This is a fast-paced thriller that started with a bang and just kept on going. I could not help but finish this in one sitting. This is my first Alex Finlay read and most definitely will not be my last.

Ryan and Allison are at their local Lover's Lane when suddenly the car door flies open, and he is ambushed. When he awakens, he is left in the grass and Allison and the vehicle has disappeared. No matter the years that go by, this nightmare haunts Ryan. He changes his name and works to reinvent himself and works towards a law degree at Georgetown University. Ryan takes a trip to Italy with his law school classmates when he receives a call that Ali's care has been found submerged in a local lake. Inside are two bodies or two men but also some possessions of Ali's. It is not until late that Ryan lets of a cryptic note "If something happens to me".... Immediately upon receiving this news, Ryans would is flipped upside down.
Meanwhile back in Leavenworth, newly appointed Deputy Sheriff Popp McGee is working the case. It seems everyone has connections and secrets.

The number of layers and unsuspected ties kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat. The main characters are likeable and the whole time I was so invested in Ryan's life and Poppy's relentless pursual to solve the case. This book was in a dual perspective layout, and I found that it was easy to keep up with the events, who was speaking, and which timeline we were on.

I received an ARC Audiobook and enjoyed the narrations by Helen Laser, John Pirhalla and Paul Dateh. Everyone delivered a solid performance, made it clear who was speaking and portrayed emotions appropriately.

Thank you NetGalley, Alexy Finlay, and Macmillan Audio for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date: May 28th 2024

It seems like Finlay is trying to hard to give off a Patterson vibe. This was okay but nothing special, and there was way too much commentary about social media. It was overall a quick and interesting read, but other authors do this better.

Thank you Netgalley MacMillan audio for the e-Arc and alc. My opinions are being left voluntarily. This was a twisty layered book and dare I say my favorite Alex Finlay book yet. The twists I did not see coming the connections I was left in awe. What a great book gotta add this one to my forever shelf.

4.5/5☆

I work with the criminal justice department and can see this book in those classes.

Complex characters from different backgrounds from teenagers to the mob and interlocking stories.

You need to pay attention as there are many characters and story lines, but watching it come together was intriguing.

Great, face paced suspense novel!! I would highly recommend the audio version of this book. The book follows a couple different characters and the multi person narration was not only enjoyable but helped keep track of all the characters, settings and details.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC.

I can absolutely see this as a movie with Irish mob and a bullied kid! I wasn't sure at first how the storylines would all connect, but the twist was fabulous. I don't want to give too much away, so Ryan is suspected in a possible murder/kidnapping of his girlfriend. Years later he is still trying to figure out what happened that night.
I love how Alex Finlay weaves a complex yet amazing tale of a crime thriller. You absolutely start to connect with characters and, I will say, are sometimes heartbroken for the characters he has developed. I absolutely recommend this book, especially if you like Irish mob themes.

I listened to this so quickly! Very little else was accomplished that day. That is always the best compliment for a thriller. I was very perplexed by all the different story lines but wow, when they came together! Great plotting

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Format: Audiobook & E-Book

Short chapters, writing so compelling that you’re hooked on page 1, and memorable characters so filled with surprises that you’re not sure who to root for as the book progresses — what more to ask for in a thriller? It’s one of those books where you keep telling yourself you’ll stop reading for the night after “just one more chapter” until you realize you’ve binged the whole book in one sitting, it’s that good.

Huge thank you to Alex Finlay, Minotaur Books, Macmillan Audio, & NetGalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

Twisty, action packed thriller. Told by multiple POV in 3 different locations, and several different points in time. It is told in a way though that this does not cause confusion. All of the characters were likable/humanity evident on some level. At parts this book did seem to drag on, and my mind did drift from the audio.

Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for this opportunity.

There is very little story here and it felt dragged out by having three POV.

I did like the female deputy sheriff and think if the entire story has unfolded from her POV as she “worked the case” it would have been a much superior book.

“If something happens to me” by Alex Finlay was an edge of your seat gripping thriller. This book was a really fast read because I just couldn’t put it down.

What a suspenseful thriller by mystery writer Alex Finlay.
The book centers on two characters whose lives intersect - Ryan, a law student trying to escape his past, and a new deputy sheriff intent on solving the disappearance of a young girl five years earlier just before her high school graduation. The law student, now at Georgetown Law School, was the boyfriend of the missing girl, not guilty of her murder, but for years suspected of it nonetheless. Ryan is alerted to the discovery of the missing girl's car submerged in a lake with the bodies of two unidentified men and feels the compulsion to solve the mystery of her disappearance.
The narrators are terrific and by the use of more than one, creates a gripping tension.
Finlay does a wonderful job slowly revealing the clues that each of them independently uncover, and their inevitable collaboration. Mobsters, wartime buddies, close friends all play key roles in uncovering the mystery. I highly recommend it!

4.5 stars

I flew through this one in a couple hours while flying. The multiple POVs were so well done. I was hooked on this mystery, and how all the parts intertwined.

The characters were well developed and mostly I didn't see the end coming. Highly recommend if you're looking for a good mystery!

Huge thanks to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio & St Martin's Press for an advance copy!

I loved listening to this book in audio format! The narration was divided between Helen Laser; John Pirhalla and Paul Dateh and I think they all did a fantastic job of portraying each characters POV.

If something happens to me is about two high school sweethearts who have their whole lives together ahead of them. They are planning their future and their long distance relationship as they embark on separate college journeys, when their future gets ripped away from them in what appears to be a violent kidnapping.

This book gripped me from the first chapter, I was immediately invested into their relationship and even though I had an idea of what was going to happen, I found myself holding my breath as events unfolded.

To then find that Ryan was not only suspected and outcasted by his small home town, but also holding on to his deep feelings for his missing girlfriend many years later, I knew that no matter what happened I would be backing our MC.

Ryan is on a school vacation 5 years later. He has reinvented himself. Nobody knows who he is or what happened to him. Out of nowhere he gets a call that will change his life, and from then on events get crazier and crazier.

I absolutely loved the twists and turns in this book. I was a big fan of the MC and really wanted the best possible outcome for him.

It was a lot of fun watching things all come together and seeing all the secrets come to light.

Thank you to Alex Finlay, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced listeners copy!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ALC! I was so excited to get this one! I love this authors work! This one did not disappoint! The writing style makes you second guess everything! So so good!!

If Something Happens to Me has many elements similar to other suspense and thriller novels: missing persons, mobsters, abductions, betrayals, war buddies, naive "civilians," witness protection, and much more. So, what distinguishes If Something Happens to Me from all those others? Finlay, aided greatly by its brilliant narrators in this audiobook, infuses his characters with depth, employs changing perspectives, and keeps it all going with a relentless pace. Finlay adds a few surprises, too. Readers/listeners will find it hard to step away from the compelling story. Fans of Finaly's work as well as readers new to it will be most gratified with this novel. it's a winner.

If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay follows Ryan Richardson five years after the worst thing that could ever happen to a young man. Ryan is knocked out and when he comes to, his girlfriend is missing. He is accused of her murder due to lack of evidence and the lack of his memory. Ryan has had to change his name in order to be freed by the community that has shunned him since he has gotten away with a crime. Now the car that Ali's car has been found at the bottom of the lake and the mystery only deepens. Ali is not in the car however, two unidentifed me are and along with them was a coded note found placed in her purse sealed in a ziplock bag. Only one person knows the key to the riddle and why Ali was killed. This is the first book by Alex Finlay that I have read/listened to. I thought that the plot was interesting and the book had been wrapped up with a nice bow at the end. I would like to thank both NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for letting me listen to an advance copy of this book.

I can’t wait to recommend this one to my patrons who love suspense and thrillers. I'll also be adding it to my audiobook recommendations list in our digital library. I can't do a better job than the publishers on synopses so my reviews don't include them. This novel is told from several points of view, is fast-paced and well-written. The narration for the audiobook was (chef's kiss) perfection! I loved Sheriff Poppy and hope to see another book featuring her! There are quite a few characters so if you are listening to the audiobook, I recommend not starting it until you can listen for at least 30 minutes to get the characters' storylines straight in your head. This is my first book by Alex Finlay and I've already started his book the Night Shift.

I enjoyed the first half of this but then the second half felt very underwhelming and lacked resolution about some of the pieces. It jumped quickly and never really filled in some of the blanks.

This was really good! I’m not typically a fan of mysteries/thrillers that deal with mob families, but Alex Finlay did a great job weaving multiple perspectives together to create a twisty mystery that speaks to how far we will go for the ones we love. The pacing was really good, and it’s definitely a mystery that you won’t want to stop until the last page! The audiobook narration was excellent too!