I loved this one! Such a fun, exciting, and smart thriller. I loved all of the horror movie references (even though I didn't necessarily get all of them). Lots of fun to read.

R.J. Jacobs, is quite literally "THE man"

I read Always the First to Die, not once but TWICE. Its not like I do not have an entire library jam packed with unread books.. but when you come across a book like this, you just cant help but to swoon over it.

I was the kid who obsessed with horror movies. While everyone else was watching The Lion King (which is actually pretty terrifying) I was watching Scream, Friday the 13th, Halloween and I Know What You Did Last Summer. So a book that circulates around a horror movie set, was exactly the book I never knew I needed but currently can not stop thinking about.

R.J Jacobs does it again.

I was a huge fan of Jacobs prior to Always the First to Die, having read both And Then You Were Gone and Somewhere In The Dark, previously, I knew that this would be an explosive read.

I was not wrong....

The way Jacobs is able to intricately weave a storyline as unique as this together is still mind boggling. The creativity and time that went into this one shined on every page. I was never bored or flipping ahead. I never wanted to take a break. All I wanted to do was gain the ability to flip the pages faster so I could find out what was going on!

This book was my most favored book in 2022 and after I have read it now for a second time, I know there will be a third in my future.

If I could recommend one book to any thriller/slasher fan, this would be it.

Five Stars, as always, Mr. Jacobs.

Teaser:

For Lexi, the Pinecrest Estate has become a place of horror. The dilapidated manor house in the Florida Keys, once the site of her teenage movie debut, is now haunted by memories. Memories of working on a legendary horror director's most famous film and of the terrible death that propelled them all to infamy. And ever since Lexi fled the Keys, she has vowed to never return.

Until, years later, her daughter escapes to the Pinecrest in search of answers. Right when a Category 4 hurricane hits the southern coast.

Now, Lexi is back on the ravaged island with only a few remaining behind, and soon enough, her life begins to resemble the plot of her most famous film. And this time, she's not sure who will make it out alive.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC.

I think this was an ok thriller. I liked the elements of horror movies woven throughout and the mother/daughter relationship worked well for me. It wasn't anything ground breaking to me, but still a good read.

This book had me wondering until they end. I really enjoyed it and it’s definitely a book I will keep thinking about. Can’t wait to read more by this author

This one definitely served Home Before Dark or The Book of Cold Cases in that horror-ish underlay written into the mystery thriller! Overall, I would say it was an exciting & engaging read and I can see why it seems to have good reviews so far. Horror aspects usually turn me off but I felt like it worked in this one so I can’t complain about that! Again though horror aspects usually mean the ending isn’t overly impressive and I think that was the case here too.

This book was honestly incredible. All the horror movie pull and drama of a natural disaster. I loved it and can't wait to see what this author comes up with next!

A great little thriller. I enjoyed the horror movie story line and the flow of the book. R.J Jacobs writes a good thriller and I will continue to read what is put out

I really enjoyed this book. It was fast paced, and kept me guessing. I genuinely had no idea what to expect next, so that was a nice change of pace compared to most in the thriller/suspense genre. The ending was good too, it felt wrapped up and with full closure.

🌬Book Review🎬
Always The First To Die
By: R.J. Jacobs
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/4 stars

This one grabbed me very quickly and only took a few days to finish! I think it was because of the mother/daughter relationship that was introduced in the very beginning.

When Lexi's daughter, Quinn, lies about going on a trip to Disney, and actually sneaks to Pinecrest, her grandfather's house, the problems just keep building up. Pinecrest is the location of a upcoming movie, the sequel to Breathless, that grandfather, Rick, is directing. But, a category four hurricane is about to ravage the Florida Keys and Quinn is right in the line of it.

Lexi rushes to get her, going to the place she swore she'd never return to. As a teenager, Lexi, was chosen to act in Rick's notorious slasher movie, Breathless. Many things happened during this time in her life that she doesn't have answers to but sometimes that's for the best. That place haunts her.

Will she get the answers to the past that she questioned and get out alive? Very suspenseful, lots of crazy stuff going on! You'd almost think she was back on the set of a horror movie. 😱

Published September 14, 2022

Thank you @netgalley and @bookmarked @sourcebookslandmark for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Just amazing like truly amazing. For any fans of Scream or slasher movies this is one you wont want to miss. Also reviewed and featured on. my Insta and Tiktok. Thank you Sourcebooks.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I really liked this book. As a horror/thriller/suspense fan, I was drawn in by the book description. It wasn't exactly what I expected, but that was a good thing. It was just different enough to draw you in, and the horror movie theme was fun. Good character development and enough mystery and twists to keep your interest. 4 Stars.

This was such a fun meta exploration of horror movies while being a horror story itself. I was so fascinated by the flashbacks and the way they intertwined with the pacing of the present. I had no clue what would happen in the end, and it was a great ending!

This book is described as “for fans of Riley Sager” but what it should have said was Riley Sager’s works retold in the authors words because thats basically all this book is. I know nowadays writing an original thriller/horror novel may be difficult as it has become such a popular genre and many ideas have already been put on pages, but this seemed too closer to Riley Sager for me to enjoy. It was not original by any means so it made it difficult to be entertained. I feel like the author has promise but really needs to take the time to think outside the box in the future.

⭐⭐⭐.5

𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙍𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙎𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙘 𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙖 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙚 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙢... 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙤𝙣 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙛𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙚.

As soon as I saw this book recommended to fans of Riley Sager I knew I had to pick it up immediately. Although it didn't hit the expectations I had, I still really enjoyed the overall story and there were some plot twists toward the end that were super clever.

I listened to the audiobook and the e-book at the same time, and I really enjoyed the narrator. I found the story to be easily understandable and felt entertained for the most part.

I loved the idea of this horror movie actress returning to the set of her most famous film after something happened in the present. I found there to be some suspense in the story and action throughout the book. As much as I enjoyed the shift between the past and present, I found myself more intrigued by the present and wanted to keep reading that timeline.

The little horror movie aspects were brilliant. I respect it when an author gives us little references. I also found the route the author took to be super understanding and more believable, especially with a hurricane involved.

Overall, this was a quick and enjoyable read - perfect for a spooky read. I enjoyed the way it was structured and the twists toward the end. It was intriguing and worth the read.

This book had all the makings for a great horror story, and it definitely delivered. The dual timeline was interesting and kept the story moving at a good pace.

Unfortunately, I have been locked out of my netgalley account for a few months and was not able to see which books I had on my list or even know to check if they downloaded properly, in order to properly read and review. I do apologize and am doing a 3 for neutral. Will update once I’m able to obtain a copy and read!

A very middle of the road read for me. If I read less, I think this one would have been a home run for me. However, nothing really makes this stand out in an overcrowded genre.

This book was not for me. The plot summary made it sound very interesting, but I found it to be so slow. It was not a slasher like I was expecting. It was well written, however.

Thank you Netgalley & SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for an eARC of Always the First To Die by R.J. Jacobs. I absolutely loved this book and it would be a great one to read during spooky season as it takes place at halloween-time!

What’s it about?
A former horror movie actress returns to the set of her most iconic film…and strangely, the circumstances begin to resemble the plot of the movie. Lexi refuses to return to the Florida Keys after her husband’s death, but when her daughter sneaks away to visit her grandfather, she’s forced to face her past when a category 4 hurricane changes course - Right for her daughter.

As a thriller and spooky season junkie, I really loved this book. Go into it blindly a bit and you won’t be disappointed (especially if you love a slasher movie!) Fast paced, engaging from the get-go, dual-timelines, twisty and atmospherically creepy. I’m looking forward to seeing what this author comes up with next!

This was a pretty fast, and enjoyable read, but I feel that it was a bit lacking. I honestly had real difficulty getting through the prologue. It was intended to intrigue and get the reader invested in what could possibly be happening, but I personally found it off putting. Once past that part however, it was much easier to get caught up in the story. The dueling timelines was a nice way to let readers see what happened before, compared to what was occurring in the same location now. More thriller than horror this was fun read, but not as pulse racing or intriguing as one would expect.