3.5⭐️

Big thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books & Macmillan Audio for the ARC & ALC copies of this new thriller, out 5/28!!!

This was actually my first book of Finlay's, though I do have a couple of his others on my TBR list!
I really enjoyed how this one started with a suspenseful opening and really kept us guessing on what was going on. I thought that it did get a little slower towards the middle, and I started to piece together what was going on, but the story still worked out well.

I definitely think a different ending would have suited this better, but it definitely did not take away from my enjoyment of the book overall.

My downside with this one is that there were quite a few characters, and at times I felt myself a little confused on who was where and doing what. However, I will say that MacMillan Audio did a great job distinguishing between the characters, and that really helped alot!

I will definitely pick up another of Finlay's books, as I thought this was an enjoyable thriller.

In a market flooded with “thrillers”, Alex Finlay’s latest is the cream that has risen to the top. This book was absolutely unputdownable (yep, its a word). Short chapters, compelling characters and a couple of really smart twists definitely made this book one of my favourite thrillers of 2024.

If you have enjoyed this author’s previous works, this one won’t only be for you, it may just be your new favourite of his. The writing is just as propulsive as his earlier books, and brings along a ominous vibe. Each of our main characters have multiple layers to their pasts, which are fleshed out as the story is told from different points of view. When they eventually come together, it’s just *chef’s kiss* - the perfect reveal.

With this book, Alex Finlay has become an auto-buy author for me. I’ll read anything he puts out.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

My thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books/St. Martins Publishing for the ARC of 'If Something Happens To Me" in exchange for an honest review.
As a thriller fan, there's nothing I love more than a multi-faceted story that unfolds using seemingly multiple disparate places and people. The kind of book that grips you immediately as you wonder out loud, "wait a sec......what do this these people and this place have anything to do with the other characters and locations?"
The fun, of course, comes from the author drawing you deeper into the mysteries and surprising you with the skill of gradually putting all the puzzle pieces together......not to mention knocking your socks off with some huge twists.
Alex Finlay does a truly masterful job of that here. In Leavenworth, Kansas, a feisty new deputy Sheriff tries to make sense of a once cold case turned hot - the disappearance of a young girl and her boyfriend's suspicious claim that they were pulled out of their car by an unseen abductor with some missing fingers. Ryan, the disbelieved and reviled boyfriend, is now a law student vacationing in Italy when he's contacted by.......possibly the abductor himself.
Somehow, all of these threads lead back to Philadelphia, home of the much feared O'Leary family, an organized crime dynasty infamous for their murderous retribution against whoever they think wronged them. And this scary bunch is feeling seriously wronged.
This book more than delivered everything I hope for when I start a new thriller........a book that makes you put everything you're doing on hold so you can zip through the pages to see what happens, figure how everything fits together, and then makes you raise your eyebrows in surprise as the twists and reveals start to pile up
"If Something Happens To Me" checked all those boxes for me, which explains the 5 stars I'm giving it. Move this one up to the top of any TBR thriller list.

I quite enjoyed this book a lot! It had a lot of elements I love to see in thrillers and the characters were very easy to follow along with the story.

In this, we follow Ryan, Boy Scout, basketball hero, senior in his small town Kansas on a date with the love of his life. Until he’s hit on the head and when he awakes his girlfriend AND her car is missing and of course he’s the main suspect.
Fast forward 5 yrs, Poppy, the newest addition to the sheriffs department, is assigned the missing case when civilians dredging the lake come across the missing car but NOT the missing girl.
Alex Finlay is officially an autobuy author for me! This is the 4th novel In a row that I’ve enjoyed. The way his stories seem so grandiose but end up tightly woven and intricately plotted, is like a work of art.

🚗Mini Review🚗
*
Summary: For the past five years, Ryan Richardson has relived that terrible night. The car door ripping open. The crushing blow to the head. The hands yanking him from the vehicle. His girlfriend Ali’s piercing scream as she is taken.

With no trace of Ali or the car, a cloud of suspicion hangs over Ryan. But with no proof and a good lawyer, he’s never charged, though that doesn’t matter to the podcasters and internet trolls. Now, Ryan has changed his last name, and entered law school. He’s put his past behind him.

Until, on a summer trip abroad to Italy with his law-school classmates, Ryan gets a call from his father: Ali’s car has finally been found, submerged in a lake in his hometown. Inside are two dead men and a cryptic note with five words written on the envelope in Ali’s handwriting: If something happens to me…

Then, halfway around the world, the unthinkable happens: Ryan sees the man who has haunted his dreams since that night.

As Ryan races from the rolling hills of Tuscany, to a rural village in the UK, to the glittering streets of Paris in search of the truth, he has no idea that his salvation may lie with a young sheriff’s deputy in Kansas working her first case, and a mobster in Philadelphia who’s experienced tragedy of his own.
*
Rating- ⭐️⭐️
*
My thoughts: this one was quite disappointing thank you @macmillanusa and @netgalley for the advanced copy but this was not for me. There were way too many characters and contradicting plot lines. It felt like two different books shoved into one. I almost DNFed but I normally love this author, this was just not it for me.. I couldn’t get into the characters on this one at all. I just really didn’t like this one at all 😂 the twist was fun and that’s what earned it the stars but this was a totally meh and weird read.
*
QOTD- do you enjoy audio books? I had this one as audio and it was a full cast which was super fun to listen to! Unfortunately that was about all the fun I had 😂
*
#ifsomethinghappenstome #alexfinlay #bookreview #bookstagram #booksofig #booksofinstagram #bookworm #booklover #bookobsessed #bookaddict #bookaesthetic #readersgonnaread #readmorebooks
🚗Mini Review🚗

I really enjoyed this one! I loved the twist of why and the mafia ties behind it all. Finlay did a great job keeping me on my toes for the entirety and the connections between all the characters was very well written.

Alex Finlay always knows how to draw me in! Fast-paced, exciting, If Something Happens to Me is the book of the summer!

Right out of the gate this action-packed thriller starts strong and never has a dull moment! You have to suspend belief a bit, but just do it because you’ll fun with the international cat-and-mouse game, a small town sheriff on the cusp of solving a 5-year-old mystery, and revenge-filled mob bosses. Finlay does a great job of weaving multiple point-of-view’s, timelines, and settings together at an intense pace that will keep you flying through this one in no time, and hoping it becomes a movie!⁠
Four stars instead of five only because I completely predicted the ending, however it’s such a fun read that I definitely recommend it for your summer reading list!

Another winner from Alex Finlay - with twists and turns I never saw coming, this book takes multiple timelines and blends them together seamlessly and kept me turning the pages from start to finish.

IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME - Alex Finlay

4.5⭐

PLOT
5yrs ago Ryan Richardson's girlfriend was taken from their car after he was hot on head and the suspicion lies on Ryan but no proof and a good lawyer he was not charged. Now he is enrolled in law school and put his past behind . while on a summer trip he gets a call telling Ali's car has been found with a cryptic note If something happens to me and Ryan sees the man who has haunted his dreams since that night.
Now Ryan races all over Europe in search of truth along with a young deputy Sheriff from Kansas working her 1st case.

MY THOUGHTS -
Alex Finlay's thrillers are always binge worthy and this was just that with multiple pics and timelines I ended up finishing it very quickly.
It's more mystery and at one point you will figure out what happened but still it didn't deter me from reading and the action in the end was totally worth it.

If Something Happens to Me is my second book read by Alex Finlay and my second chance to enjoy this author. Often, when I am on the fence about a popular author, I give them two books to wow me before I put them on the Do Not Read list. This is one of those instances where it worked in my favor. I enjoyed the book If Something Happens to Me, reading it in one go. The characters were interesting, and I enjoyed the multiple POV style. I did guess many plot points before they were revealed, but it didn't detract from my overall enjoyment. I give this book 4/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review If Something Happens to Me. All opinions are my own.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Alex Finlay for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for If Something Happens to Me coming out May 28, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I love Alex Finlay’s books, so I was really excited to receive this book. I enjoyed the different locations. One setting is close by, so that was cool to see some local places. The Italy setting was also fun. I loved the short chapters and it felt like the story was moving along quickly. I really wanted to love this book. Unfortunately, I wasn’t feeling really connected to the characters. I thought it would be more of a thriller with twists and turns. I liked it, but I wasn’t really surprised by the storyline. I didn’t care for the ending. I’ll definitely read other books by this author though.

Ryan has relived that awful night from his teen years many times including the blow to his head and Ali’s scream as she is taken. All fingers pointed to Ryan at the time, but with no evidence he walked free. He’s tried to keep that night in his past, even changing his name and carrying on with his life including being a law student.

A summer trip abroad with his law school friends brings the past to light when his father calls saying Ali’s car was recovered from the lake in his hometown. The remains of two people were inside, but neither of them is Ali. A note sealed in a baggie has survived the years underwater with the words “If something happens to me…”.

As if by chance when Ryan is in Europe, he spots the man he believes is responsible for the events of that evening including Ali’s disappearance. Ryan races to try to track down the truth of that night.

This novel by Alex Findlay did not disappoint. The story being told by many characters whose lives cross paths, only adds to the overall quality.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. #NetGalley #IfSomethingHappenstoMe

The title of this book certainly made me want to read it, and I devoured it! If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay is written with different POVs and several settings. I won’t repeat the summary because I want to tell you that this book had some jaw dropping moments as well as head shaking moments. The mob, sheriff, young sweethearts, and FBI are all involved in the fast moving twists! I did write down the initial characters so I could refer back to them, but only needed to do that at the beginning.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this e-ARC. I am willingly giving my unbiased opinion.

#St. Martin’s Press, #Alex Finlay

A heavily disguised, “I didn’t see that coming” moment in the middle of the book that rolled easily into an excellent last half and ending. The book is told from different views that the author blends into a well written book with surprise after surprise. Easy to read with a story that keeps moving,

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions are my own.

If Something Happens To Me is an action-packed suspense novel, an edge-of-your-seat page turner! The twists kept coming, one after one, and each one had me in a chokehold!

Ryan Richardson and his girlfriend Alison Lane were at Lover's Lane when they were attacked. By the end of the attack, Alison and her car were nowhere to be found. After being taunted and feeling an immense amount of guilt, Ryan decides to uproot his life in Kanas and move to Italy.

Five years later, Alison's car is found in Suncatcher Lake. When the car is pulled up, two men are found in the front seat, however there is no trace of Alison. Aside from the car itself, the only connection to Alison is her purse, and the note found inside it. The envelope reads "If something happens to me", and when Deputy Poppy McGee opens it, she is surprised to find the note is written in code. It is up to her to crack the code and find out what really happened to Alison Lane.

Talk about suspense! This book was so good! There are several characters, which can get confusing especially when you make it mid-way, but by the end they all play their part. They all add to the plot twists, many that we do not see coming! The pacing is fast, yet even throughout, and the characters and overall story were well developed. Alex Finlay nailed it with this mystery thriller! 4.5 stars!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Alex Finlay for this read!

If you ever need a fast-paced thriller, Alex Finlay should be the first author you think of. I've read all four of his books and flew through all of them! He has a way of making you feel instantly connected to his characters, and even some of the characters who aren't so great have redeeming qualities.

This book had everything I loved about AF's first three novels, and the twists and OMG moments didn't stop coming until the very end. True to form, we get several POVs in this book and quick chapters that often end on cliff-hangers, making you immediately want to go on to the next one. This book gave us a bit of what his first book, Every Last Fear, did- travel. This book takes place in the US and Europe, and I loved the back and forth while trying to figure out how the stories would come together. I love the moment when it all the POVs and stories line up, and this one did NOT disappoint. When I say I audibly gasped, I'm not kidding...

This book is a must read for this summer! It's absolutely addictive and will be the perfect book to throw in your beach bag! Make sure you pre-order this one today!

*Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Me? Forget to read the synopsis before requesting? Yeah sounds about right.

But this book is so much more than the quick synopsis. It's a mafia thriller, a cold case mystery, all mixed up with a lot of gore. I feel like the book really hit its stride between the 20 and 60% mark. We were flipping between Italy and the US, following 3 distinct threads. But of course, things must converge and I thought it was super well done. The downside was that everything after the merge was kinda meh and predictable, but I'm giving it 4 stars for how *excited* I was about the threads coming together. Plus I always enjoy the little easter eggs to his previous books. (Here's looking at you, Ken)

Hope you love this book as much as Poppy loves Chipotle.

Alison Lane was taken five years ago and there has been no trace of her since. Everyone blames her boyfriend Ryan who was with her that night. But he tells a story of a man who kidnapped Alison and knocked out Ryan. Nobody believes Ryan until two dead men are found in Alison’s car at the bottom of the lake. Along with a note written by Alison with the words “if something happens to me”.

Meanwhile Ryan gets a suspicious letter while in Italy and finds the man who took Ali that night. As he’s chasing down answers he discovers the mystery goes deeper than he could’ve ever imagined..

The book was a bit predictable at some places, but I finished this in less than 24 hours and was thoroughly entertained! I enjoyed that the books had different povs and three different places that all tie together in the end.

It had short and fast paced chapters that made it easy to binge read! If you’re looking for a quick and engaging thriller I recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review!