Every Last Fear had me captivated with so much going on and multiple mysteries to solve. I enjoyed the back and forth narration across different characters and timelines as the events unfolded. I like that we got to know the characters in the past leading up to their tragic fate. The Netflix documentary aspect made it even more interesting and relatable. Throughout my reading, I tried to theorize what could have happened and how the crimes were connected, but had a difficult time locking it down as more evidence and facts emerged about the cases. There was a decently large size cast of characters and I did not predict the ending. I read a lot of thrillers, but this one had its own unique story unlike one I’ve read in recent years.

Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay is a superb page turner. Well worth the time and the read! Looking forward to the next novel.

Excellent mystery that keeps you hooked until the very end. At first I wasn't sure I'd like this one, no spoiler here, but it does start with a tragic incident so you know there's no going back from that. But the book was so well written, with many pieces of the puzzle coming to surface, but just in hints so keeps you guessing. The story continues to evolve between past and present, which I liked and was done well. By the end it was the incident was even more tragic because you feel you know everyone and kind of hope it really didn't happen. There is a kind of surprise ending, but not a silly in-your-face surprise that I'm really tired of - this one works. You do find out what's what by the end, which is very satisfying. I will look for more by this author!

Every Last Fear is a solid mystery, with a dose of heartbreak. As someone who has always been interested in true crime and also find the current trend of documentaries and podcasts interesting in itself, the plot was interesting and kept me turning pages. And oh, how my heart broke for Matt, who has dealt and continues to deal with more than he should in his two decades. The characters in this book are interesting and believable. I really enjoyed this book.

Wow! I loved this writing style, the plot, the ending, the twists, the surprises! Pleasantly surprised and I cannot wait for this one to come out!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay.

Ooooh, this one is hot ya'll, if you love a dark suspense, here you go!

Matt just got the worst news he could have imagined. His whole family, except for his brother in prison, has been found dead in Mexico. Now he has to break the news to his brother and help the police find out what happened to his family. But digging into this case could bring it's own danger...

I was immediately hooked when I started reading this. It's dark, I will say that, but my gosh, you get in the car and the ride never slows. It's a mystery that keeps you guessing right up until the end. I loved going back and forth in the timeline, getting perspectives from multiple players. The author does a good job with character development, so it never feels confusing.

What Really Happened To Matt’s Family?

Matt Pine’s brother Danny is in jail for murdering his girlfriend. Matt’s father, Evan, has never given up on the belief he is innocent. In search of any proof of his innocence, Matt’s father, mother, sister, and little brother travel to Mexico on what Evan has purported to be a vacation. The next words Matt Pine hears about his family is: “They found the bodies on a Tuesday.” Matt is crushed. With the help of FBI Agent Sarah Keller, he is thrust into the process of bringing the bodies back home to be buried. Then the problems begin. Authorities in Mexico are trying to thwart his efforts to claim the bodies. Why? Matt begins to realize things don’t add up, and his suspicions are confirmed when even the State Department questions whether their deaths were an accident. Now Matt’s life is in danger, and even Danny is not safe in jail. As you read on, you get a glimpse of each family member as their stories are told in separate chapters, alternating between current and past events.

An intriguing story, well written and organized to pull you into the events leading to the murders. As you learn more about the family you begin to feel that they are not just dead characters in a book. They were people. People with desires and ambitions, lively people who never should have died this way. Maggie’s story is particularly sad. Matt’s determination to find the truth is a thrilling ride encompassing both the death of his family and the truth behind the murder of his brother’s girlfriend. Alex Finlay has created a can’t-put-down thriller that leaves you yearning to read more from this author.

Thank you NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and St. Martin’s Press for an advance review copy of Every Last Fear.

This was an enjoyable read. The book had enough mystery and suspense to keep the reader interested. However, I found it a bit choppy in the flow between past and present. A book which I would recommend to others.

Thank you to Alex Finlay, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

This is by far my favorite debut thriller of the year! This story grips you from the very first sentence of the prologue. "They found the bodies on a Tuesday." Who wouldn't want to keep reading after that?? A family made famous by a Netflix documentary is found dead in Mexico, a brother in jail, and a college student who is desperate to find out what happened. Right from the start, this story has all the makings of an edge of your seat, what happened, and OMG no way story that will keep you up at night. The ending was a shocker, but wrapped up the story nicely. I absolutely loved this story, and cannot wait to read more from Alex Finlay.

This would make a fantastic Netflix movie, in my opinion!

I have read a lot of books this year, and Every Last Fear is in the top five. What a well written story. I only wish it lasted longer!! I found myself taking frequent breaks because I didn’t want it to end.
When Matt’s family is murdered in Mexico, it comes out that they were following a lead on his incarcerated brother. The story takes of from there and never slows down. I can’t wait to see what Alex Finlay comes up with next!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exhange for an honest review.
Every Last Fear was Alex Finlay's debut novel and it was amazing.
I loved the author's writing style, how he had all the points of view from all the different characters tell the reader the story.
The story was original, exciting, suspenseful and well written.
I can't wait to read what Alex Finley writes next.

This book delivered! I was drawn into this story by page 5!
A young man is convicted of brutally murdering his girl friend. Netflix does a documentary to help prove his wrongful conviction.
His father is obsessed with proving his innocence. When new evidence comes to light, Evan sweeps his family to Mexico to track down the newest evidence. But Evan, his wife and two of their children are found dead.
Matt struggles to understand what happened, the reason for the last minute trip and the mysterious photo his sister sent him minutes before her death.
I loved these characters. Finlay does an amazing job portraying an average family broken apart by one violent act and a father's obsession. It could happen to anyone. Amazing honesty. Great twists.
Excellent read.
I highly recommend.

Alex Finaly's debut novel is a psychological thriller that will keep you turning pages searching for answers!

NYU student Matt Pine's big brother, Danny, was the subject of a "Making of a Murder"-esque documentary for being convicted of murdering his girlfriend after a high school party. And now the rest of his family have been found dead in Mexico on Spring Break. Was it a gas leak in their rental house like the authorities are trying to claim or is it something more? Enter FBI Agent, Sarah Keller. Together they are trying to put together the pieces and follow the trail that his father and younger sister were on that might exonerate Danny. Twists and turns come fast and hard: you're never sure where the truth may end up.

The characters in this book are real and relatable. Matt struggles with so many emotions. His college friends you wish were your own. FBI agent, Sarah Keller, struggles with being out of her depth and her husband is her rock. Matt's sister, Maggie, is a bad ass genius that you'll be rooting for. His dad, is so vulnerable you can't help but feel his pain. And the list goes on.

Thank you to #Netgalley and @Minotaur for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. Look for this book in March 2021, you won't want to miss it.

What a brilliant psychological thriller!! Alex Finlay has completely knocked off my sock with Every Last Fear! This fast paced novel pulls you in from the beginning and wraps you up until the very end! The storyline was completely original and so darn realistic! I was stumped at every turn and just when I would formulate a new conspiracy theory, Alex Finlay would demolish it with a perfectly timed twist! Every Last Fear is a 5++++ star book that had me forgetting real life and escaping into this epic thriller! This thriller will have you on the edge of your seat and staying up way past your bedtime because it’s that unputdownable—a true must read!

I loved this book and read it in one sitting. It starts off quickly, as you literally find out on the first page that the entire Pine family has died while on vacation: both parents, a teenage daughter, and a young son. There are 2 older sons that weren't on vacation with the rest of the family, Matt, an NYU film student, and Danny, who is in jail for killing his girlfriend as a teenager (a crime he maintains that he did not commit).

The story is told from various POVs, both from before and after the murders, which helped me to get to know the characters and is a style that I enjoy. The only voice outside of the family is that of FBI agent, Keller, who is investigating the supposed "accident" for potential ties to the shady work that has been going on at the father's accounting firm, as well as the investigative work that the family had been doing on their own to try to clear Danny's name. I particularly liked Keller, who was a woman in a male-heavy environment but didn't go out of her way to draw attention to it- I felt like she struck a great mix of competent and empathetic and she felt very real and human.

The mystery itself was engaging and there were many options as to who was responsible. I kind of figured out who the culprit was but I couldn't figure out why until later in the book so I got the added benefit of both being right and being surprised! There were a lot of things uncovered about the family as the book continued, which made their relationships seem believable and complex and added to the overall story. I found even the tertiary characters, like Matt's friends, to be likable and realistic, though perhaps a little cliched.

Overall, I thought this was a fantastic book, right down to the mentions of the band Linkin Park, one of my favorite bands. I would strongly recommend it and am excited about what Finlay might write next!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely loved this one! I could not put it down! The suspense and twist at the end was unexpected! It was well written and extremely enjoyable! I would highly recommend this thriller!

Excellent book! A few small details were very predictable, but did not ruin the book for for me. All in all great read, I couldn't put it down.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

"In one of the year's most anticipated debut psychological thrillers, a family made infamous by a true crime documentary is found dead, leaving their surviving son to uncover the truth about their final days."⁣
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Did you say true crime documentary? I'm there. And this is like a true crime documentary within a true crime documentary.🙋🏼‍♀️🙋🏼‍♀️🙋🏼‍♀️ Yes, please!⁣
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Matt's family has already been devastated. His older brother is in prison for murder- enter true crime documentary A. No, literally, a true crime documentary was produced about Matt's brother's innocence- but what is the truth?⁣
The book opens with these events in the past. Now Matt is notifed the entire rest of his family- mom, dad and younger brother and sister- have been found dead while on family trip to Mexico (ahem... true crime story #2). No foul play is suspected- but how can this be a coincidence?⁣
⁣
What follows is a thriller that keeps you hanging on. It jumps around in time and between the two mysteries, and I really felt like I was right there with Matt and his family. (Seriously, I can SEE the scenes in Mexico- and I've never been.) The twists and turns seem to spiral together and kept me⁣ hooked right through to the end.⁣
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I definitely recommend this to anyone who loves thrillers, mysteries and/or true crime!

Remember this name-Alex Finlay is going to be your next Auto-Request author after you read his debut!!

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

The Pine family was one made infamous by the true crime documentary
“A Violent Nature”, which chronicled the story of the conviction of Danny Pine for the murder of his girlfriend, Charlotte.

And, now, Danny’s Dad and Mom, Evan and Olivia, and his younger siblings, Maggie (aged 17) and Tommy (aged 6) are dead, the Victims of Carbon Monoxide poisoning, in their vacation rental in Tulum, Mexico.

But, is that what happened?

The family has NEVER given up hope that they could exonerate, Danny, with Evan bankrupting the family in the process, and younger sister, Maggie, leading the way by handling all of the Social Media aspects of the case.

In fact, they were following a lead in Mexico.

That leaves Danny’s college aged brother Matt..to pick up the pieces because FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller, and the State Department are questioning whether the deaths in Mexico were really an accident.

This book has EVERYTHING I require in a thriller to award 5⭐️s!
A complex plot-with all the plot points tied together at the conclusion.
Red Herrings
Misdirection

In addition, there was the bonus of well developed characters.

Despite the fact that you are told in the opening paragraph that the Pine family is dead-you will get to know Evan, Olivia, Maggie and Tommy, and you will GRIEVE the loss of them.

You will get to know and love Matt, and the friends who support him through this horrific time.

And, you will even get to know Sarah Keller, the Kick Ass FBI agent, who is determined to get justice for all!

This was a fun buddy read with Michael David, and we enjoyed sharing our theories along the way! We got close on some things, and were way off on others, but if we could be trained by Sarah, or Maggie, we may be able to develop our potential! 🕵🏻🕵🏼‍♂️

Publishing March, 2, 2021
Pre-order Now!

Thank You to Alex Finlay and St. Martin’s Press, for the digital ARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for a candid review!

5 stars to one of my favorite thrillers of the year!

Matt Pine, a college student at NYU, returns from a night of partying...only to find out that his mom, dad, younger brother and sister died while vacationing in Mexico. The cause of death was apparently a gas leak. This makes headlines 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...which he may or may not have committed. A series of events prove that the deaths in Mexico may not have been accidental, and may have to do with Danny and the murder of his girlfriend.

Fasten your seatbelt, because this twisted ride of suspense will take you from New York to Mexico to Illinois to Nebraska...and won’t let up until the very last page.

This book has it all: impeccable character development, twists, surprises, multiple suspects, red herrings, and increasing suspense. I’m astounded that this is author Alex Finlay’s debut. He gets everything right, and through an abundance of twists, he manages to wrap everything up with no loose ends. I found myself really caring about the characters as well, which doesn’t always happen in these fast-paced thrill rides. This is one of the most perfectly written thrillers of the year. No complaints from me, and I highly recommend. Also, as others have mentioned, this would make a fantastic film!

This was a buddy read with Jayme. I had such a great time discussing our theories throughout. There were times we were able to pat ourselves on the backs due to our detective skills, and other times where we just missed the target.

Thank you to Alex Finlay, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.