A fast-paced mystery featuring just the sort of twist that I love!

Five years ago, Alison Lane was abducted and her boyfriend, Ryan, knocked out and left to face the suspicions of their small town. Now Ryan is on a trip to Italy with his law school friends when a face from the past appears and tells him that Alison is alive but he disappears before Ryan can find out any more.

Meanwhile back in Leavenworth, Poppy McGee is starting her first day as a deputy sheriff when Alison Lane’s car is found in the local lake by some cold-case solving podcasters and there’s two male bodies in it but no sign of Alison.

In Philadelphia, gang boss Shane O’Leary is trying to find out how his teenage son is settling into his new school, but his accountant, whose daughter goes to the same school, uncovers something that isn’t going to make his boss happy.

We switch between these three storylines at a rapid pace as the plot drives forward and the links between them, at least some of them, emerge (the one that tips up late in the novel is my favorite sort of spoiler, (view spoiler)). Short chapters with cliffhanger endings kept me listening but as everything converges, the switches between scenes become a little frenetic and the lack of credibility rises.

Poppy and Ryan are sympathetic likable protagonists though Ryan seems rather prone to making foolish choices and gets away with them because he’s 6’4”. Not having that size advantage, Poppy mostly sticks to due process though she does break protocol a couple of times.

The Philadelphia section was less successful for me, both in the novel and in the audiobook. It moves between several perspectives and feels a lot less authentic than Poppy and Ryan’s strands. I’m not sure how much research the author has done on gangs but it read a lot to me like he’d got most of his information from movies and TV and these characters, with a few exceptions, are cardboard cutout Philly bada bingers.

The three narrators of the audiobook are nicely fitted to their sections but the reader of the Ryan chapters should avoid English and Australian accents in future projects.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the audiobook review copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an early audiobook edition of “If Something Happens to Me” by Alex Finlay, narrated by Helen Laser, John Pirhalla, and Paul Dateh. The narrators did a good job with the various characters who were telling their stories. This book moves quickly and is fairly short.

This is a story about the disappearance of Ali. Five years ago, the day before they were going to leave for College, Ryan and Ali were enjoying one more night out. When they returned to the car, Ryan was hit in the head, rendering him unconscious and Ali was taken and has not been found in the 5 years since the incident. Ryan has never forgiven himself.

Then everything begins to change, Ali’s car is found with two dead guys in the car. The two dead guys raise questions that cannot be answered. They do not fit the narrative. A new deputy sheriff, Poppy wants to get to the bottom of what really happened 5 years ago, because none of the evidence makes sense. Meanwhile, Ryan sees his attacker in Italy, while on a college trip, and the attacker demands a meeting.

The jumps between Poppy’s story, Ryan’s Story, and a third storyline that eventually plays into the other two. The three storylines come together nicely and as I mentioned in the beginning it moves quickly. I finished the book in two days – with a full day work schedule.

There is one part that tweaks me, this will not make sense until you read the book. Why was an individual who had to pay back debts to a loan shark able to afford an extremely elite school?

I liked this story, it was a little confusing when you had to figure out what timeline you were in. There was no announcing of the date, year when you started the chapter, it would have made much more sense and been less confusing. I also felt it could have been great and shorter. The narrators did a fantastic job with the characters. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

An addictive fast-paced thriller!! I was intrigued throughout the whole book and flew through this twisty book. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, but they each add something special to the story. My first Alex Finlay, but won’t be my last.

This was my 2nd Alex Finlay thriller and it didn’t disappoint! Five years ago, teenaged Ryan’s girlfriend Ali was taken from in the car right beside him. He was questioned for her murder, even though her body was never found. Tormented to the point of changing his name. Poppy is the new Deputy Sheriff in town and Ali’s car has just been discovered in the bottom of the lake where she disappeared… with two dead bodies inside the car, and neither of them Ali. There was a cryptic note found in the car with “If Something Happens To Me” written on the outside. Poppy goes on a deep dive to determine what really happened to Ali. And you’ll never guess just how sinister things get. There’s mobsters, missing persons, crooked FBI agents, dirty cops, and multiple webs that take a lot to untangle. This thriller hands the reader a lot to keep separate so be prepared. There are a ton of different viewpoints, locations, time frames, etc. but they all come together at the end to make a compelling story. There wasn’t really an “ah-ha” moment for me, no major twist, and at the end they were still mentioning characters I still didn’t quite know who they were. The premise of the novel was good but it could have been better with fewer points of view and less side characters unnecessary to the plot. Overall, I would recommend reading this one but be prepared to be fully focused or else you can get easily lost. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Oh boy, full of action - Ryan's story definitely intrigued me - what happened to ALI and where is she? Ryan's story takes him all over the world which was fun. To think five years later, Ryan's insane past catches up with him. You get a missing girl / presumed dead, a new sheriff who's trying to figure everything out. Lots of POVS in this one which took some getting used to in the very beginning to sort out all the storylines. Overall a fast paced and addicting story. This is my second book by this author and I really enjoyed The Night Shift.

'If Something Happens to Me' by Alex Finlay is probably my favorite novel by this author. The audio narration is great. I thought the storyline was interesting and complicated. Even though I figured out quite a few things in the book, I still enjoyed it a lot.

This gripping thriller immerses you in a world of multiple perspectives, brought to life by a diverse cast of voice actors that will keep you on the edge of your seat. With every twist and turn, you'll find yourself captivated, unable to tear yourself away as you eagerly anticipate what comes next. This is a heart-pounding journey that will leave you guessing until the very end, making it a must-read for fans of mob intrigue and police procedural thrillers alike. Prepare to be swept away by the relentless suspense and intricately woven plot of this extraordinary tale.

I so wanted to like this one, but I just couldn't get into it. I gave it a good 50% before I have to give up. I know this book will do well with all the Finlay fans out there. I will give it a try at a different time.

This was a great thriller, and my first from Alex Finlay! You’ve got some mystery and suspense to start with, and then pure thrill through the end of the book. I was listening to this so raptly that I didn’t even pause to think there might be a twist coming up, and it totally surprised me. I loved there were multi POVs, and the chapters were just the right length for me. I almost think there could have been more to this book, but at the same time I’m glad the pace never slowed.
As for the narration, I really liked the narrator for Poppy’s chapters. The one who did Ryan’s was ehhh - just okay. But I really did not enjoy the narrator for Shane O’Leary’s chapters. ESPECIALLY when he voiced a woman’s character- he spoke in a super high pitched voice and I would cringe and pray for it to end. I even started going to the ebook to read those chapters because I didn’t want to listen to him. At least it was multi- cast narration so I didn’t have to listen to him too much.
4.5/5 rounded up

I loved the nonlinera timeline and I kept guessing what was actually happening through the first two parts. I figured it out by part 3, but I think that was the point. Overall engaging story!

There were several players over several years and multiple locations - while that seems like a lot - hold on. Mob bosses and their minions, men who served in Iraq together, the FBI add in Poppy and Ryan and a you have a story that will keep the pages turning and the reader waiting for it to all come together. Tied up with a bow Alex Finley has done it again The audio from MacMillan is a 10 out of 10. Amazing

A quick and thrilling read. Some of the POVs made the story hard to follow at times. I liked how everyone’s stories connected. Narration was good.

I loved If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay. The story and characters were riveting, and I could not put this down. I loved it front to back.

Finlay's latest is definitely a fast-paced action-packed popcorn thriller. The chapters are short and the plot moves fast, which was great. Unfortunately, a few issues made this just an OK reading experience for me. There are a lot of characters and I found it was hard to connect with any of the characters. The different POVs, timelines and locations made it feel messy. I will say, the multi-cast narration was well done. But at the end of the day, I found this book to be entirely too predictable and not one that will stick with me for very long. Thank you to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio and Alex Finlay for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Alex Finlay, Netgalley, Macmillan Audio and Minotaur Book for the opportunity to listen to and review this audio ARC.

This book was a whirlwind! The twists and turns were wild and at times so much so that I was almost confused as to where we were in the storyline - is this past, is this present, is this both? As someone who usually can figure out the twises and shocks pretty early, I can honestly say this book had me guessing and surprised through the entire plot. I enjoyed the ride, it was engaging and I felt invested but I was left longing at the end, I just felt like there was SO MUCH build up and then it fell a little flat. Not enough to discount the incredible writing and the flawless narration, but enough that I'd drop half of a star from my rating. I can't give .5s, but this book is a solid 3.5 for me.

3.5 Stars

This was my first experience with Alex Finlay's work and wow, it was a wild ride. The story starts in the past on the night that Alison's abduction. Her boyfriend Ryan has never really forgotten it. From there we're taken in different directions with Alison's car being found at the bottom of a lake in Kansas, a mobster run business in Philadelphia and Italy where Ryan is on vacation with his college classmates.

This whole book was a twisty ride that required putting puzzle pieces together in order to figure out motives and what really happened and why it happened on the night Alison disappeared. Overall this was a great read, but did require a lot of focus and thinking to put it all together. The end felt a little meh, to me but I did enjoy the journey to get there.

The audio narration for this one was excellent and definitely helped keep my attention and focus.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC audio of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was definitely an action packed popcorn thriller with a ton of twists and turns along the way. This book had a ton of characters to keep track of. By the time we got towards the end, I couldn't keep all of the mobsters straight, which causes loads of confusion. I felt like some parts were overly descriptive or had filler that was just unnecessary, especially when we were in Ryan's POV. Every time the Mini Cooper was brought up, I was like - OK, we get it.. he's tall. I thought that would come back later, but it really didn't. Because of the high amount of characters, all of the cities, and over-detailed writing, this story easily became extremely convoluted, hard to follow, and just farfetched. Since I listened to the audiobook version, I wondered if this would be easier to follow with reading on paper, but I still think there is just oo much for the reader to keep track of regardless. Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Alex Finlay for allowing me to listen to the audio advanced copy.

This is the fourth book I’ve read from Alex Finlay and it did not disappoint. I’m going to keep this review short and sweet so as not to spoil anyone.

Buckle up and hang on for this fast-paced page turner! The chapters are quick, and rotate between different character points of view to tell the story. Just when you think you’ve got things figured out, the author throws a twist in to knock you off balance again.

The audiobook uses multiple narrators which makes it fun to listen to. I really enjoyed listening to this one while I did chores around the house; it made the time fly by!

If you like multiple narrators, cold cases, and potential coverups, this book is for you. This fast-paced mystery is a fantastic escape while sitting by the pool or on the beach this summer.

Many thanks to @macmillan.audio for letting me listen to this one!

Another fast-paced winner from Alex Finlay. This book has three intertwining narratives, multiple locales (for satisfying cat and mouse games and chases) and twist after twist, as we have come to expect from Finlay. It even has an unlikely suspect missing both pinky fingers and a dying message left in code. Basically Hitchcock meets The Fugitive.

A satisfying and quick read because you'll be turning the pages or listening to the audio as fast as possible to find out what happens next. There's intrigue for miles, great characters (my favorite is Poppy), and excellent audiobook voice acting. You don't want to know too much about the plot going in, so try not to read spoilers.

Alex Finlay is an automatic read ASAP author for me and has yet to let me down. A fun, thrilling and suspenseful read!