Member Reviews

This book had me hooked from the first page and didn’t let go until the end! I’ve read almost all of Alex Finlay’s books and this one is seriously his best yet!

If you are a big fan of multiple pov books, you need to check this one out. He created 3 seamless stories with 3 awesome characters. Poppy was my favorite and I hope we get more stories with her. Every time one characters story would end, he left it on the most perfect cliffhanger where I was dying to get to their next chapter.

I did guess how they all intertwined and who was who, but that didn’t keep me from enjoying the story. He was still able to throw in a couple curve balls I didn’t see coming! I also really loved how it covered most of Europe. I felt like I was on a trip with these characters (minus the hitman aspect).

Also, do you know why all of Finlay’s books have some sort of lawyer in them? Because that’s his day job! I absolutely love seeing how that pops up in his books. They do say to write what you know!

All in all, I really enjoyed this one and it was a great way to wrap up my reading for May. I give it 5/5 stars!

Was this review helpful?

Alex Finlay is becoming an auto buy author for me, I loved this book! I really enjoyed the multiple POVs from the deputy Sheriff, a mobster and the mobsters accountant and Ryan's POV in Italy. This story is fast paced and cinematic with a twist I did not see coming!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to @Minotaurbooks for the #gifted copy of the book.

I love Alex Finlay's books and this one was no different. It was another fast paced thriller. Ryan's high school girlfriend Ali is abducted while they are together. Everyone thinks he did it. He tries to move on with his life, but he never is fully able to put the past behind him. It isn't until Poppy McGee returns to town and becomes a deputy sheriff that Ali's dad's car is found at the bottom of the lake. She is determined to find out what happened to Ali. The truth is too close to home. Can Poppy protect the ones she loves? Can Ryan handle the truth?

Was this review helpful?

Thank you so much @macmillan.audio for the complimentary audiobook and @netgalley and @minotaur_books for the #gifted DRC!

Totally bingeable! This is my third Alex Finlay novel and he hasn’t let me down yet! If Something Happens to Me is the first of his that I listened to on audio, and the narrators Helen Laser, John Pirhalla, and Paul Dateh were excellent. The multiple narrators also helped me to always know whose POV I was listening to at any point which can sometimes be a struggle for me on audio. Short chapters kept the pace moving at breakneck speed, and I felt the tension from start to finish. I so enjoyed trying to connect the dots and figuring out how the story would wrap up. Are parts of this a little OTT? Yes, and I loved it! I can imagine this as a movie. I am looking forward to whatever Finlay comes up with next.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this fast-paced thriller/mystery! I personally love multiple POVs, dual time-lines, and a keep-you-intrigued-and-guessing -and this book had it all! Alex Finlay's new releases will definitely have a place in my TBR queue.

Was this review helpful?

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book and was excited to have the chance to do so. This is my third book from Alex Finlay, so I'm familiar with his writing style and know what to expect from his work.

Our story starts with Ali's abduction, and Ryan's life after, as he faces life with a new name, and tries to move past the accusations that he was involved in her disappearance. He's started law school and is traveling abroad for his law journal. But then Ali's car is discovered in a lake near their hometown in Kansas and his life is thrown into a tailspin all over again.

As the new deputy in town, Poppy McGee is assigned to oversee tips in the newly reopened cold case. As she digs deeper, she starts questioning old friends and starts realizing that she has to look within her own department and family.

I did enjoy this book overall, but I did have some issues with it. The first was that Poppy McGee's past is alluded to, but we don't really get the deep dive, which made me wonder why it was even mentioned. I assume this was building up her reputation as a character who would take the time to dig in and make sound judgments, but it fell a bit flat for me.

If you've read What Have We Done by Alex Finlay you've already met Shane O'Leary and his men. Seeing them in this book gives the reader a very clear idea of where the story is going.

The biggest "twist" comes around the 50-60% mark of the story. I love it when an author does this because it's unexpected and can really shock the reader; I personally like that. However, in this case, the twist revealed too much and because I had already met some characters in another story, it made the last part of the book somewhat hard for me to be invested in. It felt more like loose ends were being tied up versus getting more of the story.

There are some other twists later in the story, but nothing that feels vital to the story.

Overall, I did enjoy the book. I think if there had been a few characters eliminated, and some more character development on others, this story would have felt more satisfying overall.

Was this review helpful?

I've read other Finlay books that I have loved. I liked this one but didn't love it.

The premise was great. It just dragged on a little too long for me. There was more of a crime family aspect to the story than I had thought there would be. That isn't really my thing. I was very interested in what happened to Ali that fateful night and was somewhat surprised when it was revealed. I found myself confused often as there are so many characters and different timelines. Short chapters and the need to find out what happens kept me reading.

I just don't think this was the book for me with so much mobster type drama.

Thanks to netgalley and Minotaur Books for the arc.

Was this review helpful?

Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this book. That’s now two Finlay books in a row that didn’t do it for me. I’m thrilled that so many people love his work, but I may need to take some time apart.

I read this less than a month ago and already I forgot almost everything except my major gripes. There’s one trope used here that always grinds my gears.

Credit where credit is due: there was a really well-executed twist, and it’s VERY bingeable!

At the end of the day, it was largely unmemorable and just not my cup of tea.

Was this review helpful?

definitely not for me - i think it's high time i give up on trying to make alex finlay books work for me. they just do not have a writing style that appeals to me.

Was this review helpful?

I thought I was a love it or hate it person when it comes to Finlay, but this one fell in the middle for me! I found the multiple perspectives to slow down the pacing at first, but ultimately it came together for me.

Was this review helpful?

This is my first Alex Finlay book thanks to an advanced copy from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This mystery starts when a popular high school student, Allison, gets abducted. Five years later, Allison's high school boyfriend Ryan, is in Italy with a group from his Georgetown Law school. Ryan has changed his name not wanting anyone to know about the past that's been haunting him as he was a chief suspect in Allison's disappearance. Poppy McGee returns to her hometown as a deputy sheriff when Allison's car is found in a local lake with two unknown dead men strapped to the front seat. Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, we follow the ruthless head of a crime family and his story. Taking us from Kansas and Philly to the UK, Italy, and the south of France, Finlay leads us through a propulsive plot that weaves all these characters and stories together beautifully. Just released last week, this one is hard to put down, and a great read that I highly recommend. Vive le Francophile

Was this review helpful?

Alex Finlay does it again. I have loved every single book from him and this is no exception. I love the multiple POVs, the short chapters that keep you engaged and the way he writes. This is definitely thrilling and kept me on the edge of my seat. The way the story comes together is amazing!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC.

Devoured this book in one sitting ... fast paced ... lots of sneaky twists ... good character development ... Story line was believable ... could it happen? Probably not, but boy it was fun reading it.

Definitely recommend and plan to read more by Alex Finlay.

Was this review helpful?

This book definitely starts out as a series of seemingly unconnected events and people that finally weave together for about half of the book. It wasn’t a bad story it was just like um what? Once you even get how all the pieces fit it’s still like what? I suppose the moral of the story is be nice to people because things you do even at 14 years old can come back to bite you and some people will invest way too much time and effort into revenge that it will ultimately end in their demise. And sometimes innocent people get dragged down into a sea of nonsense for absolutely no reason. Basically that’s what happened... oh right and never underestimate an accountant.

Was this review helpful?

I have to admit to being confused throughout a lot of this book. There were timelines that I thought were happening now but weren't and there were so many characters involved. It did end very nicely and came together perfectly.

Was this review helpful?

Do you really know what’s going to happen? Do you really know who did what? Can you trust the system?

All of these questions have multiple answers in this small town with a corrupt law enforcement, survival instinct, lost love, and a thirst for vengeance.

The actions of middle schoolers rippled into a series of events, all becoming exponentially worse than the previous one. Do your actions really have that huge of an impact if your life? Yes, they either lead into a life of lies to survive or to your death, all depending on who you are working for and what your parent(s) are willing to do for so called “justice.”

Was this review helpful?

My favorite from this author. I was sucked in from the very beginning and couldn't wait to find out what happened at the end. So many twists and turns and fast paced. Highly recommend.

Was this review helpful?

I love a thriller in the summer and this was the perfect one to start with. The pacing and short chapters made this absolutely un-put-downable. After reading several books by the author I had a feeling I would really enjoy this one and I did.

The plot felt a little different than anything I’ve read which is always nice with a thriller.

I definitely enjoyed the first half more as we got to know the characters and learned the twists and turns. The second half was a little slower since we kind of knew what was going on but it was still very enjoyable.

Was this review helpful?

I really liked this one! I listened on a little 5 hour road trip and it kept me captivated and curious. It didn’t go where I expected, I found it pretty unique and interesting. I thought it was paced well too, I never felt bored or anything. This is my first book by this author, but I’d pick up another for sure.

Was this review helpful?

Finlay writes another fantastic thriller. Ryan and his girlfriend Ali experience a horrifying night; Ryan gets knocked in the head and Ali gets taken. 5 years later, Ryan still thinks about that night. They never found Ali, and they have no idea who took her. Ryan is studying law and is abroad in Italy when he receives a call, they found the car that Ali was in at the bottom of a lake. Inside, there are two dead bodies and a cryptic note: If something happens to me… The man that Ryan believes took Ali shows up in Italy. And then he vanishes. Ryan tries his best to find him. All the while, Deputy Sheriff McGee is trying her very best to figure out what happened to Ali.

I love Finlay books. They are twisty, they keep you guessing, they keep you on the edge of your seat, and they shock you. I was certainly shocked in this one when the puzzle finally fit together for me. You can tell that Finlay puts a lot of work into his books. The intricacies of the plot are very well thought out.

The chapters are told from different points of view/characters/locations. They are short, and filled with action. There is not a dull moment in this book. This is definitely one of Finlay’s best works.

Was this review helpful?