Omg, I loved this. I was absolutely riveted from page one (actually, even earlier, because I loved the author’s note at the beginning before the story even started). I will caveat this review with the fact that I seem to have the opposite/unpopular opinion as most readers of Ashley Winstead’s books (In My Dreams was underwhelming for me, but I loved Midnight Is the Darkest Hour which I know didn’t work for a lot of people).

I immediately connected with this main character, who does read young, but her descent into the true crime rabbit hole felt realistic and was addicting to read. I also really enjoyed the direct-to-reader comments and footnotes, which again I can totally see other readers being annoyed by.

I am notably not a true crime person myself, which I think helped this feel really fresh and novel for me. I don’t have really any opinions on the true crime community when it comes to moral/ethical implications, but I think this book includes worthwhile commentary on the topic and I enjoyed seeing the many sides of the arguments.

Overall I’d recommend this to fans of Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll (another book that puts a fictional spin on the serial killer true crime phenomenon), Midnight is the Darkest Hour or The Last Housewife by this author, and of course anyone who thinks this premise sounds interesting and is ready for a wild ride. Thanks NetGalley for the eARC!

Dealing with the grief of the unexpected loss of her father, Jane finds herself immersed in the world of true crime amateur sleuths. As the shocking crime unfolds, she finds herself in the middle of a firestorm where she feels she needs to set the record straight.

Ashley Winstead can write a book in any genre. I have read so many different types of books by her and this one was hard. She includes an author's note at the beginning of the novel and for good reason - the focus on true crime in recent years has impacted the way detectives do their jobs - for better or worse. Despite the horrors in the book, the characters were well-written and Winstead captured the tone perfectly. Can't wait to see what she does next.

Thank you to SourceBooks and Macmillan Audio for the digital copy to review.

I have loved all of Winstead’s books and this was no different. It is centered around Jane Sharp, who has suddenly lost her father and finds the best way to deal with her grief is to channel it into an obsession with true crime, and she finds she is pretty good at it, and then the Idaho murders occur, so she sets out to Delphine, Idaho with other fellow sleuths that she has befriended.

This is a story of loss, grief, and coping, more so than a ‘thriller’ per se, and I think that is why I was drawn to this. I really felt for Jane, for all that she was going through, and for trying to understand her feelings, which were big feelings, and how to handle someone you are so close to being there one day and tomorrow they are not. Grief affects people in vastly different ways, and Winstead does a great job at capturing this in here. I had both ebook and audio, and the audio was wonderful. I listened in one sitting, I could not stop. This Book Will Bury Me is out this week, and I hope it is on your list.

This Book Will Bury Me
by Ashley Winstead
Release date: March 25th

Ashley Winstead is back, and this time she’s dragging us into the dark underbelly of internet sleuthing—a world where solving crimes from the comfort of your couch might just get you killed.

Jane Sharp, our grieving college student turned armchair detective, dives into the infamous Delphine, Idaho murders like a true crime podcast junkie on a caffeine bender. But when the case refuses to fit neatly into Reddit theories and YouTube deep dives, things get real in the most terrifying way.

Winstead masterfully blends psychological suspense with a biting critique of true crime obsession, keeping the pages turning faster than a viral Twitter thread. The pacing is razor-sharp, the twists land like a gut punch, and Jane’s voice is the perfect mix of sharp wit and unsettling paranoia. And let’s be real—half the fun is wondering if you’d make the same terrible life choices in her shoes (answer: probably).

Dark, compulsive, and dripping with tension, This Book Will Bury Me will keep you up all night—partly from reading, partly from paranoia. Five stars. Just… maybe clear your browser history after.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for this advance copy via NetGalley for an honest, voluntary review.

#ThisBookWillBuryMe #NetGalley #Sourcebooks #AshleyWinstead

Isn’t it such a wonderful feeling when you connect with people who have similar interests to you?

That’s exactly what this story is about. Our main character has just lost her father and, while dealing with her own grief, finds solace in becoming an armchair detective by participating in an online forum for true crime sleuths and then befriending some people online and eventually in person.

This was a little slower of pace, but read like a true crime doc/conversational piece. Each chapter ends making you want to turn the page.

It was pretty descriptive which made it easier to picture the events happening, the outfits worn and the places visited.

What was a nice main portion of the story that underlies the whole novel is the idea of everyone finding their own ways to deal with grief; everyone takes it in and relieves themselves differently.

This is only the second book I’ve read by Ashley Winstead, but it won’t be my last!

Thank you so much to the author, Ashley Winstead, Sourcebooks Landmark, and NetGalley for the eARC of This Book Will Bury Me!

Jane Sharp just lost her father unexpectantly. To help distract herself from his death, Jane happens upon an internet forum with sleuths currently researching true crime cases. She finds herself sucked into their world forging friendships along the way. After helping to solve a few unsolved cases, news breaks about three college students that were found dead in their off campus apartment in Delphine, Idaho. This case is attracting media attention like they have never seen. Sleuths from all over are determined to be the first to solve the case. Jane and her sleuthing friends are on the case as well, but evidence from the case is not adding up and the police are being evasive. What are they missing and can Jane and her friends help solve the mystery?
Review:
I really enjoy Ashley Winstead's writing. I love a good true crime documentary and this felt very much like that. I do wish that it didn't mirror the Idaho college murders as much it did. I feel like it would have felt more authentic if it was in a different place and didn't follow that story as closely. I absolutely loved the online chat forum conversations. I wish there was more throughout the book instead of mainly in the beginning. I loved the characters of Jane and her friends; their personalities were fantastic! I also loved that there was a wide range of age/experience among them. I can honestly say that I did not predict the outcome of this book and was pleasantly surprised by it! I do think that it could have been shortened a little bit, it felt very long, but overall I really enjoyed my time with this one.
This Book Will Bury Me publishes on 3/25, and I highly suggest bumping this to the top of your TBR!
Thank you to NetGalley, Ashley Winstead, and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC of This Book Will Bury Me in exchange for an honest review!

📚: This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead
⭐️: 3/5

This is a tough one to review. Mostly because I typically love Ashley Winstead’s books and this one didn’t hit the mark for me.

Why? I’m so glad you asked.

*As many other reviews note, this rips heavily from the Idaho 4 case that hasn’t gone to trial yet. I loosely agree with the thoughts around this exploiting an ongoing case, although I counter it to question if we’re as offended by the Max documentary that’s out on the same case? What about ripped from the headlines SVU episodes? Are we in an uproar over those as well? (I tend to think not.) For me, this is an instance of where the first 1/3rd or so is such a copy & paste of the case that it feels like lazy plotting for a fictional thriller. Not surprisingly, when the story becomes less like real life at 50% in, the writing is stronger.

*This is predictable. I guessed the major twist without trying very early on (before the halfway point). I so hoped to be proven wrong, but I wasn’t.

*There’s a sub-point in the final reveal twist and ending that would have made for a far more interesting focus for the entire book (IYKYK).

With the predictability factor and what felt like lazy storytelling to start with it such a cookie cutter to true crime, this fell as just average for me - even without the exploitation of a real life ongoing case in mind.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark via @netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This Book Will Bury Me is out on Tuesday 3/25.

🪦 This Book Will Bury Me - Ashley Winstead

3.25 ⭐️ - Man, I wanted to like this more. I struggled with this - If you’ve done any research or following along on Bookstagram, you know this one is “based on” the Idaho University murders. While I say based on, I really mean, very closely mirrored.

I liked the blog/reddit vibe of the amateur sleuthing online. I liked the audiobook. I struggled to read this once I knew what it was about but the audiobook felt easier to digest. Like someone was telling me a story about the murders and not a fictionalized mirrored account. I love Winstead and her dark academia books but this is at the bottom for me. That case isn’t closed yet and the families don’t have closure, so it feels a bit icky to already have a factionalized tale about it. If you’re interested in Winstead books, let me recommend one of her others for you!

Thank you Netgalley, Tantor Audio, and Sourcebooks Landmark for the early ARC and audio copy! This one is out 3/25.

💭: This book made me want to become an amateur sleuth trying to solve murders the police can’t! I loved the reddit comments part, and how the characters used their expertise to break down the cases! It gripped me start to finish and I love that it was about the main character writing her own book to get her side of the story out after a victim’s family member wrote a book about these amateur sleuths totally defamating them.

I generally like Winstead’s stories, but couldn’t help but be a little disappointed by just how similar this was to the inspiration. It felt a little tasteless, especially considering how recent the tragedy occurred.

I do like the stance this took on true crime and the internet sleuths. Love them or hate them, there’s something to be said for the info they can come up with when 100s of people are focused on finding it. But there is the other side of the coin where they have caused more harm than good to both families of the victim and innocent people caught in the crosshairs.

I just wish this had been a purely fictional case !!

I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As this is a hard book to write feedback on my only comments are if fiction based, true-crime events are triggers for you then this may not be a great choice for your next read. I was aware of the subject matter/topic going in and I was prepared for what I was going to read.

While *This Book Will Bury Me* shares surface-level similarities with the Idaho murders, it quickly takes its own unique direction. Readers should go in with an open mind, as it veers away from the true details of the Idaho college murders. The banter between the group of characters adds a compelling dynamic, balancing the darker elements of the plot. Though the initial resemblance to real-life events made it a bit difficult to settle into, the novel ultimately stands on its own as an engaging and suspenseful read.

There is some controversy surrounding this book. I will touch on that in the review. I did finish the entire book because I was hooked and even when I tried reading something else, I wanted to finish this.

Jane feels unmoored after her father's death. In her grief, she ends up becoming obsessed with a local crime and joins a true crime forum. She ends up being instrumental in solving the case and this obsession blooms. In her forum, she becomes part of a group with a retired police detective, a retired librarian, a computer whiz (hacker), and a man in the Navy. After being highlighted by a national news program, they become famous and are made fun of a lot in the forum. When a horrific crime, the stabbing death of three sorority girls in Idaho breaks, the group decides to descend upon the college town to solve the crime. But what they bring maybe even worse.

Okay, the similarities between the case in the book and the real-life slaying in Idaho are uncomfortable, to say the least. The author could have easily changed more details and the location to make this less disconcerting for the reader. However, as the book goes on and another crime is committed, there are some major differences. Also, the role of the true-crime investigators in the happenings is the true subject of the book. I am taking a star because I found this crass.

Additionally, there are some parts of this that were incredibly predictable. Another star off for that.

If you can stomach the similarities to a murder case that still has not gone to trial, you may enjoy this book as there are differences.

Thank you to Net Galley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the DRC. All opinions are my own.

This Book Will Bury Me has easily secured itself as my favorite of Winstead’s to date.

While drawing inspiration from the tragic 2022 University of Idaho murders is an incredibly delicate and potentially controversial topic, Winstead’s author’s note is direct, graceful and vulnerable in addressing this, and gave me immense respect for her.

Beyond this, I don’t even know where to begin with where Ashley Winstead absolutely bodied this the most:

• I loved the parallel narrative of grief in the wake of suddenly losing a parent and searching for something to fill the void and the strange and painful shapes those journeys take us on.
• I loved that Jane’s first foray into crime solving was for a Nigerian-American woman who likely would’ve otherwise not received the justice she deserved.
• I loved Winstead’s Star Trek, I’ll Be Gone In the Dark, and Heathers references (that ending letter??? Unwell)
• I loved how Winstead incorporated a found family trope so beautifully into a thriller. Honestly how dare you do this so well??
• I guessed the big “plot twist” about 45% of the way through but I didn’t even care that I was right because it was so well executed.

I cried at the end of this. My advice to fellow readers is that if you like grief-driven introspection, found family, well-written thrillers and/or if you, like me, are an ex-true crime girlie who has come to see that that is maybe not the most ethical thing to be invested in: read this book and let it bury you.

Thank you Tantor Audio for the gifted ALC, and thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark from the gifted ARC!

Guaranteed, Ashley Winstead will write one of the buzziest books of the year any year she puts out a book. I knew This Book Will Bury Me would captivate me to the point of obsession.

I wanted to savor this book. Reading Winstead is a unique experience for me, because I often start her books, and then restart them at a random point because I don’t want them to be over. I’ll do anything to prolong spending time with her words. The depth and layers of this story made that an even more enjoyable experience. Which is weird to say about a book that pays homage to the Idaho murders. But she did the subject matter justice.

It’s true that solving murders has changed with “armchair sleuths.” I loved how this book highlighted the good and bad side of a community of amateur detectives being involved in solving high profile cases.

It goes without saying that I loved this book. It was layered, intelligent, engaging and completely captivating. Winstead gets better and better with each book, and I cannot wait to read what she writes next.

✨ Thank you to Sourcebooks and Ashley Winstead for this ARC!

Have you ever picked up a book that completely matched your mood, your vibe, and gave you everything you needed in that moment? That was "This Book Will Bury Me" for me. 💀📚

🧐 What did I love the most?
I’m a huge true crime junkie. I binge true crime books, documentaries, and unsolved mystery podcasts like it’s my job. So when I saw that this thriller follows a college student who, after losing her father, finds solace in a true crime Reddit community, I had to read it. 👀💻

This book delivers:
✅ A gripping grief journey
✅ A quirky, online found-family
✅ Graphic crime scene details (consider this a heads-up!)

💡 Read if you like:
🔍 True crime thrillers
🕵️‍♂️ Armchair detective vibes
🎭 Breaking the 4th wall

⚡ How was the pacing?
Perfection. No notes. Every chapter left me wanting more.

🔥 Do I recommend it?
Absolutely. This is easily one of my favorite thrillers of 2025 so far. The writing is phenomenal, the characters are fully developed, and the twists are unputdownable. If you love dark thrillers, mystery novels, and true crime books, add this one to your TBR ASAP.

You better believe that I SQUEALED when my dear friend @ashleywinstead asked to send me an ARC of her latest book! Followed by a finished copy as well from @sourcebooks - your girl feels SPOILED! Thank you so much for the variety of ways you allowed me to access & read this one - I am SO grateful!

In the age of internet sleuths & the true crime community being ever present - This Book Will Bury Me takes the best (& arguably the worst) of this community and brings it to LIFE! Inspired by various true crime cases, Ashley brings to life a group of amateur sleuths who find one another in an online true crime forum & are hell bent on solving the case at hand and ensuring justice is found. Driven by morally gray characters, a Winstead signature, you’ll find yourself torn between being upset with and rooting for each of them, especially the MC!

The MC, Jane Sharp, who is grieving the recent & abrupt loss of her father carries a profound impact on the way in which the storyline plays out. The way in which her grieving & seeking support is woven into the details of this book is not only a powerful touch, but an even more personal one as well for Ashley, who lost her dad recently.

Knowing the personal component of this book, I can only commend and compliment Ashley for the way she could create such a story out of something so challenging that she was enduring herself. It not only takes immense courage, but it also is an honor to her own father - which is incredibly well done!

In being aware of the inspiration behind this book, I feel it’s important for me to state that Ashley truly goes above and beyond in her work to bring us these books. Her attention to detail in changing aspects of the storyline to be respectful of these real life cases is admirable and should be noted. This intentionality is clear through the authors note and additional information shared in the end of the book, which I want to direct future readers attention to - because it’s incredibly important! Do not neglect to read that additional information!

I am continually impressed and captivated by Ashley’s books & the way in which she writes - Bury Me was NO different and dare I say her best work yet?! 🙌🏼

Oh dear. This book was well written, suspenseful, and the concept of exploring true crime and how people can kind of exploit it through entertainment is a conversation to have and explore. Unfortunately, this book does this through a “fictional” retelling of the Idaho Murders, a case that at the time of publication has not even gone to trial. There is no closure for the families of the victims, and to write a book pulling so many real details from that very real thing that happened very recently felt disgusting and I couldn’t even finish.

As someone who was obsessed with the news story this is based on, this book was right up my alley. However, I had followed some Instagrammers who thought it was extremely distasteful for the author to turn the news story into one for profit so soon or as it was unfolding. I felt that I was right along the crime solvers. It was part about the victims but I also saw the main character falling into a deep hole as a victim herself. I would recommend this book - but for someone who has a bit of a stomach for it.

I enjoyed the background investigating of a college crime in this book! I did not want to put this down. The found family of the online sleuths Jane met were a great supporting cast! The original crime was similar to a real life one but there were so many differences that I was about to remove that connection from my mind.
The twists were great. Janes POV was great.
Overall I am surprised by how much I liked this book!