This one was great! Definitely hooked me from the beginning and had me NEEDING to know how things were going to play out! Recommend for anyone looking for a good thriller!

AMAZING NARRATION

If Something Happens to Me starts off with several characters whose paths slowly begin to intersect. I had high hopes for this one, but in the end it was just solidly average.

Ryan Richardson lives with the trauma from a night 5 years prior in Kansas when his girlfriend, Ali, was taken from their lovers lane rendezvous. He was hit on the head, and when he came too, both Ali and her car were gone, He can only remember that the man who took her had no pinkies. She was never found, No one ever believed his story.
Years later he changed his name and went to law school, hoping fo a new beginning, While on a trip to Italy with his law class, he spots a man with only 8 fingers - no pinkies. He begins to head back down the rabbit hole.

Meanwhile, back in Kansas a car is pulled from a pond with two men shot dead in the car and an envelope in Ali's handwriting marked "if something happens to me". The story becomes a little Dan Brown as it Ryan from Italy to London and Back to Kansas.

This is a fast paced multi-layered escapade which moves in unforeseen directions. As with any good ride, The best curves are the ones you don;t see coming,.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for the ARC of this book.

A decent, disposable thrill ride, If Something Happens to Me was fast-moving and kept my attention throughout, but there were also countless moments where I was thrown off by its lax on logic and common sense. So even though I enjoyed the overall plot progression and the subject matter featured (revenge, hidden identities, double agent, parental love), the ridiculous ease at how tasks were accomplished made the moment-to-moment experience absent of intricacy and downright silly (a character who was living in hiding had his photo publicly displayed near his residence, police / FBI freely sharing case details with civilians, and not to mention plot convenience like characters simply bumping into each other).

The audiobook is very sleekly produced, and the narrators' performance adds the needed human warmth to an otherwise very task-oriented writing. With this being my first Alex Finlay read, I can see the reason behind his popularity: the story is extremely eventful and 'busy', so there is never a dull moment. But my suspense of disbelief can only stretch so far, and the liberty he's taken in his storytelling is a little beyond my personal tolerance. Not (yet) a must-read author, but can make for a fine library loan when I'm desperate for something easily digestible and thinking-free.

I initially started this as a sampler, but within the first few chapters, I knew I needed to read the whole book early. Wow. Fun, engaging mystery, and interesting characters made this a hit!

I was excited to dive into another Alex Finlay book, hoping to find a gem since so many people love his work. Despite not being impressed by the first one I read, this book turned out to be a delightful surprise.

The mystery is complex and has you jetting across the world and that was a blast for me. It had a new take on the cross country roadtrip mystery and added a lot of fun dimension to the story. There is a lot to say about this book but I found the main characters motivations and how he had to change his entire life due to being essentially at the wrong place at the wrong time. His entire life fell apart and he was forced to forge a new path in the shadows.

Really just a solid mystery, with a bit of a weird twist, but it worked and wrapped everything up in a way that was fun and satisfying.

I had the chance to listen to the audiobook and it was nice to hear the characters come to life. If you like audiobooks then this one is worth the listen!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝙏𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙨𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙩, 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙩, 𝙙𝙚𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙥𝙪𝙡𝙨𝙚-𝙥𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙩.

I have enjoyed some of this author’s previous books, so I was eagerly waiting to pick this one up. I did a combo of the ebook and audiobook (provided by Macmillan Audio), and both were solid methods of digesting the story.

I absolutely loved this fast-paced thriller filled with multiple POVs, short chapters, and suspense… it was entertaining and captivating.

I was immediately pulled into the story and wanted to keep reading until I reached the end. It’s best to go into this one now knowing much. I think you’ll get a better experience that way.

I will say, I enjoyed the first half of the book a bit more than the second half. I feel like it began to drag (just a tiny bit). Still a solid and quick thriller!

Thank you so much NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for the review copies in exchange for my honest review!

From Italy, to the US to UK to Paris, this book will keep you anticipating what happens next. Ryan has been under suspicion since the disappearance of his girlfriend 5 years ago. How this ties into a mobster in Philadelphia and action in Leavenworth Kansas, will keep you guessing. I enjoyed the separate narration for the 3 main storylines.

This book was so short and quick to read. I was invested in the mystery (maybe since the missing girl shares my name)
I was actually a bit shocked at how the two stories intertwined so it made me want to rush to the end to see how everything turned out.
This one is probably not my favourite from this author, but I could definitely see a lot of people grabbing this one and reading at the beach/pool this summer

I am a huge Alex Finlay fan so I was thrilled with the opportunity to review an early copy of this ebook. Thank you Macmillan Audio.

Alison (Ali) and Ryan were just two teenagers in love, parked at ‘Lover’s Lane’ one night when the unthinkable happened. Ryan was pulled from the car and knocked out and Ali was kidnapped in her own car, now presumed dead.

Ryan was suspected of staging it and abducting and killing Ali but there was never enough evidence to convict him of the crime. Ryan eventually moved away and changed his name.

Five years later, Ryan is on a trip with some post-secondary classmates in Italy exploring the beautiful Tuscan countryside when Ali’s car is found submerged back in his hometown with the bodies of 2 men and a note written in Ali’s handwriting using a cypher.

This was a fast-paced book with lots of unravel and the audio narration was perfect for keeping me on the edge of my seat.

This is the perfect popcorn thriller to binge in one sitting! I listened to this one on a road trip from Tennessee to Florida yesterday and it made it go by so quickly! The full cast of narrators was also super helpful in keeping each point of view clearly separated. Each narrator did a wonderful job building the tension and creating their characters. Their voices complimented each other perfectly!

In true Alex Finlay style, there are twists throughout and I never saw any of them coming. There are three main characters with seemingly different lives and the way Alex weaves their stories together is intricate and jaw-dropping.
There are so many elements woven into this one that I love to see in a thriller - multiple points of view, a missing person, some police procedure, multiple locations, a mysterious stranger, and long-buried secrets. I highly recommend this book if you’re a thriller lover, especially the audio!

I was extremely excited for this one - the blurb sold me. Once I started the audiobook, I literally could not stop listening! This was definitely a page turner that kept me engaged the entire time! To the point, I listened to it all in one sitting - it was THAT good!

Ooh, I liked this mystery! You kind of know who the bad guy is throughout the whole story but you find yourself invested in the why and how it all ends. Looking forward to reading/listening to more of Alex Finlay's books in the future.

I loved the alternating points of view and the three narrators (Helen Laser, John Pirhalla, and Paul Dateh) did a great job representing their characters POVs.

In "If Something Happens to Me," Alex Finlay crafts an intensely gripping thriller that captivated me from the first page. The story revolves around a seemingly perfect family whose world shatters when the matriarch, Maggie, goes missing. What struck me was how Finlay deftly balances multiple perspectives, immersing me in the emotional turmoil and relentless pursuit of truth by Maggie’s husband, Nick, and their teenage daughter, Ellie. The narrative is packed with twists and turns, keeping me on edge as secrets unravel and dark truths come to light. Finlay’s skill in character development and pacing ensures that each reveal feels both shocking and inevitable, making it impossible to put the book down. The blend of suspense and emotional depth makes this novel not just a page-turner but a profound exploration of how tragedy can redefine our understanding of those we love. It's a must-read for any thriller enthusiast.

These next few reviews won’t be as in depth as I usually write due to my impending divorce and moving to an apartment on my own. At least my fur babies Sage and Curry are with me now!
~~~
This was my first Alex Findlay book I read (it was actually a listen) and I really enjoyed it! I have several of his books waiting to be read on my shelves! And now after getting one of his read, I hope to get the others in soon!

From what I recall this novel had a lot of what I really like in it. I wish I could remember more details, but life really happened in these past couple of months. I really liked Poppy.

I can say that the cover is absolutely perfect with the story! When I got to that part of the books, I thought “The cover!”

Many thanks for the publisher for granting an alc to listen to and review! I’m hoping very soon to ‘get back to normal’ with my reviewing!

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but unfortunately I could not get into it. I did not enjoy the narration, or introduction, and I ended up DNFing at about 10%.

I liked this book. In true Alex Finlay fashion that we all have come to love, there were twists and turns and the multiple viewpoints from many different characters that built the story up. Originally when hearing so manmy different viewpoints from the different characters, I thought that I may get lost but upon reading futher it just added to the outcome and all made sense. Alex Finley is a force to reckoned with, with their writing and I will be watching for what they come out with next. I loved the narrators! They did an amazing job of retelling this story. 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free audiobook of If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finley in exchange for my honest review.

This is a complex mystery with a lot of action. Something about this one gave me vibes of Grisham’s The Firm. I could see this being made into a movie or TV series.

Just to warn you, you need to bring your A game to this one. There are a lot of characters (sometimes with multiple names), a lot of POVs, a lot of locations and a lot of timelines. I found myself flipping back and forth between the audio and ebook at times to keep up with it all. But eventually I caught on and it was a little bit more of an easier read.

With that noted, it is a wild read. There is a mob boss, a name change, a kidnapping, secrets, twists, and a lot of tension. I saw a few of the twists coming, but there were a few that got me. It’s fast paced and once it gets going, it does not stop. But I’d seriously not read a lot of reviews on this one if you plan to read it. I can easily see a review slipping and giving too much and hinting at a spoiler.

Another plus, there is a full cast narration. Helen Laser, John Pirhalla, and Paul Dateh do an exceptional job narrating this one. The extra narrators help with all the POVs and keeping the plot straight. Their delivery of the emotions and actions enhanced the read.

Just cutting to the chase: I really enjoyed this new thriller from Alex Finlay!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

From Kansas to Pennsylvania to Tuscany to England to Paris to Washington DC, get ready to run for your life!

High school seniors Ali and Ryan are parked in the woods near the lake five years ago. But then Ali screams, Ryan is hit in the head, and Ali disappears. Five years later, Ali and her car are still missing, Ryan is in law school in Georgetown, and rumors still circulate that he killed her. Then her car is found, with two dead men and a note in Ali’s handwriting: “If something happens to me…”

You’ve got a crime boss, a rookie Sheriff’s deputy, a missing girl, two unidentified dead bodies, and twisted threads connecting them all.

Ryan risks everything to discover the truth about that night. He takes us with him, and we see the rolling hills, glittering streets, and yes, the violent acts. (We’ve got crime bosses, remember? It gets ugly.)

This is a crime thriller, yes. But it also had me thinking a lot about the responsibility we bear for choices we make when we’re young. There are always consequences, some short-lived, some that last a lifetime and can never be made right — no matter how much guilt we hold onto.

Plenty of triggers in this one, friends: bullying, missing teenagers, violence, murder, suicide. But there’s also hope, so if you don’t mind the crime, it’s a great story!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley, and author Alex Finlay for the complimentary advance copy! It was my pleasure to write this candid review.

Alex Finlay is a master web weaver! Multiple POVs, past and present storylines, a web of characters tied together. An amazing thriller! Multiple narrators made the audio even more enjoyable as well!

4.25 stars. I actually liked this book a lot - there were a lot of twists and turns and I liked how the story came together. But I deducted .75 stars because I thought some parts were unrealistic and some "twists" were obvious. But definitely an interesting read.

Thank you to NetGalley for my free ARC in exchange for an honest review of the book!