Stay tuned for my upcoming #AuthorElevatorSeries Chat with Alex where we go behind the scenes of the book and this talented author (pub day, May 28th)!

Powerhouse author Alex Finlay returns following What Have We Done with IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME —An explosive, globetrotting, heart-pounding multi-layered suspense thriller that will blow your mind as you scramble to solve the clues of this clever mystery.

STELLAR! Alex Finlay is at his finest. Top Books of 2024!

Masterfully told in three parts alternating with different voices and settings:

Leavenworth, Kansas —Ryan and Alison
As the novel opens, Ryan and Alison, high school sweethearts, are off to different colleges and their last night at home. They drive in Alison's BMW to Lovers' Lane by the river. They were going to head to their favorite spot under the giant oak tree, but it started to rain, and back to the car. The next thing they know, the door is yanked open, Alison is screaming, Ryan gets knocked out with a blow to the head, and in the morning wakes up outside on the grass. Alison and the car are both gone.

Montepulciano, Italy— Ryan
It has been five years since Alison went missing. Now Ryan is a law student at Georgetown, traveling abroad with classmates to Italy during the break. He even had to change his last name, change colleges, and give up sports, as everyone thought he was guilty; however, there was no proof. Ryan even went to a hypnotist and recovered a vision of a man's face and hands, with one missing a pinky finger dragging him out of the car. He calls him a monster. The man or Alison—not found.

Leavenworth, Kansas —Poppy
Five years later, in Kansas, Poppy McGee is the new Deputy Sheriff after spending time in the Army (Military discharge). She has moved back home to take care of her sick father after her mom died unexpectedly. Her older brother Dash was an NBA star but now he sells cars in their hometown.

Poppy gets her first case when some YouTubers found a vehicle submerged in Suncatcher Lake. It is Alison's car. She is not in the car but two dead men. Later, a cryptic note is found in a waterproof bag in Alison's handwriting titled, "IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME." Is this note meant for Ryan, or is it about him?

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania —Shane
Here, we are introduced to Shane O'Leary, a crime boss. He is married with a son, Anthony, who is bullied at the new private elite school. Shane and his wife, Gina, are distraught. He goes to his accountant (fixer) to try and see what is going on with his son since his daughter Taylor, attends the same school.

Kansas City —Poppy
This could be Poppy's chance with a big case to solve. She knows all too well about harassment and bullying. Where is Alison, and who are the dead men in her car? Did Alison know them? At the time back then, they finally said Alison must have been kidnapped or killed by the Missouri River Killer. Alison had been in the same class as Dash, two years ahead of Poppy, at the high school on different sides of the track. Also, how did they miss the car when the Cold Case Company found it in less than two hours?

PODCASTER: We also meet the host of the Treehouse in Kansas City, a true crime podcast that is pretty sharp and has his theories. (very funny with Poppy).

Alternating from Pennsylvania with Leary, Kansas with Poppy, and back to Italy with Ryan. None of his friends, except Nora, knows about Ryan's past; however, when he receives the phone call from his dad that the car was found and the note, he is concerned. Also, he receives notes that someone knows who he is and wants to meet with him.

From Florence, Italy; Lackford, England; Bury Saint Edmonds, England; M11 Mororway, England; A20 Motorway, France; Cordes-sur-Ciel, France; to Paris, France we follow Ryan and The Pinky Man (The Monster). Ryan is being followed and tries to figure out the clues to the mystery. What was Alison trying to tell him? What was she involved in?

So, how are the THREE complex storylines connected?

After all the fast-paced globetrotting and back-and-forth, we reach the Epilogue, where the author brilliantly wraps up the story one year later in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Leavenworth, Kansas, and Georgetown, Washington, DC.

IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME is explosive! Action-packed, high stakes, and riveting suspense with codes, clues, and more twists than you can imagine. A winner!

The author marks each chapter so you are always aware of the location and the characters. You will be frantically turning the pages into the wee hours of the morning to see how all the storylines are connected.

The author seamlessly juggles multiple characters, storylines, timelines, and settings like a rock star, creating a top-notch, first-class thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat until the last page is turned!

I hope we see more of Poppy in future books! I highly recommend all of Finlay's books (all 5 stars); however, IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME is highly creative and one of my favorites.

This is for fans of David Baldacci, Harlan Coben, Robert Dugoni, and Michael Connelly and readers who enjoy intelligent, creative, twisty action thrillers with well-crafted characters.

AUDIOBOOK: I listened to the audiobook, and the narrators, Helen Laser, John Pirhalla, and Paul Dateh, delivered outstanding performances for all voices, keeping you glued to your AirPods. I loved it. I highly recommend the audiobook!

Thanks to Minotaur Books, St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for an ARC, ALC, and paperback copy for an honest opinion. #MacAudio2024 #SMPInfluencers

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: May 28, 2024
My Rating: 5 Stars +
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This was a really good book. Its got a lot of action and will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end. I highly recommend it.

Perfect for fans of mystery/crime drama. This book had me piecing together the pieces along the way and feeling so smart when I figured something out.

In the opening scene, a pair of teenagers are making out in the car when suddenly the door is ripped open and a man with missing pinkies grabs her. The boy wakes up after a blow to the head and he is the only one there. His girlfriend and her car are missing and he is now the prime suspect. What really happened that night?

When a car is discovered in a lake a few years later, the case is reopened and has everyone talking. Could there be more to the story than what everyone thought?

Equal parts detective mystery and crime drama, If Something Happens to Me is a fast paced read that you won't want to put down.

I listened to this book on audio and really enjoyed the dual narration. It was easy to get lost in and the voices were distinct and fit well with the fast paced storyline.

Thank you to netgalley and MacMillan Audio for a copy to review.

Ryan has been trying move on from his life 5 years ago where he was accused on doing something to his then girlfriend, Ali. Her missing car is dragged up in the lake and it opens up the case again.

Poppy is a new sheriff deputy working on this case and is relentless trying to figure out what happened. This story is fast paced with multiple POVs and I really enjoyed how the characters were all connected. There's not really any twists but the story keeps you entertained.

All the narrators did a great job bringing the story to life. Thank you @macmillan.audio @minatour_books @netgalley for a copy of the book.

This was crazy and fast paced since page one!
I’m not sure I really felt the plot was believable… but i guess it’s plausible!

The story is fast, the twists are there, and lots of POVS to enjoy!

A good solid thriller that will be a good book club discussion book for sure.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc I. Exchange for an honest review.

I really liked Alex Finlay's The Night Shift and this one is even better. I wish I would have had more time to read this week because I didn't want to put it down. Five years ago, high school senior Ryan Richardson and his girlfriend Alison (Ali) Lane were at a local Lover's Lane and got caught in a downpour. As they ran to get into Alison's dad's car, all Ryan remembers is getting hit on the head and thrown out of the car and Ali screaming as she was driven away by his attacker. Ali has never been heard from since and is presumed to be dead. Ryan is considered a suspect in her disappearance and many people in town and online think he's a murderer, but with a good lawyer and no evidence he's never charged. Now Ryan has changed his last name and is a student at Georgetown Law School, trying as hard as possible to leave his past behind him. While he's on a summer trip to Italy with his Georgetown Law classmates, his father lets him know that Ali's father's car has been found at the bottom of a local lake with two male dead bodies in it and no sign of Ali. Inside the car, they find a note written by Ali with "If Something Happens to Me" written on the envelope. On top of that, Ryan receives a curious note at his hotel and discovers that the man who he vaguely remembers pulling him from the car that night five years ago has followed him there. Ryan's journey to find out what happened to Alison takes some very dangerous turns in Italy, the UK, and France. Finding out how Ryan's life connects with a young deputy sheriff in his Kansas hometown and a Philadelphia mobster is fascinating. Told in their alternating points of view, Finlay weaves the story masterfully with each chapter ending in a mini-cliffhanger. I definitely recommend this one and can't wait for Alex Finlay's next book! Thanks to #netgalley #minotaurbooks and #alexfinlay for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Such a good mystery. Several stories going on at once, but soon they unravel and intertwine and you start to realize how they are all connected! Very exciting read!!

Seriously, one of the best mystery thrillers I have read. This novel had my attention from the beginning. There was the perfect compliment of suspense, tension, and anticipation with a sprinkle of carnage.

Five years ago, Ryan and his girlfriend Ali were attacked. He was knocked out and when he came to, Ali was gone. No trace of Ali has ever been found and Ryan faced suspicion he did something to her. This was not the case but the accusations followed him so he moved, changed his name and went to law school.

On a European trip with friends, Ryan sees someone who resembles the person from the fateful night when Ali vanished. Was it just a coincidence? Meanwhile, back in the USA, a car is discovered. In it, two male bodies and Ali’s purse, containing a cryptic note.

Suddenly, the hunt for Ali is back on. Could she be alive? Who did this and why?

While there are quite a few characters and POV's in this book, I found them easy to follow and learn their character and role in the book.

I did a hybrid of the book - listening to it in my car on the way to work and then reading at night. The plot developments kept me engaged and I couldn't put it down until it was done! Without a doubt, five stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the advanced readers copy to review. Much appreciated!

Thank you NetGalley and Alex Finlay for the opportunity to listen to this ARC! This was my first read from Alex but won't be my last!

If Something Happens to Me follows the story of a missing girl in small town Kansas. Several years later can the young new Sherif Poppy put all the pieces together and find out what happend to Allie?

If Something Happens to Me was such a fun and wild ride! This book was very twisty and interesting! Kept me on my toes and wanting more! I finished it in one sitting!

Title: If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay
Genre: Thriller
Pub Date: May 28, 2024

⭐️ 5/5

Multiple POV
Dual Timelines
Twisty Thriller
Dirty Cops
Mobsters

Ryan's life is changed forever when his girlfriend is kidnapped at the end of their date and he goes from beloved basketball star to suspected killer. He is forced to relocate and even change his name due to the bullying.
Poppy is ex-military, discharged after a heated disagreement, and new deputy sheriff of her rural hometown. She never would've gotten the job without her dad's best friend and fellow vet, the sheriff. Nobody could've guessed what they'd find on her first day.

My Review:
I devoured this one in one day because I didn't want to put it down. We read from the perspectives of: Ryan (the missing girl's boyfriend), Poppy (the new local sheriff), the Mobster, his accountant and one of his associates. The multiple POV keeps you on your toes. Finlay does a great job of building the suspense and dropping the plot twists at just the right moment! I found myself hurting for everyone, even the mobster. I reallyappreciated the theme of bullying being something very serious.

If Something Happens to Me is a must read thriller!

Thank you so much, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for the digital review copy!

If Something Happens to Me - Alex Finlay
Pub date: May 28th 2024

Thanks to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for this ARC copy!

I really really loved this book! Wow!!!! 😳 I really liked the 3 POV's and I had no idea what the connection between them was. From the beginning of the book, I was hooked. Also, I really appreciated the short chapters 😁 I could've read the whole book in one sitting! It was that good 👍

A few things I didn't like as much. Some parts were confusing (the O'Leary's and the Donnelly's) and the different timelines (past and present) were also confusing. They didn't mention "past" or "present" so you had to guess. I was really confused.

I give this one a 4.75 ⭐

#alexfinlay #ifsomethinghappenstome #books #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #readsof2024

Another page-turner from Alex Finlay. I was initially worried this might be a bit too "espionage" when I read that the action would bounce from Kansas and Philadelphia to Rome, England, and Paris. But no fear--while the action is on the move, the central story is a drama about people who find themselves in sometimes impossible crossroads.

While the characters might be a bit too cliche and under-developed, the action makes this a compulsive read. And if you do see a twist coming early, it doesn't prevent you from still wanting to keep on going to see how it's all going to shake out.

While this doesn't quite scratch the itch of Finlay's first two books under this name, it's back on track after his more crime-driven third entry. This would be a great summer read.

Due out May 28th!

This was a wild and thoroughly engaging read!

In Kentucky: Unable to remember anything more than the face and hands of the attacker who abducted his girlfriend, Alison, Ryan's life is permanently overshadowed by suspicion he was involved. Skipping forward a handful of years, Ryan has changed his name and finished his first year of law school. On a trip with classmates, he sees the man he remembers from the attack.

Poppy McGee is new to the police force. After assaulting her CO, she's discharged from the military. Thankfully, her dad is still close friends with the town's sheriff, who's willing to bring Poppy on. When Alison's car is found by amateur sleuthers at the bottom of the lake, Poppy's put on the case.

In Philadelphia: Shane is a mobster. He's the guy everyone goes to when they want a problem solved with cement shoes. But at home, he's been unable to fix that his son is being bullied.

All of these characters have a role in each others' lives. This was compulsively readable, but thankfully I was gifted both the audio and text versions, because at times there were a LOT of characters!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the ARC and Audiobook of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay
Release Date: 5/28/24
Format: ebook/audiobook hybrid
Rating: Definitely recommend!

Before I even talk about this book can I just say I googled Alex Finlay to see if they were male or female out of curiosity (male) and found out he is a well known DC lawyer who has argued 40+ cases in front of the US Supreme Court? How do you find the time to write books my dude? Not sure why but that is just wild to me!!

Anyway, I thought this book was great! I love when a book throws me a Philly setting. I also love a thriller that leaves you guessing. I especially love a book with short chapters and strong family themes. If Something Happens To Me definitely has all of that and more! There is a lot of backstory and rich history that is built up and revealed in a way that lended itself to great character development.

I did listen to this book more than I eyeball read it and I will say the sheer amount of characters was a bit confusing in audio format to me. There is a lot to keep track of in this book. Because of this, I do think I’d recommend reading it in digital or print format vs. audio!

Another fab book by Alex Finlay, and honestly maybe my favorite by him yet!

This was my first book by this author, Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. I really enjoyed this thriller, about Ryan and Ali who are out on a date in Alis car when a bad guy appears and knocks out Ryan and he hears Ali scream, when he awakens the car and Ali are gone, and everyone believes he killed her, 5 years later he gets a call, that Ali's car was found at the bottom of a lake with 2 dead guys in it, no sign of Ali and a cryptic message she wrote for Ryan. Now he believes she is still alive, but where is she? What happened to her? This was a really good thriller.

Alex Finlay is so much fun to read and I’ve enjoyed every book by him. He’s become an auto read author for me over the years. I love fast paced, short chapters and multiple POVs and his books always pack a punch and i devour them in such a short time.

This book brought thriller/mobster/Karen Slaughter vibes and was enjoyable, but predictable. It wasn’t my favorite book by him, but still worth the read.

This story hooked me from the start! Alison and Ryan are high school sweethearts. Then tragedy strikes and Ali disappears. Five years later, there’s a break in the case and things heat up quickly. I don’t want to
Give anything away so just read it and enjoy it!

This was a really fun thriller. Ryan Richardson was once accused of killing his GF, Ali, after she went missing. There was never enough evidence to convict him. But now 5 years later, the car she was abducted in has been found. He works with a detective to find out if Ali is still alive. Ryan thinks he has seen the man that has haunted him since that terrible night. I loved trying to figure out how all the pieces fit together in this one. It was definitely fast paced and I flew through it. This will be a hit with thriller lovers.

🎧 I listened to the audiobook which was narrated by Helen Laser, John Pirhalla, and Paul Dateh. They did a great job of bringing the story to life.

If Something Happens to Me is a twisty thriller that kept me up at night reading. It follows multiple POVs, following mainly three characters that originally we don’t know how they connect but as you keep reading they collide. I’d recommend going in slightly blind to this, but for a synopsis: it mainly follows Ryan- his girlfriend Alison was kidnapped five years ago without trace while they were parked in a “lovers lane” and he was eventually cleared as a suspect. Now on a college trip in Italy, he gets a call that her car is pulled from the river without her in it, but with two men in the car and a cryptic note. The story also follows Poppy, a new detective assigned to Alison’s case, and a gang lord from Philadelphia.

As a seasoned thriller reader I guessed what was going on a little early but the first half of the book had me up all night with the twists and wanting to see what happens. The second half had a little less mystery and more suspense and it was took it down from a five star read to four stars. The chapters were short which I love and the writing and characters engaging. Perfect for getting out of a reading slump.

Thank you Netgalley, Alex Finlay, and Minotaur Books for receiving the ARC in return for an honest review.

4/5 stars

Thank you Minotaur books for the advanced reading copy!

SYNOPSIS -- Five years ago, Ryan was about to have the best night of his life, alone with his girlfriend... until it turned out to be the worst night of his life. Instead of the intimate night he had planned, Ryan remembers a blow to the head, Ali being taken and a monster coming out of the dark. With no sign of Ali or this monster, Ryan is blamed for Ali's disappearance and, though let off, the ridicule is enough to make him change his name and start a new life. Now a law student, Ryan is traveling abroad for a class trip when he sees the monster from all those years ago and, soon after, finds out that Ali's missing car has been found in a lake with two dead men and a cryptic note inside. While Ryan is chasing down the monster from his nightmares, a Kansas sheriff's deputy is up to her eyeballs in chaos on her first case and a Philadelphia mobster is experiencing the worst tragedy of his life. Somehow, these things are connected... if only Ryan can figure out how.

What a fun and wild ride!!! The second I started this one, I knew it was going to be gold. While I did end up a little bit disappointed by the end (it just fell into place a little too easily...) the rest of it was so, so good! Alex Finlay has such a great way of writing distinct characters and finding clever ways for their lives and stories to intersect. This book was so fast-paced and truly impossible to put down. Every character had an intriguing storyline and while I wasn't sure how they overlapped, you best believe I was busy trying to figure it out the entire time! There were some great twists and turns and I often found myself surprised by the way things were playing out. I wasn't sure who to root for at times but somehow I wanted everyone to have the best ending they could. Having insight into the nuance of each character really added so much to this book and made the plot even more complicated and dynamic.

Overall this was a great read, and I can't wait to catch up on Alex Finlay's back list, because I have loved what I've read from him so far!