This was a wild ride and I was totally here for it! I didn't expect those last couple of twists at the end and I love that. The fact that this had a happy ending made my heart smile. I can't wait to read what Alex Finlay puts out next! He is on my always-read list!

This is a very fast-paced thriller that grabbed me from the first page. The plot is about a missing teenage girl and the boyfriend that lives in the shadow of her disappearance. A trip to Italy brings a new question about that night and Ryan must find out the truth to clear his name. I really enjoyed the twists and turns of this story and although I found the action to be a bit constant for my reading taste, it really kept me guessing. I think this will be a hit with thriller readers this summer. Thanks to Alex Finlay, St. Martin Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Ryan's been living in a personal hell since high school, when his girlfriend Ali vanished without a trace right before his eyes. His memories of that night are fuzzy, and worse, nobody believed his story about what went down.

Fast forward a few years, and Ryan's even changed his last name in an attempt to start fresh. But during a law school trip to Italy, he spots the guy from that awful night and it rocks him to his core. Now, Ryan's got to chase this guy down, risking everything to finally uncover the truth about what happened to Ali.

Alex Finlay does it again with a book that grabs you and doesn’t let go, throwing you into a whirlwind of trying to piece the mystery together. I've loved all his previous work and can't wait to see what he comes up with next. He's definitely secured a spot on my list of must-read authors.

5 Stars!

By far this author’s best work yet!!!

Such an intense and excellent read! I had read two of this author's books previously, but this one blew those completely out of the water!

Five years ago, Ryan and his girlfriend Ali were parked at the local "Lovers' Lane" spot when someone suddenly attacks them. When Ryan regains consciousness, Ali and her car are both gone. Ryan's life was forever changed. Though he was never charged with her murder, his reputation was permanently tarnished.

Now, Ali's car is found along with a mysterious note.

This was Jason Bourne meets The Sopranos. I did a combo read and listen and devoured this book within 24 hours. The character development was top notch. Tangled plot lines that all come together for a jaw dropping ending!

Top thriller recommendation and a great summer read!

3.75⭐️

Popcorn thriller that was a fast propulsive read involving the disappearance of a teen girl, the Italian mob, and complex interconnected relationships. This was easy entertainment while I was reading it but not likely to stick with me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur books for an advanced reader copy.

This was my first Alex Finlay book and I was not disappointed! It was such a fast pace book about a girl who is missing and presumed dead. I really loved that it had multiple povs. It really helped in moving the story along. This was a great quick and easy read. It had so many twists and turns and I read it within a day! Can't wait to read more by this author!

Rating: 4 stars

Wowww this one was very good! Lately, I have not been loving Alex Finlay books, but this one really took me back to how I felt after "The Night Shift," which is the only other book of his I've enjoyed. Super fast-paced, compelling POVs, and a lot of action that kept me intrigued. The law enforcement/detective POV is a trope I've been really enjoying! While this book is not life changing, and I could foresee the "twists" near the end, I had a really good experience with this book. If I could change anything, there were a lot POVs to keep track of overall.

‼️If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay‼️

Thank you @stmartinspress, Alex Finlay & @netgalley for this ARC! If Something Happens to Me was published on May 28th, 2024!

Pages: 324
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5️⃣
Book Goal 2024: 62/100

✨ Have you ever seen an item somewhere that seemed really out of place? What was it! ✨

This book was such a wild wild ride! There were quick chapters, with many landing on cliffhangers. There is a multiple POV storyline which does make you pay attention for the twists. It was enjoyable as I normally love multi POV, fast pace and chapters I can easily come back to.

The only reason this wasn’t rated higher for me is the storyline isn’t one of my favorite topics. I tend to like more psychological thrillers than action packed thrillers but this book will be perfect for an action packed thriller lover! Just my personal taste.


#netgalley #review #read #0to100 #reads #reading #booknerd #books #book #dark #arc #thriller #ifsomethinghappens

Fast-paced, engaging, and immensely entertaining, 𝗜𝗳 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗧𝗼 𝗠𝗲 held my attention and I hated to put it down! I have loved Alex Finlay’s writing since reading 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵 a few years ago. His writing style is so immersive and he crafts complex, layered characters that will keep you guessing the entire time!

There’s a lot going on in this story with three different POVs and a global web of conspiracy and intrigue. It’s difficult to give a synopsis without giving away any spoilers, but the basic premise is that Ali and Ryan are living their best life at the end of high school and spending a romantic evening at Lover’s Lake when they are attacked by an unknown assailant. Ryan is ok but Ali vanishes without a trace, so he is blamed for her murder until years later when Ali’s DNA turns up at the campsite of a serial killer. By this point Ryan has moved away and changed his name, but he’s never been able to come to terms with what happened to Ali. He is on a college trip to Italy when suddenly new information comes to light that will change everything…

The way all the different storylines come together is brilliant! There are some shocking twists and turns, and at one point my mouth literally fell open while I was reading. Trigger warning for some short but very disturbing scenes of high school bullying. Highly recommend this one for your summer TBR!!

I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced readers' copy.
Although the first third of the book was a bit slow, it picked up pace after that. Unfortunately, not enough to make me love it. It was ok, with enough action to keep me engaged, but I only gave it three stars.
The book had a couple of storylines that were confusing at first. That made me not want to pick it up as often as I normally would. But it did make sense at the end, even though some things were too far-fetched for my liking. So, as my first book by the author, I must say that I wasnt wowed. I'm not gonna run and read any of his previous books just yet.

This book had my attention from the first chapter. It is a mystery/thriller told from multiple points of view with a storyline spanning about 10 years. I am a sucker for dual timelines and multiple timelines, it fits so well with the theme of the book and I love trying to figure out how everything fits together before it is all revealed. This book definitely kept me on my toes, some of the plot is easier to predict than others.

I would recommend this book to fans of the genre, there is a lot going on but the author has a very easy-to-read style and the chapters are on the shorter side. This would be the perfect vacation or quick weekend read.

Alex Finlay is a master of mystery! I really enjoyed reading "If Something Happens to Me." This book was full of memorable characters, from Poppy, the small town deputy sheriff, to Alison, the girl who went missing a few years ago, to Ryan, Alison's boyfriend - who was accused of of murdering her. As the story goes on, we learn more about each character and how they are all connected. Full of twists and turns, I did not see the ending to this one coming! Highly recommend to all mystery and thriller lovers!

This one gave me major “The Last Thing He Told Me” vibes. A girl returns to her home town and joins the police force after serving in the military . Her first week on the job a vehicle from a teen who went missing five years prior, surfaces. Lots of family connections , corruption, and twists in this one. Short, fast-paced chapters make it an easy read !

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book but it wasn't my favorite. I figured out how all the narratives converged together before it was explained so I was proud of myself for that one.

I liked part one of the book the best, it was the most interesting. Once part two hit it felt like all the mysteries were basically solved and it turned into mobsters going after people. That's not normally the book I'd go after. I still enjoyed it though.

3.5 stars rounded up

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

𝑴𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔:
There was so much going on in this book! My brain was literally running on overdrive, trying to see how all of these characters and their storylines intersected. Once the stories finally did connect together, my mind was blown! The plot of this book is quite deep, and there definitely is a requirement on the readers end to pay close attention to the details. However, with the short length of each chapter and the writers easy to read style, it made it really easy to follow along to the plot, and keep up with the large cast of characters.

The ending of this book was probably my favourite part of the whole thing. Without me giving the ending away, I’ve got to say that the author did an amazing job at throwing in some unexpected twists which I did not see coming at all. I was left speechless at one point! The epilogue was just as good and unexpected, and also broke me slightly.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a quick and easy crime/thriller/mystery novel, which will leave you wanting to know what happens next throughout its entirety.

𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒇 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆:
- 👮‍♂️ Mobster thrillers
- ⏲️ Short and easy to read chapters
- ⏳ Dual timelines

𝑾𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑷𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈: 2020 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo - Antonini🍷

If you're looking for a twisty page turner, look no further. Finlay's If Something Happens to Me checks all the boxes: short chapters that keep you going late into the night, cliffhangers galore, multiple locations, characters you care about.

I devoured this one. Couldn't put it down.

There is a Lovers Lane, a Mike Ehrmantraut like character, an old mystery / cold case, a twelve year old true crime podcaster, encryption, and one epic car chase escape scene. On the downside, there 's a pretty horrific depiction of bullying that was tough to read.

When you're wondering how all the pieces fit, they all come together. Go into this one cold, the payoff is worth it.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press / Minotaur Books for the ARC. I'll be adding Alex Finlay to the list when looking for my next twisty thriller.

I just finished If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay and here is my review.

Ryan Richardson has spent 5 years going over what happened that night. The night when his girlfriend Ali was abducted from his car. The feel of the hands pulling him from the car and the pain that filled his head. Ali is presumed dead even without her body and the suspicion is all on Ryan, the last person to have seen her.

Even after he changes his last night and goes to law school, he cannot move past what happened that night. It all comes to a head when Ryan takes a trip to Italy with his class. Not only has Ali’s car been found in the lake with 2 dead bodies in it, neither of them hers and a note in her purse in a cypher Ali used…. If something happens to me… is the chilling clue.

Still reeling from that bombshell Ryan then sees a man everyone told him didn’t exist… The monster… The man that haunts his dreams… The man who took Ali. Not wanting him to get away Ryan follows him to the UK where things go from bad to worse.

You know when you pick up a Finlay book, you are in for a wild ride and this book did not disappoint. The book is loaded with twists!

The book is written in the present day and the past where we get the story of a mob boss who loses his son when kids bully him at his new school and he commits suicide and the aftermath of it.

Present day includes Ryan and a new deputy to the police force trying to figure out what happened to Ali that night and everyone has their secrets and you never quite know what you can trust. It’s brilliant. I loved every single moment.

It makes perfect sense when you get to the end of the book because you never really understand why these stories are connected until that ah-HA moment!

The plot was great and the characters were well rounded. I found myself holding on to the edge of my seat.

Highly recommend this thriller! 4.5 stars

Thank you to @minotaurbooks and @netgalley for my gifted copy

#ifsomethinghappenstome #alexfinlay #thriller #thrillerreader #thrillerreads #newrelease #minotaurbooks #netgalley #kindlereader #readingonthego #bookreview #readerreview

Thank you to St Martin's Press/ Minotaur Books for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A teenage couple are attacked one night, the young girl is dragged from the car never to be seen again. Ryan's life changes forever and the only thing that saves him from a prison term is the lack of evidence of his involvement, as well as a competent lawyer. He may have been cleared but he lives with the backlash of people who believed he got away with murder. Ali haunts his life everyday and he can't let go of what really happened to her.
After changing his name to regain some anonymity and attending law school, his life is upended again with the discovery of Ali's car in a lake.
The past jumps right back into Ryan's present, sending him on a mission to find out what really happened that night and who is responsible.

Great thriller with so many levels of deception that the twists will leave you dizzy with questions, needing to find the answers.

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press Minotaur books, and Alex Finlay for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

@alexfinlayauthor
@netgalley
@stmartinspress

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It’s been five years since that horrible night when Ryan’s girlfriend Ali was taken. He remembers the car door yanking open, a crushing blow to the head which makes him unconscious, and Ali’s piercing screams. When he wakes up Ali and her car is gone which leaves a cloud of suspicion over Ryan. He is never charged due to no proof. He enters law school and changes his last name in hopes of leaving the past behind. Ryan goes on a trip to Italy with his law-school classmates and gets a call from his father that Ali’s car has been found. It was submerged in a lake in his hometown. Inside are two dead men and a cryptic note with five words written on the envelope in Ali’s handwriting: If something happens to me...

I have read other books by Alex Finlay and this one was great! I really enjoyed the multiple points of view, short chapters, intricate plot, and the characters. I love his writing style and the way the story all came together!

#stmartinspress #alexfinlay #netgalley #netgalleyreads #ifsomethinghappenstome #read #bookishlove #bookstagram #bookworms #booklover #readmore #tbr #thrillerbooks

Wow!! What a great, fast paced thriller! The chapters are short and jump from different POV"s which just make it 'unputdownable'. I couldn't figure out the connection between the different characters and them BAM...the twist! I highly recommend this one and all of Alex Finlay's previous books.