I kept seeing all the high praise for Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay and was excited to read it. Every Last Fear was fast paced with lots of twists. I was hooked from the very beginning and it kept me guessing until the very suspenseful conclusion. It was character driven and expertly plotted. I liked how the timeline alternated between before and after. It was about a family in turmoil. There was a murder and a tragic accident, or at least that was what it appeared to be. As a masterful storyteller, Alex Finlay wove an intense, edge of your seat, compelling debut novel. I can’t wait to see what he writes next. I am a new fan! I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Minotaur Books for allowing me to read Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I decided not to read this book after being informed of negative racial epithets and stereotypes used in it.

NYU student Matt Pine is devastated when the FBI appears at his dorm room to tell him that his parents, little brother, and sister died while on vacation in Mexico. At first glance, their deaths look natural, but upon closer look, it may not have been so innocent. The Pine family is no stranger to tragedy, though. Matt's older brother is in prison for killing a girl back in their small hometown. His story became sensationalized when Netflix released a documentary about his story, alluding to the fact that they coerced his confession. Matt knows that his father has never believed his son was guilty of murder but was his obsession the cause of his untimely death? And if Danny didn't kill that girl, who did? And were they willing to murder again to keep their secret?



Every Last Fear is a solid debut by an author who wrote under a pseudonym. I am always curious about authors who publish commercially under a pseudonym. Why do they choose to do that? Maybe because they are from the rural Midwest and this story hit a little too close to home? I immediately recognized the "family dies while on vacation in Mexico" plot from this news story. As a girl who was born in Nebraska and grew up in the area, I was excited to see that an author take such detail to make sure that rural Nebraska in an honest way. Especially the nod to a beloved Nebraska restaurant, Runza. We just went "home" for Easter and made it a point to seek one out. The story itself was suspenseful and fast-paced. Matt Pine is a good main character. Smart, resourceful, and sympathetic. The author did the "before" and "after" style of storytelling and it worked. You get to know the Pine family leading up to their deaths and it made you even more invested in what happened to them. This is one that I did not have figured out, but I sure did like it. CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS


Bottom Line - Every Last Fear is one of those stories that will hook you from the very first page and you won't be able to stop thinking about it until long after the book is over. Every book lover's dream!

Details:
Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay
On Facebook
Pages: 368
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: 3/2/2021
Buy it Here!
Thank you to NetGalley for the book in exchange for an honest review.
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CATEGORIES: 2021, PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER

Absolutely excellent! Well written- great thriller! This book will have you on the edge of your seat until the last page.

This was my first time reading this author and I will be reading more. This was a good mystery/who did it sort of book. I definitely enjoyed reading it.

4.5
This was a much anticipated and well hyped book that really had me wanting to read it. I finally was able to get the chance to do just that and I am so very glad that I did because it was terrific!
This story starts you right off with a family of four found dead in a hotel in Mexico. When son Matt is told about this, he has to go tell his oldest brother Danny that their entire family is dead. Danny is in prison serving a life sentence for murdering his girlfriend back when they were in high school. Soon enough, Matt gets a call telling him they don’t think that the deaths were an accident.
At this point in the story, you start learning more and more about Matt, Danny, and the rest of the family as the story is told in multiple viewpoints so you get a before and after story from the deceased and the living to fill in all the details of what’s happening now and what has happened. Things start looking as if they may all be connected to the original case having to do with Danny but what could the connection possibly be?
I really don’t want to tell you more because this is a thriller and you know how they go. They are step by step stories where one chapter leads to another discovery and so on. If I tell you too much I will ruin this for you and that would be terrible!
This is a really good story though and I would recommend it if you are a fan of the author (because this is another terrific one), a thriller fan in general, or are at all interested in how it all turns out. It’s worth it.

***Thank you so much to the publisher, the author, Netgalley, and anyone I may have missed for supplying me with a copy for review! I appreciate it so much. Thank you! ***

I’m always looking for a good thriller and that synopsis was everything.

I really liked Matt. He’s been dealt a shit hand and he struggled through in the best way that he can. I loved his friend group and how supportive they were. There are a good amount of characters here and with that, a couple of times that it tripped me up.

Plot wise, it was so good. I loved the past and present time lines and while I’m not usually a fan of a super-multi POV, this really added a layer to the story. And it allowed everything to reveal so deliciously slow.

Overall, this story was captivating from the start and I looooooooved the two epilogues. I’ll definitely be looking into other books by this author.

FYI: on the page sexual assault, talk of off the page rape

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

Ok, I’m gonna be honest here, I slept on this book for awhile and I VERY MUCH regret it! The book begins with college student Matt finding out his whole family has died due to a suspected gas leak while on vacation in Mexico. The only family he has left is an older brother in jail for allegedly killing his girlfriend. As Matt tries to come to terms with all his family has been through, the FBI tells him they do not think his family died by accident and that it might have to do with his brother Danny. Matt’s family never believed Danny was guilty. Could that be the reason they died? Or were there family secrets that got them in trouble? I always love books with different POVs because it’s like piecing a puzzle together. Books that have a twist at the end are always so good but what’s great about this one, it has MANY twists. I was addicted! If this is a debut, then I can’t wait to read what is next from this author!

Do not pass go until you go get this book!

Stunning thriller, faced paced writing that made me fly through the story. This book is for you if you like crime drama, and podcasts or tv shows that later rip apart the crime, the trial and poke holes through the verdict. The characters are very likable and you will find yourself rooting for them despite their bad luck and faults.

A solid four stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fantastic thriller. Some of the content was a little out of this world, but I've recommended it many times already.

Not what I expected. Overall an enjoyable read.

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for the advanced e-reader copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

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

Every Last Fear is a fast-paced, psychological thriller tangled with mystery/thriller about families, secrets, lies, and love.

The story begins when the NYU student Matt Pine received the devastating news that 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 think otherwise.
He and his older brother who now serving a life sentence for the murder of his teenage girlfriend Charlotte is once was the spotlight for the media.
Now, his family is murdered suspiciously and his life is in unknown danger, Matt must unravel the truth behind the crime that sent his brother to prison—putting his own life in peril—and forcing him to confront his every last fear.


The story is in multiple points-of-views and alternates between past and present. I really enjoyed the author's writing style and all the plot twists, how he developed the characters. When the page turns one by one you will unravel the mystery behind the pine family and the real murderer.


Overall its I had a great thrilling reading experience and looking forward to reading more books from Alex Finlay. If you're looking to read a great Mystery/Thrillers, Every Last Fear will be a great choice.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I could not get into this. The premise sounded right up my alley but was so disjointed and I didn't care for the language.

As a huge fan of this author I was very excited to get the opportunity to read this one early. I really enjoyed the writing style in this book. The twists and turns kept my attention throughout. I will definitely be checking out other books by this author and I would recommend this book to friends and family.

I couldn't put this book down! It will grab you from the first page and not let you go until the end. Get ready for a true psychological roller coaster ride!

This is my first read from this author and he’s made me a fan!

This had a little bit of everything that I think makes a good mystery come to life:

-relatable, engaging characters
-story unfolds through multiple POV's
-seamless writing between before and after chapters
-a solid mystery that kept me clueless until the last few chapters

Highly entertaining read, and it certainly won’t be the last!

ARC provided by NetGalley

Excellent twist. I’m usually very good at picking them out halfway through the book. It wasn’t until the end that I saw what the author wanted me to see. I loved that.
This was the author's debut novel. The description drew me in, and right away, I liked the author's writing style. At about halfway into the book, the pieces of the puzzle were starting to come together. I love thrillers, but this is a great mystery. It kept me guessing until the end.

This was an edge of your seat mystery/thriller! The book starts out strong and does not let you go until the very end. Matt Pine is a NYU student who receives news his family has been found dead while on vacation in Mexico, and he has to travel there as the next of kin to identify them. His family has already lived through one tragedy involving his older brother who is in prison for killing his girlfriend. Could the death of his family be related to his brother's murder case?

I am sorry for not reviewing fully but I don’t have the time to read this at the moment. I believe that it wouldn't benefit you as a publisher or your book if I only skimmed it and wrote a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for not fully reviewing!

3.5 stars.

Lots of twists and turns in this one. Looking back, I probably should have guessed the ending, but I didn't, so score 1 for the plot. There is a lot going on in this book, with a semi-complicated plot that goes in a LOT of directions. There are quite a few red herrings and small off shoots that cause good distraction along the way. There were a few moments that were unbelievable, but the majority of it makes sense and lines up with things that could realistically happen during the investigation of a case.

Despite a good plot, the authorial voice caused me some issues in this one as it occasionally felt a little too stereotypical in the dialogue and actions of the characters. The writing is good, it just has a tone that occasionally rubbed me the wrong way. There were also some pieces where the writing just felt off, making some characters feel like cardboard cutouts, even having some moments where the building of the characters felt judgmental of individuals in specific situations. Most of this was a feeling of misogyny. Though I don't consider myself to be a raging feminist, the female characters in the book mostly felt put down a little. It just lacked the smoothness, balance, and authenticity in character building that I would have liked.

Suspense wise, I think this was well-crafted. I would consider reading another book by this author in the future. Perhaps the character construction will improve and the authorial/narrative voice will feel a bit more comfortable for me. For this one, I have to place it in the middle of the ratings road.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *