I really wanted to love this. I really did. And it's not that I disliked it, because it is a great concept. It just fell flat for me. The characters lacked personality and substance, the story felt unfinished, there were so many unrealistic aspects. I just think it could have been developed a bit more.

That is not to say I wouldn't recommend it. It is a quick read and it kept me entertained. If you do read it, just know it is a standard 3-star book, not a life changing one.

Alex Finlay always delivers thrilling, intricate books! Ryan Richardson was attacked in his car five years ago, in his Kansas hometown. He wakes up to his girlfriend Ali missing, as well as the car. Now, all these years later, the car shows up in the lake with two dead men in it, and a note in Ali’s handwriting. Ryan has changed his last name and is in Italy with friends from law school. Poppy is the new Sheriff’s Deputy charged with investigating, however her family members may be linked to the case. Also connected is a mobster in Philadelphia. The story is told from multiple POVs, the characters are cleverly written and intertwined and there are multiple twists. I read this in one day as it was impossible to put down until the pieces fit together. You won’t be disappointed!

⭐️: 3.5/5

Five years ago, Ryan Richardson’s life was forever changed when on a date, he was attacked and his girlfriend Ali was abducted, and he was the prime suspect. Now, on a law school trip to Italy, the impossible happens. First, he gets a call from his father telling him that Ali’s car was found in a local lake with two dead men inside, and second, he sees the man who attacked him that night. As Ryan races to figure out what happened to Ali, his story converges with a young sheriff’s deputy in Kansas working her first case and a Philadelphia mobster dealing with a personal tragedy.

One downfall to reading so many thrillers is that you start to see the commonly used big thriller “twists” or “reveals” from miles away. That happened to me in this one, and while normally it doesn’t bother me to much to be able to “call” the outcome of a thriller, it kind of made this one anticlimactic. Add in that the execution of the overall story fell a little flat to me, with the big climax feeling more like a small golf clap, and I didn’t find myself overly impressed with this thriller. I did enjoy the multiple POVs, which Finlay always does well, and the storyline that takes you all around the world. This is the third book by Finlay I’ve read, and while I found The Night Shift a great, unpredictable read, and What Have We Done thoroughly enjoyable, with a decent amount of twists, turns, and POVs that made it exciting, this one just wasn’t on the same tier. I still enjoyed the read, especially since it was a pretty short book, and I sometimes get a little manic when I’m reading a thriller that I’m pretty sure I’ve got completely figured out (at 25% through the book, this time), so the fact it was short reduced my anxiety-induced reading a lot. Not my favorite my Finlay, but still better than a lot of the other thriller books I’ve read recently.

Thank you to @netgalley and the publishers @stmartinspress and @minotaur_books for this free eARC for my honest review!!

Ryan and Ali are high school sweethearts and deeply in love as they are getting ready to say goodbye since they're both starting different universities in a few days they are going to have their first intimate moment in a lovers lane of sorts in Ali's father's car when suddenly Ali screams as Ryan is savagely pulled out of the car and hit over his head and he blacks out. When Ryan regains consciousness Ali and her car are gone and Ryan becomes the number one suspect in Ali's disappearance.

Five years later Ali's car is finally recovered with two bodies in the car but no Ali. Ryan will be approached by the man who took Ali while Ryan is on a law-study vacation in Italy and he wants to make a deal but before Ryan can answer the man disappears again so Ryan follows him and what he finds will turn his world upside down all over again and he will be more than determined to find out what happened to Ali this time but every step he takes finds him in great danger because there are many people involved in the disappearance of Ali and they will never, never let the truth come out!


This novel was exciting, brutal and so entertaining. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough needing to know what would happen next. Ryan was a special and determined character who had never recovered from losing Ali and his life was at a standstill for five years because he felt responsible for not being able to protect his precious girlfriend plus most people in his small town suspected him in Ali's disappearance and his life just stopped until his trip to Italy.

I loved the book for a few reasons, first the writing was so darn good and the storytelling was fantastic with a few different stories and characters with their own history that didn't include Ryan at the time but by the end of the book everything will come together in a few ways that were so unexpected and rewarding. The ending was also an unpredictable WoW! I wish all my thriller books could be as riveting as I found this novel to be and I'm definitely planning on reading more of this author's books!

I highly recommended this book to any reader who enjoys action packed thrillers and doesn't mind quite a bit of violence on the side!

I want to thank the publisher "St. Martin's Press" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given this stunner of a book a rating of 5 BRUTAL AND MYSTERIOUS 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!


Title: If Something Happens To Me
Author: Alex Finlay
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: May 28, 2024

Somehow, this is the first book I’ve read by Alex Finlay and now I’m prioritizing all the other ones I have on my shelf. This was such a fun thriller - it kept my attention the entire time and I was interested in the storyline the whole way through. This book releases next Tuesday, 5/28/24, and would be the perfect beach/pool read.

One night, as a teen, Ryan and Ali go to a secluded spot. While there, Ryan is pulled from the car by an unknown person, and Ali's scream is the last thing he heard. Five years later, the past has come back to haunt him! Great thriller with lots of twists and turns!

Exhilarating, fast paced story of revenge, friendship and second chances. Ryan is still processing what happened when Allison went missing. It's five years since that fateful night and finally there will be answers. We learn about mobsters, war veterans with close ties, a spunky young deputy sheriff...and how this all ties together. Great story telling.
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my opinion and thoughts.

If Something Happens to Me was a fast read with a big twist. My first Alex Finlay thriller was definitely a book to remember. Told for multiple points of view the story takes the reader on a journey to figure out what happened to Allison Lane.
Allison and Ryan were two young kids at one night when she gets kidnapped and Ryan ends up becoming the number one suspect five years later she’s missing and presumed dead and Ryan’s life has never been the same. It was a slower start trying to learn how each of these points of view Connected, but once part one was complete the big twist made me stay up late reading. A fast and easy read, but I wish there were a bit more emotion to me to the main characters. I will definitely be looking into Alex Finley backlist.

This is an exciting thriller about a missing girl, a small police department trying to make sense of the evidence, international intrigue and other mysteries.

I thought it was a great story with some interesting twists that change the way the reader views the story.

Well done!

Alex Finlay shows us that he is a master of the craft. This is a page turner extraordinaire. I read it in one sitting as it grabbed me and didn't let me go until the end. Highly recommend

This book went by so fast. It has short chapters which kept me on the edge of my seat, wanting to know more. I enjoyed the story and the multiple POVs, and the characters were fun and interesting. I have not read a book before that had the mob in it so that was fun! There were times when the plot felt incomplete or confused me because there was a lot going on, and there were conclusions being made that I don't think some characters should have known about. Overall, it was a fun read, but it did have some holes in the story.

Loved. Absolutely loved this book.

It was a bit at first to figure out all the story lines but then you figure it out and it all makes so much sense.

Really enjoy the authors writing. So easy to get lost in the books. Couldn't put this one down!

Thanks #netgalley for getting me out of my reading slump!

A big thanks to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy to read and review.

This mystery/thriller was just what I needed to spark my drive to read again after a few slow-paced books. This moved quickly and combined several character’s stories, weaving them together in a most interesting way.

I’ve always enjoyed this author’s work and I can’t wait for the next one!

This is my third Alex Finlay book, and unfortunately, it might be my last. I end up giving them all three stars, and I didn’t know why until I thought about it while reading this one and comparing it to the two others I read. I’ll explain more later, but first, let’s get into this story!

Five years ago, Ryan and Alison were two young lovers who were about to make the “lover” part official on a stormy night. They were in Alison’s car making out when suddenly, a man with no pinky fingers grabbed Ryan, and he passed out after being struck in the head. When he awoke, Alison was gone, and so was her car.

After five years of searching, there are no leads until, while searching for a victim of the Missouri River Killer, they dredge the water and find a car - Alison’s car. There are two dead men in it, and Alison’s purse, but her body wasn’t found. Ryan decides to try to find out what happened to her, and if it’s possible that she could be alive. He also wants to clear his name, as many people think he had something to do with her disappearance.

This is the crux of the story, but as I mentioned, I think I finally found out why I don’t care much for these books, despite good storylines and great writing. This book had zero flow, and it lost a lot of cohesiveness by bouncing from this plot to other stories in Philadelphia and France. In the end, I suppose it all came together, but it felt somewhat forced. I also didn’t care for any of the characters - there were too many for the reader to really get to know.

Like I said, maybe this will be my last of this author’s books, or maybe I’ll give him one more try; I’m not sure yet. The writing talent is definitely there, but so far, I don’t care for how these first-rate stories are executed. Three stars.

(Thank you to Minotaur Book, Alex Finlay and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on May 28, 2024.)

Binge worthy thriller. Dual storylines, multiple POVS & short chapters.

Engaging & entertaining, I was totally locked in and desperate to know the ending.
Will absolutely pick up more books by Alex Finlay after this one.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

Synopsis: This story takes us through parallel storylines: one of a mobster getting revenge and one of a high school girl who goes missing without a trace.
Pros and cons: This was one of my favorite mysteries I’ve read! The chapters were short, it read quick and twisty, and when the two storylines finally intersected I was honestly surprised!
The suspense tapered a bit at the end but overall if you are a mystery/thriller lover, read this when it’s released next week!
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy!

I always enjoy Alex Finlay’s books. This one was shorter than most at 7hrs but the narration was great and the time just flew. I did find it difficult in the first half to keep track of the different plots/timelines but once they all merged together, things really took off. I won’t say more because that would require a spoiler warning. I’d sum up the experience in two words: Definitely recommend!
Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the advance audio copy

Alex Finley has quickly become on of my favorite authors and this book is no exception. Is it my favorite? No but that shouldn't be a deterrent. He just has so many great works!

This book started off slow for me but really started to come together around the middle and I was much more in its thrall after!

After reading three of the author's books, he's become one of those "don't miss" writers who, I hope, keeps churning them out as fast as I can read them. This one really doesn't disappoint, although short chapters that flip from scenario to scenario faster than a ping-pong match don't make it all that easy to follow. It wasn't until close to the halfway point, in fact, when everything started to make sense and "come together" for me; after that, it was far more exciting and engrossing.

The story begins as a young man named Ryan Richardson is out in a remote area with his girlfriend, Alison; he's knocked unconscious and Ali goes missing. Although Ryan provided a loose description of the man who hit him, many locals, including the police, suspect Ryan of abducting, and probably murdering, Ali - but the lack of proof meant he was never charged. That doesn't stop the gossip mill from making his life miserable, though, so he takes off for parts unknown for a new start and with a new name.

On an overseas trip with law school classmates, Ryan sees the man he believes knocked him out and took Ali, who he suspects might still be alive. Meantime, back home in Leavenworth, Kansas, Ali's car (actually her father's) is found at the bottom of a local lake with her purse and two unidentified but clearly murdered men inside. Who are they, who did this to them and what is their connection to Ali's disappearance? That's a question newbie deputy sheriff Poppy McGee is charged with answering, and at the outset, it's clear as mud. Just as confusing is Ali's note that somehow escaped water ruin - one with a mystery message that echoes the book's title.

In the midst of all this action, throw in a dangerous mobster who has some kind of vendetta that's somehow related to people in the small town (that one really took a while to figure out). Once all the dots were connected -and there are quite a few of them - there was enough action to keep me on the edge of my seat right to the end. More than that I can't say without giving away too much, though, so I'll just say thanks to the author for yet another enjoyable book and the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

Finley appears to be a fan of multiple POVs and short chapters. We begin the novel by witnessing a young couple being abducted from their car. From there we are introduced to the POVs of mobsters, an accountant and my favorite, a young deputy named Poppy, thrust into the action on her first day.

There’s double cross, murder, and murder, and torture, and more murder and exotic locations like Italy, France Kansas and Philly.

His style makes for a fast paced, on your toes sort of suspense and it entertained me from the jump. The characters felt much more developed than those in “What Have We Done” and there’s a twist half way through that I could kick myself for not seeing sooner. Overall, I like the story, but as we approached the ending, I felt less could have been more. I recall having a similar feeling with the other book of Finley’s that I read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.