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!

This is the third book in the Raisa Susanto series. If you haven’t read the first two, stop now! While I will not write any spoilers about this book, there are things from the first two mentioned in the book description and by me.
Raisa’s oldest sister Isabel is a serial killer. Her other sister Delaney is well, more of an enigma. Yet, Raisa blames her for a lot that she feels she could have prevented. With Isabel in jail, Raisa is finally trying to settle down (she actually buys a house) and strengthen her relationship with her FBI partner, Kilkenny.
Unexpectedly, Isabel dies, but she is not done with pulling her siblings strings just yet. A lot and I mean a lot is revealed in this book. I was not at all sorry to say goodbye to Isabel, but there was another character that I really like that I was worried would not make it. I do not know if this is the last we will see of Raisa, but if it is, I can picture her having a much better future.

This book, as with much of this series, is about who you are and who you want to be. Is it nature, nurture, or maybe your literal psychopath of a sister who would love it if you were so much more like her?

Labuskes writes a very intimate story, even as it's enacted along a backdrop of much larger and more world shattering events. We know so much about the sisters now, we've been inside their heads, and even with Isabel gone, as her note promises, she's still trying to direct their lives.

Sometimes with Labuskes I can figure out whodunnit long before the end, and sometimes it's a page turn before her characters do. It doesn't matter, because it's about the journey. It's whodunnit and also why and how did everything I read before lead up to this moment, and I think Labuskes does that very well.

By the Time You Read This by Brianna Labuskes was a good read. Pick it up on publication day. Well worth your time!

Such a good read. Keeps you on your toes the whole time!! I could not put this book down!!! Can’t wait to read more by this author !!

I would give this book a 10/10 if I could!!!!! It is extremely rare that a book keeps me on my toes and I don't have the bad guy figured out by halfway. I was about 85% done with this book and thought oh yeah, I know what's going on. WRONG. It just kept going!!!! Saying anything about the plot is super hard because I don't want to give away any spoilers, but this is one of the very rare books that actually deserves the title gripping and thrilling. It had me on the edge of my seat until the very last page. I really REALLY REALLY want there to be another book in this series, I have a feeling there won't be. But I would love to find out if something happens between R and K.

Get ready, buckle up, and hold tight for this wild ride! I was so shocked by this ending! I still can’t stop thinking about it. Wonderfully written.