. Furthermore, descriptions of New York City, Mexico, and Nebraska adequately ground the scenes set in very distinct locations and provides an immersive reading experience of each. Sadly, descriptions of the characters do not provide the same evocative response as the settings. Character descriptions are informative but far from immersive; blonde hair, beautiful face, or scarred lips paint the picture with an extremely limited palette of colors that might otherwise have provided much more depth to the characters.

“Every Last Fear” is an intimate exploration into the importance of friendship and family, as well as the value of savoring even the smallest of moments with those we love against the fear that it can all be taken away in an instant. The themes are universal and resonate perfectly through the entire narrative. Alex Finlay takes a very real fear and crafts a successful murder mystery around that fear. While I would have liked a more dynamic main protagonist, I enjoyed the mystery and had fun trying to keep up with the twists and turns along the way.

Great read - I’m especially enjoying books that are now bringing the true crime podcast element into them - makes the book relatable and more believable. Don’t want to ruin the book for readers with giving away too much info - just will say great plot that will definitely keep you reading into the night!

Every Last Fear is a fast-paced (but not over the top) thriller. I'm a sucker for a plot that includes a true crime documentary or podcast and this delivers. The characters are relatable and well developed. I look forward to more from Alex Finlay.

A Pulse Pounding Thriller!

Matt Pine is a student at NYU when he receives the terrible news that his entire family has been found dead while vacationing in Mexico. At first the deaths appear to be accidental.

Soon however, Matt’s own life is in danger.

Years prior, Matt’s older brother Danny was incarcerated for murdering his girlfriend. Danny still maintains his innocence. A Podcast has since surfaced which also suggests that Danny was wrongfully convicted.

Are these events linked? Is anyone safe?

A heart stopping mystery suspense that will leave you guessing! While I had my suspicions and was right on, I enjoyed this thriller and look forward to seeing what Alex Finlay comes out with next. 3.5 Stars.

Another buddy read with Kaceey!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Alex Finlay for the arc.

Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 11.12.20.

A stand-out narrative that will grab readers from the very first sentence and hold on tightly every single step of the way thereafter. Alex Finlay’s words flow effortlessly and with precise definition as he weaves a complex storyline full of realism and of relative, modern day affluence. Finlay offers his readers what is, seemingly, fantastic characterization. The cast of characters are deeply embedded in the storyline and hold these amazingly realistic, relatable qualities that only draws readers in even further. The originality of the plot is utterly intriguing. Finlay manages to develop such great depth in the story that watching it unfold with it all of the twists and turns becomes almost addictive. Highly recommended read and great addition to any book club lists out there. Five stars to Finlay and #EveryLastFear.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC which was read and reviewed voluntarily.


#readmorebooks #bookishfirst #tbralert #MinatourBooks #bookstagram #bookblogs #booksparks #booksharks #readreviewrepeat #AlexFinlay

I absolutely loved this book. I had not read any previous works by Alex Findlay but I read a great review by a friend on goodreads and she raved about this book. I trust her reviews so I took a chance and I could not have been more thrilled by this thriller!

I am a new and true fan. I can’t wait to read His next novel.

4/5 Stars. Thank you publisher and netgalley for this early thriller! I read a sample on bookishfirst and knew that I wanted to check out this interesting thriller. I found the story interesting and it had me hooked until the end. I was able to guess the big reveal but it was still well-written and fun to read.

This book is a nail-biter thriller. It opens with "they found the bodies on a Tuesday". I loved how the author set you up for a mysterious thriller that was hard to put down. The author writes in the first person and in alternating chapters between the different family members and the FBI agent helping them. The story also goes from before to after chapters leading up to the opening line and then what occurs after. I spent the entire time rooting for the survivor of the story, while at the same time yelling at him in my head for his sometimes foolish moves. The characters are all very believable. You also fall in love with the strong willed sister and worry about the older brother in jail. Is he guilty or innocent?
The basis for the story came from a Netflix true crime story dealing with how Americans were dying mysteriously in Mexico. Hopefully, the main character, Matt Pine, will be able to uncover the truth.
If you love psychological thrillers, then read this book! Looking forward to more books by Alex Finlay.

The Pine family can't catch a break. With eldest son Danny in jail for murder, the aftermath of a "Making a Murderer" style documentary, and dead-end appeals, their road to justice ends in their demise. The only survivor, son Matt Pine, finds himself the next target as he gets closer to the truth - who killed his family? Who is trying to kill him? What really happened the night Danny was charged with murder? I loved the twists and turns and the alternating points of view - the ending was explosive and kept me guessing until the very end. I did feel like some of the plot was a bit convoluted and hard to follow, and the book was a very slow buildup to the actual ending. but a good thriller nonetheless.

#firstline - They found the bodies on a Tuesday.

Wow, just wow. This book was something else. It grabbed me from the start and had me gripped to the very last sentence. Such an original preface and a story that impressed me so much. It was intense, heart pounding and had an ending that left me satisfied. The story bounced from past to present seamlessly. I loved hearing from the other characters and was so glad the author gave them a voice in the story. Heartbreaking and raw, this book will be one I won’t soon forget! A MUST read for thriller lovers!!!

I loved this book! It is a perfect mystery - faced paced and full of unexpected twists. Matt Pine, a film student at NYU, returns from a night out to an FBI agent notifying him that his parents and two younger siblings have died in Mexico. His older brother, Daniel, is in prison for a crime he didn't commit and a recent documentary series about his case has stirred up new interest in the case. As Matt learns more about what happened to his family - with help from FBI agent Sara Keller - evidence suggests that perhaps it wasn't an accident but possibly murder with connections to Danny's case. Told from multiple perspectives and from both before and after the trip to Mexico, this book is unputdownable!

4.5 stars

This was both a great debut and a great psychological thriller! The story starts off with a bang as Matt learns that his parents and two siblings have died in Mexico. But digging into the details of how they died is no easy task, and those handling the case in Mexico are not forthcoming. The family’s past may have ties to their suspicious deaths, and with the current media coverage, Matt’s brother’s case is again brought to light. But are the two crimes connected?

I really enjoyed reading this book and delving into both the Pine family’s deaths and the murder his brother, Danny, was charged for years ago. The end definitely caught me by surprise, and I’m glad it did because it made this book that much more worth reading. Highly recommend!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3624663818

This psychological thriller is a fast-past, edge of your seat page turner with excellent character development. A family is dead from a gas leak while on vacation in Mexico, only two sons remain. One, a college student, the other a well-known murderer, in prison. There are many POV's which I like, to get a well rounded plot. The pieces fit together like a jigsaw puzzle as you fall into this rabbit-hole mystery.
FBI agent Sarah Keller is investigating the case and Matt (the college kid brother) in reeling from losing his entire family in one fall swoop. There's a suspicious man who appears out of nowhere as Matt is learning of his family's demise, pushing him into traffic. Could the death of Matt's family be linked to his brother's murder case? It is well known since a documentary was released along with "new evidence."
Matt must find justice for his whole family! Maggie is a sweet, likeable character. Sarah is totally kick-booty cool as the FBI agent and Matt is adorably determined.
Thanks to Netgalley and the author and publisher for this exciting reading experience.

I'm not usually a huge fan of thrillers, but holy cow was this an amazing read. I binged it in 25 hours! I'd love to see this as a movie some day, hint hint.

A family goes on vacation to Mexico during spring break and ends up dead. It's up to their son Matt to figure out what happened. Their other surviving son Danny is in jail for murder of his girlfriend in high school.

A Netflix documentary about Danny plays a big role, and I loved the ending.

Can I give this book 5 million stars?!?! HOLY SHIT WHAT A RIDE!!!! I want to rewind to when I started this book two days ago and had no idea of the epic story I was reading and do it all over again. I could not get enough of this one and I zoomed through it. Addicting. Riveting. This needs to be made and available on Netflix ASAP.

The Pine family. Sigh what a family! Evan the warrior dad who spends years fighting for his son who he believes was mistakenly charged for murder. Danny the son who is in jail charged with murder. Liv the mom who is from Adair, the town they had to leave because they turned their backs on this family for the accusations of murder. But she still has ties that lead her back there. Maggie the super smart teenage daughter going to MIT teamed up with Evan to fight for Danny. Tommy the six year old sweet mommas boy. And Matt. The surviving son when his family dies on a trip to Mexico. There is also the bad ass FBI agent Keller who is in charge of the case of the Pine family deaths. The book is told back and forth from when Matt receives the news his family died to different family member point of views before their deaths. Matt and Keller POV are the after and the others are well obviously the before. I’m being as vague as possible because it’s just the best way to go in!!

The writing was PHENOMENAL! I can’t even come up with words on how well this was written. The timing the settings the dialogue it was just in your face realistic real time movie playing in your mind kind of read.

So if you can’t tell I LOVED THIS FREAKIN BOOK. Ready set go read it right now

This book is exactly what I needed. I have read many books this year but no thriller has blown me away like this one!

I couldn't put this book down once I started it. I was consumed with this story. You get multiple murder mysteries that will keep you on the edge of your seat....literally! There are so many pieces of the puzzle you need to put together. One piece for this murder, another for the other murders, soooo many pieces. But when you get a nice cluster of the puzzle completed and your on your way to putting the final pieces together,  Boom.....the author throws another twist at you!

The story is told from multiple points of view and flowed effortlessly. This added to the suspense of the story and I loved getting different perspectives.

I could go into great detail about the book and talk forever about it but I'm going to stop with this recommendation. Read the blurb, one-click the book, clear your schedules and get ready for an awesome, thrilling ride!

I already can not wait to see what this author comes up with next! Whatever it is, it's going to be an instant one-click from me. No blurb required!