Guess Again is a perfectly titled book in which Ethan Hall, retired detective turned doctor (and pilot), is asked to look into a 10-year-old missing persons case. Things start to unfold and he finds himself getting most of his information from the man who killed his father and attempted to kill his girlfriend. If it sounds wild, it’s because it is.

I find that thrillers aren’t so much for me these days and I think it’s because I trust no one and suspect everyone. So for me to enjoy a thriller, the motive has to be interesting and I have to love the outcome. This one was pretty good for me. Not my favorite but the way other things unfolded kept me engaged. I was shook until the last page. I also enjoyed the cast of characters in this even down to the murderous crazy ones. They were fleshed out well which is typical for Charlie Donlea and the reason I will continue to pick up his books even though my thriller era has ended.

Overall, this is a fun, fast-paced thriller that I think anyone who enjoys thrillers would love. I would even recommend ANY Charlie Donlea novel. The best one, in my opinion, is Twenty Years later.

Thanks so much to Net Galley and Kensington Publishing for providing me with an advanced copy of this book! :)

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

Charlie Donlea is one of my favorite authors, and this book is immensely fast-paced and readable. Former investigator-turned-doctor Ethan is basically dragged back into an investigation that has ties to his family. I didn't love the main villain and there were just a few too many red herrings that sometimes were difficult to keep straight. The book had a way out-of-left-field ending twist that definitely surprised me and that I wished had a bit more time to understand how it all came together. I'd give this 3.5 stars.

One of the best thrillers I’ve read in a while! Guess Again is packed with twists that will keep you guessing until the last page. The characters are complex and I was invested in the storyline from the beginning. Donlea’s writing is sharp, suspenseful, and perfectly paced. If you liked Look Closer you will love this. Highly recommend!

4.5 stars. A retired special agent turned ER doctor is asked to look into a cold case of a missing girl. There are a lot of moving parts with intertwined story lines that tie together nicely as the story progresses. This book will keep you on your toes with twists you won’t see coming.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for this arc!!
This was a great mystery thriller read and would recommend it to everyone who’s looking for an engaging, entertaining and fast paced book.
It’s really suspenseful which made me want to keep going until the mystery was resolved.
Definitely will be reading more from Charlie Donlea.

This was and ARC that I was super excited to read after just discovering Charlie Donalea through Twenty Years Later. He may just be my new favorite author. This story kept delivering. I'm telling everyone they need to read it and text me throughout. Really no higher praise than that.

This thriller/mystery was addictive, packed with twists and turns! The writing was engaging and easy to follow, with well-developed characters that felt real. The story had a perfect pace, keeping me on the edge of my seat throughout. I really appreciated how everything came together in the end.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Charlie Donlea and Kensington publishing for the ARC and opportunity to review this book.

This wasn’t my first by this author and it absolutely won’t be the last. This wasn’t an addictive read that once you start you won’t want to put down.

I loved following Ethan as he took charge of the investigation and all the twists that came from it. I would have finished the book sooner but sadly had to be an adult and go to work.

The character development was so well done, the twists you don’t see coming and the ending completely threw me!

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Charlie Donlea has done it again! The only reason I didn’t finish this book sooner was because adult responsibilities got in the way of my reading time.

Dr. Ethan Hall who was formerly a Wisconsin DCI agent is tasked with looking into a 10 year old cold case. Unfortunately for Ethan, the cold case intertwines with the death of his father, and more specifically with his father’s killer, Francis Bernard, who is in prison with minimal contact with the outside world. Francis, despite not having much contact with other people, knows quite a lot about the cold case even though he was in prison when it occurred. He keeps dangling information regarding the cold case in front of Ethan which keeps Ethan coming back for more.

Most of Donlea’s stories are told from the perspective of 2 timelines, past and present, which come together in the present day. We didn’t have that as much in this book. There were a few flashbacks regarding the cold case, but the majority was from the perspective of Ethan and a mystery woman who is helping Francis.

This book was hard to put down! I would recommend this 5 star book to everyone I know!

Ethan hall is a former detective turned ER doctor. He is asked by his former partner and the governor to take a second look at the case of a missing girl, who happens to be the governor’s daughter. The case takes a turn when the man that killed Ethan’s father is somehow linked to the disappearance of the girl, Callie, despot being in prison during that time.
A very simplistic description of a very involved and twisty story. One of the best endings I have read in ages. Now the question…is there going to be a second book? Or do we imagine Ethan going on to bring a final closure?

Guess Again by Charlie Donlea is a wild, twisty ride from start to finish! With a large cast of characters and plenty of misdirection, it delivers all the suspense and intrigue you’d expect from Donlea. While it’s not a traditional, true-to-life police procedural, it’s a well-crafted, highly entertaining read that’s packed with tension and surprises.

Main character Ethan Hall used to be a top detective in Wisconsin, specializing in child crimes with a flawless 100% solve rate. After years of dealing with darkness, he walked away from law enforcement to become an ER doctor, helping people heal instead of chasing criminals. Just when he thought that part of his life was behind him, his old partner, Pete, shows up with a request he can’t ignore. Pete has been diagnosed with ALS and is desperate to solve one last case before it’s too late - the decade-old disappearance of Callie Jones, the newly elected governor’s daughter. As Ethan reluctantly steps back into investigator mode, he realizes that Francis Bernard’s cryptic claims might actually hold the key to solving both mysteries. The deeper he digs, the more tangled the connections become, leading to a web of secrets, lies, and unexpected twists that had me second-guessing everything.

Donlea crafts a fantastic cast of dynamic, likable characters that feel real and engaging. Each one brings something unique to the story, whether it’s their wit, determination, or personal struggles. He has a knack for making even secondary characters stand out, adding depth to the narrative. Donlea's writing style is clean and straightforward, making it effortless to get lost in the story. The short, punchy chapters keep the pacing tight and the tension high, and I was easily able to finish the novel in a couple of days.

Guess Again is a twisty, riveting, heart-pounding thriller and a big win on all counts! The ending is fantastic and nicely sets up the next installment.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Books, and Charlie Donlea for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Charlie Donlea knocked this one out of the park! I'm an enormous fan of this author. His stories are always well-written, captivating from the start, face-paced, action-packed, and filled with such intensity that it feels like your brain is doing cardio. He never disappoints. This book was all of the above and more! A decade-old cold case is reopened that sets off a sequence of events that leads to hidden secrets with deadly intentions. Lots of twist and turns and jaw dropping moments. A great cast of well-developed characters. I love how the author wove this story together with the back and forth between present day and the year of Callie's disappearance. The short chapters aided in the suspense, making me speed read to find out more. And based on the cliffhanger ending, it appears there may be a sequel in the works. I cannot wait! My only grievance is that I started this book too late in the day and was unable to finish it before my eyes failed and gave in to sleep. I would definitely recommend giving yourself enough time to binge read this masterpiece in a day because you will not want to put it down. I loved everything about this book, and I will be impatiently waiting for Donlea's next adventure. This is a MUST read! I highly recommend it and all of his other books as well!

Huge thanks to Kensington Publishing for granting me early digital access via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

read if you like:
🥶 cold case disappearances
🔀 twists and turns
🏡 small town vibes

summary:
Charlie Donlea has always been an automatic read author for me, and this book is without a doubt my favorite of 2025 so far! This story follows the disappearance of Callie Jones, the current Governor’s daughter from back in 2015, which was never solved. Ethan Hall, a former detective turned ER doctor, hears from his former mentor, Pete Kramer, who asks for his help — to find justice for Callie and her family before he dies of ALS. Ethan reluctantly agrees, and finds himself buried in old evidence and interviews. He realizes though that he’s going to need to take some creative approaches to find the guilty party, starting with Francis Bernard, the imprisoned man who killed Ethan’s father. In a race against time, Ethan battles psychological mind games to find justice — even if it comes at a cost.

I just can’t say enough good things about this book. While I don’t really feel like we get to know Ethan well as a person, the other characters are deeply developed, and fascinating in their own ways. All of them are flawed, unreliable and driven by their own motives, which adds to the twists and turns throughout the entire book. As Ethan follows Francis’s leads, you can’t help but think you’re waiting for a disaster to happen, and every time, you’re surprised by what more you learn.

Many of Donlea’s books start a little slower, but this one comes out with a bang. It will take no time at all to get hooked, and I promise you won’t be able to put it down. I can’t believe how good it is and how well the ending is constructed. It also leaves a door open for a potential sequel (** I’m talking to you!) and I would gladly wait in line for the next one to come out.

A huge thank you to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy, and make sure you preorder this before it comes out on July 29!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! I have loved the Charlie Donlea books I've read so far, especially Twenty Years Later, so I was really excited to get to read this one early. It was a great book with a lot of suspense and great twists. I enjoyed this book a lot! Another success from Charlie Donlea, and I look forward to reading more of his previous books I haven't gotten to yet.

*Guess Again* by Charlie Donlea is an intense thriller that keeps you hooked from the very first page. The story follows Ethan Hall, a former detective turned ER doctor, who is dragged back into a cold case involving a missing woman, Callie Jones. As he digs deeper, he turns to a convicted inmate who might hold the key to solving the case, leading to a web of suspense and shocking twists.

The pacing is spot on, and the plot is easy to follow, with great character development for both Ethan and the supporting cast. The twists really keep you on edge, and the setting creates a perfect sense of tension throughout. The chapters are well-structured, and everything wraps up neatly in the end.

Overall, *Guess Again* is a fantastic read. It nails all the right elements—twists, pacing, character development—and ties everything together perfectly, making it a 4/5 book in my eyes.

Note to self: NEVER start a Charlie Donlea book if you don't have time to devour it in one sitting. I had experienced that phenomenon with a few of his earlier novels too, but this one in particular- wow. What a ride. Twists and turns, and I had no idea about a whole bunch of them. Charlie Donlea is now my top favorite thriller authors. No notes on this one (other than there is definitely a trigger warning violence).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this novel. The worst part? He set up a sequel very nicely, but given that this one isn't even out in the world yet (July 29, 2025), HOW AM I GOING TO WAIT UNTIL THE SEQUEL ACTUALLY REACHES THE WORLD? Gimme now, please.

I love Charlie Donlea and will read anything he writes. I was thrilled to receive this ARC! The story captured my attention from the first page, and I really liked Ethan’s character. The ending was a little over the top, but I definitely enjoyed it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Guess Again by Charlie Donlea.

The reopening of the cold case of missing teenager Callie Jones by former detective Ethan Hall sets in motion a series of events that will uncover many secrets that have been hidden for a decade.
The narrative alternates parts of narration in the past that give us clues and yet, we have unexpected twists that take us in different directions.
As always Charlie Donlea manages to create an intricate plot that keeps you on tenterhooks and your mind spinning trying to figure out what is going on.
Definitely a thoroughly satisfying read.

4.5-4.75 stars.

Our main character is a retired detective who is now an ER doctor. He's approached by the Governor to look into the decade long cold case disappearance of his daughter. Elements from the past intertwine with the present. While some of the tropes here felt familiar, this was well done and had some twists that surprised me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Publishes July 29, 2025.

I have a new favorite Charlie Donlea book!!! This guy just keeps topping himself! Ten years ago, 17 yr old Callie Jones disappears. Ethan Hall is a former DCI agent who is now an ER doctor. WHAT? Just go with it. He is contacted by his old partner, Pete who worked the unsolved Callie Jones case. Pete is dying and wants it solved and wants Ethan to help. Ethan agrees and, along with his girlfriend/detective Maddie, finds a lot more than he bargained for. SO many twists and turns. It seemed like a pretty cut and dried case, as far as what happened to Callie, but in true Charlie Donlea fashion, nothing is as it seems! And that last quarter!! WHOA!!! Non-stop action!! My heart was absolutely racing!! I have been a fan since Summit Lake first came out and this guy just gets better and better! I hope he never stops writing!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Charlie Donlea and Kensington Publishing for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will post my review to Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other retail and social media sites upon publication day of July 29, 2025.