Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy of this book! If Something Happens to Me was a wonderful and thrilling read that was fast-paced and well-planned. We have Ryan, a young man still haunted by the disappearance of his high school girlfriend, Alison Lane; Michael, an accountant working for a terrifying crime syndicate leader; and Poppy, a small-town police officer who suspects that the truth to the Alison Lane disappearance is closer to home than she thinks.

The plot was impressively developed with three different characters’ perspectives that eventually converge. I had a strong sense of intrigue throughout the book and the author did a great job keeping me insatiably curious. My one gripe is that the switching between POVs was very fast and abrupt. I could get whiplash from how quickly I was yanked from one perspective to the other, and some of the chapters in each character’s eyes were as short as just a couple pages. I felt like I would have enjoyed more time getting settled into each character’s role before being shifted to the next perspective, but the momentum was definitely fast to keep the story moving!

Another well written, fast paced book by this author. At the beginning of the book there were many characters introduced that I was uncertain how they fit into the storyline. I kept reading and after several plot twists,( I never saw coming), the story all came together.
Highly recommend. this book.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ADR.

“If Something Happens to Me” is a gripping thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. For the past five years, Ryan Richardson has been haunted by the night his girlfriend, Ali, was taken. With no trace of Ali or her car, suspicion hangs over Ryan. But when Ali’s car is finally found submerged in a lake, Ryan’s search for the truth takes him from Tuscany to the UK and Paris. This was a fast read that I thoroughly enjoyed. The chapters were short, there were multiple points of view and multiple locations. It was an exciting read from beginning to end.
Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was pretty gripping! However, not his best. I am generally a big Alex Finlay fan, but I just had a bit of a harder time getting into this one. I felt that it was pretty predictable if you were paying attention and that took away from the fun a bit.

This was my first book by Alex Finlay and it definitely won’t be my last. I listened to the audiobook and I loved the narration and I felt that the storyline was written very well. I was happy with how the author connected everything in an actual smart way instead of a haphazard or flimsy connection.

Easy to listen to and binge in a day because you will want to know how everything ties together.

This is a mystery/thriller following the story of Allison. A girl who disappeared without a trace and no one knows what happened. After many years her car is recovered from the lake, but will it provide clues to what happened? Is she in the car? The story takes place from there. I enjoyed this audiobook, I thought the narrators did a great job. I think the narration played an important part in this book especially as here were a lot of characters and storylines going on in this book. If the narrators were drying and just monotone it would have made the story confusing and uninteresting.
Although I did enjoy this book and the previous books from Alex Finlay, for me, this book had too many characters and storylines. I wish it could have been condensed a little bit and we could have gone deeper into a few of the stories to learn more about those characters and more of their back story and where they came from. I felt myself getting lost and having to re-read some parts frequently. That being said, I did still enjoy unraveling Allison's story and the clues that lead us to find what happened to her.

TW/CW: Language, drinking, toxic family relationships, bullying, death by suicide, cheating, cancer, death of parent, anxiety, depression

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
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.
Release Date: May 28th, 2024
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 336
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

What I Liked:
1. The book seemed short
2. Writing style was good

What I Didn't Like:
1. Hated all the pov's - just too many for me
2. All kids in book are like 30 year olds in children's bodies
3. Book felt too basic for a crime thriller
4. Didn't feel like there was a mystery here
5. Repetitive parts

Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}

What is up with these huge synopsis' lately? It's like a whole page long.

How does the sheriff know there was foul play if the two bodies have been submerged for years?

Is it weird that I think that the sheriff was behind Alison's death.

Okay so the dudes don't have fingerprints but they have dental records so couldn't they identify them by that.

What is with this weird pov of Patrick? It's like it's 1940s and he's the Irish man in the Malfi and controlling the dealings and protection of the street on that side of town. Is this Fargo?

It's so weird to me that these Irish people are dining at an Italian place. Do the Italians not run any part of Philly? These parts sound like it's 1940s/50s mob.

I had to laugh because Poppy acting like she just knew that something was happening in her in her own family when so many people told her that her family was behind it all. Ridiculous.

Another kid introduced into a thriller where the kid is some genius. He starts a podcast at 8 years old and solves 3 cold cases in 4 years. Of course.

It was so stupid for two missing penkie dude showing up to tell Ryan him to figure out what's going on and then disappear. So Ryan just so easily can trace him down and jump a plan to find him. Plus this dude knows he's being followed but still uses his name and location in the guest book that's left open.

The Irish go all Final Destination on the kids that bullied Anthony, killing them off one by one.

This Jones dude was not that far ahead of him in travel, but by the time Ryan gets to his house finds Jones he got home, tortured, murdered, and the police are already at his house. {{it's been 2 days}}

Alison was actually Taylor and Taylor was apart of a group of people that bullied Anthony. Michael and Taylor restart somewhere else after Patrick sees that Alison was apart of it.

God, this book makes it seem sooooo easy to find people that were so hard for people with money to not be able to do. Ryan's just able to find allison. He manages to find the eight finger dude. It all just seems so simple when he tries to find them. I'm also completely confused why finger guy found Ryan when there was no point. No one was looking for Ryan. The only one who saw Ryan was the evening guy and he took off.

Why would Michael even tell the dude how much money he has in the bank account? I just think a normal person would like lie since he doesn't know how much he has.

Obviously Jane is the agent that is been turning over evidence to the crime family. There's a reason why the sheriff told poppy not to talk to her.

What is this book with Chipotle? Did the author have a deal with them to mention them so much.

Ended the way I thought it would.

Final Thoughts:
Yeah, there's a pretty small & basic mystery here, but honestly who cares. I found this story pretty boring. Everything was so dull and stale. It never felt like it was such a difficult book to understand. It definitely teetered on basic thriller book. I wish there was more to the story but it feels very generic Fargo to me.

This is my third book from this author and honestly I think it's going to be my last. Previously I have rated his books between one and two stars. I like the way he writes and I think he's very talented in how he forms sentences at structurally, but I have just been bored with the books I've read from him and felt like I wanted more.

I just found everything to be very exhausting. You get the perspective of Michael telling about Anthony dying. Then we also get Patrick talking about Anthony dying then we also get Allison's version of Anthony dying then we have to wait for poppy to catch up on Anthony dying. It's so repetitive that you're going to hear the same things over and over again while each character catches up on the story. Poppy is the densest character of them all. It takes her so long to catch up on what's happening. I don't mind being reminded what happened in the past in a story it's when it continuously happens that it wears my patience down.

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Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced ebook & Macmillan Audio for the audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 Probably my favorite Alex Finlay novel yet. This reminds me most of his debut, and I loved every second of it. This book, and many by this author, expertly walk the line between action and character. There is backstory, interesting characters, action, and some twists to keep you from ever wanting to put the book down. I know I really would have loved to have had the time to devour this in one sitting.

Told in multiple POVs, this definitely shocked me with a reveal towards the middle. Now that I’m looking back, I should have figured this out, but being surprised was way more fun!

This was a perfect weekend read for me and I can’t wait for this authors next release!

I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another amazing thriller/mystery from Alex Finlay! This five-star read joins the ranks of his other phenomenal books. I have been a fan since “Every Last Fear” - and each book since has proven that he is one of the best in the genre.

This story is told from three perspectives: Ryan Smith, a college student, Poppy McGee, a new Deputy Sheriff, and Shane O’Leary, a Philadelphia businessman. These three people appear to have nothing in common, but soon enough, the reader is drawn into a story of cat and mouse that moves at a pace so fast your head will spin.

There are so many great twists and turns in this story, but there is one that made me yell “Wow!” out loud. It is so hard for me to get into the details here without giving anything away. I will say that what I really liked with this one was the short, fast chapters, and the small details this author leaves along the way. I would come across one, and know that I needed to file it away for later. If you are a reader of this author’s books, you know he ties everything up in the end. This one was no different. The epilogue left me a very satisfied reader.

I would also like to highly recommend the audiobook version of this one. It has three incredible narrators that do a terrific job.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read/listen to this fantastic book! I am truly grateful. This author is an auto buy for me, and I will be recommending this one to everyone! It releases on May 28th. It is the perfect thriller to kick off your summer reading.

I'm an Alex Finlay fan so was thrilled to get a copy of If Something Happens to Me. As you'd expect from Finlay, this thriller had twists and turns galore, relatable characters, and a quick pace pulling you to the last pages. Highly recommend this one!

"But in this moment, he decides he’s not going to run from himself anymore, not going to be afraid anymore. Tomorrow morning, he will confront The Monster."

This is a complex thriller spanning multiple countries with a large cast of characters. At first none of their stories seem connected.

I do struggle to enjoy books like this that have so many moving parts. It never felt cohesive enough for me to fully enjoy.

Thank you St Martin's press for giving me an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book! I was constantly wondering how all of the story lines were going to connect. I’ve never read a book with a mob story line but this didn’t feel overly corny or dramatic. I thought the twist in the middle was great, but the ending was a little anticlimactic. Overall, I enjoyed reading this and will recommend it.

Review posted on Instagram @readwithkendall

Alex Finlay has kept me guessing along the twisty journey of Ali's disappearance right in front of Ryan's eyes. He spends years gettin ridiculed, called a Kil-er in the chants at a basketball game, and still has managed to create a life. Suddenly Ali's car is found, but she is not inside, two other men are. This leads to a note titled "if Something Happens to Me" with a code to decipher, that only one person can figure out. This story takes you on in unimaginable journey as the local police, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Ryan, and others start to reopen the cold case that was Ali's disappearance.
I was not disappointed with this story, as I was unable to put it down right from the start. Huge thank you to Alex Finlay, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for this copy. I would recommend this 100 times over if you're interested in a fast paced thriller.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for my arc copy of this book.

I was excited to test this book out, as I had heard some good things. We are following in three different POV's and locations.

The first one is in Italy, we are following a gentleman years after his girlfriend was abducted from their small town. He is on his way to becoming a lawyer, but he has changed his name since the media went hard on him thinking that he was involved in his girlfriend's abduction.

We are also following a young police officer as she come back to her small hometown. Not long after being there, a car is discovered at the bottom of a lake. It is believed to be the car of a young girl who went missing years ago.

We are also following a different POV from a man with a lot of power.

It takes quite some time for you to figure out how all of these POV's come together. I will say that it was not the most predicable, but it also could be guessed if you have read enough of these books. I was initially pretty invested, and then my interest tapered off at about the 50% mark. I do think that it is a forgettable book, but I had enough fun with it while I was reading it.

I’m a huge Alex Finlay fan, and this book may be my favorite of his yet!

When his girlfriend Alison was pulled from his car and went missing in high school, Ryan took most of the blame from his community. He was forced to change his name and start over, but five years later that night still haunts him. While on a college trip in Italy, he hears that new evidence has come up in the case, and then he sees the man from that night in his past.

Buckle up for a wild ride on this one! The book begins with two storylines that seem entirely separate, and I was just waiting for the reveal that would tie the two together. In an interesting twist, Finlay reveals most of the big secrets semi-early in the story, leaving to an action packed back half as the characters race to put the final piece together. It truly felt like an action move as we went from city to city around the world, chasing down bad guys and answers.

I found this one to be compelling, full of intrigue, and completely binge-worthy, and I finished it the same day I started. I just couldn’t put it down!

Thank you to NetGalley and SMP (Minotaur) for the arc. All opinions are my own.

If Something Happens To Me by Alex Finlay
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publication Date: May 28, 2024

A missing girl. A bullied boy who takes his own life. A mobster dad out for revenge. A deputy sheriff on her first job out of the military. A heartbroken boy who can’t move on or forgive himself. What do these vast characters have in common? Only one way to find out- READ THIS BOOK. I couldn’t put it down. The mystery unravels and connects the stories page by page. I highly recommend this one. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for this advanced reader copy.

I really loved The Night Shift so I was really excited to read this one. Even though, this one has a completely different vibe, Finlay delivers again. One of my favorite things about his books is his ability to weave in just a little bit of the spooky/scary with the thriller/mystery. This one has some great twists and will have you questioning which side you are on.

This was a really good book! It is the 3 one I have read by this author and I have enjoyed all three of them. The first part of the book was intense and fast paced. There are a lot of characters (a wide range which was good. I liked that even the horrible characters had a redeeming quality about them. It really made me think about what I would do.) and setting shifts. The chapters are short and it got distracting to me to keep shifting around. I loved when things started to click together and the relationships were unveiled. The second half of the book was still great for me, though the big "reveal" had already happened. I enjoyed reading to find out how it would all be resolved. I thought the ending was good and it worked with what I was expecting. A great read and I can't wait to read more from this author.

Great suspense, a girl missing for years, corrupt law enforcement, and deadly thugs…what more could you want? This was a wild adventure that I really enjoyed!

This twisty thriller grabbed me from the first page!! Ryan Richardson and Alison Lane are parked in a quiet area close to Suncatcher lake for some time together.

The next thing that Ryan remembers is the passenger door being ripped open, hearing Ali’s piercing scream and being struck on the head as he is pulled from the car!! Later he will come to remember only one thing about the attacker — you will find out what that is.

Ryan is never found guilty of Ali’s disappearance, but he is nevertheless hounded by podcasters and the press. He changes his name and enters law school to start a new life.

Poppy McGee is a young deputy sheriff in Ryan’s hometown, recently discharged from the army. Before she has a lot of time on the job, a submerged vehicle is pulled from Suncatcher lake. There are two men inside and a cryptic note!

It is 5 years since Ali’s abduction and Ryan is on a school trip to Italy. He gets the news about the vehicle that was pulled from the lake and a cryptic note “If Something Happens To Me” written in Ali’s handwriting!

There is yet another POV in this novel, that is Anthony O’Leary who has started in a new academy. His father is Shane and is the leader of a mob family.

OMG, there is so much going on in this book. The short chapters kept my interest and I thought this was a wild and entertaining ride.

Poppy was my favorite character as she tries to untangle the mystery that the recovered vehicle presents.

I think this is the return of Mr. Finlay to his earlier very twisty and character driven plots and I loved it!

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.