"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."
This was a difficult novel for me to get into, as I am also currently experiencing great grief, at the loss of our daughter, in January of 2024. Which is also partly why I was interested in reading this- the aspect of grief of the loss of someone who means the world to You. I found myself having to put this down and come back to it, grief is strange territory, very unknown, until you experience it for yourself. I relate to the Author and main character Jane regarding the unexpected feelings and actions of one who is grieving such a great loss.
I understand this is a very difficult subject - fiction based on true tragedy, especially one so recent. It is heartbreaking for the families who have experienced such immense loss.
What was most relational to me, was the feelings Jane had regarding honoring her Father. I live everyday making sure I honor my daughter.
Thank You to the Author, Publisher, and Netgalley for the complimentary e-arc.

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. Something's not adding up, and they 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...

Told one year after the astounding events that concluded the case and left the world reeling, when Jane has finally decided to break her silence about what really happened, she tells the true story of the Delphine Massacres. And what she has to confess will shock even the most seasoned true crime fans...

3.5/5 this was a good book. I really enjoyed the characters. Sometimes when there’s a “ragtag group” they can fall into stereotypes or caricatures that I find cringey, but I didn’t feel that way for this. It’s written in 2nd person in the way that the narrator is talking to and addressing the reader which I didn’t think I’d like but it worked for me. I found myself interested the whole time but it was fairly slow-paced and had a lot of lead up. I don’t necessarily think it wasn’t warranted though. I didn’t fully understand the aspects of the book relating to Jane’s dad though. Like in the end she says that everything she did she did for him but I was a little lost there. I think she meant that her impact on the world would effect the light in which her father was seen but I just didn’t fully understand the way her final choices in the book were all because of her dad. I also felt like some of the ways the plot moved along like they got new leads were fairly tenuous and felt like it would only occur in fiction. I also felt like the reason she wrote the book being that the media coverage of what really happened was false was confusing because wouldn’t the news have tried to capture the saga that occurred after everything came to a head? I understand that they didn’t have the accurate story but with all the events that occurred with the Newsline 5, I would assume the news would try to capture their story to understand what the hell went down. I feel like I could’ve used a bit more explanation as to why they were all collectively villainized and hated etc because it just didn’t feel like it made sense to me. Overall, this book wasn’t remarkable but I enjoyed the overall storyline, I liked the mixed media, I liked how the story progressed from being all virtual to in-person sleuthing, I liked the twist/direction the story took, and I liked the crumb of romance we got.

A quick-paced thriller that did itself a disservice by leaning too hard into trying to be realistic when it should have embraced the ridiculous.

As a fan of Ashley Winstead's previous work, I was beyond thrilled to read her latest novel. This Book Will Bury Me tells the story of Jane Sharp as she falls head-first into the world of online true crime amateur sleuthing after the sudden death of her father. Told as a mock-memoir, we learn how Jane found herself in the middle of the chilling murders of three college students.

I will start with what worked for me:
Even though this novel is well over 400 pages, it absolutely FLEW by. Told in very short chapters, I was sucked into the story quickly and was entertained from start to finish. I also enjoyed the found-family aspect of the online sleuths and the author's discussion of grief.

And unfortunately what didn't work for me:
Besides the obvious ethical mirkiness, I think that incorporating real aspects of a real crime did this book a disservice considering the 'twist' (if you can call it that, as it's pretty obvious very early) and overall ridiculousness of the ending. This book could have been more thriller-y and fun, instead it was pretty bleak and sad.

3/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the advanced copy.

Wow! This book grabbed me right from the beginning and did not disappoint all the way to the end!

Jane Sharp is a college senior when she gets the call that her father has died of a heart attack. She leaves college and heads home immediately. While trying to distract herself, she stumbles upon a forum for true crime fans, who also crowdsource with one another to try to help solve cases. She and 4 others are successful at helping to solve a murder near Jane's hometown and that thrusts the 5 of them into the limelight. Then there come the murders of three housemates in the college town of Delphine, Idaho, that fascinate the entire country. The five divide up the work and begin to investigate, only to have a second trio of murders occur in the same town. They decide the best plan is to go to Delphine and work in person.

The depiction of Jane's grief over the loss of her father is so spot on, it is heartbreaking. You can feel the need she has to connect and to make sense of things. Her four internet friends help fill that whole she has, and give her a sense of purpose and value. While you get to know each of them through Jane, she is the main focus of this book.

This book is so compelling and the writing is amazing. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. They did solve the murders, but I didn't see any of that coming. And the final wrap up of the book could not have been any better. I cannot wait to read more by this author, and I highly recommend you pick this one up!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I received an advance copy of the audio book to review. I would definitely recommend for anyone who is a true crime fan with any interest in serial killers or those behind the scenes trying to solve cold cases. I must admit, there were twists and turns I didn’t see coming, which always makes a book like this more enjoyable to me. If you’re looking for a new one to give a try - check this one out!

I recived this as a ARC read for NetGalley…

While the story was interesting, it is very heavily based on a similar story of the Idaho college murders . I feel like it might be too soon for that considering it’s just now in trial. Also the way she talked about how her father is basically a fat slob is disrespectful and gross .

With that said , our fmc is a college student whose father unexpectedly passed. She moves home and to cope with his passing , she joins a group of Internet sleuths to solve a local murder , then They take on a bigger case of some sorority sisters that were tragically murdered …..

In the aftermath of her fathers death, recent college drop out Jane becomes onsesed with the true crime world online. She finds herself welcomed into a group of mismatched personalities that begin to fill Jane's need for family. When investigating through their computer screens is no longer enough, they meet in person for the first time to solve a multiple murder in a quiet college town.. Jane begins to realize that this 'family" is just a group of stangers each led to true crime for a differnt reason. They soon find themselves in the cross hairs of the killer? Great page turner with the kind of xharacters you'd expect of Winstead.

An internet sleuth sets out with a group of others to try to solve a murder mystery case involving multiple women. However, don’t trust everything you read on the internet, or who you meet.

This was just OK for me. I truly wanted to love it. I've stated in past reviews, that at my age (51)/patience level (for reading), I'm no longer a fan of a "young'ish" protagonist where immaturities show, and we need to suspend belief a bit with just how we go from everyday life to a police informant. While I understand that "online sleuths" have gained momentum, it's not that simple. (I expressed this with similar podcast books relating to solving true crime.) For me, it took away from the enjoyment of a story. I like to be swept away or completely intrigued wanting to turn the page, and I was neither for most of this.

At its *core*, I could relate somewhat. And knowing it's Ashley's semi-autobiographical account of going down a rabbit hole after her dad died, I have empathy. It just wasn't my cup of tea, and that's ok. Many loved it!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for a review.
(For the record, I do think if there is a sensitive real life case involved in a story, the ARCs should address this to prevent unfortunate early reviews like we have seen on Goodreads.)

This Book Will Bury Me Review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

So I’m gonna give this 4 stars but I’m basing that off of my own personal enjoyment of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks landmark for my free copy for review.

I ended up reading and listening to this one simultaneously because I wanted to know what happened and wanted to read it faster so it was definitely bingeable

If you are at all a true crime fan you will clock the case that inspired the cases in this book. Yes details are changed but it’s pretty identical including the same state the case took place in. This didn’t really bother me because as a true crime follower I’m familiar with most major cases and I could tell these inspired this story. However at times I wondered if it was respectful to the victims and their families to use the case as inspiration for entertainment? I’m not really sure where I stand in that matter to be honest.

SPOILER

I literally clocked citizen from the beginning. This twist did not surprise me, how it played out kind of did towards the end. Again, if you followed the Idaho case at all you wonder about citizen.

SPOILER DONE

I think it was really well written and the author really exposed some of the dark sides of the true crime fandom (discussion boards, internet sleuths, fans of true crime getting in the way of real investigations and really tapped into the true crime culture that has become popular over the years.

I think it’s worth the read but if the Idaho case is triggering to you or you don’t like true crime or gruesome descriptions of murder then I would avoid this book since it’s the central topic.

Onto the other plot in this book (because this book was pretty much two stories unfolding at once) I think Jane’s character was interesting. Watching how true crime consumed her in her grief and became her obsession was interesting and at times sad. But I think it spoke honestly about how grief can shatter someone and totally pause their world.

To sum it up, I enjoyed it as true crime fan but some readers may be put off by the use of a famous case and the details about murder.

I’ll admit I wasn’t immediately sold on the premise of this book, and I worried I would struggle to get into it, but I never should have doubted AW. I was hooked from the start. Oh my goodness, the twists and turns this book took. I loooooved the slow reveal and how everything came together. I *did* guess the shocking twist pretty early on, but that didn't diminish my enjoyment in the slightest. This Book Will Bury Me is SOOOO good!

Thank you to Tantor Audio for the ALC and Sourcebooks Landmark @bookmarked for the eARC! Ashley Winstead never fails to surprise and enthrall me with her writing. Her ability to write such captivating yet vastly unique books is not lost on me.

From the start, this book held my attention in a vice grip. I find the topic of true crime sleuths so intriguing, this book takes that topic and expands on it - fictionally, and explores found family, murder solving, and how grief can irreparably alter a person. Magnificently executed, this novel had me in a chokehold. Satisfying and unputdownable, this book is easily at the top of my thrillers read this year so far.

#thisbookwillburyme #ashleywinstead #thriller #thrillerbooks #bookrec #bookrecommendations #audiobooks #bookreview

The loss of a young woman’s father sends her into an obsession with solving crimes through online crime groups. This story was very suspenseful and original. I enjoyed a more modern take on the outside influences that crime junkies offer to murder investigations, and the downsides as well.

I will say that I guessed the killer fairly early on, but it didn’t ruin the story for me. I will also say that I have read other reviewers claims that this is a copied tale of an actual crime case. I do not really follow current events and know nothing of this case and if the claims are true, I can see how this could be looked at as in poor taste. Overall, just looking at the story itself, it was a good read and I would recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this advanced readers copy.

What a fun ride! Ashley Winstead has delivered a compelling narrative that I couldn’t put down. I loved the idea of the true crime fandom coming in and helping to solve crimes. I thought the group was perfectly captured and how they all came together was beautifully written. I did have a guess to what happened in the end and I was right so that sometimes makes it less fun. I was definitely immersed and would recommend!

To overcome the grief of losing her father, a young college student becomes obsessed with true crime. She soon finds a forum where she befriends a ragtag group of armchair detectives who hunt from behind their screens.

These junkies become engrossed in the brutal murders of collegiate girls in Idaho. Details are sketchy, the police incompetent, and the internet is a buzz as this group of super sleuths uncover the culprit.

The story is told one-year from the events that left this case reeling in the media. Jane breaks her silence on what truly happened with her group of friends investigating the Delphine Massacres. What happened and the who will blow your mind. This multi-layer, dark and disturbing story is a page-turner.

Thank you, SOURCEBOOKS Landmark | Sourcebooks Landmark

Thank you to Ashley Winstead, Sourcebooks Landmark, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

No, just no. This is too closely related to a real-life crime that isn't even solved yet. No thank. you.

Inspired by real events, the story follows true crime buffs as they pursue a killer. While I didn’t follow the Idaho murder case in great detail, I can understand how some might feel that the events hit a little too close to home. For those sensitive to real-life crimes, a word of caution before diving into this one.

Overall, I really enjoyed the dynamic between the amateur detectives—a diverse group of true crime enthusiasts who form a makeshift family. Jane, our FMC, becomes the newest member after her father's sudden death. Her grief and desperate need for answers feels raw and real. Winstead weaves the themes of loss, healing, and the longing for resolution beyond the mystery itself. As a fan of character-driven stories, I found Jane's journey particularly compelling.

As far as the plot goes, the twists and turns were unpredictable—I suppose I'm not the best amateur detective. 😂 I also appreciate how Winstead explores the darker side of amateur sleuthing and media sensationalism. The damage they can inflict by focusing on the wrong person can have life-altering consequences.

I paired the audio with the digital book. I really loved Leslie Howard’s work. Her narration enhanced the suspense, highlighted the epistolary sections, and made the overall story feel like a podcast or a retelling by Jane. I also found that the footnote sections worked better in audio format than in the digital version. But overall, you can't go wrong with either format.

I think Ashley Winstead is a great thriller writer and I have been looking forward to this novel! When I found out this book was based on a real, unresolved criminal case, I didn't feel great about continuing to read it. I did end up finishing it, but I didn't love how similar it was to the real life case. I think it would've been beneficial to change more details and add more originality to the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This story centers on the true crime movement where amateur sleuths take on crime. In this case , some sorority girls are the victims. Janeway Sharp' s participation as"searcher" is influenced by the sudden death of her beloved father. A strong story with some weak moments but a shock ending was that I didn't see coming! This is an author I will watch for.

Copy l provided by the publisher and NetGalley