In true Alex Finlay fashion this was quite the page turner. I will say this is different than his other books, and I'm not sure I liked that part. There is the missing girl presumed dead, and all the mystery behind that was interesting. It's when we find out why everything happened like it did that lost me. I feel if I say anything more it will be a spoiler. If you love this author like I do then don't miss out on this one. Just know it's a little different.

Five years ago Ryan and his girlfriend Ali drove to lovers lane for a romantic evening but the night ended with tragedy…Ali was kidnapped and Ryan became the prime suspect. Ryan has tried to put the past behind him by changing his last name and entering law school. On a trip to Italy Ryan is suddenly thrust back into the past as new leads in the case send Ryan on a wild goose chase to find the truth.

If Something Happens to Me is an exciting new mystery/thriller by author Alex Finlay. This novel was such a thrill ride with parallel stores, cryptic messages, and a young man who can’t let go of the past. I will warn readers that this novel has some graphic content (torture) which was very violent and gory. That being said this was a fantastic fast-paced read that I didn’t want to put down..a must read for 2024!

I have enjoyed several of Alex Finlay's novels in the past couple of years and this one is no exception. The story opens with a mysterious disappearance of a girl, a possibly falsely accused young man and the appearance of a car with 2 dead men. Related? Red herring? This novel has a lot of twists and turns and while may dally with the edge of disbelief, is well plotted and easy to pull together by the end. It was an ambitious and solid thriller!

✨If Something Happens to Me ✨⁣
⁣⁣
⁣Genre- Thriller. ⁣
⁣⁣
⁣Length- 336 Pages. ⁣
⁣⁣
⁣My thoughts- Alex Finlay has delivered another twisty, addicting thriller! For the last five years, Ryan has lived in the shadow of one horrific night. When his girlfriend, Allison, vanishes from the local lovers lane Ryan is the main suspect and a cloud of suspicion hangs over him. But then Ali’s car is found submerged in a lake and Ryan spots the man he thinks abducted her… ⁣
⁣⁣
⁣This is such a fun book. It’s a fast paced, intense story with several different distinct characters and voices! If Something Happens to Me is one of those fantastic thrillers that you pick up one morning and completely ignore all responsibilities and obligations for the rest of the day! I loved it! ⁣
⁣⁣
⁣I recommend this one to thriller fans. Four stars! ⁣
⁣⁣
⁣Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in return for an honest review. If Something Happens to Me publishes on May 28, 2024.

If Something Happens to Me is a captivating and well-crafted thriller that will leave readers guessing until the very end. I really love this author's writing and I appreciate so much receiving an advanced copy of this upcoming book in exchange for my honest review!
One of the standout features of this book is the way the author expertly brings together multiple storylines and characters. At first, it may seem like there is a lot going on and it's hard to see how everything will come together. However, Finlay's skillful storytelling gradually reveals the connections between the different threads, creating a satisfying and cohesive narrative.
The characters in If Something Happens to Me are well-developed and the pacing of the novel is spot-on, with the tension building steadily throughout. Finlay knows exactly when to ramp up the suspense. The story kept me engaged and eager to see how everything would transpire. If you're a fan of suspenseful and intricately plotted novels, this book is a must-read. 4 1/2 stars rounded up.

This is one of my favorite authors and he has done it again with this book, very well written, and a very fast page turning read. I stayed up late a few nights to finish it. Ryan Richardson and his girlfriend Alison Lane are a young couple madly in love and looking for a little privacy at a local lover's lane, they are startled by the door opening and a man hitting Ryan over the head making his lose consciousness, when he wakes Ali and her car are gone. He of course is considered the main suspect and although cleared by investigation, the public and podcasts are relentless in pursuit of proving he did it. He eventually changes his name and move to another city for college. Five years late while on a trip for college with some of his classmates he gets a cryptic notice to meet someone at a certain location, which he ignores, he then gets another and after catching a glimpse of the man who he believes hit him over the head the night his girlfriend went missing, he goes to the meeting, which is with that man. The pace picks up quite a bit at that point, Ryan goes to the town where the man lives, things don't go well, his dad tells him that Ali's car had been found submerged in a lake with two bodies in it, a local mob type also has an interest in Ali from something that happened during school. A new to the job Deputy Sheriff, Poppy McGee, is tasked with investigating the two men in the vehicle and becomes very involved in the events that happen. Overall a very good book which I would highly recommend. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Minotaur Books for the ARC.

This was an okay read for me. I found it hard to connect with any of the characters and felt the writing was a bit flimsy. I’ve loved Finlay’s work in the past but this one missed the mark. I enjoyed Poppy’s POV most of all. The Taylor twist was what shocked me the most but other than that, it just wasn’t for me. I will continue to read anything by Finlay & I thank Netgalley for allowing me an advanced copy!

For the past five years, Ryan Richardson has been haunted by a traumatic night when his girlfriend Ali was abducted, leaving no trace. Despite enduring suspicion and public scrutiny, Ryan changes his last name, enters law school, and attempts to move on. However, his past resurfaces when Ali's car is discovered submerged in a lake, containing two dead men and a cryptic note in her handwriting. The narrative unfolds through multiple characters and timelines for a unique story.

I find this book difficult to rate. The beginning was really interesting and enjoyable but about 70% in I was ready for it to wrap up. The plot is definitely interesting and I was waiting to see how all the point of views would tie together but I found myself getting confused because there were so many characters and multiple timelines. It took me a minute to mentally draw a map and figure out how everyone was connected.

Overall, I'm really happy with the story and how it wrapped up. There were no loose ends and it all came together well.

More of a crime/ mystery than a thriller about a girl presumed dead 5 years ago
Blends in multiple time lines from different points of view taking place in several locations in America & Europe which can be a bit confusing at times
Interesting interplay between good & evil
Entertaining read that suspends belief
The plot was interesting but I never connected with the characters very much and something fell flat for me
Short chapters & all in all worthy read

A brilliant and action packed thriller. I just recently discovered this author and I need to read all the books! Such an intense book I couldn’t stop reading!

Mobsters, a feisty young deputy sheriff and a law student make up the main characters of this twisty, crime novel. Five years before the story begins, a high school student named Ryan was parked at lovers lane with his girlfriend Alison. A man broke into their car, hurt Ryan and kidnapped Alison. Alison was never seen again and Ryan was considered a suspect in her murder until one of Alison's hairs was found on the sleeping bag of a serial killer. The only thing Ryan remembered about the man was that he was missing his pinky fingers and he never believed the serial killer story. . Ryan is now a law student at Georgetown and is on vacation in Italy with his girlfriend Nora and some other friends. One day Ryan and Nora go on a hot air balloon ride and below them on the ground he sees a man staring at him, a man missing his pinky fingers.

Poppy is a woman in her early twenties and a new deputy sheriff. Her father was friends with the current sheriff Ken Watson and Poppy is eager to make a name for herself. When a car is pulled from the river that turns out to be Alison's car, she feels a spark; maybe she can find out what really happened to Alison. In another scene a mobster named Shane O'Leary and his wife Gina are trying to help their young son who is being bullied. Shane runs a big criminal enterprise and has lots of people working for him but finds he still cannot help his lonely, sad son. How these various stories come together is done in a layered and twisty way. The author does a great job of slowing doling out information so the readers can gradually understand what is happening and what is at stake for the various characters.

I generally don't like mobster stories but I did like Poppy who was smart and fearless and I liked Ryan who was trying so hard to run away from the past where he was a suspect and lived with never knowing what happened to Alison. I thought the short chapters worked well since there were a lot of characters and the book had good pacing. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a review.

4 1/5 ⭐️

This one was really good, I mean I always a little confused throughout it but once I realized what Alex did with the writing I was able to really enjoy it, the twist was great, but wasn’t too much to give me anxiety and the story ended amazing!

Alex is definitely going to be one of my auto-buy authors! 😆

This was more of a slow burn than I expected l, and mostly works because I made some assumptions, as intended I’m sure, about the different POVs. I’d recommend this to people who like a mystery with a lot of characters, but not to those to can’t resist reading ahead or reading the ending, you need to follow the author’s plan for your thinking!

From the first page, the action-packed opening, swift character introductions, and attention-grabbing short chapters captivate the reader. It's evident that Finlay has reclaimed his magical thrilling mojo, solidifying this book as another triumph in his literary arsenal.

From the first chapter, it was action packed. The book has short chapters that move the story along quickly. I was intrigued by all 3 different POVs in the book, and was really interested to see how they would be connected.

The story begins with Ryan and Ali spending their last night before college together. Suddenly, Ryan gets knocked out and Ali and the car disappear. All Ryan can remember is a man missing this pinky fingers. Five years later, Poppy’s police team find the car submitted in a lake. She is committed to trying to sold the old mystery. We also get the story of Shane, a mobster, and the jobs he’s trying to get done in Philadelphia. At first I had no idea now these would connect- but wow, I absolutely loved it.

This book is for those that love quick, fast paced, assassins and world crimes. The story quickly goes from Kansas to a thrilling chase around the world.

It is clear that Alex Finley has outdone himself again! I’m glad I gave this book a chance. I read it in two days! Definitely get this book and you won’t be disappointed!

This book comes out May 28, 2024. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 [SPOILER FREE]
Thank you to St Martin's Press, Minotaur Books & Alex Finlay for the e-ARC in exchange for honest review!

--Ryan's life changes forever when his girlfriend Alison is kidnapped and presumed killed when they're 18 years old. In some minds, he is her killer, though he has held to his story and innocence. He's tried to move on and is on his way through law school when new evidence surfaces in his hometown, leading to discoveries about that night he never thought possible.--


I fell in love with Alex Finlay's books when my best friend recommended The Night Shift. His other novels haven't lived up to that in my mind but this one comes close. It's fast paced, twisty, multiple POV with short chapters that I flew through. I loved how this all came together. Parts of the ending felt a bit rushed or unbelievable so I knocked off the .5, but it is a thoroughly enjoyable thriller that I loved my time with. I firmly believe Alex Finlay is an auto-buy worthy author and will continue to be as long as he publishes. A fantastic journey start to finish.

Ryan's high school girlfriend Ali is abducted right in front of him one night their senior year. He has lived with the fallout ever since. Now under a different name and halfway across the world, he uncovers new truths about that night in Kansas and that what he thinks happened couldn't be further from the truth. Meanwhile back in Kansas a young new deputy sheriff is looking into the case with new eyes and begins to unravel the truth about what really happened that night. Told in parallel narratives this story is captivating and kept me up turning the pages late into the night! Fast-paced and action packed in true Finlay style, you don't want to miss this one!

Alex Finlay’s tight short chapters made this a fast adrenaline-fueled story. Told through multiple distinct characters each with so much at stake made me keep turning the pages. From the first page, two lovers scrambling through the rain to the car only to be violently interrupted resulting in an abduction and lives upended this fast-paced thriller was truly enjoyable.

The individual puzzling storylines were weaved together with the expertise of a seasoned storyteller and the mystery of the initial incident and the motivations behind the many crimes came together with multiple surprises.

From Kansas to England to Paris I traveled through skillfully crafted places awaiting another crime or catastrophe to occur.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur for an advanced review copy of this addictive exciting novel.

I look forward to reading his backlist whenever I might need a smart, compelling, fast-paced mystery to go to.

▪️𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯
▪️𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴
▪️𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦
▪️𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯

this book officially put @alexfinlayauthor on my top thriller authors. i couldn’t put this down, it was so bingeworthy, so detailed, i absolutely loved it. there were shocking twists, bold characters, and a fcked up puzzle to be solved. absolutely loved it & highly recommend to my thriller girlies🫶

fast-paced and action-packed from beginning to end! this was a quick and compelling read that i could not put down. while not all of the twists were surprising, i still found myself fully invested in the story. i loved the epilogue - the wrap up for each characater was very fitting. another great thriller from alex finlay!

If you like fast paced thrillers - this is the book for you! Oh my goodness! I have never read any of Alex Finlay’s books - The Night Shift has been on my shelf waiting to be read forever! What have I been waiting for! I need to read EVERYTHING they have written.

Ryan and his high school girlfriend, Ali are at “Lover’s Lane” before they say goodbye to head to college. But the night is interrupted. The door ripped open. The blow to the head. Ali’s screams. Ali disappears without a trace. And Ryan is the prime suspect. But with no evidence, that is dismissed and a serial killer is found guilty. Five years later, Ali’s car is found submerged in a lake with all signs leading that the serial killer is not her killer. There are two dead bodies and an envelope with a cryptic note in Ali’s handwriting “If Something Happens to Me”

If Something Happens To Me is told in alternating POV’s from Kansas, to England, to Philly, to France. The characters paths all intersect.

I was hooked from the first page to the last - this book is the definition of un-put-down-able! I read this in one day! The characters are well developed, the story is twisty and just overall amazing!

A solid 5 ⭐️ read - this is one ARC that I will buy when it comes out! I need this book and everyone needs to read it!