I went into this one not knowing what to really expect. I am a psychological suspense type of reader. This sounded interesting, but also maybe not my type. I was right on both counts but SO glad I stepped out of my box and gave it a chance! Matt is a college student who gets word that his entire family, minus an incarcerated brother, has been murdered. Strange things happen and what follows is an action packed, cat and mouse thrill-ride that I didn't want to put down! I really liked the documentary-like way of telling the family backstories. It made me feel connected to each victim. I advise you to put this on your must-read list and I look forward to more from Alex Findlay.

Thank you to #NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur for this ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
This is an incredible book and I am speechless. It tore me apart; we know what happens to the Pine family, we find out in the very beginning. The rest of book alternates between past and present and we meet each member of the family and get to know them. It is like watching Titanic and hoping this time the ship misses the iceberg.
I didn't figure it all out but was not totally surprised by it. Looking forward to more books from Mr. Finlay

So intriguing!! This story won’t let you down. It starts off with a grab you and doesn’t let you go until you’re screaming at the killer.

Just pay attention because there are multiple POVs and can get confusing.

"They found the bodies on a Tuesday." With that line, I was expecting a suspenseful, fast-paced read. What I got was a heartbreaking story focused a dead teenage girl, a possibly wrong conviction, and a young man whose parents and younger siblings have just died.

Matt is the main character; his older brother Danny is in jail for the murder of a high school classmate, and Matt finds out that the rest of his family has just died under suspicious circumstances. A true crime documentary focused on Danny's conviction and appeals have made the family somewhat famous - and there's a possible connection between the father and sweeping financial crime.

The mystery that unfolds kept me engaged - this one felt well-plotted for a debut. At times I was frustrated by characters' choices, but I think they are in line with the characters themselves. I'd recommend Every Last Fear for Making a Murderer or Serial fans - excerpts from the documentary are interspersed with the story.

I do want to mention that the depictions of Mexico gave me pause. I haven't been to Highway 307 myself, but I find it hard to believe there's *that* much litter bordering the road (and even if there is, how is that relevant to this story?). There also are some derisive comments toward the Mexican police - I want to think the characters would make the same comments for any force, but it felt like bad stereotyping.

It was also funny, within a few pages, two characters credited men with soothing them - one, that she'd never felt more at ease than when she was with him and another, that he helps her heart rate slow, blood pressure level. Odd asides in a thriller - especially when one of the women is the FBI agent we're supposed to see as being outstanding.

Those sorts of things took me out of the story a bit, and ultimately are why this one feels more like three stars than four. But a solid debut, and I'll be interested in whatever Finlay writes next.


POSSIBLE SPOILERS BELOW

Content warning: suicidal ideation, suicide attempt (on the page), domestic abuse (mention to previous), suicide (off the page), groping/attempted sexual assault, assault, bullying, cheating, family member with cancer (off the page), racist and anti-Semitic comments (one scene), description of murder, reference to previous suicide attempt, issue of whether child is biological son, mutilation, murder, gun violence, threat of murder, misogynistic comments

Read this immediately! I devoured this book in a day---it was that good! There were so many threads throughout this book that all came together at the end to create a complicated web. I love suspense novels and have probably read hundreds but this one just made the top of my list.

What happens when your family is found dead and it might be foul play? This one was good. Told in alternating points of view and timelines, it tells the tale of a family devastated by a wrongful conviction. After the oldest son is sent to jail for a crime he did not commit, the family is torn apart. The story reads in both now (when the family is found dead) and then (when they are trying to exonerate their son).
Fast paced, quick read. Highly recommended.

This book was well-written, had an interesting premise, and a strong central concept. However, it didn't pull me in; I think this was because of the way the multiple perspectives were written. I'm not sure if there was just one too many, or if the book didn't spend enough time in each POV before switching, but for whatever reason it just felt disjointed to me. I did also guess who was ultimately responsible for it all fairly early on, so that may have played a role in my level of engagement. Overall, good, but it just wasn't a home run for me personally.

“People think I’m obsessed, that I’m crazy. That I’m selfish and a fool. But what would you do if your son was convicted for a crime he didn’t commit? If he was locked up for the rest of his life and you knew in your bones he was innocent? If your family was broken?

You have two choices when you’re confronted with your every last fear:

Give up or fight like hell.”

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

The elevator pitch for this book is simple. Danny Pine is in prison for allegedly killing his girlfriend Charlotte during their senior year of high school. While millions of people now believe him to be innocent due to a fictional Netflix documentary series that is basically Making a Murderer, his brother Matt saw something that night that left him believing Danny was guilty. But then the other four members of the Pine family are found dead during a hastily planned vacation to Mexico. Now Matt is left to try to figure out whether what happened in Mexico was a tragic accident or foul play, and to try to finally figure out who killed Charlotte all those years ago.

The story alternates between different narrators, both in the past and the present, with occasional clips from the documentary. In the present, the story is told by Matt and the lead FBI Investigator, Sarah Keller, as they try to determine what happened in Mexico and why. In the past, the story is told by Matt’s parents and sister, as they continue following leads generated by the series to try to prove Danny’s innocence. Each of the narrators is nicely developed and has a distinctive voice; the ones who are obsessed with the series speak in the shorthand language of such people when addressing theories like the Unknown Partygoer.

This book works for several reasons. The writing is crisp and strong; it’s hard to believe it’s the author’s debut novel. The alternation of timelines and narrators does a nice job of slowly revealing little morsels about what happened, the characters’ various secrets, and the occasional red herring. When the book reaches its climax it does a very satisfying job of tying up all of the loose ends and revealing what happened to Charlotte and to the Pines. Finally, there’s an emotional core to this book that’s interesting and unusual. Not all of Danny’s family members believe he’s innocent, and even those who do have varying levels of fight in them. Add to that the public scrutiny that comes with a documentary series and you’re left with a family on the brink, unlikely to make good choices.

A well-plotted, well-written thriller that practically screams to be made into a movie or, if it’s not too on the nose, a Netflix series. Recommended.

Stop what you are doing right this minute. I'm serious, stop reading this. Grab a piece of paper, a notebook anything and a pen or pencil and write "Every Last Fear coming March 2,2021". If you already have a 2021 planner (fingers crossed they will be used) then note March 2nd as Every Last Fear's publication date. You are going to want to read this.

Matt Pine looks like your ordinary college kid, except for the fact that his older brother is serving a life sentence for killing his girlfriend. It's a well known publicized case and many people have rallied for Matt's brother Danny and believe he is innocent. Then, after your normal night of college partying, Matt finds out his parents and younger brother and sister passed away while on vacation.

Now he's forced back to a place, he has worked hard to forget. Its a lot for a kid his age and it really dives deep into his brother's past as well. This book is fantastic! It keep me on my toes and I couldn't put it down!

Thank you so much to #Netgally and Minotaur books for the ARC!

This book started great!! I couldn't put it down!! BUT....I'm not going to finish it. I just feel that Authors shouldn't mention politics in their books. I think given the times we are in, that mentioning political figures is not the best idea. I just felt the Author was trying to push something. Maybe in another time it'd be ok. Just not for me.

Imagine stumbling home from an all-night party, stopping in Washington Park to play chess and being pulled aside by an FBI agent who tells you your family was found dead in a resort town in Mexico. And the agent insists you go to Fishkill prison to tell your remaining brother that they've died. And the brother is in jail for presumably killing his high school girlfriend.
When Matt Pine stumbles home from an all-night party, after losing his jacket and phone, he has no idea that his world is about to explode - again. Because his brother has claimed all along to be innocent, and his younger sister and his father have pursued all leads, the Pine family had had their lives exposed to the world in a Netflix documentary. He did not participate, but he is in there anyway. Now he is all over the front page again, this time because his mom, dad, sister and younger brother were found dead at a vacation home in Mexico. Death by gas leak. But why is the FBI there to tell him?
The story is told from the POV of the family members who died, in the days leading up to their deaths. From the POV of the FBI agent who only knew of the Pines because of financial fraud she was investigating at the father's previous employer. And Matt Pine himself, before, during, and after the.current events.
There are several twists I did not see coming. The tensions in the town of the original death and how intertwined the murders were, Great book! Definitely recommend.

I just love when a debut wows me. I’m so impressed by this one, and can not wait to read more by @alexfinlayauthor

Every Last Fear is action packed. From the start of the book until the end this one had me hooked. I couldn’t wait to finish this and find out what happened.
I recommend this one to all thriller and suspense lovers!

Thank you @minotaur_books for this ARC. This one is available everywhere 03/02/21!

Fast paced and extremely entertaining. I really enjoyed this book and finished it in one sitting. Highly recommend this twisty thriller.

“You have two choices when you’re confronted with your every last fear: Give up or fight like hell.”

Every Last Fear is a psychological thriller about an entire family who dies while on vacation in Mexico. Were their deaths accidental or was foul play involved?

Two sons survive: One in prison for murder, the other in college. It takes a documentary, an intelligent FBI agent, and a college kid who’s about to break, to solve what really happened to the Pine family.

This is a fast-paced, page-turner with characters who made an impression. Told through many POVs, in fact, one too many POVs, all of the pieces slowly come together. The narrative is told through is a mixture of scenes from a true-crime documentary and flashbacks combined with the present. The characters were likable and developed, although Danny Pine’s story and character are never really told. Answers are given about what happened to Danny, but the reader never feels what happened to Danny. The plot focuses more on how his family deals with the situation than Danny himself. He gets one chapter that felt much like a throw-away.

I loved Matt and Sarah’s characters, and especially enjoyed Matt’s group of friends, i.e. “The Island of Misfit Toys.” I would like to see Matt and Sarah in another book!

Although there are a lot of red herrings, given the nature of the crime, I found the murderer to be fairly obvious. However, I wasn’t able to figure out their reasons why they did what they did until the end.

Overall, this was a satisfying read as all questions were answered, the characters were likable, and the Pine family was inspirational. Their love for their children and each other never waned, even in their final moments.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

From the start to the beginning this book is nonstop.

When Alex Finlay meant thriller he absolutely meant that you were going to be in for the roller coaster of your life concerning Every Last Fear.

I have to say that I throughly enjoyed the read and although the ending was more than a little melodramatic (says the most melodramatic person ever) I simply can’t stop thinking of it.

The characters are fleshed out and real which makes it even harder when you realize that this won’t end up nicely like you hope. There will be no Disney ending, this isn’t a neat present wrapped up in a bow. It’s cruel, calculating and it’s raw.

Every Last Fear has set a precedent for upcoming 2021 thriller novels.

Hopefully the rest can catch up.

Thanks very much to Netgalley and the publisher for this copy of my ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was such a good thriller and a fantastic debut novel. There were plenty of twists and turns and I was on the edge of my seat at times. I've read plenty of thrillers, and sometimes when reading, I'd feel that I've read the same story before. I never felt that way while reading this book, which was refreshing!

The Pine Family were your average family carrying on life as regular citizens until an event occurred that changed their lives forever. The oldest son, Danny Pine was a party when he got into a fight with his girlfriend, Charlotte, who winds up dead. Danny is arrested and confesses to the murder. Danny’s family doe not believe he committed the crime and they start doing whatever it takes to prove his innocence including being apart of a Netflix documentary on the story.
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While investigating the case the Pines find a clue which leads them to Mexico. After a few days in Mexico the family is found dead except for Danny and their other son, Matt. The FBI is brought in to investigate the deaths of the Pines and find out what happened. This leads to a series of unexpected twists and turns.
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This was a fantastic debut read by the author. The start of the story grabs you almost immediately and from there I couldn’t stop reading. The story is told from multiple POV’s including the various members of the Pine family along with the FBI Agent, Sarah Keller. The story also interchanges timelines from the past where the Pine family is alive to the present day. I truly enjoyed this one and I think all thriller and suspense fans should definitely pick this one up.

Every Last Fear, by Alex Finlay, is a well-written psychological suspense novel. The prologue starts with a bang, as Mexican police find the dead bodies of four American tourists in a vacation rental near Tulum, Mexico.
Then the action turns to New York City, where Matt is a film student at NYU. He is portrayed as a pretty mellow guy, and is devastated when federal agents come to his dorm and inform him that his father, mother, teenage sister and young brother have been found dead in Mexico. The feds think the cause may be an accidental gas leak but are waiting for more information.
Special Agent Sarah Keller, who is a confident but sensitive professional, takes Matt to Fishkill Correctional Facility so he can inform his older brother Danny of their parents’ and siblings’ deaths. Danny is serving a sentence for murdering his high school girlfriend, and has been in prison 7 years. At this point, the reader becomes aware that this is a broken family with complicated relationships and secrets.
The chapters are written either as present time or “before” the family’s deaths. I liked having those dual perspectives throughout the novel and think that it helps to really flesh out the nuances of the characters and enhances the believability of their thoughts and actions.
The action moves quickly and keeps the reader engaged in the complexity of the plot. I found the characters interesting and the story was compelling enough to keep me eagerly reading to the conclusion. I enjoy this author’s writing style, and I believe he is adept at crafting a taut thriller, but also is skilled at fleshing out well-rounded realistic characters. An added twist was the inclusion of excerpts of a “documentary” filmed about Danny’s crime. These interludes illuminated the difficulty faced in modern times by subjects and families of subjects of these fact-based real crime stories and podcasts, as this documentary opened old wounds, and revived strong and sometimes very negative feelings in the family and the townspeople.
This is an excellent book, and I look forward to reading future novels written by Mr. Finlay.
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read this ARC and offer an honest review.

This is such a fast-paced thriller -- the characters were dynamic, the story line captured my attention right away, and it kept me guessing until the end!

A true crime documentary made Matt's family famous, after his brother is convicted for murdering his girlfriend in high school. After the conviction, the family was driven out of their small hometown and are financially struggling (to put it lightly) years later. Matt's father, Evan, and sister, Maggie, have fought to prove his innocence for years, but to no avail; despite the documentary bringing national attention to the case, the Supreme Court denied a hearing.

While Matt's parents and two younger siblings are vacationing in Mexico, the FBI informs him they've died and further investigation reveals there may have been foul play. We follow Matt's trip to Mexico to sign for the remains, then back to his hometown for the funeral, and meet some very interesting characters along the way. We also follow Matt's family -- what causes them to travel to Mexico and their trip until their deaths.

The story is told from various points of view: Matt and FBI Agent Sarah Keller in present-day, as well as his parents Evan ad Olivia Pine, and younger sister Maggie before their deaths. In the beginning, I was most interested in the present day-viewpoints and wasn't looking forward to the before-points of view, but the additional viewpoints really added a lot of depth and character to the storyline.

The characters were well-developed, the descriptions of people and places were vivid, and it was a fast-paced page-turner, to find out what happened to Matt's family. This truly an excellent book that I will be recommending to everyone -- I am looking forward to future Alex Finlay novels!

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy of this book!

Well, that was a great book! Simple as that. I picked this one up and could not put it down. I devoured this book in a weekend, it was such a page turner.

The main character is Matt Pine - a student at NYU whose older brother is in prison for apparently murdering his teenage girlfriend. Matt's life is not easy, as a Netflix documentary following his brother's case put his whole family into the spotlight. Now imagine you are Matt, fresh off a night of partying, arriving home to an FBI agent at your door. She comes bearing news that the rest of your family, both parents along with a younger brother and sister, all mysteriously died on their recent trip to Mexico. It's being said that the cause of death was a gas leak in their hotel, but things just don't add up.

This book took me on a ride! It was mysterious, gritty, twisted, riveting and kept me turning the pages dying to find out what really happened to Matt's family. For fans of fast paced psychological thrillers, you must add this one to your list!

It was told through multiple points of view, also alternating between past and present which is a writing style that I really enjoy. The chapters were short too, which is also something I like in a book. This was an awesome thriller that was rooted in a families grief and loss, and how they learned to manage their heartbreak. An awesome read!