I am really torn over rating This Book Will Bury Me.

This Book Will Bury Me has potential to be a five star read. The reason I am stuck at two stars is because of what seem to be shortcuts the author has taken to have a thicker plot or to try to bring a new audience in. If the desire is to reach the passionate web sleuths / true crime armchair detectives, using parts of new and active cases blatantly was not the path to take.

Ashley Winstead sets the reader up as if we are reading a memoir/tell-all style book. There is a parallel storyline of grieving loss of a family member (trigger warning for this topic).

The spiral downward begins when Ashley Winstead blatantly uses huge details and some press conference quotes from two major ongoing cases where the trial is are underway (Delphi Indiana, Abby and Libby) or trial is not yet started (Moscow Idaho, Madison, Kaylee, Xana, Ethan). The bulk comes from the Moscow case.

Similar street names (swapping King for Queen)
Nina Grace instead of Nancy Grace
The method of killing and how the victims were found
A suspect being a criminology grad student
The party house rhetoric
THE CC TV FOOTAGE OF THE GIRLS GOING TO A FOOD TRUCK

The only reason I reviewed at two stars instead of one is because the ending veered away from mainstream crime information.

An AI bot could have changed the details more.

People who are not actively into true crime will love this book. Anyone who follows real cases will see these details and likely label as disrespectful to use for public gain.

I am absolutely appalled by this book. I’ve been disappointed by the author before, but using real life murders and fictionalizing them to sell books with some bogus plot twist? Absolutely not. It is a shame anyone let this book go to publication. It is a disgrace and inappropriate.

Thank you so much to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for an ARC of this book for review!

After losing her father, Jane takes to true crime forums- partly a distraction and partly to right pasts wrongs- in a way to help victims in a way she was unable to help her father. She is quickly sucked into and addicted to the true crime world. Then, she gets invited to join an elite group of four other web sleuths who are the best at what they do. Following cases of college students who have been killed, Jane and her new crime-solving family are determined to find who committed these killings while the police seemingly remain clueless.

I absolutely devoured this book. The opening completely sucked me in and I was hooked. When I wasn’t reading it, I found myself thinking about it and wondering what would happen next. Winstead is an amazing writer and did such a great job telling this story. She did so well, that I found myself googling whether any of these victims or characters were real. I read so many books where an amateur is trying to investigate a crime. It’s redundant normally, and that is not at all what I felt while reading this book. Here, Winstead broke us readers into the web sleuths of the dark web, made us love them, and then tore our hearts out. Our family of sleuths were well-respected and accepted to consult with the FBI, which gave the reader a reason for why they were searching so hard for answers. Jane’s search to do something right to almost avenge her father’s death pulls at the readers heartstrings. I felt myself so drawn to Jane as a strong willed young woman and was rooting for her until the last page.

If you enjoyed Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll, you will love this book.

Good trigger warnings, death of a parent was explored way more in depth than I expected it to be and was definitely hard to read. But it became such a force throughout the book and explained why Jane did the things that she did.

The annotations are such a fun addition to this book, though sometimes they were hard to follow on kindle. I imagine a physical book would read much easier when you can just turn a few pages to the end of the chapter.

What a fun and emotional read.

Jane’s father died and the way she copes is by diving into an online chat network of crime sleuthing. It’s a tight knit group of “armchair detectives” that work to solve crimes together as a hobby and they begin to fill the family void that Jane is craving after her dad’s passing. The group meets up in real life to consult for the FBI for an emerging serial killer on a college campus in Idaho.

It was really fun to crack the case and work all angles alongside Jane and the crew- I felt like a member of their little group at points. I was starting to suspect someone and I wasn’t wrong, but I wasn’t upset at the outcome because of the fun ride to get there.

And I seriously need to throw props at Ashley Winstead for her writings about grief. She conveyed it so authentically and well- the stark contrast of Before and After a devastating loss, the emptiness, the loss of identity, the way you claw at all and any loose ends to try and hold on to your person… the way you try to learn as much as you can about a person after they die in attempt to feel closer.. just all of it. The way she needed to have the viewing with her dad’s body to make herself see for real he was dead and not just missing… I felt all of this deeply.

Thank you to Sourcebooks and Netgalley for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Jane, a student at UCF is at a party with a friend when she receives a phone call from her Mom. Her Dad has been found unresponsive and has been taken away by ambulance - come home ASAP.

Unfortunately, Jane’s dad passes away. In her grief, Jane dives into finding out about her Dad’s life. While she’s “Searching”, she sees a news report about a dead girl. On a whim she creates an account for an online forum that is amateur sleuths - crime junkies, if you will. She calls herself Searcher. The online forum takes Jane’s attention from the goings on at home and she helps her small group of forum friends solve the case by investigating things a little too close (making contact with the killer).

The story follows Jane and her small group of crime investigators who not only have a proven record of helping local police but immerse themselves into the case of the moment. They catch wind of a case in Delphine, Idaho, which starts as three sorority girls are murdered and then the serial killer expands their net and kills three track collegiate.

Will Jane and her close knit group of sleuths (Citizen, GoKu, Lightly, and Mistress) find the killer before more innocent lives are lost in the process -or- will they mar the online “computer sleuth” community even further with their ideas and accusations? Will Jane find herself in the midst of learning about her Father’s past?

I struggled to review this because I can't really decide if I liked it or not. I liked seeing the true crime side of an investigation and thought it was interesting, but sometimes disturbing, how amateur sleuths investigate a crime and the steps they go to do so. What I didn't really like is that this wasn't a very original plot as the story was literally taken out of the headlines. All of the key points seemed to be exact between the real story and this piece of fiction.

2.75 stars rounded up.
i really like the story of this book it had me very intrigued. for me though it was way to long and it felt very drawn out. I felt myself scimming over the pages. the ending was a really good one though and I can say it honestly surprised me!

When I saw that Ashley Winstead had a new book I was on the bandwagon. I’ve loved everything from hers I’ve read. I thought this was a great thriller. I loved getting to know all the characters, and learning more about the true crime community (which I always stay on the outskirts of). I liked the twists. I believe that the only issue that people might have with it is that it is a slow burn and not necessarily full of action. Regardless the writing is magnificent and the story is solid.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. This will be out March 2025. Make sure to add it to your list!

#ThisBookWillBuryMe , the forthcoming thriller from the one and only @ashleywinsteadbooks is hands down one of my favorite thrillers as of late. Loosely based on the Iowa murders and drawing you into the world of online forums and true crime junkies, Winstead has outdone herself here. Releasing in March, readers who loved Winstead’s debut, In My Dreams I Hold a Knife are going to love her latest! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you love true crime, this book is for you! This read was so fun as it’s told from the viewpoint of an “online sleuth”. The book is told from Jane’s POV as the book she writes after her whole journey of entering the true crime online community and helping solve some crazy cases. I was sucked in from the beginning and had a hard time putting it down.

I definitely wasn’t expecting the twist at the end. Still not sure how I feel about how everything came together, but I was sad to see Jane’s journey come to a close. This book explores true crime but also loss & grieving, found family, and how fame isn’t always what it’s cracked out to be.

I'm a fan of this author's writing style, it's very engaging and descriptive which makes for a really immersive read. "This Book Will Bury Me" hooked my attention early and kept me turning pages.

I think that this would be a great fit for anyone who enjoys True Crime, it definitely reads like a podcast mini series.

Thank you Ashley Winstead, Net Galley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with an ARC of this book!

This was so good??? Definitely one of my favorite thrillers of the year. The concept and the way it was written was sooooo interesting and so well done, I was so hooked on the story. Definitely for fans of true crime, kind of crazy how well the topic of grief was handled. I’m so excited to force everyone I know when it comes out!! Thank you netgalley for letting me read early:)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read Ashley Winstead's new book ahead of publication in 2025.

This book centers around a woman dealing with the loss of her father who joins an online, amateur group that works to solve crimes. I found the characters interesting and compelling, and I only hoped for the best for our main character. However, I guessed the big twist way before it happened, and I *never* guess the twist, so I felt that that dampened my enthusiasm for book. Nevertheless, it was a quick, intriguing read, and I'd recommend for someone who wants a look into the world of amateur crime-solvers.

Fantastic read, I loved it! For me, I loved the idea of the group of online people trying to solve crime. We’ve seen it so much the last few years, and it was fascinating to see how they were all so different in real life and managed to get along so well. The crime solving was really interesting, and I loved the technology they used. Great plot too, and it ended so well.

This book takes you on a whirlwind of internet sleuths trying to figure out a murder. It kept a pretty good pace throughout to keep me interested. It read more like you’re listening to your favorite true crime podcast! I loved the twist that was revealed and never guessed it. Definitely wouldn’t mind reading other books by this author. Thank you, Net Galley, and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for this ARC.

I was not willing to put this book down until my eyes were half dead. My housework suffered, my family ate DIY dinner for two days in a row, and I need some sleep! But it was all worth it! This book is mind-blowing. I love how it’s written, like the narrator is speaking directly to the reader. This is a true immersive and addictive book.

When Jane unexpectedly loses her father, she finds herself in a strange, new emotional place and feels the need to occupy her mind. That’s how she ends up in a chat room for crime solvers. Eventually, an elite group of murder-solving sleuths invite her to join their “family”. This becomes all-consuming for Jane, who ends up dropping out of school, getting fired from her job, and driving hundreds of miles to be in the midst of solving one of the worst crime sprees in history. Her life is changed forever.

My prediction is that this book will find its way to the bestseller’s list and stay there for a very long time. It’s that good. The ending threw me sideways. Thank you, NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the eARC of this 5-star thriller.

This book was amazing all the way through. I couldn't stop reading it, even though it was quite lengthy. The author created a great group of characters, especially Jane, who was deep and well-developed. I really enjoyed the detective work, the Reddit discussions, the TikTok video mentions, and the podcasts. It's the ideal book for true crime enthusiasts. The ending was also executed perfectly! It keeps you hooked because you don't find out what really happened until the very end, where Jane reveals the truth

Thank You NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark | Sourcebooks Landmark for allowing me to read this ARC.

This Book Will Bury Me delivers true crime vibes, mystery and suspense, as well as a true thriller ending. I enjoyed this book from the start, which added to the fun as I often take a bit to settle into a novel. I have read all of Ashley Winstead's books and I'd compare this most closely to In My Dreams I Hold a Knife. However, the cast of characters is more diverse in age and backgrounds and I found the central characters to be much more likeable.

After Jane's father dies unexpectedly, she drops out of college and starts looking for an escape from her grief. What Jane finds is an online crime solving community that gives her a found family and a mission, to solve crimes that the cops can't piece together. As Jane falls into a group investigating brutal serial murders on college campuses, things seem to come together and not add up all at the same time.

I think this will appeal to many readers as it is well paced, tense, and full of consistent reveals. Winstead writes with much less social commentary in this book than some of her more recent titles. If you like a book within a book, found family, true crime, well paced thrillers, or any combination of those this is certainly worth adding to your TBR.

4.5/5 stars but I'll round up.

"In my Dreams I Hold a Knife" was one of my favorite reads in the last year so I was extremely thrilled to receive an ARC of Ashley Winsteads latest release. I love Ashley's writing style, she keeps it engaging while also painting an in-depth picture with well developed characters.
I devoured this book in the span of a day, it kept me so enthralled. While I will admit I had an inkling about halfway through who may be a person of interest, it didn't deter me. I am not the type to only consider a thriller good for the "big plot twist" if a novel keeps me engaged and constantly thinking about the missing pieces and where things are going to head then it's still amazing in my opinion.
This one provoked a lot of thoughtfulness and emotion through the characters, they were easy to connect to, while at times frustrating for their human error, but I appreciate that aspect as it keeps it realistic.
I'm only leaving with 4.5 stars because there were a few points in the book I wish I had more closure on, but nothing earth shattering that would leave the book feeling incomplete.
I can understand some people's reservations about the setting being similar to the Moscow Idaho case, but I think a lot of fiction is based off reality.
That being said, I definitely recommend this new release from Ashley.

I really like the format of this book and I loved In My Dreams I Hold a Knife - but it was instantly obvious that this was a direct lift of the real life murders that happened in Idaho. So many of the details were exact copies and it felt both a little lazy and a little slimy. TY to NetGalley for the ARC but this one feels hard to recommend.