Five years ago high school student Ali Lane was abducted from a car while with her boyfriend, Ryan, who everyone suspects killed her. Now the car has resurfaced with clues to what happened including a note that says “if anything happens to me…” with a code. This catapults the story into action across multiple cities and countries, different POVs/narrators, and storylines to find out what truly happened that night.

As the story developed and I could see where the storylines and characters connected, I liked the story more, but it took me a while to get into it. I think if you like high-action thrillers. you will enjoy this book. Also, if you liked The Last Thing He Told Me, this is up your alley!

I listened to the audiobook, and I would recommend reading a physical copy. Although there is a multicast of narrators, there were many characters in the book. Some of the narrators overlapped characters and it made it more challenging to keep up with who was who. In my opinion, I also only liked 1 of the narrators voice. Overall, there is so much going on in the book that I think it would be easier to keep track of what is happening by reading it vs. listening.

TW: bullying, violence, murder

How in the F does Alex Finlay always do this!? He makes me question everything: what happened, how are these people connected, he/she did WHAT!? And then the stories end up coming full circle, each person contributing to the overall mystery. It's just seriously great!

This takes place all over, from Italy, France and England to Philly and Leavenworth, KS. At first there seem to be a lot of characters to keep straight but when it all comes together my jaw was on the floor. It was hard to choose who to believe and who to root for. There was a point when I really thought everyone had something to hide and there was no one to trust. That last big betrayal did me in, I needed nothing more than for Poppy to solve this.

The short chapters will keep readers turning pages in a rush and the multi POV gives this story great chance to get to know all the main players. Loved it.

I thought each of the narrators was great! They each brought the story to life wonderfully.

If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay
Narrators: Helen Laser; John Pirhalla; Paul Dateh
Rating: 5 stars
Pub date: 5/28

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for my advanced copy and Macmillan Audio for my complimentary audiobook.

This fast-paced thriller hooked me right from the start! The story centers around Ryan Richardson, a law student trying to escape his tragic past. Five years ago, his girlfriend Ali disappeared under mysterious circumstances, and Ryan has lived under a cloud of suspicion ever since. The discovery of Ali's car, submerged in a lake with two dead bodies and a cryptic note, reopens the investigation and sends Ryan on a quest for the truth.

The multiple POV’s weave together Ryan's search through Europe with the investigation by a young sheriff’s deputy in Kansas, and the movements of a mobster in Philadelphia. The characters are all well developed and the plot is so fast paced that I couldn’t put this one down. The vivid descriptions, from the rolling hills of Tuscany to the streets of Philadelphia, made this feel like an immersive experience.

While the story has its share of gruesome scenes and emotional moments, they heighten the stakes and add some depth. The twists and turns kept me guessing until the very end, and the resolution was more than satisfying. I went back and forth between my ecopy and the audiobook, and the short chapters and multiple narrators helped bring this story to life!

Finlay is one of my favorite thriller writers, and If Something Happens to Me cements his status as a leader in the genre. This book is a must-read for fans of suspenseful, character-driven mysteries.

This was a page turner! I stayed up late to finish it. Loved the book’s unpredictable format and various locales. Trying to figure it all out was half the fun and the slow build of all the connections between the families was so worth the wait. I’m hoping Poppy and Ryan make appearances in another book as these are characters to follow. Want a book with murder, mystery, and thrills- grab a copy! Thanks to #Netgalley and St. Matin’s Publishing for the ARC.

Apparently, I listened to 96% of this book and then just forgot to finish it until now.

Like Finlay's previous novel Every Last Fear, the reader is taken on an international chase to get to the truth of this thriller. At the beginning there are entirely separate POVs with seemingly no overlap, but the stories start to converge in Part Two.

The short chapters hook the reader and keep the pages turning. This book is very fast-paced!

I enjoyed the story and how the reveal came together, but found Part Three to be extremely abrupt. While the loose ends are all tied up, I felt like I wanted a bit more from where the characters all ended up.

If Something Happens to Me
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Alex Finlay

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: 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. His girlfriend Ali’s piercing scream as she is taken.

With no trace of Ali or the car, a cloud of suspicion hangs over Ryan. But with no proof and a good lawyer, he’s never charged, though that doesn’t matter to the podcasters and internet trolls. Now, Ryan has changed his last name, and entered law school. He's put his past behind him.

Until, on a summer trip abroad to Italy with his law-school classmates, Ryan gets a call from his father: Ali's car has finally been found, submerged in a lake in his hometown. 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…

Then, halfway around the world, the unthinkable happens: Ryan sees the man who has haunted his dreams since that night.

As Ryan races from the rolling hills of Tuscany, to a rural village in the UK, to the glittering streets of Paris in search of the truth, he has no idea that his salvation may lie with a young sheriff’s deputy in Kansas working her first case, and a mobster in Philadelphia who’s experienced tragedy of his own.

My Thoughts: Finlay is becoming one of my go-to thriller authors and is on auto-buy. I requested this on NetGalley without even reading the synopsis. Ryan Richardson keeps playing that terrible night in his head, when he was hit on the head and his girlfriend, Ali was taken and never seen again. Ryan is in Italy with some classmates on a trip abroad for law school. Ryan gets a call from his father advising that the police have found Ali’s car submersed in a local lake with two unknown men shot. There is a very cryptic note that was located in the car that no one has been able to decode. While studying abroad, Ryan sees the man from his nightmares. As Ryan embarks on a goose chase to question this man, from Italy to the UK, a young sheriff from Kansas reaches out to him on her first case with a mobster, who himself has suffered a tragedy. Are these cases related? Or is Ryan just on a wild goose chase for nothing?

The story opens up with a huge bang 💥 in the prologue and sets the tone for the story. Ryan was harassed for being the killer when his girlfriend, Ali, disappeared five years ago. He had to relocate to a different city and changed his name to leave the craziness that followed that nightmarish night. Poppy was discharged from the military and has taken a job as deputy sheriff. Poppy is refreshing and I hope that we see her in future books. Lastly, we have Shane O’Leary, big time mobster in Philadelphia. O’Leary son is a student at the new academy and the challenges he is facing will impact this storyline tremendously. When these characters intersect into the perfect puzzle, it will have readers on an amazing journey to decode the mystery.

The storyline is stretched across three parts. The story has multiple narrators with some past interweaved in. Narrators include Ryan, Poppy (sheriff in Kansas), and O’Leary (mobster) with some other characters with a chapter or two. Even though there are a surplus of characters, once you get them straightened out, it is easy to keep up. The characters were well developed, created with depth, mystery, secretive, and intriguing. The author’s writing style was complex, compelling, twisty, and suspenseful. The characters were built up with the plot being developed in multilayered twists. Then the ending was something I did not see coming and it was absolutely fantastic.

Finlay is a masterful storyteller that can spin twists from the twists. This epic novel will be at the top lists for 2024. This psychological thriller was compelling, tense, dark, captivating, gripping, and kept me on my toes until I finished it. The narrators, Helen Laser and John Pirhalla, really do an amazing job with this storyline. Their voice variation excels across the various character distinctions. The flow and pace were perfect and I was able to listen at 2x with no issues keeping up. At a little over 7 hours, I was able to get through this in just a few days, as I could not wait to get to the end. This is out today, go pick up now!!

If Something Happens to Me was a mystery that really kept me on the edge of the seat. I loved the new Sheriff Character , Poppy McGee she was a spit fire and interesting character that I feel moves the story in a great way. I could not stop reading and could not wait to get to the end of this mystery to find out the whole story. Great Book

I have enjoyed everything I've read by Finlay, and this one is no exception. But......this one has a different vibe than his last two books (but not in a bad way). I listened to this one on audio, but I wish I had done the print version since there are so many characters and storylines to keep track of (and my brain does better retaining info in print). The description for this one leaves so much out, and the story goes in directions I did not expect at all. The action is fast-paced and nonstop, and I flew through this one in about a day. I love that the action shifts between small towns in the US as well as popular tourist attractions in Europe. I don't want to give too much away with any more detail, but I definitely recommend this action-packed crime thriller!

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up. This was such a fast paced and action packed thriller. The premise was interesting and I couldn’t wait to see where the story was heading. What did Ali think would happen to her? At times the multiple POVs and multiple locations did get a little confusing, but I enjoyed the way everything came together at the end. I thought the twist was well done, and I did not see it coming.

The narrators did an amazing job with the story. I really enjoyed the multicast narration which helped with the different POVs, and everyone had a distinct voice. I felt that this had a little too much mobster action for my own personal liking but if you enjoy those aspects, I would recommend this one.

This was an engaging and suspenseful thriller- mobsters, law enforcement who keep you guessing about you you can trust, young love, bullying, revenge with a long memory, an entertaining true crime podcaster to the rescue, and a group of law school students who were in the background, but by the end I wished they had more page time. The settings were transportive: small town Kansas, Tuscany, Paris & the UK. Lots of twists and turns kept the story moving at a good pace. I listened to the audiobook and the narration was fantastic. This was the first book I’ve read by this author and I’ll definitely read more.
Thank you #NetGalley and #Minotaur Publishing for the ARC audiobook.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I did enjoy it but it was a little slow paced. I liked Poppy’s character the most. The story is told in 3 POV’s, so listening to the audiobook was nice having the distinct different voices.
Overall I would recommend the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Alex Finlay returns to the scene with another twisty, fast paced novel that leaves even seasoned Finlay readers guessing what will come next.

A five year old mystery is finally hot again when a missing girl’s car is pulled from a lake - with two bodies inside and a note that will change the fate of all of those involved in this case forever. This case goes international as all of those involved - the new sheriff deputy, the seasoned FBI agent, the teenage boyfriend turned suspect - all race to find the truth and find the girl before more bodies are added to the count.

I flew through this story - from the beginning I knew this would be a one day read, but I managed to finish it in under six hours between the book and audio. The story is seamless - every person is interwoven in this plot in unsuspecting ways - even an experienced reader of thrillers and Alex Finlay’s work will not see every connection before it happens. It’s a true testament to an author’s craft when they are able to cohesively write a plot where you have to pick up on every single detail or you’re going to hit a wall of shock when the reveals happen. Oh, and they happen up until the very last page.

The audiobook is well done - with dual narrators that are easy to understand at a high playback speed. Pairing both the book and the audio was a great experience for me as a reader who sat down and didn’t get up until I was done.

I’m a huge fan of Finlay - so this was an easy 5 star for me. Be sure to grab a copy or download the audio!

What a binge worthy thriller! I loved the fast pace, the audio was well done. The story was well developed. The quick chapters kept the story moving along. It kept me guessing the whole time. This is my first book by this author but it won’t be my last! Thanks Macmillan audio for the early listener copy!

I don’t even know what to say about this book because I’ve just been sitting here, stewing in my thoughts and feelings since finishing it. The narrators were EXCELLENT, the plot was even better. You know those books that have lots of POVs and skip between the past and present and seem really choppy? This book is done really well and I never felt like it was choppy or like I was confused or irritated. I loved every second of this book. 10/10 recommend.

Alex Finlay does it again. I was hooked from early on and almost finished this in on sitting. It was fast paced (with short chapters) and a plot that kept me entertained. I have said this over and over and will continue to do so, I'm a sucker for multiple POVs. I think they all brought something to this story. I thought it was easy to follow along. I don't know if I'd call this a thriller...but if you are interested in a mob style book, I highly suggest this one!!

I listened as I read. I thought the narrators did a great job!

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillian, Minotaur Books, and Alex Finlay for the advanced copy of If Something Happens to Me in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this police procedural/suspense thriller, but it was not what I was expecting. There were no twists or reveals, as one would expect. It was more like the story just moved along, in sort of a “and then this happened, then this happened” fashion. The plot was predictable, but it almost seemed that way on purpose. So in that sense, I don’t exactly know what this genre was. This was my first Finley, so I did appreciate the legal accuracies and the references to the law. Even though I overall enjoyed it, I’m not inspired to go back and try more of this author’s work.

If Something Happens to Me | By Alex Finlay
✉️ ✉️ ✉️ ✉️ ✉️ / 5
Fast paced, short chapters, various POV

I could not put this book down it was so fast paced and thrilling! At first I was trying to figure out how all the different point of views would tie together but the author did a great job piecing it all together throughout the book! I loved getting little breadcrumbs throughout the book! I audibly gasped a few times reading it that my husband requested to listen to the book during our road trip! The narration was great with three different actors (Helen Laser, John Pirhalla, and Paul Dateh) which made it all the more entertaining!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press - Minotaur books and Macmillan Audio for the digital advanced readers and listeners copy!! This novel will be published May 28, 2024! Add it to your TBR!!

Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced audio copy of “If Something Happens to Me” by Alex Finlay for a review.

Alex Finlay is one of those hit or miss authors for me. I loved The Night Shift, but found Every Last Fear just okay, and stayed away from What Have We Done based on the reviews.

I enjoyed If Something Happens to Me! I didn’t see the main twist coming, and I really liked how the characters became connected as the story progressed. I think this will be a big thriller for the summer. I blew through it in less than 2 days, and while I’d recommend it to fellow readers/listeners, I’m not sure if it’ll stay with me long term.

If Something Happens to Me Review

A Big Thank You to Macmillan Audio for sending me “If Something Happens to Me” Audiobook to review!

To preface, I have never read a book by Alex Finlay so I was definitely excited to listen to his newest book, “If Something Happens to Me.”

And I am excited to announce that I was hooked on this book from the start! With its short chapters, it felt like I was flying through it!

In this book, we follow multiple POVs who are all connected to the story’s central mystery…a high school senior goes missing during a date with her boyfriend.

The twists just had me on the edge of my seat, especially with the introduction of a particular character (ie one of the Philly characters).

As a travel lover, I love that this book takes place in a number of locations (Domestically and Internationally): a small town in Kansas, Philadelphia, Italy, England, France.

By giving some of the characters accents, specific to the certain locations, it gave the characters more depth and added a new dimension to them.

As much as I loved this book, the only thing I felt lukewarm about was the ending…it just felt a little lackluster for me after all the exciting twists throughout (guess I was expecting one final twist).

However, since I enjoyed this book so much, I had to give it a four star rating!

I will definitely be on the lookout for more books by Alex Finlay (New Book Mission: look into his backlist books)!

“If Something Happens to Me” by Alex Finlay goes onsale tomorrow (05/28/24)!

For the past 5 years Ryan has lived with the horror of the night his girlfriend Allison was taken and he was helpless but could hear her screams. Now in law school and on a summer trip to Rome, his father calls to let him know that her car has been found but her body is not in it, oddly two dead men and a note written in code are all that are found. Then to his horror, in Italy, Ryan sees the man who grabbed Allison and has haunted his dreams. Ryan races to follow him all the way to the UK needing to find out what happened to Ali. Back at home a young deputy sheriff is also trying to solve the case and also determine how her family may be connected to it all - and she may be the only person that Ryan can trust to help solve him.

This was immersive from the first chapter and I loved every twist and turn of this one. I switched between audio and reading which can sometimes be confusing (especially with so many characters, timelines and storylines) but in the case both mediums worked really well together. I loved the multiple POVs and the intertwining storylines that at the outset I couldn’t figure out how they would ever meet, but the author wove a great story and tied everything up at the end seamlessly. This is one of those books that is picked up in the morning and done the same day because you can’t go to sleep without knowing the end! I will definitely need to look at the @alexfinalyauthor’s backlist!

4.25

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC to review