A horror-thriller about a woman returning to the scene of a cult horror movie — and real danger. Creepy, clever, and fast-paced.

This novel has a good premise - a mother returns to the place of her acting debut in the teen horror/slasher movie to support her daughter wanting to know more about her father. And the suspicious activities start to happen very soon...
But the story loses its steam and the suspense wanes soon, too. I lost my interest and while I have read the whole book, I would not recommend it.

An excellent book for those who love horror movies and the books that feed the stories to them. Lexi was young when she was part of the cast of a blockbuster horror film that included some off set horror too. She's one step removed from that world when she finds herself pulled back to rescue her daughter.....but rescue her from what? RJ Jacobs unwinds Lexi's story through her trip down memory lane while driving to the scene of the drama. She will fight her way through a hurricane and more to make sure she stops the story before it repeats itself.

I tried this, and I couldn't get into it Since it's well past publication date, I'm putting it back on the metaphorical shelf.

I really enjoyed the creepy setting and the premise of the book but I found myself falling asleep reading several times. It’s a pretty fast paced thriller and I didn’t dislike the book but I also felt like it was generic in terms of suspense and plot.

I recently had the pleasure of diving into Always the First to Die, a gripping thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The characters were well-developed, each with their own secrets and motivations, adding depth to the plot. What I particularly enjoyed about this book was the twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a thrilling ride filled with suspense, mystery, and unexpected surprises. It's a must-read for fans of the genre!

Fun fast paced thriller, enjoyable read that quick to get through. Nothing remarkable or new but had an interesting plot. Okay ending.

I really enjoyed this thriller centered around films and set during a hurricane. the characters, plot, and setting made it an easy thriller to fly through. 4/5 stars, I will be checking out more from this author in the future. Thank you, publisher, for the early copy!

Always the First to Die by R.J. Jacobs was really good! Although I’m not a fan of horror films, my family is so I was aware of the references. I am however, a giant fan of this authors writing. I really enjoyed this. I love the creepy set up with the hurricane in the movie set! . I will be reading a lot more of Jacob’s work.

I love the lore behind cursed movie sets, and thought that this book would be perfect for that. I thought that the writing was incredible, and I could not put this down.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Always the First to Die by R.J. Jacobs.

This is a story with a strong start. A horror film star returning to a creepy mansion where she filmed her debut, a place she never wanted to return to. But now her daughter wants to explore the place where her mother once roamed.

Great premise, but dang if this didn't just ramble, a lot. I couldn't get into it, and I found myself lost. Eventually I stopped listening with an hour left.

2 stars...

This book was honestly a flop. I was excited because I would (kinda) consider myself a Riley Sager fan so of course I'm going to be intrigued when he's mentioned in a blurb. However, there truly wasn't much here. The majority of the book is just suspense. But not suspense in a way that excites me, but suspense in a "okay let's get to the point" way. The worst part was that there was absolutely no payoff when the "villain" was actually revealed. Quite unfotunate.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Always the First to Die is a unique thriller set in the Florida Keys that follows a mother, daughter and father in law as they mend relationships and end up in a horror movie of their own. I enjoyed all aspects of this novel, I wish the ending was a bit different but it was an enjoyable novel that I would recommend to anyone!

Well this was fun! I’ve never read anything by this author before but I can see why people like him. It was well written and moved at a good pace.

I was kind of bored for most of the story. I liked the plot and the idea of it, but it lacked something. I'm all for a great twist, but when that twist is from out in left field, it kind of lacks the punch.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for my ARC of this fast paced thriller. This book had a great dual timeline going from present day to years before where the female protagonist is filming a horror film. I found it very interesting to learn about filming and was entertained throughout. It was an easy read and enjoyable, but lacked some depth. There were also a few inconsistencies that bothered me throughout. But overall it was a great thriller with a great twist, that ended up being a different twist than we thought!

This book had an interesting concept but just felt a bit long and repetitive. I liked how it was almost as if they were playing out the movie, but the locked door concept felt a bit boring at times and it wasn't overly thrilling. Some things just felt overly dramatic and not realistic which kind of lost me.

The ending was definitely fitting for a book based around slasher films. Nothing really stuck out for me, it was entertaining.

If you love Riley Sager, you will love this author, a face paced page turner that keeps you guessing. Really enjoyed the advanced copy, and would recommmend.

Okay LOVE!!!! Totally recommend this one. It was an easy read that really captivated me from the very beginning!!!!!