While this is the third book in a series, there is enough set-up and background for new readers to jump in, and for old readers who have not read the previous books in a while to also be comfortable. Raisa, Delaney, and Isabel are sisters connected by Isabel's crimes--she murdered their parents and brother, and killed an unknown number of people after that. Isabel has fans and followers, but is found dead of "natural causes" in prison Raisa does not trust that this is true and notes left along the way start guiding her to Delaney, but there are many more suspects along the way. An intriguing and suspenseful novel--highly recommend for patrons looking for a moderate paced thriller.

this was a strong third entry in the Raisa Susanto series, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed from the previous two books. Brianna Labuskes has a strong writing style and was never bor3ed when reading this. The concept worked and had that character development that I was hoping for.

“By The Time You Read This” is my favorite Raisa Susanto book to date! Briana Labuskes masterfully delves deeper into the personal lives of the characters, adding rich layers of complexity to Raisa, Isabel, Delaney, and Killkenny. The character development in this installment feels more intimate and compelling, making it easy to connect with their journeys on a deeper level. The mystery is expertly crafted, keeping me on my toes with unexpected twists and turns. Just when I thought I had it figured out, the story took another surprising direction. I couldn’t put it down!

I really enjoyed this murder mystery, double POV with mixed media inclusions. It kept a good pace. I will say that although this was a sequel I’ve never read any of the others, but it’s written in a way where you have all the necessary information to move forward. I definitely recommend this.

Thanks to NetGalley for the copy of this ARC! This will be out in May of 2025!

Please note that this ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I started this book knowing nothing about it except what the synopsis shared (which sounded interesting to me). There were a lot of things that I liked about this book- I liked that we had to decide if the deaths were related and what the motive behind them was. I liked that it was a bit atypical - a linguist partnering up with a local cop. I liked the relationships that formed and the questions around if they were genuine or not. However, my favorite part of the book was the subtle exploration of how childhood/family/upbringing affects a person (or multiple sisters, in the case of this book).

The only downfall was that it felt a little confusing with timelines and changing POVs. 4/5 stars. Overall, very good!

4.0⭐️

I got an early copy for this book, and knew I needed to read the first 2 books in the series before reading this one. It was definitely worth it, because this series turned out to be a solid mystery series that also included thought out relationships and emotional impacts.

I did end up liking the other books in the series more than I liked this one, but this was still a satisfying conclusion to the series. I felt a bit disconnected from the mystery trying to be solved, but I really liked the way the chapters were set up as different parts of the timeline.

This was a great mystery series that included emotional aspects most mysteries tend to lack !

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the advanced e-copy.

I love this author for her page turner reads that always hook me from the beginning. I was excited for the 3rd book in this series. It picked up nicely from the second book that I had just finished. I will say the first 1/3 was slightly slow, but I enjoyed the backstory into Raisas past and sisters with their complicated relationship. I would look forward to another book in this series.

Such a thrilling read, I loved the twists and it kept me guessing until the very end. I will definitely look at other books from this author

What a real page turner!

This book completely captivated me and kept me on the edge of my seat. Despite this story is the third instalment in a book series, it can be easily read like a stand alone. And trust me, it’s very much worth it.

It was extremely interesting to follow the investigation from different points of view, and the fact that the investigator is a linguistic expert, gave the story a more personalised and interesting intake.

I can’t recommend this book enough if you want to read an intriguing story where you don’t expect the ending. I will definitely read other books by this author.

Thank you to NetGallery for this ARC!

The story masterfully weaves together past and present through dual timelines, creating a suspenseful and emotionally charged narrative that keeps you guessing.

The protagonist is complex and compelling, grappling with buried secrets and emotional scars that make her journey both heart-wrenching and relatable. Labuskes excels at creating tension, with twists that feel earned and impactful. Her writing is atmospheric and richly detailed, pulling you deeper into the characters’ lives and the mysteries they unravel. The secrets that came to light in this had me gasping!

While the pacing lags slightly in a few places, the clever plotting and strong character development more than make up for it. This is a book that lingers in your mind long after the final page.

I’m so very said to see this series come to an end!!! I love the idea of more Raisa and Kilkenny. One of my favorite things about this book and series since the beginning is the aspect of solving murders from the aspect of a psychologist and a forensic linguistics! Raisa and Kilkenny friendship and how they look out for each other is my 2nd favorite.

The writing was enjoyable as always. I love how Labuskes tells the story in what seems to be 2 timelines that we later find out how they mix together. While someone predictable that made it more interesting. In this book we see how Raisa and Delaney struggle with mortality and how different or the same they are as their serial killer sister Isabel. The aspects of true crime and the discussion of the pros and cons they have on solving crimes and society was head on. The excerpts from articles and journals made for good reading as well. Overall this was just as great as the other installments of the series. Easily one of my top murder mystery series! Thank you for the opportunity to read this early.

I just can't believe I've managed to read all three books by Brianna Labuskes. I saw the third one on Netgalley and got approved to ARC read so I had to read the previous ones first. I'm so glad I did, that I found this pearl among crime series.

Now, lets dive in this beauty of a book I've got a chance to ARC read. I applaud you, Brianna.. The story went full circle with this one. I'm not going to spoil, but one accident had me near tears..

We again follow Raisa Susanto whom since the last book became good friends with agent Callum Kilkenny. Raisa gets an unsigned letter in the mail in the middle of the night with the message.. ' By the time you read this, I'll be dead ' Just mere hours later Raisa gets the call that her incarcerated sister Isabel has been found dead in the morning. She's been told it had been of natural causes, but after that letter, Raisa does not believe that to be true.

After having Kilkenny's back last investigation, Kilkenny has hers with this one. How was her sister murdered? Learning there are more suspicious deaths near the prison with the same M.O. as some kills done by Isabelle. They're out looking for a protégé, but with everything unfolding and Delaney not answering her phone, Raisa has an inkling.. What if...? Has Delaney finally flipped?

Again, the story has been written to the T. The Characters have been well written, same with the surroundings and everything that's happening in between.

This whole series had me thinking about Holly Jackson's A good girls guide.. Why? Podcast scripts, blog scripts etc are a recurring thing in this series as well. I loved that aspect. I hope we get more books with Raisa and Kilkenny.

“By the Time You Read This” is the first book by Brianna Labuskes that I’ve read but it won’t be the last. While it is the third book in a series (I was too intrigued by the description to realize that), it works as a standalone because of the descriptive writing. I ordered the first two books in the series since this book was so good.
This book follows Raisa, an FBI agent who receives a letter from her inmate serial killer sister Isabel that reads “By the time you read this, I’ll be dead.” Isabel is shortly found dead in her cell and that kicks off a series of unexpected twists and turns as Raisa tries to find her sister’s killer. Just when I thought the author couldn’t add another twist, something unexpected would happen. While the timeline gets a bit confusing, everything ties together so well that it works.
Thanks NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this eARC.

By the time you read this, your heart will be twisted to a million pieces and your mind will think, "what did I just read".

To say this book was a great way to start 2025 is an understatement and all I did was scroll through the read now section on Netgalley. Never have I read Brianna Labuskes before but definitely plan to read more from her in the future.

By the Time You Read This is book 3 in a series, but it does not read that way. I went into this book not confused at all and plan to go back and read the other two in the series. However, if you prefer to start from the beginning, then I suggest to start with book 1.

To sum up the plot, we have one sister a serial killer, one sister a tech genius hunting the serial killer sister, and one sister a FBI agent. The serial killer sister is murdered, so the FBI agent sister goes to find her killer, but stumbles across so much more.

The writing of this book is well researched and fast paced. If you need to get out of a slump, this is the book for you. The sister dynamic was really well researched and fun to read. I also enjoyed the media cult aspect being brought into the mix. With all the elements, I could never put this book down hence why I stayed up way to late the night before reading it.

This book is set to come out May 27, 2025, wherever books are sold. Thank you to the author, her publisher, and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for my review.

This novel has all of the intrigue and suspense required to keep any reader on the edge of their seat! I love the clever use of timeline in this story and how Brianna Labuskes eased a reader in with background before hitting the gas.

Though it may start a little slow, the last half of the book is so intense that I could not put it down! I will definitely be recommending this book to my crime junkie students!

Thank you for the eARC!

Thank you for this gifted advance review copy Netgalley By The Time You Read This by Brianna Labuskes.


The story is about three sisters, one is a serial killer who got killed while she was behind the bars, another one is internet savvy, she loves exploring dark web, fond of her criminal baddy sister and the last one Raisa Susanto is working linguistic as law enforcement officials, she is the investigating officer for her sister's mysterious murder. This book is 3rd in Raisa Susanto series but one can read this as a standalone book.

The book has a good amount of twists and turns but after hundreds of pages it feels like it has endless twist which leads you to nowhere until the last chapter and even when you realise what the mystery is it feels dissatisfied read.

It was an all time pass but a very disappointing read. Author relied on the story only with the twist which was quite captivating when story goes back and forth. The main flaw is characters have not been grounded with basic background, they have no substantial amount of idiosyncrasy, they have flimsy characteristics which conveyed nothing.

Overall, the author spends good effort to keep readers engaged through the book only to discover it was a disappointing read.

This is the 3rd and final book in this series and for me, it was just ok. I've loved all the other books I've read by this author. The timeline in this book fluctuates depending on which character the chapter is about. I found the beginning to be very slow and the end really fast. It just was not my favorite. It's a great series and event though I didn't care for book 3, I would still recommend the series.

Thank you #netgalley and #thomasandmercer #apub for the eARC.

Well first let me say this was a great book. I didn't know it was book three when I got the ARC. So I had to back and read the first two! It was a Great Series. Looking forward to reading more from this Author.

Awesome book!! Great author! Will be looking for more!!!!!!!!!!! Excellent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brianna Labuskes has such a unique ability to write procedurals in a way that are equal parts melancholy and uplifting. Her writing is gorgeous, fast-paced, and enthralling. Her novels read like watching an amazing show or movie and I so frequently forget that I'm even reading!