I had read only one book by Ashley Winstead before, which was just okay for me, but I'm so glad I requested her latest release because I loved it from start to finish.

The book is written as a memoir by Jane Sharp, a young woman who after the sudden death of her father becomes obsessed with true crime, and finds herself entangled in a very infamous case. Since her reputation has been slandered after the case, she decides to write her own version of what happened.

From the beginning I was drawn into the story because of this type of narration. There are footnotes, which work really well, and Jane often addresses the reader, explaining her actions. I always felt sympathetic towards her, mainly because of the representation of her grief over her father's sudden passing. It was very emotional and well written, and it added another layer to the story.

Apart from Jane, I also really liked the other characters, who become a sort of family for her. They are very different people, all drawn to true crime because of different reasons, and I really enjoyed the relationships between them. 

The mystery in itself was quite predictable. It was easy to understand what was going on, especially if you've read many mysteries. Still, the plot was always fast-paced and absolutely engaging, and the suspense was really well done. I never wanted to put the book down, and I was always anxious to see how everything would turn out. Another interesting aspect of the story was the representation of true crime sleuths, and the discussions about how true crime and social media are changing the way crimes are investigated today. I found it all very thought-provoking.

This is definitely a different read. Unique, disturbing, entertaining and full of suspense
I am not sure I liked any of the characters, I found Jane to be rather irritating. Her dad has died u expectedly and she becomes fixated with true crime, she makes friends with a group of sleuths online, they are all a little dysfunctional. Her days become filled with purpose, a distraction from her grief.
When a mass killing occurs at the campus of a small university in Idaho Jane and her sleuth friends become involved, can they find the serial killer.
The story does drag on a little in the middle, definitely a slow burner, there is a big twist as the book comes to an end and the killer is revealed.
Written in a quirky style which helps keep the pages turning.
Many thanks to Net Galley and Aria & Aries Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
My first book by this author and I look forward to reading more.

I totally binged this!! It felt like listening to a true crime podcast or a fast-paced documentary!
I loved the way we were being both told the story through Jane’s book while also talking about her story after the fact and all the little extra tidbits in the footnotes.

It was so fast paced and action packed, which I found surprising given a large quantity of the story is told from Jane’s bedroom. The characters all felt so real to me; I want a hug from Lightly so bad!!

The way the story grapples with the good, bad and grey areas of true crime is a very fun theme, constantly adding a different layer to the events as they happened.
The handling of grief as almost another character itself was great too.

This definitely was heading towards a 4 star for me, but I didn’t love the ending so took an extra star off as it felt a little rushed and didn’t give me the closure for all the characters that I was hoping for after feeling so attached to them throughout the book.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advanced readers copy of this via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book honestly surprised me. At the beginning I was very unsure of what I was getting into but as I kept going, I couldn't stop turning the pages.
I did have an inkling of part of what was going to happen towards the last third of the book but the way it all turned out still had me shocked. I haven't been gripped by a thriller like this since reading Freida McFadden although this was a little less crazy and a lot more realistic. I also loved the way Ashley dealt with the topic of grief and the way it can turn you into having a never ending amount of unanswered questions.
I'd definitely recommend this book for anyone who is a fan of true crime/crime podcasts and the like.

I’m always up for, and enjoy, an Ashley Winstead book and this was just as good as expected. This take on true crime and the power of the internet is a great read and still in keeping with Winstead’s writing style.

This has got to be one of my favourite reads of the year so far and for me it was an amazingly enjoyable read. I’m not one to rehash the overview as I rarely read them myself and prefer to go into a story not knowing what it’s all about and I find that works well for me in this book and oh boy it was one heck of a superb story that has me guessing throughout. It’s a slow burn of a beginning but soon I found myself totally immersed into the plot and I just couldn’t stop reading and when I had to I found myself thinking about the book so much and rushing to get back to the story.
I loved the characters they were all so believable and well crafted and all praise to the author for that and perhaps one day we may perhaps see some more from one or two of them I would love that.
So a fabulous read that I just can’t fault and if you love a good thriller then this is the book for you and a 5 star book for me although I think it deserves more than 5 I can give and many thanks to the author for a stunning read.
My thanks also to NetGalley and Aria and Aries, Head of Zeus for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

I was really enjoying this book until I realised it felt very familiar to the Idaho 4 case. So I went and looked it up, just to make sure, and it was not ony similar, the first murders are a near copy of the case... which I found a bit distasteful, especially considering the case isn't even closed it. A shame, because I actually enjoyed the idea behind the book.

I could not have been more hooked by this book. True crime, internet sleuths, a group of found friends who get together to investigate one of the biggest murders – it is fascinating, gripping, almost entirely unputdownable. I loved Jane, I loved her misfit group of sleuths, and the way the case unravelled with so many twists and turns.

I was incredibly moved – and deeply affected – by the heart of the book being about Jane's grief at losing her father, and the author note at the end. I picked this book because I was fascinated by true crime and internet sleuths, and I love Ashley Winstead's writing, and in a truly bizarre coincidence I started reading it only a couple of days before my own Dad died, and then reading it this week, in the days after his death, it has had a huge impact on me, much more than I ever imagined. The last chapters reflected such a strong light back on me – all the questions I have after my dad's death, that I know I will never be able to answer. There were a lot of tears.

Books, huh? They always seem to find you at the right time.

This one is truly brilliant. Gripping, human, tense and twisty, and also hugely emotional. The easiest five stars.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

At first I was going to rate this book 4.5 stars - I went in very blind and didn't know what to expect. I'd really enjoyed In My Dreams I Hold A Knife and the writing in This Book Will Bury Me really didn't let me down. I thoroughly enjoyed it and read it in a day because I was so hooked.

However, I then looked at other reviews. And I was pretty shocked to see that the Delphine murders that become the main focus of the book have a LOT in common with a real life murder case at Idaho University just a few years ago - a case that has yet to go to trial.

A quick scan of other reviews will give you a full break down of all the similarities, not least of all the setting - a small university in Idaho - and the descriptions/names of the victims.

Considering I felt this book did a really good job of looking at the True Crime phenomenon and wondering how close is too close, and when does it become exploitative, the similarities to a real, recent case feel in very bad taste.

After thinking it over, I can only give the book 3 stars for writing quality.

A young woman joins an online crime-solving board and gets in over her head when investigating a series of murders. Designed to read like nonfiction, this is an entertaining and pacy thriller full of tension, which was fairly predictable but definitely fun to read.

This Book Will Bury Me is the latest thriller from Ashley Winstead and my first read from her, but definitely not my last. The story follows Jane Sharp, a young woman who, after the death of her father, becomes increasingly involved in a group chat filled with true crime enthusiasts and amateur detectives. When they stumble upon a couple of real-life crimes, they take it upon themselves to investigate and solve the cases.

What I loved most about this book is how gripping it was from start to finish. The main character is well-developed, the narrative is strong, and the central mystery is compelling. While the case itself might not be groundbreaking, the writing is excellent, and the pacing keeps you hooked, making it a worthwhile read.

The ending is somewhat open-ended, but it suits the novel well. Winstead has crafted a strong thriller, and after reading this, I definitely need to explore her backlist, her writing is simply captivating.

Thank you Aria & Aries / Head of Zeus & Ashley Winstead for this read.

Ashley is SO good at hooking me. At this time she's 100% an autobuy for me and this book was definitely not a let down!

I feel like this shone a light on the very real life of true crime fanatics and our behaviour when major crimes happen. While this addresses very real behaviour when it comes to true crime, it also weaves multiple murder cases in which us as the readers are hanging on each word, to find out who was responsible.

The way the book is written as a memoir was very clever. It allows us to understand Jane, see the raw emotions of hers from recent events as well as take us on a wild ride just like she is, as we journey to the big reveals.

This book was really exciting from start to finish with characters that you come to care about and feel like you are friends with, plenty of true crime action, suspense and of course shocking twists!

Loved it and if you are a true crime lover and wish to take almost a front seat on a wild journey / ride to solve multiple murders then you should pick this up!

Releases 25th March and this is one I will definitely be purchasing to add to my shelves!!

Firstly thank you net galley and head of Zeus for this early copy of “this book will bury me” as always the thoughts are my own and I will be very honest about how I feel about this book.

Ehrrmmm…

I have a lot of things to say about this book and unfortunately they’re not good… so let’s start with what I did like about this book
-characters
(I really liked the friend group for the first 50% of this book but after that only 2 remained in my mind as likeable)
-forums
(If thats the right word, I really enjoyed when the whole armchair detectives would talk about the cases)

And that’s it now for the things I really didn’t like

- coping the Idaho case
(If you get inspiration that’s fair but pretty much copy and paste in not a tasteful way then to add your own fictional murders on top of that just take away just to fit your character storylines in)

-Gabby Petito
(Before I started this book I just watch the documentary on the Petito case so it was very fresh in my mind so to just name drop gabby for whatever reason is very icky) i understand that it’s true crime so it fits but that’s very real and even though you’re coping a case (that hasn’t even when to court yet) but working it in a fictional way to name drop a very real victim in. Could have easily referenced the case without name dropping and everyone would have known what the case is.

Then just the reasons for the character to write her own book isn’t the right reasons when she was very much in the wrong. Her treating her dad’s death as a case when quite frankly i didn’t really care for. (I understand what she was doing though)

To start naming shows and movies is the most random thing ever? We pretty much got a full chapter about a Star Trek fanfic?? Like what then we move to twilight then buffy the vampire just very strange..

So I said I was going to be honest…

Unfortunately this book made me really uncomfortable. I knew going into it that it was inspired by the Idaho murders but there is a moral line between taking inspiration from a case and creating a fictional crime and just straight up copying several important facts about a case that is still very raw and ongoing and this book crossed that line. For that reason I can't recommend it and I'm so sad because I'm a huge fan of this authors previous work but this was not it for me.

This book was so real to me. I was invested from the start! Jane/Searcher had such a raw and complicated character arc, investing time both in the murders and her father's past.
This book was a really interesting look into the internet sleuth/ online true crime community. Things like this will always interest people, but the team in the book investigating in the way they do, with such composure had me re-evaluating their characters. I thought that this would be a look into the crime obsessed people who take things too far and remove the victims of their dignity. Of course, sometimes that was the case with this book, but the group had real intentions of solving the case.
It also took a look at the faults and failures of the police department. The contamination of evidence, the racism that occurs, preventing victims and families of victims justice by not taking the same quick action they would if it were a white person.
Such a complex take on crime investigations, and true crime communities, coming together but also clashing.
Of course, we need to talk about the outstanding plot, and character arc. This was my first read of anything by Ashley Winstead, but she has become a must read for me now. The pacing and the reveals and the energy this book held in its pages was something else. It reimagined the depth of with someone would go to to protect the ones they loved, to complete something they had become far too involved in to let go.
Jane was marvellous. From her finding the murder weapon in her very first case to the address she wrote in the very last chapter, she knew herself by the end. Knew in her bones the way she had impacted the lives of the people around her, and what her actions would mean. But she did it anyway, because what else was she supposed to do.
Citizen. Those Heathers references had me from the very first moment he called Jane Veronica. It was too much for me to look past it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My first ARC read and I’m so pleased it was this book.

Really enjoyed the true crime aspect of this book. Kept it interesting and made me like all the main characters. Didn’t expect the twist at all… was slightly sad as was hoping for a bit of romance amongst the murders!

This is the first Ashley Winstead book I’ve read. I have in my dreams I hold a knife on my TBR. I will definitely be reading that one next. Great book!!

Written as a fictitious true crime memoir, "This Book Will Bury Me" takes inspiration from real-life murder cases (which the author talks about in the foreword) and the ever-growing world of true crime – looking at it as an entertainment but also as an investigative tool. Is web sleuthing doing more harm or good? At which point does one outweigh the other?

While being fictitious, this novel also holds a mirror to our reality. As a person with a keen interest in true crime, I loved this insight into motivations and attitudes toward true crime and web sleuths. The author did a great job capturing the spirit of social media frenzy, the commodification of death and gore, and how amateur sleuthing could be a double-edged sword when bystanders’ accusations and speculations turn into actions.

True crime aficionados will recognize "easter eggs" related to the genre and inspiration taken from various real-life cases. I can see how said inspiration may be controversial. On one hand, it evokes our strong emotions that we felt looking into those cases, watching and listening to true crime videos and podcasts (especially related to Idaho 4). It gives an additional emotional layer to the story (one that a fictional murder case probably wouldn’t be able to elicit). We can relate to chosen characters’ feelings because we had them at some point, so during reading about a fictional case, we are reliving what we felt, observing the true case in real time. On the other hand, tackling (even as inspiration) an ongoing real case and creating a scenario that’s not real but eerily similar to it means that we could ask about the place for the books like This Book Will Bury Me in the true-crime-adjacent spaces. Is this kind of inspiration allowed according to readers/true crime community? Could those aforementioned emotions blur lines between fact and fiction, and in turn – could it affect how one or the other person will be perceived in real life? Can a case be too fresh and too painful to be used as an inspiration for a crime novel? There are elements taken from the Idaho 4 case that I’m still thinking about, and maybe, for the time being, it would be better to introduce more fictional elements when it comes to details, especially if their source is so hotly discussed, full of what-ifs and unsolved loose threads. But I have to confirm – it is thought-provoking.

Looking at "This Book Will Bury Me" only as a crime novel, I must admit that I flew through the story, becoming part of the investigating squad myself. Uncovering new clues was engaging, especially with the main character, Jane, foreshadowing that something sinister is coming our way. I was actively looking for the perpetrator, turning pages in anticipation if I was right. The more we venture into the story, the more it becomes clear that we are in the fully fictional territory, so it is clear that "This Book Will Bury Me" is not set to solve a real murder case, just – and I'm using those words NOT in relation to the inspiration itself – to give us entertainment and fun while observing the final showdown and conclusion.

There is also a subplot that deserves an honorable mention; Jane is not only a web sleuth but also a young woman grieving her father’s death. Her thoughts and reflections were heart-wrenching, and I found myself mulling over many of her words.

2.5 rounded down for goodreads and netgalley.
Unfortunately, I have a few issues with this book. But I did appreciate the inventiveness of the plot, and it was easy to read.
However, it was too long. Some moments could have been easily cut. Also, it was quite slow-paced. But it would have been way worse without the short chapters.
The characters are quite well-developed. Of the main group, my favorite was Mistress. She is a quick-thinker and I liked her open mind. Searcher and Lightly were okay, even though I didn’t like them very much. But Citizen and Goku were despicable. From the start, I had a bad feeling with them. They are such sexist and misogynistic characters — for instance, they are extremely quick to think that because the victims were stabbed, the perpetrator was a man. I absolutely hated that, it infuriated me. They were so closed-minded.
As I said, the plot itself was inventive. But in a way, it also lacked originality… Why were all the victims female? It was truly annoying to get a different idea in a thriller but to end up reading about the same goddamn plot again. Maybe it is more realistic this way, but this is a fiction book. It could be… I don’t know, a bit different from the reality maybe?
And I did not like the conclusion at all. I thought it was too easy and it purely is a matter of preference here, I just hate this king of ending in any thriller or mystery book.

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review.

💻 This Book Will Bury Me • Ashley Winsted 💻
★★★.𝟱

Read if you enjoy:
💻 Thriller
💻 True crime
💻 Amateur sleuthing
💻 Don’t F*ck With Cats

After losing her father, Jane Sharp falls into a rabbit hole of grief. Replacing an empty hole in her heart with a true crime obsession. As she seeks answers for victims of crime, she also seeks answers to the question, did she really know her father?

I sincerely enjoy the concept of amateur sleuthing, armchair detecting and crime forum lurkers to catch a killer. I found this book really well written and genuinely unputdownable. If it wasn’t for the intensely raw subject matter, this would have been a five star thriller for me. But I found basing this book on a crime which is still at trial is shady at best and tasteless at worst, hence the lowered rating.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley, Ashley Winstead, Aria&Aries and Head of Zeus for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

4,5/5
Everything starts with Jane and a phone call from her mother. A phone call that will divide Jane's world in two parts – the carefree life of a student before and the grief of a daughter who lost her beloved dad after.
Jane returns home and soon she starts feeling lost and anxious. That's when she finds a true crime forum with amateur sleuths trying to solve various cases. She gets hooked almost instantly. Some of the fellow sleuths quickly become a second family to her. And then there's a triple murder in a sleepy college town in Idaho. Everybody is talking about it. Everyone wants to solve it – Jane and her virtual family included.
The book is loosely inspired by the death of four college students murdered in 2022 in Moscow, Idaho, allegedly by a criminology doctoral student named Bryan Kohberger (his trial is set for summer 2025).
It's a beautiful letter to the true crime community, but I would not call it a “love” letter per se, it's much too detailed, raw and sincere to be one. While acknowledging fully the advantages, virtues and accomplishments of said community, Ashley Winstead does not refrain from portaying the uglier, controversial aspects of internet sleuthing, like invasion of privacy, witch hunting, blurring the lines of the law, ego competitions.
The internet has power – the community is equally able to save a life and make it a living hell. And this kind of power may be intoxicating, not to mention dangerous.
In a nutshell, it's an absolute must-read for every true crime fan out there. I loved “In My Dreams I Hold A Knife”, but this book is at least a level higher in terms of maturity and character building; it's also much more grounded and has a much more stronger spine than “Midnight Is the Darkest Hour”. I loved it.

#ThisBookWillBuryMe #NetGalley