Get ready to lose some sleep! Alex Finlay’s latest, If Something Happens to Me, is so addictive you will gladly sacrifice a good night’s rest to get to the end.

He had to change his name, switch colleges, and declare a new major. For five years, Ryan Richardson’s life has been defined by one night. A rainy evening when he and his girlfriend Ali (Alison) went to Lover’s Lane and did not see the monster approaching their vehicle through the fogged-up windows. They only knew he was there after. After he had yanked open the door, ripped Ryan from the car, and driven Ali’s BMW into the night, her screams piercing the dark.

When Ali disappeared, so did Ryan’s reputation. The police were skeptical (to say the least) of his description of a man with no pinkies materializing in a remote area of a backwater town, perpetrating a kidnapping (or murder) and leaving no trace of himself, Alison, or the car. To close the case, the cops and community needed Ryan to have done it. They would all sleep better, they assured him, knowing the killer in their midst had been locked away. Unfortunately for them, lack of evidence and a good defense attorney meant Ryan was never charged, much less incarcerated. That hasn’t stopped people from convicting him in their hearts, though. Nor has it kept the media from heavily implying he got away with it. The former basketball star had to cease to be Ryan Richardson and become nerdy Ryan Smith to have a shot at a future.

Then, the past comes calling. While on a trip to Italy with his law school classmates, Ryan’s phone rings. It’s his dad, letting him know that a YouTuber called Cold Case Company has found Ali's car submerged in a lake not far from Lover’s Lane. There are two dead men inside, but no sign of his former girlfriend.

Poppy McGee’s life hasn’t exactly gone as planned. Thanks to a handsy superior officer and the untimely and unexpected death of her mother, Poppy is back home in Leavenworth, Kansas. She knows she has a job as a sheriff’s deputy not because of her military experience but because her dad had served with the Sheriff in Iraq. She’s grateful for the position; her family has never been poor, but they sure aren’t rich either. With her dad’s cancer keeping him from earning a living, it’s Poppy’s paycheck that will keep them afloat.

She expected quiet days driving quiet streets, keeping drivers in line. Instead, her first day is full of tedious excitement. Excitement because Alison Lane’s vehicle has been found, breaking open a case five years cold, tedium because putting up blockades to keep the lookie-loos from compromising the scene isn’t exactly a thrill-a-minute. Her next day is even less exciting - she gets the fun, fun task of weeding through the tips that come in and coordinating with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. Little does she know those two things will be what finally sheds light on what happened during a stormy night when a couple of teens expecting a fun makeout session found themselves involved in something far more dangerous.

Weaving through the story of Alison, Ryan, and Poppy is the tale of Shane O’Leary, his son Anthony, his accountant Michael, and that man’s daughter Taylor. From Philadephia to Italy, from Paris to Kansas, the threads of these lives will tangle together into one final explosive showdown between past and present.

If Something Happens to Me is a multi-PoV tale. Readers hear from Ryan, Poppy, Shane, and a host of others, each with a riveting piece of the story to tell. The author does a fabulous job of turning the narratives of these distinct individuals into a mesmerizing whole. I read this novel in a single sitting and was so grateful I could find the time to do that since I definitely didn’t want to put it down.

Figuring out how the disparate dramas fit together is compulsive, but what really pulled me in was the people. My heart just ached for Ryan, who had his life shattered by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is a genuinely thoughtful, sincere person carrying guilt for the girl he couldn’t protect and the money his family had to spend keeping him out of prison. Ryan’s keen intelligence and courage shine through when he is sucked back into the mystery of Ali’s disappearance.

Shane O’Leary is a deeply flawed human being whose only redeeming characteristic is his love for his fragile son, Anthony. I found my heart aching for them at the start, too. Shane, like many powerful people, finds himself powerless in the face of Anthony’s social awkwardness and outsider status at school. As that situation unfolds, you can’t help but feel for them as Anthony falls prey to some cruel people, and Shane finds himself unable to protect him. I didn’t at all agree with what happensas a result, but I certainly understood the emotions driving it.

Poppy is a sweet but stock character. She plays the role of a law enforcement officer who has just plugged into the system, still has ideals, and is willing to think outside the box and push back against the powers that be when needed. She works well here because the story needs her Holy Fool-style persona, but that doesn’t change the fact that she is ultimately only a tool for the author to move the narrative forward.

My one complaint with If Something Happens to Me is its sheer unbelievability. At numerous times during the tale, I found myself close to the giggles as our heroes repeatedly battle and defeat trained killers. That’s okay because this isn’t meant to be more than a fun summer action/adventure read, but the craziness pulling me from the story a few times did cause a wee bit of a downgrade. I would still recommend this novel very strongly, however. If a few hours of entertainment is what you are looking for, you can’t do better than this.

Do not start this book at night unless you have nothing to do the next day because you will be up all night reading. I think this was easily my favorite Alice Finlay book. The character development was on point as well as the unpredictable twists.

A snappily paced and absorbing story that weaves around, and eventually nicely connects, the volatile world of several point-of-view characters.

First, in Leavenworth Kansas, we meet Ryan, a six-foot-four high-school basketball star, who experiences a terrible crime and the crushing loss of his teen sweetheart, Alison.

Five years later, in the same town, Poppy McGee is introduced as the newly appointed Deputy Sheriff, fresh out of a stint with the Military Police. Poppy is an emerging force, still learning the confidence and conviction that will come to center her adult life. When a new development regarding Alison’s case suddenly surfaces, Poppy is assigned to investigate. Her involvement, and where it leads, will crack open doors, more questions, and a whole lot of danger, for, (quite literally), each and every one of the books main protagonists.

This is a story that twists and turns, crossing countries and back-filling gaps across time-periods, as Poppy, and Ryan, a current-world law student, stumble, claw and fight their way through a series of discoveries that turn the case (and their young lives) upside down. With several key reveals along the way, and an ending that satisfies, I enjoyed this book - a very visual read, thick with tension, crises and action, that this reader could see successfully streaming as a network limited series.

A great big thank you to the author, #Netgalley, and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.

This book kept me interested throughout and right to the end. The title was definitely intriguing, the characters well-rounded, and the pace never lagged.

If Something Happens to Me was such an amazing book! It had gripped me from the very beginning and had so many twists and turns right up until the very end. We got to have multiple POVs from the characters involved. I enjoyed this aspect and felt like it was well done. Definitely a jaw dropping thriller that I had trouble putting down!

Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur books for this ARC.

Super propulsive! I finished this one in a day and loved all of it! The multiple POV was great as were the different stories/timelines. They all came together super well.

This was a 3.5 read that focuses on bullying and a case of a murdered girl in Kansas. The story has three different lines going with a surprisingly clever intersection. The chapters are short and somewhat choppy which detracted from the suspense buildup. Some strong characters with small parts that I'd like to see again in a series.

Copy provided by the publisher and Netgalley

This is a fast paced thriller told through multiple POVs and locations. I found the twists in this to be very predictable. I had the big twist figured out very early on which made the rest drag on. I do usually love short, fast paced chapters in thrillers, but the characters in this seemed to lack any depth and jumbled together at times. For some reason Poppy I always understood, her POV was very clear. Overall, I was underwhelmed by this but I seem to be an outlier- this one just was not for me!

my very first alex finlay book, thank you Macmillian Audio for the advanced copy!

man oh man, if something happens to me was a WILD ride from start to finish. the short chapters made for a fast paced reading experience! the tension had me on the edge of my seat between the unfortunate bullying and mob torture to abductions and murders throughout a five year timespan. I loved how this took place in Italy and France but also in a small town in Kansas.

having multiple POV’s added a unique perspective to the book. I LOVED being in the mind of poppy mcgee. there were a BUNCH of characters but the cliffhanger chapter ends & smooth transitions, merging the varying storylines, made for an easy reading experience.

it wasn’t necessarily a mystery because the story was straightforward and was easy to see where it was going. this was more of an action packed thriller, and it almost felt like I was watching a movie. I guessed some of the twists and sketchy situations that came to light but it didn’t take too much away from the story.

3.5 stars! #MacAudio2024

This book was spine-chilling and kept me captivated until the very end. If you're looking for an edge-of-your-seat thriller, this is a great option for your next book!

I was lucky to receive an early copy of this book from NetGalley, and I was so happy to read it! Another book by the author that hooked me immediately! It reads so fast because you need to know what will happen, and you will be constantly trying to figure out what is going on! I don’t want to say too much and give anything away, but if you are a fan of the author you will definitely want to pick this one up! If you haven’t read Alex Finlay’s work before then go ahead and start with this one. You won’t be disappointed!

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.