What happens when your family is found dead and it might be foul play? This one was good. Told in alternating points of view and timelines, it tells the tale of a family devastated by a wrongful conviction. After the oldest son is sent to jail for a crime he did not commit, the family is torn apart. The story reads in both now (when the family is found dead) and then (when they are trying to exonerate their son).
Fast paced, quick read. Highly recommended.

This book was well-written, had an interesting premise, and a strong central concept. However, it didn't pull me in; I think this was because of the way the multiple perspectives were written. I'm not sure if there was just one too many, or if the book didn't spend enough time in each POV before switching, but for whatever reason it just felt disjointed to me. I did also guess who was ultimately responsible for it all fairly early on, so that may have played a role in my level of engagement. Overall, good, but it just wasn't a home run for me personally.

“People think I’m obsessed, that I’m crazy. That I’m selfish and a fool. But what would you do if your son was convicted for a crime he didn’t commit? If he was locked up for the rest of his life and you knew in your bones he was innocent? If your family was broken?

You have two choices when you’re confronted with your every last fear:

Give up or fight like hell.”

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending me an ARC of Every Last Fear in exchange for an honest review.

The elevator pitch for this book is simple. Danny Pine is in prison for allegedly killing his girlfriend Charlotte during their senior year of high school. While millions of people now believe him to be innocent due to a fictional Netflix documentary series that is basically Making a Murderer, his brother Matt saw something that night that left him believing Danny was guilty. But then the other four members of the Pine family are found dead during a hastily planned vacation to Mexico. Now Matt is left to try to figure out whether what happened in Mexico was a tragic accident or foul play, and to try to finally figure out who killed Charlotte all those years ago.

The story alternates between different narrators, both in the past and the present, with occasional clips from the documentary. In the present, the story is told by Matt and the lead FBI Investigator, Sarah Keller, as they try to determine what happened in Mexico and why. In the past, the story is told by Matt’s parents and sister, as they continue following leads generated by the series to try to prove Danny’s innocence. Each of the narrators is nicely developed and has a distinctive voice; the ones who are obsessed with the series speak in the shorthand language of such people when addressing theories like the Unknown Partygoer.

This book works for several reasons. The writing is crisp and strong; it’s hard to believe it’s the author’s debut novel. The alternation of timelines and narrators does a nice job of slowly revealing little morsels about what happened, the characters’ various secrets, and the occasional red herring. When the book reaches its climax it does a very satisfying job of tying up all of the loose ends and revealing what happened to Charlotte and to the Pines. Finally, there’s an emotional core to this book that’s interesting and unusual. Not all of Danny’s family members believe he’s innocent, and even those who do have varying levels of fight in them. Add to that the public scrutiny that comes with a documentary series and you’re left with a family on the brink, unlikely to make good choices.

A well-plotted, well-written thriller that practically screams to be made into a movie or, if it’s not too on the nose, a Netflix series. Recommended.

Stop what you are doing right this minute. I'm serious, stop reading this. Grab a piece of paper, a notebook anything and a pen or pencil and write "Every Last Fear coming March 2,2021". If you already have a 2021 planner (fingers crossed they will be used) then note March 2nd as Every Last Fear's publication date. You are going to want to read this.

Matt Pine looks like your ordinary college kid, except for the fact that his older brother is serving a life sentence for killing his girlfriend. It's a well known publicized case and many people have rallied for Matt's brother Danny and believe he is innocent. Then, after your normal night of college partying, Matt finds out his parents and younger brother and sister passed away while on vacation.

Now he's forced back to a place, he has worked hard to forget. Its a lot for a kid his age and it really dives deep into his brother's past as well. This book is fantastic! It keep me on my toes and I couldn't put it down!

Thank you so much to #Netgally and Minotaur books for the ARC!

This book started great!! I couldn't put it down!! BUT....I'm not going to finish it. I just feel that Authors shouldn't mention politics in their books. I think given the times we are in, that mentioning political figures is not the best idea. I just felt the Author was trying to push something. Maybe in another time it'd be ok. Just not for me.

Imagine stumbling home from an all-night party, stopping in Washington Park to play chess and being pulled aside by an FBI agent who tells you your family was found dead in a resort town in Mexico. And the agent insists you go to Fishkill prison to tell your remaining brother that they've died. And the brother is in jail for presumably killing his high school girlfriend.
When Matt Pine stumbles home from an all-night party, after losing his jacket and phone, he has no idea that his world is about to explode - again. Because his brother has claimed all along to be innocent, and his younger sister and his father have pursued all leads, the Pine family had had their lives exposed to the world in a Netflix documentary. He did not participate, but he is in there anyway. Now he is all over the front page again, this time because his mom, dad, sister and younger brother were found dead at a vacation home in Mexico. Death by gas leak. But why is the FBI there to tell him?
The story is told from the POV of the family members who died, in the days leading up to their deaths. From the POV of the FBI agent who only knew of the Pines because of financial fraud she was investigating at the father's previous employer. And Matt Pine himself, before, during, and after the.current events.
There are several twists I did not see coming. The tensions in the town of the original death and how intertwined the murders were, Great book! Definitely recommend.

I just love when a debut wows me. I’m so impressed by this one, and can not wait to read more by @alexfinlayauthor

Every Last Fear is action packed. From the start of the book until the end this one had me hooked. I couldn’t wait to finish this and find out what happened.
I recommend this one to all thriller and suspense lovers!

Thank you @minotaur_books for this ARC. This one is available everywhere 03/02/21!

Fast paced and extremely entertaining. I really enjoyed this book and finished it in one sitting. Highly recommend this twisty thriller.

“You have two choices when you’re confronted with your every last fear: Give up or fight like hell.”

Every Last Fear is a psychological thriller about an entire family who dies while on vacation in Mexico. Were their deaths accidental or was foul play involved?

Two sons survive: One in prison for murder, the other in college. It takes a documentary, an intelligent FBI agent, and a college kid who’s about to break, to solve what really happened to the Pine family.

This is a fast-paced, page-turner with characters who made an impression. Told through many POVs, in fact, one too many POVs, all of the pieces slowly come together. The narrative is told through is a mixture of scenes from a true-crime documentary and flashbacks combined with the present. The characters were likable and developed, although Danny Pine’s story and character are never really told. Answers are given about what happened to Danny, but the reader never feels what happened to Danny. The plot focuses more on how his family deals with the situation than Danny himself. He gets one chapter that felt much like a throw-away.

I loved Matt and Sarah’s characters, and especially enjoyed Matt’s group of friends, i.e. “The Island of Misfit Toys.” I would like to see Matt and Sarah in another book!

Although there are a lot of red herrings, given the nature of the crime, I found the murderer to be fairly obvious. However, I wasn’t able to figure out their reasons why they did what they did until the end.

Overall, this was a satisfying read as all questions were answered, the characters were likable, and the Pine family was inspirational. Their love for their children and each other never waned, even in their final moments.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

From the start to the beginning this book is nonstop.

When Alex Finlay meant thriller he absolutely meant that you were going to be in for the roller coaster of your life concerning Every Last Fear.

I have to say that I throughly enjoyed the read and although the ending was more than a little melodramatic (says the most melodramatic person ever) I simply can’t stop thinking of it.

The characters are fleshed out and real which makes it even harder when you realize that this won’t end up nicely like you hope. There will be no Disney ending, this isn’t a neat present wrapped up in a bow. It’s cruel, calculating and it’s raw.

Every Last Fear has set a precedent for upcoming 2021 thriller novels.

Hopefully the rest can catch up.

Thanks very much to Netgalley and the publisher for this copy of my ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was such a good thriller and a fantastic debut novel. There were plenty of twists and turns and I was on the edge of my seat at times. I've read plenty of thrillers, and sometimes when reading, I'd feel that I've read the same story before. I never felt that way while reading this book, which was refreshing!

The Pine Family were your average family carrying on life as regular citizens until an event occurred that changed their lives forever. The oldest son, Danny Pine was a party when he got into a fight with his girlfriend, Charlotte, who winds up dead. Danny is arrested and confesses to the murder. Danny’s family doe not believe he committed the crime and they start doing whatever it takes to prove his innocence including being apart of a Netflix documentary on the story.
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While investigating the case the Pines find a clue which leads them to Mexico. After a few days in Mexico the family is found dead except for Danny and their other son, Matt. The FBI is brought in to investigate the deaths of the Pines and find out what happened. This leads to a series of unexpected twists and turns.
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This was a fantastic debut read by the author. The start of the story grabs you almost immediately and from there I couldn’t stop reading. The story is told from multiple POV’s including the various members of the Pine family along with the FBI Agent, Sarah Keller. The story also interchanges timelines from the past where the Pine family is alive to the present day. I truly enjoyed this one and I think all thriller and suspense fans should definitely pick this one up.

Every Last Fear, by Alex Finlay, is a well-written psychological suspense novel. The prologue starts with a bang, as Mexican police find the dead bodies of four American tourists in a vacation rental near Tulum, Mexico.
Then the action turns to New York City, where Matt is a film student at NYU. He is portrayed as a pretty mellow guy, and is devastated when federal agents come to his dorm and inform him that his father, mother, teenage sister and young brother have been found dead in Mexico. The feds think the cause may be an accidental gas leak but are waiting for more information.
Special Agent Sarah Keller, who is a confident but sensitive professional, takes Matt to Fishkill Correctional Facility so he can inform his older brother Danny of their parents’ and siblings’ deaths. Danny is serving a sentence for murdering his high school girlfriend, and has been in prison 7 years. At this point, the reader becomes aware that this is a broken family with complicated relationships and secrets.
The chapters are written either as present time or “before” the family’s deaths. I liked having those dual perspectives throughout the novel and think that it helps to really flesh out the nuances of the characters and enhances the believability of their thoughts and actions.
The action moves quickly and keeps the reader engaged in the complexity of the plot. I found the characters interesting and the story was compelling enough to keep me eagerly reading to the conclusion. I enjoy this author’s writing style, and I believe he is adept at crafting a taut thriller, but also is skilled at fleshing out well-rounded realistic characters. An added twist was the inclusion of excerpts of a “documentary” filmed about Danny’s crime. These interludes illuminated the difficulty faced in modern times by subjects and families of subjects of these fact-based real crime stories and podcasts, as this documentary opened old wounds, and revived strong and sometimes very negative feelings in the family and the townspeople.
This is an excellent book, and I look forward to reading future novels written by Mr. Finlay.
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read this ARC and offer an honest review.

This is such a fast-paced thriller -- the characters were dynamic, the story line captured my attention right away, and it kept me guessing until the end!

A true crime documentary made Matt's family famous, after his brother is convicted for murdering his girlfriend in high school. After the conviction, the family was driven out of their small hometown and are financially struggling (to put it lightly) years later. Matt's father, Evan, and sister, Maggie, have fought to prove his innocence for years, but to no avail; despite the documentary bringing national attention to the case, the Supreme Court denied a hearing.

While Matt's parents and two younger siblings are vacationing in Mexico, the FBI informs him they've died and further investigation reveals there may have been foul play. We follow Matt's trip to Mexico to sign for the remains, then back to his hometown for the funeral, and meet some very interesting characters along the way. We also follow Matt's family -- what causes them to travel to Mexico and their trip until their deaths.

The story is told from various points of view: Matt and FBI Agent Sarah Keller in present-day, as well as his parents Evan ad Olivia Pine, and younger sister Maggie before their deaths. In the beginning, I was most interested in the present day-viewpoints and wasn't looking forward to the before-points of view, but the additional viewpoints really added a lot of depth and character to the storyline.

The characters were well-developed, the descriptions of people and places were vivid, and it was a fast-paced page-turner, to find out what happened to Matt's family. This truly an excellent book that I will be recommending to everyone -- I am looking forward to future Alex Finlay novels!

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy of this book!

Well, that was a great book! Simple as that. I picked this one up and could not put it down. I devoured this book in a weekend, it was such a page turner.

The main character is Matt Pine - a student at NYU whose older brother is in prison for apparently murdering his teenage girlfriend. Matt's life is not easy, as a Netflix documentary following his brother's case put his whole family into the spotlight. Now imagine you are Matt, fresh off a night of partying, arriving home to an FBI agent at your door. She comes bearing news that the rest of your family, both parents along with a younger brother and sister, all mysteriously died on their recent trip to Mexico. It's being said that the cause of death was a gas leak in their hotel, but things just don't add up.

This book took me on a ride! It was mysterious, gritty, twisted, riveting and kept me turning the pages dying to find out what really happened to Matt's family. For fans of fast paced psychological thrillers, you must add this one to your list!

It was told through multiple points of view, also alternating between past and present which is a writing style that I really enjoy. The chapters were short too, which is also something I like in a book. This was an awesome thriller that was rooted in a families grief and loss, and how they learned to manage their heartbreak. An awesome read!

Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay is an action packed mystery that keeps you entertained. The story centers around the Pine family, whose oldest son is in prison for a murder he may not have committed. Evan and Olivia Pine are certain that Dan is innocent so they agree to be part of a documentary about the murder, making the family instantly famous. Matt Pine, Dan's  brother, runs off to college and tries to stay out of the family drama, until an FBI agent appears to inform him that his remaining family has been killed in Mexico. Was his family's death an accident? Matt and Agent Keller try to piece the information together to find out the truth.

This story is fast paced and keeps you wanting to read more. You begin to question everyone involved and wonder what is true. The characters are well developed and you start to feel sad for Matt as he struggles with his grief. The plot focuses on both the past and present crime, interweaving seamlessly.

I really liked this story because the mystery was not easy to figure out. The story kept me interested from start to finish and the ending was satisfying. I look forward to reading additional stories from Alex Finlay.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

This book did not disappoint. it pulls you in from the beginning with a typical college kid, Matt Pine hungover from a party the night before. He is missing his jacket, phone, wallet and is met at his dorm by an FBI agent. The Pine family is dead in Tulum, allegedly from a gas leak while they were on vacation. He must fly there to have their bodies released but this is no ordinary family. The oldest brother, Danny is in prison accused of murdering his girlfriend but his family believes in his innocence. A documentary to gain attention and help free his brother was produced and has put them into the spotlight, giving these deaths celebrity status. The story switches from present day Matt and Danny along with the agent Sarah and the Pine family before the tragedy that befell them. The mysteries keep piling up as the pages turn and it doesn’t look like an accident, but why kill an entire family and who is responsible. Will they stop there or is Matt in more danger than he realizes?
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review! Highly recommend! Can’t wait to see what the other comes out with next!

Holy cow, wow! This is one of those thrillers, which will leave you mind blown! Riveting, original, fast paced, and unputdownable! This book was so well written, character development absolutely perfect, and plot details so great I could not put it down! It had me on the edge of my seat, in suspense! Full of tension, thrills, chills, twists, and shocks! Highly, highly recommend! Why? Two worded: mind blowing!!! Clear your schedules and plan to be without sleep. As this one is one that will not allow you to put to the side, until you finish that last word! Then it’ll sit in your brain and spin, spin, spin!

Will make sure to buzz around and use low amazon reviewer number on release date!

This is a twisty psychological thriller that grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. It is extremely well written and an interesting and unique story line. The book shifts perspectives between past and present and I loved getting to see multiple sides of what happened. College student Matt Pine is about to have a very bad week. He learns his parents, sister, and younger brother have all died mysteriously on an impromptu trip to Mexico that they took. Matt’s only family now is his older brother Danny who was sentenced to prison for murdered his girlfriend years ago. Matt’s parents had always believed Danny was innocent but Matt has avoided participating so he could move on with his life. This book was very well done, and I hope to see more in the future by this author.

Very well done, this is probably the best page-turner I have read this year. Doesn't feel like a first book and from what I understand the author is a pseudonym but maybe it is their first stab at this genre and if so job well done. There are lots of points of view and some time shifting from the past to the present but it's not confusing at all and the short chapters keep the pages turning. The plot is a cross between the Netflix series Making of a Murderer and other scummy real-life recent news events. Young NYU student Matt is left alone to uncover if his brother really did commit a murder that put him away for life 7 years ago and if those events relate to the recent tragedy that has befallen his family. Along with agent Keller from the FBI and with plenty of twists along the way the truth eventually comes to light.