I normally don’t like books that jump around from several POV. There was one jump around that didn’t make sense early on….. until you make the ohhhhh connection. I loved that each chapter was very short and always left you wanting more from that character. You would then quickly read the next chapter and get hooked right back into the next character. Great story line and kept my interest.

For the past five years, Ryan Richardson has relived that terrible night. The car door ripping open. The crushing blow to the head. The hands yanking him from the vehicle. His girlfriend Ali’s piercing scream as she is taken.

With no trace of Ali or the car, a cloud of suspicion hangs over Ryan. But with no proof and a good lawyer, he’s never charged, though that doesn’t matter to the podcasters and internet trolls. Now, Ryan has changed his last name, and entered law school. He's put his past behind him.

Until, on a summer trip abroad to Italy with his law-school classmates, Ryan gets a call from his father: Ali's car has finally been found, submerged in a lake in his hometown. Inside are two dead men and a cryptic note with five words written on the envelope in Ali’s handwriting: If something happens to me…

Then, halfway around the world, the unthinkable happens: Ryan sees the man who has haunted his dreams since that night.

As Ryan races from the rolling hills of Tuscany, to a rural village in the UK, to the glittering streets of Paris in search of the truth, he has no idea that his salvation may lie with a young sheriff’s deputy in Kansas working her first case, and a mobster in Philadelphia who’s experienced tragedy of his own.

In classic Alex Finlay form, If Something Happens to Me is told from several distinct, compelling characters whose paths intersect, detonating into a story of twist after pulse-pounding twist. The story cements Finlay as one of the leading thriller writers today.




I really liked this one! I have been on a thriller kick lately!

SO much was going on and the twists and turns were great! This was a good fast paced thriller to get me out of my slump I had been in. I really liked the 3 POVs in this one, they weren't hard to follow like some books are. This was a great binge book for me and I will be looking to read more of his books!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book has a lot of small, moving threads working at once. While the scene was being set clearly, the thing I struggled with at the beginning was connecting with the characters. Our time and glimpse of them was so brief that it cut some of the feeling out of the equation.

Some books I read for a strong character connection, and some are more ruled by plot. This fell in the latter category, but it was so well done. I did connect with some characters in the end, though the pacing drew me in little by little until I couldn't put this down.

A little bit of romance, a set of chain reactions that inexorably draw in all the players, and a procedural mystery that is so satisfying.

This is my first time reading Alex Finlay, but I hope that it's only the first of many!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was a miss for me. I couldn't grasp the suspension of disbelief. I liked the first half, but the second was assassins and world wide chases, which isn't for me, but might be for others.

I enjoyed this story. There were some things that happened that made me knock off one star, but most of the story was intense and fraught with questions that all end up getting answered.

The book starts with a kidnapping of a girl while she is with her boyfriend. He gets knocked out and doesn’t remember anything, except for a brief glimpse of a face.There are no clues as to what happened to the girlfriend, but the boyfriend exists under a cloud of suspicion. He eventually changes his name land moves far away for college. It is on a European trip for law school where he has an encounter with a strange man who resembles the man he recalls from the day of the incident. The story continues all over Europe and back to the United States while he tries to get to the bottom of the crime so he can clear his name and perhaps finally gain some closure about his missing girlfriend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

I had mixed feelings about this story, I felt like it was missing something. I was hoping for more, maybe the back story. It was kind of all over the place, hard to follow. I wanted to love it but it was just ok.

Alex Finlay is always one to guarantee a fun and twisty ride, and If Something Happens to Me is no exception.

The multiple POVs, the way Finlay weaves the characters together, and the short and exciting chapters all make for a very fun and quick read.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books, NetGalley and the author for the advanced digital copy.

This one is full of action, suspense and tension! It is very past paced with short chapters- you can easily fly through it!

I enjoyed the different POVs. Finlay does a great job of weaving together the different characters and storylines.

I did guess some of the twists, but it did not take away from my enjoyment of the book.

All in all this is a solid psychological thriller to check out!💙

This was a fast paced read with some fun twists and interesting characters. I love how the author always keeps his readers guessing.

This was my first Alex Finlay novel, and I will definitely be reading more! With its fast pace, short chapters, and multiple POVs, it was a quick and easy read that I couldn’t put down. I was quickly pulled into the story, and the suspense kept me entertained and turning the pages to find out what happened next. There were so many twists that I did not see coming, and one in particular (you’ll know which one when you read it!) actually made me gasp out loud. If this is what I can expect from Finlay’s other works, then I am looking forward to reading more from him!

Thank you to Minotaur Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to netgalley for providing me with a copy for review.

This story follows many POVs as we try to uncover what happened to Alison the night she went missing. I found this story was readable thanks to the short chapters, however I found it to be boring and had a hard time really getting in to it. I found that there were too many characters and fake names I found it hard to keep everyone straight. I didn’t see some of the twists coming which I enjoyed and appreciated. Unfortunately near the end I just wanted it to be over and felt that the story was dragging and I was bored. Overall 3 stars.

This is my first Alex Finlay and I enjoyed it! Fast paced and reminiscent of Dan Brown with the international locations. I enjoyed this and read it quickly. I liked the multiple points of view and how it all wrapped up neatly! Definitely recommend!

3.5/5 Stars

Ryan Richardson's life completely changed after suspicion fell on him after the unexplainable disappearance of his girlfriend Alison Lane during their senior year. He leaves town and changes his name, trying to leave his past behind. Now attending law school, he is on a trip to Italy, when his father calls with the information that Ali's car is discovered in a lake, and a cryptic letter that says "If something happens to me..." in Ali's handwriting causing the case to be reopened.

I listened to this on audio, and I liked how short the chapters were, keeping my interest in the story. The time jumps kept me invested, and left me wanting more, but there were a lot of POVs to keep track of. I liked how there were multiple storylines, and characters that were all intertwined in some way. It was action-packed and each new POV uncovered more of the mystery. I finished it rather quickly, and it was a decent popcorn thriller.

This is my third book from Alex Finlay and I've come to the realization that this is just not the author for me. (I gave "Night Shift" three stars, DNF'd "What Have We Done," and did not like this one at all.)

The synopsis of "If Something Happens to Me" promises a gripping premise but fails to deliver any intrigue. The narrative, while initially promising with its blend of mystery and suspense, quickly becomes convoluted and loses momentum. The pacing feels uneven, alternating between frenetic chases and tedious exposition, which disrupts the flow of the story.

Characterization, touted as a strength, falls short of expectations. Ryan Richardson's transformation from a suspect to a law student on the run lacks depth, and his actions often seem erratic rather than driven by a coherent motivation. The supporting cast, including the deputy and other peripheral characters, add little to the plot beyond clichéd roles.

Despite the promising setup of a cold case reemerging with unexpected twists, the execution falters as the plot twists become increasingly implausible. The attempt to inject surprise feels forced, undermining the credibility of the storyline. Essentially, this amounts to a very predictable mob tale that anyone familiar with movies such as "Donnie Brasco" or "The Family" will be able to figure out quickly. Overall, "If Something Happens to Me" starts with potential but ultimately fails to deliver on its promises of suspense and intrigue.

This one was great! Definitely hooked me from the beginning and had me NEEDING to know how things were going to play out! Recommend for anyone looking for a good thriller!

If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay (out now!) has all the things I love: a twisty plot, dual storylines, and multiple narrators. There’s also plenty of action that keeps the story moving and short addictive chapters that will have you rapidly flipping the pages. Throw in a fresh out of the academy sheriff’s deputy and Philly mobsters and you have quite the unique tale of murder and intrigue.

I really liked how this one developed, especially once the big twist was revealed. It helped the storyline flow smoothly into what it wanted to be, an action packed mob thriller.

The book was okay. The story line was good, but I felt like it was longer and way more intricate than it needed to me. Ended up skimming the last few chapters because it was just too long

Five years ago, on a rainy evening, Ryan's girlfriend disappeared and Ryan was knocked out and left behind. After years of suspicion, her car is found in a lake with 2 bodies inside. The case reopens and the evidence leads one investigator close to home. The author did a great job tying an intricate plot altogether.

If Something Happens to Me starts off with several characters whose paths slowly begin to intersect. I had high hopes for this one, but in the end it was just solidly average.

This book was intriguing to start. Made you want to keep going to see where it landed. I did enjoy it , however it started to get a tad predictable towards the end. All in all not bad though.