3.5⭐️

Allison Lane’s car has been found in the local lake, but her body’s not the one found inside. A note is recovered from her makeup bag years after her disappearance saying “If something happens to me”, but the contents are written in code and indecipherable by the sheriff’s deputy. Allison’s former boyfriend was labeled her killer when he described her abductor’s only identifiable feature was that he was missing both pinkies, and was the only witness to her disappearance. Five years later, the truth of that night finally comes to light.

This book was surprising and enjoyable. The twist completely caught me off guard and I loved the way the story was written. Overall a pretty good read!

This was my first book written by Alex FInlay, and it will not be my last.

Alli was abducted out of nowhere while with her high school boyfriend, Ryan. Ryan remembers only that the man was missing his pinky fingers, and not being believed, he becomes the suspect. Fast forward 5 years, Ryan has changed his last name and is in law school. Poppy, who has been discharged from the military, returns home to be the deputy sherriff. The case gets interesting when Alli's car is found with two men inside. Poppy is on the case and is determined to find out what really happened. Meanwhile, Ryan is in Italy and thinks he has seen the man that took Alli.

There are some things that I found unbelieveable, for instance the timing of the characters. Only 5 years had passed, but they were all very far along in law school and their lives. Regardless, the plot is very engaging and keeps you turning the pages.

I love how the story is told from different points of view and they all tie in together in the end.

If Something Happens to Me is the latest thriller from Alex Finlay, and once again he has knocked it out of the park. I’ve become such a fan of his work. I was lucky enough to not only read an arc of this book but I also had the chance to listen to an advanced copy of the audio version. And I can easily say that whether you choose to read or listen to this one, I have little doubt you’ll enjoy this one. I’d love to know how Alex plots his books. This is a complex tale and Finlay weaves it together like a master. The intro will grab you, but then when the book truly starts off you’ll feel as if you are reading three different stories, all interesting and yet they will in no way feel interconnected. But when they all come together…wow. A young man haunted by memories of the horrible night when his entire world got turned upside down, leaving his girlfriend missing and him accused of murder. A car pulled from a lake with two bodies inside, but not the bodies everyone expected. This is a tight, twisting, and fully engaging thriller. Like all of his work, If Something Happens to Me seems perfect for film/tv translation. Someone needs to make that happen ASAP. I’d like to thank St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of If Something Happens to Me.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R3DAEHD06MS60Z/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

After REALLY loving Night Shift, I was so excited to pick up the latest thriller from Alex Finlay. Unfortunately, this one wasn't a win for me.

This was a propulsive story and I did read it quickly, but I found it completely predictable -which is always a bummer for me. Not just predictable, but I feel like Finlay basically told everyone the twist. I went back and read that section again to be sure I didn't just figure it out on my own. Nope, he basically spoiled his own twist - with a paragraph that could have been totally left out of the book all together. :(

In similar fashion, he overexplained many parts of the book and also had too much commentaty on the women in the story, on their makeup, going to yoga, etc. I didn't appreciate those parts, which is unforunate, because I think the bones could have made for a great thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur for the ARC.

Ryan is on a lover’s lane date with his girlfriend, Ali, when he is ripped from the car. The assailant takes off with both Ali and the car. The only detail Ryan can remember about the man is he has both pinkies missing. The police suspect Ryan’s story but don’t have enough evidence to arrest him. Five years later, the car is found in a nearby lake. Two men are dead within it. Ali is not found, but her belongings contain an envelope that has If Something Happens to Me written on it. Inside, the message is in code. Poppy McGee, brand new to the local police force, investigates. Meanwhile, Ryan finds the assailant in Europe. Together can they find out what really happened that night in lover’s lane?

Part I of this book had me tearing through the pages. Each short chapter had a mini cliffhanger making it genuinely difficult to stop reading. However, the twist at the end of Part I marks a change in the book’s narrative to a more traditional thriller structure. The story lagged a bit at this point. However, the pace does pick up towards the thrilling conclusion. Overall, If Something Happens to Me is an entertaining thriller. 4 stars!

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

This kind of felt like a YA Harlan Corban. And maybe bc I’ve read a bunch of those that none of what happened here came as a surprise.

I liked the characters and it was a nice, fast paced read. But the mob plot didn’t really do it for me and I think since I guessed everything early on, not much came as a surprise which took some of the suspense away.

Alex Finlay has done it again! I eagerly await his novels since getting hooked on his style and masterful twisting reading The Night Shift. I really enjoyed this book bc I liked the cross-world romp. I liked the twists because he has such an organized style where it’s 3-5 pages per chapter with a cliffhanger and then you fit that piece into the larger puzzle he has set out. He doesn’t overcomplicate the plot with unnecessary characters or details like other authors do. Even the minor characters may be introduced as red herrings, but they fit into the bigger picture to enhance the plot further down the line.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy.
Alex Finlay is a go to author for a thrilling read.
If Something Happens to me is a fast past enthralling thriller.
Ali is taken one night with no trace and is presumed dead, her boyfriend Ryan has never been charged.
Ryan travels racing for the truth of what happened to Ali.

Alex Finlay does it again!!!! A fantastic thriller with some excellent twists that had me gasping out loud! A girl disappears one night, leaving her boyfriend wondering what happened. Alex writes books with multiple POV's but in this case it worked so well! The pacing is so fast that it was easy for me to keep up with who is who. For some reason the multiple POV in his last book, What Have we Done didn't work for me as well, possibly there were just too many people? Anyways, this book is SO fantastic. Lately, I've been enjoying going into books not knowing much about them, and I think the overview doesn't really give too much away. Just know that a teenage girl goes missing, and when they find her car in a lake, her body is not inside of it, but instead 2 men.
I enjoyed the characters that Alex created in this story, and there were themes of love and sacrifice. What are you willing to do for your children? I barely finished this book when I was telling my coworker and friends that it was a MUST read!
My ranking of Alex Books are-
1. The Night Shift
2. If Something Happens to Me
3. Every Last Fear
4. What have We Done.

Cannot wait for the next one!
Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur books for the eArc in exchange for an honest review. I am a fan of Alex Finlay, and I was looking forward to reading his newest release. The pacing of this book was fast and it was hard for me to put down. Loved the multiple POVs.

Four stars because I’m mad, it needed to be longer!! A very quick read and great for someone who just wants to read something quick before bed! I ate up the suspense from beginning to end, the thriller gave me goosebumps, I will definitely recommend this for all my mystery readers!!

If Something Happens to Me is a high octane action thriller that deftly puzzles together seemingly unrelated plot lines into one explosive, wild, rollercoaster thread that will keep you hooked.

I hugely enjoyed reading this latest from @alexfinlayauthor who is an absolute master at creating these crazy, spanning, bonkers plots, with incredible dynamic casts and twists hidden around every corner.

If you’re a fan of Guy Ritchie movies (think The Gentlemen or Snatch) where you are teasing out a mystery from start to finish, navigating a massive cast of characters that don’t seem related, but are, and never know what’s coming at you next, then this is the book for you. I loved everything about this book from the pacing, to the moving POV’s and the jumps back and forth from the US to Europe. It was truly just a treat and was ideal escapism reading.

This one dropped this week, and I cannot tell you enough how much you need this book on your summer reading pile. When you want something fun, fast and guaranteed to suck you in, this will be the story to dive into.

Many thanks to @minotaur_books for the copy and to @alexfinlayauthor for always keeping my guessing. It was a blast.

Alex Finlay’s books never miss! I go in to each book expecting a large cast, multiple storylines, and a lot of action. If Something Happens to Me met all of my expectations and more! The intrigue of Ryan, Ali’s boyfriend, being a person of interest in her kidnapping/disappearance started the book with a bang. Finlay intertwined the characters and storylines with short cliffhanger chapters in different POVs that kept the reader on edge. Highly recommend if you’re looking for an exciting fast-paced thriller/mystery!

Book Review

If Something Happens to Me
Alex Finlay

Overall I really enjoyed this book. It was absolutely captivating in the beginning. I was sucked in. I loved the air of suspense around what happened to Ali. There were so many times I was developing theories just to change my thoughts minutes later.

This was a well thought out book with a fun premise. I loved the dual timelines as well.

The only part that I wasn’t a fan of was the ending. I felt it lacking and I just couldn’t stop thinking about how it didn’t live up to the rest of the book.

Thank you Minotaur and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

If you could only read one thriller this year you MUST read this one because yes it is that good! The book description on its own is gripping enough to get you excited and honestly you should probably go into this story knowing very little else because there is so much more happening and it’s just planned out to perfection! Loved it!

I can certainly see the appeal of an Alex Finlay book, intriguing premise, interesting characters, a twist, and a finish worthy of an action movie. If Something Happens to me is the latest offering by Alex Finlay and doesn't lack for the aforementioned appeal. And yet...
The book opens with Ryan and Ali in a parked car, contemplating a final sendoff before parting ways for college, when suddenly events unfold that leave Ryan unconscious and Ali missing. Five years later, Ryan is still trying to fit the pieces of the puzzle together so he can get on with his life when Ali's car is recovered and Ryan sees the man who may have been responsible for what happened that night. Ryan travels the globe trying to make sense of the night that changed his world..

The chapters are short and easy to read, the characters are plentiful (perhaps too much so), and there's definitely action. The problem lies in the fact that the story drags a bit in the middle and the reveals seems obvious. There's also too much focus on trying to be relevant and social media aware (or is it anti social media) when it is really unnecessary and adds little to the story.

The book is less thriller, which is seems in the beginning, and more popcorn action than I expected, yet is wasn't a bad read. I personally will give Finlay's work another as, or a first read, this book didn't really capture the praise that his work has come to be known for.

This was one twisted tale, and at first, I wasn't sure what one story had to do with the next. They were all very interesting, which you knew two were connected as the past and now when Allison went missing. As the book goes on, all the stories come together to a very dramatic ending. Alex Finlay keeps you on the edge of your seat by splitting the book up this way and I liked it.
Allison goes missing after her and her boyfriend, Ryan, decide to go to a dark excluded area to spend some alone time before they both head off to college. But just as a storm hits Ryan is ripped from the car, hit over the head and left on the deserted road. Allison vanishes and is never seen again. Now 5 years later the car she was driving is found submerged in a lake but Allison isn't in it. Two strange men are found in the car with a note from Allison. On the outside it reads If Something Happens to Me with a coded message on the inside. Now the race is on to find out what happened to Allison the night she disappeared.
This was my first book by Alex Finlay and I can't wait to read more.

I’m definitely a fan of Alex Finlay! This was my second favorite of his. Fast paced and multiple pov keeps you on your toes while the story unravels!

Alex Finlay is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine! I've read several now, and they just keep getting better!

This particular read was impossible for me to put down, and it read like a movie. I just couldn't wait to see where it took me...and there were some twists that I didn't expect. I highly recommend!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my review copy!

This is a great murder mystery with so many questions to solve. There was a lot going on in this one, with multiple POVs and names to remember, so it got confusing and tricky to remember them. Overall I enjoyed the twists and reveals, and liked that they were revealed throughout the book instead of all at once in the end. This was also action packed and there were tense moments consistently. I recommend this thriller.