I love Ashley Winstead's writing. It is like Riley Sager's, descriptive without being drawn out. Entertaining and easy to get through. However, I just felt like that one was drawn-out too much for me. I felt like a lot was going on with the characters but the plot was taking forever to move on. Again, probably a good pace for most, but I found myself wanting to get through it quicker and it just wasn't happening. I DNF.

i went back and forth between rating this 3 or 4 stars and ultimately settled on 3, because like many other reviewers, i take issue with the setting and details of the "fictional" crime this book primarily focuses on. while i loved Winstead's writing and the overall plot, i did not appreciate that the crime being investigated in this book was so heavily influenced by a very real and very recent crime. i was shocked how many parallels and even exact details were pulled from real life. many of these details could have been changed without impacting the story - the easiest of all being the state the crime took place in. idaho, really??? is the author trying to be intentionally controversial because...seriously, WHY? i feel so conflicted about this one because if a lot of these details had been changed, this could have been a 5 star book for me. i really loved everything else about it and was engrossed in the story every time i actually picked it up, but it took me a month to finish because i never wanted to pick it up. if it weren't an ARC, i probably would have DNF'd it.

thank you to netgalley and sourcebooks landmark for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I finished This Book Will Bury Me last week and let me tell you, it's a rollercoaster of a ride! This fast paced crime thriller dives into the world of internet sleuthing and had me glued to the pages from start to finish. Jane, the main character, is dealing with the sudden loss of her father and finds herself caught up in an online true crime website. Things quickly escalate as she becomes deeply involved in solving crimes with her online group, even if it means doing some questionable things. The story is eerily similar to a real life crime and the author's exploration of the world of true crime had me hooked. Though I did figure out the big twist early on, it didn't take away from the thrill of the story. Overall, a well written and binge-worthy thriller.

**** Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks landmark for an ARC of Ashley Winstead’s newest upcoming novel releasing March 25, 2025 ****

Sometimes trauma brings people to weird and random places. So when a family emergency lands college student Jane back in her childhood home and needing an escape - she finds herself on some True Crime chat rooms. It wasn’t her plan to becoming an armchair detective but the need to go a little too far gives Jane the answers she’s looking for in solving crimes and figuring out her battles at home. Along the way she meets other sleuths which special skills that might not be legal but they help her grieve her past and become her lifeline. As the book goes on they team up to solve cases that not even the local cops or FBI can solve when it comes to a serial killer taking victims in an Idaho college town.

This Book will Bury Me is my 3rd read from this author and honestly, I will keep coming back to read more and more going forward. Was the beginning a slow start for me? Yes. Did it take me a few times to fully get invested? Yes. But thankfully about 15/20% into the book I was finally pulled in and staying up for hours just to read that typical cliche of one more chapter. I will say that Ashley Winstead’s 2021 release In My Dreams I Hold a Knife will probably always be my favorite by her and I wasn’t the biggest fan of her 2022 release The Last Housewife but This Book Will Bury Me has pulled me back in and wanting to read more from this author.

While I do personally feel that the initial murders after the one our Main Charater investigates to get into the crime network and her circle of investigators is way to close to the Idaho murders and that happened in 2022 I believe this author has used them as a stepping point and expanded into other events in the book that definitely didn’t happen to make a really good story. I really wish she would have used something else though.
This Book Will Bury Me is basically our main character writing a book telling us of events that happened and is a confession of all the events that transpired in her life that led up to one of the most famous and popular cases that was ever going to happen in her lifetime.
Being called by her mother telling her that they needed prayers and she needed to come home because her father was on the way to a hospital and then that her father had died, Jane has found herself inconsolable, and that she cannot return to college. Instead, she now has gotten a huge interest in true crime and a website called the true crime network and forums. When a murder happens right down the road from her that sparks her interest she starts helping the other sleuth investigate.
I really do like the idea of the book. I really liked the execution of the book and the writing was very good. Like I said in the beginning, I really wish she used a different case after the initial case that they close up to spark the main story line of the book. But that is something that definitely cannot be changed. Ashley’s last book was more on the paranormal mystery thriller vibe and I found that my true crime side really prefers this type of story over that, through I really enjoyed it as well. And really hope she writes another one similar to this style. I just really hope if she does it is not similar to an actual case and tragedy that happens

The "amateur sleuth podcast/book" trope has become more prevalent in books lately, what with rise of the true crime phenomenon, but what makes this book stand out is the added layer of emotional and personal stakes the main character Jane has in the investigation, and by extension, the author, Ashley Winstead. The death of Jane's father and the resulting emotional spiral that follows plays a big factor in her decision making throughout the story. Similarly, the death of Winstead's father was partly the impetus for her writing this book and choosing this topic (which I'll get into later in this review, I have <b>THOUGHTS</b>).

the <b>GOOD</b>: What starts as a distraction from Jane's grief morphs into an obsession, then turns again into a meditation on death, legacy, and the effect of a death on surviving relatives, and through it, emotional release and acceptance. I want to believe that Winstead had the best intentions writing about this, showing the real stages of grief, which include anger; anger at the injustice of an unsolved crime, the main motivation for our amateur sleuths, or anger at a parent for their personal negligence towards their health that resulted in a premature death. Winstead did a great job of relating the two; it added a new element to keep the book from being just another murder mystery.

the <b>I'M CONFLICTED...??</b>: My rating is based off my enjoyment of the plot, the writing, the thoughtful themes I just mentioned, <b>HOWEVER</b>, there is a thorn on my side that gets harder to ignore the more I think about it: is Winstead critiquing or capitalizing off crime stories? Or both? Because her author's note says she wanted to talk about the sensationalism of crime reporting, the callousness of turning tragedy into entertainment...but isn't she doing that with this book? She chose to model the plot off a real crime, and not some distant year either; the University of Idaho killings occurred in 2022. It's one thing to indulge in our instinctive need for answers through a fictional story, which is why mystery is a popular genre, it's another to write about real people, real deaths, but just change a few names or details and making money off of it (I'm pretty sure none of her book sales are going towards the victim's families or the foundations they created in their honor).

Why didn't Winstead just make up her own fictional plot? It wouldn't have impacted the other lovely and poignant themes she explored in the book. Other than that, no one is as surprised as I am that I'm giving this book a 5 star, since Winstead's last book was a complete dud for me. The difference this time is that the plot is more focused, the twists and red herrings made sense / not a "throw everything at the wall and see what sticks" type of situation as her previous book. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Not my favorite Ashley Winstead but it was still enjoyable. Kinda predictable but addictive. Steer clear if you are triggered by fiction that is heavily inspired by real, currently active murder cases.

“This Book Will Bury Me” is a great book for true crime fans. As Ashley Winstead mentions in her authors note, this book is drawn from real life cases such as the University of Idaho murders and the internet sleuths in the aftermath of the crimes. I really enjoyed the authors writing style and was hooked from the beginning. The middle part of the story felt a bit slow but overall this was a great read as a fan of true crime.

After the death of her father, college student Jane Sharp distracts herself from her grief with a true crime obsession. She finds community as an armchair detective with other online sleuths. When 3 college girls in Idaho are brutally murdered, she and her fellow sleuths team up to solve the murder the whole country is talking about. However, things are not what they seem.

I enjoyed this book, however, I need to say up front my biggest issue with it. It's clear that the author stole the details of these "fictional" Idaho murders from the real life case of the 2022 University of Idaho students who were murdered in their off campus house. It's almost beat for beat identical to the real life killings. This is in very poor taste.

I will say I also did guess the killer in this book, so that always knocks the book down a peg for me, but there were other twists that I enjoyed along the way.

Thank you to net galley for an early copy of this book!

Fans of In My Dreams I Hold a Knife and Midnight is the Darkest Hour will not be surprised that Winstead has once again crafted a psychologically tortuous novel, with some nods to dark academia, that will feel like both a satire of and homage to true crime. On its surface, this is a story of an unsolved crime—the death of three college girls in Delphine, Idaho—and the true crime fans who take justice in their own hands. The compulsively readable story shows how things can be hidden in plain sight, even when the world is watching a crime unfold. Written with footnotes, narrative gaps, and a narrative voice that is unstable to say the least, the story spins in unpredictable ways that will keep readers guessing at every police misstep and each personal revelation along the way. VERDICT With some of the same cheeky humor as the show Only Murders in the Building along with the dark, psychological recasting of facts through fiction and memory that authors have explored since Gone Girl, this book breathes life into stories that, the narrator hints, might be better off dead and buried.

I wanted to love this book because I love The Last Housewife and In My Dreams I Hold a Knife, but this, as did Midnight is the Darkest Hour was a huge miss for me. The best way to describe how I felt while reading this book is I felt like I was walking thru quicksand trying to finish this. The author seemed to ramble on and on to the point where I wanted it to be over. I think this may be my last try with this author since her books seem to be getting worse in my opinion.

thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review!

damn. I feel weirdly torn about this book, like I think at heart it might just be the author trying to get out her guilty feelings of catharsis over being a true crime junkie or something (sorry Ashley Winstead for psychoanalyzing you if you are reading this). but also it is GRIPPING. like I have complained about 500-page thrillers before, but this one blazed by. I DID let myself get suckered in by the usual "if only I'd knew what would happen then, I would have never done that..."-type ominous foreshadowing, which didn't result in much, but the overall mystery really did keep me hooked. the protagonist is fascinating because I can't decide if I loved her or hated her, and I will make a grand statement here on January 3, a couple of the supporting characters here are still going to be some of my fave characters of the year by the time 2025 is over.

also there's a weird amount of fanfic in this book lol

WHAT A RIDE 🤯

If you’re a true crime junkie and love any kind of mystery/thriller - look no further. This book delivered! The events in this book are based on tragedies that have happened, but with significant differences and are from the POV of Jane, our FMC after the fact.

I will say, Winstead is one of my favorite authors so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to read this book. I always knew that forums for online sleuths existed (I’m an avid redditor, myself) but I guess I never imagined that people would take it as far as actually solving active murder cases.

I think the author did a great job of building up each character while driving the main storyline. I ate this book up! It had me on the edge of my seat the entire time and kept me wanting more. This was a quick read and a great way to start off the year. Definitely recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an eARC of this book.

Following the death of her beloved father, Jane Sharp falls into the online world of true crime as a distraction from her grief. It turns out Jane has a knack for solving crimes and before long is welcomed into a tight-knit group of elite amateur sleuths. When they become embroiled in a high-profile case in Delphine, Idaho, they find themselves in the center of a case where nothing adds up and things keep getting progressively complicated and more dangerous.

This novel’s plot is so intricate and twisty, and I was captivated the entire time. Although this book is definitely a thriller first, it’s so much deeper than that, and that’s where it really shines. Winstead paints such a vivid picture of how a heartbroken Jane falls down the true crime rabbit hole and becomes obsessed with solving cases and chasing the high that come with it. It’s a searing examination of how a young woman’s grief leads her to cling to a found family even when it’s against her best interests and puts her in danger. It’s also a pointed commentary on the societal impact of the true crime community inserting themselves in cases and the fallout from that, especially when they get it wrong and innocent people’s lives are destroyed. Absolutely gutting and thought-provoking!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me an advance copy of this book.

5⭐️

When Jane Sharp's father died unexpectedly of a heart attack, she never would have guessed his death would spur her obsession with true crime. But as she dove deeper and deeper into a true crime message board, she soon finds herself wrapped up in the investigation of the murder of three college girls in Delphine, Idaho. That investigation turned her and her crew of sleuths into pariah's across the nation. Now, a year after the investigation wrapped up, Jane is writing a tell all to explain what really happened.

I'm going to preface this by saying that I really enjoy true crime but can also acknowledge how harmful it can be to the victims families. A lot of time the focus seems to be on the killer rather than the victim. That being said, this book might be hard for some to read because it mirrors the 2022 University of Idaho killings so closely.

Ultimately I feel like this read as a justified critique of the true crime community. Too often it feels like the true crime sleuth's on TikTok and Reddit turn solving a case into a sort of competition, not caring that they're jumping to conclusions and possibly ruining an innocent person's life. Even if evidence is found to prove that an assumption isn't true, that first thing is what's going to stick in a person's mind forever.

I liked how Jane was trying to find herself after her father's death and how profoundly she lost herself. I can understand losing yourself to grief, especially since Jane's mother didn't know how to deal with Jane's grief as well. I could feel Jane's desperation for her life to mean something and that really drove the story. Her bouncing ideas off her father's ashes was heart breaking. I ultimately just really liked the story within a story style of this book.

Thanks Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing this ARC to me!

Thank you to NetGalley for gifted copy. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

In all honesty, this book tore me apart. I followed the case this is inspired by. I think that it kind of messed with my mind a little bit. I tried very hard to separate what was fiction and what wasn't. Not only that, but I think if I knew nothing about the case that this was inspired by and went in blindly, I would say this was a good book. This book really captured the essence of what a thriller is. I was captivated the entire time. However, I did get confused all the way to the middle part of the story, wondering why Searcher was even arrested. Towards the ending, about 25% in, you kind of have a feeling of who's done it. I do like the unique take of how the two stories intertwine with each other. However, getting back to the morally gray area for me. Due to the fact that I follow the case, and have since this came out, it's a little hard to stomach. I do find it very eerie how closely similar the story is to the actual case. I'm not entirely sure if that is a good or bad thing. Morally speaking, many people might think that it's tasteless. This is where I'm torn mentally and emotionally with this book. I feel for the families and the victims in this case. As I mentioned, it's hard because you have to separate the two cases. Distinguishing what is and what isn't. I think there were times when the pacing of the book did drag on a bit for me, but that seemed to happen in different parts of the storyline.

Personally, I feel like Searcher's story (not the actual storyline) from the beginning to the end sort of didn't tie in together. I understand why she was there, but I didn't really understand the whole nature of dragging on the middle part of the story. Personal opinion, but it could've been shorter, or maybe something to her storyline could've been weaved in much better. I mean, like I said, I do, but I don't. I guess what also makes it good is having a collection of toxic characters that I felt were so unlikable together. Despite these small little personal preferences and opinions I had, this book was still pretty good. I read this very quickly. I read it through the night, and had me gasping the entire time!

Jane and several other amateur sleuths work to solve a crime. I could not put this one town. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next.

I was intrigued by the premise of the true crime thriller and online community acting as armchair detectives. At 450 pages the book felt long with a lot of rambling from the main character. The twist was expected due to the slow burn.

It is painfully clear the crime had many specific details identical to the Idaho murders, which made this a tough read. Although authors often use real life events to draw inspiration, it feels insensitive since justice hasn't been served for the victims in the recent crime. Despite this, I still enjoyed the suspense and found family element.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark Publishing for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Theis Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead is a such a fun read, especially if you are a true crime junkie! It is very well written and that makes it a quick read. I gave it four stars, only because it felt like it could have been wrapped up a bit sooner.

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. Ashley Winstead is quickly shaping up to be a consistent favorite of mine!

While mourning the loss of her father, Jane Sharpe gets drawn into the true crime community. She wants to leave a legacy for her dad, and soon she has several solves and a tight-knit group of crime-solving friends. A brutal massacre in a college town catches their attention, and she and her friends head to campus to get answers.

While I did guess one twist, I absolutely did not catch the ending. I enjoyed how this was written as if Jane was writing a tell-all a year later, and the voice was really interesting for that reason. It also explores questions about the role of the true crime community, the failures of policing in many cases, etc.