I’d never read anything by this author but I really liked this book! The POVs coming together well, and the short chapters, constant questions, and suspense without dragging it out. I wasn’t shocked to my core but plenty of little twists that kept me interested!

An edge of your seat thrill ride!! I was hooked from the first chapter! So many twists and turns, I barely could keep my head straight...but in a good way!! It was an easy read with lots of tension building throughout, many characters and POVs but the author manages to bring it all together to a satisfying conclusion, the adrenaline definitely kicks in in several places throughout. You will def want to binge this one...

Another action-packed page-turner readers have come to expect from Findlay! Ryans life is upended when he becomes the main suspect in the disappearance of his girlfriend, Alison, years ago as a teenager. When a car surfaces in the nearby lake, it is assumed that the body inside is Alison’s. However, Alison’s body is not recovered but rather two other young men and a note in Alison’s handwriting saying if something happens to me….
At the same time the bodies are found, Ryan, is in Italy with his law class when he sees the man who has haunted him since the night Alison has gone missing..
How are the bodies tied to Alison’s disappearance and who is the man ryan keeps seeing? That is what a young detective, poppy, tries to find out as long as she can stay alive.

This is typical Findlay-a fast-paced, page turner that will pull the reader in from the first pages. The multiple view points and changes of setting and scenery are easy to follow and all coincide together in the 1/3. Findlay has never been one for deep characterization, but his protagonists are always likable and easy to root for. A fun beach read perfect for this time of year!

Thanks to the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay goes on sale May 28 2024 from St Martin's Press

I was engrossed in this book from the first chapter! We meet Ryan who’s young life was completely flipped upside down when he’s the first suspect in the disappearance of his girlfriend Ali. All he has is The Monster he sees when he thinks about that night and the fact he knows that she was the love of his life and he would never hurt her. 

This book has multiple story lines that are somehow tied together and as we get closer to understanding why, everything starts to unravel in a multi-country mystery chase, solving the puzzle of what really happened that rainy night.

Finlay's books have been hit or miss with me, but I believe this might be his best one yet.

I would like to thank St Martin's Press for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my review. My opinions are my own.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest thriller by a favorite, Alex Finlay, wonderfully narrated by the cast of Helen Laser, John Pirhalla, and Paul Dateh. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

In high school, Ryan and his girlfriend Ali were parked at the local lover's lane when the car door was ripped open and Ryan got a blow to the head. He was yanked from the car, hearing Ali's screams as she was taken. No trace of Ali or the car was found, and while Ryan was considered a suspect, he was never charged. But Ryan can't forget that night and has dreams of the man who took Ali. Five years later, Ryan has changed his name and is in law school, trying to put his past behind him. But then in Italy with classmates, Ryan gets a call from his father that Ali's car was found with two dead men inside and a note from Ali inside. When Ryan sees the man that has haunted his dreams, he begins a race to find him.

Another thriller that will keep you on your toes from Finlay! Told from multiple POVs - Ryan; Poppy, the detective on the case; and Shane O'Leary, a Philadelphia mobster. It was atmospheric, as Ryan chased his man, and I enjoyed Poppy's character immensely. You may have to suspend reality along the way, but isn't that why we read? This book was tense and gripping and had me glued to the pages to see how all these characters would intersect and the mystery would end. Bravo!

I’m always down for a good mystery thriller and I’ve read wonderful things about Alex Finlay. I went into this book blind mostly because I wanted to be surprised.

It has three POV’s , Ryan, whose girlfriend was kidnapped from his car one night. Poppy, a war veteran-that returns home to work as a deputy sherif on the case. Shane, the head of a crime organization.

I enjoyed the initial fast paced nature of this novel once it picked up, you were able to get into it rather quickly. I did think there were way too many point-of-views to keep up with. It made the plot more confusing and kind of convoluted. I mostly figured out the twist early on and the plot kind of lost me from there. I just wished there were more surprises. Overall , a fair read but not my cup of tea.

Thank you to Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review !

I got this as an ARC and meh. Maybe I just read this at the wrong time but I was so confused through the entire book. There’s a million different POV’s and timelines and it gets so muddled so quickly. I also don’t like thrillers or mysteries where it’s from a detectives POV which is what a big part of this was. Not to mention the “twists” were so predictable😤. Very painful read overall.

Alex Finlay books are always so fast paced and suspenseful and I love it! They are so easy to read and are like a great popcorn thriller with tons of action to keep you engaged the whole time. I appreciate that he reveals twists and turns throughout the whole book rather then just throwing them in at the end. Also the settings in this one are just *chefs kiss*.

With that said, my one complaint with this book was at times the timeline and different POVs was confusing and I was not sure how the author was going to weave them all together. I don't know why I had any doubt though, because Finlay always pulls it off in the end. This one is not my favorite of his books ( I gave it a 3.75 stars but rounded up on here), but I still recommend it especially if you like his other works as well.

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Looking for some much desired alone time, Ryan and Ali, a high school couple, find a quiet place to park in their hometown by Suncatcher Lake. The next thing Ryan knows, it's hours later, he's laying on the ground having been bludgeoned in the head and Ali is gone. He remembers being yanked out of the car at some point, and briefly seeing a strange man, but that's it.

In the aftermath of Ali's disappearance, everyone suspected Ryan. The ole' logic of, 'it's always the husband, or boyfriend', in full effect. The fact that there's no evidence against him, doesn't stop the world from speculating. Haunted by that night and the blow to his reputation, Ryan changed his last name and moved away for law school. Nevertheless, he hasn't truly been able to move on. Ali was the love of his life and it tortures him imagining what may have happened to her.

Five years later, in Italy on a trip with some law school classmates, Ryan gets an unexpected call from his father. Ali's car has just been found submerged in Suncatcher Lake. Once the car is recovered from the water, a grisly discovery is revealed. There are two dead men in the trunk, along with a cryptic note contained in an envelope that has five words written on it in Ali's handwriting:

'If something happens to me...'

Obviously, this reopens everything for Ryan. With that night fresh in his mind, the unthinkable happens. Ryan actually spots the man he remembers seeing that night. What is that man doing in Italy? Who the heck is he? Ryan is no longer a scared teen. He pursues the man. He needs answers and he's not stopping until he gets them.

If Something Happens to Me is a whirlwind ride. The drama takes place in multiple countries and follows a few different perspectives. Initially, it's jarring, but as the pieces start falling into place, the various connections are revealed. Even though this isn't my favorite Finlay novel, that distinction goes to [book:The Night Shift|57693427], there's no denying he knows how to deliver the action and page-turning intrigue.

This is a very action-oriented Thriller, most in line with Finlay's earlier work, Every Last Fear. The various perspectives each help to build out a different aspect of the underlying mystery and it always impresses me how much detail Finlay goes into. For me, Ryan's perspective was the most memorable, but I also enjoyed Poppy McGee, a young deputy from Ryan's hometown, brought onto the case after the car is found. As a side note, there were certain elements of this that reminded me of the series, Your Honor, featuring Bryan Cranston, but with an international twist.

Overall, this is fast-paced and twisty. I listened to the audio and enjoyed the narration. It felt compelling and I needed to keep reading until it was complete. Thank you so much to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. Alex Finlay is a force to be reckoned with in the Thriller space, and I'll continue picking up his work!

Alex Finlay knows how to write a thriller! His books are always so fast-paced with so many interwoven parts. It’s hard not to read these books in one sitting.

If Something Happens to Me was honestly such a rush. There was soooo much going on and it was fun trying to guess how all of the stories were going to connect. I definitely wasn’t expecting how everything ended up connecting and how one of the storylines ended up being in the past 😮

And why did I cry during the epilogue?! 🥲

It has been so long since I’ve read a thriller or any sort of action book, and this was the perfect way to get back into it! I loved this book and highly recommend picking it up! The multiple storylines, the twist that happens half-ish way through so you get to really experience the action instead of an adrenaline rush at the end, and the chase across Europe…. it was perfect! The pace that clues are revealed keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire book, which I could not put down. Only docking half a star because after the rest of the convoluted puzzle of the story I feel like it almost ended a little too easily? This book leans more towards action adventure than psychological thriller, and if it was made into a movie I would be first in line!

If you’re looking for a thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat yet not give you nightmares, this is a great option! It is intense but also there’s a reason for why everything happens, like people mostly did stuff to get them into the situation they’re in.

This was an entertaining thriller which some may call a police procedural (I have trouble telling the difference) with some touches of literary fiction. I have heard some criticize the book for having too many details about the characters that seemed (to them) to be irrelevant. For me, however, this worked. Sometimes I find with these kind of novels that they can be so plot driven, that the characters are neglected. I like delving into the characters, like this one does. I also like that the characters were well developed and not just the biggest ones. We learned a lot about Poppy, who the reader could not help but root for, as well as Ryan Richardson, who suffers the guilt of not doing enough to prevent his girlfriend from being taken while in high school.
I did not figure out the twist until the end but that is not my forte; if you are the person that is good at that, you might have been able to figure it out sooner. For me, it is more important how we get there anyway. There are things that I did figure out along the way because certain things needed to happen in order for the story to go forward.
We also get a good sense of place. Much of the story takes place in Leavenworth, Kansas and through the characters we get a good picture of the place. There is also Paris and England which were welcome settings.
I definitely plan to read more of Alex Finlay's work.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to enjoy this work in exchange for my honest review.

Some nights change the course of your life forever. For Ryan it was a rainy night on lovers lane with his girlfriend Ali. What was suppose to be a night they have waited years for turned into a nightmare. Ryan was struck in the head and pulled from the car and Ali was taken, never to be seen again.

This story is told from multiple points of view and as the reader we are trying to piece together how they fit together. The three main P.O.V.'s are: Ryan who has long been suspected of foul play in the disappearance of his girlfriend Ali who is now a law student, Poppy returning home from her time in the military as a deputy sheriff in Leavenworth, Kansas, & Shane O'Leary a mobster in Philly.

It has been five years and everyone has tried to move on. Ryan is now a law student and has changed his last name. He is away on a school trip in Europe when he the news breaks that the car Ali was abducted in has been found. Here is where the story really takes you on a twisted ride of what really happened to Ali. I would go into this blind and enjoy the ride. This is one of those addicting reads that you will want to finish in one sitting. I just had to know what happened next.

If you are looking for a fast paced mystery/thriller that will take you on a wild ride then buckle up this is the one for you. I loved how the title represented in the book as a cryptic note left by Ali. All the P.O.V's converge perfectly giving us a full picture of the past that led to the events in question. There was never a lull or a moment when it was safe to look away. There was a perfect amount of tension throughout making this an unputdownable fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review.

This was an enjoyable read, as the reveals came throughout the story and that kept me hooked.. However: the plot was a bit too over-the-top for me, I couldn't get into any of the characters, and the ending came off as rushed..

I found this to be a fast-paced thriller read with lots of plot threads that at first seemed unconnected but which came together near the end of the book.

It is a popcorn thriller and requires suspension of belief at times and the characters are not very well developed but the short chapters, fast pace and likeable main character made it a very engaging read. I couldn’t stop turning the pages and flew through this one. Readers looking for an action-packed, entertaining read will like this one!

Thanks to the publisher for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

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.