Yay, finally another mystery/thriller/spooky book that focuses on charactersssssss! I love to see that rarity!

This book had a really interesting format. And I think it really allowed the reader to feel like they're in the story and understanding things at the same rate as the characters. It feels very planned out and I think that worked out really well.

This feels like it is definitely targeted at the true crime lovers, so if you like true crime podcasts and documentaries, I would definitely recommend. This feels even more for that crowd than your standard mystery/thriller novel.

The references worked and were funny, but that kind of thing always makes me nervous. I find that certain references or too many references can REALLY date a book.

Some of the twists were a bit predictable for me, but I think that could just be because I do listen to a lot of true crime podcasts and watch a lot of documentaries (as well as watching spooky movies and reading spooky/mystery books). It is a formulaic genre and I'm used to that and I know that. I try to set myself up for success in that way - I am impressed if I cannot guess or predict a thing.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

I took this to work to read. (I am a librarian, but that's not exactly what I'm SUPPOSED to do during the day.) As usual, Winstead knocks it out of the park. It was hard to put down and I enjoyed the behind the scenes look at true-crime enthusiasts. It was very easy to cast it in my head, so call me if the movies rights are sold! Can't wait to see what she gives us next!

This was fantastic. I've previously read two of Winstead's books (In My Dreams I Hold a Knife and Midnight is the Darkest Hour and liked them both...The Last Housewife is still on my TBR). This was by far my favorite of the three.

A college student whose father died young turns to an online crime sleuthing community as a means of escape and connection. I loved all the characters. Excellent treatment of "true crime as entertainment" and the thrills and dangers of online sleuths. This book was on the longer side, but I didn't mind and kind of wanted to spend even more time with these people. I got teary eyed a couple of times.

The characters were well developed, the depiction of Jane's grief losing her father and yearning to know more about him was poignant. I also loved how Winstead demonstrated how you can indeed form friendships and found family with people you meet online. All this AND a murder mystery to solve.

Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. Publishes March 25, 2025.

This NEEDS to be a movie. Very gripping and well written. As a former UCF student who now lives in TN (both settings in this book), I also had a personal attachment and found the book relatable. Along with other kismet, I felt like the author wrote it with me in mind.
A thrilling mystery with such great characters. I don’t want to give anything away but I highly recommend this book & look forward to reading more from this author. Hope to see this in theaters in a few years!

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

When starting an Ashley Winstead book, there are 3 emotions. Excitement, because I know I’m about to go on the ride of a lifetime. Joy, because Ashley can do no wrong and fear. The fear is because Winstead never fails to rip my heart up while simultaneously making me enjoy it. This Book Will Bury Me is no exception. I was enthralled by the mystery itself but this time what affected me most was Janeway’s loss of her dad and how she processed it. I too have lost my dad and grieved. I can feel the grief pumping throughout these pages. The layers of this book make it a complicated, thought-provoking read. I definitely plan on re-reading this, as I stopped so many times to marvel at Winstead’s way with words. Winstead is one of the most powerful writers of our time, able to evoke every emotion. This is one of my favorite books of the year (technically next year, I guess haha)

This Book Will- Give You A Book Hangover!!! I LOVED In My Dreams I Hold A Knife so when I saw that Ashley Winstead had a new book This Book Will Bury Me I dropped everything to read it and I am so glad I did!! This is going to be THE book of 2025. A multi-layer, compelling thriller that you WON’T be able to put down. The only downside to this book was not wanting it to end. I loved Janes’s story and how she found a new family while also helping others working through her grief. I loved the Network threads, footnotes and the Star Trek and Buffy references. If you love books with murder & mystery, amateur sleuths, and an awesome twist at the end then you are going to LOVE This Book Will Bury Me as
much as I did!!! I will definitely be recommending it as one of my top 5 star reads.

This is the 4th A. Winstead book that I’ve read, and possibly one of my favorites! It’s a tough choice between this and In My Dreams I Hold A Knife…

I simply couldn’t put this book down. I stayed at work late because I didn’t want to put it down to drive home! When blurbs say “compulsively readable” THIS is what they mean!!!


Thank you to NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was so excited for this one and it (mostly) didn’t disappoint.

My main issue with it was the footnotes, but this is completely a personal peeve - I dislike when a character in the present is telling a story from the past, and keeps including little reminders that there is still so much we (as the actual readers) don't know, but the pretend readers who would be reading this from Jane's perspective if the book was reality, do know. Like there will be bread crumbs for future incidents and big bad characters and the choices Jane makes while we’re on another plot line and I just found that annoying. I'm already reading the book! You have me hooked! The footnotes took me out of it. Also, I’ll glide over this because I read an arc and maybe the final copy will address this, but the main crime in the book is very similar to a recent actual crime and it made me feel a little uncomfortable.

The positives, of which there were many : Ashley writes extremely well about grief and how it can shift your entire perception when you’re in the dregs of it, how trauma can inform the person you become, good or bad. I liked our main character and I liked the first person perspective. The book was long, but so easy to tear through - the twists and writing kept me super engaged. Initially I felt like the backstory, of which there is a lot, was bogging it down, but in the end, I do think it added to the overall story and really made me feel like I knew Jane, our main character. "In My Dreams I Hold a Knife" was my favorite thriller I read last year, so I was grateful to spend time with this one. It feels like a good addition to Ashley’s canon.

Thank you for an advance copy of this thriller by an author I have enjoyed in the past. Clove is a young college student recovering from the sudden loss of her father...she finds comfort and distraction in an online chat group of true crime solvers. Unfortunately this all gets out of control and we readers are along for the ride. This book will especially be popular with all the true crime tik tok fans out there....that is not me but I still really enjoyed all the twists of this story.

This Book Will Bury Me is a gripping, high-stakes thriller that plunges readers into the shadowy world of true crime fanatics. From the outset, Ashley Winstead pulls you into the unsettlingly familiar landscape of amateur sleuthing, where Jane, the protagonist, becomes enmeshed in a community that thrives on uncovering dark truths.

The narrative is structured as a “tell-all,” which works brilliantly to immerse readers in Jane’s world. Her pursuit to uncover both the mysteries surrounding her father’s death and the chilling crime of the century keeps the pages turning. Winstead’s meticulous pacing ensures that just when you think you’ve figured it out, another twist sends you reeling. The book’s themes—grief, loss, and obsession—are threaded seamlessly into the thriller’s taut suspense, offering a deeper emotional pull that grounds the narrative.

One of the most intriguing elements is how Winstead explores the moral complexity of true crime enthusiasts. Jane’s relationships, particularly with her crime-solving peers, are developed with depth, showcasing how far people will go for answers. However, the book also delves into uncomfortable territory, with a crime that bears unsettling similarities to real-life events. While this adds an air of realism, it might strike some as insensitive.

Despite a few pacing issues in the first half, the intricate plotting and multi-layered characters make for a compelling read. Winstead is a master at crafting thrillers that blend mystery with sharp social commentary, making this a standout novel for fans of true crime and suspense.

For those who enjoy edge-of-your-seat thrillers with an emotional core, This Book Will Bury Me is not to be missed. Winstead continues to prove why she’s a powerhouse in the genre.

Ashley Winstead is definitely on my “always read” list and this book didn’t disappoint. The format of the story was different - the pov different from almost every book I’ve read, but it worked and I enjoyed it. Jane (Searcher) as the narrator is spot on. The relationships that she develops with the rest of the group, her inspiration/motivation for getting involved, her parallel quest to find out more about her dad… it all works together in a remarkable way.

And, the real test of all thrillers, there were some genuine twists and turns that I didn’t see coming, so that’s a win!

Told as if the protagonist is writing a tell-all, <i>This Book Will Bury Me</i> dives into the world of true crime and the consequences, both positive and negative, amateur sleuths can have on criminal investigations. This book had me forgoing sleep to find out what happened next and at the same time, scared to finish because I was worried the ending wouldn't live up to the rest of the book.

From the very beginning, Winstead keeps the reader on the edge of their seat, dying to know what went wrong to make our narrator infamous. Though the introduction was a bit lengthy (the first quarter of the book was a bit slow as Jane recounted the first case she worked on), the plot and the mystery really picked up once we learn about Delphine.

The book sprinkles small reveals throughout at a good pace and then ramps up at the end. Reading this book felt like being a part of Jane's crime-solving gang in real time. The twists were well executed and fit reasonably with the pieces the author had scattered over the narrative. I saw the big reveal coming and hoped it wasn't true, but am satisfied with it in the end.

I can't wait to pick up a copy when it's released!

5 stars. Ashley Winstead has crafted a powerful mystery inspired by the Idaho Four murders that interrogates the grief of loss, the ethics and lure of true crime, and the critiques embedded in Dark Academia. It’s a deeply humane and moving read as well as an engrossing page-turner of a thriller. I particularly appreciated how Winstead wove the love and big ideas of Star Trek: Voyager into this work. It’s one of the best novels I’ve read this year, and I look forward to recommending it to others.

My thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel before its publication in return for an honest review.

I read Ashley Winstead's, "In My Dreams I Hold a Knife" and it was creepy and well-done so I had to give this read a chance. The book includes mystery, suspense, murder, amateur internet sleuths, found family, and the ways we deal with grief. I couldn't wait to get back to reading a portion each night before bed. Fans of Winstead's work, and readers who love psychological suspense will lap this up. Highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Publishing date: March 25, 2025.
#ThisBookWillBuryMe

This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead is a fantastic, highly entertaining crime thriller! I’m a sucker for true crime amateur sleuths, and this book had me hooked from the start. I was thrilled to get an advance copy, and it didn’t disappoint. Despite being nearly 500 pages, the writing was so engaging that I flew through it in just two days. It was captivating from beginning to end—I couldn’t put it down, even with its length.

This is an incredible, multi-layered story about a young woman who becomes entangled in true crime after the loss of her father. Following his death, Jane joins a true crime community and finds herself deeply involved in several cases. As her small group of amateur sleuths grows closer, they set out to investigate the crime of the century. True to her style, Winstead crafts fully developed, engaging characters who are intelligent and relatable, drawing me in right from the start.

My only criticism is that the main crime in this book bears a striking resemblance to the real-life Idaho college student murders. Many of the small details are nearly identical. While I think the author may have done this to add realism and spark conversation, I can’t help but wonder if it might come across as a bit insensitive to the real-life victims' families.

I suspected who the killer was a little over halfway through the book, but surprisingly, that didn’t detract from my enjoyment. Normally, guessing the culprit too early takes away some of the suspense for me, but this story was so captivating and well-crafted that it didn’t bother me as much as it usually would. The writing was engaging enough to keep me fully invested, and the unfolding of events and the depth of the characters kept me hooked right to the end. The journey was just as thrilling as the reveal itself.

This Book Will Bury Me is a standout crime thriller that truly highlights Winstead's skill in crafting an intriguing, well-structured, and captivating narrative. From the very first page, I was drawn into the story. Winstead’s ability to develop rich characters and weave complex plotlines kept me engaged throughout, and she is definitely on my list of must-read authors.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Ashley Winstead for an advance copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.

THIS WAS SO FREAKING GOOOOOOD!!!

That’s it. That’s the review 😩

Honestly though this had me hooked from the beet first page. The writing, the story, the footnotes, THE TWISTS!

I am a huge fan of Ashley’s thrillers and I think it’s safe to say that this is my favorite one to date.

Another winner by Ashley Winstead! I was so excited to get an early copy of this through net galley. Ashley is also a local houstonian and has always supported our local thrillers book club so it’s extra special to our club to read her books and get the inside scoop on what she is up to.

Her newest book, This Book Will Bury Me, introduces the topic of the true crime community and regular people who discuss and try to solve crimes. What’s particularly interesting about this topic is the increasing popularity of these groups and the lengths people will go to solve a crime. I felt this book was a fresh spin on telling the story of crime solving from an “armchair detective” perspective. I didn’t see the twists coming and I really enjoyed this one to the very last page.

I’ve been wanting to read more thrillers and though I haven’t picked up another Winstead book since really enjoying In My Dreams I Hold a Knife, I figured I’d try her out again!

Unfortunately, I kinda hated this one. As with most thrillers, it was intriguing enough that I was able to keep flipping pages. But I still felt that the pace was fairly slow. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t hit the halfway point. And then I DID, and I had a feeling I knew the twist, but spent the rest of the book feverishly hoping I was wrong because I didn’t think it would make a great ending. Welp.

One thing I did enjoy was the found family aspect of the story. I liked Jane’s relationship with Lightly and Mistress. Jane’s relationship with her dad was a driving force in the story, but I also felt like some of the focus on that slowed the pace and made the book feel overly long.

I am just left with some upsetting feelings because I really don’t like how it all ended. It kinda seemed like a cop-out to me, and the reveal seemed insanely obviously from the halfway point. I am left feeling very unsatisfied and like I wasted my time with the one. Disappointing!

I have mixed feelings about This Book Will Bury Me. On the positive, I LOVED the Network threads, the development of the sleuths, and the unraveling of the mystery. On the other side, the story took a bit to get moving (I'm sorry, but I wish we could have jumped into the Network angle faster), the book felt about 1o0 pages too long, and the clear parallels with the Idaho murders took away from the originality of the plot (and tbh just made me really sad).

However, Ashley Winstead delivers a layered mystery, intriguing characters, and a plot that compels you to want to solve the mystery while also realizing the problematic nature of armchair detectives.

this is such a fun read! i personally don’t involve myself with true crime because i find that a lot of the people in the community overstep and ignore the victims family and friends just so they can engage in something that fascinates them which the characters in this book do but i think for the main character it made sense why she was like that, plus it’s fictional so it’s fine. i enjoyed the main character and the cast in general.