Another killer Alex Finlay novel!

This multi-cast narration was intense and fast-paced, and definitely kept me on my toes. I really didn't anticipate any of the twists that were coming and found myself needing to know what was going to happen next!

The different narrators all did a wonderful job in personifying their characters, and the jumps around in the story were written in a way that really added to the story.

There was a lot going on and at times it was very hard to follow. Listening to the audio instead of reading the book I think helped with that. I'm not sure I could have kept up reading, I'm more of a visual/audible type of person. My attention span reading is not that good lol. After I figured out what was going on this really kept my attention and I think it was a great listen!

This is a fast-paced read about a missing girl presumed dead, a notorious crime boss, and a new deputy sheriff in town who’s been assigned to this cold case which suddenly came alive again with the discovery of new evidence.

There are three primary narrators: Ryan -the missing girl’s boyfriend at the time of her disappearance and presumed murdered , Poppy, the new deputy sheriff to Leavenworth, Kansas, and Shane, the head of a major crime syndicate in Philadelphia.

The book is a solid thriller: action-packed, full of tension and suspense with a mystery element — the book reads fast and has some good twists and turns. — There are some parts of the book that require some suspension of your disbelief but if you just go with the flow it is a fun ride.

While reading the novel I was equality invested and engaged in all the characters and their outcomes —and the story was difficult to put down.

I read this book in tandem with the audiobook — which features a multicast narration — with Helen Laser; John Pirhalla; Paul Dateh. I absolutely loved Helen Laser as poppy she did a great job — with the voicing of her part — the male narrators we also good John Pirhalla; Paul Dateh but it took me a while to get used to their voices VS the voices I had made in my head when reading the ebook, but their voicing grew on me. I eventually got used to the transitions and really felt that they all did a good job!

4.5
So engrossing was this book I ended up binging it in a day. It wasn’t just the tension or storyline of the book that had me hooked, it was characters and their growth arcs. It was actually really touching at times which I didn’t expect with the bullying, sadness, and violence it began with.

This marks the third Finlay I’ve read and my favorite so far! I’d recommend not reading the synopsis on this one and just enjoy.

I did a combo read but ended up starting the audio at chapter four and never looking back. The audio was truly excellent!

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the alc and Minotaur Books for the arc via Netgalley.

I tried very hard to follow this books characters but there were just so many that I found it difficult to keep track of who was who, especially with all the name changes due to characters going underground for safety reasons. I think the premise of the book was excellent but I do not think I am the right audience for this novel. I liked it but didn't love it. It was not really the thriller I was expecting but I can see how many people would enjoy this book. It has a lot going for it, just not for me I'm afraid. 3.5 stars.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for a chance to read/listen to the ARC audio version of this book.

Alex Finlay is one of my favorite authors. This book to me was one of his best. I've enjoyed a few and though I did see what was coming at the end of the first part it did not take away from the story for me. There were to many things going on for it too cause to much stress....

A girl goes missing. Her boyfriend is knocked out and dragged from the vehicle. He wakes and both her and the vehicle are gone... What happened? Who could or would do such a thing and why? Alison and Ryan are out in her father's BMW at Lovers' Lane. A make out spot. When it starts raining they run get into the car. After that Ryan's world and life will never be the same.

What happened to Alison? Did Ryan do something to her or is there really a person with no pinky's who dragged him out of the car and took her. If so why.

This story goes from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Leavenworth, Kansas. From the United States to France to Italy. A journey to find the truth and run from something. This is a story of young love mixed up in so much. Quite a few characters involved. All to find out what happened to Alison? Maybe a bit more.

There are a couple of gruesome scenes in this story but they are so necessary for you to get the whole picture of how bad a man named O'Leary is. A suicide. Some teens killed or overdosed. A family who will never be the same. Actually at least two families who will be affected.

I enjoyed this book and read it in one day. I didn't want to put it down. It's very descriptive and makes you cringe in places. Gasp in others. Enjoy the scenery in some. I even cried in a couple places. I laughed a time or two. It was good but not necessarily for the faint of heart. I also loved how the title of this book played into the story.

I loved this audio. The narrators did a great job.

Thank you #NetGalley, #AlexFinlay, #StMartinsPress, #MinotaurBooks, #macmillanaudio, for this ARC. This is my own honest opinion of this book.

FIVE big stars and a very high recommendation.

I loved this book. The narrators did an excellent job, the pacing was great, and just when you thought all of the twists were over, another one came along. Thoroughly enjoyed it!

What a ride!! If Something Happens to Me is a gripping, fast paced, shocking, perfectly plotted and kept me on the edge of my seat.

Five years ago, Ryan Richardson was at lover's lane with his girlfriend, Alison, when suddenly a man opened the door yanking him from the car. Alison and her car were never seen again. Everyone thought Ryan was responsible but with no proof he moved on with his life yet cannot get over what happened. Poppy McGee just began a new job as duty sheriff when a car thought to be gone forever, suddenly turns up. Inside is an envelope which reads "If something happens to me." Poppy is up for the challenge and throws herself into the investigation and will stop at nothing until she gets some answers.

I enjoyed the way this story unfolds layer by layer. There are many characters but they all come together and each chapter leaves you wanting to read, "just one more". I binged this one.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for gifting me an ALC.

Easy 5 stars! Intriguing, thrilling, suspenseful.
Ali and Ryan are high school sweethearts. While up in lovers lane, the worst happens. Ryan is hit in the back of the head and hears Ali’s scream as he loses consciousness. When he wakes up, Ali and her car are gone. She’s been taken. Not knowing if she is dead or alive his world falls apart as he becomes suspect in her disappearance. Although never charged, the community doubts his innocence and his classmates harass him.

Five years later he is on a trip to Italy with his law student friends when he receives a call that Ali’s car has been found in a lake with two dead men inside. Soon after, he sees “the monster” he has a vague recollection of from that fateful night. The plot unfolds from there, taking twists and turns through several points of view.

The author’s writing is exciting and skilled. He keeps you reading while on the edge of your seat. The three narrators do a great job in bringing the story to life. Very well done!

I received this audiobook from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest review.

I loved how everything in this book was interwoven and tied together in the end! I really appreciate when a thriller wraps up so neatly and doesn’t leave the reader hanging. I probably would’ve given this book 5 stars had the author not thrown in the lesbian bit at the end. It felt so disingenuous— like the author wanted to throw that in to check a box and offer a false sense of inclusion. Sure, there was some illusion to it throughout, but it was so lukewarm. It should’ve been a bigger part of the story line, or it should’ve been left out. It really irks me as a reader when the author throws in current events that seem more for hashtags than for the quality of the read. I digress… The twists this book took were pretty unexpected and once you make the connection, it truly is a masterpiece in suspense. I couldn’t put it down!

Thank you to Minotaur and MacMillan audio for the ARC/ALC!

Ryan Richardson has spent the last five years of his life reliving the night his high school sweetheart Ali was taken from his car. The assailant left Ryan unconscious but with no evidence to point otherwise, the cloud of suspicion followed Ryan. Now, he’s put his past behind him, changed his name and started law school. But when Ali’s car is found with a cryptic note, Ryan is unsure what to think; what really happened to Ali that terrible night? As Ryan races home to investigate, a novice police detective is working a case, while a mobster in Philly is battling a tragedy of his own.

Not even halfway through 2024, and I KNOW this book is going to be one of my top reads of the year! Filled with complex characters and twisty turns, “If Something Happens to Me” is easily my favorite Alex Finlay book to date. On audio, Anthea Greco and Leanna Waksman brilliantly brought these characters to life. Told from multiple points of view, I couldn't imagine how these characters’ paths were going to cross but when they did, holy cow! Despite the multiple perspectives, the story was fast-paced and the tension didn't let up! Deeply propulsive, this is the type of book that once you start, you don’t want to stop until you find out how it’s going to end. I was very grateful for the audio so I could continue listening when I had to do other things too.

“If Something Happens to Me” releases May 21, 2024. This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan for this ARC! If Something Happens To Me centers around the kidnapping of Ryan’s high school girlfriend, Alison, that happened with him present. The story mostly takes place 5 years later with Alison presumed dead and Ryan in law school with a new name trying to distance himself from the terrible night and the ensuing blame placed on him. I was drawn in immediately and read the whole book in less than twenty-four hours. The story jumps back and forth in timeline and POV which really adds to the whole the intrigue and puzzle pieces coming together. Trigger warning: there were some torture scenes and while they did not go into great detail, they stillI had me a bit squeamish. I hate to give anything away by writing more but this was an excellent crime thriller!

Overall a really good listen. A couple of plot devices seems a bit of a stretch, but I was happy to go along and see where each step would lead.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC.

Ryan and Ali are high school sweethearts spending a rainy evening on Lovers Lane when Ryan blacks out and Ali disappears. Ryan is blamed and tormented, called a killer even after proving his innocence. When Ali’s car is found along with a note, Ryan goes on the search of a lifetime around Europe.

I really enjoyed the audio version and narrators. Narrators can make or break an audiobook and they were fantastic. I love hearing different voices from different characters perspectives. 5/5 ⭐️ for the narrators

The story itself was also pretty well done. This was my first Alex Finlay book and I wasn’t disappointed. I was able to guess some of the twists but not completely. I was a little disappointed in how it ended with Ryan but to prevent spoilers, I won’t say anything else. However, it’s life, right? 4/5 ⭐️ for the writing

I would definitely recommend this book to any mystery/thriller/Alex Finlay lover out there.

I’ve read other reviews of this book and I understand I’m in the minority. Also, this is the first book I’ve read by this author so I don’t have a feel for his writing.

The book description touts this story as one of a young man reliving the nightmare of the abduction of his girlfriend, him being suspected of having involvement, not being believed that someone else was responsible, seeing the person whom he suspects was culpable and everything that happens as a result. At the very end of the penultimate paragraph, there’s mention of a “mobster”. I didn’t give this mild reference enough credence. The mobster portion of this book is at least a third of it and while there’s absolutely nothing wrong with books about mobsters or mob families, it’s just not my cup of tea and I probably wouldn’t have selected it.

The story is told from the POVs of several characters and the way part one was written was very confusing to me until it got to the end of that part. So much so, that I had to go back and relisten to the last couple of sentences to understand what had happened. (I got this as an audiobook). I’m afraid to say too much in case the author wrote it that way on purpose for the sake of the twist. But, for me, it just came across as a bad decision and could have been executed in way that was easier to understand.

I feel the idea behind this story is a good one and the author did a fine job of revealing how each character is connected to the others but personally, I found myself rolling my eyes a lot of the time. Without ruining anything, one of my biggest issues is how one of the perceived antagonists is located. There’s just no way in reality it would be that easy. Other characters, I felt, were written in a way that felt cliché.

Respectfully, this book just wasn’t for me though I can see how it has appealed to many other readers/listeners.

The audiobook is narrated by 3 different people which was nice.

Thank you to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio and Alex Finlay for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read the ebook version of this book and enjoyed it so whole-heartedly that I wanted to listen to the audiobook to see it come to life with narration. The audiobook 100% exceeded my expectation and this will continue be one of my favorite and most thought about novel for a long time. Thank you again for the second opportunity to enjoy this ARC/ALC. 5⭐️

The amazing and deadly ways lives can intersect

The premise drew me in, a girl is kidnapped and years later several things happen where it seems to be at the center of them. There are points where you have to hold until the intersection appears, at least for me, I had moments where I wondered how/why we were being led down a particular path.

I liked that Ryan grew out of the experiences and was able to heal. There were a few things you just kinda knew were going a certain way, but I still hung on for the ride to get there and the reasons why we got there. I was surprised by a couple of the revelations and thought they were clever. 

The characters were my favorite part of the story. They were multidimensional and engaging. The parent’s love. The friends you can count on. The honor. The respect. The belief. 

There were, however, a couple of times, that the time shift threw me off.  Luckily after a few moments I was back on track. The audio production was amazing with multiple narrators.

This is my first time reading anything by Alex Finlay and after reading this book, I am interested in reading more. I just may read this one again …

Thank you to #NetGalley  for the opportunity to do an early read and share my thoughts on the story. 

Happy Reading!

The narration of this audiobook was really good. The story itself was predictable to me, as I figured out the twist about halfway through. But it was a quick, enjoyable ride for the most part.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillian audio for the ARC.

This my first Alex Finlay book and wow, am I impressed! At first I was a little concerned about all of the characters and how distant they all seem from each other. This book is filled with twists, some easy to see coming and others not. Alison Lane vanished five years ago while on a date with Ryan. With no other witnesses he was unfortunately the prime suspect, but never charged with the crime. Ryan has been running from his past when his girlfriend's car surfaces with two dead men inside and a note. The reader follows along as Finlay twists the story back and forth from Kansas and Europe trying to piece together what really happened that evening.

Thank you MacMillan and St Martin's for the review copies via NetGalley. I always enjoy Alex Finlay's books for the fast paced action vibes, the weaving together of related stories, and the fun of seeing how it all comes together and how some of the reveals were ones I didn't see coming. If Something Happens to Me hits the mark with a fun fast escapist read; I admit I kind of figured out the puzzle pieces early on but I also had fun with the story and really liked Poppy McGee a lot, I would love another book with her, she was really well narrated in the audiobook and I liked her role and character development. I also loved the clues/cryptography theme, it was a fun part of the story.

A great book for a beach day, for reading on an airplane, and a perfectly fun road trip audiobook!