This is my favorite thriller from Alex Finlay 👏🏼 just like his other thrillers, If Something Happens To Me is full of different characters and multiple POVs. It took me a second at the beginning to get a hang of all the characters, but once I did, I couldn’t put this down!

I was so intrigued and was desperate to know how all of the characters eventually would connect. The chapters are short, so it was easy to binge.

ISHTM has murder, a missing girl, gangsters and so much more. It hooked me in and it was such a fun and wild ride. I highly recommend getting your hands on a copy of this book when it publishes in May!

Emoji Book Review: 😨😲🤯😨😏

⏰Short Review: A missing (presumably dead) girl, a crime family and a new deputy sheriff with demons of her own…
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, and his girlfriend Ali’s piercing scream as she is taken. Ryan has finally moved on - now attending Georgetown Law on a school trip to Italy when he sees the man who attacked him. Ali’s car is found in a lake with the bodies of two dead men and cryptic note that only Ryan can understand. And somehow it all has to do with a crime family whose son is being bullied at a private academy. Enter Poppy McGhee the newest deputy on the force in Kansas who is leading this perplexing and intertwined investigation. There are secrets just waiting to be uncovered around every single bend.

⚡Thoughts: I mean honestly can Alex Finlay do no wrong?! I audibly gasped at the plot twist at the end of Part 1 and then I couldn’t put it down until I had all the answers. Finlay is finding his stride and he knows exactly how to write suspense that keeps you guessing until the very end. This book is no exception!

This author is becoming an auto read for me. He is crafting intricate narratives with convoluted twists and compelling characters that avid readers eagerly devour. I love a book that makes me gasp and leaves with eyes wide and my jaw on the floor - this book does exactly that at so many turns. It’s a quick moving plot that you’ll wish kept going and going.

📚Genre: Mystery/Suspense

📅Publish Date: May 28, 2024

Big thank you to the author, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for my advanced copy. 🥰

I completely enjoyed this one as a quick, fun read. Short, fast-paced chapters featuring different characters in different parts of the world come together to explain what happened before and after a young woman went missing, and how the characters are related. Some moments you'll see coming, some will take you by surprise.

Thanks to St. Martin's and NetGalley for the advance copy!

3 words or less review: Bangin’ good reading!

⏰ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫: Ryan Richardson is tormented from the night he was attacked and his girlfriend Ali was taken, never to be seen again. He’s moved on - now attending Georgetown Law and he’s on a school trip when he sees the man who attacked him. The man he tried to pretend was all in his imagination. And his father informs him Ali’s car was found in a lake - with the bodies of two dead men and a cryptic note that only Ryan can understand. Enter Poppie McGhee, newest deputy on the force in Kansas who is spearheading an investigation that’s baffling to the core. What happened to Ali? Who are the dead men? And what other secrets are buried in this town?

💡𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: Ooooh this one is close to mystery perfection. Read closely because a mere blink and you’ll be going, “Wait… WHAT?” (True story) Because I read so much of the genre sometimes I worry I’m too picky but then a book comes along like this and I think, “See! THAT is how it’s done!”

My 3rd and favorite Finlay book. I think the author is finding his stride. He’s developing deep plots with intricate twists and poignant characters you bookishly sink your teeth into. Poppie McGhee is a character I’d like to see in a return novel or series. She’s young, spunky, determined, a spitfire that I’d love to follow on more adventures.

The plot is quick - read this like a dog lapping up water on a steamy Carolina summer day (that’s 2 days in Southern speak) and still wish it never ended.

📚𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Mystery

😍𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: All the usual lovers-of-suspects, awesome beach/summer read

🙅‍♀️ 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: People who hate good books? Lol.. probably those who don’t like too much violence.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for my advanced copy in exchange for my always-honest review and for making swimming in lakes now something I don’t care to do. 😬

Just finished this twisty, twisted, twisty book. And I loved it. I saw everything coming just before it happened then a twist shows up. There were some intense parts that had me up on my feet and yelling out, “WTH” I can’t wait to read another by this author. I received this book through NetGalley on read now. Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley and Alex Finley for this ARC

This was fun! Different POVs, a missing teenager and the mob basically sum up this story. Although a little predicable (most of it came together for me about half way through) it was still an enjoyable read.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an early copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

This was a quick and entertaining read. I don't think it was my favorite book by this author and I felt like I could see where things were heading pretty early on, but I'd still say it's a good book and worth a recommendation. And while some details were obvious early on, there was a surprise or tow by the end.

It begins, as many of these type of stories do. Boy and girl go to a spot where they intend to give themselves fully to each other. Happy night. A night they looked forward to. But then something terrible happens. Boy is hit over the head, looses consciousness. When he wakes up girl is gone.Town blames boy, think he's killed her but gotten off because there is no body. Boy and family move. Boy changes his name.

This is where the "usual"ends because Finlay turns this story on its head. It becomes something completely different, an unusual story instead of a common one. Though I could see this too becoming a mini series. Many twist and turns.False assumptions. Shocking reveals. I was definitely entertained.

If Something Happens to Me is a fast paced thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. This one had me hooked from the beginning. This was told in multiple perspectives, timelines, and locations which was a little confusing at times.
I could easily relate to the characters and I thought the plot was good. There are some points where it's a little far fetched in some ways.

I was excited to read the new Alex Finlay book …If Something Happens to Me. I was a big fan of Night Shift. This book was a pretty straight forward plot .. I figured out a couple of the big reveals pretty early. I didn’t always feel the characters were well developed. Some of the story lines were a little far-fetched.
Wasn’t terrible but neither was it memorable.
Thanks NetGalley for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved all the twists and turns in If Something Happens to Me. There were definitely surprises throughout the book, which kept my attention. There were definitely several characters who personified the “good people who do bad things.” I really enjoyed these characters, so when karma paid a visit, I was devastated. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the ending - one main relationship was brushed over, with no explanation on why things ended the way it did.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC, in exchange for my honest review.

If Something Happens to Me" by Alex Finlay totally blew my mind! This book had me hooked right from the start, like seriously, I couldn't put it down for a second!

First off, the way Finlay connects all these different stories together is next-level awesome. I was like, "Whoa, wait, what?!" when everything finally clicked, and let me tell you, it was EPIC! Like, I did not see that coming at all, but it made so much sense and tied everything together perfectly.

And the characters? Ugh, don't even get me started! Ryan, Ali, Poppy, the O'Leary fam - each one is so vividly drawn and compelling that I found myself emotionally invested in their fates. And the way their lives intersected in unexpected ways kept me on the edge of my seat, desperate to uncover the truth.

Seriously, if you're into mystery and thriller stuff, you HAVE to read this book. It's got everything—twists, turns, drama, t and did I mention the jaw-dropping moments?! Alex Finlay totally nailed it with this one, and now I'm, like, dying to read everything else he has written.

If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay

4.5 stars
A huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for the ARC ebook.

This is the second book I’ve read by Alex Finlay and it is another terrific read. I like the short chapters because it makes me keep flipping the pages thinking that I’ll only read one more chapter and it leads to one more and one more. An entertaining read from first page to last.

A fast paced thriller with an intense plot that is well written with great characters. So glad I requested this and was able to get it. Checked all boxes of what I like in a good mystery/thriller. Best to go in with not too much info so you aren’t spoiled.

Story with dead bodies, local crime boss, a missing girl and a new Deputy Sheriff that will stop at nothing to resolve the mystery surrounding this incident from years past along with a tad bit of romance.

If you like thrillers that feature several different characters whose stories all intertwine, with a few good twists and a fast pace, I’m sure you’ll like IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME.

Ryan has lived under a cloud of suspicion since his girlfriend, Ali, was mysteriously kidnapped five years ago. He’s now in law school, but he always feels like a piece of him is missing.

Meanwhile, a rookie deputy is starting her first day on the job in her Kansas hometown when Ali’s car is found submerged in a lake. Inside is a mysterious note that Ryan might be able to decipher.

There are mobsters and hitmen, cryptic clues and jetsetting. There’s friendship and love and sacrifice and revenge. This is a really well written thriller and I enjoyed it a lot. I'm giving it three and a half stars, rounded up to four.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the early digital copy of IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME in exchange for my honest review.

Alex Finlay is back with another twisty face paced thriller that will have you turning pages late into the night! The book uses multiple overlapping POVs to tell the story of the disappearance of one of the main characters (Ali) and her boyfriend who, at the time, who was accused of the crime. As the story unfolds the mystery of the disappearance is revealed along with a lot of overlapping related plot twists. I enjoyed the clever way the author told the story with different timelines in the plot to lead the reader to assume the story was taking place present day. In typical Alex Finlay fashion there is a fair amount of gore/violence in the organized crime parts of the book.

What I liked:
Multiple POVs and timelines occurring throughout the book
Fast paced page turner with lots of great twists
Lots of interesting and shady characters who made the book interesting

What I didn't like:
One of the plot twists at the end was super obvious and took a way a little momentum for me
Some of the plot was somewhat unbelievable but didn't detract from the story
I didn't find the ending to be very strong and it fizzled out a tad over the last few chapters for me

Overall I really enjoyed this book and give it a 4.5/5

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur books for a digital ARC copy of this book.

This was a clever, fast paced novel with a plot that held the readers interest. There is a lot of murder and mayhem and mafia killings that were excessive in my opinion. There were several characters that were very much stereotypes and unoriginal. I dud enjoy the narrative but ultimately it did not rate five stars. The effects media has on teenagers is so blatantly dangerous and this book definitely highlighted this problem. For that it deserves applause.

If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay
4 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press Minotaur Books for a copy of this ARC!

When Ryan's girlfriend Alison is taken, with him as the only witness, he is thrown into suspicion. Though he has never been charged with her disappearance, public opinion believes he is guilty. Ryan changed his last name, and our story takes place on a summer trip abroad with his law-school classmates.

While in Italy, Ryan gets a call from his dad saying that Alison's car has been found - and it contains two dead bodies, and a cryptic note titled "if something happens to me...". Ryan roams around Europe trying to solve the mystery of what happens to Ali.

My thoughts:
If Something Happens to Me is a multiple-POV thriller with different storylines that take a while to all join together. While the synopsis focuses on Ryan's POV, there are a lot of characters to keep track of. I do feel like this was organized and written in a way that made it easy to keep them straight, but there was a lot going on at times. That being said, it was engaging, exciting, and I was eager to find out what had happened to Ali all those years ago.

This talented author has written a page turner. Love and romance…red herrings and secrets…family and friends… the realistic characters keep this story moving…a quick read…intrigue. Thanks Netgalley.

Alex Finlay never ceases to amaze me. This novel is a fantastic read!

My initial reaction to this novel was that I was hooked immediately from the first page to the final page. The book was more plot-driven than his other books. It works well because of its fast pace. I like that!

I love everything about this book. The short chapters with a storyline like this one kept me well engaged. I didn’t find any lags in the book whatsoever. The incredible part of the book was how Mr. Finlay constructed his plot. Simply amazing!

I was satisfied with the book’s ending. Everyone, somewhat, had a happily ever after, well, except one character, LOL!

Please add this book to your bookshelf or Kindle library. Alex Finlay is one of those authors you’ll never forget because his brilliant storytelling is just the icing on the cake!

I read this one pretty quick. It was available for 72 hours on Netgalley. I wasn't sure if I had to read the whole thing in that time so I powered through! I've read others by this author and enjoyed them. This one was suspenseful and intriguing from the start. There were a lot of different characters and POVs to keep track of. I felt the beginning and middle were stronger than the end. Overall, a nice mystery suspense book to get me through a Monday.