I was happy to have the opportunity to read as well as listen to the audio of "If Something Happens to Me". I've enjoyed Alex Finlay's previous novels so I was excited to get started on this one too.

I finished this in just a few sittings. It's one of those audiobooks where I kept stopping what I was doing just to listen closely. I often fall asleep listening to audiobooks, even ones that I really enjoy. Not this one though. The book was well written and the audio was very well performed.

A great storyline with excellent characters! Terrific twists and turns that I never saw coming!

Another hit from Alex Finlay!

5 Stars!!

When Ryan Richardson was a teenager he and his girlfriend are attacked on a local love'rs lane. Although wounded Ryan survived but Allison and the car disappeared without a trace. Five years later Ryan is still under suspicion and haunted by that fateful night. Now a law student his world shifts on its axis when he spots the attacker while on a college trip to Rome. Ryan abandons everything to follow him. Meanwhile halfway around the world in his hometown divers discover Allison's car submerged in a lake. The car reveals two male bodies yet no Allison raising even more doubts and concern. Where is Allison? Alex Finlay is adept at penning a fast paced crime thriller and this latest one is no exception. With well drawn characters, cryptic clues, plot twists on a world stage this narrative has much to offer the reader. Told from three very diverse points of view with a fast paced plot I found it gripping and compelling. Although there was a lot of action with characters moving rapidly from place to place with shifts in time I had no difficulty staying engaged. If you are looking for a gripping intense read add this to your to-be-read list.

This book takes so many twists and turns! I went into this one partially blind, knowing only that it is about a man who many years ago witnessed his girlfriend get abducted right in front of him. This is a pretty far fetched book so if that is going to bother you then this may not be the book for you, but I thought it was a really fun ride. I did not see the majority of the plot twists coming and can't wait to read more from this author!

Alex Finlay books always make me physically nervous and tense. 😳 This one was no different. There are a lot of characters (his books all have many characters) but somehow I keep them all straight because he does an amazing job of writing a clear voice for each one. This books has so many different storylines right from the start and I was just waiting for them to finally intersect. And of course they did with the most interesting and unique little twist! I love how fast paced his books are. I always stay up way too late reading them because it’s so easy to say “just one more chapter”. It does require a bit of suspension of belief but that’s pretty common in this genre. I highly recommend this book if you need a suspenseful, twisty, fast paced thriller this summer. I don’t think you will be disappointed.

Read if you like:
▫️a lot of characters
▫️mob storylines
▫️short chapters

First time reading Alex Finlay and that was such an exciting and fast paced read! I enjoyed all the twists and turns throughout the story. I definitely need to read this authors backlog.

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were interesting and, I thought, multifaceted. There were parts of even the antagonists that were relatable. This is my first read from this author, but I’m officially a fan, and will be checking out the backlist.

Isn’t it exciting when you discover an author who just gets you? One who understands your insatiable need for wild twists, a compelling story, solid characters, and the bloody ripple effect of a bullying incident that spreads from Philadelphia to Italy and beyond? Stories that involve kidnappers with missing pinkies, vengeful mobsters, fallen basketball stars, and anxiety-inducing hot air balloon rides? No? Just me?

OK, to be fair, those last bits are part of Alex Finlay’s latest thriller, If Something Happens to Me, which, in typical Finlay fashion, crams in a startling amount of story, layers, and detail without losing the plot. I really don’t know how he does it. Like, does his book planning process involve a complicated conspiracy wall complete with red thread and character mug shots, à la that Charlie Day meme? Maybe the world’s largest collection of sticky notes? That pill from Limitless? (Yes, the Bradley Cooper movie I think I’m the only one who actually saw?) I digress.

The Night Shift was a five-star read for me, and I really enjoyed his 2021 novel Every Last Fear as well, so I was excited to find that this was another winner. (Remind me to read the rest of his catalog ASAP.) (. . . . just don’t tell the stack of unread books already collecting dust on my nightstand.) I may not have liked it quite as much as the other two (which I’ll get into a little bit below), but this is undoubtedly an author with a gift for weaving a complicated web of intersecting characters, timelines, and motivations.

To be totally honest, I only really had one issue while reading this novel: Ryan. Very sad, very broken, and very — I’m sorry — annoying Ryan.

Ryan has put Ali on such a pedestal that he’s essentially manic pixie dream girl-ed her memory — she wouldn’t waste her time filming fun TikToks like his female law-school classmates; she wouldn’t be so crass as to wear contouring makeup, or show off their outfits on Instagram, like the girls on his trip abroad. She was always too cool for that, too down to earth, too artsy, and no one can compare.

And listen: when your high school sweetheart is ripped out of a car right in front of you, never to be seen again, I get how that would be traumatic! I get how that trauma might linger! Completely understandable. But his casual misogynistic commentary, however banal, about every other woman he comes into contact with? Not understandable. Boo-fucking-hoo your “smart” female classmates took time out of their mornings to do Kardashian-level makeup during their fancy trip to Italy. Grow up, Ryan.

For me, his POV, though initially interesting since it gives us a direct line to the night of Ali’s abduction in the prologue, felt largely inconsequential up until the end. For about 85 percent of the book, he seemed more deserving of side character status rather than one of the main entry points into what was happening. I felt myself itching to skim his chapters, wishing the time spent on him was used to flesh out a certain military veteran’s backstory instead (though I understand why the author avoided doing that). Alas.

I guess I have to respect Alex Finlay for seeing not one, not two, not three, not even four character POVs/timelines/narratives, and saying, “You know what? Not enough.” There’s a hell of a lot going on in If Something Happens to Me, from Ryan’s adventures across Italy, England, and France, to a young deputy determined to get to the bottom of the Alison Lane case back home in Kansas. And as I said, I think the author keeps a consistent handle on things; it never feels like the story gets away from him. That’s also why the book seems to fly by, even though it clocks in at nearly 350 pages. Excellent pacing.

Ryan-related issues aside, If Something Happens To Me is a great summer thriller, with a hook that will especially appeal to true crime fans and a cinematic, action-packed conclusion. Don’t miss it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A totally unputdownable thriller, this book will have you gripped from the very first page until the jaw-dropping final twist. The ending was little bit rushed and far fetched but I would still recommend it.

If Something Happens to Me was a fast paced murder mystery. If you like the ruthless mobster feel of organized crime, you will enjoy this book. I cruised through the chapters while enjoying a few unseen twists in the plot. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Catch them if you can.

This started off so well and I didn’t want to put it down. However, there started to be too many characters and it started to get confusing who was who and which characters were connected. Other than that, this was a really good story with some interesting twists! I normally don’t really enjoy stories like this, won’t give any spoilers, but this one was a pleasant surprise and the different layers intertwining made it much more interesting! I would definitely recommend everyone to read this if you like mysteries and different characters being connected in multiple ways and it all wraps up in the end. I look forward to reading other books by this author!

We follow multiple point of views in this mystery...bad guys, cops, victims...we see all their sides of the stories! It makes for a very interesting book!
I found some turns expected, but some not...and as soon as I thought things were solved they were back in trouble again!
An exciting ride to figure out what happened, who did it and even where is the victim really?

Many thanks to Netgalley for the copy of If Something Happens to Me. I think this one hit a wall for me in a way since I wasn't as thrilled as I was hoping for with this book. I still give it a 3.5-3.75 rating though. I have loved Alex's previous books but this one fell a little flat for me. It definitely was a fast paced book and lots of suspense and action happened throughout the story but the multiple POV's i wasn't a huge fan of. Definitely a weird story but I am sure many others will have a different opinion on this one. Ryan was accused of killing his girlfriend after having gone missing but really there wasnt ever enough things to prove it. Then something crazy happens 5 years down the road and Ali's car is found and then he sees this man who he thinks did it and just lots of crazy things go on to find out what really went down.
Overall it was a good one still and i hope others love it.

I liked this book. In true Alex Finlay fashion that we all have come to love, there were twists and turns and the multiple viewpoints from many different characters that built the story up. Originally when hearing so manmy different viewpoints from the different characters, I thought that I may get lost but upon reading futher it just added to the outcome and all made sense. Alex Finley is a force to reckoned with, with their writing and I will be watching for what they come out with next. 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finley in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur books for this digital copy.

I actually loved this mystery/thriller!! Although there were many characters, I didn’t find myself forgetting who they were. There were a few unexpected twists that were well written.

For years Ryan has been accused of killing his high school girlfriend until they finally find her missing car 5 years later. There’s a note inside written in code. It seems as if Ali isn’t who she says she is and she might still be alive. This fast paced thriller seemed a little far fetched here and there and wasn’t expecting the mob to be a major player in this plot but I still enjoyed it and think Alex finlay is one to watch.

Pulse-pounding, intense page-turner! This was action packed. Avoid any spoilers on this one, and go in blind and enjoy the wild ride. I did not see one of the twists and thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience. This would be a fun and strong recommendation for a quick "beach read"-type thriller. This one is hard for me to attach a star rating to, so 4.5 stars.

This is a complex mystery with a lot of action. Something about this one gave me vibes of Grisham’s The Firm. I could see this being made into a movie or TV series.

Just to warn you, you need to bring your A game to this one. There are a lot of characters (sometimes with multiple names), a lot of POVs, a lot of locations and a lot of timelines. I found myself flipping back and forth between the audio and ebook at times to keep up with it all. But eventually I caught on and it was a little bit more of an easier read.

With that noted, it is a wild read. There is a mob boss, a name change, a kidnapping, secrets, twists, and a lot of tension. I saw a few of the twists coming, but there were a few that got me. It’s fast paced and once it gets going, it does not stop. But I’d seriously not read a lot of reviews on this one if you plan to read it. I can easily see a review slipping and giving too much and hinting at a spoiler.

Another plus, there is a full cast narration. Helen Laser, John Pirhalla, and Paul Dateh do an exceptional job narrating this one. The extra narrators help with all the POVs and keeping the plot straight. Their delivery of the emotions and actions enhanced the read.

I would definitely add this to your TBR shelf for a fast paced, puzzle stumping summer read!! Alison was taken and murdered 5 years ago and her boyfriend Ryan is blamed….There’s no proof, so he’s released and now he’s just trying to move on with life. But when her car is finally found at the bottom of a lake with two dead bodies inside, everyone is asking questions. This is told from multiple povs and they all add elements to the mystery so that it comes together beautifully in the end. I could not put this down! Well done Finlay!

This was a fun read. I initially picked it up because my sister in law said it was set in Kansas, where I live so say less! I enjoyed the settings and the storylines. It wasn’t easily guessed but I was able to kinda piece things together slowly and make the correct conclusions in the end. Nevertheless it was entertaining.

Just cutting to the chase: I really enjoyed this new thriller from Alex Finlay!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

From Kansas to Pennsylvania to Tuscany to England to Paris to Washington DC, get ready to run for your life!

High school seniors Ali and Ryan are parked in the woods near the lake five years ago. But then Ali screams, Ryan is hit in the head, and Ali disappears. Five years later, Ali and her car are still missing, Ryan is in law school in Georgetown, and rumors still circulate that he killed her. Then her car is found, with two dead men and a note in Ali’s handwriting: “If something happens to me…”

You’ve got a crime boss, a rookie Sheriff’s deputy, a missing girl, two unidentified dead bodies, and twisted threads connecting them all.

Ryan risks everything to discover the truth about that night. He takes us with him, and we see the rolling hills, glittering streets, and yes, the violent acts. (We’ve got crime bosses, remember? It gets ugly.)

This is a crime thriller, yes. But it also had me thinking a lot about the responsibility we bear for choices we make when we’re young. There are always consequences, some short-lived, some that last a lifetime and can never be made right — no matter how much guilt we hold onto.

Plenty of triggers in this one, friends: bullying, missing teenagers, violence, murder, suicide. But there’s also hope, so if you don’t mind the crime, it’s a great story!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley, and author Alex Finlay for the complimentary advance copy! It was my pleasure to write this candid review.