Member Reviews
Great book, very fast read. There were twists that I did not see coming (biggest compliment I can give a book). The characters were interesting and try to figure out how they all linked together was like a puzzle. I will be reading this author again.
3.5⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC of If Something Happened to Me.
Five years ago, high school couple Ryan and Alison are parked at Lover’s Lane when they are suddenly attacked. Ryan is hit over the head and Alison is ripped from the car, never to be seen again. Blame naturally falls on Ryan as the boyfriend, resulting in Ryan changing his name and trying to move on from the traumatic event. Now, Ryan learns that Alison’s car has been pulled from a lake in his hometown, catapulting him back into the events of five years ago.
I listened to the bulk of this audiobook ARC while in the car on a day trip, and all of the action and the fast pace made the drive seem to go quicker. I believe that character development could have been a bit stronger to make me more connected to the characters, but I enjoyed this on the whole. The main twist in the middle got me, which I appreciated, and it was a wild ride from there.
I’ve picked this book up three times now but I cannot seem to make it past the first 5%. Sadly, I don’t think I’m the right reader for this as I am not interested from the start and have to DNF.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC via NetGalley.
*rating one star as I have to give a star rating per NetGalley requirement td
This started off great but then dragged a bit in the middle, it was just trying to do A LOT. I do really enjoy how Finlay wraps up everything at the end of all his novels, but sometimes it feels like it a chore to get there.
Thank you to the Publishers and Netgalley for allowing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
This was such a great book! So many twists, turns, and surprises that really made it hard to put the book down! There are multiple POVs and several different storylines that all come together in a really great ending! Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
A DNF for me, so not going to rate. Just could not keep my attention and I had no desire to pick it back up.
ARC received via NetGalley
Wow. Alex Finlay has done it again. Loved the differing perspectives and how everything came together. Another great thriller from one of my favorite authors.
I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery and the various locations it took place: Leavenworth, Kansas, Philadelphia and Tuscany, England and Paris. The POV's were also varied and that made it interesting.
The story starts with Ryan having been knocked out by an unknown person when he was with his girlfriend, Ali and her car gone. When he wakes up she's gone, assumed kidnapped. He ends up the main suspect but there's no evidence. That doesn't prevent podcasters and Internet trolls from keeping his name in people's minds and suspicions. Ryan ends up moving and going to law school and even changes his name.
I thought it was a good mystery that kept me on my toes and held my interest. I liked the characters and I loved the female detective's name of Poppy. Not too intimidating of a name for a sheriff, right?
This twisty thriller had me hooked from page one! Ryan Richardson and Alison Lane are having a quiet moment by Suncatcher Lake when suddenly, Ryan is attacked, and Alison vanishes without a trace. Though never found guilty, Ryan is haunted by the press and changes his name, hoping to start fresh in law school.
Five years later, Deputy Poppy McGee is on the case when a submerged car is pulled from the lake, revealing a cryptic note in Alison’s handwriting: If Something Happens To Me. Meanwhile, Ryan, now on a school trip to Italy, is pulled back into the nightmare.
With multiple perspectives and shocking twists, this fast-paced thriller kept me on the edge of my seat. Poppy’s determination to unravel the mystery made her my favorite character. Finlay’s return to his twisty, character-driven plots is nothing short of brilliant—I couldn’t put it down!
I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS THRILLER IT KEPT ME WANTING TO READ THE ENTIRE TIME. I FINISHED THIS BOOK IN TWO DAYS BECAUSE I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN
Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and the author for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest feedback!
Alex Finlay is back again with another heart-pounding, page-turning, keep-you-guessing-until-the-very-end thriller!
Five years ago, a small town in Kansas was rocked when a beautiful young girl, Ali, goes missing. She was last seen with her boyfriend Ryan at a lake front spending their last night together before they head off to college. Every one of course suspects the boyfriend, who has only fuzzy memories of the night, because he said he was knocked unconscious by a strange man who was missing both of his pinky fingers. Where is Ali and the car they were in? Who is this mysterious man and why would they want to take this young girl?
In another state, a mob boss is seeking retribution for crimes made against his family. He will stop at nothing to get his revenge. What horrible act caused his insatiable need for revenge and destruction?
In present day, a young veteran has moved back to her small town in Kansas and joined the sheriffs office. Her first task - reopening Allison’s missing person case because two divers have found her car in the lake- and two unidentified bodies are inside. Also found at the crime scene, a note that was preserved written by Allison. On the envelope it reads: If Something Happens To Me….
Alex Finlay is one of my favorite thriller writers. His stories are always fresh and so well thought out. This book has SO many moving parts, characters, locations, time periods, and points of view and it was organized and presented perfectly. I felt like there was a twist and turn every 50 pages and had me absolutely feral trying to figure out what was going on.
This book has it all - murder and cover ups, government corruption, secret identities and cyphers, parenthood, betrayal, cold cases, romance, loyalty, brotherhood and friendship, revenge plots, and so much more!
If Something Happens to Me was a fun and dark mystery that I really enjoyed. The characters were well fleshed-out, flaws and all, and the story was good. The only issue I had with it was I found it a little bit co fusing at the beginning until I figured out the different settings in the chapters.
If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay
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Five years ago Ryan’s girlfriend was taken. He has had to rebuild his life after many rushed to believe he had something to do with her abduction, or worse killed her. When her car is pulled out of the lake it sets a sequence of events in motion that Ryan could not have predicted.
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What I liked:
-Such a solid mystery! I loved all the twists and turns that this story took.
-There were three different POVs and it was very enjoyable to try to figure out how they all fit together.
-I also loved that one of the POVs was a girl boss putting lots of clues together. 🙌🏻💁🏼♀️
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ An addicting story! I can definitely see why this author gets a lot of hype. Can you believe this is my first Finlay? I look forward to reading more.
Alex Finlay strikes again! Another one that has me hooked. I didn’t want to put this down. I love how all of the stories all connected eventually. Ryan was such a likeable character and I’m glad he got his happy ending. Poppy was also delightful. Realizing that Taylir was Allison was a good twist. I got a little confused at parts but things got cleared up. Solid 4.5.
What a thriller told from three POV - a budding lawyer, town sheriff, and a mobster. Multiple international and national setting as the three characters stories merge. So many twists and a great plot.
Wow! I really enjoyed reading this one!
I thought it was pretty unrealistic at times but it made for a very exciting read.
There was so much mystery behind what happened and a lot of unknowns that it was hard to figure out who did it or what happened that night.
I loved how the story ended! I am looking forward to reading more from Finlay.
This was my first book by this author. I really liked the storyline, but felt it was hard to follow at times because there were WAY too many characters/intertwining plots. I would still give this another chance as I know they are a favorite in the book community.
A nail biting fast paced physiological thriller. This was a fun, engaging and entertaining read that is full of twists and turns. There were some interesting plot points that I wasn’t necessarily expecting but was pleasantly surprised by.
Really enjoyed this fast-paced novel told from multiple POVs. Ryan is the subject of a podcast concerning his missing girlfriend, touted as the prime suspect who was never charged with her disappearance. Facing new scrutiny after his missing girlfriend, Ali's, car is found with two dead men inside. along with the note "If something happens to me." Ryan sets out on an international hunt to find the answers to Ali's disappearance. This was a solid story that keeps you engaged and guessing until the end..
✨️Review: If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay✨️
Rating: 3.5 🌙's
Overview: A young boy and his girlfriend go out to Lovers Lane and Park. Something goes wrong, and the boy wakes up, and his girlfriend is missing. He is labeled as a murderer because he was the last to see her. We learn there are many connections and tangled webs to un-tie.
Thoughts: This book was one that did suck me in pretty fast. At first, I will say, I found the number of character perspectives jarring. Even towards the end, I was having a hard time keeping up with who was named what and what they had done throughout the story.
After I got past that and started to grasp SOME of the characters and who they were I thought the plot was very interesting it felt like after one thing was untangled another question was lingering behind it which definitely kept me interested.
I would definitely give this book more stars if I could have connected to just a few characters and not so many. I did call the ending plot twist pretty soon in the story. Despite that, I think the pace of the story and how quickly I tore through it had to give some indication of a really good story.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.