If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay starts off with a captivating prologue that leaves you wanting more. You immediately getting pulled into the story of what happened to Allison. The story then jumps forward to 5 years later when everyone is still trying to pick up the pieces.
It is told in multiple view points that slowly reveal the plot of secrets and lies. It keeps you wondering how everything is going to connect and how everything is going to end. You get wrapped up in the story as you try to figure out how everyone and everything is connected, making it difficult to pause reading it for any reason. Alex Finlay definitely adds another hit to his repertoire with If Something Happens to Me. He is quickly becoming a master of mystery writing.
Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Minotaur Press for the advanced copy, The opinions are my own.

If Something Happens to Me is a fast paced thriller about a missing girl and the new sheriff trying to put the pieces together. This thriller has it all-suspense, tension, and twists. I enjoyed this new book by Alex Finlay and highly recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced reader copy.

4.5 ⭐️

After reading “Every Last Fear”, I predicted that Alex Finlay would be the next BIG thriller author that everyone would want to auto request! And, after devouring “The Night Shift”, I doubled down on that bet! But, then, his third book, “What Have We Done” was a BIG miss for me! 🫤

I am happy to report that Alex Finlay has returned to form with his latest-this was nearly impossible to put down!

Alison Lane and Ryan Richardson were a young couple in love, parked on “Lover’s Lane” when they were attacked. Ryan was knocked out and left behind when Ali was abducted and taken in her own car-never to be seen again.

There was not enough evidence to convict Ryan of any involvement in the crime, but he couldn’t live under the cloud of suspicion that followed him, and he was forced to change his name and move elsewhere.

Five years later, Ali's car has finally been found, submerged in a lake in his hometown of Leavenworth, Kansas, about 40 minutes outside of Kansas City.

Inside are two dead men but no female body. But, a cryptic note has been found in the car, with the words, “If something happens to me…” written on an envelope which has been sealed in a plastic bag-and the handwriting is definitely Ali’s.

Inside the envelope is a code-a series of numbers called an”book cipher”. The numbers reference the page, line and word in a book or another piece of writing but to decipher the message, you have to know what document to use.

Perhaps, Ryan would know?

Poppy McGee has just been discharged from the Military Police, and appointed Deputy Sheriff, of Leavenworth, Kansas. This will be her first case, and it’s a big one. She has to get this right.

And, how does a hit man, Shane O’Leary, from Philadelphia, PA tie into this case?

These three narratives alternate in PART ONE, and converge in PARTS TWO and THREE.

I’m not a fan of Assassins and World Wide chases, so I enjoyed the first half a bit more than the second half, but this was definitely a book that I couldn’t wait to pick up, whenever I got the chance! The plot requires some suspension of belief but if you can do that, the way that the story ends, is actually quite believable!

Engaging from the first page through the last, I was thoroughly entertained!

Watch for DeAnn’s review to see if she and I agreed on this one.

And, watch for this book, publishing on May 28, 2024.

Thank You to Minotaur Books for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

He cracked this one out of the ball park! I was loving this one straight from the beginning and to the very end. I could not put it down. So much was going on. I couldn't put this one down. This is a very intense read. When you open up the book make sure you don't have any plans because all you will want to do is read this book. Lock your doors and turn off your phone. This book was Amazing! Also it's full of twists and turns with characters that are so well developed.

This had a lot of factors intersecting, which was brilliant on the author's part. I'm not a fan of mobsters because it is always going to be gruesome and there were some torture scenes, but other than that it was a suspenseful ride around the world.

Ryan and his girlfriend were making out at a popular parking place when some creepy men nabbed Ali and knocked Ryan out. The police accused Ryan of killing her, so the community did too. Innocent and trying to move on with his life 5 years later, he has changed his name and in law school with a new girlfriend. His dad calls him to let him know Ali's car was found submerged with two men inside and a handwritten cryptic note by Ali. Ryan understood the note! She is alive!

There were a lot of shady characters tied in with the mobsters, but a fantastic and young sheriff's deputy, Poppy, that pieces together the connection. The mob is quick to suffocate everyone out of the picture that has done them wrong, so hang on for a dynamic move to the truth. There were some sad factors at the expense of others...bullying, suicide, murder.... It was well written and fast paced with not a moment to spare to see who is going to win this fight.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I liked the twists and the pacing and it was an entertaining enough read for me. The plot was interesting but I never connected with the characters very much and something fell flat for me. I think I was expecting more of a thriller novel but it ended up being more of a crime drama.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I truly enjoy this author’s writing style! I didn’t find this to be much of a thriller but it definitely carried some suspense. I was a bit confused keeping the characters straight - it also took me more than halfway through to realize that there were chapters going between past & present - as this is an unedited copy, I hope that is specified in the final version. All in all, a good story that kept me interested.

THANK YOU to the author, Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Hooked from the start…oh man that prologue!!!
This was a fast paced Thriller. I couldn’t put it down. There were so many characters but I never felt lost, it had smooth transitions into each chapter. I became so emotionally invested in the characters. Alex Finlay takes you on a wild ride it seems like a movie with all of the action taking place in your mind.
I say go in blind and enjoy the ride.
Everything was answered and wrapped up in the end I wasn’t left hanging.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced readers copy I was so excited when I received it. I will be buying this book for my personal library!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

I enjoyed this book while I was reading it. However, it's been a few weeks since I finished it and I honestly couldn't remember what it was about until I read the synopsis. It just didn't stick with me. It wasn't a bad book by any stretch but it doesn't stand out against other books or make me want to read it again.

The first chapters were choppy to me, back and forth between Leavenworth, Italy and Philadelphia with alternating characters. There are many people to arrange into the plot. Once I got into the flow it became clearer but, I still didn’t appreciate the abrupt leaps from one chapter to the next to a completely different place and character. The plot revolves around teenagers in love, soon going to attend different colleges, an event that haunts the guy for years afterward. Ali vanished from the car just as ‘Dodge’ (Ryan) was making moves. He’s now in law school when he thinks he’s seen the man who took Ali. What follows is his search for her, for answers, life and death scenes, harrowing chases, escapes and confrontations. There’s a strong cast of supporting characters from villains to federal agents and local police. There were unexpected motives and reveals that surprised me. I enjoyed the latter part of the story much more than the first.
NetGalley provided a digital advance reader copy of “If Something Happens To Me” by Alex Finlay, Minotaur Books, St. Martin’s Publishing. Expected publication date 05/28/2024. These are always all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

Oh this was sooooooooo good. This is my first by this author but please excuse me while I go devour everything ever written. It was intense, and gripping form the very beginning and I loved the character development throughout. Thank you for the ARC copy!

A fun and all encompassing thriller from Alex Finlay… AGAIN. I’ve been a fan since reading The Night Shift and will continue to be after reading If Something Happens To Me. Finlay knows how to write a compelling story with multiple POVs and timelines and focuses on the humanity of their characters.

This wasn’t the most spectacular thriller I’ve ever read but is definitely worth a read if this is your genre. My only criticism is that the ending felt a little too neat and wrapped up in a bow but other than that it was a great read and I’ll always keep an eye out for anything from this authour.

Have I ever told you how much I absolutely LOVE all of Alex Finlay’s books?! This was an absolutely incredible, shocking, fast paced read that I could not put down! I loved absolutely every second of this book and I’m so sad it’s over!!

Huge thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the ARC!! This masterpiece will be released on May 28th, 2024 😍😍

5 billion/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book. I have enjoyed Alex Finlay’s books in the past and really enjoyed this one.

In a small town gripped by whispers and speculation, Ali’s life took a haunting turn as suspicions arose about her boyfriend, Ryan. The air became thick with uncertainty, and shadows of doubt cast a pall over their once serene relationship. Friends and neighbors exchanged wary glances, wondering if behind the closed doors of their seemingly ordinary existence, a sinister truth lingered. As the community grappled with the possibility, Sarah's absence became a poignant question mark, leaving those who knew her in a disconcerting limbo between hope and fear. The unfolding mystery unfolded like a dark novel, its chapters revealing the complexity of human relationships and the haunting echoes of what might have been.

Ryan’s girlfriend is taken right before his eyes. But no one believes him and thinks he had something to do with her disappearance. Years later her missing car is found and what it unveils is not what anyone saw coming. That’s all I’m saying because you want to go into this book with no other info!

Wow! I was not prepared for sitting down and starting this book and not wanting to do anything else until I finished it! Which explains why I finished it in 24 hours. This book was an absolute page turner from the get go!

Its short chapters (which I love) would switch between different POVs. They would end in a small cliffhanger that made you HAVE to continue reading to see what happens next. I love how the stories of each POV were their own until you finally connected them all. I really liked so many of the characters in this book. There were even some characters that weren’t the best people, but still had qualities or circumstances that made you like or feel for them.

Before I started reading this I started to feel myself going into a small reading slump, but this book changed that immediately!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Minotaur Books for this advanced copy!

Woohoo!!!! Alex Finlay has wowed me yet again! I LOVED this book!!! It kept me on my toes, turning the pages with a gleeful smile on my face! This is how you do it! Anyone picking this book up to read is in for a treat! If Something Happens to Me is gripping, fast paced, shocking, perfectly plotted and kept me on the edge of my seat. I had no idea what I was getting into when I turned the very first page, and I loved every second of it.

A young teen is bullied at an elite school and the aftermath leaves his parents devastated.

Five years ago, Ryan Richardson was at lover's lane with his girlfriend, Alison, when suddenly a man opened the door yanking him from the car. Alison and her car were never seen again. Everyone thought Ryan was responsible but with no proof he has been able to move on even though the court of public opinion still believes him to be responsible. He has now moved on and while in Italy with his law school friends, he gets a call from his father informing him that Alison's car has been found.

Poppy McGee had just started her job as a deputy sheriff when a car if found. Inside is an envelope which reads "If something happens to me." She is up for the challenge and throws herself into the investigation and will stop at nothing until she gets some answers.


Wowza! This book was a well thought out, well written, fast paced page turner! It also has a nice amount of shocking twists and reveals. There are quite a few characters in this book, but it was easy to keep track of all of them. I loved how Finlay brought everything together in the end. Paths will cross, answers will be sought, tensions will rise, and readers will be left amazed. Finlay blew me away with this well thought out, well written and thrilling book.

Highly Recommend.

TW: bullying, violence

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

What happened to Alison Lane? For years, no one knows, until a car is found and old secrets come out revealing people aren’t who they seem. Alex Finlay uses a vast cast of characters to weave a tragic story.

This book took me on a wild ride that I wasn’t necessarily expecting. At first, I found it hard to follow exactly all the characters and what was going on, but when it all comes together, boy does it come together!! The story was so well thought out and clever, it was incredibly well written and held my interest the entire time. A murder mystery that upends everything you think might have happened. I really enjoyed this story and Alex Finlay’s writing style, looking forward to picking up more of his work.

What happened to Ali, did her boyfriend Ryan kill her? Why can't he remember what happened? Alex Finlay builds up the plot to this engaging thriller and the reader can't put it down!