I’m always on the hunt for a good thriller that will capture my attention and keep me enthralled to the very end. This Book will Bury Me does just that! Ashley Winstead had been on my must read list since her debut novel “In my Dreams I Hold a Knife”. Each of her books bring fun twists within a unique aesthetic,

This time out we find ourselves as spectators in the world of true crime. While I am not a huge true crime follower, I loved how our narrator gets sucked into the world of internet sleuths as a way to process the death of her own father. It’s a great look at how people can wind up down the rabbit hole so deep without even realizing it.

The crimes start out feeling a bit distant, but by the end our amateur detectives become far more embroiled in the danger, all while becoming social media heroes and pariahs depending on the moment.

Some of the crimes used in this book do mirror real cases which has been the focus of some criticism. I’d recommend checking out Winstead’s note prior to reading. Overall the mix of fact and fiction here is thought provoking but understandably problematic at the same time. While I respect those who might feel this flies too close for comfort, Winstead’s book provides us with a nuanced and entertaining way to further explore these very complicated issues.

I love her other books but ummm ripping off a real life story to make a good book is not okay 20% this book sounded to familiar that I won’t entertain it anymore

So excellent! I love our main character and how the book is told as if it's her writing a tell all book. I felt it added some suspense because you knew things were going to go wrong, but not why. While this takes a good amount of inspiration from a real case, I feel Ashley Winstead added some twists and turns that easily made it her own, fictitious story. While yes, this book is about true crime (as both a critique and a love letter in my opinion), it is also deeply about the grief of losing a father. This aspect of the story really helped to add complexity to our main character and make her decisions, both good and bad, make sense. My only criticism is that at times it felt a bit long an bogged down in details of investigation. However, I was still able to read this book quickly and overall the pacing worked for me because those few times didn't last too long. I'm giving it a 4.5 rounded up to 5 stars. It's different than a lot of the mystery/thrillers I have read lately and I love it for that as well!

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the eARC. Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I couldn't connect with any of the characters and think this one was based on a true life event that hasn't even been resolved yet.

One thing about an Ashley Winstead novel is that she's going to hook you from the very beginning, and This Book Will Bury Me is no different.

A deep dive into amateur sleuthing, public crime solving, and true crime message boards, this novel is a slow burn with an intense and satisfying finish. The tension, the mystery, the characters are all so well done that I couldn't put it down.

I'm torn on how to rate this one. On one hand, I loved the writing style that you can always expect with Ashley Winstead novels. On the other hand, I don't love the inspiration behind this novel. None of the characters were very likeable, so I had a hard time connecting with them and caring about them. I did guess the major twist very early on, which took that shock factor away. I did like the message that I think the author was trying to get across regarding the true crime community and how a lot of people in that community tend to get too close to cases.

I was excited for a new Ashley Winstead book but unfortunately this one wasn’t it for me. I wasn’t comfortable with the way her dad’s weight was discussed so then I looked up other reviews. I saw a lot discussing being uncomfortable with how closely this was based on a real life case and I decided to dnf. Thank you to the publisher for the free ebook.

Thank you @bookmarked and @NetGalley for the ARC!

Wow! What. A. Thriller!!! This is Winstead’s best book yet, and my new favorite of hers. It’s been a while since I was gripped by a thriller, and this has everything I love about the genre. It hooked me from the start, there was a sense of dread as you await to discover what the culmination of events are leading to, it was well written, and full of twists you will not see coming. The way I wish I could have skipped work and all of my responsibilities just so I could finish reading this book. It is truly #unputdownable. Add this one to your TBR!

This book was so easy to speed through, I love short chapters! I really didn’t want to put it down during the whole book. I’ve never thought about what the mind of a true crime citizen investigator would be like but I think this book did a great job at providing a realistic account.

The POV always feels different in Ashley Winstead’s books - each character has their own unique voice. And I love that!

I’ve seen other reviews saying this book profits off an actual true crime case but I kind of think that is a major point of the book? To showcase what the true crime community is like and the difference in treatment of an investigation based on the victim’s demographics? It only made sense to use details based off of a real case to me, I think it might have been a bit better to base it off something further in our past but I can’t fault the author for finding inspiration not so much in the Idaho case itself but the media circus and true crime theorist response.

This wasn’t my favorite Ashley Winstead thriller - I think in my dreams I hold a knife and midnight is the darkest hour are tied for that position. But I liked that I didn’t actually feel creeped out the entire time I read this…which probably says enough about me being desensitized to true crime and picking up on the subtle hints to the twist. And even though I could see the ending coming from a mile away, the very ending did surprise me.

Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Ahh!!! This was such a great book. It kept me intrigued throughout the story. I figured part of it out and hoped I was wrong. Devastating thriller. Well done.

What to say......I am generally a fan of this authors previous works but when I found out this book was based on a real criminal case where the victims have yet to receive justice it definitely tainted the book for me. The similarities were so many and not in a positive way at all. I feel like the author could have loosely used some of the actual case but not so many as this.

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

Okay I don’t want to rate this because of the subject matter, but here are my thoughts.

Primarily, I enjoyed this. Winstead knows how to write a compulsive thriller, and this was certainly that. Once you look at why she wrote this book (can be found on insta, but essentially the monumental passing of her father at the same time as the Idaho murders led her to become obsessed with the case) I can see why she would obsess over it.
She does such a poignant job writing about fathers. You can feel how the loss hit Winstead, especially during the last few chapters. I really liked how deep the loss of Searcher father was - how we never truly know our parents, how they make choices we don’t understand, how we are continually striving to make them proud; even after they pass.
I didn’t love the subject matter. The Idaho murders case is unsolved, and while I am a true crime fan, this felt a little too on the nose. Many details were taken directly from this gruesome murder, and I know Winstead’s object was to make us look at how we treat true crime, I don’t know that this accomplished that.
I do think this is supposed to make us look at how we consume true crime. Girls putting on their make up and talking about cases, etc. I am guilty of it!! And I think many women listen to know what to do in those situations, but I think that more details should’ve been changed, and this should’ve stayed in the drafts for a few more years. But then it begs the question, is there ever a right time to discuss a gruesome murder? How do we honor those who lost their life?
Anyways. I enjoyed this a lot. It was a compulsive read, that touched on a lot of sensitive topics. I just think more things should’ve been changed.

After Jane's father dies she is sucked into the world of true crime and internet sluething. When gruesome murders keep occuring, Jane and the people she meets online race to catch the killer(s?) before they can strike again. The closer Jane and her friends get to the truth, they start to question who they can really trust.

I did enjoy this book, but there were a few times I felt it was droning on a bit. Overall the story kept me intrigued and I could not stop reading. I will definitely be recommending this book to my patrons.

Another page-turning thriller by Ashley Windstead! This takes place as a book within a book, written by Jane, telling her side of the story about a recent massacre in Delphine, Idaho. She joins a team of true crime sleuths from the web and together they try to solve the crime, where three college girls were murdered in their sorority house. The five friends end up meeting in person to track the serial killer where they face public scrutiny by the media and the local police force. Things unwravel quickly as the team gets closer to solving the crime and tensions are higher than ever because the killer could strike again.

I could not put this book down and it is now my favorite by Ashley Windstead! It had everything I love in a true crime thriller, fast pacing, short chapters, interesting characters, crime scene descriptions, and subtle clues. The found family aspect of the story was also nice. I'd highly recommend if you love true crime or thrillers.

Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I must say this was such a bingeable read. rtc in a week! thankyou to the author, publisher, and netgalley for this arc!!🥰

When NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark publishing offered me a ARC for Ashley Winstead's newest thriller, I LEAPT at the opportunity. I was not disappointed. I devoured this book. It was AMAZING, and it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading. I found myself reading well into the night, or waking up early and continuing where I left off. This was by far my favorite of her novels, and for so many reasons. I mean, how often do we find ourselves glued to true crime, obsessed with finding the guilty and ensuring justice is served? This is a MUST read.

✨Book Review: This Book Will Bury Me ✨

★★★★☆ 4/5

I love Ashley Winstead. Her writing transports me, I love her tone of voice, and she really does a twist well! I am first to run and request any of her new books in advance and I was lucky enough that @bookmarked and @netgalley granted my request. I have been a bit behind on my reading so I am finishing this book just after it came out this past Tuesday.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I am fascinated by true crime and the book reminded me a bit of Don't F**k with Cats on Netflix where amateur crime sleuths try to hunt down a criminal. I understand some of the criticism saying that the story is too closely related to the 2022 University of Idaho Massacre but after reading Ashley Winstead’s note, it made sense to me that she used her own real life feelings and experiences to fuel the fictional story in this book.

At times, I found myself incredibly frustrated with the main character because she was making scary, stupid, and dangerous decisions. That being said, grief can make you behave in a way you may not expect. I wanted to shake her and yell at her but it all added to the plot.

I did semi-guess one of the twists which is not super common for me but maybe I am becoming more observant? Who knows!

AW will continue to be an insta-buy / insta-request for me and I highly recommend you check out her works. This is also now the second book that I remember having a Twilight reference in it.. Which I also love!

Pick this book up if you like:
🎙️ True Crime / Podcasts
🔪 Twisty Thrillers
✏️ Collegiate Settings

Goodness. This book was disturbing in the amount of thought and research the author poured into bringing this story to life. Ms. Winstead’s foreword on the book’s origin from actual crime cases (specifically the Idaho college murders) hooked me from the first word. The research into true crime junkies who obsess over crime scene details and assemble teams to try and beat law enforcement at solving a case was a world in its own. I could not stop reading this book – even when parts were predictable. I was not as interested in the main character researching her father’s life but see how it fits into the story. I recommend this book if you are a true crime fan.

Quick recap without spoilers:
Jane Sharp is a partying college student when she gets word that her father unexpectedly died. In dealing with her grief and attempting to find answers, Jane stumbles upon an online community of amateur sleuths who successfully help solve unresolved murders. Jane throws herself entirely into solving crimes (vs. going to work) and, after losing her job, decides to travel from her home in Florida to Idaho, the location of two separate triple homicides. Jane, along with her four found family members, rents a house by the murder locations, and commits to finding answers. The entire story is written a year after the events as Jane reflects upon this time in her life, which, at that point, is national news.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the advance copy. I will place a review on my page the week of the book's release.

4.5 stars
I stayed up late and finished the book in one sitting last night! It hooked me from the start with the UCF setting and I couldn’t put it down from there. Amateur detectives doing deep dives and solving crimes! Things took a turn when they hit the road to investigate serial killings like the Idaho college murders, but it was a different set up and different outcome. I shall say no more, except that the twists were well executed and I was there for all of it!!
*Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy

✿𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞 𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗬 𝗠𝗘✿
𝔱𝔥𝔯𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔢𝔯
🗓️𝙿𝚞𝚋 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝙼𝚊𝚛𝚌𝚑 𝟸𝟻, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟻
🤩𝕄𝕪 𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: 𝟛 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤 ★★★
🎧 𝗂𝗌 𝖾𝗑𝖼𝖾𝗅𝗅𝖾𝗇𝗍

🤏𝚃𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚍𝚋𝚒𝚝...Five amateur sleuths hunt for a killer, but end up in danger as the world watches…

🌸𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚊𝚢...Welllll, hmm. 🤨I didn’t hate it, but without the audio🎧(which was so well done👏) I never would’ve finished this chonk 😳of a book. Holy hell, she’s huge! I have come to realize too that I don’t love true crime in books. 👎And, this one is supposed to be fiction but it follows the University of Idaho murders in very close detail. 🧐I am all about the false/fake crime in my books so that is a me problem so if you love true crime you may really enjoy this one! 💙The found family & the back story on Jane grieving her father was what kept me engrossed the most & that wasn’t even the heart of this book. So, in closing..this book is gonna get tons of hype, but without that audio 🎧version I never would’ve finished it. Bonus of having this chunky one in audio is I cleaned the grout in my bathroom 🛁while listening to it! 🧽🫧