This was a 3.5 read that focuses on bullying and a case of a murdered girl in Kansas. The story has three different lines going with a surprisingly clever intersection. The chapters are short and somewhat choppy which detracted from the suspense buildup. Some strong characters with small parts that I'd like to see again in a series.

Copy provided by the publisher and Netgalley

This is a fast paced thriller told through multiple POVs and locations. I found the twists in this to be very predictable. I had the big twist figured out very early on which made the rest drag on. I do usually love short, fast paced chapters in thrillers, but the characters in this seemed to lack any depth and jumbled together at times. For some reason Poppy I always understood, her POV was very clear. Overall, I was underwhelmed by this but I seem to be an outlier- this one just was not for me!

my very first alex finlay book, thank you Macmillian Audio for the advanced copy!

man oh man, if something happens to me was a WILD ride from start to finish. the short chapters made for a fast paced reading experience! the tension had me on the edge of my seat between the unfortunate bullying and mob torture to abductions and murders throughout a five year timespan. I loved how this took place in Italy and France but also in a small town in Kansas.

having multiple POV’s added a unique perspective to the book. I LOVED being in the mind of poppy mcgee. there were a BUNCH of characters but the cliffhanger chapter ends & smooth transitions, merging the varying storylines, made for an easy reading experience.

it wasn’t necessarily a mystery because the story was straightforward and was easy to see where it was going. this was more of an action packed thriller, and it almost felt like I was watching a movie. I guessed some of the twists and sketchy situations that came to light but it didn’t take too much away from the story.

3.5 stars! #MacAudio2024

This book was spine-chilling and kept me captivated until the very end. If you're looking for an edge-of-your-seat thriller, this is a great option for your next book!

I was lucky to receive an early copy of this book from NetGalley, and I was so happy to read it! Another book by the author that hooked me immediately! It reads so fast because you need to know what will happen, and you will be constantly trying to figure out what is going on! I don’t want to say too much and give anything away, but if you are a fan of the author you will definitely want to pick this one up! If you haven’t read Alex Finlay’s work before then go ahead and start with this one. You won’t be disappointed!

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me….. at first, I thought this one would be good, it has short chapters, which is something I love about thrillers. However, the first handful of chapters are introducing new characters. So you’re barely getting any chance to grasp onto a character before a new one is being introduced. There ended up being too many characters overall and I was not invested in the plot at all. A girl went missing. That’s all, too much time was spent introducing the plethora of characters instead of building the backstory to engage the reader.

Reading this is equal to riding a thrilling roller coaster. If you need a book that will hook you from the start this is the read for you. The plot is not mind blowing but how it unravels is so satisfying. I like going into thrillers knowing nothing so I won't give plot details. Read a summary if you need to but honestly just pick up the book and start it asap.

First of all many thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for providing me with the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

This is my second book by Alex Finlay and I have to say that the addiction that his stories produce in you is not something you find every day.
I consider that this book is best approached blindly, so here is what I think you should know.
A kidnapped young woman of whom no one found a trace until five years later when her car was found at the bottom of a lake.
This book begins from four different perspectives and in different places (An ex-military officer on her first day of work as a police officer, a law student on a school trip, a mafia boss worried about his son, and an accountant and his daughter grieving afterward of losing his wife) none of these stories seem to be related but after an addictive plot, short chapters and unexpected twists in just 48 hours I finished this book without a single loose end.
If Something Happens to Me is a book that you won't be able to put down from beginning to end.

This wasn’t for me. The writing is good, the pacing was quick, and it was an easy read. In fact, I didn’t have to expend a single brain cell to follow along because everything was laid out explicitly and repeated at least twice. Everything fell into place around 50% of the way through the book, which left a LOT of book to get through to get to the end. That was also the exact point where it became less mystery/thriller and more Jason Statham/Liam Neeson action movie. Which frankly, this book would make a decent one. But that wasn’t what i expected so I didn’t get what I was looking for and so, not for me.

Thank you to the publisher for an early copy for review.

I am really sad to report that I DNF'd this book. at 60% I didn't get off to a good start for me. My early notes say "the start of the story feels very off and scattered, I can't quite figure out what's going on and how these pieces fit together. I feel like I am coming through half-way through a story." Looking at other early review it looks like this is a me problem. I just felt like coming into the story I was on like chapter 15 of a book instead of chapter 1. There were a lot of different people and moving parts which is something I typically enjoy but in this story didn't feel cohesive. I really, really loved this authors release right before this one so I feel quite disappointed. Usually in reviews I am able to pinpoint if I am the problem or if it's an off book by the author, in this case I am really not sure.

Although this was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and it didn't work out for me, I still think it's worth you giving it a try.

*I give my DNF's 3 stars unless there is something problematic with the book, to be fair to the author.

“If Something Happens to Me” by Alex Finaly is a twisting turning ride of a story that you don’t want to put down. This book grips you from the first page and keeps you guessing all the way through.
Allison and Ryan are childhood sweethearts, until one night changed everything. Now Ryan is on a trip abroad for his class. While on the trip is past comes back to haunt him and he learns something new. Peggy is a new law enforcement agent. She is instructed to look into the disappearance of someone. As she does this new things come into the light.
Highly recommend this book. So many twists that you don’t see coming.

When you pick up an Alex Finlay novel, you can count on being thoroughly entertained and ‘If Something Happens to Me’ is no exception to that! This book may not offer up a lot of surprises and you may guess some things before they happen, but that doesn’t necessarily matter, because the story will hold your interest from beginning to end. This is a quick, easy to read thriller told from multiple perspectives and from various locations, but still is easy to follow. A recommended read!

This was brilliant. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I loved the different settings across the world and the way they all came together. Thank you for allowing me to read this early.

While I’m not a huge thriller reader, this is my third book by Alex Finlay and I’ve loved them all. If Something Happens To Me is the story of Alison Lane and Ryan Richardson, but it’s so much more. The Prologue sets the scene: Alison is abducted from a car in an isolated “lovers lane” area, and Ryan has no memory of what happened. Suspicion falls on him but he’s never charged and he winds up changing his name to avoid the notoriety. Her disappearance haunts him. What happened to Alison and why did someone take her? Is she still alive?

In answering these questions, Finlay takes us to a number of locations: Leavenworth, Kansas; Italy, England, France, and Philadelphia. There are a lot of characters to keep track of too. There’s Poppy, a new deputy sheriff in Leavenworth; Anthony O’Leary, a young teen in Philadelphia, who is mercilessly bullied (his dad is a mobster so ….), Ryan’s fellow law students, on a trip around Italy, and so on. I loved the multi-faceted view of a lot of these characters: for example, while you know Anthony’s dad is a mobster, you do get to see a softer side of him along the way.

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient, and allowed me to continue with the story even when I could not sit down and read - or when I could not listen. The audiobook has three distinct narrators who all do a wonderful job: Helen Laser, John Pirhalla, and Paul Dateh.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book and to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Read this if you like:
•multiple POVs
•whodunit
•mystery

The audio was SO well done, thank you Macmillan audio. The incredibly short chapters kept you going because right when you wanted to know what happens next, the chapter would end and it would be a different POV

This is a fast-paced, smart, creative thriller that was difficult to put down. The story centers around the disappearance of Alison Lane. Told from several characters points of views and locations, their stories combine into a story that has many twist and turns. Easy to follow with short chapters that are labeled with location so you can keep characters and storylines straight as you build to the finale. While some parts may be hard to believe it does not distract from the story. This is an enjoyable, edge-of-your-seat,entertaining read and I will definitely recommend to others.
Thanks to NetGalley and st. Martin’s Press for this ARC.

I enjoyed this one a lot. I know that a lot of people will figure out the biggest twist before it is revealed, but that didn't bother me. I still enjoyed the ride getting there. Finlay's writing kept me interested the whole time.

Also, be aware that almost half of the book happens after that event is revealed. I know this can put off some readers and some people felt that the book slowed down at this point. I didn't find the pacing slowed; I just thought the focus shifted a bit. I continued to enjoy the story and looked forward to seeing where it would go.

Overall, I found this to be an entertaining and engaging read. This is only my second book by Finlay and I look forward to reading more of his work.

3.5⭐️

I loved the different POVs and the different narrators in the audiobook version. The first part was somewhat of a slow burn and kind of confusing until the stories all come together. I loved Poppy but didn’t love any of the other characters. I’m not a big fan of mafia stories but if that’s what you’re into, I think you’ll really like this one!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a great mystery/thriller read. There was an engaging plot with a lot of action and great twists. Each of the characters were interesting. The book takes place in several different settings and I found myself immersed in each. Wanting to know how the stories of different characters tied together I read this very quickly. Alex Finlay is becoming a favorite thriller writer for me.

Alex Finlay does it again. If Something Happens to Me is a suspenseful read that keeps you guessing and coming back for more! I finished it in 2 days because I had to know what happened. The book centers around Alison Lane going missing and there are many different characters and story lines that all come together eventually. Great read, I will definitely recommend to friends!
Thanks to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the ARC