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

An absolute page turner!!! I love when an author keeps the story moving along. No added fluff! This is exactly that book. I read this book in 2 days because I couldn't put it down and needed to know what was going to happen next!

Poppy returns home to a small town in Kansas, after being discharged from the army. Now she's starting a new job with the sheriff's office. On her first day, a car is removed from a local lake that reopens a cold case from 5 years ago. Such a great story that takes you all over the U.S and Europe!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's press for the ARC!

4.5 -- "If Something Happens to Me" by Alex Finlay is a gripping thriller that skillfully intertwines multiple storylines, spanning across various locales and characters. With short, pacey chapters and adrenaline-fueled twists, Finlay keeps readers guessing until the very end. While navigating the diverse cast and expansive setting requires patience, the payoff is a satisfying 'aha' moment that ties everything together. This fast-paced novel is a must-read for fans of suspenseful storytelling.

Finlay is back, and better than ever! This book hooked me immediately from the prologue, and never let me go! I loved seeing how these vastly different lives and stories came together in an explosive finale. While I did guess one part of the story, it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book, and makes the top of my favorite Finlay story so far. I alternated between the audio and ebook, and both narration and physical reading were phenomenal and I blew through it in less than 24 hours.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan audio, and St. Martins Press for my ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Let me preface this by I am usually a romance reader but I throw in thrillers every so often. This one was hit and miss for me. I liked the premise of the story but it was hard to follow the multiple POVs sometimes. The ending was great though!

Solid 3.5/4 stars for me!

Five years ago in Leavenworth, Kansas, high school sweethearts Ryan Richardson and Alison Lane were on a date when he was yanked out of the car. He was left knocked out and she and her car disappeared. Suspicions ran high that Ryan was responsible, but there was no proof, but he was harassed enough that he changed his last name. Now Ryan is in law school at Georgetown and traveling with classmates in Italy, but he still thinks of Alison and the vague recollection he has of a man he saw that night, a man with missing fingers.

Now in Leavenworth on Poppy McGee's first day as the new Deputy Sheriff a car is found submerged in a lake. It is the car Alison was driving, but she's not in it. Two dead men are. Alison's purse is in the car and an envelope is found with the words "If something happens to me..." written on it.

Shane O'Leary, a mobster in Philadelphia has a son who is being bullied in school. His wife, Gina, is frantic. O'Leary turns to his accountant who has a daughter at the same school to fix the problem. And there are a few other characters along the way.

Once you start reading If Something Happens to Me it will be hard to put down. This is a smart, creative thriller full of tension, action, suspense, and unexpected twists. The pace is fast and relentless. Every different character, storyline and setting is interesting and compelling.

The beginning of each chapter helpfully informs you of the location and characters to help keep readers on track. While reading, you will question how all the storylines fit together, but it will soon become clear and along the way there will be a few surprises. The chapters are short and the pace is lightning fast.

The characters are all unique, interesting, fully-realized individuals and you will either care about what happens to them or be concerned how they fit into the plot. There may be some suspension of disbelief required, but it is easily done so you can find out what happens next. Most importantly, this was enjoyable and a pleasure to read.Thanks to Minotaur for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.







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