Wow wow wow!! I am so mad at myself that I didn't read this book sooner. The storyline was woven together so intricately and the pace of the storyline was perfect. I got hooked in so fast and didn't want to stop reading. The multiple storylines would be confusing but the author did a great job of tying all the characters together. I loved this book!! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ For me! A must read 👍👍

Thanks to @netgalley for an advance copy of Alex Finlay's newest thriller. High school girl goes missing in a small town 5 years ago and mystery ensues. Got exactly the kind of thrills and distraction I signed up for.

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

3.5 stars

Part one is a little slow because the author is trying to create all of the puzzle pieces before you can understand how they fit together. I wasn’t too impressed by it. There were too many storylines and characters that I couldn’t remember who was who and who worked for O’Leary. I think I liked Poppy but I didn’t care for Ryan or the ending. Overall this book has me feeling meh.

Can’t say I’d recommend but wouldn’t dissuade anyone from reading.

The minute I got my hands on this book, I had to start reading and then I couldn’t stop. No one writes a more fast-paced engaging thriller than Alex Finlay. If the story line was not enough to keep me engaged, the descriptions of Italy certainly did. Highly recommend this book to anyone looking for the perfect read-in-day book!

Thank you to Alex Finlay, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this and the writing style, and the story was compelling. I am very interested in reading this author’s future work and this was a very solid thriller. Would definitely recommend to others.

Eh. My biggest complaint here is that the detective character was hinted at being gay and it was revealed at the end of the book, but it wasn’t part of the story really and it felt written in as an afterthought. The story itself was fine, but a little overly dramatic. I should’ve saw the big twist coming, but somehow it didn’t click for me - I was surprised, but it was actually pretty predictable. Overall, it felt like a pretty forgettable novel.

This book was interesting and gripping from the beginning. I liked the way that Finlay wove multiple storylines together to make a heart-pounding narrative. I usually don’t love mob stories, but this one had enough going on outside of just the mob to keep me entertained. I think this is the return of Mr. Finlay to his earlier very twisty and character driven plots and I loved it!!

This book was a fun read; I had a hard time putting it down. Parts of the story and the characters' connections to each other felt a little unbelievable though. I really felt for Ryan and everything he went through - he deserves happiness! I'll definitely look for more entertainment from this author in the future.

I loved this book and I think this author is turning into an auto buy for me. I love his books so much! It was a fun, twisty small town book thriller that was easy to follow. The plot was great and the story was unique. I absolutely recommend this to everyone who loves thrillers!

Ugh I had such a hard time with this one!

I actually loved the overall plot and how it got right into it from page 1. I was hooked in the beginning and at about the half way point it became wayyyy too convoluted. There were so many POVs (without being labeled in the beginning of each chapter), so many interconnecting stories and my brain became mush! 🤯 It just became too hard to follow and I found myself losing interest.

This could have definitely been a “me” issue so take this review with that in mind! This is a book you will really need to focus and pay attention while reading.

Thank you so much @netgalley and @minotaur_books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

My first Alex Finlay book and it did not disappoint!

Initial Thoughts: Part One of the book made me feel like there was some very heavy fantasy world building in the beginning. There are so many POVs in the beginning that you kind of have to pause and be like Ok, let me be patient and read. Going back and forth gives your so much more in depth details in every POV that when everything clicks, it just makes senses and flows naturally. The short chapters also help the reader with the multi-POV and I appreciate that.

Parts Two and Three flow very quickly because of what happens next and it makes this book very fast-paced. I couldn't believe how fast I read once I got through part one, and I definitely enjoyed the way this book flowed and the story was told. The book was more of a suspense than a thriller for me. I was more interested in the "what happened?" then some of the in-between. The way it comes together at the end though - WOW. Beautiful ending.

Be aware, there are some trigger warnings for this including bullying and suicide and loss.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for this copy.

Alex Finlay’s newest release, If Something Happens To Me, was a fun ride. A solid mystery/thriller/suspense with multiple POVs, and many locations, including a variety of different countries, kept me turning the pages.

Although I didn’t love this one the way I did, Finlay’s, The Night Shift, published in 2022, I wanted to keep reading. There is something here for everyone – mobsters, missing persons, detectives (including a young female detective), and romance. As someone who reads many thrillers and mysteries, I did figure out some of the twists before they happened, but there were still some surprises to keep me turning the pages.

If you are looking for a quick, page-turning mystery/thriller to get lost in and pass the time, this may be the book for you. If Something Happens To Me is for fans of Alex Finlay’s previous books; lovers of detective novels, missing persons, mobsters, and multiple POVs. If you are someone who enjoys spending time working through mysteries taking place in multiple settings across the globe this could be a fun one for you. If Something Happens To Me, would also be a good place to start for those new to the thriller genre.

I recommend checking trigger warnings if you are a sensitive reader.

3.5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of Alex Finlay’s, If Something Happens To Me, in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this ARC of non stop drama, twists and suspense!

This book had it all including romance and many different counties and places which was a bit crazy a first but once you got the hang of it, really interesting.

TRIGGER WARNING: does mention suicide. I don’t think that’s a spoiler just good to know going into it.

Overall this book took me a bit to get me hooked, but once it did, I read it in a day it was so good!!

3.5 Stars

My first Alex Finlay book and I will look for others as I enjoyed the book. It kept me reading to find out what was going on. I will admit to not being a fan of stories with Mobsters so that part and all that Mobsters do didn't get me excited. It took me a bit to get everyone straightened out with the different characters and locations but I enjoyed reading the book with all the twists most of them I didn't see coming so that was good.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for letting me have an ARC of the ebook.

ɴᴇᴛɢᴀʟʟᴇʏ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ || IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME [thank you to @minotaur_books, @netgalley, & @macmillan.audio for my #gifted copies!]

Title: If Something Happens to Me
Author: Alex Finlay
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Star Rating: ★★★☆☆
Format: Audio
Narration: ★★★★☆

ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ:
For the past five years, Ryan Richardson has been haunted by the night his girlfriend Ali vanished. Despite no evidence tying him to her disappearance, public suspicion lingers. Now, living under a new name and attending law school, Ryan believes he’s moved on—until Ali’s car is discovered in a lake with two dead men and a note in her handwriting: "If something happens to me..."

On a summer trip to Italy, Ryan spots the man who’s haunted his nightmares. From Tuscany to Paris, Ryan chases the truth, unaware that a young Kansas sheriff's deputy and a grieving Philadelphia mobster may hold the key to solving the mystery.


ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
This was a fast-paced thriller that definnitely held my attention! I wasn’t the biggest fan of Finlay’s last book (WHAT HAVE WE DONE) but loved THE NIGHT SHIFT, so I’m glad that I gave him another shot with this one!

I love thrillers with multiple POVs, and therefore multiple interpretations of events and you never really know which character knows which information at what time! Which, as a reader, is kind of fun if you know more than they do!

Would recommend the audio if you’re looking for a full-cast narration that will hold your attention!

ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Multiple POVs
Short Chapters
Cat-And-Mouse
Blurry Timelines

ᴅᴇᴛᴀɪʟꜱ:
GR: 3.78 ⭐️
# of Pages: 7 hours 16 minutes
Pub Date: May 28, 2024

𝗜𝗙 𝗦𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗦 𝗧𝗢 𝗠𝗘 by Alex Finlay had been sitting on my Kindle for far too long. Somehow it just never felt like the right time to read it. I think I worried that it would be another over-the-top thriller, but I’m happy to say I was mostly wrong. ⁣
⁣
The story involves a long-missing car found in a lake with two bodies inside, a young man haunted by the strange disappearance / kidnapping of his girlfriend five years earlier, that young woman, a female rookie cop, a mobster, and more. Okay, okay! That does sound over-the-top, but somehow it didn’t read that way. Told from multiple interesting perspectives this story flowed in a way that felt possible even as parts were a bit of a stretch. ⁣
⁣
For me this book came at just the right time. I needed something lighter and this was exactly that. I couldn’t put it down and no one could be more surprised about that than me. If you’re looking for a wild ride in between heavier books, you should give 𝘐𝘧 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘏𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘦 a try. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
⁣
* Thanks to @minotaur_books for an electronic copy of this book.

(Rounded up from 4.5 stars)

Wow, this book had so many twists, it kept me on the edge of my seat! I couldn’t put it down because I just had to know what happened. It’s a very fast-paced and unique writing style, with multiple POVs in multiple locations. There’s globetrotting, cover ups and different identities - all the makings of an excellent thriller! Personally, I would have liked to see a bit of a different ending, but that didn’t in any way take away from the rest of the book. Highly recommend this one to all thriller lovers!

This book started off well. I was intrigued at the beginning but by the time I got to the middle of the book I was a bit bored. It just seemed a bit slow. The book does have a good amount of action in it and a nice twist but it was just okay. I wasn't blown away by this story. Overall an average read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the E-ARC.

All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

Teenage soulmates are being separated by their college acceptance letters but their love runs deep for one another they decide to make it work until the night Ali and their future was ripped right out of Ryan's grasp leaving him in the middle of lovers lane knocked out and all alone with Ali and her father's car never to be seen again.

Fast forward to many years later Ryan is still plagued by the events of that night but past secrets are about to surface and be pulled straight from the lake. Including a note addressed to no one in particular but titled If Something Happens To Me. What could it all mean? Ryan and newly hired investigator Poppys point of views intertwine as they uncover the mysterious events of what actually happened to Ali that night.

If your looking for a read in one sitting, unable to sit down, fast paced, action packed read, this book is the one for you.

Finlay delivers in the character development, the mysterious descriptives, an amazing Paris setting, twisty revelations. And is just a master at keeping you guessing until the very end.

I defenitly recommend for anyone who is seeking a thrilling good time

(Thank you to @alexfinlayauthor @minotaur_books and @netgalley for the advanced copy to read and review)

This twisty thriller grabbed me from the first page!! Ryan Richardson and Alison Lane are parked in a quiet area close to Suncatcher lake for some time together.

The next thing that Ryan remembers is the passenger door being ripped open, hearing Ali’s piercing scream and being struck on the head as he is pulled from the car!! Later he will come to remember only one thing about the attacker — you will find out what that is.

Ryan is never found guilty of Ali’s disappearance but he is nevertheless hounded by podcasters and the press. He changes his name and enters law school to start a new life.

Poppy McGee is a young deputy sheriff in Ryan’s hometown, recently discharged from the army. Before she has a lot of time on the job, a submerged vehicle is pulled from Suncatcher lake. There are two men inside and a cryptic note!

It is 5 years since Ali’s abduction and Ryan is on a school trip to Italy. He gets the news about the vehicle that was pulled from the lake and a cryptic note “If Something Happens To Me” written in Ali’s handwriting!

There is yet another POV in this novel, that is Anthony O’Leary who has started in a new academy. His father is Shane and is the leader of a mob family.

OMG, there is so much going on in this book. The short chapters kept my interest and I thought this was a wild and entertaining ride.