If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay
Publishing date - 05/28/24
Rating (5/5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, & Alex Finlay for this eARC!

This one hooks you right away…the prologue tells the story of Ryan and Allison who are saying goodbye to one another other as they leave for college. Ryan is hit over the head, removed from the car, and wakes up to the car and Allison missing.

Five years later the car is finally discovered in a lake 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…

Told in alternating timelines and POVs, this is a suspenseful, mysterious story. Fast - paced and addictive. The action never stops and the twists keep coming. This is my new favorite Alex Finlay book and I eagerly await his next one!

If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay

In this story we meet several groups of people and for a large part of the story I couldn't figure out how they connected to each other. I loved learning the connection and how everything fit so well. That aspect of the story is just one of many that made this story work so well for me.

I won't mention everyone we meet because it's better to meet them as you read the book. Ryan Richardson is pivotal to the story and my heart went out to him after his girlfriend of four years is kidnapped while he was with her on "Lover's Lane". Thus ensues years of accusations against Ryan that he was the one who disappeared his girlfriend Alison, causing Ryan's parent to go into debt to protect him and Ryan to change his name and drop his promising college basketball pursuits and change schools. Even five years later, Alison is always on Ryan's mind, that night haunts him, and he's forever in fear of others finding out his real identity.

The pressure does lessen once evidence is found that a serial killer took Alison. None of that makes up for Ryan's losses and when Alison's car is found with dead men in it but no Alison, Ryan can't help hoping she is still alive. Then he sees him, the man who Ryan remembers attacking him the night Alison was taken...Alison's kidnapper.

There are a lot of characters in this story but it's amazing how well we get to know so many of them. One of the many themes running through this story is how far a parent will go to protect their child. Good guys, bad guys, gray area guys, good dads, bad dads, gray area dads, all seem ready to do anything for their child when they realize they need help.

Another main character we meet is red headed Poppy, a brand new sheriff's deputy who takes it upon herself to go way farther than an extra mile to determine the identities of the dead men in the car. When I call her brand new, we meet her on her first day as a deputy but her newness doesn't slow her down. She sees a problem and she attacks it hard and fast.

There are other very interesting characters, lots of violence and gore, and even the chance to feel a bit of empathy for some really bad people. Bad people seem to beget more bad people. But there is some redemption here and there and I would not mind seeing Poppy and Ryan again someday.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for this ARC

Ryan and Ali are parking at Lovers Lane when Ryan is knocked out and Ali and her car go missing. Primary suspicion is placed on Ryan and while a good lawyer prevents him from being charged by the law it doesn't stop social media from hounding him. He is haunted by the images of that night, Ali's scream and the man with no pinkies. Fast forward five years and he's in law school away on a trip when he gets a mysterious note and sees his attacker.

This book was one I could not put down. Fast paced and just complex enough to keep it interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If something happens to me
Alex Finlay
Mystery
July 2024 release
2024-32❤️❤️❤️❤️4.8
📚📚 📚In one evening, a small town Kansas high school basketball star’s life changed. Ryan went from having a girlfriend the loved and a promising college basketball career to being accused of murder when his girlfriend Allison goes missing while with him. All he remembers is a man without a pinky taking her and being knocked out. Now, 5 years later, he has changed his name and is about to graduate from Georgetown Law School. When Allison’s car is found with two dead men, the past comes racing back. Suddenly he sees the man he has only seen in his nightmares. And back in Kansas, a young deputy is starting to unravel what happened that night 5 years ago.
Fans of Harlan Coben will love this fast-paced, twisty mystery. Just as you start figuring out a portion, another twist is on the way.
❤️❤️❤️JJ’s last words. Didn’t see it coming!
Disclaimer: St Martins and Minotaur (with NetGalley) publishing gave me access to this advanced readers copy on NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

"If Something Happens to Me" is a masterfully executed thriller that will satisfy fans of the genre and newcomers alike. Alex Finlay proves once again why he is a force to be reckoned with in the world of suspense fiction, delivering a pulse-pounding story that will haunt readers long after they've finished the book.

High schoolers Ryan and Ali were parked at Lover’s Lane when they were attacked, Ryan knocked unconscious, and Ali and her car went missing. Suspicion followed Ryan causing him to change colleges and even his name. Skip ahead five years, he is now visiting Tuscany with a group of students from his law school. Back in his hometown of Leavenworth, Kansas, soldier Poppy has returned home and it is her first day as deputy sheriff working under a close military buddy of her father when Ali’s car is discovered under a lake with two adult male bodies in it. A cryptic note is found in Ali’s pocketbook which was in the backseat of the car. What happened to Ali?

As Poppy tries to solve the mystery, she is seemingly stymied by her boss and has questions about not only his involvement but also her family’s. Meanwhile, Ryan races across Europe to try to determine if Ali is really still alive. When he spots the man he thinks was involved with her abduction, his and other lives are in danger.

Told in alternating timelines and POVs, this is a suspenseful, mysterious story. Fast paced and addictive, there is action, violence, and interwoven plot lines that take the reader on a thrilling adventure. Although a little over the top, this is another solid addition to Finlay’s growing body of work.

This is a mystery involving a disappearance of a teenage girl. It is action packed from start to finish. I can’t say too much about the plot without spoiling it.

At first the book is seemingly 2 different stories being told where it goes back and forth and I kept wondering how it all connected. I was very surprised and did not expect what was going on at all. This author really keeps up the mystery!

I really enjoyed everything except for towards the very end there were a few scenarios that felt very far fetched to me that diminished the story for me, but only slightly. I would say this is what took it down to 4 stars for me.

I thought this was a really good book though and I definitely recommend it to anyone who likes mystery.

Well, another night of lost sleep thanks to Alex Finlay making me binge a book. That’s probably more my lack of responsible adulting more than anything, but he’s still to blame.

In Finlay’s signature style, he expertly weaves together multiple story lines, If Something Happens to Me is a twisty, page turning, action packed, and binge worthy thriller. With three distinct story lines, Finlay had me guessing up until the end how they would tie together. With a well-developed plot this is a perfect thriller to get you out of a reading slump. I highly recommend going into this book blind and make sure you have a few hours to spare because you won’t want to put it down!

Now if only someone would pick this one up and make a mini-series of it, I’d binge watch this in an instant.


If Something Happens to Me comes out May 28, 2024! Huge thank you to Minotaur Books for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof.books or on Tiktok @speakingof.books

I really enjoyed this book, excellent plot, good execution, and characters that you can relate to.
Everything wrapped up well.
I'm giving it a solid 4 star rating.
The only reason that I didn't give it a 5 star rating is because I figured out pretty much every twist.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC

This was a fast paced read with multiple points of view and different characters that kept me guessing how they would come together.
Ryan and Alison were high school sweethearts who were about to leave for different colleges. While sitting in her father’s car, a man yanks open the door and drags Ryan out. When he wakes up the car and Alison are gone. Five years have passed, and even though a serial killer is blamed, people still suspect Ryan is guilty. He has changed his name, and is trying to stop living in the past, but when that car is found, and still no sign of Alison, Ryan set off on a journey to find out what really happened that night.
There are several characters whose POVs slowly reveal the truth. I’m not going to say more and risk falling into a spoiler filled lake. I enjoyed the ending, though I do wish that things had worked out a bit differently for some of the characters.

Wow! This book was utterly fantastic. I read it in one day because I was on the edge of my seat. I couldn’t flip the pages fast enough or the screen technically since I read an e-book. Each chapter tells the story from a different location/perspective. This helped progress the story from all sides and kept the pacing on point. The different chapters almost felt like two different stories were being told and the reader had to figure out if/how they were connected. The chapters were short which I prefer. There are several different main characters and plot points but I never once felt confused. The author did a great job of keeping everything straight while making the reader think deeper. This is one of those thrillers that you won’t want to miss! I wish this book gets turned into a limited series, it is already written perfect for the screen. Won’t say too much because I only knew the synopsis before I read and that was the right amount of information. Stay away from spoilers so you can truly experience this story!

Thank you so much to the author and publisher for my gifted copy on netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "If Something Happens to Me" and all opinions expressed are my own. My first book by Alex Finlay. This book was definitely suspenseful but there were a lot of characters to keep track of. There were lots of twists and turns and you really had to keep reading to find out if your guesses were correct. I liked that it surprised me at times. But... I felt like the ending left me hanging. Almost like there could be a sequel to the story. The ending seemed a bit rushed.

At first I wasn’t sure who all the characters were, but it all made sense and just wow! Ryan and Alison are at Lovers Lane when 2 men come out of the woods to abduct Alison. Alison is presumed missing or dead and Ryan is a suspect. Five years later, Ryan changed his name and is in law school; Alison’s car is found; and things get intense. I enjoyed this one, it’s fast paced and suspenseful. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley!

If Something Happens to Me
by Alex Finlay
Pub Date: May 28, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
In classic Alex Finlay form, If Something Happens to Me is told by several distinct, compelling characters whose paths intersect, detonating into a story of twist after pulse-pounding twist. The novel cements Finlay as one of the leading thriller writers today.
This book is brilliant. Although there is a huge cast of characters, this book is equally focused on plotting. It is fast-paced and riveting.
While high schoolers, Ryan and Alison, are spending an evening at Lover’s Lane, Alison is abducted and Ryan becomes the main suspect. Though Ryan eventually is cleared of any wrongdoing, his life becomes absorbed in the crime and he has flashbacks of that night and finds it hard to move on. Years later, when Alison’s car is found submerged in a lake, the case gains traction and Ryan is once again pulled into the investigation.

The action never stops and the twists keep coming. This is my favorite Alex Finlay book and I eagerly await his next.
5 stars

If Something Should Happen to Me is a thrilling crime novel about a new deputy sheriff named Poppy, Ryan, the boyfriend of kidnap victim Allison, and Shane O’Leary, a mob like figure that is out for revenge because of his son Anthony’s untimely death related to school bullying.

This story was full of characters which is common in an Alex Finlay story. He tells stories from multiple view points and ties them all together in the end.

This book was a decent and quick read. Although somewhat predictable it was still enjoyable. The web of characters kept things interesting and provided lots of cliff hanger chapters that kept you reading.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat and guessing the whole time. I really liked it! I with the pacing in the middle was a little faster but overall I loved it!

Five years ago, Ryan and his girlfriend were ambushed. Ryan awoke with a massive headache, and Ali was never seen or heard from again. Haunted by her disappearance, as well as publicly suspected of her murder, Ryan is shocked when the past comes back with a vengeance on his trip to Italy. With the types of twists and turns that only Alex Finlay can pull off, If Something Happens to Me is a pulse pounding story. I devoured the first 75% in one evening and then put off finishing for weeks because I simply did not want it to end! The multiple characters were so well done, the mystery was well thought out, with breadcrumbs sprinkled throughout, and lots of heavy themes of love and loss. This might just be Finlay's best yet!

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all views expressed are my own.

I discovered author Alex Finlay last year when I received a copy of The Night Shift at work. The cover appealed my senses so I decided to give it a try. Mr Finlay won me over. So when I saw that an ARC was available for his newest release, I jumped on it.
The first scene of the book gets you by the throat and runs with it. I absolutely loved the storyline, the way the chapters were introduced (location POV instead of character, which is fundamental in this story), the way the twists slap you in the face (most of them I didn't see them coming even through I'm rather instinctive when it comes to plot twists). I loved reading about the lengths fathers go to protect their family (harrowing and heartbreaking), but I particularly loved the mafia-like plot. It reminds how I once had this conversation about how people getting involved in criminal gangs often don't realize that they are selling their souls to the devil, and redemption is a pretty word but most often an a
unattainable goal.

Alex Finlay is now an auto-buy author. His writing and execution are just sublime. If you enjoy mystery thrillers with intricate storylines, this one is for you.

Thank you Net Galley and Minotaur for this e-ARC in exchange of my honest review.

This was my favorite FInlay book yet! This read was similarly action-packed as his last novel (WHAT HAVE WE DONE), but a lot less over the top. Notice I just said less- it certainly is still over the top, make no mistake. However, the action scenes are laid out in much more manageable and more realistic(ish) ways, making this read quite balanced between action, thriller, and mystery. I really enjoyed the multiple storylines and seeing how they all came together in the end. I don't even think I could pick a favorite perspective since I really did enjoy them all.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for a review.

📚 Book Review 📚

Title: If Something Happens To Me
Author: Alex Finlay
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5/5 stars)

*Trigger Warning: teenage bullying and suicide

This is a propulsive page turner that combines mystery, thriller, and suspense. It’s told from multiple POV’s with a two-storyline plot featuring a missing teenage girl and a mob boss.

While this book is fast-paced and gripping, it’s also relatively over the top and far-fetched in many ways. As the reader, you’re forced to suspend your disbelief for the majority of it. I was on board for the first half, after which, things really started going off the rails. If you’re simply looking for a good escape and a wild ride, this would be the book for you. But be aware that you’ll have to just go along for the ride without getting a realistic and plausible story in the end.

*Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this advanced reader copy. This book hits shelves on 5/28/24.*