If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay, 336 pages. Minotaur Books (St. Martin’s Press), 2024. $26.
Language: R (99 swears, 28 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: ADULTS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
When Ryan and Alison were on the cusp of leaving for college, their last rendezvous on Lovers Lane was interrupted. Alison was never seen again, and Ryan, the suspected killer, left town and changed his name. Five years later, the case is reopened when Alison’s vehicle is found and The Monster, as Ryan has always thought of him, reappears.
The twists and turns of this story are seamless, unraveling in a natural way as readers get glimpses of the story from several points of view. Both protagonists and antagonists are relatable—I was definitely rooting for one of the antagonists by the end—and Finlay concludes all of their stories satisfactorily in the last pages. An all-around enjoyable crime fiction read.
Most of the characters are implied White, though Chantelle is Black and Ziggy is described as having “olive” skin. Also, it is heavily implied at one point that a couple of main characters are gay. The mature content rating is for alcohol use, including underage drinking; mentions of drugs, condoms, nudity, prostitution, and rape; sexual harassment; and innuendo. The violence rating is for bullying, assault, mentions of child abuse and torture, gun use, suicide, and murder.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

This was a great book! I was honestly hooked from the beginning. It was really cool to see the different POVs, however in the beginning it was a little hard for me to keep them all straight. The twist completely blindsighted me and I had no idea that the accountant was Alison’s dad. The only thing I guessed was Fincher being the dirty FBI agent. I was so sad that Michael sacrificed himself but he was right, it needed to end. I was also heartbroken about Chaz because he was finally free to a certain degree and then he got killed at his grandsons play. I wish there would have been a little more about Alison in the epilogue and of her and Ryan meeting up again. Great read though all in all!

If Something Happens to Me starts off with a horrible crime. A young couple on a Lover’s Lane. One is ripped out of the car and the other is driven off and disappears. A young life is ruined when, even though someone else is charged with the crime, he cannot shake being called a murderer. Five years later, the car reappears. It is learned that this abduction was not exactly a surprise. She knew she might be taken. She had left behind a clue in case she was.

This was a global adventure with people from small town Kansas, Georgetown Law, Philadelphia crime families, France, and Italy all working to solve the same mystery. What happened to Ali? Was Ryan involved? Are his memories really that or guilt driven nightmares? Poppy comes back from the military to serve in her town’s police force just in time to try to find out. You are never quite sure who to trust. That makes this a real page turner.

Meh this was average. Nothing special. It had some solid points but nothing to run home to mama about.

Laced with thrills and chills. Jaw-dropping twists. Non-stop suspense mixed judiciously with some drama. All of the above describes If Something Happens to Me to a T. With a perfectly plotted, interwoven storyline and characters that had me cheering them on from the sidelines, this epic game of cat-and-mouse was everything I love about Finlay’s novels and more. This time around, though, we got to ride shotgun as the villains and heroes battled it out on both sides of the Atlantic. Needless to say, I couldn’t put the book down.

While there was quite the long list of characters, the short chapters and intense scenes kept my eyes glued firmly to the pages. Told from multiple POVs and in three parts, there was more than one staggering revelation that completely rearranged everything that I thought I knew with a mind-blowing twist. Perfect for fans of Charlie Donlea or Harlan Coben, the cliffhanger scenes and fast-pace meant it was a rollercoaster ride of suspense. Not once did I have even a glimmer of what was really going on, which kept me happily addicted as I held on for dear life.

I do have to add a minor warning, however. This is one book where you’ll have to suspend all disbelief. At the same time, though, certain topics within the plot make it plausible, I guess. Having no experience with it myself, I just couldn’t say. But if you approach this novel with an open mind, the adrenaline-fueled storyline will mean a raucous good time.

All in all, Finlay clearly come out a winner yet again with psychological thriller number four. Already one of my auto-buy authors, the seemingly unconnected threads of this dynamite plot meant that he merely cemented his name firmly in place. Now I’m crossing my fingers and toes that this book ends up playing on a screen near me someday soon. After all, the palpable tension and edge-of-your-seat action are primed and ready. I have just one caveat, though. I strongly recommend going into this one blind. You’ll be all the better for it. Rating of 4.5 stars.

IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME BY @alexfinlayauthor ✉️🫧

Let me start by saying woah 🤯 this thing sucked me in! The dual point of view trying to catch the same person was a nice pace. It wasn’t too confusing and helped to build the story line.

I liked the female deputy who was able to help in her first case on her new unit 🔎

The pace was good and I liked the mystery aspect of it! However, after the twist I felt like the book just wrapped up and closed. I feel like it could have gone one or two more chapters more to really give the story a closure.

⭐️: 3.5/5
📚 Publish date: 5/28
📖 generes: thriller/ suspense

Thank you @netgalley for this book!
And thank you @minotaur_books and @alexfinlayauthor!

If Something Happens To Me by Alex Finlay

This story takes you on an adventure from Kansas to Italy to England and Paris. It is a dual timeline that eventually merges into the present and follows multiple characters throughout.

Alex Finlay is such a talented writer. He kept me engaged with the story every step of the way. If you like suspenseful mystery this is for you. I really enjoyed the characters and the entertaining plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy. If Something Happens to Me is the first book that I have read by Alex Finlay. It is told from three main perspectives. It was a quick paced thriller that will keep you guessing to the end. I love d the short chapters and it just made the book fly by. I do believe that the biggest shock of the book occurred between parts one and two. Overall Finlay was able to create a book that flowed well and kept me guessing.

Devoured this thriller in 1 day! Took me a bit to get all the characters straight, but ended up loving the short chapters, multiple settings, & many little twists. Wish the ending was a tad different but overall really enjoyed it. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy.

A highly entertaining thriller - a perfect movie material!

Thanks NetGalley and St Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books for the ARC!

Synopsis –

Ryan’s girlfriend Alison was taken from right under his nose. That night has been haunting him ever since along with the suspicion that surrounds him like a shadow. When on a summer trip to Italy, he learns that Ali’s car has been found submerged under a lake in their hometown and a note preserved in her bag, saying “If Something happen to me …”. Ryan has to find out the truth when he meets the man who has been in his nightmares all this time.

Review –

Finlay has a distinct trademark style of plot construction and creating characters whose lives intersect in unimaginable ways. This one’s no different and it delivers on every aspect we look for with thrillers.

The alternating narratives between the characters are deployed so cleverly that they will effortlessly misdirect us. I especially loved detective Poppy McGee’s thread and started rooting for her the moment I sensed her potential and realized she is the underdog. Poppy’s investigation starts the cat and mouse chase that will ultimately wreak havoc on the masterplan at play.

It's more of a thriller than a mystery for seasoned thriller readers who can sniff out the big twist early on. Although a few things were a bit too far-fetched, there were so many other elements that made this a winner – a gangster and his henchmen hunting their rivals, a heartwarming/innocent love story, a street smart detective and a creative interlinking of the lives of characters that would be quite impossible to guess.

With short pacy chapters that I love, the pages turn themselves & the tension builds to a crescendo. The ending was the anticipated, explosive high-octane drama that finally settles all our confusion and speculation. I’d love to see this as a Hollywood blockbuster!

Definitely worth a read for lovers of the genre!

This fast-paced modern thriller was just the palate cleanser I needed after a slew of heavy reads. From America's heartland in Leavenworth, Kansas to a flight of escapades across Europe, "If Something Happens to Me" kept me on the edge of my seat. While many of the characters were in their early 20s, they had a layer of maturity around them that many characters of that age these days lack. Not every new adult is a hot mess (I for one was not), and I appreciated that in the storyline. This was my first Alex Finlay book, and I can't wait to go back and read his previous novels.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book.

Five years ago, Ryan Richardson lived a nightmare. Violently attacked and dragged from his girlfriend's car, Ryan woke up to no car, no girlfriend and a lot of people who thought he had done something to her. Now he has changed his name and is a successful law student on a celebratory class trip to Italy when he hears that the car has been fished out of a local lake with two dead men inside. But still no trace of his girlfriend, Ali, dead or alive. The only clue is a note from Ali which has miraculously been kept dry. It has "If anything happens to me" on the front and a message in code inside.

But Ryan has caught sight of the mystery man he vaguely remembers from that night, a man that no one believed was real. But he has contacted Ryan and Ryan instantly recognizes him.

But who are those two men in the car? How did they get there? And where is Ali? Is she still alive? Did Ryan really see this man that night? And who else knows what happened?

Told from several different perspectives and locations, this is a little confusing at first, but it finally becomes clear what is going on and the ending is one I didn't see coming.

This is the second book I've read by Alex Finlay (The Night Shift was the first) and I continue to be impressed and entertained. If Something Happens to Me has a strong plot and great characters.
It's one of those books that will have you so engrossed in one set of characters' lives that you feel disrupted when the plot switches to other characters. But then you become equally emersed in the next set of characters. Basically your always so into what you're currently reading that you never want to switch plotlines, but find yourself happy every time it happens because that chapter grabs your attention too. The ending was perfection.

This book has mystery and suspense, but at its heart, it is a thriller-lovers thriller. I give it 5 big bloody stars!

Note, thriller lovers are used to death and gore in their books. If you're new to the genre, or get triggered easily, this might not be for you.

One night in high school, Ali disappears leaving no trace. The only witness, her boyfriend, who has very little memory of what actually happened. Five years later, after being pegged as a prime suspect in her murder, Ryan is in Europe when he receives word that Ali’s car has been found. What happened to Ali? Will Ryan get sucked back into a police investigation? Will the truth be uncovered? If Something Happens to Me is a twisty, sleight of hand novel with a strong cast of characters. The way Finley weaves this story, sharing pieces to the story in such a unique way, kept me guessing and invested. I read this book in one day, very rare for me to do. This book is THAT good!

3.5 stars:

I was expecting this to be full of high school or college aged characters based on the summary, but it was completely different from my original predictions. There are a lot of characters to keep track of and several also have nicknames to learn, so the beginning felt overwhelming as I tried to organize everyone and their relationships with each other in my head. Once the connecting thread was revealed, it became a totally different story than I was expecting. It was a short book that felt fast-paced and could definitely be finished in one sitting. If you’re new to thrillers, this would be a good book to start you off.

It was an interesting start of the book where I thought events were playing out simultaneously only to discover there were two different timelines....then it all made sense. 
    The author tried to show a soft, normal side to a mafia-like family: caring husband, worried parents, kind wife.  But when the bullies come after their offspring, the gloves are off and there is hell to pay.
    The bullying incident and its heartbreaking result is the impetus for carrying out revenge that will endure until all the participants have been dealt with. It took years, but one small photo on social media was all it took to kick it all back in after a long hiatus where everyone thought they were safe.
    It's a book full of family loyalty, expectations, life in the privileged world, friendship, anger and brutality.
    Full of twists and turns, you'll not want to put down

I don’t love organized crime so this really wasn’t for me. I like my thrillers to be a little less obvious who the bad guys are. There were a few good twists that got me but overall just not for me. It also felt a little convoluted and confusing at times. The timelines were swapping in and out and it was kind of hard to follow plus all the different POVs

This is my favorite Alex Finlay so far! It’s a quick read, very bingeable, with short chapters, and even though it’s not super twisty, it’s suspenseful and keeps you interested (like I literally couldn’t stop reading). I did guess the main twist, but I loved the crime family angle, the cipher angle, the time angle, and the ending. Overall, this was a fun, quick thriller, and I highly recommend!

TW: bullying, suicide

Many thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read before pub day! ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME is out on May 28th!

This book reminded me a little bit of a different book I read about a cold crime and a suspect hating the spotlight, only this one was done well, with characters I cared about and wanted to root for and mystery that was fascinating to follow. I don’ read many thrillers and mysteries and I am not great at guessing what’s coming but I enjoyed guessing this one. I figured out some things about two seconds before they were revealed and some others I was just surprised. There were a lot of characters to keep track of at first but I loved figuring out their connection.

I really enjoyed the story, the journey, the characters, the different locations, the guessing and the end.

I LOVED this one and could not put it down.
Fast paced, multiple POVs, and twists I did not see coming. I didn’t know how the multiple POVs were going to connect and when they did it was 👩‍🍳 💋.
The storyline kept me interested and engaged through out and the chapters were the perfect length.
You are definitely going to want to pick this thriller up!