This was the first book I’ve read by Alex Finley and it won’t be the last. Thank you to Netgally and Alex’s publishers for making it available as an ARC. I couldn’t put it down. I love when a book gives me a jaw dropping moment of surprise and there were a few times I gasped out loud. There were a lot of characters to keep track of but by the end I had them all straight. The mystery of how everything fit together kept me on my toes. The characters were strong and I enjoyed them all. There were a few moments where things came together a little too easily for the characters but I understand, this is fiction. I loved the mobsters and the normal people who ended up getting intertwined with them. Ryan was a great character who showed great strength during his struggles with maintaining his innocence. Poppy and her brother were a great addition to the story. I loved their bonds and the twists that developed as the story went on. Great book. 4⭐️

If I hadn't needed to be at work, I would've stayed up last night the way I did tonight, finishing this book. This may very well be my favorite book by this author. I've enjoyed all of their books so far and I have the feeling it's only going to continue on.

I enjoyed all the POVs immensely. And while one plot point in this book stood out to me as I completed each chapter, I still likes the reveal of it.

Without spoiling anything, seeing some of the characters just go through it and come out kicking butt was great. Seeing mobsters you can empathize with was something I didn't see coming. While all in all I was fine with the epilogue, there was one part that I felt just wasn't fair. Call me a softie, but I wanted a HEA for the character.

Alex Finlay is an absolute master of suspense thriller writing. “If Something Happens to Me” starts with a bang: on a Kansas lover’s lane, Allison and Ryan are saying their intimate goodbyes before going off to separate schools soon, when the doors open and Ryan gets pulled and knocked out, while Allison and the car go missing.

Five years later the action resumes again in Leavenworth, Kansas. Local suspicion forced Ryan to change his name and flee to law school in Washington, DC. Allison’s death was ascribed to a serial killer in the interim, but now Allison's car has been found in the lake, with two dead men in the front seats and her purse containing a book cipher titled “If something happens to me…”. On the case is new deputy sheriff Poppy McGee, recently discharged from the military police, whose brother went to school with Allison and whose dad was in the service with the sheriff. Ryan is currently in Italy with law school buddies and receiving “I know who you are” notes from a man he was told he must have hallucinated. Plus there’s another story — that of a mob boss in Philadelphia whose young son is being mercilessly bullied at school. Somehow that will fit into the narrative, but when?

Finlay builds a page-turning adventure where good guys finally win and the bad guys (who do horrible, gory stuff) get their due. I love Finlay’s writing and plots — I’ll be back for whatever he does next. 5 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO No eye colors are described.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Just some postcard perfect cypress trees in Italy.

Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Finlay has done it again! I usually find that after their break out novel is so impressive, things go downhill after. This is not the case with Alex Finlay, or with If Something Happens to Me. He has created a book so infinitely readable that I read it in one day, forgoing sleep, because I just needed to know how it ends. You won’t be disappointed with this book.

Alex Finlay, writes a fast pace, engaging, and twisty thriller with “ If Something Happens to Me.” It tells the story of Ryan and Ali, and one fateful night when Ali was grabbed from their car. Now, five years later Ryan, is traveling and receives a phone call telling him that Ali’s car has been found with a note in her handwriting, if something happens to me…

And we are off! The story is told in multiple POV’s and moves quickly. The twists are intelligent, the story has the reader engaged and caring about our protagonists. There are a lot of moving parts but they all come together clearly and concisely. Although, the ending was rather predictable, it did not distract from the overall good storytelling.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay due to be released May 28, 2024.
I had already read The Night Shift, so I was really looking forward to this one.
Ryan Richardson lived with that awful night for five years – the car door opening, someone tearing him from the vehicle, and his girlfriend Ali being taken.
There is no trace of Ali, so Ryan is the main suspect. He has changed his name and tried to put the past behind him since he knows he is innocent.
Five years later, when Ryan is on a trip with his law school buddies, he receives a call that Ali’s car has been found in the lake. Ali is not in it, but two men are along with a note written in Ali’s handwriting – If something happens to me…
This book was fantastic – I read it in one day. It had so many twists and turns but was still easy to keep up with the characters. From FBI agents to small town sheriffs to mobsters – everyone was involved somehow.
It was definitely a 5-star read, and now I’ll have to go find the other Alex Finlay books I haven’t read yet – definitely put on your TBR list!
.#netgalley #alexfinlay #st.martinspress #ifsomethinghappenstome

This book I thoroughly enjoyed! I would highly recommend this to friends! The whole story with Ryan had me wanting more and anticipating twists and turns constantly. A solid thriller and one I will definitely be to acquire for my physical book shelf!!

This was a really entertaining and fast-paced thriller. I definitely enjoyed the various perspectives and timelines, though at times there was a lot going on. I thought the ending was very satisfying and would recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers.

This is my second book read by Alex Finlay (first was Night Shift, which I absolutely LOVED) and it will not be my last. While multiple POVs sometimes confuse me, I found really liked it with this story. I think it helped to move the story along and to understand where all characters were coming from. I enjoyed the pace of the story and the characters were well thought out (whether I liked or hated them). This book had just the right amount of twists and reveals, really enjoyed it!

TW: bullying

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in an exchange for an honest review.

I discovered Alex Finlay last year and he is now a must-read author for me. As in his other books, the pacing is brisk, the action intense and the characters have you rooting for them. I knew from the beginning that the many disparate storylines would intersect at some point, so wasn’t all that surprised with the big reveal toward the end. This didn’t at all impede my enjoyment as I zoomed through this one in about a day – because I could not put it down!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Our adventure kicks off in Leavenworth, Kansas, with high school sweethearts Ryan and Alison. They're trying to hold on to the magic of their young romance as they prepare to head off to different universities in the fall. Fast forward five years, and Ryan, now in Italy with Georgetown Law classmates, is desperately trying to forget the most painful chapter of his life—the night Alison went missing and the aftermath that followed. Just a few days before his trip ends, a chance encounter with a man straight from his nightmares changes the course of Ryan's life, sending him on a tumultuous journey to find Ali.

In present-day Leavenworth, enter Poppy McGee, a young classmate of Ryan and Alison's, a few years their junior. Poppy's older brother, Dash, played basketball with Ryan and was close friends with Ali. On her first day as a Deputy Sheriff, Poppy unwittingly finds herself back in the thick of the Alison Lane disappearance case. Little does she know, that her initiation into law enforcement will shake up her world like a kid shaking a snow globe.

As with many mysteries and thrillers, there are numerous characters and moving parts meant to throw you off the scent, making you believe in one story only for it to be nowhere near the truth in the end. This story is no different—lots of players and roles in the grand scheme, but when it all unravels, zoom in.

The writing and pacing were absolute winners for me—this book had me completely hooked! Every word on those pages carried weight; there was no fluff or filler. What I appreciated most about the writing was the need to pay close attention to descriptions and dialogue. It constantly kept me on my toes, asking: who's talking? Where are they? Who's present? And, most importantly, what is being said? It's a call to attention that I relished! I loved it. Read it.

This book was definitely different and much needed from your typical psychological thriller experience!
This book is told from alternating POV’s. Ryan, the accused boyfriend of the girl that is missing , but thought to he dead. Poppy, the new Sheriff in town trying to get to know who she can and can’t trust while piecing everything together. Shane, the head of the major crime unit. There are a few other perspectives thrown in. I will say I was intrigued and invested right from the start. This book can get a little confusing with all the moving parts, characters, and storylines that eventually connect. However this book definitely kept me on my toes!! It was a suspenseful action packed thriller of good, evil, and everything in between.
This is absolutely worth the read, but buckle up for a wild ride!

Thank you to the Author, Netgalley, and St. Martin’s Press- Minotaur Books for the ARC!

A fun, action packed ride!

I really enjoy Finlay’s books. He has the amazing ability to fluidly weave different characters and timelines in a way that is easy to follow as a reader.

This book follows the missing case of Alison Lane who was kidnapped while with her boyfriend one rainy night. Everyone was quick to point the finger at Ryan, but he maintains his innocence. When her car is finally pulled from the water years later with two men inside, we quickly learn that this isn’t a simple kidnapping.

Between her determined former boyfriend Ryan, and the new agent on the case, Poppy, the intricate web starts to unravel. There is so much more than meets the eye with this case, and what they thought was buried quickly starts to come to light.

This book is action packed, well paced, with great characters. The short chapters were amazing, and I flew through it in two sittings. Finlay is great, and I highly recommend checking this one out!

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martins Press for the advanced copy.

Alex Finlay is back with another paging turning thriller! He hooks you within the first chapter. Phenomenal read!

This was a very good thriller and I liked how all the different perspectives kept me guessing about what was going on. The different timelines and POVs were woven together very well and allowed a very satisfying conclusion. I will share this with my students who love thrillers when the book is published.

Alex Finlay is rapidly becoming one of my favorite thriller authors. If you haven't read anything of his before, you're in for a treat.
Ryan and Ali are young and in love, but their relationship ends abruptly when Ali is kidnapped and Ryan left behind, unconscious. Ali and her car are nowhere to be found, and even though Ryan is never charged with anything, suspicion, gossip and his feeling of not having done enough to save Ali is still haunting him 5 years later.
Poppy is a young detective who just moved back to the area, and on her first day in her new position, Ali's car is found. However, its not Ali's body inside the car, instead it is two strange men - shot in the head!

This is such a entertaining story, with lots of surprises and questions about who to trust. Thoroughly enjoyed this book

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for providing me with a digital ARC of this addictive thriller in exchange for my honest opinions.

Alex Finlay does it again with another 5 star, fast-paced thriller. I devoured this book in 2 days. Told in multiple POV, If Something Happens to Me is a story about an unsolved murder, revenge, and the boundaries someone will push to protect their loved ones. I loved the way that Finlay was able to tell this story with so many different characters seemingly have no connection and then bring it all together in such a flawless and plausible way. As with his previous novels, Finlay uses multiple POV and timelines but I felt like this was a more unique way to do so. Lots of twists and turns that I didn't see coming and very well mapped out. I highly recommend If Something Happens to Me to all readers but especially thriller lovers.

The book opens with a great hook. Ryan’s girlfriend is pulled from the car and he is struck with a blow to the head. The next morning when he wakes up, both his girlfriend and the car are missing.

We catch up with Ryan 5 years later in Italy.

The mystery of what happened to Ali, Ryan’s girlfriend is what hooked me. And the fact that her car disappeared along with her added a more puzzling element to the mystery.

Multiple POV’s are used in the novel. Some make sense like Poppy - the deputy sheriff investigating the case, while others tell a different story.

It’s unclear how they tie into Alison and Ryan but eventually it all comes together in the most satisfying way. It almost feels like a movie at times.

From start to finish - there is so much positive momentum. Action drives this story and does not stop till the very end. It might just be my favourite novel Alex Finlay has written so far.

*Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book for my honest review.*

Alex Finlay has become an auto-read author for me. I love to pick up his books and go in without reading the synopsis. This book did not disappoint.
The story starts with Ryan and his girlfriend Ali on Lover's Lane when he is assaulted and she is abducted. Five years later her car is found in the lake with two men inside. From there we meet Poppy, the small town sheriff's deputy, and O'Leary a dangerous mobster type. The story unfolds through the POV's of these characters, and switches between them with each chapter, which I love. I couldn't wait to get to the next chapter and the next POV.
I loved all the twists and turns. For me, this was super fast paced, with an intriguing plot that kept me engaged. I could not put this book down!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an early copy of one of my favorite author's works!

If Something Happens to Me has renewed my interest in thrillers! A lot of thrillers and mysteries focus on building suspense and holding answers to the very end, inevitability being a bit of a let down if you're right about the plot twist. This story unfolds gently, giving clues and answers throughout. I could not put it down, the story flowed in a way that was fun to read. I liked cutting back and forth between the different character's lives to see how the story connected each one, yet having so many POVs also kept me from getting very attached to any specific character.
Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to review the ARC.