Mobsters, a feisty young deputy sheriff and a law student make up the main characters of this twisty, crime novel. Five years before the story begins, a high school student named Ryan was parked at lovers lane with his girlfriend Alison. A man broke into their car, hurt Ryan and kidnapped Alison. Alison was never seen again and Ryan was considered a suspect in her murder until one of Alison's hairs was found on the sleeping bag of a serial killer. The only thing Ryan remembered about the man was that he was missing his pinky fingers and he never believed the serial killer story. . Ryan is now a law student at Georgetown and is on vacation in Italy with his girlfriend Nora and some other friends. One day Ryan and Nora go on a hot air balloon ride and below them on the ground he sees a man staring at him, a man missing his pinky fingers.

Poppy is a woman in her early twenties and a new deputy sheriff. Her father was friends with the current sheriff Ken Watson and Poppy is eager to make a name for herself. When a car is pulled from the river that turns out to be Alison's car, she feels a spark; maybe she can find out what really happened to Alison. In another scene a mobster named Shane O'Leary and his wife Gina are trying to help their young son who is being bullied. Shane runs a big criminal enterprise and has lots of people working for him but finds he still cannot help his lonely, sad son. How these various stories come together is done in a layered and twisty way. The author does a great job of slowing doling out information so the readers can gradually understand what is happening and what is at stake for the various characters.

I generally don't like mobster stories but I did like Poppy who was smart and fearless and I liked Ryan who was trying so hard to run away from the past where he was a suspect and lived with never knowing what happened to Alison. I thought the short chapters worked well since there were a lot of characters and the book had good pacing. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a review.

4 1/5 ⭐️

This one was really good, I mean I always a little confused throughout it but once I realized what Alex did with the writing I was able to really enjoy it, the twist was great, but wasn’t too much to give me anxiety and the story ended amazing!

Alex is definitely going to be one of my auto-buy authors! 😆

This was more of a slow burn than I expected l, and mostly works because I made some assumptions, as intended I’m sure, about the different POVs. I’d recommend this to people who like a mystery with a lot of characters, but not to those to can’t resist reading ahead or reading the ending, you need to follow the author’s plan for your thinking!

From the first page, the action-packed opening, swift character introductions, and attention-grabbing short chapters captivate the reader. It's evident that Finlay has reclaimed his magical thrilling mojo, solidifying this book as another triumph in his literary arsenal.

From the first chapter, it was action packed. The book has short chapters that move the story along quickly. I was intrigued by all 3 different POVs in the book, and was really interested to see how they would be connected.

The story begins with Ryan and Ali spending their last night before college together. Suddenly, Ryan gets knocked out and Ali and the car disappear. All Ryan can remember is a man missing this pinky fingers. Five years later, Poppy’s police team find the car submitted in a lake. She is committed to trying to sold the old mystery. We also get the story of Shane, a mobster, and the jobs he’s trying to get done in Philadelphia. At first I had no idea now these would connect- but wow, I absolutely loved it.

This book is for those that love quick, fast paced, assassins and world crimes. The story quickly goes from Kansas to a thrilling chase around the world.

It is clear that Alex Finley has outdone himself again! I’m glad I gave this book a chance. I read it in two days! Definitely get this book and you won’t be disappointed!

This book comes out May 28, 2024. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 [SPOILER FREE]
Thank you to St Martin's Press, Minotaur Books & Alex Finlay for the e-ARC in exchange for honest review!

--Ryan's life changes forever when his girlfriend Alison is kidnapped and presumed killed when they're 18 years old. In some minds, he is her killer, though he has held to his story and innocence. He's tried to move on and is on his way through law school when new evidence surfaces in his hometown, leading to discoveries about that night he never thought possible.--


I fell in love with Alex Finlay's books when my best friend recommended The Night Shift. His other novels haven't lived up to that in my mind but this one comes close. It's fast paced, twisty, multiple POV with short chapters that I flew through. I loved how this all came together. Parts of the ending felt a bit rushed or unbelievable so I knocked off the .5, but it is a thoroughly enjoyable thriller that I loved my time with. I firmly believe Alex Finlay is an auto-buy worthy author and will continue to be as long as he publishes. A fantastic journey start to finish.

Ryan's high school girlfriend Ali is abducted right in front of him one night their senior year. He has lived with the fallout ever since. Now under a different name and halfway across the world, he uncovers new truths about that night in Kansas and that what he thinks happened couldn't be further from the truth. Meanwhile back in Kansas a young new deputy sheriff is looking into the case with new eyes and begins to unravel the truth about what really happened that night. Told in parallel narratives this story is captivating and kept me up turning the pages late into the night! Fast-paced and action packed in true Finlay style, you don't want to miss this one!

Alex Finlay’s tight short chapters made this a fast adrenaline-fueled story. Told through multiple distinct characters each with so much at stake made me keep turning the pages. From the first page, two lovers scrambling through the rain to the car only to be violently interrupted resulting in an abduction and lives upended this fast-paced thriller was truly enjoyable.

The individual puzzling storylines were weaved together with the expertise of a seasoned storyteller and the mystery of the initial incident and the motivations behind the many crimes came together with multiple surprises.

From Kansas to England to Paris I traveled through skillfully crafted places awaiting another crime or catastrophe to occur.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur for an advanced review copy of this addictive exciting novel.

I look forward to reading his backlist whenever I might need a smart, compelling, fast-paced mystery to go to.

▪️𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯
▪️𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴
▪️𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦
▪️𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯

this book officially put @alexfinlayauthor on my top thriller authors. i couldn’t put this down, it was so bingeworthy, so detailed, i absolutely loved it. there were shocking twists, bold characters, and a fcked up puzzle to be solved. absolutely loved it & highly recommend to my thriller girlies🫶

fast-paced and action-packed from beginning to end! this was a quick and compelling read that i could not put down. while not all of the twists were surprising, i still found myself fully invested in the story. i loved the epilogue - the wrap up for each characater was very fitting. another great thriller from alex finlay!

If you like fast paced thrillers - this is the book for you! Oh my goodness! I have never read any of Alex Finlay’s books - The Night Shift has been on my shelf waiting to be read forever! What have I been waiting for! I need to read EVERYTHING they have written.

Ryan and his high school girlfriend, Ali are at “Lover’s Lane” before they say goodbye to head to college. But the night is interrupted. The door ripped open. The blow to the head. Ali’s screams. Ali disappears without a trace. And Ryan is the prime suspect. But with no evidence, that is dismissed and a serial killer is found guilty. Five years later, Ali’s car is found submerged in a lake with all signs leading that the serial killer is not her killer. There are two dead bodies and an envelope with a cryptic note in Ali’s handwriting “If Something Happens to Me”

If Something Happens To Me is told in alternating POV’s from Kansas, to England, to Philly, to France. The characters paths all intersect.

I was hooked from the first page to the last - this book is the definition of un-put-down-able! I read this in one day! The characters are well developed, the story is twisty and just overall amazing!

A solid 5 ⭐️ read - this is one ARC that I will buy when it comes out! I need this book and everyone needs to read it!

I came into this book with high hopes, but I was definitely let down. This is the story of a young man who is suspected of being involved with the disappearance of his high school girl friend, a law enforcement agent in Kanas, and some gangsters in Pennsylvania. I must admit it didn't take me too long to figure out what had happened/was going to happen in the story. I had a difficult time staying invested because the characters felt flat, and I could not connect with them. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to "root" for everyone in Philadelphia or not, because they definitely were not nice people. But Ryan kept making dumb decisions and I was not real impressed with his actions either. Poppy was really the only character I liked, but I was yelling (in my head) at her pretty quickly for trusting the wrong people. This book just had too many threads that I doubted could get tied together, but when they did, the story did not feel organic or believable. I would not recommend this book. It needed to either focus more on character development, or drop some of the crazy plot points and create a more smooth "through-line."

Allison and Ryan are parked at Lovers Lane when terror takes hold. Ryan is ripped from the car, Allison’s screams echo and his world goes dark.

Ryan has been a suspect in Allison’s disappearance, but with no evidence to charge him, he is free to go. He leaves town and changes his name, but five years later, he receives an ominous note claiming he’s been found.

This is the third book I have read from Finlay, and definitely my favorite so far. This one was a true page turning thriller with every twist unexpected.

I love Finlay’s writing style, and the way he tells a story. This story had no shortage of surprises and shock.

Thank you NetGalley, Minotaur Books and Alex Finlay for this ARC copy of If Something Happens to Me.

I was sooo excited to get "If Something Happens to Me" as an ARC. This is my 3rd book I've read by the author, Alex Finlay. Finlay has become synonymous with books that I cannot put down. Between the different locations around the world the story bring us to and the unique characters & POVs, this was so much fun to read. The story centers around 3 POV's & plotlines that quickly come together to reveal what really happened the night a girl was taken. I highly recommend this author to anyone who wants a book filled with action and twists. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher.

If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay is one terrific novel (thanks to NetGalley for the advance reader copy). High school couple Ali and Ryan are parked on Lovers Lane when something terrible happens: Ryan loses consciousness and when he comes to, Ali and her car are gone. Ryan, living under a cloud of suspicion, changes his name and moves away. Five years later, the car Ali was driving is found submerged in the river with two dead bodies inside, and it becomes the job of brand new Sheriff’s deputy Poppy to pursue the reopened case. A mystery within a mystery, the story weaves three plot lines together so the reader is faced with two questions: what happened to Ali, and how do these lines intersect? Thanks to a day off and a three-hour flight, I finished this pretty much in one sitting. I’ll definitely be looking for more from this fabulous author. Five stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is my first Alex Finlay book but it definitely won’t be my last. I could sympathize with almost all of these characters so I am not entirely sure what that says about me. I finished it in 2 days which for me is pretty quick. I didn’t want to put it down. I kept telling myself just one more chapter. The next thing I know it’s midnight and I am still reading. Some things I figured out early on but definitely not everything. 4.2⭐️ from me. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book early.

Thank you so much for the ARC, Minotaur Books and Netgalley! I am a big fan of The Night Shift, and thrillers overall. That being said, this book was just okay. I liked the story, but found all the characters a little flat and uninteresting. I wasn’t really rooting for anyone. There’s a ton of action in this one and it’s pretty fast paced so it reads really quickly with nice quick chapters which I love.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the chance to read the e-arc of If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay.
The story starts out rather simply. Teenagers in a borrowed car head to Lover’s Lane. Girl is abducted and never found, presumed dead. Boyfriend blamed. But is it ever really that simple?

Alternating chapters with different point of view characters help the book unfold. A bit confusing at first, but I quickly got accustomed to the who’s, who of characters (and places as the action takes place in several states and countries) and settled into the wild ride. This was a twisty one! I will not spoil the main twist which neatly brings the intersecting storylines together and the narrative flowing to the satisfying ending. I truly could not put this down after the first few chapters. (I may have mostly read this in one day…)

This was my first read by Alex Finlay, and I am sure it will not be my last. 4/5 star read

I have read all of Alex Finlay's books and loved them all! Night Shift is my favorite, and this one was a close second! Ryan and Ali are parked at the local Lover's Lane. Ryan is hit over the head and Ali is never seen again. Local gossip tries and convicts Ryan, although there is never enough evidence in a court of law. Ryan moves away and starts a new life. Years later, Ali's car is recovered, and Ryan thinks he sees the man responsible. What follows is a story told from 3 POV's. What I love about this author is he tells several different stories within the main one that don't seem related, then slowly everything comes together for quite the "aha" moment. This one is no different. I highly encourage you to give this author a shot, as I'm certain you won't be disappointed!

Thank you to #NetGalley, #NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will post my review to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Instagram and other retail and social media sites upon publication.

If Something Happens to Me is a fast-paced thriller about a golden girl gone missing. She was with her boyfriend, Ryan, at "Lover's Lane" when Ryan was hit and knocked out, and Ali went missing. It appears that Ali was abducted, never to be seen again. Years later, her car is found at the bottom of the lake by some podcaster.
There are three primary narrators: Ryan, the boyfriend once accused of hurting Ali; Poppy a young war vet turned deputy sheriff in Leavensworth, Kansas; and Shane, the head of a crime family in Philly. How do they all connect?

The pieces of the puzzle will begin to fit as the pace takes off at record speed, filled with twists and turns giving me whiplash. There's a worldwide chase and you have to suspend some belief, but it will keep your blood pumping and your heart rate speeding along as you read. Alex Finlay is a master story web weaver! I liked this book, of all of his I put this at the top of the list behind "The Night Shift." 3.5 stars

Alex Finlay continues to write compelling, twisty and fast paced thrillers and has yet to disappoint. This story is told from several different character views, and although you know at some point they will all intertwine I was kept guessing until the very end of the book. Although the story line does involve crime mobs, small towns, covering up murders and runaway perps which in my mind seems a little farfetched, I was on the edge of my seat and kept entertained throughout the whole story. If you have enjoyed Alex's previous thrillers, you won't want to miss this next hit