This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead
My rating:
4/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

After the death of her father, Jane is on a mission to seek justice and closure. She finds herself on a true crime online forum quickly becomes immersed in trying to solve a case of a woman who was murdered.
Ashley Winstead is an auto-buy author for me! This one did not disappoint! I love her writing style and the quick chapters. This was a fast paced thriller that kept me on my toes.

I will say at times the story line did get a little confusing due to a lot of details and side plots that didn’t necessarily bring anything to the story. I did figure out the main “twist” which is why I am rounding down to 4.

Overall I really enjoyed this one and love a true crime book with online elements! Thank you netgalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC! Add this to your TBR now for when it comes out in March of 2025!

Ashley Winstead is one of my all time favorite thriller authors, and this book keeps her at the top of that list! One thing I LOVE is when a book has footnotes, I’m not sure why but the extra insight makes me so happy. That forum comments were a great addition as well.

Janeway was for sure an empath. I was happy we got a little backstory into her life and how her crime sleuthing began. I thought our whole cast of characters, especially from the forum were great characters that I wanted to love.

The book definitely used some ideas from national true crime stories that received a lot of coverage and most of us could name. I enjoyed the story being told to us in story format, by the main character. Ashley Winstead is very talented at telling stories that make you want to come back or keep going for more.

This book hooked me from the start and never let me go. I am a huuuuuge true crime fan so this was right up my alley. The sleuthing element was so unique to me. Ashley Winstead’s writing is just so captivating, I did not want to put this book down. All of the stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I want to start out by saying that I have read three books now from this author and I adore that every topic is different and feels fresh. I don’t believe that she falls into tropes or the same outline as I found others that are able to publish about a book a year have. That being said, I loved it and was very engrossed until I saw how much of it seems to cone from the Idaho murders… it’s a lot. That being said, it’s a twisty slowburn that people will enjoy if they don’t Wikipedia too much about its pretty clear inspiration.

The book had a somewhat gradual beginning, but about a quarter of the way through "This Book Will Bury Me," I found myself completely captivated. Jane, a 24-year-old, joins a group of amateur internet detectives following her father's death. The group gains recognition after successfully solving a complex murder case. However, when a serial killer emerges in Idaho, they decide to travel there to investigate. The intensity builds significantly as the story unfolds. Narrated from Jane’s perspective, she writes a book recounting the events to clarify the circumstances and motivations behind everything that transpired. Overall, it's an engaging read!

I am usually a scaredy cat when it comes to thrillers and murder books, and the dark themes at the beginning of the story almost made me put the book down. But I stuck with it and I’m glad I did- this story sucked me in and got me out of a major reading rut. I loved the novel-within-a-novel structure and the breaking of the fourth wall (even though others seem to not). Ashley Winstead knows how to make a reader NEED to turn a page. I didn’t see the twist coming, and I thought it was clever.

I agree with others critiques that it feels icky how the author drew so much inspiration from the Idaho murders. The story diverged from the true crime story, but the similarities were striking and unexpected. I wish I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I did because of that. However, I feel as though paralleling a real-life case so much actually adds depth to the questions raised about the true crime community and sensationalizing these tragedies…. Maybe that was her point? Regardless, I cannot speak for how this may impact the families of those affected, and I hope justice is served.

All in all, I’m very curious to see how this will be received on pub day. Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Ashley Winstead is such a fascinating author and her stories really span across different genres. The Book Will Bury Me is another great example of her writing and story-telling. She is an automatic read for me.

Thank you for the chance to read this book early! I’m a huge fan on Ashley’s work, so far The Last Housewife being my favorite. This book wasn’t not good but because it was based on something so real and recent, it seemed too familiar and obvious. The book was a little slow to start and dragged a bit but by Part 2 I was more invested. I enjoyed the family dynamic that the sleuths found in each other. It was also interesting to have a murder mystery solved from a different perspective other than a detective. The murder mystery reveal was predictable but I enjoyed the ending of Jane’s discovery journey about her father. Overall it was enjoyable but I do think it could’ve been shorter.

As with all of Ashely Winstead's work, This Book Will Bury Me was compulsively readable. I found myself reaching for it at 3AM when I couldn't sleep, and had to force myself to put it down and get some shut-eye. TBWBM sheds unflinchingly honest light on the scavenger-like nature of armchair detectives and Reddit sleuths. I cringed at the lengths Jane and the others went to in order to secure an "in" on the case. Ashely Winstead does a great job creating an ensemble cast of characters (think: In My Dreams I Hold a Knife), and TBWBM was no different; you really rooted for the group's friendship and comradery to go the distance. There is a great deeper emotional tie-in to Jane's father's death and her investigation into his life and the ending really puts a bow on that for you. There was enough going on here without the Lizzie Bath angle, which did feel superfluous and somewhat random in the third act. Overall a great read - bring this one on Spring Break or to the beach this summer!

Ive really enjoyed Ashley Winstead's past thrillers so was excited to pick this one up. This one is my favorite so far! Pulled me in right away and kept me turning the pages. If you like fast paced thrillers with twists, pick this up!

4⭐️

I really enjoyed this latest book by Ashley Winstead. When I read the synopsis, I was intrigued by the premise, especially the focus on amateur crime internet sleuths. I'm happy to say that the book lived up to my expectations.

The story revolves around a young college student grappling with the sudden death of her father. As she navigates her grief, she finds solace in becoming an amateur web sleuth, attempting to solve murder cases. However, there is a fine line between finding an outlet for her emotions and becoming obsessed to avoid confronting her grief. The narrative unfolds in a non-linear fashion, alternating between the present and reflections on past events, highlighting how she formed a found family with strangers online.

My only complaint is that the book has some pacing issues. It felt a bit long and dragged in the middle, while the ending seemed to rush through key moments. Overall, though, I genuinely enjoyed this read, and I would definitely pick up another book by Ashley Winstead in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

This is definitely a book for true crime aficionados as it dives into the world of amateur sleuths and how the internet will play armchair detective + the possible consequences that may have in false accusations, etc. While I enjoyed the concept, I found the book to be pretty slow especially in the first half and no real action seemed to happen until maybe the final third. It was also fairly predictable and I did not find myself shocked at any of the revelations. I didnt find the MC likable and a lot of the scenarios seemed far fetched? However one of my biggest gripes was i found it weird that the crime in this book is pretty much EXACTLY that of the Idaho College Murders from 2022. Like it wasnt just loosely inspired by it, but it is literally it down to the smallest of details and it felt a little wrong to be fictionalizing/ sensationalizing a crime that is very much still fresh and going through the legal system. Overall not a favorite, however fans of Ashley Winstead may enjoy more than I did!

This is one of my highly anticipated releases of 2025 and I am so grateful to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read this early! I dropped everything to read this and I couldn’t put it down. Even though I predicted some of the ending, it was still a wild ride and true crime fans will definitely be entertained!

This Book Will Bury Me was a slow burn of a good time. Perfect for the true crime, internet sleuths that like to read. Although, it is a predictable and I figured out the twist abut 40% of the way through I still enjoyed it. The family story is sweet. The characters are mostly likeable. I do feel like the book could be 50-75 pages shorter, Especially since the main “murder story” is one we all familiar with. Making the story drag a little in the middle. I did think the internet conversations were well written and brought a lot to the story. Overall I enjoyed this novel and would recommend adding it to your TBR.

Thank you NetGalley, Ashley Winstead and Sourcebooks Landmark for the arc.

This was an intense one. I’m a true crime watcher/podcast listener, (though it often comes with mixed feelings about the genre at times) and I was highly intrigued by this book as a concept.

My brain has a need for understanding what motivates actions and choices and how investigators work to piece together a story from limited evidence available to them. ‘This Books Will Bury Me’ takes that a step further, following the narrative of a young women experiencing an unexpected loss who finds herself as part of a group of internet sleuths doing actual investigating of their own to assist solving crimes. It’s ‘found family’ at its most dysfunctional, which to an extent becomes very endearing and poignant. It also is highly thought provoking in consideration of how armchair detectives can influence a case and the lives of people involved, for better or worse.

There are some direct and some thinly veiled references to real cases, public figures, podcasts, and shows made throughout the book. The main mystery is clearly influenced by the Idaho college student murders. I’m always torn on how I feel about that kind of thing. In a way, it’s creating another piece of ‘entertainment’ out of the tragedy of real people. On the other hand, I felt like the book (intentionally or only in the way I consumed it) highlighted the way victims can get lost in the face of egos and entertainment. The whole narrative plays out in a unique and nuanced way that was as engaging as it was mind-bending.

All in all, this is probably the most invested I’ve felt in one of Ashley Winstead’s books. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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...”

This is the premise for This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead. I will say that the premise is great and it had a lot of potential. I wasn’t sure at first where the story was going but then I figured out the main “bad guy” right away. It was not a surprise to me whatsoever and I’m not sure if it was meant to be or just the characters in the story weren’t supposed to figure it out. Jane was deeply mourning her father throughout the book and may have taken it a bit too far in a bad direction but in the end she made herself and him proud. I will say I felt like there was a lot going on in this book and it was longer than it needed to be, it was slow to start but picked up about halfway through. Overall 3 ⭐️ for me. Thank you for NetGalley and Sourcebooks landmark for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead
True Crime, Mystery
Pub Date: March 25, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book! I couldn’t put it down!! I am a huge fan of Ashley’s books. The wow factor is always there, and this one stands up to the others. It was like being in a real time true crime story.

College student Jane Sharp just lost her father. She doesn’t know what to do with herself. That’s when she hears about a murder near her hometown that sparks her interest. Jane starts digging and finds the world of true crime on the internet. Jane jumps right in and helps solve the case with the help of 4 other ameuter sleuths.

After solving this case the 5 of them become somewhat of a big deal in the true crime world. When 3 college girls are murdered the 5 of them realize they need to step it up and solve this case. But during the process they realize nothing is adding up.
This story is told from Jane’s point of view 1 year after the murders. Jane is about to shock us all.

Read if you like:
True Crime
Found family aspect
Web Sleuths

Ashley knows how to write a good ‘popcorn’ thriller and this one is no different. While I did find it a little slow in the beginning, the last half really makes up for it.

I have seen several reviews saying this book took several graphic details from an ongoing case in Idaho from 2022 and found that to be a bit insensitive. I am a true crime girlie, but to base a fiction book off of a case that isn’t even settled seems tactless. Moreover, the book comes out spring 2025 and the murderer goes on trial that same summer. It gave me a bit of the ICK after I found all of that out so I dropped the rating some.

I love Ashley Winstead’s books and The Last Housewife is one of my top recommended. I really enjoyed this new one and found it unputdownable. However, I was slightly confused as to why the real life details of the Idaho murders were pretty much copy pasted? I understand being inspired as that case is interesting and tragic, but why not put a fictional spin on it? It read a bit as true crime fan fiction but maybe that was the point. Either way, I recommend it!

LOVED THIS ONE. I absolutely love Ashley Winstead! She writes phenomenal thrillers AND romances! I have to admit that I was slightly disappointed by Midnight is the Darkest Hour. I loved The Housewife and In My Dreams I Hold a Knife.