Thank you, Kensington Publishing for providing the copy of Guess Again by Charlie Donlea. I always know a Donlea book will be a great read, so I was excited to read this. What did I just read? I have read hundreds of thrillers and this one had more shocking reveals than any of them. Whenever I started to think I knew what was happening I was wrong! If you’re confused, trust me it all comes together and makes sense in the end. I was on the edge of my seat, my mind reeling, and I couldn’t put the book down. I wish I could read this book again for the first time. You have never read a thriller like this, and it will keep you guessing again. 5 stars

Good lord, Charlie Donlea does it again. This book was action packed, twists and turns abound, and I could not put it down. A cold case with new leads has Ethan Hall (detective turned doctor) starts looking into the case of Callie Jones, a 17-year-old volleyball player who went missing. Lindsay Larkin, Callie's high school best friend is also looking into these as new leads emerge. This book was fast paced, and true to Charlie Donlea books, it is absolutely fantastic.

Guess again…a case is reopened into the disappearance of Callie Jones’s after she’s been missing for 10 years. Chapters go between a serial killer in prison, an abducted girl and an ex law enforcement officer (now a Doctor) on the case and the run up to what happened in 2015. It comes together at the end in a suspense filled way and it doesn’t end there. I’m hoping there will be a second one?! I would certainly be eager to read it. It was such a thrilling read. This is my second book my this author and I really look forward to reading more.

Every time I see that a new Charlie Donlea book is coming out I know I’m going to be in for a treat. You can always count on his books to be fast paced, suspenseful and chilling. His newest is definitely not to be missed. Once you read this one go back and read his past books, if you haven’t already, you will not be disappointed. When asked for a book rec, Donlea is at the top of the list.

Ethan Hall, DCI agent turned doctor is thrown back into the game when asked to help on a case about a missing girl from 10 years ago. Everyone in town soon learns that he is looking into what happened, including the man that has been is prison for 30 years for killing Ethan’s father. What follows is a twist filled investigation that doesn’t let up until the unforgettable ending. You may think you have the answers but, Guess Again.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

What a roller coaster. Just when I got to the end and thought everything was tied up, another twist. There were lots of characters to keep up with, but a solid storyline and a great read. My only complaint is that the ending felt very abrupt, and I hope that there will be a sequel to this book because the stage was definitely set.

This was my first book by this author but I will definitely be picking up more!

Thanks to NetGalley & Kensington Publishing for my advanced copy to review!

Wanted to love but felt a bit forced/contrived. I couldn't get into the characters or their development. Felt a bit soapy compared to this author's previous books.

Ten years after a teenage girl disappeared, Ethan (former detective turned ER doctor) is contacted by his old partner with a dying wish of sorts for Ethan to look at all the evidence again. Unfortunately the serial killer who murdered Ethan's father is also somehow involved. There was a lot going on here. There were parts of the ending that I did not love, but it was also not really obvious what would happen. It seemed to be left pretty wide open for a sequel too, and I would probably read it. 3.5 stars rounded to 4.

*A breathtaking new thriller from one of the best at the top of his game.*

Charlie Donlea's books have quickly become must reads for me over the past years, and with one notable exception ("Those Empty Eyes"), I have enjoyed them all. "Guess Again" finds the author at the top of his game delivering another breathtaking thriller.

Ethan Hall - a renegade special agent with Wisconsins' Division of Criminal Investigation with a one hundred percent solve rate who left law enforcement ten years ago to become an ER doctor instead - gets a visit from an ailing former colleague hoping for help with a cold case. In the summer of 2015, seventeen-year-old Callie Jones, popular volleyball star and daughter of an ambitious politician, vanished without a trace from her quiet Wisconsin lake community.

As has become his trademark, the author alternates between different timelines and POVs, expertly weaving together the case's backstory, Callie's last weeks before her disappearance in 2015, with a present-day plot entailing a seemingly unrelated prisoner who was convicted for killing Ethan's father. The complex setup involving many side characters comes together seamlessly in a gripping, fast-paced thriller.

Ethan Hall is an absolute standout as a compassionate, skilled, but flawed protagonist. The final chapter makes it clear we will be seeing more of him in the future, and I for one cannot wait.

Overall, this made for a highly enjoyable, engrossing, layered read that kept me on the edge of my seat. One of the best thrillers I have read in a while!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing | Kensington for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"Guess Again" is slated to be released on Jul 29, 2025.

Holy sh*t!!! Prepare yourselves for one of the greatest novels of our time. I'm not just saying this. This book is absolute GOLD.



A former detective turned ER physician is pulled back into his old life for a chance to provide insight into a cold case that has haunted his former partner and the truths he unearths will leave him shook to his core.


This book has everything you could want: a serial killer playing cat and mouse games behind bars with his former victim's son, secret romances, and white knuckle suspense that will have you tearing through the pages.

Thank you #NetGalley and #KensingtonPublishing for this chance to review #GuessAgain by Charlie Donlea coming to shelves near you July 29th!!!

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
Wow! WOW! What a book! Ethan is an ER doctor after burning out in his detective job. His dying friend from the force asks him to open the cold case of Callie, a 17 year old VB star. There is a deep mystery to her disappearance that. Is shocking. When visiting the jail of the man who murdered his father he receives information about the murder. How can this be? How could he know? What he is asking for the information is not good but Ethan needs to know. Will Ethan find the girl? A hair raising read to the finish!

I really enjoyed Charlie Donlea’s newest book! Guess Again fallows Ethan, a retired detective, and now ER doctor. His ailing, ex partner needs his help solving his biggest cold case. He hopes Ethan can help him solve his missing persons case and find the mayors long missing daughter. Ethan’s father was murdered by a serial killer and as he comes up for parole and Ethan visits him, the man gives info on his missing persons case and draws him into a tangled web.
This was written so well and I genuinely enjoyed the intertwining story lines. The ending was so good and I didn’t see his twist coming!

This one would get a bonus star from me.
Absolutely masterful.
Oozing suspense from page one! This plot was spot on for perfection. The characters were likeable and relateable and they made this story come to life.
Terrifying and twisty turny all the way through. I read this in one sitting. It was unbelievably amazing.
Unputdownable!
This needs to top your reading list!

Charlie Donlea has done it again! I loved the flashbacks, multiple povs and short chapters. Charlie is always an automatic read for me and he never disappoints. Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for this advanced reads copy in exchange for my honest review. 4.5 stars.

Wow! Another amazing ARC for me! This book was super twisty and fun to read.

You know I love a good book with flashes between the past and present. Plus, I felt like there was so much more than what the author was telling us. This book had a ton of moving parts which came together in a satisfying ending.

I thought this book was super well-written and engaging. I felt a lot for the main character and I loved the plot and how it progressed. It was super twisty and there were some surprises that even I didn’t expect 👀

I mean. If it says anything, I’m writing this review at 3am as I just finished this book so 😅

With an entertaining plot, good characters, and fun twists: this was a great thriller book!

I will read anything Charlie Donlea puts out! This was another amazing read from him. And in true Charlie fashion each chapter just keeps you guessing and wanting more!

This book had me hooked and I could not put it down. I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what happened to Callie and wanting to know what was going to happen next. There were twists and turns in this book I did not see coming. The ending was unexpected for me. This is a must read if you enjoy thrillers. The characters in the book are well written. Ethan is a great doctor and detective, definitely a jack of all trades and I love his relationship with Maddie. Francis sure gave me the creeps the whole book which one would expect from someone convicted of murder. Definitely recommend reading this this book!

shut all the way up. there were so many twists and turns in this, its not even funny. the ending was CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT. like is it meant to be such a cliffhanger, will there be more for Ethan and Maddie and this investigation. like I am so totally blown away and will be thinking about this one for a hot second.

Gripping, wonderfully written, well thought out, shocking, and hard to put down, Charlie Donlea delivered a thrilling and chilling read with Guess Again! I was instantly drawn into the plot from the very first page and had a hard time putting this riveting and addictive book down! I loved the mystery and did my very best super sleuthing to figure out whodunit. I made a few very good guesses, but Donlea left me shocked and with my jaw hanging open with one startling revelation. Whew!

Ethan Hall, a former detective, and current doctor is approached by his partner, to help solve the cold case of 17-year-old Callie Jones (the governor's daughter) who disappeared ten years ago. This is only the beginning as Ethan must also come back into the orbit of Francis, an imprisoned serial killer, who seems to have a lot of knowledge about a case he was not involved with. Hmm........

Whew! This book kept me on my toes and then some. There are a lot of characters, and they all have a role to play in this addictive, shocking, gripping, and hard to put down mystery thriller. This book had me guessing again and again who could be behind the disappearance of Callie and the fate of another woman who has gone missing.

This book had tension, dread, and atmosphere dripping from the pages. I could feel the unease of many of the characters paired with the deviousness and menage of other characters. Guess Again proved to be a twist filled ride that kept the action coming and my pulse pounding. I loved how the past and the present collided in one scene that was a total shocker and left me and one character reeling! Plus, the ending has me crossing my finger and hoping that there will be another book featuring Ethan.

Gripping, shocking, fast paced, tense and wonderfully written.

Charlie Donlea does it again!! I have not read a book by him that I did not like this book had some twist that I did not expect! This book is one of my favorites by this author. Follow along as Ethan enters back into the detective world to try and solve a 10 year unsolved case! You will not regret reading this book it will have you hooked!

This is my favorite thriller read yet this year! Absolutely could not put it down! It has the type of twists and turns that all great thriller books require. It keeps you guessing all the way through. A thoroughly enjoyable read highly recommend to all.

📚I was able to read an advanced copy of title thanks to NetGalley, Charlie Donlea and Kensington Publishing📚
📚All reviews and opinions are entirely my own📚