This twists and turns in this one certainly kept me guessing!

Coming off of reading "What Have We Done" last year, I went into "If Something Happens To Me" a little wary. I didn't LOVE "What Have We Done" but I did really like "The Night Shift" - so I was hopeful! I wasn't disappointed!

One romantic rainy evening, high school student Ryan and his girlfriend Ali find a secluded spot to...well...be teenagers. When their romantic evening is interrupted by a blow to the head and the screams of his girlfriend as she's ripped away from him, Ryan is left confused, bleeding, and devastated.

Years later, Ryan is on a trip to Italy with his fellow law students, but Ali is never far from his mind. When he encounters the man who has haunted his dreams since that night long ago, he jumps into action.

At first I was very thrown off by the back and forth of the POVs, but after I settled into it I found it easier to follow. The connections between the POVs surprised me - which is saying something as I can usually sniff out a twist coming from a mile away! Overall, an entertaining and quick read.

This book had an interesting premise and I felt like it was well written. Alex Finlay is definitely a fresh and unique voice in the genre. I recommend this if you’re in the mood for a tense thriller.

I try to be very strict with my thoughts after finishing a book - as in, being as objective as I can -, but there are times I break my rule, usually for the same reason: if the story is so addictive I have to force myself to put it down, very few things will make me dislike it.

It could be the narration - fast-paced and captivating, tactful in making you empathize with all the characters, never missing a beat regarding the fateful ending.
It could be the story itself: three different storylines all equally interesting and eventful in their part of the world.
Or it could be the eager instinct of wanting to know more, chapter after chapter, wanting to know everything in a story where we find out how these characters are connected and why only at the end. And then the utter shock of screaming: “OH. MY. GOD.”

It's still unclear to me if Alex Finlay will be my new exception or if this one particular book was just better than what I've read in the past month, but I'm sure this won't be the last time I'll bump into this author.
Actually, I'm buying his other books as I'm finishing writing this.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

If Something Happens To Me
Alex Finlay
4⭐️

Pub Date: 5/28/2024

Such an interesting premise right off the bat! This book is just so bingeable. There basically were 4 storylines, 4 locations, plot stemmed from one incident and all converge into answering one question. There were so many factors that made it all the more so twisty. There's really nobody I trusted in this book except for Ryan and the new investigator. And the actual dirty rat surprised me. I didn't expect that one coming.

I do suggest reading this in one-ish go. The myriad of characters and events were a lot and can be confusing. But it all did make sense. Mayne make a small note for tracing what's happening at what event. I enjoyed this one however I felt like the ending was a little rushed. The build up was so good and so chaotic that I expected a but more for the ending. It definitely was a good thriller that kept me on my toes.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin Press for a gifted e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Once again Alex Finlay writes a propulsive read that keeps you fully engaged trying to assemble the pieces of the puzzle together. There are three primary narrators: Ryan, once accused of his girlfriend’s murder, and he is now on a law school trip in Italy. Poppy, a young war vet who returns home to Leavenworth, Kansas, to work as the deputy sheriff, and Shane, the head of a major crime syndicate in Philadelphia. A few additional POVs are mixed in. Poppy McGee, the freshly discharged deputy sheriff, becomes entangled in the discovery of a submerged vehicle in Suncatcher Lake. Linked to Alison Lane's presumed kidnapping, the vehicle holds two deceased men, and a cryptic note with the unsettling title "If Something Happens to Me" leaves readers speculating on Alison's fate. Shane O’Leary, leader of Philadelphia’s mob families, introduces another layer of intrigue as his son Anthony navigates challenges in a new academy, unaware of the profound impact it will have on their lives. Okay, I can totally see why this book has such high ratings. Fast paced, short chapters, and likeable characters you can root for will leave many thriller readers *thrilled* with Alex Finlay's latest. I liked it well enough but it was never a love match for me. There is just something missing to make it believable and really engage the reader. My many thanks to the author, Netgalley and the publisher.

I was really enjoying this book from the beginning but as the end came around I just felt like it lost its spark for me. A quick read that kept me intrigued from the beginning until it just started to lose its interest.

This was my first time reading Alex Finlay but I'd have absolutely no problem picking up another of his books in the future. I like a good thriller and this one definitely had some great thriller elements in my opinion. Perhaps I SHOULD have seen the first twist coming, but I was just letting the story flow over me rather than psychoanalyze every aspect. If I had, I probably would have figured part one out before. There were plenty of little twists and surprises that I quite enjoyed and toward the end, found myself wondering how the author was going to get the main characters out of it. I pegged a few "bad" guys early on but even then, second guessed myself at one point. Poppy, while she did a good job putting things together, still had some serious lapses in judgement but in the end, I found this to be a pretty satisfying story.

If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay is a gripping thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Ryan Richardson’s past resurfaces when his missing girlfriend’s car is found, setting off a chain of events that take him across Europe in a desperate search for the truth. With pulse-pounding twists and a cast of compelling characters, Finlay delivers a masterful tale of suspense that cements his place as a top thriller writer.

Thank you for the ARC of this book!

Finally!! My faith in the books I’ve picked recently have been restored!! I’ve read a lot of books that were subpar lately. Not no more. Allison is kidnapped out of her boyfriend’s car as a teenager, never to be seen again. Her boyfriend Ryan is a suspect, long after he is no longer supposed to be. When a new deputy sheriff comes to town and a vehicle comes out of the lake, all the old questions regarding the case come flooding back. Did Ryan do it, is it a conspiracy, is Allison still alive?

There were so many plot twists in this novel, at one point I thought I had missed something crucial. I really enjoyed each characters story and was invested in finding out what would happen next. I was very happy with this read!

Good storyline, lots of little twists and surprises at the end of each chapter, which makes it interesting and exciting. I like how this author writes. I like how we had five different locations (Kansas, Philly, Italy, France and the UK) going on and still the story connected. I like how we were able to find out the truth before the end but it still had more exciting things to happen. I do think the last chapters after the epilogue were unnecessary and really ruined Poppy‘s character to me. Other than that it would be one of my favorites. I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

Ryan Richardson keeps reliving the same night, for five years. The car door opening, he's smashed in the head and the piercing scream of his girlfriend as she's taken. There's no trace of his girlfriend or the car. Until one day years later his Father calls with the news that the car has been located. Interesting premise?
Well sit down, strap yourself in and hold on tight! This book was twisting and turning at 90 mph!! Captivating characters and suspense filled all the way through to the very last word!

Thank you to the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book! I loved this book! It was a great summer beach read! While I had been trying to get my books read and reviewed on time more this spring, I’m now kinda glad that this one got pushed back until my beach vacation. It definitely kept me guessing and I loved the twist at the end of part one! I will definitely be recommending this one!

Alex Finlay has done it again with another heart=pounding, edge of your seat thriller. I could not put down If Something Happens to Me and read it in nearly one sitting. The twists and turns this book takes are incredible and I loved the ending. I don't want to spoil anything (it's an easy book to spoil), but this is certainly a book to add to your TBR list.

Thank you Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
4.5/5 stars

Another suspenseful and edge of your seat novel by Alex Findlay.

The story surrounds Ryan Richardson and his life after he is involved in a car accident where his girlfriend, Ali, seemingly vanished. There is a cloud of suspicion and guilt that surrounds Ryan as he changes his name and tries to move on.

Ryan has moved away and built a new life for himself with his law school friends overseas when he gets a call from his father telling him the car has been found which triggers a series of events which drags Ryan back into the mysterious disappearance of Ali.

I really enjoyed how this story unfolded and the clever narration by both Ryan and Poppy, the freshly discharged deputy chief. There were many twists and turns that I did not foresee and it was a real page turner.

The plot was refreshing and new and I would recommend this to anyone who likes a thriller with a mix of mob family storyline.

Thank you Netgalley for this advanced copy for my honest review.

This thriller is truly a great read! Excellent writing and characters. Full of twists and turns that will keep you reading late into the night. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book!

This is my third Alex Finlay book and I think it’s my favorite! I loved the short chapters and multiple POV. Very action packed like Findlay’s other books. The only think I didn’t like was how many times we had to talk about pinky fingers 😂

I'll be recommending this book to all my friends who love thrillers! It kept me on the edge of my seat. In the beginning, it's unclear how all of the different perspectives relate to each other, but the characters are compelling enough that you want to keep reading. I couldn't put it down!

Another author that has firmly made their way onto my auto read/buy list.

Finlay has hit this latest book out of the park! With multiple characters and multiple points of view I thought it might be tricky to keep up with … quite the opposite was the case. Fast paced with short, sharp chapters kept me on my toes. A gripping and compelling storyline with some tough topics and an ending I did not see coming had me flying through If Something Happens To Me.

Many thanks to St Martins Press and Minotaur books for an advanced ebook - was wholly entertaining and highly recommended.

4.5 stars rated up.

There is something about Alex Finlay’s books that when the moment I turn the first page, something giddy inside me flourishes because I know that the story within the pages will be exciting, amazing, hard to put down - and yes this book got me really good! I enjoyed it so much - thrilling and a very good story line and plotting. Cant wait for the next one.

This was a very written book and I read it very quickly. Ryan and Ali are a couple and the last thing Ryan remembers is Ali being pulled from a car and no one has seen her since. The story goes through several perspectives and the reader is left wondering how they connect and what happened to Ali?