I was hooked in the first part of the book but I just didn’t enjoy the 2nd part as much. I did like how it all came together at the end.

My first read by this author and I enjoyed it. Mobsters, a missing girl, a tarnished once beloved basketball star, a newbie Sheriff Deputy, and a monstrous man with missing pinky fingers. How are they all connected and what exactly happened to Allison Lane?

Told in multiple POV's and spanning approximately 5 years with multiple locations across the US and Europe, you might think it'd be hard to keep track of all that was going on. However, the author does a great job of weaving an intricate story, giving each character a voice, and making you wonder how it all connects until the pieces slowly start to slot together. Great pacing along with cliffhanger style chapters kept me turning the pages and seeking answers. While I enjoyed the crew of characters I kind of wished a few characters would have had a bit more of the limelight, especially Sheriff Deputy Poppy McGee. Overall, it was a good read with red herrings, action, and suspense! Enjoyed and will certainly read more by this author.

Half hometown crime story half international adventure, this book follows a small-town deputy as she jumps into a cold case file as new evidence comes to light as well as the story of the former suspect in the case as he studies abroad thousands of miles away from his past.

I absolutely loved this one! Right from the beginning I couldn't put it down. The multiple locations kept the book moving quickly, the characters were interesting, the backstory was good, I just really loved it. There was one twist in particular that I absolutely did not see coming and actually went back to make sure I understood it correctly. The different pieces and settings just came together so perfectly. I'm a big fan of this author and I loved Night Shift, but this one is my new favorite from him!

Ryan is on a summer trip abroad in Italy with his law school class when he sees the man who has haunted him the past five years. The man who took his then girlfriend, Ali, who has not been found since, putting Ryan in the hot seat. This encounter puts Ryan on an international hunt to find out what really happened the night Ali was taken.

Alex Finlay just knows how to write amazing thrillers. While his debut novel will always be my favorite this is a super close second. The different storylines had me guessing so hard as to how they related then, BAM! Such an exciting, can’t put down read.

This was the binge I needed after being in a slump! I loved this book and couldn’t put it down. I had to know what would happen next!

There are many characters in this book but it follows closely to characters Ryan and Ali. It goes back and between characters as well as a past timeline. It was fun to try and connect the dots as you read. Ali gets kidnapped but people are to believe she is dead and it looks like her boyfriend Ryan is the killer. With not enough evidence to convict him and evidence leading Alis “ murder”to a known serial killer, Ryan moves on with his life and changes his name and location. 5 years later when the case is being looked at again secrets unravel about that night she disappeared and the ride begins!!!


It’s so good I highly recommend!

QUICK TAKE: I liked a lot about IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME, but not gonna lie, I’m really struggling to remember what actually happened. The vibes were good!! It’s not quite as good as Finlay’s NIGHT SHIFT (an excellent serial killer thriller), but it’s waaaaaay better than last year’s WHAT HAVE WE DONE. Dude can’t title a book to save his life, but we’ll save that complaint for another day. If you’re looking for a quick slumpbuster, this is probably a good go-to: the book is told from the POV of 3 characters, primarily centered around a young man who escapes to Italy in the wake of being implicated in the disappearance of his girlfriend, only to be discovered and tracked by the men who tried to frame him. There are a couple VERY solid twists, and the ending comes together in a satisfying way. But yeah, this one is not super memorable.

I have enjoyed Alex Finlay’s books in the past so I was excited to read If Something Happens to Me. Wow, it did not disappoint, so many twists and turns I didn’t expect. I think that’s the best part of a good suspense/thriller is all the unexpected twists. I really enjoy when I’m reading a book and think I’ve got the story figured out and bam….plot twist. If you’re looking for a good suspense story look no further!
Ryan had a plan for his life but one painful night changed everything for himself and his girlfriend. Ryan is accused of harming his girlfriend and without a body everyone is left wondering. Years later when investigators pull Ali’s car out of the lake little clues will lead them on a chase for the truth. Ali isn’t in the car but two men are, and a message from Ali is found, and all it says is….If Something Happens to Me…Nothing would ever be the same, so many questions left unanswered, and an unsolved crime solved after years.

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martins Press, and Minotaur Books for the ARC!
If Something Happens to Me is a really solid and fun thriller with multiple layers, POV’s, and plot twists. The 3.5 (rounding up to 4) rating is a me-thing. I am not into police procedural / mobster stories and this one leaned pretty heavy into both of those themes making me lose some interest. I am also attempting to come out of a reading slump which probably didn’t help my rating 😅 It’s still a very fast-paced and wild ride that I think most readers will enjoy! Also, the short chapters were everything 🙌🏻

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
I found Alex Finlay ‘s Every Last Fear to have too many contrivances and was ultimately disappointed in it. However this book although reliant on many conveniences and coincidences was much better and was a propulsive read and had some real suspense. There are three strands of the story, two of which have an obvious connection. As to the third strand,the reader waits until the middle of the book to find out the connection. The characters’ gullibility did bring down the ending somewhat. Overall an enjoyable read and I would read this author again

💥 Pub Date: 5/28/2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

• part thriller, part police procedural
• fun twists & turns
• quick chapters

I love how the reader gets transported to different parts of the world - truly feels like escaping. Definitely a bingeable read. This is my first audio from the Macmillan Audio program and the narration was very captivating!

🗣 Thank you to netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read and review this book via both gifted eARC and audiobook! All opinions are honest and my own.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for the ARC of If Something Happens to Me.

4 stars

Five years ago Ryan's girlfriend Ali went missing. Suspected of foul play and cleared, Ryan has started a new life but things take a turn on a trip to Italy the past comes back.

Home from the military, Kit is now working at the Sheriff's department. Her first week on the job she is thrust back into the disappearance of Ali when her car is found in a local lake by true crime podcasters.

This is a fast paced read that will keep you on your toes.

Thanks to NetGalley, St Martins Press, and Minotaur Books for this copy of "If Something Happens to Me."

This was a thrilling page-turning book and I had to keep reading "just one more chapter" to find out what happened next.

Ryan and Alison were in her father's car right before graduation from high school when he was attacked, thrown from the car, and Alison and the car vanished.

But 5 years later, the car is found in a lake with 2 bodies in the front seats. And a note from Alison is found in the car, so is there any chance that she might still be alive somewhere?

It’s been five years since Ryan Richardson’s girlfriend, Alison, disappeared after he was knocked out while they were both sitting in her car. His only vague memory is that of the face of a man who he thinks abducted Ali. Ryan has gotten his life back together and is a law student on holiday in Italy when he encounters the very man he saw that terrible evening. Around the same time, Alison’s car is found at the bottom of a lake with two dead men in it, and her purse containing a note that simply says “If something happens to me”.

This is the background to Alex Findlay’s propulsive new thriller, If Something Happens To Me. It’s told from three different points of view, a device that I normally hate but one which the author pulled off with great skill. The novel is a slow burn and it takes a while for all the pieces to fit together, but Finlay managed to keep my interest while reading. The book is well plotted and there are surprises along the way, none of which I was really expecting.

All in all, quite the addicting read. One of the better thrillers I’ve read in a long while.

My thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing an ARC of the novel.

📖 Book & Audiobook review 🎧

If Something Happens To Me by @alexfinlayauthor

Okay, this was craaaaazyyyy and I loved it.

If Something Happens To Me is about an abducted highschool girl presumed dead, a high profile crime boss, and a young sheriff trying to put the pieces together after new evidence is uncovered years later.

This book is an action packed thriller with several different character driven POVs. Listening to each characters perspective had me barreling through until the story collided with a twist, like a lightbulb switched on, and they just kept on coming. The audiobook features multicast narration, which I love. I thought each narrator did a great job with their characters voices. There’s so much going on in this book, in the best way, and the narration made it easy to follow along. I really loved the way the author wove these storylines together. The pacing held my interest the entire time. The short chapters always left me in suspense wanting more.

I really love mob stories so that was the whipped cream and a cherry on top for me. I think this story would make SUCH a good limited series. Especially after listening to the audio.

This was my first book by this author and I’m so looking forward to reading more!

Thank you to @minotaur_books and @macmillan.audio for this gifted advanced reading copy and advanced listening copy! If Something Happens To Me is out May 28th and I can’t recommend it enough for my suspense lovers.

This starts off really slow.
It took quite a while to see how everything tied together and while waiting for that I was kinda bored.
Once things came together and started to make sense it was more exciting, but it took too long for me and had too many MCs that were not evidently linked together.
This is the first Alex Finlay that didn't blow me away, so I am willing to call it a one off.
Much love to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my ARC.

This thriller is a silly but fun mystery. Even though it involves murder and the mob it all seems pretty low stakes.
This book centers around three main characters; a small town sheriff’s deputy, a law student still scarred by the disappearance of his high school girlfriend and a Philly mob boss. All three stories eventually converge explosively in Europe.
If you are looking for a fun thriller that you can basically read in one sitting definitely check out this book.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Five years later Ryan Richardson has finally moved on ever since his girlfriend, Ali, disappeared after they were attacked. Until Ali’s car is found with a cryptic,
coded note and an envelope that states “if something happens to me..”

I really liked this clever and unique thriller. I didn’t realize how much I was into it until a major twist about halfway through. I was in a bit of shock as all the past chapters I read began to make even more sense. Then my sense of awe did not leave until the end. Actually not true.. it’s still there. This is my favorite Finlay novel so far!

“What did you think was going to happen to you, Allison Lane?”

If Something Happens to Me comes out 5/28.

Alex Finlay’s newest novel is sure to please his fans. Told from three perspectives, this fast paced thriller would make for a great summer read.

Five years ago, Ali went missing, and her boyfriend shouldered public condemnation. He’s trying to move forward but pieces of the unsolved crime come to surface and he’s forced to revisit the past.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur books.

Maybe it’s because this was an uncorrected digital copy, but this story lacked cohesiveness. It took me quite awhile before I even recognized that the story spanned several time periods in the main characters’ lives. It would have helped if there were dates at each part or even a “five years later” to help understand the connections.

What initially seemed like a kidnapping and murder became a blend of mob activity; a failed witness protection, teenage love gone awry, etc. And most of this lacked substance and believability. This feels like it’s needs more work before it gets published for the masses.

When I say this is the BEST thriller book I’ve read in a while I can’t even begin to explain how stuck this book had me!! It’s like a good girls guide to murder on steroids plus mafia plus so much more amazingness! I will be purchasing this book even though I ARC read it. I feel like thrillers have been repetitive with plot but Alex Finlay you did your damn thing with bringing a new twist into thriller! Absolutely loved it!