absolutely wonderful!!!! i read the ARC copy a little while back and absolutely loved it, but i think i may have enjoyed the audiobook even more!!!!! excellent narration!!

IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME
Alex Finlay

Out next week, Alex Finlay’s new thriller has early readers split.

Let’s talk about it!

Known as Dodge to some, Ryan Richardson to others, but Ryan to most. He’s trying to extend himself beyond the shadows of his past. He wants to remember something he has no memory of and forget all the ghosts that haunt him, including most importantly, Allison.

They met in high school, made a fast connection, and seemed fated for each other. One night, Allison and Ryan are making out in the backseat of Allison’s car and the next thing Ryan knows he wakes up alone, Allison is gone, the car is gone, and there are no clues and no suspects, except for him.

The investigation into Allison’s disappearance leads nowhere. Ryan, cleared of all suspicion, tries to start his life over with a new last name, at a new school, with new friends who know nothing of that fateful night, Allison, or any implications that Ryan might be involved.

It’s years later, and another teen girl is missing. A car is found submerged in water and at first, it’s thought to be related to her case. But surprisingly what they discover is that it’s Allison’s car. And her cold case turns hot again as Poppy, new to the job, tries to solve both cases.

Are they connected and if so, how?

IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME is in its most basic form a bro thriller. We’re discussing THOT’s not thoughts and the plot revolves around high school heroes, stick shifts, and ransom letters. It lacks contemplation and cohesion, and I imagined his sentences like Tetris blocks. A little clunky and ill-fitted, not exactly in the right place.

On page, it’s a contemporary thriller set in a small town with a well-meaning detective new on the job, and a tricky case to solve. There are revolving perspectives; at first, you’re not sure how everything and everyone is related. Ultimately, it all comes together in the end, but my reading experience was more tepid than hot.

Thanks to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the advanced copies!

IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME...⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to @macmillan.audio and netgalley for this gifted ALC!

𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆
What I love about Alex Finlay is that he not only writes a thriller, but he writes an action packed thriller! This book had be completely invested in all of the stories that were slowly being weaved together until the climax turning point! There were multiple POVs and plenty of twists that kept the story going at maximum pace. If you like action, a complex storyline, and twists that you won't expect, then this book is for you!

𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸
Helen Laser, John Pirhalla, and Paul Dateh did an amazing job narrating this book! Each had a distinct voice and it was clear who was narrating the alternating chapters. I listened at 1.5x speed and everything was easy to understand. I definitely recommend the audio for this one!

I always love a good summer thriller and this one should definitely be on your TBR!

This was a quick read, bingeable read with short chapters (which I love), and a couple of twists that kept me guessing. With this multi-layered storyline, Finlay does a great job of weaving together the lives of these characters and definitely kept me guessing as to how this was all going to come together. I definitely think this is my new favorite Alex Finlay book!

This book was wonderful! I don't want to say too much to prevent giving away some of the twists, but it was a wonderful read. I enjoyed the characters, how everything tied together, and the resolution. It seemed like a fast read too. Maybe it was because I couldn't put it down!

This was my first book by Alex Finlay and I am a fan! I love how it is written. I thought it started a bit slow, but in hindsight I feel like it might have been my own confusion! Once I figured out the way it was written, I was all in!! I swear I didn’t see anything coming and Finlay tricked me several times. I really enjoyed this read and I’m glad I gave it a try!

On a fateful night five years ago, Ali was ripped from her boyfriend Ryan’s parked car and never seen again. Despite there being no trace of Ali, people always suspected Ryan, but he was finally able to move on with his life. Now five years later, Ali’s car is found submerged in a local lake with two dead bodies inside, bringing the old mystery back to the surface.

What an engaging and entertaining thriller! This was my first Alex Finlay book, but it won’t be my last! There are three points of view: Ryan; Poppy, a young female sheriff’s deputy; and Shane, a Philadelphia mob boss. It’s not at all clear how they’re going to intersect, but it’s a twisty, turny ride to get there! I love the concept of Ali leaving an envelope marked with “If Something Happens to Me” (hence the title, love that!) with a cryptic message inside that Ryan has to decipher. When the threads of the various plotlines all come together, it’s jaw dropping and head spinning!

This is a great read, but the audiobook version is even better! Full cast narration by Helen Laser, John Pirhalla, and Paul Dateh really brings the characters to life. It was super easy to keep track of the various storylines and even though there were quite a few characters, the separate narrators for each POV made it simple to keep them all straight.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for providing me an advance copy of this book.

If Something Happens to Me
Alex Finley
Macmillan Audio
Release day: May 28, 2024
Format: Audio books courtesy of Macmillan Audio
5/ 5

Ya’ll. Alex Finley does it again. When I saw that I would be able to review “If Something Happens to Me” for the Macmillan Audio Ambassadors program, I never hit “download” as quickly as that moment. I am a huge fan of Finley’s twists and turns and knew that I would be in for a wild ride. This time, we follow a cold case of a teenage girl who has been missing for five years, and her boyfriend’s search to find out exactly what happened.
Laced with action, intrigue, and crazy twists, this book is definitely a top for me this year. Finley has an amazing skill of introducing every clue you need, but leaves you scrambling to figure out how it all links together. The audiobook was also fantastic because of the multi-actor cast, giving each of the characters a distinct quality that gave life to the story.
With strong characters throughout the book, it was easy to become involved with their stories and the case that linked everyone together. Each character was well-written and had depth to them, leaving me wanting to learn more about each of their own personal stories. If you have never read a story but Finley before, I strongly encourage you to read this book. He is one of my favorites storytellers and I have loved every one of his books.

This is an amazing story and I really enjoyed reading it . It was fun to connect all the story’s together and figure out plot twist in the storyline. I highly recommend this book , it’s a pleasant read !

I love when a book draws you right into the action! Ryan and Ali start the evening together in her dad's car, only for their night to end when both Ali and the car vanish without a trace, leaving suspicion to fall on Ryan.

Five years later, Ryan is in Italy when his dad calls to reveal that they found Ali's car at the bottom of the lake with two dead bodies, neither of which is Ali, and a cryptic note in Ali's handwriting - "If Something Happens To Me..."

The book is told from multiple points of view. Some points of view are clearly connected, whereas others seem to have a storyline of their own. But when all of them collided, my jaw dropped and I audibly gasped!

The first 1/3 or so of the book really lays the groundwork for character and story development. But Finlay does it in such a way that you still feel the tension and the action building, so it doesn't feel like a slow burn at all.

The one thing I didn't love was how it all ended so abruptly. I felt like it was still building and that more was going to be unveiled and suddenly it's the epilogue. I almost felt cheated. I wanted more!

This was my first Alex Finlay novel and I am absolutely going to head into his backlist and read some more!

This was a quick and entertaining read! I listened to the entire audiobook in just over a day. The story was intriguing and engaging. Even though the story took place in multiple cities with multiple POVs, I was still able to keep track of it all. I even love that one of the cities it takes place in is Philadelphia. The story follows Ryan Richardson, who when in high school, was at Lovers Lane with his girlfriend Ali and we was taken from the car and disappeared without a trace. Her disappearance has haunted Ryan his entire life, even forced him to change his last name to stop the trolling because the world thought he was the killer. However, years later, Ryan sees the man who took Ali and he tries to confront him. Each character had depth, even the mafia guys. Yes, there was some mafia in this book, but it wasn’t the whole story. There were a couple of twists that I enjoyed. The multiple narrators worked excellently for this book. This was a fast-paced psychological thriller that kept me on my toes, and I would recommended it to anyone who enjoys a quick thriller.

This thriller was such a good fast paced listen. The narrator really drew you in and made you want to keep going. Ryan goes to college and tries to hide the fact that he was suspected of murder when his girlfriend disappeared in high school. When the car they were driving that night is found in the lake with two men dead in the front seat, a new assistant deputy in town starts to look into what really happened to Ali. I really was not expecting some of the twists that came out and they definitely kept me guessing.

This book is pretty short with short chapters and is really fast paced. So if you want to down a mystery/thriller in a day, this is your book! I thought the plot was a bit overly complicated, and I had a bit of shock/twist fatigue by the end.

The three narrators did an excellent job with the different POVs. The audio is well done. Definitely a good popcorn thriller!

I got full movies vibes with this one. Picture watching a thriller movie and your flashing back and forth from scene to scene getting glimpses of the different sets of characters and their storyline. That’s what this one gave me. It took me a second to get a grasp of it, but once I did I was able to keep the storylines together. I did need to jot down names and who went with whom as a reference since I had the audiobook. I was waiting to see how these groups of characters would connect and once it all came together… 🤯 It was perfect! I’ll tell you. This is not one that you can fly through. You’ll need to make sure you keep track of each character so when that one particular twist hits you in the face you’re ready! I can’t give specifics for fear of spoilers, but it was twisty one!

I think the author did a great job of maneuvering the story around to keep me guess as I read. I was nervous that I only had the audio because of the multiple characters, but I loved how the narrators delivered. I just needed to slow it down so I could keep up! All three narrators did an amazing job with the different voices! They gave me movie vibes as I stated above and would LOVE to see this one on screen one day!

This books was fast-paced and action-packed. I did guess the twist, but it was still an enjoyable read. It was a little more action based than the books I typically read/listen to, and I felt like I couldn’t get a good feel for the character’s personalities.

This was a fun audio for me! Ryan has had to change his name and schools because people suspect him of murder. His girlfriend, Ali, disappeared in high school when they were attacked in a car. She has never been found. Now he is trying to move on and is in law school because of his experience. However, new evidence has been found and the man from his memory has shown up and proven himself to be real. There is also a new assistant deputy on the case in Kansas. They unearth the truth to Ali's disappearance.

This was a 4 star read for me. A fun, fast thriller with lots of twists, I enjoyed the way it came together at the end. I liked that it is told from different POVs and with different narrators. This is minor but I thought the "pinkyman" nickname was a little juvenile but overall, it was a solid thriller!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for an advanced copy.

This audiobook was absolutely fantastic and it kept me very interested the whole time! It had me keep guessing the entire time and I loved the twist and turns along the way.

A decent read but I almost felt the pacing was too fast mixed with too many characters to be a four-star read. I did enjoy the narration and alternating POVs.

Thank you Macmillan for the advanced audio copy.

This is the first book I’ve read by Alex Finlay. I’d heard the name but went into this book blindly. Honestly, this is the best way to go. Dive in head first blindly. I was captured from the beginning. While this book is fast-paced, you do have to pay attention to this one due to the various characters and locations. This is a thrilling multi-POV and multi-location read and boy do the characters and stories collide. At some point, you may figure out what will happen but it doesn’t make you want to stop reading.

Narration:
I can’t complete this review without mentioning the narrators. The narration by Helen Laser, John Pirhalla, and Paul Dateh is distinct and fantastic. If I were reading the physical book, I would not have enjoyed it as much. The tone and emotion in the narration enhanced the story.

Plot:
For the past five years, Ryan Richardson has been tormented by memories of a traumatic night when his girlfriend Ali was abducted. Despite being suspected and harassed online, he's moved forward, changed his name, and is enrolled in law school. However, during a trip to Italy with his classmates, he learns that Ali's car has been discovered in his hometown, containing two bodies and a mysterious note supposedly from Ali. Soon after, he encounters a figure from his nightmares while traveling abroad. As he embarks on a quest for truth spanning Tuscany, the UK, and Paris, he discovers unexpected allies—a rookie sheriff's deputy in Kansas and a mobster in Philadelphia.

I listened to this one. I enjoyed it for the most part. Some of the story line was confusing though. It jumped around from POV to POV, it made it hard to keep characters straight. For the most part I did enjoy the story. The narration was good, you could tell a difference in character switches easily and they seemed to fit the part. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen.