3.5 rounded up to 4.

As much as I enjoyed reading If Something Happens to Me, I had some issues with the plot that I just couldn’t overlook.

Leavenworth, Kansas – Five years ago, Ryan Richardson and Alison Lane were two high school seniors in love, with their whole lives ahead of them. Until that faithful rainy night when while parked at Lovers Lane in Ali’s father’s BMW, Ryan was knocked unconscious by an unknown assailant, and when he regained consciousness, Alison, and the car, were gone.

At the time, no one believed Ryan’s story and since he was Alison’s boyfriend, as well as the last person to see her alive, all roads led to him as the prime suspect in her disappearance. Even when DNA evidence was later uncovered at the campsite of a known, and now deceased, serial killer, there were still those in Ryan’s small town (and beyond) who were still convinced he killed his girlfriend.

Then a grisly discovery shreds new light on the investigation. Alison’s car has been discovered submerged in Suncatcher Lake. And, in its backseat are two bodies, neither of which belong to Alison Lane.

If Something Happens to Me was fast-paced and action-packed – there was never a dull moment, and I was on an adrenaline high the entire time I was reading. At only 337 pages I zipped through this in record time, and when I was forced to put it down, the plot occupied my thoughts. The chapters were short and to the point, and nearly every single one ended on a cliffhanger, which definitely kept me turning the pages on my kindle’s touchscreen. All the characters were charismatic and unforgettable with compelling backstories, especially Ryan and Poppy. In fact, if Alex Finlay decides to turn this novel into a series featuring Poppy, Ryan, and others, in Leavenworth then I’m all for it. Just saying!

But unfortunately, I did have some issues with one twist, one plot line, and a plot thread that seemingly led nowhere and wasn’t wrapped up to my satisfaction. The latter two are spoilers so I will put a warning below. Now onto the twist, that was meant to be one of the novels biggest reveals, which I had worked out by the 30% mark. I wasn’t that bothered as it was a great twist, and to be fair I have read a lot of thrillers, but perhaps a couple of the clues were a tad obvious?



MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!

THE PLOT LINE. Why did Pinky Man go to all the trouble of tracking Ryan down in Italy, and why be so cryptic about it? Furthermore, how did he think Ryan was going to help him, since Ryan was in the dark regarding both the O’Leary crime family, and Michael and Alison’s whereabouts, and because he wasn’t really in a position to do anything even if Pinky Man had of come clean? Not only that, how did he find Ryan? Wouldn’t Pinky Man have been better off reaching out to Sheriff Walton and Poppy’s father, since they’d been there the night it all went down, and had given him a reprieve in the past? Sorry, this just never made sense to me, aside from being a way to further the plot.

THE PLOT THREAD. What happened to Laura Palmetto, the missing teen who disappeared from a nearby town two weeks prior to the current timeline? The MRK Killer was long dead by then. Why include this plot thread at all if it was never resolved?

END OF SPOILERS!



To sum up, I was thoroughly entertained overall, I guess that’s why I’m being so picky over details. After loving Every Last Fear and then being disappointed over The Night Shift, my positive experience If Something Happens to Me means I will definitely continue to read this author. Especially if this is the first in a series. *Hint, hint!*

I’d like to thank Netgalley, Head of Zeus, and Alex Finlay for the e-ARC.

If Something Happens to Me is only six days away from being released in the US, but this edition (the UK one) is out 6th June 2024.

5 years ago something bad happened to Ryan when he was spending a quiet evening out with his girlfriend Alison. They had just raced back to the car after the rain spoiled their evening when the door was wrenched open, Ryan thrown out and girlfriend and car taken.
After coming under suspicion and eventually being cleared, with no resolution forthcoming, he felt that in order to try and put it behind him, the only thing to do was to change his name and leave his hometown to continue his law studies further afield. To try and shake off the "killer" tag that he had been branded with.
Back in the present and while on a college trip to Italy with some classmates, he gets a call saying that Ali's car has been found in a lake and recovered along with two bodies... Not long after this, he sees what he thinks could be the man from that night. He has little recall of exactly what happened but there was one thing he did remember vividly.
Meanwhile we follow the new deputy sheriff Poppy McGeee as she investigates the car and its inhabitants. Specifically a note that is found in Ali's backpack...
And so begins one of the most convoluted and interconnected plots I have experienced in time. Oh my days it had me wondering where in the heck we were going half the time and then sitting back and applauding the author for, well, you'll have to read it to find out what... Suffice to say what was eventually delivered was something wholly unexpected, even given the segues into the past which were injected perfectly to progress and complement the present day action.
And then it all starts to come together and I actually had to stop and take a breath when I finally cottoned on to what was really happening. Take a bow Mr Finlay...
I am not sure what else I can say to convince you to read this book. I have read and enjoyed a few by this author and have just added the ones I was missing to my TBR. Honestly, if this is your genre, stop reading reviews and go and read this book instead.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Taut suspenseful thriller! The story is told very cleverly from multiple characters points of view (love this) It grips you and moves along at a superb pace. Loved every page, and have already recommended to family and friends for release day.

This was so cleverly written. The story is told from multiple characters points of view, all connected in some way, although some of it is not clear until the very end. The plot is gripping and fast paced. The puzzle of what really happened that night is full of unexpected twists. Definitely one I will read again!

I don't love giving 2 stars, but the goodreads definition is 'it was OK'. This book was OK. I read it, not completely enthusiastically, to the end. I didn't feel like I had to abandon it. I just read it.

The premise is that Ryan wakes up from a blow to the head to find his girlfriend missing, later presumed dead. We start 5 years into the future where her car is found, her not in it. Told from multiple perspectives, the story gradually comes together to reveal what happened, and why (as you expect a thriller will...).

It all just rolls along. No big twists, no dramatic changes of pace. Either I vagued out for a moment or it actually was confusing, but I found it hard to follow what actually happened with the core event of the book. Probably me not paying attention.

Anyway, it was fine.

Thrilling, shocking, chilling, and unputdownable!… Not one to be missed!

An exciting thriller read with twists that keep you guessing till the end! Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

While 'If Something Happens to Me' boasts an excellent premise and a very strong crime motive that sets a gripping tone, it falls short in character development. The short chapters make it a fast-paced read; however, the frequent changes in points of view may leave readers wishing for longer chapters to delve deeper into the characters' minds. Additionally, the plot suffers from too many unlikelihoods and coincidences, detracting from its overall believability. The plot reveals were also rather predictable. This book could have been much more memorable as it's such a great premise. Nevertheless, it remains an enjoyable thriller for those seeking a quick and entertaining read. Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!

Wow, one of the best books I've read all year. An explosive thriller that twists and turns and keeps you entirely engaged.
The two main characters Ryan and poppy are substantial and likable.
The weaving storyline were really clever.
Essentially, for me, this book in addition to the fast pace, was about love. I'm different forms, young love, familial love, friendship and how love can push us into decisions we might regret and how it can make us seek retribution.
Fantastic.

Unfortunately I didn't enjoy Alex Finlay's last book, so I am happy to say that I had a lot of fun reading If Something Happens to Me. It was very addicting and fast-paced. I liked how the narration shifted between different characters and locations, and I enjoyed all equally. I especially liked Poppy and Ryan, and I followed not only their storylines, but also their character growth with interest.
As for the mystery, after a while I guessed the main plot twists. They weren't super unexpected, especially if you read many thrillers. That being said, I still found the book enjoyable, and I always wanted to keep reading to see how everything would wrap up.
Perfect for a fast and entertaining read.

This is Alex Finlay's latest twisted thriller, which while requiring a huge suspension of disbelief, I enjoyed reading, it is divided into 3 sections, with its fast paced chapters that drive the story relentlessly forward. 5 years ago Ryan Richardson felt he had no choice to leave Leavenworth, Kansas, and enrol on a new law course, after his girlfriend, Alison Lake, was abducted, he was hit and left only with fractured memories. He had to endure chants of killer and could no longer enjoy the sport he loved so much, the cloud of suspicion that followed him had him changing his name. He is currently with a group of students in Italy, when he hears Alison's car has resurfaced in Suncatcher Lake.

However, Alison's body is not in the car, instead there are the bodies of 2 men, who are they and did they kill Alison? Is there a remote possibility that she might still be alive? Ryan gets a chilling note which suggests someone knows who he is, leaving him apprehensive, but he wants to know more about the past he has been unable to get over and remains haunted by. It is this that has him following leads, perhaps not a sensible move, but he cannot help it, travelling to the UK and France, initially helped by Nora, and later by the whole group of students. Meanwhile, in Kansas, the ex-military Poppy McGee has returned home, her father has serious health issues and her brother, Dash, is unable to cope.

Poppy is now serving as a deputy sheriff and pulls at the threads of the past, only to find some of them come far too close to home, professionally and personally. Whilst I mostly enjoyed this, there were occasions when it felt more like a too convuluted a put together of small pieces of a puzzle designed to bamboozle and, yes, to impress readers, perhaps too markedly Having said, I have no problems recommending this to those who love the crime and mystery genre as it was still engaging, an intense thrill ride, with its widely disparate cast of flawed characters, and packed with a myriad of twists and turns. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

If Something Happens to Me is a standalone suspense thriller set in Leavenworth, Kansas, by the author of bestsellers Every Last Fear and The Night Shift, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed, so I was pleased to be approved for a review copy of this one in spite of some less enthusiastic ratings from fellow reviewers. I found I was gripped from the beginning and raced through it to see how it would turn out.

The night before they are due to head to separate colleges, Ryan and his girlfriend Alison visit their local Lover’s Lane in her father’s car for a romantic goodbye, but then they are attacked, and when Ryan comes round, both Alison and the car are gone. Five years later, law student Ryan is still trying to move on from the suspicion that surrounded him and guilt at not being able to save her. When he recognises his attacker on a trip to Italy, and learns that Ali may still be alive, he is determined to find her - but ruthless killers are also looking for her - and will stop at nothing to track her down.

This is another tightly plotted mystery thriller with appealing main characters and a satisfying denouement, even if the twist was too predictable. As I’ve said of his previous books, Finlay is one of the few authors I’ve come across who can pull off present tense narration - possibly because the story is told from multiple points of view. The plot hinges on some unlikely coincidences - the car being found just as Ryan’s attacker finds him, and the way all the key Leavenworth characters are connected - unless I missed how these events were linked, but I can forgive this. I liked the way the main villain’s motivation made complete sense and you could almost sympathise with their actions, which doesn’t often happen in a thriller.

Thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for the ARC. If Something Happens to Me is published on June 6th.

I've been wanting to pick it up ever since it appeared on my kindle, as I loved the sound of the blurb with the promise of an international setting and multiple layers... And I have to say that I ended up having a blast with this story. Engaging, fast-paced and action-packed: If Something Happens To Me turned out to be yet another more than solid thriller.

This story uses a multiple POV structure and is also divided into different parts. These layers gave the story more dimension, and while you might wonder how the different POVs fit in together at first, it all becomes clear in the end. The POVs are spread out over different locations as well: you begin with Ryan in Italy, deputy Poppy in Kansas and the third set in Philadelphia that will provide the mobster angle. The last one doesn't seem to fit in with the story at first, but once the connection became clear I admit it was a clever one.

I love stories with a travel element, and we get plenty of that while we follow Ryan around. Italy, UK, France... His journey takes him across Europe as well as the US, and I liked what the locations added to the plot. This is probably why Ryan's POV is one of my favorites, although I really enjoyed spending time with Poppy as well. I could also appreciate that the different POVs introduced different thriller subgenres to the plot, blending for example detective, crime, psychological and mobster elements along the way. The story as a whole felt well balanced and I quite enjoyed the resulting thriller cocktail.

Things can be said about the credibility of it all, as certain twists are either farfetched or too convenient. I also spotted one of the big twists quite early on, but as a whole there were still plenty surprises along the way as well. If you don't mind the plot being over the top and are more interested in the entertainment level, If Something Happens To Me most likely won't let you down. Between the fast pace and engaging writing style it will be easy to keep turning those pages!

Fast paced thriller across multiple countries.
I loved this book, the characters were believable and the plot was fact paced. The locations were interesting and well described.
Will be recommending to all thriller lovers!

A glorious twisty new book from Alex Finlay! I was dragged in by the first page and found myself binge reading this popcorn thriller! Can’t wait to discuss with Alex at our book club!

I know I'm an outlier in saying this, but the book had so much potential and just fell flat. This is coming from someone who read "The Night Shift" and LOVED it.

"If Something Happens to Me" reads in the same fashion as his other work and is told from multiple POV's as everything comes together. In his other work I really enjoyed the way he executed this, however in this book it felt very confusing and kept jumping everywhere. It was very hard to keep track of everything unless I wrote things down (and sometimes I don't want to do that even though I usually enjoy it).

The book starts off really strong and then the twist is revealed, and this is where everything went downhill for me. The book did not keep up momentum past this and it was disappointing. It was also a very predictable book and I love a good challenge.

This however will not deter me from reading more of Alex Finlay's work because one book that didn't work for me doesn't reflect on his ability as a writer. I am certain that some of my friends on Goodreads will love this one and I hope they do!

2.75 rounded up to 3 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is one book I absolutely flew through. I started off the day at 44% and cruised to the very end.

Ali Lane is with her boyfriend Ryan when she disappears in thin air. Ryan was the number one suspect. Fast forward to five years later, Ryan is trying to live his life but when notes turn up for him whilst in Italy everything he knows comes crashing down. Especially when the car Alison was driving turns up submerged in the lake but with a twist - two dead bodies are inside. The question on everyones lips - who is in the car and is Alison still be alive?

This book ticked all my boxes. Short chapters that made me want to just keep reading especially when I got that "no way" plot twist. I just had to continue reading even with a crazy toddler running around. I enjoyed the character development in this book. The book has a fair share of good and bad characters. I loved Poppy McGee - the new deputy sheriff. If you are a fan of dark and also twisty mysteries this book is definitely for you. But be aware once you pick this book up you won't want any distractions.

Thank you Head of Zeus and Netgalley for my gifted copy of this e-book for my honest book review.

Wow if you like your thrillers with plenty of action then this is 100% the book for you as the pace just never let up at all from beginning to end. It’s a story that just when you think you know what’s happening along comes another twist that completely blows your mind and I absolutely loved it.
The story has a whole heap of characters and I was worried I may get confused (it doesn’t take much!) as to who was who but the writing is so well done that although the plot line is complex the author is so good it just flowed.
Plenty of reveals that I didn’t see coming, short punchy chapters and a non stop pace made it a quick read making me desperate to know just how the story would end and I was not disappointed in any way.
So a brilliant thriller with a lot to give hold on to your hats as it’s a wild and twisty ride and one I would highly recommend.
My thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus, Aries for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I read The night shift a few years ago and really liked it. I’m glad to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this one as well. I liked the multiple stories blending in with one another at the end. Some reveals were very interesting and kept my attention high. Also, the short chapters were awesome, and they made the plot even more fast-paced. I completely recommend this novel.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Ryan Richardson and his girlfriend, Alison are at lovers Lane when they are attacked. When Ryan wakes up, the car and Alison are gone. For 5 years he fights his innocence. Now under a new identity, Ryan is trying to start life again and studying abroad.
The book also tells the tale of gangster Shane O’Leary and the tragedy of his son, Anthony. The relevance of this soon unravels and provides complexity to Ryan’s situation.
Now the missing car is discovered in a nearby lake, and Detective Poppy McGee needs to find out who the men submerged in the car are and understand the cryptic note also found.
There is a lot going on and told from various points of view, but all comes together to the most delightful story. Really enjoyed this book and warmed to Poppy’s character as she pulls it all together.

Very gripping and hard to put down. Will look forward to this author’s next book. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.