If Something Happens to You by Lex Findlay is a book that seems to have two stories going on at the same time that at first don5 seem to go together. There is the story of two young high school kids making out in a secluded area and one goes missing. Then there is the story of a young boy in a private school who commits suicide. Both stories independently are good stories and kept me interested and engaged.. eventually the author brought both stories together in a way that made sense to the reader.

I thought the book was good, but confusing at times. Just when I would get interested in one story, it would switch to the other story and vice versa. If you are a fan of books by Alex Findlay, you should give this book a try. You will enjoy it!

This one was awesome! A big fan of this author, this is another one that I read from cover to cover in one day.

Positives:
Told in alternating points of view from: Ryan, the ex boyfriend of the girl who was "kidnapped/killed" and is still under suspicion, a young ex military veteran who is now working as a deputy in the town where the crime was committed, and a mob boss out of Philadelphia. How they all come together is revealed about halfway though the book and it is a great twist!
Fast paced, great plot twists, and an exciting read. I did not put it down once I picked it up.
Complicated enough to have to pay attention, but also the twists are recapped enough to help the reader without talking down to them like can sometimes happen.
Easy to read and fun to try to fit together the three diifferent povs and places. 

Negatives:
A tad bit unrealistic, but not enough that it distracted from the overall plot.

I will always read anything by this author and this novel cemented that.Will recommend to others when the book is published in May.

“If Something Happens to Me” is a thriller/action mystery by Alex Finlay. This book started off with me a bit confused - how would the storylines come together - but once I started making connections (and some assumptions) it made a lot more sense. What I liked was the three different points of view - from Ryan, the boyfriend, to Poppy, the new deputy sheriff, and Shane, the mobster. I also liked that once things got rolling, they got rolling pretty quickly. I did think that the short chapters helped with the pacing too. I cannot say that I really felt connected to any of the characters - and it felt like a lot of covering up for the sake of covering up (though I understood why). But, to be honest, it was a really good read- something I needed.

Gripping thriller - you’ll speed read every page trying to figure out what’s happening and still be shocked.

Has everything I love about thrillers - short chapters, 3 split POVs, mysteries and twists around every corner

The 3 POVs was a tad confusing at first, but quickly you’ll be able to distinguish each as their own voice as you figure out how the stories interlock with each other.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the Publishers (St Martins Press and Minotaur Books) for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have said it before and I will say it again - Alex Finlay's shifts in pacing between POVs make his books absolutely addictive. His latest novel is no exception. All three individual stories are compelling, and the way they end up intertwining is so satisfying. Loved this one and would definitely recommend!

4.25 Stars rounded up! I really loved this book! It's my first Alex Finlay but for sure will not be my last. I was hooked from the first page. The action packed story and short chapters from different perspectives, kept me flipping the pages without getting too confused. It was so good, and had some twists and turns I didn't expect! I highly recommend picking this up when it comes out in May!

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc.

Alex Finlay has done it again! This book was an incredible nail biting journey that I devoured in less than 1 day. The twists and turns kept me guessing the whole book. The surprise twist at the end was very clever. To say this book is a thriller would be a definite misrepresentation of the genre. This book is a heart pounding edge of your seat thriller and unsolved murder mystery episode. Combine that with some Da Vinci Code type code breaking, hidden secrets to unravel all wrapped up in a coming of age story complete with disappointments and what ifs that reader's can relate to.

Pre-order this now! You won't regret it. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for allowing me to read an early copy of this story.

This is my first Finlay novel and I was not disappointed. I enjoyed the character development and how the story builds.

Book Title: If Something Happens To Me
Author: Alex Finlay
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press ~ Minotaur Books
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: May 28, 2024
My Rating: 4.3 Stars!
Pages: 336

Prologue starts five years ago Leavenworth, Kansas; Ryan Richardson and Alison Lane are heading off to different colleges tomorrow. They have been together since ninth grade and want to spend some time together. Alison gets her Dad’s BMW and picks up Ryan and they head to ‘Lovers Lane’. They park but a terrible storm with lightning and thunder makes them realize they need to head back home. Before Alison can react, the car door is ripped open and Ryan is attacked and pulled out of the car onto the wet grass and the car is gone and so is Ali.

Now Ryan is in law school and has changed his last name to Smith as he want any association or reminders as to what happen.
.
Present Day: Poppy McGee recently was unjustly discharged from the army and returns home to Leavenworth to take care of her dad since her mother died unexpectedly. With the help of Dad’s best friend Sheriff Walton, she is now Deputy Sheriff McGee.
Her first day on the job leads her to investigating a submerged vehicle in Suncatcher Lake. It is presumed to be part of Alison Lane's, the vehicle holds two deceased men. However no Alison Lane
Poopy knew of Alison from high school .her bother Cash was in the same class as Alison and basketball buddy Ryan. Poppy was the little awkward sister.

Ryan and law school buddies are in Montepulciano, Italy when he receives word about the submerged vehicle being found with a note “If Something Happens To Me” written in Ali’s handwriting!

Stories gets very involved and when Shane O’Leary, leader of Philadelphia’s mob families, is brought into this story I was taking notes on Kindle to keep things straight or at least aware of key players.

I am a big thriller fan so should have known better - ~ Nope I was next to clueless as to what was really happening. It all pulls together and I stopped to breathe>

Yep! This is a good one!!!

To me the last piece to the great puzzle are the author’s Acknowledgements and/ especially the Author’s Note. In this case the “Reader’s Note’ which gives us readers the inside scoop to the author’s motivation, in Alex Finlay’s case it is his choice of location.

This is my fourth novel by Alex Finlay. Since I liked the other three I read, I went into this story with high expectations and really didn’t know anything about the story. I often do that when I like an author!
Needless to say I wasn't disappointed!

Want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press ~Minotaur Books for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for May 28, 2024.

4.5
If you can suspend your belief, this is 5/5🤌🏽

The first “part 1” was at first a little confusing with the 3 timelines and so many names and places and character details. I almost had no clue how anything was going to tie together until the last chapter and then I go wait wtf, how did I not think of this! The main twist is great and well written!

Part 2 and 3 need some grace because it’s “world wide” and randomly being able to track people down in a full ass country/ city with nothing specific to go off of. Reaching.

Really twisty and comes together nicely. It gives me similar to Harlan Coben book vibes and I could totally see this being a huge hit Netflix show! ✉️


Spoilers: I saw the Michael connection the whole time but I LOVED the way the timelines were jumbled! I thought Taylor was like a little sister or something until the last chapter of part1 I said wait hold on is Taylor??? Alison?? Soooo goood!

I’m pissed Ryan went through all that to find her to not even slightly try and get together?

How did poppy, or the whole town really, not know the alisons dad was the third bff in the sheriff and Mac’s trio?

Our last mobster didn’t deserve to die (he did) but I want him and his grandson to live out their days. 🥲

Alex Finlay is always a good idea for a thriller book. He writes from a perspective of several characters and intertwined together. There is great detail in his books and easy to read. I really like enjoyed this book.

4.5 stars!
Let me start by saying that I’m a BIG Alex Finlay fan - but that aside, “If something happens to me” bas secured a spot in my top books of 2024 already.

A twisty thriller that had me devouring this in two nights(!!) While there’s quite a few storylines at play, each of them captivated me until the very end given their unique time period and location. Twists were unexpected (to say the least) and pace was quick enough to keep my interest, but spared no detail around Ali’s disappearance, Poppy’s investigation & Ryans involvement ;)

Highly recommend for thriller/suspense/mystery lovers alike!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Recently, I finished "If Something Happens to Me" by Alex Finlay and if I were to rate it, I'd lean towards 3.5 stars (GOODREADS, WE NEED HALF-STARS FOR 2024, PLEASE!!!!). The book is entertaining and well-crafted for those who enjoy crime mystery dramas, though it's not the kind that sticks with you long after you've turned the last page. For genre enthusiasts, however, it certainly merits a read.

The plot unfolds through the perspectives of 3 characters: Ryan (boyfriend of the girl who disappeared); Poppy (small town brand new cop); and O'Leary (big time criminal). The plot itself is compelling and keeps you flipping pages, thanks to its brisk pacing and short chapters (yesssss, we love those 3-min chapters) that make for a binge-read.

The story is segmented into three parts, each set in a different location, which adds a layer of variety to the narrative. However, I found myself less engaged with Ryan's perspective (for some reason, Ryan is so annoying and I liked the criminal better?), which occasionally made the story feel uneven.

This was my first venture into Alex Finlay's work (I think?), and without any prior expectations, I found it to be a worthwhile read. I might be open to exploring more of his novels in the future.

This review comes after receiving an ARC from St Martin's Press/Minotaur Books, and reflects my honest opinion of the book. While it might not be a book I'd fervently recommend to everyone I speak with, for those interested in the genre, it's certainly a commendable addition.

I love books that feel like you're watching a quick thriller on HBO.
This book is exactly it.
The perfect level of dark, mysterious, and gripping.

There was a point when I had to read four times to understand if I got it right. The plot and the characters got a little confusing, but then I was like "ok, I think I got it, let's move on and see if I really got this right" LOL
(I did)

I enjoyed this book way more than his last one (which I DNFed)
It was quick, entertaining, and I read most of it during a layover.

✨𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀✨
• multi-POV
• cliffhanger chapters
• short chapters
• takes place in multiple countries

✨ 𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 ✨
Spunky Alison Lane goes missing five years ago in small-town Kansas where nefarious happenings are revealed in shocking twists.

✨ 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 ✨
You won’t see it coming, is all I have to say about the latest Alex Finlay novel. The short chapters lend it to a very fast read. As you continue the story, you can’t help but wonder how everyone and everything is going to connect.

The author did a fab job, telling us a tale that suddenly comes together in an unexpected way. I seriously had to put my Kindle down for a second to shake my head at how surprising it was. Bravo, I love being surprised.

I would recommend this to other mystery aficionados out there, who want to be surprised by what is happening in the story.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this ARC!!

This book is very fast-paced and intriguing. I was able to identify the twists early on, but it didn’t take anything away from the story for sure! Also great ending.

Thank you to Alex Finlay, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

4 Stars

Multiple Locations
Multiple Parts

This was my first Alex Finlay book, but it will not be my last. I could not put this down. I read the first half in one night. However, I will say, that there were so many characters, I had to write them down and how they were connected.

I liked Poppy. She was a strong character. After being discharged from the military she becomes the deputy sheriff in her small town, just in time for the case to reopen. Ryan was also a strong character. He wanted the truth and to clear his name, and he wouldn't stop until that happened.

I am usually good with figuring out the twists, but honestly, I didn't even see it coming in this one. When I tell you my mouth dropped open.

This is one I definitely recommend.

I received this book from the author, the publisher Minotaur Books and Net Galley in return for an opportunity to read and review another exciting author.

The book's timeline is a little confusing as the author jumps back and forth between the POVs of the three main characters - (1) Alison Lane and Ryan Richardson were a young couple in love, parked on “Lover’s Lane” when attacked. Ryan was knocked out and left behind when Ali was abducted-taken in her car, never to be seen again; (2) Poppy McGee has just been discharged from the Military Police, and appointed Deputy Sheriff, of her hometown of Leavenworth, Kansas; and finally of a mob boss from Philadelphia, PA by the name of Shane O'Leary.

Though the plot is a bit confusing in the first part, the story comes together in the second part and resolves itself in the third part. The short chapters kept my interest and I thought this was a wild and entertaining ride.

On a scale of five, I would give this book a solid four stars and believe that this book would be a favourite of novels that are very twisty and character-driven plots.

As with all my literary ramblings, this is just my five cents worth.

Part 1 of this book starts out slow as you’re trying to figure out how the different point of views piece together. The plot really picks up with part 2 as you speed toward the ending. The short chapters make the second half of the book fly by. There are a few good twists that you can see coming but the plot remains entertaining. I didn’t like how unrealistic the characters’ ages were (a deputy at 22 and an art gallery owner at 23?), it made parts of the story unbelievable at times. Overall, a solid book for an easy read.

Thank you so much to Alex Finlay and Minotaur Books for my copy of If Something Happens To Me! It is about Ryan and Alison, a couple celebrating senior year by parking at a lover’s lane. Suddenly, Ali is ripped from the car, Ryan is hit over the head, and she disappears forever. There is no proof of what happened, but suspicion falls on Ryan. Five years later, he tries to put his past behind him as he starts law school. But when he gets a call that Ali’s car has been found submerged in a lake in his hometown, things get complicated. Two men are found dead inside, along with a letter with the words “If something happens to me” on the front.

Thoughts: This book had so many interesting perspectives and viewpoints. I thought it would be relatively straightforward, but the story was complicated and full of action. I read this book in a few hours, and I loved the way that Finlay wove multiple storylines together to make a heart-pounding narrative. It was absolutely a thriller, and paced to keep the reader’s interest the entire time.

I usually don’t love mob stories, but this one had enough going on outside of just the mob to keep me entertained. It wasn’t necessarily a mystery because the story was straightforward and easy to see where it was going. It was more of an action packed thriller, and almost felt like watching a movie. The plot was over the top in the best way, and it was such an enjoyable way to spend a few hours. 4-stars for this one!