This Book Will Bury Me was one of my most anticipated thrillers of 2025, and it absolutely delivered. With quick chapters and an addictive pace, I was hooked from start to finish. The online forum and internet sleuthing added a unique layer to the story, offering an intriguing glimpse into how strangers connect over mysteries. I also loved the found family aspect, with a diverse group of characters forming unlikely bonds over their investigations. The twists and turns kept me guessing, though I will note that the murders almost mirrored an active real life case, which may be unsettling for some readers. Overall, it was an intense and gripping read that I couldn’t put down.

4 stars

Ashley Winstead brings the world of internet sleuths and armchair detectives to this thriller novel centered around main character Jane Sharp. Jane is a young c0llege student grieving the loss of her father and finds distraction in an internet chat group focused on solving crimes, mainly grisly murders. When a trio of sorority sisters are brutally murdered in Delphine, Idaho, the chat group gets to work and Jane's ability to put herself in the mind of another makes her an instant star, granting her entrance into the elite crime solvers private chat.

This book was a grisly good time with short chapters, excellent pacing, and compelling characters. I especially loved the older members of the group, "Lightly" and "Mistress". I am seeing a lot more older characters recently and I love this representation. Both of these characters brought heart and a moral compass to the narrative, helping Jane navigate her changing life situation, including her grief as well as the intense and dangerous trajectory of new life in crime solving.

The intensity builds as the story progresses and once the twists started happening, they just kept hitting.

If you love a good murder podcast, or books such as "I'll Be Gone In the Dark", do yourself a favor and grab a cop of this book as soon as it's released.

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

I’m not sure exactly how to rate this one based on the fact that much of the information bears a remarkably similarity to real life events for which there has not yet been justice. I generally enjoy thrillers and parts of this were intriguing but I knew from very early on who it would turn out to be. The writing is good but I’m ending with 2 stars because of material that seems too similar to real life. Be aware of graphic descriptions of crime. Thanks to !Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ashley Winstead brings us deep into the world of True Crime. It’s dark, depressing, pathetic and more than a little psychotic. Her use of the yet to be tried case in Idaho as her plot point was also dark, depressing, pathetic and a little bit psychotic too.

It was also fascinating. I read it one sitting.

Calling out murder vultures or calling all murder vultures- the brilliance of this book is the readers get to decide. I predict there will be no middle ground in the response to this book.

Grieving from her father’s unexpected death, Jane finds unlikely comfort from a group of online sleuths.

As many reviewers have commented, this is a hard one to rate. Going on writing and storytelling, it pulls you into the plot and has some solid twists. Winstead is a talented writer. However, reading it feels voyeuristic and a bit disrespectful due not only to how similar the case is to the 2022 Idaho killings, but also how the victims are portrayed.

While it’s true a lot of the books in this genre take inspiration from headlines, there was something about this that felt a little wrong to be reading. I’m not sure if it was just too soon, but I felt guilty.

Of course, as much of the book talks about things like hive mentality and amateur sleuthing from both good and bad perspectives, it is possible the intent was to make the reader feel uncomfortable and complicit. In that sense, it works as a commentary on the ownership social media makes us feel of stories even if they aren’t our own - sometimes to the detriment of those truly impacted by the event. I don’t know if it is that deep, but it is possible.

Overall, it was a compelling read and book groups are going to love (or love to hate) Winstead’s latest.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, this book is a no for me. I don't think the writing was bad but this book is way too close to an actual active case right now. I have read quite a few reviews talking about how close this book is to an actual case from 2022 that is still going on. I just really don't think it is right to use an active case like that. The killer hasn't even gone to trial yet. It just seems wrong to profit off of a murder case when the author could have come up with something else.

I will probably try more by this author in the future but this one just wasn't for me.

Oh my god, an incredible true crime thriller with twists and turns. This book takes inspiration from a real murder case from recent times and I remember at the time, keeping up with all the updates and so reading this book sort of brought back those feelings. This book kept you on the edge of your seat and the book was really well written - but keep in mind it is very dark! Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

After the death of her father Jane connects with the online true crime community and helps to solve crimes. Her group of friends gains so much notoriety that they are invited to consult on a new, shocking crime. The group meets in person for the first time as a unified front, but as more details of the crime unravel it's less obvious who can or should be trusted.

I'm a huge true crime fan and a big fan of Ashley Winstead. I loved the story of armchair detectives solving crimes and becoming friends along the way. I liked the backstory of Jane's father writing Star Trek fanfiction (as a fanfiction fan myself). Overall I enjoyed this book but the last 25% had my heart racing. I couldn't stop reading and was properly scared which is always fun when reading a thriller/mystery.

I was sad to say this wasn't a new favorite for me of Winstead's books. So far her books have only gotten better and better but I didn't like this one as much. I was disappointed by the minimal romance story (I always love the side romance storyline). I thought Jane seeing an eyelash in a photograph that changed the direction of the case seem implausible (maybe I missed something?). I also didn't love how similar the plot was to the real Idaho 4 murders. It left me confused. The crimes seemed so similar that I wish I was reading a non-fiction book about the crimes. I found it an odd choice to leave so many of the details so similar.

I also enjoyed the backstory of her father but it felt increasingly random and unnecessary. We find out something very sad about his past and I don't know what that added to the story. I didn't see the connection between her solving crimes and that being his legacy.

A potential typo - there are mentions of true crime podcasts in the book and one of them is called My Favorite Murders, but the real podcast is called My Favorite Murder. I'm not sure if this is intentional.

I have been a huge Winstead fan and love that she can pull off different genres so perfectly! This book sucked me in right from the start and left me at the edge of seat with those cliff hanger chapters. I did not guess the killer correctly and I found the pacing to this book to be just right. Looking forward to what Ashley has next!

This Book will Bury Me - Review
No Spoilers
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pair this with the darkest cabernet you've ever had...

➡️ Dark dark dark
➡️ Edge of your seat
➡️ Internet Sluething
➡️ Found Family
➡️ Coming of age

The choke hold this book has on me is actually dumbfounding... After finishing it at the end of November I still haven't been able to stop thinking about it (OR FINISH ANOTHER BOOK!) This is especially surprising for a (gory) thriller. The level of intellect and emotional depth this book captures is probably the biggest twist here, and this is in absolutely no dig to the plot of this story which will keep you perfectly on the edge of your seat the ENTIRE time.

This story follows a real serial killer story based in the midwest, I've seen a bit of shade in other reviews about how similar these events are and I think it's comical anyone who's read one of Winsteads' novels would ever think she does anything by accident. Fair warning: this is a graphic novel and though I could handle it, I did triple check the doors were locked before I went to bed to read it. It also has a heavy grief undertone throughout the book. DM for trigger warnings!

I cannot recommend this book enough to both my true crime junkies and litfit fans - this will not disappoint!
Thank you so so so much NetGalley, Ashley Winstead and the Publishing team for this ARC copy - OUT MARCH 25th!

“Welcome to humanity my friend. We are a species that feels deeply and yet often lacks the tools to convey it. There are some experiences that simply exceed language.”

I can’t accurately give this a rating. Was it well written? Yes. Interesting? Yes. The author acknowledges that this was based off of the very current Idaho case, but it mirrors it so closely that it’s distracting. I won’t list all of the similarities, but even the street name was a nod to the original case! Plus, naming the town Delphine seems to throw in another current case. In addition to that, if you’re going to make the connections so obvious, it seems in really poor taste to portray the victims and, to an extent, their families as unlikable. All in all, I found these aspects to be incredibly disrespectful.

The topics of true crime as entertainment, crowd sourcing, and web sleuthing are all current with lots of potential discussion, but I think that book could have been achieved without using this case as the backdrop. It’s unclear to me what the author is going for here - if you’re making a statement about the current climate of of the true crime genre, how are you comfortable cannibalizing a current case to profit off of??

I have read and enjoyed other books that were heavily inspired by true cases, but normally more time has passed AND more respect is given to the victims.

If that aspect doesn’t bother you, it’s an interesting mystery that goes a little off the rails near the end.

Thank you for NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy and a chance to read this early.

Ashley Winstead is an auto buy author for me and she will definitely remain one. Her books are always such fun reads that keep me at the edge of my seat. This Book Will Bury me was no exception.

The story revolves around Jane, who after an unexpected death in her family, joins the online crime detection community in an attempt at a distraction. She quickly becomes VERY and DEEPLY involved.

I really liked this. It was very face paced, multiple twists, very creepy. I also really enjoyed reading more about the online true crime world. They synopsis advertises that the cast of characters is on the hunt for the killer of “the most famous crime in modern history” and it definitely means that in a very literal way. The crime is so similar to the Idaho Four case and it makes me curious if Winstead meant for it to be an “alternate reality” to such a well known case (at least I hope so otherwise this is straight copying and very recent, very traumatic event).

While Jane is the main character of the story, there are four other characters she works with closely. I really appreciated all that they added to the story and grew rather attached to them.

My biggest complaint is that there was a sub plot that randomly happens throughout the story that I just felt was unnecessary and took my out of the story whenever it came up.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately, this book did not work for me. I actually DNF'd it at 25%. I have really enjoyed this author's other books, so I am very surprised that I did not enjoy this one. I wasn't a fan of the writing style (so much done through texts) and I didn't like how the main character threw herself into a murder mystery with strangers from the internet while dealing with her father's untimely death. It just didn't make sense to me. After reading reviews, it turns out that this story is very similar to something that happened and I just didn't want to continue reading. I will continue to read books by this author, though, as her others were a hit for me.

I don't rate my DNF's on Goodreads, but I have to on this platform in order to give a review. I will rate it 3 stars as I am sure this book will work for some.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of This Book will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead.

If you are looking for an author who writes provocative, chilling books, Ashley Winstead is your girl. This Book Will Bury Me is the third book I read by her, and each one has been unique, compelling and wild. I loved The Last Housewife but wasn't a huge fan of In My Dreams I Hold A Knife, so I was interested to see how I would feel about this one. 
And.....It was good! I have seen some mixed thoughts because it deals with recent murders that have not been officially solved yet, but I thought that made it more intriguing. It dives into the world of true crime and online sleuths who attempt to solve murders via reddit threads and chat rooms. I guessed the ending about 25% in, but was still engrossed with the story. The main character's father passed away suddenly (trigger warning!), and her way of dealing with her grief is to help solve murders. The author lost her father recently, so the journey she goes on felt really authentic and raw.
If you like true crime, pick this one up!

Overall, this book was really well written and engaging. The beginning was very compelling and set up the rest of the novel. I also appreciated the lead-in to understand how Janeway became involved in the true crime world. There were a lot of plot similarities to the Idaho murders, as well as character trait similarities, to the real victims, which was a little weird to read at times as someone who did read a lot of true crime content pertaining to that real life case. In the book, there were also more murders, and a valid connection to a previous case, so I think that helped to differentiate the events of the novel to the real life case for me. But when a new plot point was introduced, I was often asking myself, did this happen in the real case, or is this fiction?

4.5 ⭐️ wow this one was a ride!! A super compelling twisty true-crime thriller.

Looking for a distraction after the shocking death of her father, Jane stumbles into the world of online true crime sleuthing. Some of these chapters felt as if the FMC was going temporarily insane after her father passed. She was so lost. Some of that was really hard to read.

For me, it was a bit of a slow burn until 20%. The happenings of first case were not entertaining to me. Once the Delphine story line started, I was hooked! I suspected the killer for a large portion of the story but that didn’t make it any less edible for me. There were definitely some gory gruesome descriptions so be prepared.

I found the POV a little odd and it took my brain a minute to enjoy the re-telling. The main character is talking directly to the reader.

I love a book with short chapters! I wasn’t sold on the footnotes. There has to be a better way to include those notes into the story. By the time I’d get to the end of the chapter, I wouldn’t remember what or where that footnote was placed. I found myself going backwards to read sections over to see the relevance of the footnote. Maybe that was just the digital version tho?

TW for parental loss.

I originally rated This Book Will Bury Me four stars because I was hooked. I typically love this authors books and writing style. Even though I figured out who the killer was around 60%, there was a twist at the end that did leave me shocked. I enjoyed the true crime/reddit/internet sleuth vibes and felt oddly comforted by Jane and her little group of friends. But after finishing, I read other reviews and realized it’s based on the Idaho college murders, and the details were way too similar. It felt exploitative and left me feeling gross, so I just had to change my rating. I wish I’d known about this going in because it really changed how I felt about the whole book!

I absolutely loved this book. I was hesitant after her last novel didn’t hit the spot for me but This Book Will Bury Me is compelling and addicting. I read it so fast!! The story draws you in quickly, and you become attached to all the characters. This might actually be my favorite Winstead book!

I really enjoyed the uniqueness of this book compared to Ashley Winstead’s others, displaying her range of writing in her work. The true crime narrative was fun to read, especially the incorporation of the online chats. The twists and discoveries kept me flipping pages, especially toward the last part of the book. The deeper themes such as loss and found family were also incorporated well into the story. While a major twist crossed my mind early on, I still found the reveals were well done. While The Last Housewife and IMDIHAF will still be my two favorites of the author, this was a fun and entertaining read.

Thank you to Sourcebooks, Ashley Winstead, and NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

*Thank you Netgalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved Ashley's first two thrillers but her third one didn't pull me in at all, so I was a little nervous going in. But man, this book was good. The details were insanely good, and I felt like I was sitting at my computer with the characters going over crime scene photos. This book definitely has heavy, graphic subject matters that could be hard to digest at times.

Positives: fast paced, heart racing story line, detailed descriptions, based on real life murders, insane twists I would have NEVER seen coming

Negatives: not multiple points of view, wasn't super invested in main character