Tbh I found this book very boring, wasn’t suspenseful at all. The way the characters were written didn’t really make them feel real or interesting.

Ugh, this was annoying. I thiiiiink I've ready Winstead's work before and found it fine... this one was not great. It sort of feels like she retrofit an "explanation" for the main character's behavior that I simply didn't buy-- losing a parent is hard, and can cause people to reach out and look for connection, but it simply wasn't believable that the main character's entire "why" in the journey continually circles back to it. Also, there's no real mystery to who committed the crime-- if you know anything about the crime this whole plot is based on, you'll know right away-- and I wasn't sure if I was supposed to. It read quickly, no regrets, but like... ugh.

Firstly, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to NetGalley, the author Ashley Winstead, and Sourcebooks Landmark for allowing me early access to this mesmerizing ebook in exchange for my honest review! As a devoted fan of Ashley’s writing, I was thrilled at the prospect of diving into her latest thriller. If she writes it—I'm there!

This Book Will Bury Me is the kind of read that beckons you to finish in just one or two sittings, and I found myself staying up until 2 AM on two consecutive nights, completely engrossed. The narrative is both captivating and interesting, particularly to someone like me, who is a true crime internet sleuth enthusiast.

The story follows Janeway, a 24-year-old grappling with the loss of her father. In an attempt to distract herself from the weight of her grief, she immerses herself in an online true crime network. The plot thickens when she is invited to join a small group of four “high-profile” sleuths, leading her down a rabbit hole of obsession that leaves her facing pending criminal charges, unemployment, and a scandalous book written about her—essentially a piece that will “bury” her reputation.

I really appreciated Janeway's quest for distraction and her desperate need to escape her reality. This emotional thread resonated deeply with me. However, I did find some elements of the plot—specifically the unnecessary branches—to be somewhat meandering at times, causing me to question the story's direction. Take, for instance, Janeway’s exploration of her father's love for Star Trek. While this subplot aimed to add depth to her character, the extensive conversations she has with others in the online communities felt tedious.

As for the Star Trek fanfiction woven into the murder mystery, I have to admit—it missed the mark for me. While this may resonate with die-hard Trekkies, it detracted from the main plot's momentum, turning my reading pace into a skip-through of those pages. It left me wondering if such elements were better suited for an audience familiar with Star Trek lore, whereas I personally felt they clouded the intriguing thriller at its core.

Despite these points, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this book. My lack of Star Trek knowledge is certainly not the author’s fault, and I have no doubt that dedicated fans will appreciate those intricate breadcrumbs. I’m looking forward to adding a copy to my Ashley Winstead collection and will continue to recommend her incredible works, including this forthcoming title, set to release in March.

Thank you again to Ashley and the publishers for this thrilling experience! I can't wait to see how readers react to This Book Will Bury Me.

This Book Will Bury Me was one of my most wanted books to read! I adore Ashley Winstead's writing and this book did not disappoint. I loved every page and can't wait to read more by her.

This book was INSANE. Winsteads best work by far.
I was hooked I. Immediately from the very first page, and couldn’t put it down until the very last page.

It was crazy how closely tied this story was to the real killings that happened in Idaho. And I never expected one of the Internet sleuths to wind up being the killer in the end. I absolutely love how at the end, citizen reached back out to searcher after he disappeared and asked for her help. The ending was epic I love how searcher/jane replied with the address of the safe house and just set those two psychos up to battle it out against one another.
This will proably be one of my favorite thrillers being published in 2025.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for this ARC.

This book had me hooked from the start! There were times it was predictable at best but it was an enjoyable read.

This book was such a quick read for me! I loved how relatable it was and how it had me researching/investigating all kinds of true crime cases. Grief takes many forms and this book just shows how it really can affect people in different ways.

4.5 stars

DAMN! For a nearly 500 page book, it did not feel that long. I was hooked. This was intense and raw.
One of my favorite reads of the year.

Ashley Winstead seems to be a hit or miss author for me, I loved one of her books and just thought the other was ok. Thankfully this one fell into the hit category. I really enjoyed this one, I was hooked from the beginning and intrigued the entire time.

Thank you to Source Books for giving me the chance to read an early digital copy of Ashley Winstead's upcoming book, This Book Will Bury Me. I have been obsessed with true crime for as long as I can remember; watching news coverage of JonBenet Ramsey's murder and OJ Simpson's trial as a young girl have turned out to be core memories. I thought the premise of this one was fascinating. I have definitely gone down rabbit holes trying to come up with theories about what happened with certain cold cases. Janeway Sharp isn't really anyone special, and neither is her dad. However, when her dad dies unexpectedly, she turns to the internet for comfort. There has recently been murders at a college sorority house, in which 3 girls were killed. This part of the story was very Ted Bundy. Jane joins a group of true crime internet sleuths who work with police departments to solve different murders. It turns out Jane is a bit of a savant when it comes to solving the crimes. I also enjoyed getting to know all of the other characters/people in the group, from Mistress to Citizen and Lightly. For the most part, I really enjoyed the story. The story begins with a bang right out the gate, and the fast-paced story hooks you in right away and makes you completely invested in Jane's story and the death of her father. There was a part in the middle of the story where it kind of felt like it was moving really slow, and it was a bit hard to push through, but I am glad that I did. Ashley Winstead is quickly solidifying her place as one of my go-to authors.

"This Book Will Bury Me" is a captivating and disturbing thriller that will stay with readers long after they finish reading. Winstead's masterful storytelling and the unsettling themes make this a must-read for fans of the genre.

This book falls somewhere between a 3 and 4 star for me. I loved her book Midnight is the Darkest Hour but this one had too many issues for me.

First what I liked:
The POV: It was interesting to have a story told by an internet sleuth. For anyone into true crime this a controversial part of field with mixed success. I think the author was well informed on the pros and cons around this issue but ultimately she failed me make me care about the main character and not just see her as a stereotype.

And that connection to the character was ultimately the issue. It made the book feel long (which 400 pages is for this genre) and in the end the twist was a bit predictable.

Also I can’t leave this review without mentioning the killings in Idaho and the way they are used in this book. Based on the fact that the author was not telling that story but rather drawing inspiration from it, the setting and many of the details could have easily been changed and the book would still hold the impact it needed to without using a tragedy that is still alive in it’s community.

Ultimately I would recommend it but I don’t think it will be the first thing I think of when someone asks me for a good thriller.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was really excited to get this ARC. I love this author and her writing. I went into the book blind and was shocked to find out that this is based off the college murders at university of Idaho. I’m from Idaho and went to college at this university and have many mutual friends of the girls who were murdered. I had to DNF at 40% because I couldn’t stomach reading about this when the murder trial is still ongoing and we are still in the midst of seeing media on the girl’s families :( I feel like this was too soon for Ashley to be writing about this but it was also just mentioned in another 2025 release so maybe I need to get used to it being a popular topic.

I absolutely loved this book! I couldn’t put it down and when I did I couldn’t wait to pick it back up again! Holy twist!! I loved the found family aspect and the entire premise is so unique! But this did seem to be copying of the Idaho murders, which seemed tacky.

I think the author is a great writer and I enjoyed several aspects of this book, but I didn’t like that it was based on such a recent crime in Idaho. That was a huge thing for the state and it seems distasteful to base it on that so soon. I also think it was a bit long, but I Iiked it besides that.

I’ve had Ashley Winstead’s “In My Dreams I Hold a Knife” on my TBR for awhile so I was excited to see this new book from her. It follows a group of “armchair detectives” as they investigate a set of murders in Idaho and specifically the main character who is grappling with the sudden death of her father. The story was so twisty and wonderful that I read about 70% in one afternoon. I saw a glimpse of the twist ahead of time but never saw the whole picture turning out as it did. I loved that it showed the damage these media true crime podcasts, TikTok personalities and media figureheads could have on an investigation, good and bad. It was just an incredibly gripping story and sucked me in totally. Jane’s struggle with her grief was so heartbreaking and real. It was just beautifully written.

Thank you to NetGalley & Sourcebooks Landmark for letting me read and review this novel.

Ashley Winstead -you sneaky little genius!

This is the third title I’ve read by AW and it’s also my third 5 star review. Honestly, I think my favorite yet.

“This Book Will Bury Me,” is written as a response to a tell-all book which criticizes the fictional author (Janeway Sharp’s) involvement in a highly publicized murder investigation.

I was so hooked by the rawness of Janeway’s character as she grieves her father and struggles to navigate life without him while burying herself deeper and deeper into an amateur online true crime sleuthing community.

I would be lying if I said there weren’t a few moments where I felt the books length, but overall, I was impressed at how completely hooked I was from page 1 to 490.

I plan to write a more throughout review soon BUT for now, go ahead and add this and all of Ashley Winstead’s books to your TBR.

You are WELCOME IN ADVANCE.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ashley Winstead is forever an auto buy author for me - THIS BOOK WILL BURY ME is a little different than her other books. Her typical thrillers are very fast paced, where this book was more character driven. The last 40% definitely saved the book - Ashley still put out an incredible book and I’m excited to see what she does next!

I liked the group forum thing! That made this book different. Something though I just couldn’t get myself to want to pick it up when I would put it down.

This WILL be the ultimate psych thriller of 2025!! This book is written like someone writing their own memoir about the obsession of true crime cases. The writing style is descriptive and addictive, I couldn’t put the book down! Really big twists and feels so relevant right now in the world of true crime junkies.