When 24 year old Jane joins a band of amateur crime solving podcasters to try to solve a college sorority murder, she ends up being in the limelight and has to deal with more that what she signed up for.

Written by the master of twisted storytelling, Ashley Winstead's latest novel will have you thinking all about true crime drama and the mysteries that follow.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark @bookmarked and @netgalley for this ARC. This novel is due to be published on March 25, 2025. Add it to your TBR so you'll have it come spring!

Something Ashley Winstead does perfectly everytime is delivering a thriller that will send your nervous system into overdrive and have you on the edge of your seat. For much of the book I was trying to solve the mystery along with the group, but as we got closer to the end I was holding my breath (and my jaw off the floor)

ARC Review. 4 stars! I had so much fun with this one. Ashley Winstead never fails with her mystery/thrillers. I loved the originality of the online true crime forum and exploration of grief and coping with grief. Unlike her other releases in this genre, I do have some qualms with this one. Firstly, it was highly predictable which takes the schock factor out of the story in times of reveals. Secondly, this is very obviously inspired by and based off of the Idaho murders which I have mixed feelings about.

I thought this book was well done. I liked the format. The book is about internet sleuths trying to solve some murders so you are reading the chat messages. You get to know the sleuths through their usernames over their real names.

The book is about a girl in college whose father passed away unexpectedly. She drops out of college and as a way to handle her grief, gets involved with a group who tries to solve murders. Her mother handles her grief very differently. The book explores her relationship with both her parents which I liked.

The thing that bothered me about the book is that it very closely resembles the University of Idaho murders which only happened in 2022 so either the author wrote something that hadn’t happened yet (eerie) or she took advantage of this news story (creepy). It really bothered me that this was fiction based on an actual tragic event. It seems disrespectful to the families.

Overall, I thought the book was good and had a good twist at the end. I just wish that it didn’t resemble the real murders in Idaho.

I’ve read and loved all of Ashley’s work. I always know I’m in good hands when I open up one of her books. This one was a personal one for me, as I had just moved to Idaho a month before the Idaho college murders of 2022 took place-which is much of the inspiration for this book. While many similar details from the actual case made its way into the book, it is still a fictionalized crime fiction with several events added in. Was some of the content difficult to read at times as it related to the real case? Yes, but I also think Ashley sought to give the victims of her story justice and us as readers a takeaway to discuss.

I loved that it’s told through “Searcher’s” perspective-one of the online sleuth’s determined to solve the Delphine 6 college murders. She really developed Searcher/Jane’s character especially as we come to understand her motive for being so closely involved in the true crime world of sleuthing. She’s dealing with the loss of her dad and wanting to know him on a deeper level, and that journey is beautifully written and conveyed. She also gives us a complex found family of sorts with unique backstories and personalities as these sleuths work together to solve this case. It makes you assess the fandom of true crime and those that become especially invested in it. I also found the writing style, using Jane’s tell-all memoir as the narrative, including footnotes, and online chat thread transcripts to be such a fantastic format for this storyline!

It’s a complex story that transcends a typical crime fiction thriller, with Ashley’s literary prose and storytelling that I’ve come to love. Thank you again Ashley for my early copy, I’m thankful to not only have read it early as a lover of your talented work, but also as a friend I deeply admire.

•𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 •
+ amateur crime sleuths
+ dealing with grief and loss and sense of purpose
+ inspired by the Idaho college murders
+ especially for the true crime lovers
+ Star Trek parallels
+ mentions of Buffy fanfic
+ compelling, layered mystery
+ campus serial killer thriller
+ misfit found family
+ online crime forums
+ shocking ending
+ complex characters
+ read if you liked Bright Young Women
+ content triggers involving crime scene descriptions

𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: March 25, 2025
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Crime Fiction • Thriller
𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭: Physical 📖 (441 pgs)
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ★★★★★

✨Thank you SO much to @ashleywinstead @sourcebooks @netgalley for my #gifted ARC!

This book was intriguing but failed to keep me interested. Love the storyline and I felt like the author wrote a very good detailed book but I had a hard time really getting into this book. This was not for me but others might love the book if your looking for a slower mystery.

tl;dr I liked but didn't love

First of all, the killer didn’t surprise me. I had icky vibes from Citizen when he got mad about the security guard thing but the thing that made me go it was totally him was the way Jane described the killer on the podcast (and then Mistress’s reaction to it). So the big reveal that he was the killer didn’t hit that hard for me (but also maybe it wasn’t supposed to? I felt like Jane was pretty obvious when she said he was going to get someone killed lmao

Second, I almost wish we had a villain monologue because I’m so fascinated by what led Citizen from Bridget’s murder to true crime boards to the Idaho murder. did he really just commit a perfect crime to keep his friend engaged? Are we supposed to infer he’s killed other people since.

Third, I still don’t know how I feel about the Lizzie of it all. I feel like I would’ve appreciated a little more build out.

Fourth, the Natalie reveal was cool but I feel like there was a lot of build up about why Jane was telling her story and how terrible things were but I feel like we didn’t really get a true taste of that other than people hating on the sleuths while hey were undercover

Overall, despite the above qualms, I found this to be a pretty propulsive read but it’s not one of my top thrillers of the year. I did enjoy this more than Midnight is the Darkest Hour and think this will be a safer recommendation than the Last Housewife

The story unfolds as we see a grieving amateur online crime sleuth writing about her experiences in helping take down a serial killer. Jane Sharp is at loss on what to do after her father dies. Instead of focusing on her college studies or her job at Starbucks, she turns to the internet and finds herself helping solve a real crime. From there she finds other crime fighters with her passion for solving murders and find a family.
Drawing on the murders of the college students in Idaho, the author shows the ups and downs of having online forums trying to play detectives. I loved the way this book was written - part memoir, part real time. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves true crime or anyone that likes to play at being a detective.

📖 Book Review 📖 Grief is cruel. It steals pieces of your heart and soul and leaves you a different person than you were before. Losing a parent is so hard and when faced with that immense pain, the need to bury yourself in something is normal. Some people escape into alcohol, some into food; I escaped into books when my mom died last year and found solace in fictional characters also dealing with grief. For Jane, losing her father was her gateway into armchair sleuthing with a group of online detectives, a phenomenon many of us are familiar with. This Book Will Bury Me is raw, riveting and rife with a quiet suspense that builds beautifully. Ashley Wingate delivers a deliciously dark gift tied up nicely with a black bow, inside is a gripping tale that is absolutely unputdownable, with questions that just continue to grow as the pages turn. This Book Will Bury Me is the true crime fiction book to read in 2025!

I was excited about Winstead's new release because I love her writing style. However, I have mixed feelings about this one. It caught my attention and the short chapters kept me intrigued, making it easy to pick up my Kindle everywhere. Unfortunately, I felt like I was waiting too long for anything to happen and then the twist was so painfully obvious I didn't want it to be true. This one won't stay with me like her other 2 do, but I'll still pick up her future releases.

Thank you, NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC!

First, thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the digital ARC of this new read from Ashley Winstead, coming out in March 2025! This is a solid book. I love the setup and enjoyed the characters and how they related to each other. Yes, I thought the twist was coming but it's a good one and I liked it. I have to take points off for the similarity to the recent Idaho murders. It makes fiction out of a real-life horror and while I understand what the author was going for, I wish she'd chosen a different setting and circumstances around where the murders occurred. It feels weird to have made it so similar to something that actually happened and I think it creates distraction from the rest of the book overall. It's well done otherwise. Like many others, I wish there'd been more consideration around blending real-life atrocities with fictional ones. I sped through this one considering how long it was, but I do think it’s more than worth your time. I found myself a little sad when it was over because I'll miss the characters. Perhaps there's a chance at a sequel or follow up?

Well Ashley Winstead did it again!!!

I loved this book! Was full if twists and turns and had you engaged from page 1!! Another page turner and you won't be disappointed!

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review

Once I dove into this book and realized where the plot was going as in being very similar to the Idaho college murders it made me a bit in comfy as that case is still so fresh.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Reeling from the unexpected death of her father, college student Jane Sharp, unexpectedly falls in with an underground community of amateur sleuths investigating true crimes. When three college girls are mysteriously murdered in Delphine, Idaho, Jane and her friends dive into the investigation, determined to solve the case before anyone else. As they dig deeper, they uncover strange inconsistencies and begin to suspect the killer is far more dangerous and cunning than anticipated. A year after the events unfold, Jane decides to reveal the shocking truth behind the Delphine Massacres, a revelation that will astound even the most experienced true crime enthusiasts.

This Book Will Bury Me offers a unique perspective, telling the story of a young woman entangled in an explosive murder case as she recounts her experiences a year later. In an age where armchair detective work can cause real harm, I found this an intriguing exploration of moral boundaries and the ethics of true crime obsession. However, one aspect that bothered me was how easily Jane was accepted into the sleuthing world despite lacking any meaningful skill. The plot would have been more believable if Winstead had established Jane as quick-witted earlier in the book.

Janeway Sharp has come home from college in the face of unexpected tragedy. Reeling from the loss of her father, Jane becomes involved with a group of arm chair detectives on the internet. Quickly, she loses herself to the mystery, intrigue, and connections among strangers. When the massacre of three college women hits the news, the group of five immediately take to the case. Digging herself deeper into the case, Jane loses touch with reality and barricades herself in this dark world. Every answer found is another cord unraveled, nothing makes sense and no one can get a handle on this case. The group lands in the middle of the case, caught in the crosshair of police, press, and other sleuths. Jane now sets the record straight a year after. This could set the record straight or be the end of her.

Ashley Winstead does it again. True crime has blown up throughout the world, Ashley uses that to paint the picture of the good and bad. Internet sleuths can be a blend of helpful and harmful, this group of five takes the two hand in hand. These are characters you root for and despise. It is a perfect blend of mystery and current environment. I find Ashley's writing to be fast paced and very enjoyable. Highly recommend for anyone who loves true crime. Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the advanced copy.

3.5 5 internet sleuths come together in person to solve a new group of murders.

Let me start off by saying I did enjoy this book which is why my Goodreads score is a 4 and not a 3. I loved the story. I enjoyed the Characters. I was intrigued and invested.

I had a hard time trying to figure out what made this not a higher star rating for me because I really couldn't put my finger on it until I read someone else's review and I was like yup, thats it: PACING. For a book I really enjoyed and wanted to read it really felt like I was slugging through. It took forever for me to get through this book. It is quite a long book too. I think it could have lost like 100 pages and been just fine.

But I still recommend the read when it comes out next year. Just be prepared for the slow pace. Ashley Winstead still knows how to write a book.

Thank you Netgalley for approving me to read this ARC!

oh boy oh boy!!! i had so much fun! the twists and turns this one took me on were incredible! i had so much fun, every time i picked it up i was sucked back in. thank you for the arc netgalley!

I love this author, she is a must read for me. All her books are pretty messed up, but in an addicting kind of way. High level book is about people online who form a community/an obsession with solving murders.

I was reading other reviews on this book and it seems this book is very closely about the Idaho murders of college students in 2022. Then I was sucked into a rabbit hole about reading about that

💻Book Review💻
*
Summary- It's the most famous crime in modern history. But only she knows the true story.
After the unexpected death of her father, college student Jane Sharp longs for a distraction from her grief. She becomes obsessed with true crime, befriending armchair detectives who teach her how to hunt killers from afar. In this morbid internet underground, Jane finds friendship, purpose, and even glory...
So when news of the shocking deaths of three college girls in Delphine, Idaho takes the world by storm, and sleuths everywhere race to solve the crimes, Jane and her friends are determined to beat them. But the case turns out to be stranger than anyone expected. Details don't add up, the police are cagey, and there seems to be more media hype and internet theorizing than actual evidence. When Jane and her sleuths take a step closer, they find that every answer only begs more questions, and begin to suspect their killer may be smarter and more prolific than any they've faced before. Placing themselves in the center of the story starts to feel more and more like walking into a trap...
*
Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
*
My thoughts- I enjoyed this book even though it was clearly heavily inspired by the Idaho Murders. This was a good mystery but at times was a bit hard to follow with chat and user names. This was not my favorite Ashley Winstead but it was a super solid thriller. I was interested in finding out what happened in each of the cases they were solving. I think this is the perfect book for any true crime buff.
*
QOTD- are you into true crime at all? Do you follow cases, watch documentaries, or any thing at all? I’m super into true crime, in another life I would totally love to be an investigator and bring closure to families ! 🕵️‍♀️

I was super intrigued by the premise of this book and I had high hopes until I started reading it and realized it was basically a knock off of the Idaho Murders. That made me want to quit reading this story. I think those that don't follow true crime and don't know about the four college students that were brutally murdered in their home might enjoy this story but for me? It made me sick to my stomach.

I'm not sure why the author wouldn't choose to just do something different. I read that they stated this was "inspired" by the Idaho murders but there were direct things taken from the actual murders. This was frustrating because so much of it actually happened in real life that I couldn't figure out what was actually made up.

So yeah, I can't recommend this story. It's giving bad lifetime movie.

Thank you NetGalley for my free copy in exchange for my honest opinion. And my honest opinion is that this probably shouldn't be published as it's pretty distasteful.