Five years ago, Ryan and his girlfriend Alison were parked on the local Lovers' Lane. Ryan is rendered unconscious by a man who attacks them. When he awakens, Alison is gone. The car is gone and everyone in his hometown of Leavenworth, Kansas suspects the tall, popular high school basketball star of murder. Recent DNA evidence has tied a serial killer to the murder of Alison and Ryan is now a law student, hoping to help others. While on vacation in Italy, he learns that the car from that dreaded night has been found in a lake with two bodies inside. Also found is an envelope from Alison that reads: "If something happens to me…" and inside is a coded message. It also happens to be the first day on the job for Deputy Sheriff Poppy McGee, who is determined to figure out the mystery as she is not convinced the true killer has been identified. In Tuscany, Ryan believes he has spotted the man who attacked him the night Alison disappeared, and he goes in pursuit of him. One thing he's never forgotten about the man is that each hand was missing the pinky finger. In a seemingly unrelated incident, a Philadelphia mob boss experiences an unimaginable loss and now he's out for revenge.

There's a lot going on in Alex Finlay's new and exciting book If Something Happens to Me. Grab some popcorn and prepare to be entertained. This fast-paced thriller will keep you on your toes. With three storylines, locales and points of view, the action is kept at a high level. The characters are all intriguing and there are some top-notch surprises awaiting. Finlay has kept his spot on my must-read author list.

A solid 4 star read! This was a classic suspense novel full of cliff hangers that keeps you turning pages. The book has a lot of characters and I had a difficult time keeping them straight in the first 1/3 of the book. Once the book picked up at the 30% mark or so I couldn’t put it down! I had to know what was going to happen.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this Advance Readers Copy (ARC) to honestly review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was fast paced, and I got through it in less than a day. The author did a great job of keeping you guessing until the big reveal. I enjoyed the characters and the settings. I’ll definitely be reading more from this author.

This was my first Alex Finlay and certainly won’t be my last. What a wild, fun and thrilling ride. With multiple POVs and lots of twists, you can’t help but become ingrained in the story and find yourself wondering what’s going to happen next. I will say thrillers aren’t books I gravitate towards, but every so often I’ll pick up one and this reminded me why when I do I love them so much. It checked the boxes in all the right places a thriller should. Just when you think you have it all figured out, everything changes and you’re lead down another rabbit hole of trying to figure the story out. What I initially thought was a story about Ryan proving his innocence of harming his girlfriend, turned out to be so much more than that. Loved this book and I’ll definitely be checking out more from the author.

The first 3/4 of this book was very slow, but the last 1/4 definitely made up for it. It was a mob-crime family book filled with tons of suspense. It was a very fast read, large part due to the extremely short chapters, which I personally prefer.

Thank you Alex Finlay, NetGalley, and Minotaur Books for a copy in exchange for an honest review!

I rated 4.5 stars but rounded up for Goodreads and NetGalley.

Thank you so much to Minotaur Books & St Martin's Press for an advance copy of this book!

This book will be published on May 28th, 2024.

This is my third Alex book (still need to read his debut) and as much as I loved this last book, this one may have dethrone the prior. I was hooked from the start and with the fast paced short chapters, it really helped move the story along.

"Whoever said if you're seeking revenge dig two graves - one for your enemy and one for yourself.- had it almost right."

Similar to his last book, Finlay broke the book down into 3 point of views (Poppy, Ryan and Shane) which all eventually converge. As I was reading, I was trying to figure out how all were connected (of course I was wrong). I am not sure which storyline I enjoyed following the most as at different points I was tapping on my screen to hurry to get to the next chapter as often times they were left. There were a lot of side characters that were thrown at you and that sometimes made it hard to remember who was who and what role they played.

This book is such a suspenseful ride from start to the end. I think this book will be great for summer & readers will eat it up!

PS - I am always happy when Philadelphia is a setting in a book!

This book was very fast paced and kept my interest throughout. I did have some trouble with the many different POVs. There were a lot of characters to keep track of and I found myself getting confused at times. Overall I enjoyed this read.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc of this book. all opinions are my own.

I will post my full review once SMP address the insensitive comments of their employee.

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for allowing me to read an ARC copy of If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay.

Ryan and Alison (Ali) are about to graduate. They go to Lover's Lane to spend their last intimate time together before they begin their new lives at different colleges. Suddenly someone busts through the car and knocks Ryan out. When he comes to, the car and Ali are gone. 5 years later, Ryan is in Italy when a series of events unfold that brings everything to the present. Ali's car was found submerged in water with two unknown men, not Ali. And there is a cryptic note found with Ali's handwriting on the envelope titled, "If something happens to me...". What happened to Ali and where is she? Who are the men in the submerged vehicle? Why is Ryan seeing a man he believes took Ali in Italy?

I am a fan of Alex Finlay books! They're easy to read, fast-paced, action-packed, and overall great stories. Like his other books, this one is told in different POVs chapter by chapter. There are multiple settings in this story such as Italy, Kansas, and Pennsylvania. I never felt like there was a dull moment. Each chapter leaves some sort of next reveal and there were some good twists. I always felt like I could see Finlay's stories as movies or TV shows. Always a good time!

Thank you Netgalley & St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, for an eARC of If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay!

What a bingeable book! This one sucks you right in from the very first chapter - 5 years ago, Ryan & his love Ali were enjoying each other's company in her father's car when she was taken - Never to be seen again and presumed dead. A cloud of suspicion has always hung over Ryan, even though he was never charged. He's changed his name, and in another country is trying to enjoy his "new" life.

That is, until he gets a call that Ali's car has been found in a nearby lake in his hometown. Two dead mean are inside along with a note she left: If something happens to me...Then, Ryan sees "pinky man" from that night and he will stop at nothing to figure out what happened to Ali.

Finlay is a master of multiple POVs that are seemingly completely separate, but weave together in the most intricate and satisfying way. This book is so easy to binge not only because it's delicious, but the chapters are so short, about 5 pages each.

I really enjoyed this one and would love to see more of the police force that worked on this case in upcoming novels!

Alex Finlay never disappoints! This is the third novel I’ve read in the Finlayverse and it was such a page turner! If you’re looking for fast paced, edge of your seat, no boring filler moments, pick this one up! The story follows Poppy a new detective assigned to a case that hits too close to home. I loved the dual perspective, dual timeline and dual timezone? Everything came together fantastically in the end, 4⭐️

Thank you to Minotaur Books for an advanced readers copy of this title via NetGalley.

Twisty and fast paced and a great way to kick off my summer reading. The short chapters and multiple narrators make it an easily bingeable book. Some of the twists were kind of predictable but didn’t make it any less entertaining. This is probably my favorite Alex Finlay book and I would definitely recommend if you’re looking for a thriller to keep you on the edge of your seat.

This story is told through multiple points-of-view from narrators in Leavenworth, Kansas, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and a couple different countries in Europe. There is a young man trying to move forward with his life after being a suspect in his high school girlfriend's death, a new deputy sheriff who has returned to her hometown and thrown in the middle of a complicated investigation, and a gangster dealing with difficult situations in his "business" and in his personal life.

I'm purposely not giving many details so I don't accidentally spoil anything, but even though a few of the connections between characters seem random at first, be patient because everything comes together! The book has a well-balanced mixture of likable characters and others I didn't care for. My favorite character is Deputy Sheriff Poppy McGee and it would be great if she appeared in a future book leading a new investigation. I liked the action of the story, even when I had to suspend disbelief or wish some characters would have made different choices. There is a long, detailed epilogue to wrap things up, and I'm glad the author doesn't go the obvious route with everything at the end. There are some violent scenes, but I still recommend this book to readers looking for a fast-paced thriller.

I received an advance copy of this book at no cost from NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

Really enjoyed this!! Second book by the author and both have been better than average thrillers. I will say there were a lot of characters so I did get slightly confused but it did not take away from the suspense.

Will read more from this author

Thank you to net galley for advanced copy of this book

I tore through ALEX FINLAY’s latest thriller IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME. Buckle up, friends! This is an attention-grabbing, page-turning delight to read!

I’ve been a fan of ALEX FINLAY’s since his debut EVERY LAST FEAR, and this might be my second fave of his. It's totally on brand - a twisty plot, action-packed, multiple POVs & a swirl of mysteries culminating in a wholly satisfying ending.

Much like EVERY LAST FEAR this book blended action with the emotional stories of these characters. I really appreciate a human connection in my books and enjoyed how the past and present events were woven together.

A play-fair puzzle of story for sure and no, I didn’t see the thing coming. Well played!

THE SYNOPSIS 👇🏻

It’s been five years since Ryan Richardson’s life changed forever. Spending his last night before heading to college with his girlfriend Ali was perfect until the unthinkable happened. The car door rips open. Hands yank Ryan out. A swift blow to the head. And the last thing he remembers are Ali’s screams as she disappeared into the dark of night.

In the aftermath, suspicion surrounded Ryan, but no evidence + a good lawyer meant he never faced charges. Now Ryan has a new name & a new life as a law student. During a trip to Italy with his classmates he gets a call — Ali’s car was found. And inside it are the dead bodies of two men. But no sign of Ali. When a man from Ryan’s past surfaces in Italy, he sets on a quest for answers.

Back in Kansas, the newly appointed Sheriff’s Deputy, Poppy McGee, is working Ali’s case and learns she’s more connected to this mystery than she realized. And in Philadelphia, mobster Shane O’Leary, navigates his own family tragedy, seeking the justice that’s eluded him.

Huge thanks to Macmillan Audio + Minotaur Books + NetGalley for the ARC. I had the great fortune of doing a combo of the eARC and AudioARC. Helen Laser, John Pirhalla and Paul Dateh did an outstanding job on bringing these characters and this story to life.

IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME is a must-read summer thriller!

Wow did this have an interesting, grab you from the first chapter premise!
Ryan’s high school girlfriend, Ali, was pulled from the car they were in and never seen again. Ryan of course was very much a suspect. Several years later, Ryan is moving on. He is in law school and has escaped the constant suspicion. Ali’s car is found submerged in the local lake with two male bodies. Ali’s body isn’t in it.

Enter new local police officer Poppy. She is given many grunt tasks to investigate and ultimately makes more headway than anyone else.

I really enjoy Finaly’s writing style. The pages flew by. The chapters would often end on a cliffhanger which only made me want to get back to that person’s perspective. Poppy was my favorite character. She was smart and ethical enough to keep going when she started to face answers she didn’t like.
Very action packed with multiple POV.

What didn’t work for me was a huge part of the plot. Organized crime as any part of a story never interests me. Obviously many other people disagree with me. Mob stories are prevalent in TV,movies and books. While this didn’t work for me, it might make this story and absolute must buy/read for other readers. As expected, there is violence on the page. Anything with torture elements is a no-go for me.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Really enjoyed this murder mystery with a twist. Several surprises and overall a very satisfying story. I will be looking for more books by this author.

This is an absolutely bingeable mystery that kept me guessing the whole time. The quick chapters made it super easy to read on & off. Its split into three parts and the twist in part one really threw me, I did not see it coming…but I do wish there were slightly more to the story as I didn’t feel satisfied with the ending, I needed more info to feel it was wrapped up. But overall thought it was such a fun read that kept me guessing. Thank you Net Galley & Minotaur Books for the digital copy of this book in return for an honest review.

New summer thriller from Alex Finlay - If Something Happens to Me.

"A teenage girl disappears from Lover's Lane. Her boyfriend claims he was knocked out and doesn't remember what happened, except for the man with no pinkies. Now the car they were in has been found in a lake - except there are two men inside and no sign of the girl. And a note in an envelope addressed with - If something happens to me."

There are three storylines. As a reader, you are unsure of how the timelines fit together or what the connection between them is. But Finlay pulls back a piece at a time and you realize that's it's crime fiction disguised as a thriller. There are some reveals and surprises but you will recognize this plot. Finlay does add a couple of extra layers to a familiar plot. And the ending has a big wild expolsive moment and then another part that was a bit of a letdown. Finlay does make you care about a couple of the characters. It would nice to see them in future stories.

Fans of Alex Finlay and crime fiction should enjoy this

I really enjoyed this fast-paced thriller by Alex Finlay!

The novel starts with the MC Ryan, who lived through the trauma of his high school girlfriend Ali being kidnapped out of their vehicle five years ago. No body was found, but of course Ryan is the primary suspect. Ryan cannot recall most of the details surrounding the event, but he has retained an an image of the man who attacked them. Although Ryan was never charged due to lack of evidence, he changes his name and moves on with his life to help escape his past.

Fast forward five years and Ryan has graduated college and enrolled in law school. He is traveling Europe with several classmates when he receives a call that Ali's missing car has been found, though her body is not inside. Later during his trip, he also believes that he sees the man who attacked them. Even more shocking, the police find an envelope in Ali's submerged vehicle labeled “If something happens to me," spurring the unraveling of this mystery.

I loved seeing how all the players in this thriller come together at the end. Overall, this is a great mystery if you prefer:

*Dual timelines
*European setting
*Multiple POVs
*Mafia/organized crime

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this e-book to review!