I liked the idea of this book. However, I was often confused what character and what timeline I was experiencing. It was a unique plot line when the truth came out, but then I wasn’t wholly on board with it. It was almost too extreme. The book works as far as a crime drama, but it lacked thrill for me.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin’s Press, and author Alex Finlay for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The current popularity of true crime podcasts has caught the attention of thriller writers. Many of these writers now structure their books with a true crime podcast hook. Introduce readers to a bizarre, sensational crime early, then turn the characters loose to get to the bottom of things. As with true crime podcasts in general, the quality of these thrillers varies. However, Alex Finlay has nailed the formula in his gripping novel, “If Something Happens to Me.” (A podcaster even briefly appears in the story and discovers a crucial piece of evidence.) Finlay effortlessly juggles points of view among a half dozen or more characters with action stretching over four countries on two continents. The result is a terrific mystery and thrill ride for genre fans.

“If Something Happens to Me” starts with a bang in a prologue five years before the book’s primary action. Two teenagers are doing what teenagers often do late at night at the local Lovers’ Lane in Leavenworth, KS. Their encounter is interrupted when someone pulls Ryan Richardson from his girlfriend’s car and clunks him over the head. When he wakes up the following day, the car and his girlfriend Alison Lane have vanished without a trace. Ryan becomes the police’s prime suspect in Alison’s disappearance until DNA evidence implicates a subsequently captured serial killer dubbed MRK (Missouri River Killer). To avoid further notoriety, Ryan changes his last name, attends Georgetown Law School, and later goes on a class break trip with some of his schoolmates to Italy. However, his vacation is interrupted when he receives a mysterious note saying, “I need to see you… I know who you are.” Soon after, he sees a man he is convinced was the assailant who dragged him from Alison’s car five years earlier.

Back in Leavenworth, the authorities have closed Alison’s case, blaming MRK for her abduction and presumed murder. That presumption is upended when an enterprising podcaster discovers her car at the bottom of nearby Suncatcher Lake. Alison’s body isn’t inside, but two dead men are sitting in the front seats. Newly hired deputy sheriff Poppy McGee, who was two years behind Alison and Ryan in high school, assumes control of the case. She later learns one of the dead men in Alison’s car is an unsavory mob character from Philadelphia. When further analysis reveals the hair found at MRK’s location earlier was planted, the case again becomes a national sensation.

Most of “If Something Happens to Me” details Ryan and Poppy’s twin investigations, separated by the Atlantic Ocean. Ryan traces his presumed assailant to rural England, where he makes a shocking discovery. Meanwhile, Poppy learns the official records in Alison’s case are highly meager for that notorious a case. Despite her youth, Poppy has a knack for detective work; her now-retired father was one of the original investigators on the case. She epitomizes a crime fiction staple: the unconventional but surprisingly adept cop. (I can imagine a young Holly Hunter as Poppy.) Meanwhile, Ryan is another archetype, the well-meaning amateur who repeatedly bulls his way into and out of trouble. The book has some good action and suspense sequences, most of which involve Ryan.

Despite these action scenes, “If Something Happens to Me” is primarily a mystery and a good one. Ryan and Poppy spend much of the book trying to figure out what happened to Alison and who killed the men in the car (as well as a few other corpses that show up later in the story). A major plot twist halfway through the story will upend many readers’ assumptions (I didn’t see this one coming), and a later, third-act twist I did predict. There’s even an old-fashioned coded message left by Alison the night she disappeared (with the words “if something happens to me” on the envelope). When the authorities find the still-intact message in a watertight compact in Alison’s purse in the submerged car, it provides Ryan with an essential clue for his investigation. (Unfortunately, any would-be Sherlock Holmes reading the book won’t be able to decipher the code on their own.)

All thrillers rely on coincidences, but “If Something Happens to Me” has more than its share that don’t pass muster even on a first reading. The book also has some attempted cash payoffs toward the end that play out like something out of a mediocre TV cop show. But the story as a whole holds up well. That’s largely because of the author’s skillful switching of locales and points of view from one brief chapter to the next. He helps the audience by adding a geographic tagline (“Leavenworth, Kansas”) at the start of any chapter in which the story’s location changes. Although the book has over a dozen significant characters, I rarely had difficulty following those involved in the story at any time. Poppy and Ryan make terrific, unlikely protagonists, but even the book’s villains are given some understandable motivations for their actions.

“If Something Happens to Me” is the first Alex Finlay novel I’ve read. I was very impressed with the storyline, the characterizations, and the skillful way he handled plot developments and twists. The author has written several other thrillers, and I hope nothing happens to me before I can read them.

NOTE: The publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book through NetGalley. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of this review are entirely my own.

This book is restoring my energy and enthusiasm for thrillers and all of what’s to come out in 2024!
 
It’s twisty, it’s well-paced, we have some mystery elements and whole lot of moments where you’ll be gasping out loud. The right amount of red herrings to throw you off, moments that will leave you guessing and trying to grapple with what in the world is going on.
 
We have three primary narrators: Ryan, formerly accused of his girlfriend’s murder but on a law school trip abroad. Poppy, a young war vet who returns home to Leavenworth, Kansas, to work as the deputy sheriff, and Shane, the head of a major crime syndicate in Philly.
 
You may be thinking, how in the world do these people all interconnect? And it’s best you go in blind and hang on for a fun freaking ride.
 
My only gripe is the ending – I keep it spoiler free up in here so I will not divulge too much into my thoughts but I did feel somewhat uncomfortable with how it ended? One particular part felt abrupt and I have thoughts. If you’ve read this, DM me your thoughts on the ending so we can talk!
 
Here’s the synopsis: For the past five years, Ryan Richardson has relived that terrible night where his girlfriend, Ali, was taken as he was brutally attacked.
 
With no trace of Ali or the car, a cloud of suspicion hangs over Ryan. But with no proof and a good lawyer, he’s never charged. Now, Ryan has changed his last name, and entered law school. He's put his past behind him.
 
Until, on a summer trip abroad to Italy with his law-school classmates, Ryan gets a call from his father: Ali's car has finally been found, 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…
 
Halfway around the world, the unthinkable happens: Ryan sees the man who has haunted his dreams since that night. And as Ryan tries to piece together what he can, the unthinkable happens.

This is a well written story. The plot is interesting and intricate. The story is told from multiple characters points of view. The timeline is in the past and also seamlessly the present. The characterization is also awesome. Readers will eagerly turn the pages as they try to solve the mystery.

For five years, Ryan Richardson has been tormented by a terrifying memory: the violent night when his girlfriend, Ali, was snatched from their car. Despite no evidence linking him to her disappearance, suspicion follows Ryan. Now, as a law student with a new identity, he's moved on.

But when Ali's car is discovered in a lake with a cryptic note, Ryan's world is upended. On a trip to Italy, he sees the man from his nightmares. Racing across continents, Ryan seeks answers, unaware that help may come from unexpected places—a rookie deputy in Kansas and a mobster in Philadelphia.

Check out this gripping novel to see what happens!

Having enjoyed Finlay’s first two novels, I jumped at the chance to read his latest offering. But like Finlay’s third novel, I found If Something Happens to Me a bit disappointing.

Similar to Finlay’s third novel, What Have We Done, I found If Something Happens to Me too gimmicky. I mean an assassin in the last novel, and now an Irish Mob boss seeking deathly revenge for an accidental suicide. Really?

The novel started with a cliffhanger. But as the story unfolded, it became a tedious read with confusing timelines. And I didn’t quite catch on to the multiple aliases of a couple of the characters until close to the end. So unlike Finlay’s style where the multiple storylines converge at the end for a surprising conclusion, If Something Happens to Me didn’t have any surprises and the conclusion was lukewarm at best.

Hopefully, Finlay’s next novel will be as good as his first two novels. But his latest, If Something Happens to Me, just didn’t cut the mustard. Two okay stars.

I was invited to read a DRC from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. This review is completely my own and reflects my honest thoughts and opinions.

I thoroughly enjoyed If Something Happens to Me. It took me awhile to get into the story, to figure out who the characters were, but eventually everything came together. Once I figured out what was happening, I also figured out how it would end. It was a fun, quick read with a lot of twists and turns. I also loved all the mafia talk!

3.5 stars for me. Definitely recommend.

Thanks, NetGalley for this ARC!

If Something Happens to Me is an easy read to binge, with an intense plot and short chapters. There are three storylines and a lot of characters, which made me feel overwhelmed at first, but it ended up being easy to keep track of everything.

Unfortunately, it was almost too easy to keep track of everything. I had the mystery figured out in the first half and not much surprised me in the second half. Though what did surprise me was I found myself sympathizing with some of the “bad guys.” A couple of them were layered, and not all bad; and considering what one of their families went through, I understood their motivation (though I don’t condone their actions.) And even though the story was predictable, I still ended up enjoying it.

If you enjoy action-packed thrillers that entertain more than they surprise, you may enjoy this one.

3.5 out of 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you, NetGalley for an early copy. All opinions are my own.

If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay was my latest read. Thank you to the publisher, Minotaur Books, the author and NetGalley for my ARC.

This story focuses on an incident that happened to Ryan when he was younger. Ryan was abruptly taken from the car that he and his girlfriend, Ali, were in and she and her car have never been located. Ryan finds himself a suspect in her disappearance and the internet and media believe he did it. However, Ryan gets a good lawyer, changes his name. and is never convicted of any crime.

One day, Ryan gets a call from his father. Ali’s car has been found submerged in a lake that was previously searched. There are two men suspiciously in her car along with the note, “If Something Happens to Me” written by Ali.

The reader then goes on a whirlwind journey to discover the truth about what happened to Ali and more about her past.

What I liked about this book:

-The chapters are quick.
-There are many cliffhangers to keep the reader guessing.
-The ending surprised me.

The title of this book is the first clue that the reader should prepare for a thrilling ride. Beginning with alternating stories in various locations, the author keeps his readers guessing as to where he is heading. Then suddenly the pieces start falling into place to tie the stories and characters to each other. I can easily visualize this book being turned into a movie or series that I would be eager to watch. Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press/Minotaur and the author for an advance copy to read and review.

Ryan Richardson cannot forget the night his high school sweetheart, Ali, was taken five years ago. He was knocked unconscious while Ali vanished without a trace. The aftermath turned his world upside down, as he was under mass public scrutiny. Forced to change his name, he moved away from the public eye to become a lawyer. However, five years after Ali’s disappearance, his past comes back to life when Ali’s car is found with two dead bodies in it and a note inside that says “If something happens to me.” It is now a race to the clock to find out what happened to Ali, who did it, and why.

I enjoyed the premise of the book a lot, and was excited to give this author a try. I did like the first part of the novel, and was pleasantly surprised by the twist. It was. thankfully, a very quick read. However, I felt like the next parts dragged on quite a bit with what felt like little gain. I love it when a thriller has me on the edge of my seat the entire time with many twists and turns, but in this case, I found myself being less invested because I knew what had and will happen. I also was not really into the action scenes.

Additionally, the characters felt a bit on the shallow side - they just didn’t have a whole lot of depth or complexity/nuance to them. I felt a bit let down, especially with all the hype this book has received. Personally, I just don’t think this book or the author are really for me.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

This was an entertaining read. It was fast paced, keeping me engaged the entire time. The different viewpoints kept it interesting, and all of them ended up connecting in the end which I love. My biggest complaint is that there were so many characters it got confusing at times and took away from development on the main characters. The ending was also bland in comparison to the rest of the book in my opinion. I would have liked it more if the author stuck to the main characters for the points of view and was more detailed with their personalities and backgrounds. Overall though I still really enjoyed this read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If Something Happens to Me
By: Alex Finlay
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press Minotaur Books
Pub Date: 5/28/24
Another phenomenal thriller from Alex Finlay.
Ryan Richard’s still struggles with the events from 5 years ago. His girlfriend Ali was ripped out of his car at lovers lane. Everyone in their small town believes he killed her. Ryan’s family hires a good lawyer and he was never charged. The torment he went on through, with everyone believing he’s a murder. He ends up changing his name. He’s now studying to be a lawyer.
When a YouTuber locates Ali’s car in Suncather lake with two unidentified men in the front seat and a note that needs a cipher to decode, Poopy, a local sheriff deputy, begins to dig into the case. What she finds is a hornets nest that involves a lot of people including her dad and brother. Will she figure it out?
Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press Minotaur books and Alex Finlay for the ARC of this book.

Thank you so much to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Full disclosure I do not enjoy plots involving organized crime so I am probably not the best audience for this.

That being said, I still feel that this book could have been much better. It was trying to do way too much from the very beginning. Too many static characters with ridiculous motivations. Too many coincidences where the stars had to randomly align so the plot could happen.

I did like the surprise time jump. I felt that it was well written and a fun and unexpected way to weave the story together, but it unfortunately was not enough to save this book for me.

Wow..! This book had me on the edge all the time from beginning to end. It’ really kept me wondering what’s going to happen next, great thirller!

I've been binging thrillers recently. I just love the anticipation. This book. This book burned me not once. Not twice. But THRICE.

This is my first Alex Finlay book so maybe seasoned fans would know better but I've never seen such a unique writing style. I couldn't figure out how the stories were connected at first. It took a while. And then everything fell into place and I locked my phone, stared at my husband, and said "what just happened?".

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance copy, I thoroughly enjoyed the whiplash.

Five years ago, Ryan and his girlfriend Ali were attacked. Ali disappeared and most people thought Ryan was responsible. Now in present day, he is in Italy for a college trip when he sees the mysterious man who attacked him. Meanwhile, back in Kansas, deputy sheriff Poppy starts to investigate when Ali’s car is found in a lake with two dead men in it.

Pros: this book was super easy to read and fast paced. I also really liked Poppy’s character.

Cons: I don’t love books where the solution heavily ties into organized crime. It just isn’t an interesting plot line for me. I also thought the big “twist” was really obvious and not surprising. For a thriller, I was hoping for more suspense and/or a bigger unexpected twist.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was hooked as soon as I started reading this. Lover’s Lane in the rain… finally going to bring their relationship to the next level then a scream and she is gone. Definitely grab this book on May 28 and find out for yourself what happened to Ali. Full of twists and turns this book will keep you guessing and turning pages.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fast paced thriller with short chapters that made for a very hard read to put down. I enjoyed all of the different POV's and would recommend you dive into this blind for maximum enjoyment. It keeps you on the edge of your seat with a wonderful twist.

This is my first time reading anything from this author, and I LOVED this book. This was a dark and gritty crime thriller that I devoured. I like that it was fast paced and that the short chapters ended in a way that made you want to keep reading on to the next chapter, and so on. This is what I would consider a "bingeable" read. The action, multiple settings, and multiple povs were also some things I loved while reading this. I thought the plot was interesting and clever how it all comes together. Overall, this was an action-packed, enjoyable read and I would definitely read more from this author in the future!