This is a fast-paced read about a missing girl presumed dead, a notorious crime boss, and a new deputy sheriff in town who’s been assigned to this cold case which suddenly came alive again with the discovery of new evidence.

There are three primary narrators: Ryan -the missing girl’s boyfriend at the time of her disappearance and presumed murdered , Poppy, the new deputy sheriff to Leavenworth, Kansas, and Shane, the head of a major crime syndicate in Philadelphia.

The book is a solid thriller: action-packed, full of tension and suspense with a mystery element — the book reads fast and has some good twists and turns. — There are some parts of the book that require some suspension of your disbelief but if you just go with the flow it is a fun ride.

While reading the novel I was equality invested and engaged in all the characters and their outcomes —and the story was difficult to put down.

4.5 So engrossing was this book I ended up binging it in a day. It wasn’t just the tension or storyline of the book that had me hooked, it was characters and their growth arcs. It was actually really touching at times which I didn’t expect with the bullying, sadness, and violence it began with.

This marks the third Finlay I’ve read and my favorite so far! I’d recommend not reading the synopsis on this one and just enjoy.

I did a combo read but ended up starting the audio at chapter four and never looking back. The audio was truly excellent!

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the alc and Minotaur Books for the arc via Netgalley.

Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the chance to read an ARC of If something happens to me by Alex Finlay. While this was my first read from the author, his books are in my TBR file. The synopsis sounded fantastic and right up my alley. After I started it, I just couldn't get into the story. There were several seemingly different plot threads, and I was a bit disappointed...at first. Once the plots started to come together I started to really get into the story and couldn't put it down, and was not disappointed by the ending. My only issue was the mafia plot line. I do recommend If something happens to me!

Alex Finlay is one of my favorite authors. This book to me was one of his best. I've enjoyed a few and though I did see what was coming at the end of the first part it did not take away from the story for me. There were to many things going on for it too cause to much stress....

A girl goes missing. Her boyfriend is knocked out and dragged from the vehicle. He wakes and both her and the vehicle are gone... What happened? Who could or would do such a thing and why? Alison and Ryan are out in her father's BMW at Lovers' Lane. A make out spot. When it starts raining they run get into the car. After that Ryan's world and life will never be the same.

What happened to Alison? Did Ryan do something to her or is there really a person with no pinky's who dragged him out of the car and took her. If so why.

This story goes from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Leavenworth, Kansas. From the United States to France to Italy. A journey to find the truth and run from something. This is a story of young love mixed up in so much. Quite a few characters involved. All to find out what happened to Alison? Maybe a bit more.

There are a couple of gruesome scenes in this story but they are so necessary for you to get the whole picture of how bad a man named O'Leary is. A suicide. Some teens killed or overdosed. A family who will never be the same. Actually at least two families who will be affected.

I enjoyed this book and read it in one day. I didn't want to put it down. It's very descriptive and makes you cringe in places. Gasp in others. Enjoy the scenery in some. I even cried in a couple places. I laughed a time or two. It was good but not necessarily for the faint of heart. I also loved how the title of this book played into the story.

Thank you #NetGalley, #AlexFinlay, #StMartinsPress, #MinotaurBooks, for this ARC. This is my own honest opinion of this book.

FIVE big stars and a very high recommendation.

A fast-paced book with short chapters, likable characters, and plot twists? Sign me up! Honestly, this book started off with such potential for me and then it took a turn into a mafia/mobster plot which completely threw me off. I’m not really into crime thrillers and since that ended up being a huge part of the book, it really drove down my rating. If you are into crime thrillers, I would definitely recommend this. It just wasn’t my vibe.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur for a #gifted eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved how everything in this book was interwoven and tied together in the end! I really appreciate when a thriller wraps up so neatly and doesn’t leave the reader hanging. I probably would’ve given this book 5 stars had the author not thrown in the lesbian bit at the end. It felt so disingenuous— like the author wanted to throw that in to check a box and offer a false sense of inclusion. Sure, there was some illusion to it throughout, but it was so lukewarm. It should’ve been a bigger part of the story line, or it should’ve been left out. It really irks me as a reader when the author throws in current events that seem more for hashtags than for the quality of the read. I digress… The twists this book took were pretty unexpected and once you make the connection, it truly is a masterpiece in suspense. I couldn’t put it down!

Thank you to Minotaur and MacMillan audio for the ARC/ALC!

Ryan Richardson has spent the last five years of his life reliving the night his high school sweetheart Ali was taken from his car. The assailant left Ryan unconscious but with no evidence to point otherwise, the cloud of suspicion followed Ryan. Now, he’s put his past behind him, changed his name and started law school. But when Ali’s car is found with a cryptic note, Ryan is unsure what to think; what really happened to Ali that terrible night? As Ryan races home to investigate, a novice police detective is working a case, while a mobster in Philly is battling a tragedy of his own.

Not even halfway through 2024, and I KNOW this book is going to be one of my top reads of the year! Filled with complex characters and twisty turns, “If Something Happens to Me” is easily my favorite Alex Finlay book to date. On audio, Anthea Greco and Leanna Waksman brilliantly brought these characters to life. Told from multiple points of view, I couldn't imagine how these characters’ paths were going to cross but when they did, holy cow! Despite the multiple perspectives, the story was fast-paced and the tension didn't let up! Deeply propulsive, this is the type of book that once you start, you don’t want to stop until you find out how it’s going to end. I was very grateful for the audio so I could continue listening when I had to do other things too.

“If Something Happens to Me” releases May 21, 2024. This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

From “one of the genre’s most exciting voices” (E! News) comes one of the year’s most-anticipated thrillers."

This book had such promise! A very unique thriller with the potential for engaging characters. I would even have been happy with some unrealistic twists and turns as they would fit the genre. The biggest bump in the road for me was one of the main characters age - no matter how out there the story is, I just can't get on board with the idea that a sheriff deputy would be 21 and handed a murder case on her first day! The book would have been just as engaging (probably more) if she had been made the bigger sister of one of the suspects. Unfortunately every time something happened or her age was mentioned it just took me out of the story.

I thought this was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think it will find readers at our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.

What a HOMERUN of a thriller! This is by far the best book I've read by Alex Finlay - he hit it out of the park! It's the perfect combination of suspense and intrigue with the perfect pacing. I immediately finished this novel and began recommending it to everyone I know. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Alex Finlay is an auto-purchase author for me - his books are fast-paced, engrossing reads that keep you sucked in until you finish!

In If Something Happens to Me, we immediately are introduced to several different storylines that, of course, will all converge eventually - and with Finlay's signature twists! This story, on the surface, is about organized crime and the incredible fallout when the wrong people are crossed. In the end, though, I was left with a lesson much bigger than just one story...a lesson that will stick with me. You may guess some of the reveals, but you'll genuinely be delighted with the ending. Don't hesitate to add "If Something Happens to Me" to your summer TBR!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

This author continues to write the twisty stories around! His newest is no exception! What I loved about this story was the chapters didn’t have dates so the twists were total surprises. Alison and Ryan were high school sweethearts until she disappeared in her father's car and Ryan only has a memory of a man without pinkies. He’s not believed and becomes a suspect. Ryan changes his name and gets into law school. While in Italy on a school trip, he thinks he sees the man from his dreams. This is just one part of the rollercoaster story. It’s a must read! 4.5 stars

PERFECTION. Well-rounded, international thriller that felt like a slightly less intense John Wick movie, especially considering familial revenge and doing anything necessary for their loved ones. And yes, I absolutely could see this as a movie!! I highly recommend. Very impressed.

This my first Alex Finlay book and wow, am I impressed! At first I was a little concerned about all of the characters and how distant they all seem from each other. This book is filled with twists, some easy to see coming and others not. Alison Lane vanished five years ago while on a date with Ryan. With no other witnesses he was unfortunately the prime suspect, but never charged with the crime. Ryan has been running from his past when his girlfriend's car surfaces with two dead men inside and a note. The reader follows along as Finlay twists the story back and forth from Kansas and Europe trying to piece together what really happened that evening.

Thank you MacMillan and St Martin's for the review copies via NetGalley. I always enjoy Alex Finlay's books for the fast paced action vibes, the weaving together of related stories, and the fun of seeing how it all comes together and how some of the reveals were ones I didn't see coming. If Something Happens to Me hits the mark with a fun fast escapist read; I admit I kind of figured out the puzzle pieces early on but I also had fun with the story and really liked Poppy McGee a lot, I would love another book with her, she was really well narrated in the audiobook and I liked her role and character development. I also loved the clues/cryptography theme, it was a fun part of the story.

A great book for a beach day, for reading on an airplane, and a perfectly fun road trip audiobook!

If something happens to me by Alex Finlay
🌟🌟/5

Well, there was a nice day and I was able to get some reading done out on the deck!
After reading this one I figured " Hey. Let's check out other's thoughts " and I'm an outlier... I seem to be the only person who couldn't get into this book. Not that I didn't like the story. But it was slow and uneventful.
The book that's being raved about everywhere just didn't wow me. I found the twists predictable and it felt slow. Or like there was a lot of filler going on.

Obviously, I do recommend you take any reviews with a grain of salt. My word isn't the end all be all. But my opinion stands. This book just wasn't wow-worthy.

This was an entertaining read, but lacked the suspenseful, thriller read I was expecting. There were some twists but the book was very predictable so they lacked any punch. I did read through it really quickly, but wanted to be invested more in the characters and the outcome.

I think 2024 is the year of the thriller!! I’ve read so many great ones and If Something Happens To Me is at the top of the list! 🙌
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Three storylines: a mob boss in Philly; a young sheriff’s deputy in Kansas; a law student on vacation in Italy with a secret past..
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I threw every responsibility out the window and read this thing in 24 hours. It has everything I love about a thriller. 🔥 Intersecting storylines, short chapters, little cliffhangers, great midway twist, each chapter just building and building the suspense. I was totally invested in all three storylines and just truly couldn’t put it down! 😮‍💨
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I think this is probably my favorite from Alex and it would be a perfect beach read! Five stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc!!

The discovery of a missing, and assumed dead, girl’s submerged car with the bodies of two dead men and a cryptic note reopens a previously closed case. Can a new deputy sheriff figure out what really happened five years ago?

I read If Something Happens To Me in one sitting! I was hooked from the opening pages to the very satisfying ending with all of the twists and turns in between. This thriller is tense, fast paced and action packed!

The book is told from the perspective of three well-developed characters who are all compelling, likable, and flawed. Each one has their own storyline. I loved how it all came together. I won’t say more because it’s best to go in fairly blind.

If Something Happens To Me was my favorite book of April and will definitely be in my top 5 for the year.

Get ready to get lost in this addictive, fast moving thriller! The audiobook has multiple narrators so I’m betting this one is a great listen as well.


Thank you to Minotaur Books and St. Martins Press for the copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

A twisty dual timeline, multiple POV thriller that had a LOT going on but was fast paced and incredibly entertaining. I think this latest is one of my favorite by the author and was also great on audio narrated by Helen Laser. Recommended if you want an easy to read book for the summertime! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!!