(Actual: 4.25⭐) Love Ashley Winstead and this was another thriller win in the books!!! While I'm not the biggest true crime enthusiast (like, at all, really lol), I thoroughly enjoyed the lens in which this novel is filtered through, and found it to be very, very engaging in the end. The twists and turns seemed endless, with each more surprising than the last, and kept me on my toes the entire way through. A big part of my love for this novel stems from my love of Winstead's prose, and I'm further aware that the style in which TBWBM is a bit of a departure from her usual signature. That said, I absolutely believe that that choice and willingness to shake things up was well worth it and made this book stand out even more for me! Definitely recommend to thriller fans and newbies alike!!!

When Jane’s father dies unexpectedly, she escapes her grief by falling into the world of armchair detectives. Before long she’s so engrained within this community that she considers the small group of friends she’s made to be almost her family. When a mass killing occurs on a small campus in Idaho, Jane and her team, head to Idaho to investigate where the FBI and local police can’t. As their investigation continues, Jane and her team find themselves at the center of the case and might not survive past it.

I’m conflicted with this book. It’s very clearly based on the Idaho four, which I know other reviews have noted. However, there is an author note where Winstead addresses this and states her reasoning for basing the story on true events. So, I’ll give her that. Her intentions seem ‘good’ but it’s still hard to separate the true events from such a recent murder from the actual storyline. At the end of the day, tons of fiction is based on true events and so I don’t know if we can ‘cancel’ this book because of it. Just a fair warning as you head into this book, that there are lots of very true details.

The story itself, is ‘meh’. I hate saying that since it’s based on true events, but the first half of the story is just following Jane and her grief around and has such a slow start. Learning about message boards was interesting and honestly incredibly frustrating. Which is kind of the point Winstead is trying to make. How small facts can blow up and suddenly mob mentally takes over. Another book I read recently I’m Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom, also dived deep into the way social media can complicate facts, which in the end can hinder police investigations. It’s interesting that we’re starting to see this be a bigger theme in stories.

Jane as a character though, I never connected with. She’s a hard to like character and just felt off. Same with most of our other main characters. Even after the story started moving, I never felt truly invested in the story, primarily because of Jane. There are a few areas of suspense but the ending again was ‘meh’ and felt completely unrealistic and a bit lazy.

This is my first Ashley Winstead book and while I didn’t hate it, it was just okay. It’s entirely too long. Has some forced romance side plot which I didn’t love, and I’m not sure everyone will appreciate how closely it follows other murders.


This Book Will Bury Me comes out March 25, 2025. Huge thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my:
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I absolutely loved this book! The short chapters and narration style really worked for me, and I found the peek into the true crime forums to be fascinating. I was immediately hooked by the primary murder plot line and loved the twist + ending. My one minor complaint is I feel like there was maybe a bit too much of the dad storyline, but not enough to decrease my enjoyment overall and I do think it added important backstory about how our main character got so involved. This is one of the best and most entertaining thrillers I've read in a long time - highly recommend!

Another fast paced, hard to put down book from Winstead! She has very easily turned into a must read author for me. I love how twisty her thrillers are along with having interesting, unique character development!

Another excellent book by Ashley Winstead. As usual, her characters are engaging and extraordinarily complex, and these complexities leave you with a twist that you do not see coming. You could really tell the parallels with her grief and the grief she was writing about, as well as the inner struggles she was having. Excellent read.

Having read and loved other book by Ashley Winstead, I went into this one expecting it to be good. While I did end up liking the story, there’s a part of me that feels conflicted about the inspiration for the book.

Let’s start with the good stuff. I’m not a big true-crime person, but this plot felt very easy to get into in regards to the online forums and “internet sleuths”. The idea of people online helping to solve murders is intriguing, but I also liked how Winstead made a point to show how complicated this can be (i.e. obsession vs. actual desire to help, getting in the way of police procedures). There’s definitely a fine line between helpful and hurtful, and how that line often blurs was an interesting point.

The characters in this book weren’t necessarily lovable (with maybe the exception of Mistress), but their moral grayness made me want to know more. The way the mystery unfolded felt a little slow at times (this book is almost 500 pages), but definitely picked up a lot at the end. I kinda saw the twist coming, but how it was done still felt surprising, especially seeing it from the different characters’ POVs. The way everything tied together in the end was satisfying, but I maybe wanted a little more there.

Now for the messier part. This book is largely inspired by the Idaho College Murders in 2022; like heavily references a lot of things that were similar to or the same as the real life tragedy. Are forms of entertainment inspired by other tragedies? Yes, often. With a case that is still ongoing, I think it’s a little different here maybe? I’m still not quite sure how to feel about it other than torn. I read an advance copy that didn’t include the “Conversation with the Author” at the end, and would be interested in reading that in a finished copy, as I’m sure it probably addresses this and I’m curious to hear her thoughts.

Overall I did like this book and the mystery plot of it, it was just the real-life inspiration made me feel a little weird about it.

Thank you Sourcebooks for the advance copy.

Great book! If you’re a lover of true crime & police procedure then you’ll love this book! I really enjoyed the insight into the life of the “internet” sleuths.
This book is very loosely based on the Idaho murders that took place in 2022…so that added another level of intrigue.
I was immediately hooked & could not wait to see what the final twist would be! & although I feel it was kinda obvious…it also wasn’t obvious at all! I enjoyed this book!

Ashley Winstead's Writing Continues to Astonish!

With every new release, Ashley Winstead proves just how exceptional her storytelling is, and This Book Will Bury Me is no exception. In this gripping novel, we meet Jane Sharp, a college student who is reeling from the sudden death of her father due to a heart attack. Struggling to cope, she drops out of school and becomes consumed by her fascination with true crime. Her obsession leads her to a tight-knit online community of fellow enthusiasts, who soon invite her to join their ranks.

Jane’s natural knack for investigation quickly earns her the respect of the group, and she helps crack a local murder case in her hometown. But when a tragedy strikes in Delphine, Idaho, the group decides to use their collective knowledge to assist the local authorities. Tensions rise, however, as it becomes clear that the group’s idea of "helping" doesn’t always align with the police's methods. When George, their father figure, refuses to leak vital information, he withdraws from the investigation. But when another murder shakes the Delphine campus, George is reluctantly pulled back into the fold.

The question looms: are these amateur sleuths truly aiding the investigation, or are they complicating things further? And will the murderer ultimately be caught?

Packed with unexpected twists, This Book Will Bury Me is a fast-paced and compelling read. As Jane attempts to make sense of the unfolding events and share her perspective, you’ll find yourself drawn into the mystery, eager to piece together the clues alongside her. A must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and intense crime fiction!

ASHLEY WINSTEAD IS ABSOLUTE FIRE!!!! Honestly, this author gets better with every book and this one is no exception. College student, Jane Sharp has lost her father to a sudden heart attack. She drops out of college and gets obsessed with true crime. Amongst the forums, she meets her "family", a group of true crime aficionados, who invite Jane to join them. Jane seems a natural at sleuthing and she quickly impresses the group by helping to solve a woman's murder in her hometown.
When tragedy strikes a college town in Delphine, Idaho, the group swoop in with their knowledge and skills in order to help the police. But it quickly becomes apparent that the group has different takes on "helping" and their father-figure, George, wants no part of leaking the police report. However, as soon as he leaves, another murder rocks the campus on Delphine and George quickly gets pulled back in to the group. But are the arm-chair sleuths actually helping or hindering? And will the murderer be brought to justice?
This was full of twists and turns and is extremely fast-paced. Jane tries to explain her side of the story and get the facts straight for the audience but at the same time, you can't help trying to solve the murders yourself.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this digital e-arc.*

I’ve been thinking a lot about this book before writing my review. There is some controversy surrounding it because of the use of verbatim real life details from the University of Idaho murders, which has still not been brought to trial.

As a fan of mysteries and police procedurals, I love the whole searching for clues and investigation, and that’s what these characters were doing, and maybe that’s why I really liked this book. And while the book is about the murders, there is much more to it. It’s about grieving the loss of a parent and coping, it’s about finding community and belonging and loneliness, and it’s about obsession. This book reminded me of Winstead’s first, which I absolutely loved, with the pacing and how the story unfolded without giving away too much too soon. There were also some pretty good twists that added to the story.

In her author’s note, Winstead writes that she lost her father and found out about the University of Idaho murders around the same time. She became fixated on the case, which helped her deal with her grief, and also inspired this book. I appreciate Winstead’s candidness and opening up her personal life to her readers.

I had read one of Winstead’s previous books, Midnight is the Darkest Hour, and had enjoyed Winstead’s moody, atmospheric, and almost irreverent writing. I requested a copy of Winstead’s newest book after reading its blurb, which lays out a pretty typical thriller synopsis. However, when I read the first page of the book, I was confused. Winstead explains in an author’s note that she lost her father right before the murders of four college students attending the University of Idaho. She goes on to say that her grief about losing her father at a young age, then seeing the four college kids lose their life at an even younger age, deeply affected her. And I agree, I think most people experience a deep sadness whenever they hear about horrific murders, especially when it involves kids. However, Winstead then took the facts of this murder case, which hasn't gone to trial yet, and wrote an entire self-insert fiction about a young girl who lost her father and becomes obsessed with solving a nearly identical murder case. I wish this had been clearer in the description of the book, as I would not have read it if I’d had that information beforehand.

This book was so addictive! The story pulled me in right away, and I couldn’t put it down. The mix of true crime obsession, internet sleuthing, and the chilling reality of the case made for such an addictive read.

I really loved the main character and the ragtag group of amateur detectives—watching the progression they had from first meeting online to getting to know each other more and more was really compelling to me. Some reveals I saw coming, but that didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed every twist and turn. The way this book explores online crime communities and their real-world impact was fascinating and will have me thinking long after finishing this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the eARC!

This was such a conflicting read for me. Even before its release, it's already become extremely polarizing, and, honestly, I can see both sides. I enjoyed the writing and from page one I was hooked despite guessing the killer at an extremely early point in the book. That part was blatantly obvious to me, and I don't think you have to be a huge thriller fan to guess who it was correctly.

However, and this is where I am having the biggest issue, it is copy/paste version of the Idaho murders. Has this book been advertised as such? I'm going to be honest I tend to go in blind when reading, so I could have simply missed it, but true crime fans will recognize it immediately. Quite frankly, you'd have to be living under a rock not to recognize it, and, for that reason, I am torn on this book. It doesn't breed originality, and, honestly, it gives me the ick profiting off those murders, especially since the case hasn't even went to trial yet. The definition of too soon in my opinion. 🙁

It's so strange how similar it is. Both sets of murders take place in a college town in Idaho. Three girls are murdered in their home and while one roommate, who witnesses the masked murderer leaving lives to tell the story and also delays calling the cops til late the next morning. He enters through a glass sliding door. They are stabbed to death. The girls go to a food truck the night before being killed. There is even a character, who reminds you of Kohlberger. They are in a sorority. I could keep going, but you get the point.

I was really hoping by the end of the book to read an explanation to justify for all these similarities from the author, but my advanced copy did not have that. I hope the final copy does and anyone who reads it is able to let me know her reasoning.

Here's the crux of my issue. Despite all of that, I still enjoyed reading this book. I should have been bored. I mean you see the similarities I mentioned and I know there are more that I am leaving out, but I couldn't put it down and that is a testament to Winstead's writing. I've been hit or miss with her books in the past and despite my three star rating, it is up there with her other books that I have enjoyed, so take that for what it is worth. 😅 I just wish they advertised this book was based off the Idaho murders better, so people can make their own decision on if they want to read it or not.

**Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an advanced copy of this book and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion. I am posting this review to my Goodreads account immediately and will post it to my Amazon & Instagram accounts upon publication.

Let's start with this: I haven't followed the Idaho college murders, so can not say how close this fictional story is to the real story. It does feel a little icky to be so soon and close enough that anyone is making the connection. I enjoyed the writing, but wish we had gotten to know the victims more. Yes, the story is based on the internet sleuths, but the so quick snapshots of the victims didn't do them any justice. I also felt that the author really struggled with proving why Jane got involved in the group. That connection felt forced, but it didn't need to. By the end of the book I recognized that it was more about trying to more intricately weave the story of her dad's death with the rest of the story and make it more of a stronger part of the book. I honestly could have done without that storyline. It didn't add to the book, but instead distracted and every time it came up I had to recenter myself. I figured out the twist at about 60%, but I think that was intended by the author. I spent the rest of the main part of the book waiting for the fall out and for others to catch up.

I was excited to receive a galley of Ashley Winstead's newest book. I have been a fan of her previous work.
After the death of her father, Jane finds herself immersed in the online true crime community. She works with a small group of other true crime enthusiasts to help solve some unsolved crimes.

I enjoyed the format of this book, as if Jane is writing a book, the footnotes, etc. I appreciated the fact that this book focused on the true crime community and showed some of the good and bad things associated with this. The format of this book was an A+ for me, but the plot dragged a little at some points. Overall, an enjoyable read.

I will say that this book, had a lot of similarities to the Idaho murders of 2022, the cases of which have not been finalized. I feel that this could be problematic for some readers.

I know this book has been getting a lot of hate due to speculations but I personally loved it. I'm a huge true crime fan and this read like a true crime nonfiction but also it was so much more. I will admit I didn't care for Jane's character at first, I thought she was lazy and obsessive but the more I read the more I started to like her. The found family trope is one of my favorites and I loved how this rag=tag team came together to solve the murders. And the twists, holy moly, the twists got me good. There wasn't many of them but they did get me. Don't let the size of this book intimidate you, it reads so fast and is so gripping and captivating, you'll fly right through it.

I don’t read true crime or thrillers all that often; so when I do, I get sucked in so easily. This was no exception. Once I got into the rhythm of the story, I was hooked!

I really, really loved this read! It reminds me of a real true crime story in the media now. I loved the crime sleuth storyline, it kept me turning the pages trying to figure out what was next, which I had completely wrong!

The end shocked me, wasn't even suspecting that! This is a slow burn great read!

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest review!

#NetGalley #Sourcebooks #AshleyWinstead #ThisBookWillBuryMe

I DNFd this at 42%.

I only recently found out about the Idaho 4, and it shocked the hell out of me that not only is this book a fictionalized retelling of this case that has very much not come to justice, the author executed this in an extremely icky way that made me feel like I was dishonoring them by reading. I imagine the other cases mentioned are also closely based off true stories. I wish I’d known this ahead of time.

This Book Will Bury Me seeks to display how dangerous true crime sleuthing has become in the age of Gabby Petito, and even has some flimsy messaging about how Black victims of brutal murders or unsolved disappearances don’t receive remotely the same interest or media coverage.

However, I found the writing problematic. The FMC’s father dies…from being fat. He has a heart attack because he’s fat and irresponsible with his health, because duh? If that was not meant to be the lens he’s viewed through, the way he’s written absolutely undercuts that, plus his wife, FMCs mom, is extremely fatphobic. I don’t know why thriller authors continue to write fat people so offensively, but I also know calling things out like this will perhaps lead to more compassionate change.

The FMC is also unlikable in a haughty way, not in a way that seems to lead toward a character arc. She does a lot of breaking the fourth wall and explaining what is going to happen before it happens which felt like reading the same thing twice. The writing style overall wasn’t for me. By the time I DNFd, pieces were very much still falling into place, but it felt overwritten in many ways.

While this didn’t work for me, if you’re really into true crime sleuthing I think you’ll have fun with this!

I wasn’t a fan of the narration. The narrator did a lot of whisper-talking that made S & C sounds really harsh to the ears, and I didn’t like how she read male voices—it felt like she was mocking how men sound rather than shifting pitch and tone to emulate the sound.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark, Tantor Audio, and NetGalley for providing me with an ALS and an ARC!

🚨 Pub Date: 3/25/25

I don't know much about the Idaho case this one is apparently inspired by, so any references there were not picked up by me. From what I've read in other reviews though, I am unsure how I feel about basing this story off that case since IRL it is unsolved. However, I found the investigative nature of this one and "internet sleuthing" entertaining and I wasn't entirely expecting the big reveal. The book did feel a bit long, and again the significance might have just been missed by me, but I felt like all the stuff about honoring her father could have been left out? Just wasn't sure the relevance was to the case as a whole. Overall, entertaining true crime that is bingeable since the pacing is pretty quick.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!